Coming Home

     I still have yet to process these past few days.  I left London on Saturday morning, and arrived in my home town in the wee hours of Sunday morning.  For traveling almost 24 hours with no substantial rest, I arrived at home with a curious amount of energy.  Once I did go to bed, I more passed out than fell asleep.  The last week in London was a whirlwind in which I was getting less and less sleep in order to fit in all I wanted to accomplish.  And I would not change a thing about it!

     On Friday night, I watched the Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 Summer Olympics in the cafe of my building.  It was incredible.  To be in the city that it was happening gave me goosebumps more than once.  For these past two months, I really felt like a Londoner (and that was one of the points of my program).  I connected with this ceremony more than I ever had with the Olympics so far.  I had read about the preparations and the volunteers for the program on numerous occasions, and felt immense pride when it was unfolding before me.

      I also found it curious that the ceremonies did not start until 9 pm London time, and were telecast live.  I then called my family, who said they had not yet started in America.  We had been told that the ceremonies would be so late to accommodate the US viewers, but to find out it was not being shown live confused me.  If they were going to hold off anyway, I would have much preferred them to be earlier in the day.  Although, it would have been awesome if they had commenced at 8:12 pm.  In military time, that would be 20:12.  Nevertheless, it was a great way to spend my last night (for this trip) in London.

     I will post some last photos and thoughts soon.  Thank you for reading!

Things I'll Miss About London

I don't think you can visit a place, and not have it affect you.  I will truly miss London, and hope to come back one day.

Here are a few things I will miss about the city:

• Everything is so accessible here.  You can walk or take a train or bus almost anywhere.  Even other countries are a short trip away.  The world is at your fingertips.
• The celebrities.  There seem to be many more opportunities to meet people here, than there are back in the States (at least where I live).
• Meal Deals.  There are sandwiches at nearly EVERY store you go to.  There are deals with most of them where you can get the sandwich, drink, and crisps for a few pounds.  It is very convenient.
• How cool it is over here.  It has recently been getting warmer, but for the most part, it was comfortable to walk around.  I would much rather wear a light jacket than be sweltering.
• During the Summer, it stays lighter much longer (which makes up for all of the cloudy days).
• The accents.  No matter what is being said, it sounds much better in a British accent.
• How calm everyone is over here.  Someone could be having an argument, and they end the conversation with "alright then; cheers."  It is much more laid back (for the most part) and friendly.
• Double Decker buses. They just make so much sense!
• Let's face it.  I am going to miss a lot about this place.  I will be back again one day.

Opportunities

     I cannot understand how time seems to be going by so quickly.  I am not ready to leave just yet.  London has so much to offer someone my age and with my interests.  There are so many places that will give a discount if you are currently a student, or even just under the age of 25.  What otherwise might be out of your price range, becomes a possibility.  If you don't take advantage of it now, you would regret it the rest of your life.

     With just the plays I've seen alone, I have saved over £50.  Not to mention the movies or exhibits I've gone to.  Finally, I have found a place that realizes most people my age have limited income, but still presents them with opportunities.

     The National Theatre in London has a program for young adults under 26.  Membership is free, and you get a discount at their amazing bookstore, as well as access to £5 tickets for every show they have.  It saves you an incredible amount of money, and opens up opportunities you might otherwise not have looked into.


     I have had so much fun so far, but still feel as if I have a lot more to see.  I know I'll be back one day.  I feel a pull to London that I can't ignore.

Olympic Torch by King's Cross

I saw the torch come by today.  It came down the street over from my place passed King's Cross.  I got up really early to see it, but it was worth it!

Going out with Style

     As my two months here all too quickly draw to a close, I am trying to do everything left on my "To Do" list.  That's right.  After eight weeks of being a Londoner, I am going out as a tourist.

     On Monday I rode the London Eye.  It was amazingly beautiful.  It was a clear day (no clouds at all), and the sun was just going down.  You could see for miles all around.  Have a look for yourself:

     Today I went to tour the Tower of London.  It was very interesting.  I always thought of it as a jail and execution site.  The main purpose of the Tower, is a palace.  It is actually statistically the worst guarded prison, as an average of 1 in 44 prisoners ended up escaping.

     Not entirely sure what my remaining days here have in store for me, but that is half of the fun of it!

Why I Like London (Continued)

• The fruits and vegetables are much cheaper than in America (relatively).  Most veggies are under £1, while the fruit is between  £1- £4.  It would be so much easier to eat healthier at home if good food was more affordable.
• How the taxes are almost always added into the price.  They are ridiculously high, but are not a surprise.  When you see the price tag says  £1, that is how much you will pay.
• Garbage is called "rubbish" and "litter."  It just sounds so much cleaner to say "Put your rubbish in the bin!"
• Theatre is much more affordable than in America.  Most shows in the West End (which is just as likely to have well-known actors as is Broadway), will have tickets you can get for between  £10- £25.  Even when discounted, tickets in New York are a rare find if they are under $50 a piece.
• There are more celebrities that casually walk around (and why should they not lead normal lives?).  The locals are less fascinated by this, and tend to leave them alone.  Much more so than if Johnny Depp walked down any street in Maine.

My First Class in London Comes to a Close

     Today I took my final exam, and am now done with my class.

     This class was unlike any I have ever taken before.  We learned about plays from reading and discussions, and then went out and actually saw them (and then talked about them some more).  You need to get out and experience life; you can't learn about it disconnected in a classroom.  You need to see how everything works out in actuality in order to fully appreciate it.

     This class gave me that opportunity.  I had a chance to see shows all over London, including the West End, that I would not have thought to on my own, (with the exception on "Sweeney Todd," but the price may have scared me).

     Seeing these shows was not only an enjoyable experience, but has helped me from a theatrical stand point.  I love to learn about new shows and movies.  With movies, if you do not have the chance to see them in the cinema, you can later rent or buy them on DVD.  You have numerous opportunities to see new movies, as well as in a wide-budget accommodation, (whether you are going to go see it in IMAX 3D on opening day, or wait a year to borrow it from your local library).

     With a play, you have to go and watch it live (which time, location and price can be deterring factors).  Each time I go to the theatre, is a memorable experience.  Even if I can't stand the show, I walk away seeing the world a bit different (even if it is just to question how some people can get plays published or are professional actors, while I am still in school).  This class gave me the knowledge to look at a play through my role as a member of the audience.  Not simply "it was good" or "I didn't care for it," but to understand why I was feeling the way I was.  I also see how important the playwright actually is.  I know it sounds silly, but 7 times out of 10, the actors are the reason I go to see a production.  Now I see how central the script is to the message.  Not necessarily how the actors add their own twist on the characters, as I thought when only seeing it from an American acting point of view.

     The class was also fun.  I got to lead a discussion and write a paper on "Sweeney Todd," one of my favorite musicals.  To see it was amazing, but to be able to base all of my class work on it was thoroughly enjoyable.

     I enjoyed taking a class about something that had nothing to do with my major, and everything to do with what makes me happy.

Paris in Pictures

     Last week I went to Paris for the day.  It was a wonderful experience.  Communication was not as difficult as I had anticipated.  I respect anyone who is bilingual, as so many people knew English as well as French.  I had trouble with high school Spanish classes.

     Here is a bit of what I saw:

The Eiffel Tower 

Another view of the Tower

La Cinémathèque Française.  Not going to lie, that this was the one thing I HAD to go to while in Paris. The Louvre can be seen any time (and the queue was too long anyway). The cinema is my life, and they had a very special exhibit (see next picture).

For those of you who do not know, Tim Burton is my favorite director. He is also a brilliant artist, so to have the chance to see some of his original work was too great an opportunity to pass. And surprisingly, everything was in English (as that is the language he speaks). There were French translations and subtitles, but I was able to fully appreciate the original in its native language. There were also props from some of his movies (which was AWESOME, since Johnny Depp is in half of his films). There was no photography allowed in the exhibit, but it was amazing. Sadly, this is the last stop for the exhibit.

 Notre Dame de Paris, which is French for Our Lady of Paris

A view from over The Seine

To see any other flag than the American is interesting

The Musée du Louvre

At least this word I clearly understood

US movies are everywhere

The Arc de Triomphe

So this is not Paris, but it was the Eurostar platform I took at Saint Pancras International.  The UK has giant Olympic rings in different places to welcome people for the event.  These were some of the first to be installed.

My Week: In a Nutshell

     This week has been one of the busiest of my life.  Never have I voluntarily gotten up so early so many days for the heck of it.

     Last Sunday I went to mass at Saint Paul Cathedral.  It was beautiful.  Today I went to mass at Westminster Abby.  It was also beautiful.  I am amazed by architecture so easily (especially older buildings).

Westminster Abby.

     As I’ve said, on Monday I went to see “Superstar” be filmed.

     All day on Wednesday, I spent in Leicester Square, as it was the “Dark Knight Rises” premiere.  It was not as successful as Spider-Man for me, but I did have a great deal of fun.  I met a lot of friendly people.  I stood next to a group of girls who had camped out the night before, and they let me stand in the front with them, as I was in the second row (and am vertically challenged, so crowds do not go in my favor).

     Unfortunately, we were placed in a cruddy location to see the stars.  Two of the people I had wanted to meet did not even come, and not many of the others came by us.  I did, however, get to meet the man behind the music of not only this trilogy, but “Pirates of the Caribbean” – Hans Zimmer.  That was exciting, as I love his work.  Also, the best best best part of the day, Anne Hathaway (not only in my top five favorite actresses, but the main reason I went that day), came by us.  She was in a rush, but wanted to come down the area we were.  She only had a few seconds to sign a couple of things, and I was thankfully and fortunately, one of them.  The day was a success, just for that.

The gorgeous Anne Hathaway at the premiere (waving to our section of the crowd).

     Again, on Thursday I went to see “Matilda the Musical.”  For every show, there are a few tickets set aside for students at an incredible price, and the boy in front of me in line let me have the last one for the day.  So I saw the show, and had a good time.

     Then on Friday, I went to Paris for the day.  My brother bought me Eurostar tickets for my birthday, and I had an amazing time.  But more on that in another post.

     Yesterday I finally tried curry, the unofficial national dish of England.  It was really good.  I've never tried curry before.

     I also found the main Olympic Park (as there are a few locations).  You could not go inside, but it was still something to see.  Then one of my friends and I roamed the streets of London at night.  We were at Saint Paul Cathedral at midnight, and heard the clock tower strike in Sunday morning.  It was peaceful and nice.

Olympic Park and Stadium.

Saint Paul's at midnight.

Tower Bridge with the Olympic Rings over the Thames.

     I cannot believe this is my last full weekend in London (for awhile at least).  It has been great so far, and next week looks like this trip will go out with a bang!

     Thanks for reading.

Matilda the Musical

     Yesterday I went to see “Matilda the Musical.”  The theatre sets aside eight tickets for each showing for people between the ages of 16 and 25.  The first eight to come to the Box Office get a ticket for £5 (instead of the normal £25-ish).  It is one of the perks of being young in the City of London.

     I enjoyed the musical (it actually takes a lot for me to not enjoy the theatre, but this was entertaining).  It is not necessarily a story I would have nominated to be turned into a musical, but then again, neither was “Ghost” or “Silence of the Lambs…” 

     The children did a great job, as did the entire cast.  My favorite part was that Ms. Trunchbull was obviously played by a man.  She is a masculine character…this just takes it up a notch. 

     A word of caution if you were on your way to see this show: it is NOT the movie.  I have not read Roald Dahl’s book, but this is not very close to the movie (I was hoping at least for a little Danny DeVito narration, but no).  It is aimed for all audience (including young children), but can get quite scary at times (if you’re young of course…).  The story gets dark every now and again, which can be frightening.  It stands on its own, as long as it is not being compared to the movie (a cinema and theatre production should never be compared to one another anyway).  Out of 10, I would give it a 6.8.  It is a "see it if someone you like really wants to go," or if you are between 16 and 25 and have time to kill around 9:30 in the morning to wait for the Box Office to open.

"Superstar"

     On Monday, I had the great pleasure of crossing another item off of my Bucket List.  I put in for tickets to go and see the show "Superstar" be filmed live, and was able to take a friend to go and see it.

     It is a British show where they are trying to cast the role of Jesus in "Jesus Christ Superstar."  It is run exactly like "American Idol," where the contestants sing to get the audiences' votes so they are not eliminated from the competition.  The exception, is they do the elimination in the beginning of the show, and then sing their song to appeal for votes later in the same show.  "American Idol" tends to drag it out for all it is worth (but still interesting).

     It was exciting to be in a live studio audience.  The show is broadcast live, so the energy is intense.  Somehow I ended up in the front row behind the judges.  It was interesting.  I had no idea who any of the British celebrities were, with the exception of the main judge, Lord Andrew Lloyd Webber.  That was something to see him up close.

     I am so happy that I have been as fortunate as I have been, to experience the opportunities I have had here.  It will be sad to see it come to an end.

Harry Potter Studio Tour- WARNING: may ruin some of the magic for you

     I can’t believe time is going by so quickly!  Yesterday I went to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour in Leavesden.  (And very proud of myself for taking my first train by myself.)  I had been looking forward to this day, but it was near the end of my trip.  Now it’s already over!

     But it was AMAZING!!!  It was one of the most expensive days of my life, but very interesting and exciting.  I also made an entire day out of the experience.  The tour is self-guided, with an estimated time of three hours.  I arrived a little before 11 am, and left a bit after 6:30 pm.  I had a good time.  You could get an audio visual guide which would share behind the scenes information and videos (narrated by Tom Felton, the actor who plays Draco Malfoy).  It was an adapted iPod, and I drained the battery.  You could also take as many photos as you wanted of the props, costumes, and sets you saw! o_O For those of you who do not know, with the exception of Johnny Depp, the Harry Potter franchise has some of my most favorite actors in it.  To see costumes and props they used…it was awesome to a film geek such as myself.

     I walked through sets such as the Great Hall and Diagon Ally.  I got to see the Knight Bus, Privite Drive, and Dumbledoor's office.  Some of the props included the Philosopher's Stone, the Goblet of Fire, and Tom Riddle's Diary.  There were costumes such as the various dresses from the Yule Ball, Professor Umbridge's outfits, as well as school and Quittich uniforms.  There were behind the scenes information on the special and visual effects, as well has how some of the creatures were made believable.  The tour ended with the 1:24 scale model Hogwarts that was used for every external shot of the school throughout the eight movies.  It was so impressive, especially when they would dim the lights and the castle would light up.  It was breathtaking to walk around.

     My camera battery did not even last me half way through the tour!  I did manage to take a lot of photos, and if some of the quality is not the best, it was probably taken from my brother’s iPod.  I hope you get an idea of the wonders I saw, and if you have the opportunity to go, you will!

The magic begins!

Inside the Great Hall, where two of four the long tables were set up on either side.

The entrance to the Great Hall.

I never realized that the four houses are represented by their animal  around the Great Hall.

These may look like ordinarily elegant pieces of wood, but oh, the magic these wands have done!

Snape's potions classroom. Far cooler than any of my chemistry laboratories.

The one and only "magical" staircase that was ever built. It was replicated via visual effects.

The only section of the bridge that was ever built. Like the staircase, the scenes would be shot on this piece, and digitally edited later to make it seem as if the bridge was quite longer than it actually is.

Some of the famous props. The Philosopher's Stone is the red item in the front.

The boy's dormitory.  The beds were originally built  to fit the 11-year-old actors. As they grew, the beds didn't.  By the last movies, the actors had to curl up on the beds to give the illusion they still fit.

The model was fantastic to see. I really felt as if I were standing in front of Hogwarts.

Magical!

One the way out, you pass through Ollivander's wand store. Here the boxes are adorned with the names of the cast and crew of the Harry Potter franchise. Try to find your favorites! (The staff knows where the most popular ones are located, so don't hesitate to ask for help!)

Good Times

     I have been having a really good week.  Over the past few days, I have had the opportunity to see quite a few shows.  I went with my class to see a new production called "Fear," which was interesting.  It was a small cast and the show followed two stories, until they had a tragic collision.

     On Monday I went with friends to see The Amazing Spider-Man.  Before the show they had a preview showing clips of the gala premiere I went to last month, but the flashes of the crowd were too quick for me to find myself.  The movie was quite good.  The story line did not have much tension, but it was enjoyable.  In this movie, Spider-Man is more human than in the past films with a sense of humor.

     Last night I went to see The 39 Steps, based on the Hitchcock classic.  It is a play with 130 characters, all played by four actors.  It is quite a comedy to watch, and makes for a very enjoyable evening.

     Today I went to see The Sunshine Boys, written by Neil Simon and staring Danny DeVito and Richard Griffiths.  It was entertaining and enjoyable as well.  What I was most excited for, was the opportunity to meet Mr. Danny DeVito after the show.  (I am, and always will be a film dork.  Anyone who has ever been in or worked on a movie I enjoy watching at home, is fascinating to me.  Just seeing them in person is a joy.)

     Tomorrow my class goes to see our last show, Detroit.  It is also the last play I have planned to go and see during my trip (which is quite sad).  It has been some experience to get the chance to visit all of these theatres and see all of these fantastic shows.  I would love to see more, even if I just went back to see something like Sweeney Todd.  There is something about watching a show in the West End (or anywhere, as we have seen them all over London).

Things I Miss About Home

I did not give myself this much credit.  I expected by this time in my trip, that I would be longing to come home.  I am far from that point.  If I could stay here a few months more, I would be very happy.  But I have begun to miss somethings I can only get at home.  These are not (at least now anyway) things I think about constantly, or are willing to come home for.  I just slightly miss them.

Just a forewarning, that most of the things I miss happen to be cuisine-related.  If there were all of the foods I like of home, I think this place might have everything.

• Macaroni and Cheese (Kraft and Outback's; not homemade)
• My self-serve frozen yogurt shop back at home
• American Cheese
• Soft and salted pretzels.  The pretzels at the mall here have NOTHING on those back at home.
• My movies.  YouTube only has so much, and not the newer movies I am longing to see again.
• Less rain.  Rain is good and all, but I am tired of looking out on a beautiful day, and wondering how long it will be until it rains again.
• Dunkin Donuts.  Apparently America really does run on Dunkin.  I don't even have it that much, and yet whenever I see a doughnut shop, I want a chocolate doughnut from Dunkin.
• The currency.  I am used to the pound now, but it still hurts to think about how much I am losing by the exchange rate.  If I was earning the pound and spending it here, that would be different.
• Buffalo wings
• Wal-Mart.  All of the stores I like actually.  Wal-Mart has everything you could need, in one spot, for low prices (no, they are in no way sponsoring this post).  Here, you have to do more price checking at other places before you buy.  You also really can't find everything on your list in one place.  Even if you do, you have to carry it all the way back to your place.
• Free laundry.  It will be so nice to not have to pay $8 every time I want clean underwear...but now that I said that, I probably planted the idea in my parents' heads...

These are just minor things I look forward to when I do return. They will make transitioning from here to home easier.

Just a Note to anyone I know personally

     This is mainly for anyone associated with my school back at home, but may extend to others I try to contact.


     For some reason I cannot log into my school account or email some people who have the .edu addresses.  Apparently my school has a pretty good firewall, as it has marked me as spam based on my location.  


     If you need to contact me and haven't heard back, leave a message on this or any post.


     Thank you for your patience.

The 4th of July

     This week was the 4th of July.  If you are in America, that is a big deal - Independence Day!  If you are in any of the other countries of the world, it is just another day of the year.

     Being in England for the 4th was...different.  I felt weird from the start, just because most of me wanted to celebrate this day, while the rest of me was thinking "is it really the best or most logical idea to celebrate your independence from the country you have willingly and enthusiastically chosen to be a part of this summer?"

     But once I stopped talking to myself, I decided to embrace the day however it came.  My friend and I started out heading for Baker Street, where the famous Sherlock Holmes "lived."  We then ate all of the American food we could lay our hands on, which ended up being ice cream and fries at McDonalds.  We then came across a shop selling "Foods of America." What did they sell?  Bacon popcorn and NO macaroni and cheese.  Just saying, that someone is not doing their research.

The Sherlock Hotel on Baker Street

     What was the most memorable experience of the day, was we took a walk passed the American Embassy.  The whole day did not feel like the 4th, so we wanted to see some American soil.

     It was nice.

     It was nice to see the flag again (properly displayed).

     It was nice to see the flags of the 50 states waving out front.

     It was nice to see the US Seal again.

     It was nice to see that outside of the embassy, there is a park dedicated to the victims of 9/11, surrounded by statues of our presidents.

     It was a surreal experience.  To us, a 9/11 memorial is nothing to be surprised by.  But in England?  It was very touching and moving.  You walk into the park, and all of the noises of the surrounding city seem to dissolve.  For a moment, you almost forget where you are.  This was a much welcomed feeling during our misplaced 4th of July.  I would say it was a successful day indeed.

  

Some Things I Don't Like About London

I love it here, but I need to get a few things that irritate me off of my chest:

• It rains.  A lot.
• So many places close early.  Sometimes I want to go out at 7 pm, but there is nothing to do.
• The money.  The  £1 and  £2 are coins, with the smallest bill ("note") being the five[r].  That is added coinage I would rather not deal with.  And on top of that, the notes are not even the same size.  As if keeping a wallet organized with all of the extra coins was not enough of a challenge, the notes don't even line up properly.
• The cinema is much more expensive than back home.  The cheapest ticket I have found so far, was  £7.50 (and it was a student discount).  It is not unheard of for the price to be closer to  £14 or more.  At times like this, I miss $5 Tuesdays at my local cinema.

Buckingham Palace

     Today I visited the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace.  It was an experience.  Unfortunately you are not allowed to take pictures inside of the palace, but you can take them outside.  I found it interesting that you had the option of upgrading your ticket to a one year unlimited pass for free.  So I may return this week to see it again, as the palace is only open for one week while I'm here.

So maybe these photos aren't all that different from what I took yesterday.  

The Queen Victoria Memorial.

Waiting to go inside, with my tour book and ticket.

The back of the Palace.

The back garden.