Westminster Abbey 

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As I said before the trip on my first post I think that the Westminster abbey was one of the main historical sites that I wanted to take advantage of and see. It was definitely a site that was more than expected and it offered more than I had anticipated. The chapel was only the first part, but the main highlight was what was in the chapel, there are more than 3,000 historical figures buried in the walls and premises of the Westminster. They are more than breath taking to see because it is someone from history that was so important, perhaps edward the confessor or even King Henry the VIII. All that I know is that these were individuals who I was so interested in and this was a place that has been around for over 1000 years. It was the most important stop for myself only because I enjoy history and felt so privileged to be around the remains of individuals who went down in history as historical figures and individuals who helped or as a result shaped the democracy we have today. I hope that one day even you the reader will be able to see the greatness that these halls have to offer. 

 

All cultured Up

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Our free day without doctor Jenkins was one of the best days ever, there is  no direct correlation of course. While we were at the Shard we met a wonderful woman named Ish who took aside Ciara and I to ask us about our expereinces in London so far. After giving us a facisnating story about her stories in the states she began to give us destinations that would make us feel like we got a true Londoners experience. We of course took her advice.

I was able to see the Natural History Muesem, the British muesum , and eat food in China Town, as suggested by Ish.

One of the best experiences I  had was being in the British muesum. My day was literally made better walking into the British muesum and seeing the vast and intricate architecture. From Asian history to British propoganda, my world was blown. The most wonderful  part? When Raymond dragged me into the room where the glass roof had been added, not to mention mummies! Your eyes are automatically drawn to the beautiful glass roof, the lighting and the reflection of the marble. I can not describe in words what I experienced seeing this for the first time and the love I felt for this muesum.

What could make any experience better? Finding a small french bakery that sells fresh salmon and cream cheese bagettes with macaroons the size of your palm. I love food and I feel that part of the experience of the culture is trying just about every aspect you can even if you don’t like it, which was not a problem in my particular situation.

Just to finish the night with a bang we had some of the most delicious Chinese food I have ever had. We found out that in Europe the Chinese food is a tad bit different, I personally felt that it was just as delicious.

This day turned out to be one of the most in depth cultural days I have had since we got here. We hung out with some of the local in the Square and discussed the difference between English culture and American culture. This day ended with quite a wonderful bang!

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Posted in front of the British Muesum

All cultured Up

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Our free day without doctor Jenkins was one of the best days ever, there is  no direct correlation of course. While we were at the Shard we met a wonderful woman named Ish who took aside Ciara and I to ask us about our expereinces in London so far. After giving us a facisnating story about her stories in the states she began to give us destinations that would make us feel like we got a true Londoners experience. We of course took her advice.

I was able to see the Natural History Muesem, the British muesum , and eat food in China Town, as suggested by Ish.

One of the best experiences I  had was being in the British muesum. My day was literally made better walking into the British muesum and seeing the vast and intricate architecture. From Asian history to British propoganda, my world was blown. The most wonderful  part? When Raymond dragged me into the room where the glass roof had been added, not to mention mummies! Your eyes are automatically drawn to the beautiful glass roof, the lighting and the reflection of the marble. I can not describe in words what I experienced seeing this for the first time and the love I felt for this muesum.

What could make any experience better? Finding a small french bakery that sells fresh salmon and cream cheese bagettes with macaroons the size of your palm. I love food and I feel that part of the experience of the culture is trying just about every aspect you can even if you don’t like it, which was not a problem in my particular situation.

Just to finish the night with a bang we had some of the most delicious Chinese food I have ever had. We found out that in Europe the chinees food is a tad bit different, I personally felt that was just as delicious.

This day turned out to be one of the most in depth cultural
days I have had since we got here. We hung out with some of the local in Leicester Square and discussed the difference between English culture and American culture. This day ended with quite a wonderful bang!

image
Posted in front of the British Muesum

Sunday is a rest day.

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On Aitutaki, Sunday is a day of rest for everyone. Except for 2 places All of the stores are closed and people spend the day with their families after morning religious ceremonies. This morning some of the group accompanied the professors to the local church and the rest of the group stayed to enter our […]

Point-intercept substrate research 

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The reef team is in charge of all things coral reefs, including a point intercept focus on lagoon bottom substrates. This allows us to get a better determination of the health of the reef systems and characterize the lagoon, in general.     We look for dead and live coral Bommies, as well as coral heads. […]

Concept proved … again!

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Another night dive and another success for capturing fluorescence from the ROV! The payload developed for this had stopped working, which we’re currently troubleshooting. As such the dive flashlight was attached to the payload bar and after Paul and Chris had helped to achieve the desired weight distribution and buoyancy, we deployed the ROV in […]

Final day

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August 2, 2015
Novetel London, England

It seems that this trip has flown by, but in the last few days we have covered a lot of ground. Today we visited Trafalgar Square, which was a unique area with various forms of art. The area was loud and disorganized and there were people everywhere. Each and every person has something to look at whether it was the lions, the monuments, the homeless man steeling from the fountains, or the various levitating Yodas. After the final group presented on the area it was nice to wander around and see some of the different artwork. One man was making rings and allowing anyone to take them for free, but he did appreciate tips. It seemed that most of the street performers there provided there service for free, yet they all looked like they were getting a generous amount of donations. To wrap up my final day in London I will be going to ChinaTown and Hyde Park. In the park I would like to ride around on a bike and see the gardens and Serpentine Lake. After that I would like to find a nice restaurant  to stop at. Finally I want to return to Paul’s bakery for some I’ve cream and macaroons. Anyhow it’s time for me to leave the Novetel and get on the underground.
-Colton

Stonehenge//Oxford 

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Yesterday as a group we went to Stonehenge and Oxford as well as made a trip to Windsor castle, which by the way is the oldest standing castle in the world.  My favorite part of the day was definitely making it to Oxford because we were exposed to the brilliance of the first English speaking university and we also became indulged in the culture.  The main highlight of Oxford for myself was being given the privilege to experience the eagle and child pub which is a local pub in Oxford. The significance of this pub was the fact that many of the greatest 20th century writers met in a secret group here only for those to discuss important literary works.  One of the main figures of this group was JRR Tolkien who by the way wrote lord of the rings and the hobbit. He made an impact on my life with his works because it made my life so much better and it made me get the chance to dive into the fantasy world. Although it was a short trip, im glad that I was able to walk into the pub and grab some food as well as obviously take pictures of the pub itself. I didn’t catch a good snapshot inside of the pub but I did catch a great photo from before we walked in. Hope you enjoy !  

 

Lagoon day 1

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This was our first day (08/01/15) of doing our own lagoon survey and it went ok. Our first site had A LOT of sea cucumbers. At the 10 m and 25 m transects there were easily a 1000 sea cucumbers. At the farther ends there were a good amount of tube worms but very few […]

I’m here!

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After a long journey of movies and sleep we have arrived! Finally.

I am beyond excited for the next week.I’m feeling a bit of culture shock even as we venture on our way away from the airport and towards the hotel. The tube is amazing, but also overwhelming for someone who has never used it. I find it especially hard to keep us as I try to take in the size, history and beauty of the city I will reside in for the week.

All that uneasy feeling was worth our first day if architectural exploration. We experienced our fist adventures in Westminster Abby, Buckingham Palace and Changing of the guard! The best part? Well other than the previously mentioned, our tour guide Shawn was the most refreshing, kind and  funny tour guide I have ever encountered. He made ending a tour fun, but sad to see him go.

My excitement and amazement is beyond words. The ache in my feet from the walking, climbing, standing, waiting, however,  is not. Despite the discomfort, sore feet are worth every minute of this experience. Of all of the experiences my favorite first day activity was the London Eye. The sights you see are  amazing. We were able to see just about all of London from the the top.

Perhaps the most interesting part about our first day is the shock of having to adjust to the different culture despite

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the lack of language barrier. We have been smiled at, scoffed at, teased, hugged.. and all in a matter of a day!