I was not going to write a blog about my experiences in the UK. I am not the type of person to wax poetic about every experience that I have been through or every person that I have met. There are, however, times in every person’s life when they have a story to tell, and no matter how much they may not want to tell the story it is begging to be told. So I am going to write a story about my experiences, if for nothing else but to purge myself of the words that are waiting to come out.
"In learning to know other things, and other minds, we become more
intimately acquainted with ourselves, and are to ourselves better worth
knowing." ~ Philip Gilbert Hamilton~
In the Southern United States people are often known for their “Southern Hospitality.”Now whether every person in the South is hospitable or not I don’t know, if I were to venture a guess I would say no, but the fact of the matter is that the area is known for being hospitable and welcoming people in their homes and providing them with comfort.But hospitality is not limited to the South and while over here I have experienced hospitality at its best.Every weekend I attend Sunday lunch with a couple that I met through a friend of mine within the first couple of weeks of being in the UK.This is not unlike the Sunday lunches/dinners that happens after church in the US, although generally their guest list is a bit longer than I am used to.They open their doors every Sunday to students and friends and prepare an amazing feast because that is what they feel is their ministry and what they are called to do.They are amazing people and ask for nothing in return and have shown me nothing but goodness and hospitality.
One of the original Eleanor's Crosses- Memorial of one of the places where the funeral procession stopped for the night when bringing her body back to London to be buried at Westminster Abbey. There are 12, only 3 originals remain.
The front view of the Host UK house near Kettering
The back side of the Host UK house in Kettering
In addition to the Sunday lunch, I was able to experience hospitality in the UK a couple of weekends ago.There is a program called Host UK which matches university students with families in the UK within a certain area for a weekend.I was able to visit a family in the Midlands of England near a village called Kettering.They welcomed me with open arms into their home that had been in the husband’s family for over 250 years.It was an old English farmhouse, complete with a Great Hall, and it was a history nerd’s dream come true.The family, which consisted of the parents and two teenagers- a boy and a girl, were kind and gracious, taking me to see different sites around the Midlands so that I was able to explore the different areas.One of the places I was shown was a roadside memorial to American troops from World War II.Apparently wherever American troops were either stationed or flew out of during the war the UK erected a memorial for their assistance.This is not unlike our war memorials, but it was significant because it was for American troops in a foreign country, as recognition that we were appreciated.That Saturday evening they hosted a game night.They had some games that I was familiar with, such as Boggle and Sequence, and some games that I have never seen before, such as Articulate, and everyone had a good time just visiting and playing games.It struck me during the game night that this is not dissimilar to something that would occur within the US where big groups of people will get together and share food, laughter, and fun.Although there are differences, I have also been struck by the similarities that you would not expect to find such as a game night.Another time I was trying to explain to a girl from Turkey about Family Feud because I wanted to show her a clip that my brother had shared on Facebook and as I was trying to explain the premise of the game she said “Oh yeah, we have that, it is called…” She told me what it is called in Turkish, and while I have been learning Turkish words I am not that good yet.Regardless of where we come from there are little nuances that resonate worldwide.Now this is not to say that we are not different, because we are, and those differences are what make us unique but there are similarities that we all share regardless of where we come from.One of those that I have seen is what we call in the states Southern Hospitality.And I am attaching the Family Feud clip that I showed the Turkish girl, I would recommend watching it.
"Remember to welcome strangers in your homes. There were some who did that and welcomed angels without knowing it." ~ Hebrews 13:2
First off, I would like to apologize for the delay in blog entries. As anyone who has ever been swamped in work can tell you when you are in the zone of writing papers it is a little hard to stay on top of other things (i.e. blogs). I have not been neglecting the blog, I promise, I have just been doing papers, papers, and more papers. But have no fear, a new entry is here, and I am going to try to update it more frequently- either weekly or bi-weekly.
Windsor Castle
I am sure as you all know there will be a royal wedding on April 29th of this year and the event is sure to have all the pomp and circumstance that one would expect from a royal wedding, especially since there hasn’t been such an event since the early 80s. The question then becomes- to go or not to go? Now I am not one of those people that are going to camp out the night before to ensure that I have a good spot- I know people that would, even some in my own family (Emily) but that has never been my style. Which means I will have to go the day of and try to fight the crowds and get a spot where I can see something of what is going on that does not involve the back of a bunch of people’s heads. Upon seeking the advice of others, including my grandmother, people have basically told me that I should go just to say that I went even if I see absolutely nothing. And what is the fun in that? But who knows-I may still go- and it is very likely that I may wake up on the 29th and suddenly decide I am in the mood to see the wedding, as I am one of those people. Not very often, but every once in a while I make a split second decision that leaves everyone baffled, shaking their heads, and telling me that I should have made my decision earlier as it would have been easier. I have realized though just from being over here that people in the US want to know a lot more about the royals than the British do, probably because they live with royalty whereas we still treat it as a novelty, but we only want to know when something big is going on (like a wedding) then we are set to ride the royal train for a long as it will take us.
St. George's Chapel- Where Henry VIII is buried
The other I went to see Windsor Castle, a glorious residence that serves as a weekend home, and I was just amazed. I told my mother that I was born in the wrong family and that I would be more than happy to live in the castle. I was only half-kidding, I do love my family but I would also love a castle. Back to Windsor- a wonderful, stately home in which people from all over the world come and admire and think to themselves (I could live here), but could I live in the bubble? Yes, most girls want the castle, but most don’t want the scrutiny that comes with constant watch by everybody that ensures almost nothing in your life is your own anymore. It is the same with our President, who I guess is the closest that we could picture as being royal. In an interview the other day he said that one of the things he missed the most was spontaneous conversations, because he did not feel as though he could have a spontaneous conversation and for some reason that saddened me. Regardless of who you are, be it Queen or President, everyone should have some measure of their life that they are able to call their own that no one else can encroach. This is especially true for people like me, who have been known to do things that may be considered a little off-kilter, as I do not want those things to be projected in the media for everyone to see and interject their opinions and make a comment about. So while I would LOVE to live in the castle (and I do mean LOVE) I think I will keep my private life private for now thanks.
“You make kingdoms and castles on your own” ~ Stephan Jenkins
Who can resist? Me, Firuzan, and Melis with a castle guard
In addition to the Sunday lunch, I was able to experience hospitality in the UK a couple of weekends ago. There is a program called Host UK which matches university students with families in the UK within a certain area for a weekend. I was able to visit a family in the Midlands of England near a village called Kettering. They welcomed me with open arms into their home that had been in the husband’s family for over 250 years. It was an old English farmhouse, complete with a Great Hall, and it was a history nerd’s dream come true. The family, which consisted of the parents and two teenagers- a boy and a girl, were kind and gracious, taking me to see different sites around the Midlands so that I was able to explore the different areas. One of the places I was shown was a roadside memorial to American troops from World War II. Apparently wherever American troops were either stationed or flew out of during the war the UK erected a memorial for their assistance. This is not unlike our war memorials, but it was significant because it was for American troops in a foreign country, as recognition that we were appreciated. That Saturday evening they hosted a game night. They had some games that I was familiar with, such as Boggle and Sequence, and some games that I have never seen before, such as Articulate, and everyone had a good time just visiting and playing games. It struck me during the game night that this is not dissimilar to something that would occur within the US where big groups of people will get together and share food, laughter, and fun. Although there are differences, I have also been struck by the similarities that you would not expect to find such as a game night. Another time I was trying to explain to a girl from Turkey about Family Feud because I wanted to show her a clip that my brother had shared on Facebook and as I was trying to explain the premise of the game she said “Oh yeah, we have that, it is called…” She told me what it is called in Turkish, and while I have been learning Turkish words I am not that good yet. Regardless of where we come from there are little nuances that resonate worldwide. Now this is not to say that we are not different, because we are, and those differences are what make us unique but there are similarities that we all share regardless of where we come from. One of those that I have seen is what we call in the states Southern Hospitality. And I am attaching the Family Feud clip that I showed the Turkish girl, I would recommend watching it. 
