Day 5: London

The alarm came really early this morning, but not quite as early as it did for my roommate, Matt.  He heard my alarm vibrating at 3:50 am, the leftover from my early morning flight from Portland last week.  For some reason I though today was Tuesday and set the wrong alarm.  Sorry Matt!  No one else in our five person room heard it go off.

This morning started our business visit portion of the trip.  We began by visiting the Rio Tinto world headquarters.  This presentation was given by two expatriates on assignment from Utah.  I had a tough time staying awake during their presentation (oops!).  I caught more about being an expatriate than anything they presented about their business.  After being in London several days I think I could live here with a family.  Most expatriate assignments last about two years; it would be like taking the family on a mission.  The one recommendation they made was to start young.  It is much easier to bring children abrade when they are young, before they become really involved in school.

Our next visit was to the Bank of England.  This visit felt a little more international because our presenter was British.  (The Rio Tinto visit was very similar to the one we did in Salt Lake).  Yet again, I had a hard time staying awake.  I think that is a sign to me that I really need to get some sleep.  Anyways, I can only remember the randomest tidbits of what he said.  The Bank of England is responsible for printing all of the legal tender for the United Kingdom, which means only the British pound is officially recognized as currency.  Several other banks, particularly the Bank of Scotland, print and circulate their own currency.  He said we could accept the Scottish currency if we want it but it is not legal tender.  Then he leaned in to tell us a secret: it's not legal tender in Scotland either.  But don't tell the Scots that!  Another interesting fact is that the gold reserve for the UK is housed under the Bank of England.  They can only stack the gold to about knee level because the weight of the gold would break through the clay soil causing it to fall onto the Tube line directly below.  That would be an unfortunate incident.

After the business visit, we walked across the Thames River to the Globe Theatre.  There is not much to see from the outside, but it is cool to have been where Shakespeare's plays premiered.  We met a British man outside the theatre who was obsessed with San Diego.  We asked him to take our picture, and as soon as he heard our "accents" he started going off on San Diego.  I just had to laugh at some of the things he said.  "San Diego is the best city on the whole planet.  Nobody knows its there…not even the Americans!"  Well, I definitely know it's there, and it is the home of some fond memories.  The next stop was the Tate Gallery of Modern Art.  This is one of the finest galleries of Modern Art in the world.  Unfortunately, I have never gained much of an appreciation for Modern Art.  I don't think anyone anyone who was with me has either.  We found a room with little strips of paper for taking notes on the art and used them to have our own art contest.  The theme was sadness; each of us had a chance to put our modern art skills to the test to interpret the theme.  Mine was intended to be two fish (don't ask me why) but they ended up looking like a giraffe.  I think I like that interpretation better.  After the museum, we walked across the Thames River to St. Paul's Cathedral.  This is one of the most impressive structures I have ever seen.  I am amazed by the ornate architecture and intricate designs.  When you stand under the massive dome you realize just how big the universe really is and just how small you really are in the grand plan.  Paul, our director, told me that was the point of the Cathedral: to make one feel small before God.  Well, I guess it worked for me.  We participated in a prayer service while we were there.  Just as the service was beginning a whole bunch of missionaries walked in.  When we talked with them afterwards, we found out they were departing missionaries from the London mission who will be returning home this week.  It feels like we have run in to members of the Church everywhere we go not he trip.  The church really makes the world a whole lot smaller.

My highlight from today was being able to go to Les Miserables on the West End.  This is the longest running production of a musical ever; it has been my lifelong dream to see the show in London.  My seat was on the very back row of the balcony in the right hand corner.  At first I was a little disappointed, but then I realized what a blessing it was just to be there at all.  My view of the stage was slightly obstructed by the balcony, but once the show started this didn't really prove to be a problem.  The actor who played Jean Valjean was amazingly talented.  I found his performance to be both moving and believable.  His rendition of "Bring Him Home" was one of the most powerful theatrical moments I have ever experienced.  I love the message of the show: the simple truth that people can change and that we are not locked into one path we choose to follow at one time.  Inspector Javert to me represents the plan of the adversary.  He is convinced that Jean Valjean was, is, and always will be a thief, and that there is no hope for him to do or become anything else.  The role of the Savior, on the other hand, is portrayed by the Bishop, who not only saves Valjean from Javert after he robs him, but gives him even more with the charge to use his new found fortune to help someone else.  I believe that is what the Savior does for us.  He redeems us when we don't deserve it and gives us the means to bless other people's lives.  That becomes the quest of Jean Valjean, and he becomes the means of salvation for so many who are lost and wandering.  The overall production was spectacular.  All of the set pieces moved on their own, and the center portion of the stage revolved.  One of my favorite things about professional productions is the strength of the ensemble.  When they sing together they have the power, it seems, to bring down the walls.  "One Day More" was one number that was particularly powerful.  On the whole I loved the production, and feel extremely blessed to have been able to experience it.