Britain and Queens

“I’m going to England!”

-“Are you going to have tea and crumpets?”

-“Are you going to Buckingham Palace?”

-“Are you going to meet the Queen?”

These are real responses I had from people when I told them I had been accepted into the London Centre study abroad program.  After our discussions in class this week, I’ve started to question, why do people always associate England with tea and royalty? I suppose, for me, that is what Britishness is.  There is something magical and grand about it all.

In class we’ve talked about British identity and nationalism, particularly in the framework of war and monarchy.  Having kings and queens rule a nation is not something that we are used to as Americans, so learning about that has been very interesting for me.  I’ve been able to learn about the importance of a monarchy, and why we think of the Queen, or past queens, when we think of Britain.  As a class when the question was posed, what is Britishness, immediately someone said civility.  I too think of Britain as being civil, proper, classy.  We tend to think of the Queen, of the Monarchy, and the grandeur of it.  We toured Brighton Pavilion this week, a beautiful opulent palace built by Henry IV, which was a perfect example of the extravagance of royalty.  When I visited Kensington Palace this week and had tea at the Orangery, I felt like I was experiencing the height of Britishness, sipping tea from a decorative cup and eating a croissant dripping with butter and jam.  Also at Kensington Palace, I toured the Princess Diana exhibit, and though it was dedicated to her fashion and style, I realized how much the people really loved her and looked up to her.  She decided to let her image have an impact for good through various charities and donations to help the people.  Both the Royal Pavilion and Kensington Palace talked about Queen Victoria and how she was a queen for the people who they loved. She also was a queen who ruled with dignity and poise despite her challenges.   

I’ve never grown up looking up to a queen, at least not one for a whole nation.  One of our program director Delys gave a beautiful devotional about the people who aren’t queens or princesses, who don’t get recognized for their achievements, but are the ones who have the greatest impact on us, and that is our mothers.  Mothers have the most beautiful and sacred role on earth to bring the children of God into this world.  Mothers raise their children with love and care.  Mothers sacrifice their needs for their children, always putting them first.  Mothers love their children unconditionally.  Mothers may not be queens to most of the world, but they are the closest thing to royalty anyone will ever get.  

Bucket List Item #40: Brighton Pier

Standing over the water, wind in my hair, smells of the sea and sugared donuts flooding my senses, I closed my eyes and smiled as big as the sun.  Memories of laughter of my cousins and I echoed in my mind.  This week, we went to Brighton for a day trip, and it easily became one of my favorite places in England.  That day, we also went to Portsmouth, so we didn’t have a lot of time in Brighton, but it was enough to fill my bucket with the feelings I feel when I go to the beach, which is one of my favorite family traditions.

This week we talked about A Christmas Carol and how it has impacted our Christmas traditions.  I hadn’t really thought about A Christmas Carol having that much of an impact, but I realized it has indeed stuck throughout time.  There are many film adaptions of A Christmas Carol, which I watch one of at least every year, and various play adaptions as well.  Why is this particular Christmas story one we have retold and cherished through the generations? I think that the ideas and themes in A Christmas Carol are ones that we all need to remember each year, and this story presents that in a way that we all can relate to in one way or another. Scrooge is a character that we look at like the bad guy, but how many of can relate to him?  Don’t we all want money? Don’t we all put other priorities ahead of spending time with people sometimes?  It can be easy get caught up with things of the world and think more about ourselves than we do others.  Personally, I think that A Christmas Carol is a part of my Christmas tradition because it reminds me what really is Christmas about, the importance of spending time with our loved ones, and that we can change.  It is a gentle yet powerful reminder of the most important things that bring us joy in our lives, like that of family and service. 

One tradition that I’ve had in my family as long as I can remember is going to San Diego to visit my mom’s side of the family who all live there.  For that reason, the beach has always had a special place in my heart.  When we arrived in Brighton, I was immediately reminded of the area where my family lives in, and as we approached the pier and I saw the ocean, I was brought back to our many excursions to Coronado beach.  Standing on Brighton Pier, smelling that sweet ocean air, seeing the waves crash against the shore, is something that I cherish.  At the beach, I am reminded of the simple things in life that bring me joy, and the especially the joy that comes with being a part of a family.  Being in Brighton, this time being with friends I have come to know so much in such a short time, was a beautiful and renewing experience, just like reading A Christmas Carol. 

Scotland

Our travels this week brought us to Scotland, where we visited the beautiful home of Sir Walter Scott, explored the exciting city of Edinburgh, full of life and friendly people, and toured the Edinburgh castle and Scottish Parliament.  And the hike to Arthur’s seat was well worth the treacherous stairs and uphill steps to the top to see the spectacular view of the city and the landscape.

While in Scotland we visited the Scottish Parliament and learned about its history and function, and about the building itself.   It was very interesting to learn about how they run their Parliament, and compare that to the Welsh Assembly.  In class, we discussed many of the differences and similarities between the two, especially about their identity along with a Parliament separate from England.  One thing I thought was interesting was why there were significantly more Scottish people who voted to have their own Scottish Parliament than Welsh people who voted to have a Welsh Parliament (About 51% voted for the Welsh Parliament while about 70% voted for the Scottish Parliament).  I think the identity of Wales and of Scotland was the major factor behind the result of the vote.  This led me to question of what makes a national identity stronger than others? Scotland has a longer history of having their own Parliament and even their own King for a time, while the parliament in Wales is a more recent establishment.  To me though, the Scottish identity is more distinctive than the Welsh because of kilts and bagpipes.  Right from the start, as we entered Scotland, we were greeted with a man in a kilt playing the bagpipes for visitors at the Scottish border.  This to me was a huge example of how Scottish identity is very distinct, and stronger as a nation.  While in Scotland, there was shop after shop selling kilts, and street performers playing the bagpipes.  I wonder if having a musical instrument tied to one’s country can make their identity stronger? Scotland has their signifier, but what does Wales have? If Wales had a certain instrument linked to their culture, would their national identity be stronger? Looking back to our trip to Wales, it didn’t feel a whole lot different from England, other than the fact that there were more sheep.  In comparing my experience of the two tours of Parliament, I think that since the Welsh people are still trying to create their identity, they are more open to share it with other people, and promote this cool new thing they have got going on.  On the other hand, Scotland knows what they are about, and don’t feel like they need to sell us on their Parliament, because it has already been a part of their identity for a while. I think that by having cultural artifacts like bagpipes and kilts strongly associated with Scotland, their national identity is indeed stronger.  And since their identity is stronger, I believe that is why more people voted for Scotland to have their own Parliament, because they want to continue preserve that part of their own identity separate from England. 

As we left Scotland, the echo of the bagpipes still reverberated softly through my soul.  

Bucket List Item #42: Hike the Lake District

Each day of our travels this past week brought new adventures.  I had the opportunity to see the home of the Bronte sisters and be in the presence of the very table they sat and wrote at.  At the Lake District, we explored the beautiful area and got to tour Dove Cottage where William Wordsworth lived for a time.  We also had the opportunity to go to the Wordsworth Trust and see things like first editions of his books and his travel journal. Then at Scotland we toured the grand home of Sir Walter Scott.  Out of visiting the homes of these amazing writers, Grasmere was my favorite. 

While in the Lake District, the home of William Wordsworth, I really felt like his poems became alive to me.  While at a little bakery, a line of his poetry framed on the wall said “What we need is not the will to believe, but the wish to find out.”  Visiting Grasmere left me wanting to find out more about this grand poet.  As we sat in the Wordsworth Trust, we got to see a few items from his life.  We learned about his writing process and how he often dictated his poems to his sister or wife to write down, while they most likely were outside in nature.  One of the items at the Trust we got to see was Wordsworth’s travel journal.  I’m not sure why, but for some reason, I was really fascinated by this small journal.  I love the idea of having a travel journal, because while I am traveling, I often find myself wanting to write about the sights I see and the thoughts they provoke.  I’ll usually pull out my phone and write something down, but I think there is something special about having pen and paper to record your thoughts.  I asked myself questions about Wordsworth’s journal like “where did he take this journal?”, “what did he write in it?”, and “how did he put his observations together to create a poem?” 

Wordsworth was inspired by nature, and wrote lines like “I wandered lonely as a cloud/ That floats on high o'er vales and hills,/ When all at once I saw a crowd,/ A host, of golden daffodils;/ Beside the lake, beneath the trees,/ Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.”  I love how Wordsworth paints this picture for us and makes it come alive through his descriptive words.  After visiting the Trust, we set off to do a hike.  Along the way, I paused to marvel at the simple things, like the brightly colored flowers and the stony bridges over small streams.  When we made it up a waterfall, again I was humbled by the beautiful fields of green and the sparkling water coming down that created a serenity that I bet only Wordsworth could describe.  Taking a step back and immersing myself in nature, not worrying about the cares of the world, helped me understand how Wordsworth came to write “To her fair works did Nature link/ The human soul that through me ran…”.  Nature has done this for me, connecting my soul through my body, and I hope to be able to carry a travel journal with me where I can record how nature inspires me.  

London and Wales

“I still think the parade of peoples and colours and tongues just about the best thing in London…” – Glyn Roberts, journalist, 1933.

London is a center hub of many different cultures and people, which I agree is the best part of London like this quote says from the Museum of London.  As I’ve walked the streets of this beautiful, busy city, I’ve heard a mixture of languages being spoken as people pass by.  I’ve reflected on the idea of a nation, of ethnicity and of culture.  In class, we discussed the possibility of the Mormon religion as being an ethnicity.  On one hand, I believe that the Mormon religion could be an ethnicity because we all believe the same thing, the gospel of Jesus Christ, and live our lives accordingly.  We are a people of shared values and traditions.  On another hand, members of the church have different ways of doing things in different parts of the world.  When the question was posed whether it was good or bad to consider Mormons as an ethic group, I was stumped.  I think that there is something beautiful about a group of people who are all unique brought together by religion and love for the gospel.  I also think there is danger in trying to group Mormons together as one ethnicity, because I don’t think there is one perfect way to live the Mormon religion.

This Sunday, I attended the Spanish ward, and I felt so blessed to be there among these people.  I loved hearing the services in the language I learned on the mission, and I loved meeting people from different parts of the world.  This was an example to me how Mormons can be an ethnicity, while still not be categorized into only one thing.  I also felt blessed to visit Wales and learn about their culture and their language.  We got to tour the Welsh assembly and see how they run their government.  I learned that they were approved to start having their own assembly in 1997, only 20 years ago, which holds 60 seats for their five political parties.  For class, we also watched a documentary about the Welsh language, and I gained understanding of the importance of their language to their culture.  In 2011, only 19% of the Welsh population could speak Welsh.  Recently, more people are sending their children to Welsh schools so they can keep the language alive through the young generation.  During our visit to Wales, we also went to St. Fagans and had an interactive learning experience, learning about how the ancestors of the Welsh people lived.  The landscape put in perspective the simple way of life these people live, and I’m grateful for the chance I have to learn more about different people and learn from their way of life.

Bucket List Item #45: Tintern Abbey

I’ve hesitated to write this blog post, because frankly I don’t know where to start.  I’ve been in the Legendary London Centre for one week, and it has been the most amazing week of adventures.  In only one short week, I’ve been to Piccadilly Circus, seen part of the London Wall, visited the Tower of London, saw the Royal Bridge, ate at Borough Market, saw Twelfth Night at the Globe, shopped at Portobello Market, went to 221B Baker Street and Speedy’s Café, got a picture at platform 9 ¾, saw Big Ben and rode the London Eye, saw Stonehenge, toured the Romans baths in Bath, and visited Wales.  Amongst all of these things I’ve done, one place that was really incredible to visit was Tintern Abbey in Wales.  In our English class, we read a beautiful poem by Wordsworth about Tintern Abbey.  At first, it appeared to be a very long poem that I didn’t totally understand, but after re-reading it a few times, I began to understand the meaning behind his wondrous words.  The poem reminiscences of a visit to Tintern Abbey years ago, and reflects on the simple beauties of nature.  As I read this poem, the theme that came to my mind was nostalgia.  This feeling of nostalgia made me sit back and think back to memories from my childhood and beautiful places I've seen.  These are a few lines from the poem that really spoke to me: “Therefore am I still/  A lover of the meadows and the woods/ And mountains; and of all that we behold/ From this green earth; of all the mighty world… In nature and the language of the sense/ The anchor of my purest thoughts, the nurse,/ The guide, the guardian of my heart, and soul/ Of all my moral being.” I love these words about being still and being in nature.  After walking through Abbey that was still standing, yet partially in ruins, I went behind it and sat on the grass, where I wrote a poem of my own, reflecting on my feelings of the nature around me.  I’m so grateful that I was able to visit Tintern Abbey, as well as of the places I’ve been so far on this journey. 

Tintern Abbey

By Jennie Tijerino

Glorious is the green

Of the hills and the trees

That surround and embrace me

At the very Tintern Abbey

Birds chirp in the distance

Softly in the wind

The sun hits my back

Green grass beneath my feet

The earth is alive

And connected

To these ancient walls

And aches that have sprung from the soil

This magnificent structure

Still stands from the ages

The spirit alive inside

And the air surrounding it

Still echoes the songs from within

Body and soul

I feel the enormity

The serenity

Of these sacred ruins

Glorious is the green

Of the hills and the trees

That surround and embrace me

At the very Tintern Abbey