My ‘Wow, really Kalee?’ story for the day is about this morning’s ride to the Tube. Most stations have an escalator to the underground tube, however ours instead has a crowded elevator down. While about 20 people squeezed into the 10 person elevator, someone mentioned they liked my French-tipped toenails. I smiled and told them how I cheat painting my nails by using my dad’s paint pins he uses to write on his guns.
Did you catch the mistake?? I said the G-U-N word on an elevator full of Londoners. I would have thought I said something about killing orphans by the way the people got wide-eyed and stared at me... Anyway, back to what I did today.
Today was another amazing day. Our original plan was to walk past Downing Street, perhaps seeing the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, then tour New Scotland Yard with our friends and tour guide, Constable Watson. But boy we’re we in for a treat. Constable Watson did not take us past Downing Street; he took us through Downing Street. Downing Street houses the Prime Minister of the UK (David Cameron) and the Chancellor of the Exchequer (George Osborne), both pretty big deals here. We were allowed past the gates and right up to the front door.
After this amazing surprise, we walked through where the changing of the cavalry guards take place and on into the St. James Park in front of Buckingham Palace where Constable Watson kept us entertained with constant history and jokes.
Seeing Buckingham Palace was so amazing, but little did we know that our day was about to get a whole lot more spectacular.
Constable Watson informed us we would be entering INTO the gates of Buckingham Palace and viewing the changing of the guard from inside. Basically, this would be like being able to walk on the White House lawn or something. This was a very rare opportunity, and made even more rare because they also brought the retired cavalry there, along with two military bands. The Queen was in so there were also special things going one because of that. There was so much going on I can’t even tell you what everything was for and why. It was AMAZING. I touched the walls of Buckingham Palace. I loved seeing the retirement because from my ROTC experience I actually knew what about 50% of it was. Many of the British military commands were different from ours, but there are also plenty of similarities. I could not believe the superior marching skills of the soldiers, and what really caught my eye was the officers. Being that I am an officer in training, I enjoyed watching the way these leaders worked. I saw what would have been our First Sergeant ‘dress right dress’ the formation before the Captain inspected, I watched the Captain also inspect the guards on duty while they stood at attention, and I really liked the requirement of the new formation’s officers to march back and forth in front of his troops until the Calvary arrived (in many of the US’s events, officers normally are not required to move so there is jokes about their marching skills).
There is so much tradition in these activities. Constable Watson told us how the guard change came about because one day Queen Victoria found two of her guards asleep at their post and decided, “I will not have this!” So she decided there would be a changing of the guard every hour so they would not fall asleep. A similar story was told near Downing Street only instead of being asleep the soldiers were drunk, so their guard change was around 4:00pm. The banner man carrying the flag also marches in front of the troops until the Calvary arrive to signify how in medieval times, peasant armies would need banner men to ride past them with the flag to show everyone who they were suppose to follow into battle and not get lost.
The whole experience was just so awesome. I know I have said awesome and amazing many times in this blog, but it really was just so perfect. Once in a lifetime chance. Even Constable Watson, who has a habit of sneaking groups behind the gate said he has never in his life seen everything that went on today.
After the changing of the guards, we grabbed some lunch from one of the 100,000,000 different street vendors and met at the New Scotland Yard. And another treat! Amanda Brewer (no relation) was there with her group from UNO! How crazy is that?? We went to the same high school in the same small town (and just happened to have the same last name) and met up in one of the biggest city in the world to both have a tour of New Scotland Yard. Like I said, and amazing day. We got to see a PowerPoint of the many MANY responsibilities of the Metropolitan police force in London. The last few years have been their most exciting ever, between the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee and the 2012 Olympics. Constable Watson and his friends kept us laughing by comparing the UK and US police- there was a lot of doughnut and ‘gun loving lunatics’ references. London has 32,000 police officers and only 10% are trained to carry a gun. Trained, but many don’t actually carry one. They receive 18,000 999 calls a day. That’s right, 999 not 911.
This long but extravagant day was ended with a free meal provided by Dr. Snare, who is partly responsibly for allowing our trip. I guess we thank him but making him pay for our meal. But it was at Addis, African/Ethiopian restaurant. This was a very new experience. Here with African food, you eat in fours. You all order your meal and a giant plate of a really wet flat bread is brought out (I thought it tasted just like sourdough pancakes but others described the taste as flat beer). Then each of your meal is poured onto the flatbread and you all dig in. You rip a piece of bread off, dip or scoop your meal, and enjoy. It was a really fun experience. Thank you Dr. Snare for opening many new doors for us, both with in traveling and in trying different food!
This was our meal. Oh man was it good. A little spicy, but great flavor.
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