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Gender and the Ghost Stories of London's tourist attractions:

I find it interesting that the ghosts of men are always more violent than the women. I found that to be the case in most of the ghost stories that George shared on our tour. The men were always jumping off of buildings and in one case chasing around the ghosts of women. I already explained in a previous post about the the man who falls from the top of the Great Fire of London monument around 1 am every night, but another story we heard was about the spirits in the Tower of London. A countess was executed because her son refused to turn himself in after calling Henry VIII a "heretic." However, the execution did not go as planned and the axe of the executioner actually broke right as it was about to come down on her head. She thought this was a sign from God that she was being saved and she ran from her executioner. He ended up chasing her and chopped off her arm, her leg, and then her head, but there are still sitings of the executioner ghost chasing the countesses ghost on the grounds of the Tower of London. So, the ghost of the executioner does really follow the trends of the "Extreme Guys" by being physically violent, specifically to women. However, none of the female ghost figures that George told us about were as violent or dangerous as the men. Most of them appeared to Angels of the House, such as the ghost of an old homeless woman who used to watch choir practice at the All Hallows by Tower Church. She didn't really do anything but appear and then disappear same with Alice who's ghost is seen begging on the steps and streets of the Royal Exchange. It seems like in most of the tourist locations, the male ghosts are violent and scary, while the females are calm and just kind of there. I haven't heard a ghost story where race or ethnicity was explicitly mentioned, it seems that gender has been the main contributing factor. Also, I'm slightly bothered by the fact that all the ghosts I heard about from the ghost tour did not have any particularly amazing abilities or powers the only thing they were said to do was be there one moment and gone the next.

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Two Interesting Quotations from The Graveyard Book:

“‘They are. And they are, for the most part, done with the world. You are not. You’re alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you’re dead, it’s gone. Over. You’ve made what you’ve made, dreamed your dream, written your name. You may be buried here, you may even walk. But that potential is finished.’”

I thought that this was such a beautiful moment in the novel. As Bod's guardian, Silas teaches him so much about who he is and what the world is like but I thought this was the most important thing he said to him throughout the novel. Even though it should be pretty obvious, sometimes teenagers forget they have their entire lives ahead of them. One bad or challenging thing happens and it feels like the world has stopped turning and there is no moving forward. But Silas telling Bod that he is still alive and he has the ability to dream, make, and do whatever he wants. I felt like this lesson really pushed Bod to go out on his own in the end. There is no adventure or growth after death so you have to make the most out of life. It is a very beautiful message and applicable to almost everyone, especially young adults.

“Then the last lines of the song came back to Mistress Owens, and she sang them to her son. ‘Face your life Its pain, its pleasure, Leave no path untaken’”

I had to expand on this quotation because this part literally broke my heart. As we talked about in class today, this last scene of the novel really reminded me of what it was like for my mom and dad to let me go to college and even to go on this trip. It's the fight between wanting to let your child go so they can live their life, but also wanting to never let them leave because you want to ensure they are safe. This scene perfectly showed the pain and happiness parents get from watching their child leave home on a permanent basis. Not to mention, the fact that Mrs. Owens finally remembered the last lines of the song she has been singing to Bod since the beginning of his life and the novel. It was too powerful not to talk about. It was like a final parting gift or life lesson before Bod comes back to them.

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The Graveyard Book Quotations:

Nobody/ Bod 

1. “Ever since the child had learned to walk he had been his mother’s and father’s despair and delight, for there never was such a boy for wandering, for climbing up things, for getting into and out of things.”

The Graveyard Book (p. 10). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

2.“He was, for the most part, obedient. He learned how to talk, and, once he had learned, he would pester the graveyard folk with questions.”

The Graveyard Book (p. 36). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

3.“He stomped off into the graveyard, feeling unloved and underappreciated.”

The Graveyard Book (p. 73). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

4.“‘See the world,’ said Bod. ‘Get into trouble. Get out of trouble again. Visit jungles and volcanoes and deserts and islands. And people. I want to meet an awful lot of people.’”

The Graveyard Book (p. 306). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

5.“But between now and then, there was Life; and Bod walked into it with his eyes and his heart wide open.”

The Graveyard Book (p. 307). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

Silas

6.“‘As your guardian I have responsibility for you, yes. Fortunately, I am not the only individual in the world willing to take on this responsibility.’”

The Graveyard Book (p. 65). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

7.“He gave advice, cool, sensible, and unfailingly correct; he knew more than the graveyard folk did, for his nightly excursions into the world outside meant that he was able to describe a world that was current, not hundreds of years out of date; he was unflappable and dependable, had been there every night of Bod’s life, so the idea of the little chapel without its only inhabitant was one that Bod found difficult to conceive of; most of all, he made Bod feel safe.”

The Graveyard Book (p. 68). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

8.“‘They are. And they are, for the most part, done with the world. You are not. You’re alive, Bod. That means you have infinite potential. You can do anything, make anything, dream anything. If you change the world, the world will change. Potential. Once you’re dead, it’s gone. Over. You’ve made what you’ve made, dreamed your dream, written your name. You may be buried here, you may even walk. But that potential is finished.’”

The Graveyard Book (p. 179). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

Mrs. Owens

9.“‘I am not your dear woman,’ said Mrs. Owens, getting to her feet. ‘Truth to tell, I don’t even see why I am even here, talking to you fiddle-pated old dunderheads, when this lad is going to wake up hungry soon enough—and where am I going to find food for him in this graveyard, I should like to know?’”

The Graveyard Book (p. 22). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

10.“Then the last lines of the song came back to Mistress Owens, and she sang them to her son. ‘Face your life Its pain, its pleasure, Leave no path untaken’”

The Graveyard Book (pp. 306-307). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

Miss Lupescu 

11.“‘’This is bad. And you are content to be ignorant, which is worse.’”

The Graveyard Book (p. 71). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

Scarlett 

12. “Scarlett said to Bod, ‘You’re brave. You are the bravest person I know, and you are my friend. I don’t care if you are imaginary.’ Then she fled down the path back the way they had come, to her parents and the world.”

The Graveyard Book (p. 60). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

13. “‘You aren’t a person. People don’t behave like you. You’re as bad as he was. You’re a monster.’”

The Graveyard Book (p. 286). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

Jack Frost

14. “The man Jack was, above all things, a professional, or so he told himself, and he would not allow himself to smile until the job was completed. His hair was dark and his eyes were dark and he wore black leather gloves of the thinnest lambskin.” 

The Graveyard Book (pp. 7-8). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition. 

[bugs2101-inlondon]

Reflection #9

As I am “packing” to return back home, I realize that I have very little room left in my suitcase. I know it is very cliche to say that a trip abroad has changed me, especially because this one was only three weeks, but it really has. I feel like looking at my life back home from a new perspective has shown me how I want to live my life and also how I don’t want to. I have always prided myself on being a great student. I spend multiple hours in Joyner library, every week, all year long. Even if I’m not there, I’m almost always doing some kind of work at home. Don’t get me wrong, I am very proud of how much effort I put into school. However, for this trip I am very proud that I have been treating myself more like a person and less like a student. I have put my work second to actually experiencing life. It’s not even that I am putting work second, I have just learned how to properly manage my time in a way that I don’t feel bad for going out and doing something fun instead of doing something scholarly. Yes, school is so important and I am glad I am committed but I also need to be dedicated to actually living my life. I have made more memories in the past three weeks than I have in the past three years of college. It was a hard thing to realize, but I am glad I did. Additionally, I’ve learned how to be more confident in myself. Earlier in the trip, I told Dr.Banks that my friends back home consider me shy. (He did not believe me, and you might not either but it’s true.) I just felt that it would be easier to make friends in college if I tried not to talk as much or as loud because I can be a little overwhelming. But here, everyone has been so welcoming and kind about all of our personality quirks and characteristics that I haven’t had to change. I really hope to take this confidence and use it later in the future because I have been so much happier just being myself. As a traveler, I think I have learned the difference between being a tourist and trying to immerse myself in the environment and culture I am in. I don’t think I will ever travel the same again. Because of this trip, i’ve learned to stray of the beaten path and find restaurants, shows, parks, and stores that aren’t on the “top things to do list” and how that really changes the experience you have in a foreign country. I hope to use these lessons as much as possible because I definitely don’t want to get in the rut I was in before this trip. And I definitely don’t want to ever forget how happy and peaceful I feel right now. 

[bugs2101-inlondon]

A Local Ghost Story

We had some interesting experiences trying to ask locals for ghost stories. From my posts, you can tell that Caroline and I have been to several pubs and local establishments and we did try to ask a couple of workers and bartenders for ghost stories. However, that has mostly caused some weird looks and comments such as, "sorry, I don't believe in ghosts." Because of this, we took matters into our own hands and went on a walking ghost tour of London! Now, I know that most of these stories are at tourist attractions and very main stream, but they are ghost stories nonetheless. Our lovely tour guide, George, told us several stories. My personal favorite was about the monument for the Great Fire of London. Apparently, between the time the monument was finished and the next hundred years there were about 30 people who climbed up to the top where there is a platform and jumped off to commit suicide. Now, there is a cage to prevent something like that from happening. But there have been many reports of a figure at the top of the monument falling to its death, around 1 a.m. every night. Although that was my personal favorite from the tour, we did ask George if he had any personal ghost stories of his own. He said that even though he's been doing this tour for 6 years, he has never personally seen a ghost on his own. But in the last 3 years, he has had two separate tours at different times and different people report seeing the same figure at the Royal Exchange. As George tells the story normally, people have reported seeing a woman in ragged clothing begging for money around the steps and streets of the Royal Exchange. According to him, it is the ghost of a woman named Alice, who's husband left her penniless when she died so she begged his friends at the Royal Exchange for money. And when they finally gave in and gave her some she spent it all in a short period of time and died on the streets. However, two of George's groups reported seeing the figure of a young woman near the street to the right of the Royal Exchange that suddenly disappeared. But she wasn't dressed in old clothing and didn't appear to be begging for anything, but two of his groups like a year apart reported seeing that young female figure. So, he said that was one of the local ghost stories that he has no trouble believing.

Even though this doesn't relate to the ghost story itself, I find it interesting how the concept of "anticipation of not believing" that we discussed in class today was really prevalent in us trying to complete this assignment. I mean, I tried to ask someone who works and lives in the area close to us and they looked at me like, "you really don't believe in ghosts right? Should I be serving you alcohol?" It was like how we talked about how people assume that if you believe in the supernatural or a ghost story, you have a type of mental illness or there is something wrong with you. But also, I find it interesting that a lot of the stories that George told us did not directly relate to the types of figures we normally see in ghost stories. Like there wasn't really "extreme guy." I guess, there were some figures that could be called "angel's of the house." Such as the woman who appears during choir rehearsals at the All Hallows by the Tower church. And I guess, Alice who haunts the Royal Exchange would be considered a dangerous femme because she "did something wrong" by spending all the money her deceased husbands friends had given her, but they weren't really the classic violent or scary ghosts we hear about.

(I’m so sorry these are not my best pictures, but George was very excited about getting us places and left very little time to capture quality pictures.)

[bugs2101-inlondon]

Highgate Cemetery and my Ghoul Gate 👻

Morgan, Haven, and I went on a guided tour of Highgate Cemetery on Saturday morning. First of all, the entrance to this cemetery is one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen in London. Even just walking through Waterloo Park was extraordinary. I mentioned this in my natural vs. unnatural post, but both the park and the cemetery manage to coexist with the landscape in a very elegant way. It seems that whoever constructed both of these areas or added to them did so in the least invasive way possible in order to preserve the vegetation and its natural beauty. That being said, we started our tour at the Highgate Chapel with our lovely tour guide, Doreen. As we walked through, it seemed like Doreen picked the graves and tombs of the people she found most interesting. It wasn't necessarily anyone who was considered "famous" it was simply people who had a story to tell. Like one woman who had gotten a large tomb for her and her husband, but he remarried after she died and was not ever buried with her. However, her mother-in-law and father-in-law are both buried directly across from her. According to Doreen, that is not the people she wanted to be joined with for all of eternity.

There was also a man who owned his own zoo and one night the animals all got out and one actually mauled an old woman to death. He was not charged with murder or anything, he simply apologized and paid for damages. His headstone had a giant lion on it. Doreen showed us many different kinds of tombs including the Egyptian architecture inspired crypt that became very popular after Queen Victoria said she like that kind of architecture. This is also where the cave-dwelling spiders have made a new home for themselves. I won't tell this story again because I've done it several times already and I'm sure you guys are done hearing about the spiders. Soon after, Doreen took us to the crypt and showed us where grave robbers had destroyed multiple tombs and coffins.

As we were walking to the exit of the cemetery, I caught many pictures of graves that I wanted to be my "ghoul gate." After some considering, I resonated with this one...

One reason that I picked this grave was because it matches all of the physical aspects that Gaiman uses to describe a ghoul gate in The Graveyard Book. As Gaiman writes, "ONE GRAVE IN EVERY graveyard belongs to the ghouls. Wander any graveyard long enough and you will find it—waterstained and bulging, with cracked or broken stone, scraggly grass or rank weeds about it, and a feeling, when you reach it, of abandonment. It may be colder than the other gravestones, too, and the name on the stone is all too often impossible to read. If there is a statue on the grave it will be headless or so scabbed with fungus and lichens as to look like a fungus itself. If one grave in a graveyard looks like a target for petty vandals, that is the ghoul-gate. If the grave makes you want to be somewhere else, that is the ghoul-gate" (p. 64). I think that this grave is perfect because it is covered in vegetation living and dead. Additionally, it is water stained and eroded just like those described in The Graveyard Book. Its statue has a missing head and the lettering on the stone itself virtually indecipherable. Because this grave feels as if it belongs to no one and is off the beaten path in the cemetery, it really feels like it has been abandoned. That is the main reason I chose this grave and not another because I had no doubt that if I got closer to this grave it would feel cooler and more out of place than all the others.

[bugs2101-inlondon]

July 19, 2022

Well, today is my sister's 23rd birthday! So, the first thing I did was send her a "happy birthday" text and posted an embarrassing picture of us together. I will be sharing said "embarrassing picture" and a couple of others below.

(Okay, that was more than a couple but I’m sad I’m missing her birthday.)

After doing that, Caroline and I went to go get breakfast at a place we had not tired before. It's called the Duncan Terrace Cafe, it is of course adjacent to the Duncan Terrace Gardens which is about halfway up the hill to the Angel tube station. Caroline had a traditional English Breakfast while I had toast. (I don't like eating in the morning, it makes me feel sick. Please, don't judge me. I don't understand it either.) It was a cute little place and the people who worked there were so nice! After that we made our way back to a bus station and hoped on a train to go to Leadenhall Market. I was very excited because I needed more gifts for my friends back home and this is one of the oldest markets in London. However, as we quickly found out this market is more for restaurants and food. So, not the best place to find presents but it was definitely one of the most beautiful markets I've visited. Because we didn't spend much time at the market as we thought we were going to, we were able to just explore and find something to do. We crossed the Tower Bridge again, but this time we went the opposite direction and explored some stores. Then we took a break and sat in the shade and drank lots of water to combat the heat.

After that much needed break, we found ourselves traveling to Camden Market, again. And we were very pleased to find that the Northern Line was running perfectly, despite the heat. It wasn't even that uncomfortably hot, it was about as hot as normal which was really nice. After shopping and perusing Camden, Caroline and I came home and decided to get some dinner. The only problem was our beloved Barbican Pizza place was closed so we had to find a different place to eat. Caroline ended up finding a cute, hole-in-the-wall Italian place. I got squid-ink pasta with spicy king prawns. It. was. amazing. In a food coma, we walked home and pulled out our laptops to get some work done. And that is all for today folks! But since I do it at the end of every post, I will soon be going to bed to get my beauty sleep for the night!

[bugs2101-inlondon]

July 18, 2022

Today Caroline and I went on an adventure that puts all other adventures to shame... We went to H&M. Yes, I know hold your applause until the end, please. We went to a store that we already go to too much when we are in the United States. Okay, we really didn't have the adventure to shame all other adventures, but we found a place with air conditioning and clothes on sale. That is a win, win in my book. I bought two dresses and Caroline bought an new wardrobe. It was a very successful shopping day.

Afterward, we came back to the flat and worked on tumblr posts and our plans for the rest of the week. Soon after, we decided we were bored and were tired of living like hermits and decided to find a place to eat. We found a place called the Fish Centre within walking distance of the flats and decided to have a night on the town. We sat outside and our waiter was nothing short of outstanding. The food was too! But, I would simply come back to this restaurant for our waiter. He was the most charming and sweetest man. We told him that we were nervous about graduating this year and getting grown up jobs, and he gave us a ten minute pep talk about how thing always look worse when you look at them from a negative perspective. I paid for dinner and therapy! But before we got our food and therapy, guess who we saw?? None other than the lovely Lori, magnificent Meret, and ravishing Rachel. Our waiter was talking their ears off, just like we were.

Once we got back to the flat, we went to hang out with Ross and Rachel. We played some card games and shared horror stories of our lives in Greenville, along with some stories about pathetic men. It wasn't a very adventurous day, but it was a fun one! As always, I finished off the day by going to bed and getting some much needed rest.

[bugs2101-inlondon]

Reflection 8: Things I will not miss in/ about London:

I will not miss not having air conditioning. I am one of those people who need air flow and I like walking into a nice, cold house after a long day in the sun. 

I will not miss the fridge in our flat. It does not keep things cold. It keeps them lukewarm, which has caused some problems with items such as milk. I do not know if that is a trend for all of London so I am only calling out our fridge. I don’t like it. It makes me angry. 

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Reflection 8: Things I will miss in/ about London:

The thing that I will miss the most about London is that you do not have to plan or have tickets way in advance to have an adventure or fun day. Most of the days on this trip we bought tickets for shows, tours, or events the very same day and managed to make memories without having to bend over backwards. There were some days we simply walked around and found cute shops or restaurants and those were the days I remember most. I feel like in the United States you have to save up your money, set a date, plan out a way to get where you are going, then actually do it for you to have a day that is not simply going to a pool, restaurant, or bar you have been to a million times before. It is not like that in London, you can say, “I want to ride the London Eye today,” buy a ticket, wait in line for 30 minutes, and be on the London Eye before you know it. I just feel like this city allows and thrives on spontaneity. 

I will miss the variety of London. Each market, shop, restaurant, show, etc offers something unique and different everyday. 

I’m going to miss the ability to see musicals, plays, and shows every other day. I mean, don’t get me wrong I could go to see shows in Raleigh or even in Greenville if I tried hard enough but I don’t know it is just not the same. Not to mention they are ridiculously expensive most of the time. 

The tube. I will actually miss the tube. I love it. I think it is so fun to try and figure out where you are going and it is pretty rewarding when you actually get it right without having to look at your phone and you just use the maps. I feel like I am getting a gold star in navigation every time I get I’m like, “yep, we're taking the Northern line, because here is our stop.” Plus, I have actually been able to help a few people when they were confused, so call me a local because I understand the tube. (Morgan Banville gets an honorable mention here for teaching me how to use the tube, thanks Morgan!) 

I will miss all of the parks. Yes, we have parks in Greenville. But there are also creepy old men who take pictures of young girls and chase them around at those parks. (I am sadly speaking from experience.) But at these parks, they are so big and there are so many of them that you can basically be in your own little world for a whole day without having to worry about anyone. There are also usually food trucks and coffee shops so close by that you have the freedom to eat and then come back or bring food there without having to lug it from your flat, which is really convenient. Also, I like that there are so many parks within walking distance which means you don’t have to drive and fight for a parking space, worry about getting a parking ticket all day, then go to the park. 

I will miss how people dress here. Everyone is so fashionable and confident and it makes me more confident to wear what I want to wear. I could dress up in Greenville, but one time I wore jeans and a tank top to go to the store and someone asked me “who I was dressing up for?” I don’t know, I just feel like I actually have a fashion sense here which is very abnormal for me. But I have been dressing up almost everyday and I’ve been feeling more confident in my body and it’s been really nice. 

Pimm’s (I don’t think I have to explain this one.) 

[bugs2101-inlondon]

July 15-17, 2022

I started off my weekend by almost having a heart attack at the London Dungeon. I do not do scary movies, or jump scares, or things that pop out at you. That is not my cup of tea. I think that was made very obvious by my blood curdling screams anytime something moved in the dungeon. However, I do have to say it was pretty hilarious and I enjoyed all of the scaredy cats in our group huddling together to make it through without getting scared . We were unsuccessful, but at least we were all scared together. I think the scariest room for me was the Sweeney Todd room. The surround sound system and the chair vibrations got to me and I thought I was going to die when the apprentice popped up right beside me. I thought the Jack the Ripper room was really cool it reminded me of an episode from Criminal Minds. (Yes, I can fall asleep watching Criminal Minds, but I cannot handle the London Dungeon. Don’t ask me to explain because I don’t understand either.) I found it interesting how applicable the Monster Theory by Cohen is to almost everything we do in London. We saw it at the London Dungeon to with the people who were obviously trying to over throw Parliament. They were being treated as traitors and less than humans, especially the man who was tortured for 10 days. But in reality, they just wanted a better life. It shows how monsters really are cultural bodies they are those who believe different things and are different themselves. As Cohen says, “monstrous difference tends to be cultural, political, racial, economical, sexual.” In the case with the London Dungeon, some of the monsters at least at the beginning were political traitors. I obviously can’t make the same case for people like Jack the Ripper and Sweeney Todd, they are just really creepy and scary.

After many heart attacks, Morgan, Caroline, Haven, and I decided to go on the London Eye. It was absolutely breathtaking. It’s very different to see London from that perspective and it really made me appreciate how London’s unnatural and natural worlds combine. I wrote about this in a week two post but whether you consider unnatural as something that is manmade or something supernatural London does an amazing job of having them thrive together. Just from the skyline you can see how the parks, trees, and natural areas mesh with all the buildings and monuments and it is a really breathtaking site. Also, I was very excited to be on the London Eye again because the last time I was here, Big Ben was covered in rafters for renovations. So, I actually got to see Big Ben this time!!! I was very excited and happy. I know it is one of the most basic tourist attractions, but my Mom gave me a Big Ben Barbie doll when I was a kid and ever sense then I wanted to see it. So, life long dream is a check!

Later that night, I had two tickets for the Twilight Zone at the London Zoo with a Champagne Experience! Because of that I had a reservation that we couldn’t miss, but we accidentally got sidetracked. You see, Morgan wanted pictures at Abbey Road which happened to be pretty close to the Zoo so it was perfect!! However, it was not perfect. We took the wrong tube which would have been fine except we accidentally got on and Overground Express train of some kind that took us into what I called “the suburbs of London.” Basically, the middle of nowhere. After that we had to get on the Barkeloo line and head straight for the stop near Abbey Road. Sadly, we had to abandon Morgan and Caroline and I ended up speed walking 45 minutes to be on time for the Champagne Experience. But you know what, we got to see the country and get our steps in for the day and we made it on time!

After that we had to celebrate Kevin’s last night with us and Morgan’s last late night before her flight to Ireland. But after that I went home for i much needed sleep like always.

On Saturday, Morgan, Haven, and I went to Highgate Cemetery for a tour. It was absolutely beautiful and we found about a million and five ghoul gates!! I loved how the cemetery worked with the landscape and vegetation of the land. Not one grave was untouched by vines, bushes, grass, and all layer uneven on the giant hills and landscape of the place. My favorite place crypt was the one that was inspired by Egyptian architecture. They actually talked about how inside those tombs they found a rare breed of cave spiders that have never been seen this far north and of course I thought it was pretty cool how the unnatural became a home for the natural without even trying. I didn’t make this connection when I made my unnatural and natural post, but it’s really similar to how Nobody gets taken in by Mrs and Mr. Owens in the Graveyard Book. Though Nobody is not supposed to make a home there and it is an unnatural environment, he is able to live there because they find a way to coexist. Just like the cave spiders that have made their homes in the tombs of Highgate Cemetery.

I didn’t really do much on Saturday other than Highgate Cemetery because I was throughly exhausted, but on Sunday Caroline and I went up to the Chapel Market that is right near Angel Station to find some gifts for our friends. We shopped around for a little bit then stopped at the Brewery and Kitchen to get some food and drinks. As always, we got Pimm’s and I tried Halloumi Fries and Patatas Bravas. I had never had either so I thought trying something different would be good! I was right, both were amazing!! Afterwards, we went home and I once again got some much needed rest.

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Take some pictures of natural and unnatural spaces/places. What makes them natural or unnatural? What makes certain bodies or stories about bodies natural or unnatural? Where are London’s “monsters” and what do they look like?

The most natural places that I found in London were in different parks. For instance, the first two pictures are from Waterloo Park. I think it is difficult not to consider the areas in Waterloo Park as natural. Every area of this park rolls and gives with the landscape it is a part of. In the first picture, you can see how the grass and trees are left uncut and how they are allowed to grow all on their own. Additionally, in the second picture the trees and bushes surrounding the river are left uncut as well and lots of them have roots and branches that dip into the river itself. I think that Waterloo Park is one of the most natural areas I’ve seen in London because it feels like the park has been allowed to grow and form on its own, even with swing sets and walking paths added in it feels like those who built structures into the park allowed the landscape to tell them where things should be placed. But there are also other natural areas in London, such as Queen Mary’s Garden in Regent’s Park. However, I feel like in Queen Mary’s Garden that is where the natural and unnatural start to mix. If we consider unnatural as man made places or places that are constantly fixed and altered by man then even though there are all these beautiful flowers, trees, and bushes in Queen Mary’s Garden it is heavily monitored and fixed. There are lots of areas where the natural and unnatural meet in London. For example, while Morgan and I were walking to Highgate Cemetery and Waterloo Park I noticed this wall.

Obviously, it is not the most natural space it is a man made space covered in graffiti; however, nature is also a part of it. The trees and bushes on top of the wall are growing with the man made space around it. The natural parts of the area are living and adapting to the man made parts around it. There are lots of areas in London where the natural and unnatural areas combine, if you take a look at a skyline pictures of London even if there are skyscrapers, bridges, buildings, monuments, they are still surrounded by trees and natural areas.

London mixes the natural and unnatural elements of life and forces them to survive together. Even if you consider the unnatural places as those with supernatural or ghostly elements, they still intertwine together. At Highgate Cemetery, there is unnatural spaces like in the crypts it is dark and cold and it feels like you can’t stand too close to the walls because something might reach out and grab you.

Although these areas feel unnatural, the cemetery is one of these most natural areas in London. Most of the tombs and graves are covered in vines and branches and they all sit unevenly on the different hills and landscapes in the area. Even some crypts us the vines and trees to illuminate the beauty of the structures. But these elements are what make the cemetery beautiful and unique.

These areas would feel dark and unnatural, but instead they have nature growing all around them. Actually, in these tombs specifically they have found a breed of spiders that have never been known to life this far north, but because of the atmosphere of the tombs they have been able to thrive and repopulate there. In some cases, the unnatural areas are where the natural get to thrive again.

I think that the main monster that I see in London for visitors and for locals is time. I constantly see people running from place to place, from train to train, store to store, trying to get everything done in one day but they simply cannot. I know that has big one of the biggest monsters for us as we try to get done everything we want and need to do in one day. We have to make sure that we leave the flat by a certain time so we have enough time to travel, but we also need to make sure that we make enough time for where we want to be, then we have to make sure we meet the group on time for shows and events. Not to mention, we have to make time to eat, sleep, and actually do the work for the courses were taking. Time is really one of the monsters that "police the border of the possible." It's no necessarily warding off others from progressive, sexual, or political change like Cohen talks about, but it does ward you off from doing everything you can in London. Additionally, I think a more realistic monster would be the gap between the tube and the train platform. I don't know if anyone else is too scared to get close to it or takes a giant leap to get off the train platform, but I do. Every time I jump off a train I look back because I think the octopus like creature from Neverwhere is going to grab my leg and suck me in. I mean honestly they should have a depiction of Gaiman's gap monster in every train platform because I guarantee no one would ever step near it again.

[bugs2101-inlondon]

Two Interesting Quotes from A Monster Calls:

9.“Stories are the wildest things of all, the monster rumbled. Stories chase and bite and hunt.”

I thought that this quote was interesting because it felt like a truth that Connor was running from. I feel like for so long Connor was telling himself the same story over and over again, that his mom was going to live and that he didn’t want this whole process to be over. In reality, that was just something he was using to comfort himself and to make himself feel better, yet in reality it was hurting him. The stories and the lies he was telling himself we’re doing more damage than good. Also, I just really liked the personification here and how it foreshadows the monsters stories coming to life in a way and causing Connor to destroy his grandmother’s sitting room and beat up Harry. I feel like sometimes stories really do feel like a part of your life or like a breathing, living thing and if they don’t you really don’t hold them to heart or get into them. I finished A Monster Calls in a night because it just kept creeping and clawing at the back of my mind. What’s going to happen to Connor? What is going to happen to his mom? So, I just really liked this line and how it spoke to my love of stories and Connor’s struggle to cope with what was happening to him. It also relates to folklore and what stories we decide to keep telling. It really is the ones we can’t stop thinking about and the ones that feel like actual living beings.

15. “I’m sorry for telling everyone about your mum, read the first line. I miss being your friend, read the second. Are you okay? read the third. I see you, read the fourth, with the I underlined about a hundred times.”

This is probably a really random quote, but I loved Lily in this moment. I feel like all Connor needed in this moment was for someone to say “I see you.” A lot of times when people are grieving friends and family don’t know what to say, but just an acknowledgment of “I know you’re not okay but I see you and I’m here” is all a person needs. I feel like Lily is such a minor character, but she made such a big impact on Connor in that small moment, and it was interesting how much power this one short quote held. It also gave me some comfort that even though they didn’t really expand on this interaction at the end of the book that after Connor’s mom died I knew Lily was going to be there for him. It gave me some closure.

[bugs2101-inlondon]

Look at the city from the viewpoint of a person with disabilities or someone who is neurodiverse. What would London be like to them?

The city of London would have to be extremely overwhelming place for someone who has a disability or is neurodiverse. If a person had a physical disability that required them to need assistance like a wheelchair, cane, or even a walker, I can’t imagine what transportation would be like through the city. Even if tube stations have wheelchair accessible entry and exit points, most usually only have one elevator that lots of other people use and wait for. I can imagine that would add a significant amount of time and stress to traveling. Not to mention, I have noticed that older tube stations do not have elevators and only have escalators. If they do have elevators, they are very hard to locate because I haven’t seen them very often. And even getting on to the train would be difficult in itself because some stations have larger gaps between them and the train platform than other which means someone would have to be there to assist them and the doors do not really stay open long enough for that to happen. Especially, with other people getting off and on at the fast pace they do. Which leaves the bus, and there is only one spot on each bus for handicapped people so if there happens to be someone in it, that means the other person is out of luck and has to wait for the next. I think it would be very dangerous to even just use the sidewalks for transportation because they are full of people, uneven surfaces, and rather small in some places. It seems like having a physical disability would be very frustrating and difficult to navigate. Maybe even disheartening because you would have to add, I imagine, an extra hour or two to each journey which would take up lots of time during the day. As for a neurodiverse person, this city would almost have to be too much to handle. It can be a lot even for me, and I do not have a neurodiversity. I can’t imagine if someone who is on the autism spectrum and was sensitive to sounds was on the streets of London where there are buses stopping everywhere, ambulances and police cars with the loudest sirens in the world, bike bells, people talking, music coming from pubs. Just the sounds alone could cause overstimulation and that doesn’t include the amount of people that run into you, the different lights, signs, and buildings always coming into view. Trying to conquer this city as someone with a disability or neurodiversity, would be very draining, I imagine. I really commend those who do, because it would have to be exhausting.

[bugs2101-inlondon]

A Monster Calls Quotations:

Connor 

1.“She stopped, but she still smiled back at him. She hadn’t tied her scarf around her head yet this morning, and her bare scalp looked too soft, too fragile in the morning light, like a baby’s. It made Conor’s stomach hurt to see it.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 13). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

2.“‘About you coming to live with me.’ Conor frowned, and for a second the whole room seemed to get darker, for a second it felt like the whole house was shaking, for a second it felt like he could reach down and tear the whole floor right out of the dark and loamy earth –”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 33). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

3.“Not that anyone seemed to notice. It was like he’d suddenly turned invisible.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 51). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

4.“He couldn’t look at her, couldn’t see the care there, couldn’t bear to hear it in her voice. (Because he didn’t deserve it.) (The nightmare flashed in him, the screaming and the terror, and what happened at the end –) ‘I’m fine, Miss,’ he mumbled, looking at his shoes. ‘I’m not going through anything.’”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 54). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

5.“Conor screamed until he was hoarse, smashed until his arms were sore, roared until he was nearly falling down with exhaustion. When he finally stopped, he found the monster watching him quietly from outside the wreckage. Conor panted and leaned on the branch to keep himself balanced. Now that, said the monster, is how destruction is properly done. And suddenly they were back in Conor’s grandma’s sitting room. Conor saw that he had destroyed almost every inch of it.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (pp. 80-81). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

6.“Understanding flooded him, relief did, too, so powerful it almost made him cry, right there in the headmistress’s office. He was going to be punished.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 109). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

7.“‘I can’t stand it anymore!’ he cried out as the fire raged around him. ‘I can’t stand knowing that she’ll go! I just want it to be over! I want it to be finished!’ And then the fire ate the world, wiping away everything, wiping him away with it. He welcomed it with relief, because it was, at last, the punishment he deserved.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 131). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

Yew Tree Monster 

8.“​​I am the spine that the mountains hang upon! I am the tears that the rivers cry! I am the lungs that breathe the wind! I am the wolf that kills the stag, the hawk that kills the mouse, the spider that kills the fly! I am the stag, the mouse, and the fly that are eaten! I am the snake of the world devouring its tail! I am everything untamed and untameable!”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 27). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

9.“Stories are the wildest things of all, the monster rumbled. Stories chase and bite and hunt.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 28). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

10.“You think I tell you stories to teach you lessons? the monster said. You think I have come walking out of time and earth itself to teach you a lesson in niceness?”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 47). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

Conor’s Grandma 

11.“Conor’s grandma wore tailored pantsuits, dyed her hair to keep out the gray, and said things that made no sense at all, like “Sixty is the new fifty” or “Classic cars need the most expensive polish.” What did that even mean? She emailed birthday cards, would argue with waiters over wine, and still had a job. Her house was even worse, filled with expensive old things you could never touch, like a clock she wouldn’t even let the cleaning lady dust. Which was another thing. What kind of grandma had a cleaning lady?”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (pp. 30-31). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

12.“But she wasn’t coming for him. She walked right past him, her face twisted in tears, the moaning spilling out of her again. She went to the display cabinet, the only thing remaining upright in the room. And she grabbed it by one side – And pulled on it hard once – Twice – And a third time. Sending it crashing to the floor with a final-sounding crunch. She gave a last moan and leaned forward to put her hands on her knees, her breath coming in ragged gasps. She didn’t look at Conor, didn’t look at him once as she stood back up and left the room, leaving her handbag where she’d dropped it, going straight up to her bedroom and quietly shutting the door.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (pp. 84-85). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

Harry 

13.“Harry was the Blond Wonder Child, the teachers’ pet through every year of school.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 16). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

14.“No, it had come later, when Conor started having the nightmare, the real nightmare, not the stupid tree, the nightmare with the screaming and the falling, the nightmare he would never tell another living soul about. When Conor started having that nightmare, that’s when Harry noticed him, like a secret mark had been placed on him that only Harry could see. A mark that drew Harry to him like iron to a magnet.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 17). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

Lily 

15. “I’m sorry for telling everyone about your mum, read the first line. I miss being your friend, read the second. Are you okay? read the third. I see you, read the fourth, with the I underlined about a hundred times.”

Ness, Patrick. A Monster Calls (p. 113). Candlewick Press. Kindle Edition. 

[bugs2101-inlondon]

Reflection #7

One learning moment for me was when I stopped by the Peter Pan statue in front of the Ormond Street Hospital. In class we discussed what it means for something to be sacred to you, and my values really came into focus. As I took a selfie in front of that statue, I kept thinking that I didn’t need to be there. I was not sick or dying and the people that were traveling in and out of those automatic doors a few feet away from me most likely were themselves. Or they were visiting someone they loved or cared about. In class, I had said that I know something is sacred when I actively try to keep my voice down, refrain from using certain words, and attempt to stay out of the way or atleast out of focus. I found myself doing all of those things. I believe that hospitals are sacred places. I never really knew that until that moment. Additionally, I learned something about my concept of childhood while traveling to both of the Peter Pan statues. We had mentioned in class that childhood is endeared as being idyllic and magical, but it isn’t for everyone. That statue in front of the Ormond Street Hospital, seemed like a way to comfort children, just like the “peter panbulance.” However, in most cases Peter Pan and the ambulance carry children off to places where they never truly have the ability to grow up or experience real life. That was a very sad realization for me, but it was a second learning moment I was expecting to have in London. Another lesson I had was with something I already knew: the differences between city and country life. I knew that there were differences, but I never realized how distinct they were. I realized that one value I hold very dear is southern hospitality. That was kind of a whirlwind for me because I never realized I cared that much about people being nice and talking to me the way I talk to them until I had a few interactions with people here. I talked about in class how at The Angel I had an unfortunate conversation with a waitress who worked there that left me really flustered. Also, in my posts I mentioned the woman at the vintage market who accused me of shoplifting. I thought there might have been something wrong with them, but in reality they were just doing their jobs and I had become acclimated to being treated a certain way. They weren’t necessarily rude to me, they were just used to a fast paced, city life and I needed to be the one who adjusted. In class, we have also discussed a lot about nature and why children should care about nature or use it as a place for reflection and not just a space to play. When I think of my time in Green Park and Regent’s Park, I remember asking myself, “when was the last time I have actually been to a park?” And not just the last time I’ve been, but when was the last time I did it because I thought it was what I needed for the day or that it would be a fun thing to do. The answer: I don’t know. I think I have really lost touch with the part of me that used to love nature. I don’t even remember the last time I walked anywhere willingly, like I have on this trip. I used to walk to the park with my dad and feed the ducks. We haven’t done that since I was a child, and I never realized how much I missed that until we watched the swans and ducks at Green Park. I miss having the energy to actually go outside. Because of Life of Pi, I also started thinking about the monster within myself. I also mentioned this in my post about supernatural things, but I realized that I do have one. Do not get me wrong it is not the same one as Pi’s which was for his own survival, but mine has to do with fear. I’m afraid of a lot of things and that causes me to miss experiences I could have.  I’m afraid I’m going to get hurt or something bad is going to happen when I venture out into the city alone, but I need to let go of that fear otherwise I am going to miss out on the amazing memories that I have made throughout this trip. That is one lesson I will definitely be taking home. 

[bugs2101-inlondon]

July 14, 2022

Caroline and I really needed a chill day today. We've started to get very tired throughout the days and we just needed to step back and take a breath. Our anxiety was through the roof for now reason. So, we took Dr. Banks' advice and went to Regent's Park for the day. Before we left, we grabbed some food at the Co-op and a blanket from the Copenhagen and went on our way. When we got to the park, we found a really nice spot under some trees that was right in between a soccer and a cricket match. The people that were playing looked like they were all couples, friends, and family. They were drinking and laughing and enjoying each others company. It was really entertaining.

Caroline and I actually ended up getting cold, so we were walking to a sunnier spot and ran into students who were raising awareness for drug and alcohol abuse in Camden town. We stopped to paint a portion of their Amy Winehouse portrait and we thanked them and wished them luck on our way. We made our way into Queen Mary's Garden and laid down. You'll never guess who we ran into??? The queen herself, Morgan Banville. (She was actually meeting us, but I thought that was a good introduction for her.) We realized that we were starving and walked to Baker Street to get something to eat. We stopped at a restaurant called The Globe and then we went to a casino and had a drink at their rooftop bar. Today, was a much needed relaxed day. And after we got back, I went to bed, once again.