My slow move to Turkey is off to a great start. Already, I am nearing the end of a six day stint in London, and I have to say, despite the excessively high prices, I am quite pleased with the city. Upon arrival at London Heathrow Airport, I began a very long venture to Forest Row, a small suburb just south of London. Here I met my friend Dirkje (Dee). Dee and I had much catching up to do – it had been three years since we last saw each other while studying in Mexico.
For the past several weeks, Dee has been volunteering at Emerson College, a Steiner School located on several acres of immaculate land. The weather changed nearly every ten minutes between the extremes of a deluge and bright sunshine. When it was nice everyone would walk outside through the gardens or take a trip into town. When the rains came we typically put on a pot of tea and read in the library. There was some occasional guitar playing as well.
The people at Emerson were inspiring. In terms of nationality, they were quite diverse, coming from all corners of the globe. Despite the difference of background, each seemed to share a tenacious passion for self- and societal-improvement. Although they had made incredible journeys themselves, most were interested in hearing about my life and my pursuits. They left me with only words of affirmation and encouragement, and I feel lucky to have crossed their paths even if only for a brief time.
- Pixton Hill, Emerson College
- Taylor, Dee, and Ana
On Friday, Joanna, another friend from Mexico, picked me up and drove me north to her home in Croydon. I was still adjusting to the time change so we made it an easy morning and had some coffee with her “mum”, a former teacher. Through our conversation, I gathered that the U.K. is struggling through some of the same educational woes as the States. However, culturally and politically, European teachers seemed to be held in higher esteem and do not face the continual disparagement of the “new education reform movement” like those in the U.S.
In the mid-afternoon we took a train out to Greenwich and walked around. The area was quite beautiful and the Dim Sung in the market was unspeakably delicious. I was able to visit the National Observatory which is the location of the Prime Meridian. That night we went to one of Jo’s friend’s mother’s fiftieth birthday party. It was great to spend time with some true Englishmen and women on their own turf. Jo’s friends were incredibly friendly and shared much about their life in London.
The following day we woke up early and sprinted (literally) to the station down the road. We managed to catch the train and head into central London for a day of much sightseeing and even more walking. We frequented all the usuals, my favorite of which was St. Paul’s Cathedral. They wanted to charge £15 for entry. However, we simply told them we were going to an upcoming service and they let us in for free. We did sit through the Mass held in the center of this splendid structure, and for going to church we were awarded with sunshine when we walked back outside.
St. Paul's Cathedral
Parliament and Big Ben
- Joanna, Simon, Taylor
The next morning I took the train back to Jo’s and we spent a lazy afternoon watching “The Queen” to give me a better idea of the tensions between the political “modernizers” and the more traditional royalty. At the conclusion of the movie, Jo’s dad was kind enough to take us out to dinner at a Spanish tapas restaurant. Afterward we walked through the parts of Croydon that were hit by the recent riots. The riots have acted as a catalyst for many important discussions in London including the responsibility that should be placed on the youth and their parents. People are beginning to question what is going wrong in the microcosms of home and school that would cause young people to act with such a lack of discretion and utter disregard for the rule of law.
Currently I am in Gatwick airport waiting for my gate to open. I am now on my way to Ireland for a week. But more on that later…
