Have I told you that I love trains? I love trains. I read all but the last 10 pages of the Last Battle on the train today, and it was perfect. I didn't feel a jerk bringing me to the new Narnia. Which is probably best for now. I'm not quite ready to die. But it still was the perfect place to read that specific book.
Brooke and I first went to Platform 9 and 3/4. Just letting you know, Platform 9 and 3/4 is not anywhere in between platforms 9 and 10. It's in the very back corner in the 1-8 platforms section. There was a big group of girls from somewhere like Romania in front of us. You could tell they were having a blast. A man wearing a Hogwarts sweater would give everyone the official robe to wear and hawthorn wand to wield while pushing the cart through the wall to catch the Hogwarts Express. The official dude was having so much fun. We told him how exciting it was to be there on Harry Potter's birthday, and then Brooke and I launched into a full-throated rendition of a Happy Birthday tune to Harry Potter and J. K. Rowling. Sadly, none of the tourists spoke English, or at least none of them sang Obnoxious American. But they did laugh and took pictures. Our voices resounded at their fullest volume, and I am satisfied.
We then went to go see if the Globe Theater had any groundling tickets left for Henry VIII. They did not, but that did mean we got to walk across the Millennium Bridge again. Yet another tribute to our great hero, Mr. Potter.
We went to Leicester Square to see if there were any half-price tickets for Chicago after that. Something new I learned, Leicester is pronounced, "Lester," not "Like Esther." I love the silent "ice." Chicago started out with scantily clad women dancing around the stage, and continued to be consisting mainly of scantily clad women in fishnet tights and various versions of lingerie. I think we saw a sign that said "family friendly." But it was quite fun. My favorite character was Amos. All the other characters ask the band for exit music when they leave, and then dance out to the music. Amos sings a son about how he is cellophane and no one sees him. ;( When he asks for exit music later on, the band doesn't start up, but he just says, "Okay," and walks out.
He got the biggest applause at the end.
The tube on the way back was loads of fun. We sat in one spot on the train, and different vignettes would pour in at each stop and spill out at the next. We saw the most adorable family that spoke in some really cool language, and the little boy would go up to his sister and lightly kiss her on the arm. It was adorable.
They spilled out, and the next was an entire cricket team from India. All of their luggage spilled over at the slightest jiggle of the train. Sitting amongst them, looking like a bright flower out of place was a blonde girl in her twenties in a short sun dress with pockets. When she got up for the next stop, the coach yelled at all the teammates to pick their stuff up and move out of the way for her.
One guy asked us if we knew which Circle train we were on. We just knew it was going to Paddington, so he was probably going to have to get off the next one to switch to the Hammersmith line. We sort of helped someone that had a British accent! Okay, so Brooke helped him. But nevertheless, we as American tourists held our own.
We ate dinner in the train station. One restaurant was on the second level, but there were menus on the first floor and an escalator that specifically went up to that restaurant. The escalator screamed "We will feed you, and you don't have to walk around for a short while. Step on the escalator. Escalator's are fun." So, we listened to the escalator and let it take us to a wonderful world where they gave me a ginormous cup of tea.
We read on the train ride back. Getting back to Christ Church felt almost like coming home. I even got to video chat with Daniel when I got back to my room, which was lovely. But it's not quite going back home. It was more of a reflection of real home, like how the earlier Narnia was just a reflection of the real Narnia. The best part of traveling is coming home again. The subtitle to the Hobbit is "There and Back again." I'm happy to be here, but I'll also be happy to come home. I miss all of you back home.
So, trains are one of the "in-between places" like the wood in between the worlds Magician's Nephew. And in Inception. And in the 7th Harry Potter with Harry going back to King's Cross. Even Platform 9 3/4 is in between platforms 9 and 10 in the book.
I love the in-between places. I love enjoying the journey. Mr. Hollis used to tell us that if we were looking forward to Fridays when it was Monday, we were wishing we would die 5 days sooner. I like that thought. So, our lives are journeys, but if we can enjoy the in-between places, we can discover joy in a whole new part of life. I like where I am in my point of uncertainty of what I want to do with my life. I can enjoy school and each class and professor and new person I meet for their own value, not where those experiences and people will get me.
One last thought that Brooke told me about on the train: HP 7. Snape looks into Harry's green eyes before he dies. Green is the color of Lily's eyes. Question: what color are Beatrice's eyes in Dante? Dante looks into Beatrice's GREEN eyes before he can go up into the rose thing in Paradiso.
ARGH! Mind blown. Okay, I'm not sure if this was J. K. Rowling's intention, but you have to admit it's pretty freaking awesome. No wonder she always made such a big deal about Harry having his mother's green eyes in the earlier books! Oh, HP, you constantly renew my fascination.
Thank you Janna.
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