We'll see if I (Erinn) actually hit "enter" on this baby......... This blogging is going to involve a learning curve for me. You see, it's all so much better in my mind. I'll try not to think and just write about life here as naturally as I can, Ok? Just had to get that off my chest. So, I know I speak for both Jason and myself when I say that we don't really want this to read like some brag-fest about all the glorious things we are seeing and doing- it wouldn't be the complete picture and it would be rather dull, so we'll try to let you know what we're up to, both inwardly and outwardly. I confess that I tend to feel a tinge of envy with most blogs I read. Instead of thinking, "wow, great idea, I'm so inspired." I just think "wow, how sad for them that they need to broadcast that to the world to feel validated." No, just kidding. I really think, "wow, I'm kind of wasting away here reading about another person's life while I DO NOTHING." Yeah, so why jump on board the train? Well, I really just miss all of you and wish that I could catch up with you more often, but once I've written one catch-up letter, I'm sort of done for the week. Lame, I know. This will hopefully get me reflecting and documenting and, maybe, hearing from some of you lovelies.
So some highlights so far:
Feeling cool when I figured out the tube system (yes, this is an ongoing source of satisfaction for me); walking way more than usual every day and feeling lighter for it (though this is merely a feeling I think); wearing boots and not feeling like a complete dork in them; feeling my intellect piqued (sometimes it gets a bit sleepy) -- in fact, today, I found myself with Oliver on one knee rifling through pens and pencils (his favorite London pasttime), everyone else occupied, and I really wanted to read more about King Henry VIII and Elizabeth I while I had this one spare moment (I think a couple months ago I would have liked to think that was how my internal world was geared, but it would have been a hope vs. a reality), anyway, there's some growth there; enjoying art more, seeing Billy Elliot and Hamlet- spellbinding, left me speechless!!; seeing Brendan man-up and carry the stroller up and down stairs at the tube station; seeing Oliver learn to walk-sheesh, the Brits were starting to wonder?; snuggling up with my lap-top and watching British movies; seeing my kids (especially B) picking up and reading some wonderful books about English history and customs (he's more of a fiction junkie); seeing both kids create the best art of their lives (such long lives!) by just imitating what they see everywhere they go and smirking as they name some fancy pants artist they know something about; seeing Lily pal around with the college girls on our trip to Oxford; hearing a cute English girl call Oliver a "cheeky little tot"; hanging out with some beautiful and wonderful Long Beach friends who came to visit; and, finally, the wonderful treat of being with my mom, brother and now my in-laws while in this not so warm and fuzzy place.
Some of the lowlights:
Buying way toooooo many groceries at these little markets and looking like a fool as they try to check me out, bag me up and send me off; sometimes stressful merging moments on the tube (though this hasn't been too big of a deal, even with all 3 kids); trying to get the older kids to not look like complete spazzes while we walk to the tube or elsewhere (they are a little like caged animals being set free on the world, after their 1/2 day of school); some abiding guilt that the kids have no friends and no real activities; feeling like a caged animal myself sometimes- struggling with how to refuel and find some space, literally and figuratively; sleeping in a room with teething Oliver- a room with the squeakiest door and bed we've ever had; sometimes just feeling a little sick of the straight man face everyone seems to wear around here (they need to get those hips movin'- just a little salsa!); the invisible feeling of being a foreigner abroad, one that isn't "quite" in on all the secret cultural norms and behaviors; wondering if my American-ness is being looked down upon; being told from the man with the icy stare (downstairs) that we are, in fact, "too noisy;" the wearing off of the "play-money" effect of British currency -- now these bills look just as real and scary as the American bills do when I hand them off to someone.
Ok, clearly I could go on and on and who wants to read epic blog entries. I apologize. I'm just a beginner here. Lots of love to all of you!
Hope to hear from some of you,
Erinn
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Oliver
So our 16-month-old baby is finally walking -- isn't he advanced?! The kid has huge teeth and a huge cranium, so the contrast with crawling has been pretty funny. Finally he's stepping up (literally). I'll post a video below of some of his first steps. I'll also post one of him grooving to his favorite tune.
Hampton Court Palace, Regent's Park, the London Zoo, and Hamlet!
We've had a busy and enjoyable past several days. I'll briefly share some highlights, then post some pictures. On Saturday we went to Hampton Court Palace, a former main residence of Henry VIII among many other royalty and big figures in British history. The palace itself was beautiful (got to see Henry's "apartments" and his "kitchens," the latter of which were massive given that up to 1200 people were living there at any given time during his reign). But the grounds (gardens, a hedge maze, ponds, open spaces) were at least as gorgeous. On Monday we went to Regent's Park and the London Zoo. It was a crisp, cold (around 45 degrees), but perfectly clear day -- a great day for the zoo! As we expected, Oliver in particular had a great time. He was alternately fascinated and terrified by the various beasts. We got a really, really close up view of a pacing, growling Bengali Tiger -- amazing! Last night Erinn and I got to see a production of Hamlet at the National Theatre. We've both taught this play before and have watched various movie versions of it; so we know it well and love it. The performance blew our minds. Probably the best play I've ever seen. The directing was great but Hamlet's performance was out of this world.
Here are a few photos from our trip to Hampton Court Palace:
Here are a few photos from our trip to Hampton Court Palace:
London Favorites?
So, we have yet to "advertise" this blog to friends and family, but we're about to, and so thought we'd solicit input about your favorite things to see or do in London. We know that many of you have spent considerable time here and we'd love to hear your recommendations. Please share!
Friday, October 22, 2010
Welcome!
Welcome friends and family!
Thanks to Amy Jensen for setting up a blog on which we can share some of our experiences during our semester in London. We've been here almost two months and so have a lot of catching up to do.
First, the Baehr facts, for those not already in the know. I (Jason) am teaching in Loyola Marymount University's study abroad program at the Foundation for International Education in South Kensington, London. We're living in a flat not too far away. (For those who know London, we're close to the Earl's Court tube station, the Chelsea FC stadium, and the Brompton Cemetery.) We arrived at the end of August and will be here until December 21.
I'll give a brief recap of some things we've done and what our life has looked like in these past eight weeks.
Homeschooling. Erinn is in charge. The Brits think we're crazy for homeschooling. I'm pretty sure it's illegal here (that's what the immigration officer told me at Heathrow upon our arrival). The schooling is happening in relatively small daily doses. But between the local library holdings, stories on CD, and all that there is to do in the city, the kids are soaking in a great deal. They seem (from a relative outsider's point of view) to be reading or being read to a lot, listening to a lot of stories on our iPod, and drawing a ton. I'm especially impressed at how they've both grown artistically. They've also learned a lot of colorful history about Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, and Egypt. On the lighter side, we've read a ton of Roald Dahl with/to them.
Visitors. We've been so blessed by visitors: Erinn's mom; E's brother Damon; the Millsap family; Alicia Porter; Jeff Jensen; and my parents! We also enjoyed connecting with Phil and Catherine Dow and family on their way back to Kenya from the UK.
Museums. We've done a pretty good job so far of getting out and about. With only a few exceptions, any time we've had on open half-day or more, we've been out experiencing what the city has to offer, no small part of which is museums! We've spent a lot of time at the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum (both of which are near us). We've spent some time at the Natural History Museum (next to the other museums just mentioned) and the British Museum and have plans to spend much more time at both of these places. We've got a "family pass" to the Tower of London and have been there several times. We saw a cool Sargent exhibit at the Royal Academy of the Arts. We've been a couple times to the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square (had a great time there today) and had an enjoyable visit to the adjacent National Portrait Gallery. I know I'm forgetting some other museum trips. But these have all been great. One nice thing about being here for a full semester is that we can pay several visits to the same museum and so don't need to stay too long on any given visit (a plus for the kids).
Parks. Such great parks here! Just after arriving we spent a balmy and beautiful late summer afternoon in Hyde Park. Very memorable. Been to Kensington Park (continguous with Hyde Park) several times. Holland Park, which is a very close to us, was a major find: dense wooded areas to stroll through, amazing gardens, and state-of-the-art play ground equipment. We also had a great time at Regent's Park. All of these places are wonderful refuges from the noisy hustle and bustle of the city.
Shows. E and her mom saw Billy Elliot -- perhaps E's most favorite experience since we've been here. I took Brendan to see Phantom. Lily, E, and Denise (E's mom) saw Wicked. E and I went to the Mary Wives of Windsor at the Globe Theater on her birthday. We've got tickets to see Hamlet at the National Theater this week (which I'm especially excited about). We plan to take Brennie and Lily to see Oliver. And we've got tickets to see a musical version of Roald Dahl's book Matilda in Stratford in a few weeks. (Did I mention that we're hemorrhaging cash?)
Excursions. Last weekend we took a day trip to Oxford with my students, where we visited C.S. Lewis's home (I'm teaching a course on Lewis's philosophy of religion) and the majestic city itself. I did a similar trip with B and L to Stonehenge and Bath (E stayed back with Oliver). I went to a conference in beautiful Jena, Germany, a few weeks ago. In a little less than two weeks we'll go with my parents to Paris for three nights. The kids can't stop talking about the bread they expect to enjoy there! We've also got a day trip scheduled for Cambridge in December.
Well, that's it for an overview. In the future we promise shorter posts with more interesting details. Life here definitely has its challenges: getting groceries, getting from A to B with three small kids, the noise, the lack of a yard, the lack of friends (minus visitors), etc. But I'm pretty sure I'm speaking for all of us when I say that these challenges are completely outweighed by the amazing and seemingly endless cultural and educational opportunities. This is really is an opportunity of a lifetime, for which we're very grateful!
Love,
The Baehrs
A few pics:
Thanks to Amy Jensen for setting up a blog on which we can share some of our experiences during our semester in London. We've been here almost two months and so have a lot of catching up to do.
First, the Baehr facts, for those not already in the know. I (Jason) am teaching in Loyola Marymount University's study abroad program at the Foundation for International Education in South Kensington, London. We're living in a flat not too far away. (For those who know London, we're close to the Earl's Court tube station, the Chelsea FC stadium, and the Brompton Cemetery.) We arrived at the end of August and will be here until December 21.
I'll give a brief recap of some things we've done and what our life has looked like in these past eight weeks.
Homeschooling. Erinn is in charge. The Brits think we're crazy for homeschooling. I'm pretty sure it's illegal here (that's what the immigration officer told me at Heathrow upon our arrival). The schooling is happening in relatively small daily doses. But between the local library holdings, stories on CD, and all that there is to do in the city, the kids are soaking in a great deal. They seem (from a relative outsider's point of view) to be reading or being read to a lot, listening to a lot of stories on our iPod, and drawing a ton. I'm especially impressed at how they've both grown artistically. They've also learned a lot of colorful history about Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, Shakespeare, and Egypt. On the lighter side, we've read a ton of Roald Dahl with/to them.
Visitors. We've been so blessed by visitors: Erinn's mom; E's brother Damon; the Millsap family; Alicia Porter; Jeff Jensen; and my parents! We also enjoyed connecting with Phil and Catherine Dow and family on their way back to Kenya from the UK.
Museums. We've done a pretty good job so far of getting out and about. With only a few exceptions, any time we've had on open half-day or more, we've been out experiencing what the city has to offer, no small part of which is museums! We've spent a lot of time at the Science Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum (both of which are near us). We've spent some time at the Natural History Museum (next to the other museums just mentioned) and the British Museum and have plans to spend much more time at both of these places. We've got a "family pass" to the Tower of London and have been there several times. We saw a cool Sargent exhibit at the Royal Academy of the Arts. We've been a couple times to the National Gallery on Trafalgar Square (had a great time there today) and had an enjoyable visit to the adjacent National Portrait Gallery. I know I'm forgetting some other museum trips. But these have all been great. One nice thing about being here for a full semester is that we can pay several visits to the same museum and so don't need to stay too long on any given visit (a plus for the kids).
Parks. Such great parks here! Just after arriving we spent a balmy and beautiful late summer afternoon in Hyde Park. Very memorable. Been to Kensington Park (continguous with Hyde Park) several times. Holland Park, which is a very close to us, was a major find: dense wooded areas to stroll through, amazing gardens, and state-of-the-art play ground equipment. We also had a great time at Regent's Park. All of these places are wonderful refuges from the noisy hustle and bustle of the city.
Shows. E and her mom saw Billy Elliot -- perhaps E's most favorite experience since we've been here. I took Brendan to see Phantom. Lily, E, and Denise (E's mom) saw Wicked. E and I went to the Mary Wives of Windsor at the Globe Theater on her birthday. We've got tickets to see Hamlet at the National Theater this week (which I'm especially excited about). We plan to take Brennie and Lily to see Oliver. And we've got tickets to see a musical version of Roald Dahl's book Matilda in Stratford in a few weeks. (Did I mention that we're hemorrhaging cash?)
Excursions. Last weekend we took a day trip to Oxford with my students, where we visited C.S. Lewis's home (I'm teaching a course on Lewis's philosophy of religion) and the majestic city itself. I did a similar trip with B and L to Stonehenge and Bath (E stayed back with Oliver). I went to a conference in beautiful Jena, Germany, a few weeks ago. In a little less than two weeks we'll go with my parents to Paris for three nights. The kids can't stop talking about the bread they expect to enjoy there! We've also got a day trip scheduled for Cambridge in December.
Well, that's it for an overview. In the future we promise shorter posts with more interesting details. Life here definitely has its challenges: getting groceries, getting from A to B with three small kids, the noise, the lack of a yard, the lack of friends (minus visitors), etc. But I'm pretty sure I'm speaking for all of us when I say that these challenges are completely outweighed by the amazing and seemingly endless cultural and educational opportunities. This is really is an opportunity of a lifetime, for which we're very grateful!
Love,
The Baehrs
A few pics:
Trafalgar Square
Chinatown
Oxford
OKB
The Princess Di Memorial Playground at Kensington Park
Stonehenge
Brompton Cemetery (right near our flat)
A view from the London Eye
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