Questival!

2016-do it. 

Final Video Essay

I really, really liked what I had to say in this video.  I feel like it rounded out the trip it a nice way, and gave it a final conclusion.  I also liked that I was able to talk about my favorite novels from the trip and the favorite travel spots within class.  Even though I don't talk about myself much in the video and there aren't many pictures of me enjoying my trip, it gives an accurate display of how I was able to use these characters in the novel to come of age like they did.  While I am slightly mortified at the quality of my video as far as technology and delivery goes, I do really like the follow things though: 1. the way my writing has progressed and I feel it is heard throughout this video 2. My usage of quotes to support myself 3. My ability to start off really strong and I tried to end strong as well, as far as video mechanics go themselves and as far as writing goes and 4. My ability to tie in some paintings.  Needless to say, I definitely feel like this trip has not only helped me to come of age as a global citizen, writer, traveler, worker, skeptic, believer, but also as a student and a person.  I was quite surprised by how much I was able to push my writing skills in the end.  I am very pleased with that, and plan to continue to develop myself.

Thank you Dr. Steele for all your constructive criticism, a great experience traveling in London, and pushing me to always do more and do better!

Last day of class on the London Eye!

The other pod!

Big Ben and the River Thames

Not a great shot, but it was still awesome to see!

Amazing views on an incredibly clear day!

Big Ben!

River Thames!

Coming of Age as a Writer

The novel of the week was Atonement by Ian McEwen.  I thought it was a great novel with an interesting twist of an ending.  To explain this novel deeper and to gain greater understandings of it, we went to the British Library, the HMS Belfast, and the Florence Nightingale Museum.

"Propaganda is really no more than a communication of ideas designed to persuade people to think and behave in a desired way." -Philip Taylor

At the British Library, we learned about propaganda which only focuses on one appeal. One thing that stuck out to me at this exhibit was the social media accept.  They had a display of a huge screen at the end that last a significant event in history, like the Inauguration of Obama.  Then, several thousand tweets popped on the screen and kept changing.  The positive, negative, and neutral comments were all identified by a different color.  Because this exhibit accurately portrays propaganda as only focusing on one appeal, we can see how it relates back to Briony in the novel.  When she writes her plays, she wants her audience and the reader to only focus on one thing and that is the message.  Her messages can also only be interpreted in one way-just like the exhibits. 

This whole exhibit was about propaganda.  However, I think the pressing question in many of our minds was whether or not the exhibit about propaganda was propaganda itself or not. 

On Wednesday we visited the HMS Belfast. There, we compared the daily struggles of life as solider to those of Robbie Turner in Atonement. 

Some struggles that Robbie definitely faced were proper healthcare and homesickness.  At the Belfast, we learned that the lived in a very unsterile environment, just like Robbie probably lived it.  Also, Robbie lied his way into sanity."  He did this by writing-a common suggestion for soldiers who were homesick or death with shell shock. 

Florence Nightingale Museum on Thursday

The similarities between Florence and Briony in the novel are quite similar. 

Both Briony and Florence had a caring heart.  Briony in the end, lied in her novel to gain atonement for what she had done and tried the best she could to get Robbie and Cecilia back together which showed her caring nature.  Florence wrote to soldiers' families after they died, which also showed her compassion as not only a nurse but a writer. 

This is the lamp that Florence used.  She used it when she couldn't see and it allowed her to be constantly gaining experience, just as Briony gained experience through travel.  Both of their experiences traveling influenced how they thought and wrote.  It also greatly affected their communication. through writing. 

Paris this weekend!

This past week, my parents came in. We went to Paris this weekend, something all of us have really been wanting to do! AND it was Le Tour de France! What luck! 

Go Frogs from Le Tour de France!!

The Lock Bridge in Paris! It had a bunch of locks in it that ranged in all shapes and sizes! Yes, my parents and I both put a lock on it and threw the key into the river below! It was a fun tradition to participate in! 

Crepes!!

The guy making our crepe!

Nutella crepe!

Breakfast of Champions! Crepes and Espresso!

Moulin Rouge

Louis Vuitton!

Arc de Triumph! This is what the riders of the Tour de France had to circle around 11 times at the end of the race!

Go Frogs!

Mom and dad!

and again!

Down this street there is a big red blow up arch that says 1 kilometer!

Just waiting for the parade to end and the race to pass by!

Mom sweating it out! It was well worth it, though!

Eiffel Tower

Today after class we went to Platform 9 3/4 from Harry Potter at Kings Cross Station not too far from our flats! 

Coming to Age as a Skeptic and a Believer

This week we visited Oxford were we went punting, Eltham Palace, and Hampton Court Palace.  We used those places to relate back to the novel this week called Brideshead Revisited. 

"'That fountain is a rather tender spot with the landlady.'" 

The fountain in the the novel was shut off at the end. When it was flowing, it represented life and the Roman Catholic faith blossoming.  When it was shut off, it was like the demise of the religion.  Charles Ryder comes of age as a believer and as a skeptic when he prays at the end, trying to return to his Roman Catholic roots. 

The novel was partly set around the University of Oxford.  On our visit, we learned that when a student was accepted, they officially joined the University of Oxford when they had recognized the Queen as the Queen and became a member of the Church of England.  This was almost a force of coming of age as a believer by the University of Oxford. 

The Great Hall at Christ Church, Oxford. Oh, this was also where parts of Harry Potter were filmed!!!!

Sebastian's father in Brideshead Revisited was a man of wealth, prestige, power, and influence. Sending Sebastion to Christ's church showed that he wanted and expected the same for his son, and he believed that is where he belonged. Whether Sebastian was a skeptic or not and believed in his own abilities about himself going there, we don't know.  But we do know that he did not stay, so maybe he was a skeptic about it all.  

Eltham Palace

Their huge hornbeam ceiling in the Great Hall. 

The Eltham Palace is what I thought of as "the time machine palace."  So many different eras were able to experienced here, as well as many different architecture styles including tudor and baroque.  The family that lived here was trying to communicate their new values. 

The different architecture styles represented different eras within the UK.  As far as religion goes, coming to age as a skeptic in a believer is seen in these styles because of the eras.  Each era is represented by a different leader and what they believed in, Protestantism or Catholicism. They also faced social and economic pressures of aristocratic people, believing in god and being associated with a church that is no longer aristocratic. 

Hampton Court Palace

"My summer in Brideshead was my conversion to the Baroque."

-Charles Ryder

This was actually a very small portion of the painting on the wall that stretched all around the room and up to the ceiling. What this painting says is that William had his army (pictured on the bottom) and the top is the nation trying to protect what they stood for.  What we learned is that this was William's way of saying "Protestantism is here to stay and I have the power to make it happen." This was something that Charles Ryder had to struggle with--choosing which faith to believe in when the nation believed in one thing and he another.  Also, the flip-flopping between the national faith. 

Travels Around London this Weekend

Saturday consisted of the British Museum, an umbrella store, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory musical, which I give a 10 out of 10! I highly recommend it to anyone! It was so fun and very well done!

Sunday:

The oldest castle in Britain from the 11th century! 

The castle in Dover! Home of the White Cliffs as well! 

Apparently, it has become a tradition to place the sticker you get when you buy your ticket on places like this door!

The rocky beach at Dover

Squinty at Dover!

Seagulls every where!

This was at the mall outside of Olympic Park!

 Monday:

Shopping at Harrod's!

The view of Olympic Park outside of the John Lewis department store!

Me at the ice bar that was -7, and I think that's celsius! It was cold but awesome!

I highly recommend this one-of-a-kind experience!