I went to church today. At 1pm. Which was nice. Before I left, I went downstairs for some cereal and ran into good old Kent from California making breakfast. He asked what I was up to to which I said going to church. He was like "Yoooooo heough heough cool". he asked what church and then we got into a conversation about my mormoness, which he was intrigues by. Hitting some usual are there dietary restrictions and how big is your family and are you like super practicing. I actually like when people pose that question because it feels like I can approach it very casually which feels chill and good. I say eh sorta, I don't follow all the rules but I like going to church. There are layers and layers of feelings and beleifs and histories and a life behind that statement, but I like to assert myself as firmly within while also being chilllll. Kinda shallow, but who cares. Such is life. Some may call me a cafeteria mormon. Some may say this can not exist! I say read it and weep baby. I have a lot of thoughts on how I practice and how I live my life which I won't get into here, but I do what is best for my happiness and my spirtuality. A lot of people don't get it, but I do. I know who I am and what I want from both religion and life. It's not having your cake and eating it too, it's adapting a religion for my life, which is different from everyone else's. I don't expect to be judged for hmm living my truth? Hehe.
Moving on! The church building was in South Kensington which looks like a pretty wealthy area. While walking I passed by the most bougie attractive family of all time where they all had perfect faces and were wearing trench coats. The mom had long lucious black hair and the dad had a sophistication salt and pepper beard and cropped hair. The two kids were dressed very well. Shay shaw shay. It's where the natural history museum is too which I was going to go to but they didn't have any tickets until 4 soooo I decided today was not my day. South Kensington was picturesque, very typical london I think, but it was also strange. Because of the pepertually dreary skies everything is already pale and gray, but everything in Kensington was also white and clean. Very WHITE. Like chalk. It kinda felt like it was a movie set, like if I turned the corner you would see that all the buildings had no interior. I'm not sure if I liked all these white buildings, it was a bit scary paired with all the fancy cafe's. Just a buncha places I shan't go eat at. The museum was gorgeous though. I am excited to visit it for reals later. Maybe when it is not so so cold outside. 39 degrees is really cold.
Do you see what I mean by it looks fake?
The church building was kind of weird, it doubled as a vistors center and was connected to a larger building. So it looked pretty different than your usual church building. I didn't really like that it was a vistors center too, I mean I understand why it was that way, but it made it feel less personal. Having a recptionist desk at a church threw me off a bit. It's so Mormon church to have it like that. Sigh. I wish we would put some of our bajillion dollars into making beautiful church buildings that are made of dark wood and have elaborate stained glass windows, places people want to go. I think of a church building as not just a place to worship but an aspect of worship itself. The utmost care and creativity should go into deisgning them. Sigh, I know it's in London there is not much they can do but still it could have been better. I've been to church in a converted house before, it was more sacred than that building. Sorry I don't mean to dog on the London church. It was really nice,the people were kind, and it was a full house which I was surprised by.
I spoke to the Bishop (well it's more accurate to say he spoke to me) and explained that I was here for a semester abroad. He asked if I would be having my records moved over and if I would be coming to family home evening tomorrow AND if I would join the family home evening committee. Eager guy. I laughed and said maybe to all these questions and I actually meant that maybe. I don't know if I'll go to the family home evening tomorrow night, but probably not just because it is so cold. Perhaps another Monday. The meeting felt short, but maybe that's because I was kinda half asleep the whole time. After the 40 minute train ride and walking in the cold I was tireeed. But a highlight of the meeting was that a guy in a couple rows in front of me had an inasne opera singing voice that totally pierced through the crowd. It was so loud, hehe it made me smile. I also enjoyed watching people turn around in disbelief. Funny. I didn't stay for second hour because I was still so tired and not really up for making conversation which I knew I would have to do. Hopefully next weekend I will stop getting hit with waves of sleepiness during the day.
Some observations: I have seen many many young fathers taking children around on the train and such. Is this a UK thing?? Stay at home dads? Like seriosuly I cannot understate how many dads who look to be in their 30s walking around with toddlers on their hips and babies in strollers. I am charmed by it no doubt but this strikes me as a bit strange. Maybe it's just so not what I'm used to seeing in my own family and community. But now that I'm really thinking I feel like I saw a good amount of young dads with babies in Brooklyn so maybe it's like a hip young millenial thing, the stay at home dad. Or maybe dads just do more of their part these days or maybe I am old enough to notice. Who knows. Let me know if you have also seen lots of young fathers with children out and about in big cities. Like I swear I have seen more dads out with kids than moms, but also it is totally plausible that I just take note of the guys...I am also feeling that me being charmed by them is a sad product of a sad history of men not taking their kids around. But that's okay, I will continue to be impressed until it is normal and then that will be even better. Do you even know what I would give to be a stay at home dad taking my kids to the museum?? And then come home to my sexy corporate wife who works all day so that there might be food on our table. That sounds like the best job ever. But I digress.
I made a sincronizada for lunch. mmmm delish. Speaking of dads, I always think of my own when I make a sincronizada. Thank you, father. I did not do much else today besides try on a bunch of my clothes testing outfit combos, acting in fornt of my mirror like I am in a quirky high school movie. I have also come to the point where I am getting anxious about the to dos I must do. Which usually means I should do them. School starts in 3 days. Wowsers. I am going to do some things I need to do and then I am going to watch Secretary (2002). Scandalous I know.