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July 16, 2002
Subject: England Trip - Letter #07
Tuesday, July 16, 2002
Dear Friends,
Today's epistle will continue on with a chronology of some of
my activies, but first I will digress to give a brief English lesson, based on
my recent education on the language from my trip here. Apparently we in America
use incorrect words for a number of things. I will bring this thinking to a
clear focus with the following.
Vocabulary lesson:
to let - This is NOT refrencing permissive behavior, it is a
local expression meaing "for rent" as in appartments. It is used everywhere in
London and elsewhere.
A "flat" has nothing to do with auto tires or terrain. It
means "apartment". I have actually heard this used in New York city as well,
though not anywhere else in the US.
a "subway" - is neither a dagwood sandwich nor a means of
automated transportation to move persons in cars on a track. It is an
underground walkway - that permist you to cross under the tracks, the street or
anywhere else that its builders planned for you to go.
Meals are not "fixed". They are prepared or given. I assume
that they can be "fixed" if something is wrong with them and they can be
repaired.
"way out" - is not an expression of exuberance or
acclamation. When displayed on a sign and you progress in the direction of the
designated arrow, you will EXIT the location to the outside. Also, "way in"
means "entrance".
A "single" is ony the state of one not married, but what you
buy when you want a one way ticket for transportation.
A "return" is not that portion of your trip when you come
back to your point of origination. It means a "round trip ticket" and must be
purchased prior to your outbound portion of the trip. You see this used on all
forms of public tranportation - the rail system a s well as the bus system.
Their vehicles do not have "trunks". They have "boots".
Nether do they have "hoods". They have "bonnets".
"Mind the gap" has nothing to do with obeying anyone or
trendy clothing stores. It is a caution that is screamed out at the older
underground railway (called the tube - or underground) to caution you to respect
the space between the platform where you stand and the door to to the entrance
to the cars in which you will be riding as well as the tracks in general. This
has become unnecessary at the newer tube stations such as Waterloo where they
have constructed glass walls and automatic doors to open when the train arrives
and its doors are open.
So much for education, now to my day. I did find an
unexpected pleasure in the Underground today. While I was moving between lines
at one of the stations, there was a violinist playing. He had a taped recording
he was playing which played the piano part and he was happily and skillfully
playing one of Vivaldi's violin concerti. This was refreshing and delightful.
In order to save money on public tranporation, I had my
passport photo taken ( a copy of which is NOT attached to this email) and I
purchased a seven day pass, which employs the photo id. This was much cheaper
than buying the daily pass for the time I have remaining here in London. For
less than £20, I can have unlimited travel on the local bus and undergoround
systems for one week. There is a threatened underground strike for drivers
tomorrow. That would be a pain for many thousands here, should it come about.
The vast majority of my day was spent at Wesley's chapel. I
completed a choral setting from a portion of Psalm 19. (Lent 3, year B). It is a
choral call to prayer. I had put a great deal of thought into the strucuture of
the work, its speaking meter and feel of the text. I had even scored a page with
the words but with no notes in preparation. The music came to me rather quickly
this time and I am pleased with its sound. I look forward to hearing it this
fall. I also played over my previous two works and changed a few things in them.
Like writing a book music can improve with age and reconsideration by its
author.
Around the Wesley chapel I have become know as "the Amrican
composer". Now as the history stewards give tours, they introduce me and let me
tell about the Charles Wesley organ. Today, I particularly enjoyed talking with
a group from San Antonio. I worked at the organ for about two hours. I then took
a break and had my lunch. I have been buying a sandwich and coke (they don't
sell any cups of ice) with me, having purchased it at the Old Street Tube
station, a few blocks from the chapel. I enjoyed lunch in the basement of the
chapel and then spent several hours in the afternoon with the librarian of their
archives. I have identified several books, which I would like to purchase on
Charles Wesley and looked over quite a few that have been out of print for 150
years. I also enjoyed talking with Michael Bendle(the archive steward) concering
my impressions about John and Chuck Wesley. Unfortunately, more than once, he
said, "That is a very good question.", followed by I will have to look that one
up. On many occasions, he would pull out a book and leaf through it and say,
"here is some information on that topic". Of particular interst was a book that
was written by a Mr. Thomas Jackson who personally knew Charles and wrote his
biography of Charles shortly after Charles had died.
Toward the end of the day, I took a bus ride from the chapel
to south of the Thames (that's "tems with a short e") river on the new London
bridge and looking at the Tower bridge, right by the Tower of London. I took the
undeground to Westminster and hoped to tour Westminster Abbey, but they were
nearing time to close. I felt a £6 touring fee warranted a more lengthy visit on
a later day. By the way, have you heard of the Eye of London, probably the
world's largest ferris wheel? It is amazing and just east of the river just
north and across from Big Bend. It must be three hundred or four hundred feet
high and contains rotating glass compartments that afford an amazing view of
London. I will probably not make it over to that. I am told that in order for it
to be authorized, the builders were required to agree to take it down and remove
it as some point in the future in order to return the skyline to its traditional
self. Can you imagine such a constraint on a private investment such as this in
the US?
It is now 7:30 pm and I am hungry and also must find a
laundry mat to process some of my atire that is to be recycled for use -
starting tomorrow. Again, thanks for listening and there will be more news as it
develops.
Best regards,
Larry
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London Trip Page
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