This Post Comes To You In Five Parts

Part 1: Fun times!

When my Shakespeare class went on a study trip to Stratford a while back, we found a spot set up for Nine Men’s Morris, which is referenced in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. We obviously had to take a group photo.

 Here are my roommate Chelsea and I at Glastonbury!

Here I am with a bunch of friends on the 5^th of November, bundled against the cold English air and ready to watch the fireworks. The idea of celebrating the defeat of the Gunpowder Plot by exploding things into the air seems bizarre to me (can anyone explain that one?). We went home and watched QI and V for Vendetta (which I was kind of disappointed with, unfortunately).

A lot of my friends here are just as obsessed with Downton Abbey as I am, so for the series 2 finale we decided to have a party involving tea and lots of delicious food!

Part 2: Movies and things!

I have been lucky enough to have seen several movies in the past month or so. Here are some very brief reviews:

The Three Musketeers in 3D (starring Matthew McFadyen, Orlando Bloom, and other less important people): not terribly faithful, kind of running with the weird style of Robert Downey Jr’s Sherlock Holmes (bleh), but surprisingly funny, enjoyable, and entertaining.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (starring Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, and a lot of Harry Potter cast members) (scene with Dobby, Aberforth, Sirius, and Olivander all in the same room!): Bleak, unpleasant, and confusing. But, some of the best shots I have ever seen (a tiny clip of the best is in this trailer from around 1:32-1:34, with Benedict Cumberbatch).

The Adventures of Tintin: The Secret of the Unicorn in 3D (Jamie Bell, Andy Serkis, and Daniel Craig): I never read the originals, but it was wonderful, funny, and utterly entertaining. The best opening credits since The Incredibles.

Part 3: Class registration!

I got all of the classes I wanted for the spring! I was definitely worried about registering abroad, especially since Peoplesoft (the system through which we register) tends to crash whenever my class tries to register. But everything went perfectly! I’m taking

Tibetan Mandala Painting

Feminism Ethics and Knowledge

Experience of War in Literature

Bible as Literature (after much debate between that, Milton, and Intro to Lesbian and Gay Studies)

My schedule is unfortunately lacking in the super interesting social sciences, but all of these classes look really cool (and I’ll be finishing my goals and almost done with my major after that semester)!

Part 4: The relatives!

From the 30^th to the 9^th two of my lovely grandparents came to visit! My aunt Jenny also visited for part of that time. It was great to get to visit with them! I finally got to visit the Royal Crescent (this is one of the big tourist attractions. It’s also where Anne Elliot chases after Captain Wentworth after his re-proposal in the 2008 Persuasion)

and the Assembly Rooms (significant to Northanger Abbey) and the Fashion Museum, where I tried on a corset and hoop skirt.

Part 5: Jane Austen study trip!

On Friday, my Jane Austen class went on our study trip to Steventon, Chawton, and Winchester. It was a really fun trip—I love our tutor and my classmates and it was really cool to get to see where Jane Austen spent time! Here is a mini photo tour.

First we visited St Nicholas church in Steventon, which is the church that Jane Austen's father was reverend of. Both Steventon in general and the church itself were super tiny! 

Then we went to Chawton House Library, which has been turned into a library for women's writing. The house was fantastic, with lots of dark wood paneling and cushy seating and portraits on the walls.

This is what used to be the stables. Now it's where visiting scholars stay. I think I know what my life goal should be.

This is Chawton Cottage, where Jane Austen did a lot of her writing and revising. 

Finally we went to Winchester Cathedral, where Austen was buried. There were several boxes in the cathedral which apparently have the bones of kings, queens, and other important people in them. One of them is said to have the bones of Cnut, the viking warrior who became king of Denmark, Norway, England, and parts of Sweden.

And then we finally saw where Jane Austen was buried. 

It was great to be able to have a touring experience that went so full circle--where she grew up, where she did most of her writing, and where her life ended.