The Past Three Weeks

We've all had a fairly eventful few weeks since returning from our Benelux holiday. The kids have had sports -- in fact, Aleeza played in London-wide netball tournament-- and exciting play dates of various kinds. Jackie's been visiting some courts to watch magistrates and lawyers (barristers) in action. I've been dragging students on one field trip after another. Where to begin...

Well, the first week back, I took my students to an extremely powerful British film at the BFI/London International Film Festival: "Boy A". It tells the story of a young man imprisoned for a horrible rape-murder he committed as a boy (13 or so) and follows his (halting, painfully awkward, ultimately doomed) efforts to reintegrate into society and piece together a life after his release. The slow pacing, the sharp acting and the series of flashbacks that gradually reveal the protagonist's back story are intensely absorbing. The film is bound to get some sort international distribution deal and will end up in art theaters in the US. When it does, don't miss it. I know I won't. Also that week, we had a group tour of the Parliment Building (which Jackie was able to attend). That weekend we stayed close to home but we did get together with my colleague Ginny Blanton for wine and cheese on Saturday night.

Last week, the International Enrichment trip was to Oxford and Blenheim palace. I'd just been to Oxford a month or ago, although this time I got to vist the famous Bodleian library, one of oldest libraries in Europe. After our walking tour of the main attractions was over, I used the rest of my time in the city to do some serious browsing at the famous Blackwell's Bookstore (something Jackie and the kids did not allow me to do the first time around). The real revelation for me on this trip was Blenheim palace, which is sort of British Versaille: a huge, 18th-century palace set on some beautiful grounds and full of historically-important tapestries and paintings. I could have spent a lot more time there.

Also last week, Jackie and I finally found time to visit the John Sloane Museum. Set in the personal residence of the 18th Century architect John Sloane (who designed the building himself), the museum is crammed full of an amazing array of antiquities, paintings, architectural drawings, architectural decorations and sculpture. Every available inch of wall and floor space is covered with art and artefacts. The most fascinating room in the house was the so-called Painting Room, a cramped little chamber which has moving wall panels mounted with various paintings that can be detached to reveal yet more paintings. Among the works on display there are two series of paintings (later turned into prints) by Hogarth: The Election and the Rake's Progress. Jackie and I must have spent half an hour in there alone.

Last weekend I spent communting back and forth from Kennsington to Bloomsbury where I was atteneding a conference on politics, economics and critical theory at University of London. I got to hear from some fairly famous scholars, including historian and economist Robert Brenner and labor journalist and urban historian Kim Moody. I also ran into a fellow who'd given one of the guest lectures for International Enrichment's BLC class and we had a nice chat as finished off several glasses of free wine at reception after one of the keynote lectures. More on that later...

This week, I took two separate groups of students on course-related field trips. My "City of Dreadful Night" students and I visited the Sherlock Holmes museum (which was, I thought, a bit of a disappointment) on Monday. Today, Thursday, I took the students in my other class on a trip to the BBC Television Centre.

Wednesday, though, was my busiest day yet. Our regular BLC trip for the week was scheduled for that day and was to the Inns of Court. It included a visit to the Royal Courts of Justice (essentially the main court of appeals in England) where we got to hear a case being argued by the fellows in robes and wigs. Jackie tagged along. Then we rushed off to meet one of Mom and Dad's friends, Jenny Lucas, a documentary film writer and producer, for lunch at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts' private cafe. We had a wonderful time and wonderful meal. After we left there, we went to Fox Primary School to see Aleeza perform in her school assembly (about global warming.. she, of course, was great, so articulate and so very smart). Finally, that evening I attended a faculty get together at a little univeristy-for-foreigners called Holburn College. And, of course, downed several glasses of free wine.

Next week, my pal Mitchell from Chicago is coming over for a short visit. Should be fun. Til then.