England Visit

I just spent 10 days in England at a work conference. A great time of meeting coworkers from around the world. Our conference was south of London, on the seaside. We had meetings all day about finances, security issues, and learning more about the company we work for. All in all, a very encouraging and fun time, but very busy!

Then it was back to London to catch my plane, but I had a few days before my flight so I got to hang out with friends in London for the weekend. One thing that sticks in my mind is the large amount of security officers EVERYWHERE we went in London. As soon as I landed in the airport, I noticed huge guys carrying semi-automatic rifles with them and counted at least 3 bomb-sniffing dogs. Then as we walked around London's tourist sites, there were always police officers or security officials about. Which was nice for us because we always had someone to ask for directions! : ) It was a bit unnerving though, thinking that only a month ago the July 7th attacks had occured. There was one time I was walking down the street, heard a loud "bang", and then heard a siren just after that. My first thought was, "What now?!" and felt a bit of fear. But we did as the rest of the Londoners were doing, heads up, we just kept walking.

Some of my highlights of my time in England:
*eating Indian food (curry! yummy!)
*seeing Westminster Abby at sunset
*getting half price tickets to see the musical Les Miserables
*spending an afternoon at the beach (stones, not sand)
*shopping in second hand stores
*catching up with friends
*getting caught in a soaking rain with my coworkers as we hiked in the countryside ("It won't rain", famous last words!)
*seeing Picasso's "The Sunflowers" at the British National Gallery
*being taken on a "Biblical History Tour" at the British Museum (thanks Susie!)
*getting to use "the Queen's English". Torch=flashlight; Pants=underwear; Trousers=pants;
queue=lineup

Here's to more adventures to come! Cheers!

French History 101

Here’s a bit of history courtesy of Microsoft Encarta Enclyopedia… The Huguenots were Protestants of France from about 1560 to 1629. Protestantism was introduced into France around 1520. At first the new religious group enjoyed royal protection. However, King Francis I persecuted the Protestants and his successor, Henry II, followed his example.

Political rivalry between Roman Catholics and the Huguenots led to the Massacre of St. Bartholomew’s Day in 1572. King Charles IX of France and his mother, Catherine de Médicis, feared the growing power of the Huguenots. In late August they arranged to have a number of Huguenot leaders murdered. The massacre began on August 24 in Paris and then spread to the French provinces. By early October several thousand Huguenots had been killed throughout the country.

Finding life in France intolerable under the ensuing persecutions and evaporation of religious liberty, hundreds of thousands of Huguenots fled to England, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and North America. The total emigration is believed to have been about 200,000.

The Edict of Nantes in 1598, marked the end of religious wars between French Roman Catholics and Protestants for 87 years. It gave partial religious freedom to the Huguenots but was never completely carried out.
I bought a small necklace charm (see picture), which is called the Huguenot cross. Below is a description of its symbolism.
· The insignia consists of an open four-petal Lily of France -- reminiscent of the Mother Country of France -- in which each petal radiates outward in the shape of a "V" to form a Maltese Cross. The four petals signify the Four Gospels. Each petal, or arm, has at its outside periphery two rounded points at the corners. These rounded points are regarded as signifying the Eight Beatitudes.
· The four petals are joined together by four fleur-de-lis, also reminiscent of the Mother Country of France. Each fleur-de-lis has three petals. The twelve petals of the four fleur-de-lis signify the Twelve Apostles.
· An open space in the shape of heart is formed between each fleur-de-lis and the arms of the two petals with which it is joined. This shape -- a symbol of loyalty -- suggests the seal of the great French Reformer, John Calvin.
· A descending dove pendant representing the Saint Esprit or "Sainted Spirit" -- the guide and counselor of the Church -- is suspended from a ring of gold attached to the lower central petal. Some pendants have a pearl instead of the dove, as a reminder of the persecution the Huguenot’s endured.