Pudding in the Effort

I am about one month in. I could say that it’s gone by really fast or really slowly, but neither of those are entirely true. It’s felt like a proper month, but I’m nonetheless sad to know that I’m one month closer to leaving. That said, I am grateful to have made the most of it. The past month has been jam-packed with all sorts of sights, foods, and experiences. Some of the highlights so far include:

1. A visit to Oxford, where I got to see shooting locations from Harry Potter, hear about vignettes from Tolkien and Lewis’ life there (if you were an English student there from the 20s to 40s, you could hear lectures from both of them in one day!), and attend a beautiful evensong service in the Christ Chapel.

2. A visit to the chalky white Seven Sister Cliffs and Brighton, whose seaside boardwalk gave me a little taste of America with its colorful carnival rides and fried food stands.

3. A visit from my parents, who treated me to, among other things, a tour of the immense St. Paul’s Cathedral, a look at the working model of William Drake’s ship (that actually circumnavigated twice to his once), and a West End night of theatre with Les Misérables, my favorite show!

 

In terms of my personal goals, I already blew one of them out of the water which was to meet 5 people from countries other than my own and to hear their background. I must’ve taken the diversity of not only Roehampton, the school I’m attending, but London as a whole. I have built close relationships with people from Greece, Germany, Ukraine, Australia, Iran, France, you name it! I have found that many Americans get along well with the Australians. Perhaps it is their tendency to share in the American outgoingness that can be overwhelming to others.

You can see also the diversity reflected in the vast amount of cultural foods across the city. So, let’s talk food for a bit. While I am a bit let down there are very minimal Mexican places, the popularity of Greek and South Asian food here certainly makes up for it. I know that I mentioned Five Guys in my last blog, but I have to point out that they have significantly more of them here than there are in America. They are around every corner and rightfully so. As for British food, I was at first wary because I had heard it is bland. While this may be true at times, I have definitely come around to it. The weirdest British food I have had so far was black pudding, or sausage made of blood. In this case, I was happy that its taste wasn’t very strong (it tastes slightly peppery). The highlight of British cuisine is definitely their baked goods and desserts, though. You have to try their toffee pudding! (boy, they really use that word pudding in like 4 different ways).

Anyway, back to relationships. One of my closest relationships is with a friend from Iran. He told me about the strict religious persecution in Iran. It was to the point where his own brother didn’t tell him he was a Christian. This past Sunday, he asked me if he could come to Christian church with me. There he got his first Bible and we have since gone to a Bible study, where he has asked many questions. This has been my most powerful connection so far. If there is any goal I can improve on, it is being even more open about my faith and the ministry opportunities provided abroad. This interaction has definitely inspired me to do so.