So I have officially caught everyone up to October 30th now which is now over a month behind but I will continue in my attempts to catch up before I get back to the States in T minus 13 days!!! As sad as it will to be leave behind this amazing experience I am ready to go home and see my lovely friends and family whom I have missed dearly during my time away.
Anyways, Halloween in London is not a big deal. In Ireland everyone was gearing up for it while we were there, but the lack of enthusiasm in London was quite surprising actually. So for the first time in 20 years I did not dress up and go trick or treating or to a party, instead I stayed in and caught up on sleep and did the essential errands to prepare for the week which included homework…This week went by fairly smoothly despite the withdrawals from the beautiful countryside and cozy cottage. On Wednesday evening, 2 of November, I wrote my first paper that I had to do a bit of research for, use sources and pull it all together. Call me crazy, but I really enjoyed spending an evening thinking about the topic of the Euro-Zone Crisis and researching it fully so I understood when it all started and all the speculation behind what is the cause and the possible solutions presented throughout the course of events. I basically sat in the kitchen listened to my writing playlist which always puts me in a great mood, and tried all the non-caffeinated teas while munching on muffins I had stored from breakfast. The Euro-Zone Crisis has never been more fun to write about; despite the dire situation with endless consequences I managed to write a somewhat humorous paper about the subject. As nerdy as it is, I have missed writing papers for school and I am looking forward to my English classes next semester.
The next exciting, well to me at least, event that occurred was the Core Value Workshop/Semi-Annual Meeting at work on Friday November 4th. At my internship at the Hoxton Trust (look it up on facebook and twitter if you want cause I’m in charge of those for the time being) I had to interview all the students and staff, and then I had to compile all the feedback into a cohesive document that the correspondents helping the Hoxton Trust determine their new core message and values could use. I then brainstormed some core messages and values and vision statements on my own and those were sent forward also. So basically I have spent a fair amount of time doing research for this meeting, so I was excited to see it all culminate and participate in the decision making process. It was an amazing experience to witness how an organization goes about updating the company from the foundation up. Also, I got to talk to some very wise people who were interested in what my interests were for the future. So the meeting was an overall success as we finalized decisions and I saw the work I had done actually get turned into something that is very significant in a business’s image.
Now onto one of the most anticipated days of my semester in London.
“Remember, remember the fifth of November. Gunpowder, treason and plot, I see no reason why gunpowder, treason should ever be forgot…”
Guy Fawkes Day in London was amazing, especially since I already knew about it prior to arriving here this Fall. If you don’t know the history of Guy Fawkes Day here is a brief run down. On the 5 of November 1605, Guy Fawkes attempted to blow up parliament, but was discovered and received the worst punishment during the time…I’ll spare you those details but if you’re curious feel free to look it up. Today it is celebrated in England by children running around in Guy Fawkes masks with wheel barrows and the Guy Fawkes doll (looks a lot like the pope…hmmm ironic??) and there are bonfires and fireworks while the adults get smashed. I celebrated the national holiday with just a small portion of this list of festivities. A group of Vandoner’s and I made our way to Brixton to watch a local firework show. It was incredible. Only Disney can top it I think, and they used a lot of my favorite fireworks in the show…the ones that crackle and shimmer while they slowly fall. I was “Happy, Happy, Happy” is how Nick would describe me at the firework show! After the show we headed back to Vandon and watched V for Vendetta. A perfect way to celebrate Guy Fawkes Day in its birthplace.
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