July 14, 2005

• July 2, 2005 | Denver to Chicago | Wales Tour
  Well, here we are again on another fun-filled tour. We had to be at DIA at 12:00 PM, so naturally we showed up at 11:00 AM. =) We got our bags checked in and whatnot. Then, we got our tickets and headed to the security gates. We all hugged and said good-bye to our parents and friends. We sat around our gate for 1 hr. 30 minutes, just hanging out. Cyndi got ice-cream with Joya and a group of the other girls. Sarah and I sat and talked while eating our lunch. It was fun. Molly thinks that she might have strep throat, so we're all praying that she has time to get better before the competition in Llangollen. That would really suck if she didn't get to compete because she was sick! =( That's another thing I should mention. We are competing in the Llangollen Eisteddfod, an international music festival of world calibur! We're all very excited about it. On top of that, Sarah and Tony qualified to make it into the actual competition for soloists! We get to watch them perform and everything. I'm really excited. Bon chance to my great friends. I miss everyone back home a bit, but it won't grow much with all of the fun stuff that I'm gonna be doing in Scotland, Wales, and London! Je t'aime! 4:40 PM MST

  
  

  July 2, 2005 | Chicago to Glasgow, Scotland | Wale Tour
  Right after getting off the plane in Chicago, we had to book it to get to the next gate for this flight. We were already late as it was. We got to the gate only to find that they had moved it at the last minute. So, we had to move to the other end of the termincal to a new gate. We got there just as the boarding was finishing up. So we were really luck to get on the plane in time and with no major hassles to deal with. We have already eaten dinner. Cyndi had beef, and I had chicken. The chicken came with rice! Cyndi wantes some as well, so we split our entrees in half and shared. It was pretty good for plane food. lolz... I'm having fun. I've sat by Cyndi on both flights. it's been a lot of fun for us. I'm glad that I get to share this great experience with my sister. We have a greater understanding of how awesome we are to each other and for each other. I love her so much. They're watching "Miss Congeniality" right now. I got bored, so I'm writing in here. =) I'm listening to the mixtape that I made for the trip of a bunch of my favorite songs. There are lights outside of the window in the far distance. Cyndi and I think that it's Canadian coastline. We haven't been on the plane long enough to find out if it's Ireland.  Ireland is many hours away, I wager. We flew up thorugh Lake Michigan and into Canada. From there, we crossed over Montreal and Vancouver (don't know about the latter). Then, we're headed over the Atlantic Ocean to Ireland. After passing over the island, we're going to hit Scotland and our destination, Glasgow. After reaching the airport, we will go on a bus tour on out way to Edinburgh. After that, they will take us on a tour of the castles. I'm so excited already!  I hope that we all are safe and sound once we hit Scotland. God bless everyone, truly. I could never have foreseen going on tour with a better, tighter group. This is truly amazing. God is wonderful in the gifts he gives us, and in the opportunities he presents us. Je t'aime! 5:40 PM ???

  
  

  July 3, 2005 | Glasgow to Edinburgh - Edinburgh | Wales Tour
  We're here! We went through immigration and headed straight to get our luggage and meet our courier. I forgot his name, but he's awesome. When we reached Edinburgh, we all walked up to the Royal Mile. From there, everyone was set free for some self-sightseeing and lunch. I went with Cyndi and Sarah. We stopped a lot of places but decided on this Italian-looking place. I had a cajun chicekn baguette, that was so savory. Cyndi and Sarah had hamburgers with soda. lolz... After checking out the sites, we were led on a walking tour by this lady who's an expert on the area. After that, she took us to Edinburgh Castle. There, we had to go through a really dumb security check. We finally made it into the battlements and outer wall when the same woman led our 4-stop tour of the castle. There are a million neat things inside: cannons, chains, weapons, paintings, etc. It was amazing to see the different artifacts and whatnot in the walls of the castle. We took a ton of pictures, and I bought a postcard set of pics of Edinburgh. I hope that they add a great deal to my postcard collection.   After she was done w/ the tour, we all sang "Bravo, Bravissimo" to her in the tallest part of the castle. Then, we all went back down to take some pictures in front of the Scotland war memorial thingy. That was a lot of fun actually. J.B., Sarah, Cyndi, Ben, and I, all hung out together. We went to the different museums and stuff like that together! It was a lot of fun for us. After that, they took us back to the hotel to check-in and rest a little before dinner. After dinner, Donna secided to take a group of us out to shop and sight-see. We couldn't shop b/c everything was closed, but we did get invited to a sleezy bar for drinks.  That was interesting. Btw, this hotel is absolutely amazing! I love it so much. I think that the Chorale has definitely spoiled us this time. Well, I'm off to bed before my wake-up call @ 6 AM!!! Je t'aime! 11:03 PM APEX International Hotel-Edinburgh

  
  

  P.S. Despite the time, it's only sunset just now! WHOA!!!  

  
  

  July 7, 2005 | Bangor-on-Dee, Wales | Wales Tour
  Many days have passed, so I've a ton to write in this entry. To go back and explain a few days... On the 4th, we travelled by coach to Aberdour, Scotland. (I forgot to mention our concert at St. Giles' Kirk; it was fantastic)There, we went to this small church that is dated back in the 1200s. Awesome, yeah? It's really awesome-lookin' to me. We had a small rehearsal of ou music before tea! Tony and I were paired together. We walked a small ways away from the church to get to their house. Instead of tea, we had water, pizza, and cookies. They were fabulously made. The family ws incredible! I had such a great time with them. At that house, we changed for the concert. The concert was around 80 minutes long, and awesome! We did such a great job altogether! Alors, we finished the concert to thunderous applause. After we changed back into our travel clothes, we all headed down to the dock for a grand 4th of July BBQ. We had haggis and the lot. It was truly fantastic, a splendid time. After that, we took pictures and sand a few songs for the people wh couldn't attend the concert. We went back to the hotel after that! Molly and I were being kinda silly and decided to pull an overnighter since we were so awake. So we (Molly, Kate, and I) stayed up all night drinking coffee and tea and talking. We listened to music and watched some REALLY interesting television programs.  It was a ton of fun! Trust me. Molly and Kate had to hold the windows up for me to get in and out! Funny, yeah?!? lol The next morning, we all had a nice breakfast before we headed out to Wales via. coach. We started out bright and early. We stopped twice at two different rest tops for a bite to eat and to stretch our legs. There's a bloody law that says that all drivers have to eat so many full meals a day and get so much rest on the job.  Silly, je sais. We got into Wales in the early afternoon where we check in and get to check out the shops and stuff like that. Sarah and I bought programs for the festival and matching polos. Mine is purple and hers green. Cute. Cyndi bought a ton of gifts, too! Donc, this morning we competed. I bought a CD recording of all of the competition we competed in. We did fairly well overall. After that, Tony and Sarah competed in the solo competition. To make a long story short, no one made it any farther than the preliminaries.  We had a blast, though! We got to hang-out all day in the stores and stuff. I tried a lambburger. It's rather tasty! Mmm --> yeah! I also bought the cutest green purse. I absolutely love it to death! After seeing some of the opening ceremony stuff, we all went back to our homestays. We all changed and had snacks and tea w/ our homestays. Now, everyone's in bed. That's exactly where I should go right about now! Tee hee hee!!!  And that was my past three days! Je t'aime! 1:03 AM

  
  

  July 8, 2005 | Kenilworth, England | Wales Tour
  Yesterday, we got up early to go sing in a short concert in Llangollen. It was pretty fun. We sang in the stree in front og a band from South Africa. We sang mostly acapella pieces. No piano! After that, we all went to the Eisteddfod to eat lunch. After lunch was over, we all headed to the bus to go to Chester, England. There, Douglass (the tour guide on this whole tour) led us around the city and let us know of everything that was going on. It's awesome. They pulled us all back to the main town square before lunch for a short meeting. Apparently, a bus and some trains on the tube had been bombed as acts of terrorists. It was a shock to hear about these terrible things, knowing that London is our next stop. So... They released us all for lunch. Cyndi and I went with Molly and Kate. We went to a few shops. After we couldn't find much, Cyndi and I bought a few pins and stuff like that. Straight after that, we went to a sports bar type of thing for lunch. Cyndi and I split a pizza between us. We just had water for drink. Molly and Katie had pizzas. It was really yummy as well. Then, we were really running out of time, so we ran along the town wall to find where we wanted to be (the town center). We got there in good time. OH! I forgot to tell you about when we got to go to this awesome sports store. all:sports. I bought an adidas soccer jacket for £45! AHH! Good thing my mom doesn't know, yeah?  Anyway, it's orange-striped and white. I love it. Going back to being on time, we got on the bus and head back to Bangor-on-Dee near Llangollen. When we got there, we sand a 40 minute concert for our homestays. It was really special. After that, there was a party in the pub across the street. There were drinks and food there. It was really nice. I had a great time. everyone started to leave, so Molly and I stayed out late at the pub to hang out with Katie, Joya, Julianna, and our bus driver and Douglass. Then, we talked to some of the locals who were around 20 years of age. They were awesome! I had a few sips of everyone's drinks for fun. I attracted a lot of stares from people 'cause I was wearing my new adidas jacket. It was tres chic! Molly and I ran home, where we gave Dave and Sue a great homestay gift and carried on a great conversation. We went to bed. After that, we got up in the morning to get packed and get breakfast. We took pictures by the bus on this gorgeous, stone bridge. I love it. I want to come back to this place so badly to stay with the great people. Anyway, we left them with a song, and they left us a song as well. We got on the bus for Stratford-upon-Avon. There, we got to check out all of the neat Shakespeare sites. At lunch, I went with Laura and Kinsey to the McDonald's. It was the best burgers we've ever eaten anywhere. After that, we went in a few shops before we headed to the meeting place and the bus. After that, we al went to St. Peter's Wooten Wawen. It's a gorgeous church. After a rehearsal, we went to the nearby Navigation Inn for dinner. I had this great soup with bread, lasagne, fries, salad, peas, and an apple and blackcurrent pie. It was wonderful. Then, we all headed back to the church to change and put on our concert. There was practically no one htere though. It was fun, nonetheless. After the concert, Cyndi and I wanted to get a few things. So we donated about £1.60 to the church in exchange for a few trinkets of subtle inspiration and a ton of cards and notecards in remembrance of the place. We headed off towards Kenilworth. After we arrived, we settled into the hotel, De Montfort Hotel. I'm rooming with Sarah and Lindsey. They aren't my two favorite pair, but they'll do. I can get along with most anyone. So that's all good. I'm watching The Notebook with Lindsey. Sarah fell asleep right after the movie was started pretty much. I'm really tired. Anyway, I'm going to bed now. I'll write back alter after tomorrow is over. I think we're visiting Oxford and then singing in a later concert. I'm really excited. Anyway, I'm really stuffy and congested from my outdoor allergies. time for some medicine now.  Night! Je t'aime! 1:00 AM (July 9, 2005)

  
  

  July 9, 2005 | Kenilworth, England | Wales Tour
  Today was so much fun! I went to take a shower. Then, I put my face on and went down for breakfast. I had cereal, sausage, ham, beans, and tea. It was all really tasty. After that, they let us get our stuff. When we came back down, they split us into groups of 4s and 5s. I was the leader of the group with Laura, Jon, Ben, and Joya. We had to go on an interesting little scavenger hunt through the town to find admission prices and facts about places in the city. It was fun. After that, we all had to go back to the hotel to see who won. We came in third, so no prize. After everything, we all headed out for a rather splendid lunch and leisure time. I had Chinese with Molly and Kaite. Then, we headed off to the swimming pool. I played frisbee with Scott, trey, and Katie. After Katie left, it was just the three of us. Anyway, when everyone left the swimming pool, a bunch of us went to play ultimate frisbee. We all got hella sunburned, though! We changed, had dinner, and then went to rehearsal. After rehearsal, we put on an awesome concert where the people gave us a standing ovation! To get them to applaud us in so profound a way was an incredible experience! I had so much fun. After the concert, we came back to the hotel to call our parents, wash clothes, and get some sleep. The phone cards were really a pain for everyone, but we sorted it all out and got to call home. I called Dad, Mom, and Jordan. It was cool. Anyway, we just finished The Notebook, and I'm extremely tired. I'm going to sleep so that arriving in London will be rather splendid! Je t'aime! 1:01 AM (July 10, 2005)

  
  

  July 13, 2005 | London, England | Wales Tour
  Well, here I am on the trip home! On the 10th, we made our way for London via Oxford! We went on a pretty long walking tour thorugh 2 colleges of Oxford University. It was so awesome. There are over 30 colleges within the university. It's so awesome. Each college represents a different ideal and group of people. It was fantastic. After that, we all went to have lunch. (We sang in one of the chapels as well). I had McDonald's for lunch. It was incredibly cool. After that, we finished out trip to London. We arrived around 10:30PM @ the Thistle Hotel. By this time, I was already deathly ill, pretty much. I was so congested and stuffy. After a nice night's sleep, I woke up to get ready. I packed my garment bag for the concert, and then I got ready. We all filled the restaurant for breakfast. I couldn't each much, but it was okay. We went on a pretty long sightseeing tour of little parts of London. We walked through Covent Garden, Trafalgar Square, and also the popular shopping areas. After having a short lunch, we all got on the coack and went to Leonard Stanley. We had a small snack at this man's house. He laid out juices and such with the most wonderful scones! His wife buttered scones and put fresh strawberries on top. It was delicious. After that, we had to make a jaunt to the church across the street for the rehearsal. The rehearsal went pretty well, I thought. Soon after, we all boarded the bus to go to the restaurant for dinner. It wasn't that great. Most of us ordered the roast chicken only to regret it. They literally served the entire chicken! It was dry and not so tasty. Then, we had yummy water and ice-cream to finish it all off. We then got back on the coach so we could change for the concert. The concert was amazing. I had a ton of fun. Just performing for the last time on the tour was truly powerful in itself. I was so happy to do so well for them. We did a full program with the soloists and all. After the concert was over, we sang dream a dream to the audience and each other. None of us left the church with dry eyes. We all cried after realizing that out last real business in the UK was done. After the concert, we changed and sang Bravo, Bravissimo for our hosts. We all got on the bus and went back to the hotel. We slept (after Donna and Mary Beth came in to give us a snack). The next day (12th of July), we all got up a little later for a long day of sight-seeing and shopping. In the morning, we got on the bus and drove around a bunch of neat places (Westminster Abbey). After that, we went to the Tower of London. We got to see the Bloody Tower and the Crown Jewels. One of the large sceptars was even in current use. It was awesome to be there. We had lunch @ KFC. Then, we all went back to the bus so that we could head to Oxford Street for shopping. During this time, Douglass took Cyndi and I to get the money that Mom and Dad wired us from home: £118. Nice, yeah?!? Then, Cyndi and I hooked up with Joya. We went to look at ties for Joya's father and then to the bathroom. Soon after, we went to a bookstore. I bought two books in french. So awesome! Alors, we were late meeting up with everyone. Douglass took us all for more shopping in this mini-mall type thingy. Cyndi and I dropped at least $100 at this souvenir shop. After that intenseness, we all got to walk through China Town. That was fun and interesting. We fot to the restaurant, where we all hung around in the shops and streets until our 7 PM reservation. For dinner, we had chicken with chips. Following that was ice-cream and cheesecake. It was Jon's birthday, so we definitely went as far out as possible. Then, we all got on the bus and headed back to the hotel to pack. After packing for about an hour, we all went down to a side room of the lobby to play games and hang out. It really was a lot of fun for us. After that, it was off to bed to prepare for a long day of travel. This brings me to today. We fot up at 5:45 AM and had our stuff on the bus at 6:17 AM.  After doing a few things, we all got on the bus and headed to the Heathrow Airport. They gave us small brakfast packages there. After checking our bags and whatnot, we all said good-bye to Douglass, the coach driver, Brad, Colleen, Emily, and J.B. we then went to the gate to await our flight. After getting on the plane to Chicago O'Hare, we realized that it was going to be a neat flight. There were personal screens for each seat. It was awesome. I watched two movies: Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban and Fever Pitch. They were pretty good, in my opinion. We arrived in Chicago after about 8 hours of flight. In O'Hare, we had about a 1 hour delay. So we got to get food and rest. We're on the plan frome Chicago to Denver now. My journey to the fabulous UK is soon over. I have learned and seen so much. It fascinating, the history of the European countries. This is a trip that I will not soon forget. The people of the UK have truly inspired me to go back to learn more and contribute to their wonderful culture. One day, I will go back to them to stay. Yes, indeed. I am hoping to do that soon after college. As another matter, I have learned a lot about my peers in these conditions of close proximity. I can count on everyone when I need to. Life is full of so many wonderful things. "Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination, and life to everything," Plato says. He could not be more right. Je t'aime. 5:30 PM MST

  • 12:22 pm
  • 5 Comments