Romeo is Your Boy

Starting off it has been very windy here since last night. It is the type of wind that shakes all the trees, allows lamppost to sway and windows to rattle in alarm. Very hard to sleep when everything is rattling like the devil. (But doable.) My only hope is that the wind will blow away all the clouds that seemed to have appeared. However that is not the case: today the wind blew the one set of clouds away only to be replaced. However the sun is shining right now. I hope this weather continues (minus the wind) for tomorrow’s trip to Beachy Head, beautiful cliffs with no railing…

Today’s lesson with Kate and Dave was about yep: Romeo and Juliet. Today I realized that I only remember the basic parts of the play and have not read it 6 years ago in freshman year of high school. But the way Kate presented was a wonderful way to remember it along with being able to teach it. Kate started in the middle and created a monologue for a new character that was on the sidelines. Later we did conscious alley where we all stood in a row as the Caps and Monts and asked questions of the characters coming down the alley. All the activities that we did helped me re-understand Romeo and Juliet.

The backside of Preston Manor

In the afternoon we went to Preston Manor, home of Lady Ellen Standford. She lived there during the Edwardian Era (Pre World War 1 to a little around the end of WW1). The Manor was named Preston for the Preston Village at the time. The interesting thing about this house is most of the items, chairs, paintings, etc. had belonged to the original owners. But the thing is there is one room where someone else donated things to the Manor. Also since Lady Ellen gave her home to the City Council of Brighton instead of her son (Ellen really did not like him and her grandson died in the war), the first museum curator dismissed all the servant used items. However the manor has been able to rebuild a new collection over the past 20 years.

I really liked all the different flowers they had....

To be honest I was really not impressed with the Manor. I was not struck like at the Royal Pavilion and I think seeing the Pavilion first casts a shadow over Preston Manor. Also our tour guide was not as exciting and more concerned with her text message (it was really important). But I did however love the garden and the modern works of art. Have I mentioned this? That the old museums here ask artist to contribute pieces of modern out to express what was being done during the times or other. While at Preston Manor, the art depended on the artist: a shear glove on a drape or a “needlepoint” pillow (it had hundreds of pins in a design) where the Royal Pavilion showed the dark side of the house with 3000 black ceramic butterflies everywhere. Once again not allowed to take pictures on the inside…

The modern butterflies at the Royal Pavilion entrance way

I feel that I must mention a couple of my new favorite things here. I love British lemonade. It is clear and carbonated and not as sweet as back home. Also I am in love with chocolate croissants, flaky on the outside but gushes out chocolate when you bite into one. A favorite game of Jessica, Chris, Hana, Claire, Emma and I is called past the chocolate. Actually the game really does not have a name, but after class we go to the vending machine and buy a different chocolate bar and share a piece with everyone. (We also played pass the fudge yesterday). I have found my favorites: I like the double decker and the Boost. I only bought the Yorkie chocolate bar because “IT’S NOT FOR GIRLS!” I think it was pretty good though… I don’t know what made it a bar chocolate bar.

Now I am going to get ready to go out once again. When we were walking around Brighton trying to figure out where to go watch the football cup, we saw a bar/club that was called Oceana. Apparently you can visit the world in one night and it is pound night….I will let you know how it goes… Also I need to attempt to journal about what has happened about classes… Well here goes nothing…