My father suggested I make some kind of wrap-up post about my adventure, and I realized that time was kind of slipping away for that.
To be perfectly honest, I'm really not a very good blogger- I hardly ever remember to update, and I hold myself to very strange rules. So I hope anybody who has been reading this blog has enjoyed it at least a little.
Obviously I had a great time, and other than the extremely obvious "I learned about other cultures!!!", I mostly gained self-confidence.
Because you know what? I can book a vacation across the UK involving trains, hostels, and connecting busses. I can enjoy Paris while knowing less than 20 words in French. AND, I can make big, scary decisions on my own.
I also learned that I really really love city life. I'm obsessed with the idea that I can walk out my front door and go see a play, or get a cup of coffee, or go to a museum.
London isn't my new favorite city, I'll give you that. It's not a bad city, it just doesn't necessarily sing to me. Decent people, decent entertainment, but it's nothing I couldn't find in NY, where they don't shut down the subway and the people come in a few more colors.
Should you desire to continue following my little life, you can watch my other blog: www.sisa365.blogspot.com , where I'll probably be doing a post soon on my travel necessities. You can also follow me on Twitter- my username is BefWithAnF, or you can just click on the link in the sidebar.
Thanks again, you guys, for keeping up with me, and I hope to see you all really soon!
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Barcelona
My last stop, and what a wonderful trip it was!
I stayed with the family of a girl I was once a camp counselor for, Mirna, (keep up those foreign contacts, kids!!), and they live in a beautiful house outside the city, just a 30 minute train ride away. The mother is Valencian, and all of the food she served me was so fresh and delicious I thought I was going to faint. It made me very excited to get food from the Farmer´s Market in NY.
I was here from Thursday until Monday (I fly out today), and I was getting over a cold for the first few days, so I tried to take it easy on myself. I still saw plenty, and I took a ton of pictures. I even got to exericse my Spanish skillz a little bit, when Mirna´s boyfriend gave me a tour of the city center entirely in Spanish.
It´s a place I would reccomend visiting, but make sure you do some research or buy a good guidebook before you get here- my guide would have been okay for a shorter stay, but I was walking around feeling like I had no idea of the context for what I was seeing aroun me.
And here´s a little video I took yesterday, before my rockin´ sunburn showed up on my neck-
And as always, if you want to see more pictures, just click on the photo in the post.
I stayed with the family of a girl I was once a camp counselor for, Mirna, (keep up those foreign contacts, kids!!), and they live in a beautiful house outside the city, just a 30 minute train ride away. The mother is Valencian, and all of the food she served me was so fresh and delicious I thought I was going to faint. It made me very excited to get food from the Farmer´s Market in NY.
I was here from Thursday until Monday (I fly out today), and I was getting over a cold for the first few days, so I tried to take it easy on myself. I still saw plenty, and I took a ton of pictures. I even got to exericse my Spanish skillz a little bit, when Mirna´s boyfriend gave me a tour of the city center entirely in Spanish.
It´s a place I would reccomend visiting, but make sure you do some research or buy a good guidebook before you get here- my guide would have been okay for a shorter stay, but I was walking around feeling like I had no idea of the context for what I was seeing aroun me.
And here´s a little video I took yesterday, before my rockin´ sunburn showed up on my neck-
And as always, if you want to see more pictures, just click on the photo in the post.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Words I have had to teach my computer:
Altoids, Arty,
Benadryil, Binghamtonian, Birkenstock, Brutalism
Chainstore, Chib, Chillin
dinnering, drinked, dystopian
flickr, Flouncy, Fuffing,
Grungy, grunging
Hampstead, Hellz
Improv
Mahopac, Mori
Newburgh,
Paperchase,
Shearling, Skype, Skyped, Sainsburys, Sleepovers, Southbank, Southwark
Tate, Telly
Vinny
Wah
Yay!
Benadryil, Binghamtonian, Birkenstock, Brutalism
Chainstore, Chib, Chillin
dinnering, drinked, dystopian
flickr, Flouncy, Fuffing,
Grungy, grunging
Hampstead, Hellz
Improv
Mahopac, Mori
Newburgh,
Paperchase,
Shearling, Skype, Skyped, Sainsburys, Sleepovers, Southbank, Southwark
Tate, Telly
Vinny
Wah
Yay!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
Sorry!
Sorry I haven't been updating much- ever since my camera broke, it has been very difficult for me to upload photos (I have a mac, but the camera is only formatted for a PC, which means that I have to use the computers in the library downstairs, which is only open certain hours, blah blah blah...).
So you get a picture of me with my notebook! Aren't you excited?! You may remember my "too many Moleskines" post a while back- well, I tore the 2008 section out of my planner, + taped the tabbed section from the "London" city notebook into it. The green book on top is another tabbed section I am creating for myself, for the summer.
A summary of recent events:
-the Lakes District (pictures are going up as soon as I can make it to the library at a time when it is open)
-"Blood Brothers", a musical
-"Dimettos", a play
-Tour of Parilament today, where I fainted
You can also follow me on my Twitter ( http://twitter.com/chlorinebeach ), but be careful! Sometimes I say rude things there. :)
PS, Mr.Karas, I am not an alcoholic, okay?! okay.
So you get a picture of me with my notebook! Aren't you excited?! You may remember my "too many Moleskines" post a while back- well, I tore the 2008 section out of my planner, + taped the tabbed section from the "London" city notebook into it. The green book on top is another tabbed section I am creating for myself, for the summer.
A summary of recent events:
-the Lakes District (pictures are going up as soon as I can make it to the library at a time when it is open)
-"Blood Brothers", a musical
-"Dimettos", a play
-Tour of Parilament today, where I fainted
You can also follow me on my Twitter ( http://twitter.com/chlorinebeach ), but be careful! Sometimes I say rude things there. :)
PS, Mr.Karas, I am not an alcoholic, okay?! okay.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
April in Paris
No, I left just before April, but any excuse to dance around the living room listening to Count Basie is a good one, don't you think?
So, Paris was basically amazing. I was only there for three days + I took 400 pictures. I've only uploaded 1/4 of them, but for now here is a list of what I did:
-Mount Martre
-The Louvre
-Notre Dame
-Sante Chapelle
-The Royal Opera
-Arcade Shopping
-Versailles
-Delicious Amazing Dinner
-Eiffel Tower
-Arms Museum
-Le Grande et le Petit Palais
So I still managed to accomplish an awful lot. When I called my dad up to tell him about it, I went through about an hour long narration on what I did, + while I won't inflict that on you, I will tell you my favorite story from my weekend:
I decided I wanted to see the inside of the Royal Opera house, because it looked very fancy from the outside + it was pouring, so that would give me something to do inside. However, when I went inside there was a sign hanging up saying that there was a performance at 2:30, so the tours would not be operating. I looked down at my watch, and it was 2:30 exactly.
So I picked up my handy dandy pocket guide to see what else was in the area that I might want to see, and the doorman came up + told me that if I bought one of the cheapest tickets (seven pounds!), I could see the show and the opera house.
So I buy my ticket, and I sort of wander around the lobby, and then an usher (in a fancy suit and bowtie, mind you) stuffs me into this fancy elevator + takes me up to the third floor, where he passes me off to another usher. She leads me around the corner and unlocks (!) the door to a booth, and asks me if I speak French. When I tell her that I don't, she takes me in, opens a second door, and leads me into pitch darkness by the hand.
Once I sat down, I realized I had no idea what kind of a show I had come in for- it was a ballet. I could only see 1/3 of the stage, so it wasn't particularly interesting, but it was a selection of classic French ballets- Le Papillion was first, and the lady was wearing the excessive glittery head-thing, and had little wings on the back of her costume. The two dancers were smiling at the audience the whole time, like "ooh, look at me, I'm the greatest thing ever." Kind of hilarious.
The opera house itself was lovely- totally opulent and bizarre. I had been in a little booth- six chairs arranged two by two, with a couch and a coat hook behind them. It was really much fancier than anything I had ever seen before.
___
The food in Paris, and the weather on the last day are what really got me, though. It seems like New York, but flatter and older. I would love to go back some day, and when I do I'll do research so I can do what I want to, rather than the main touristy things. I would also allocate a whole day to the Louvre, take a cruise down the river, and search out better restaurants.
So, Paris was basically amazing. I was only there for three days + I took 400 pictures. I've only uploaded 1/4 of them, but for now here is a list of what I did:
-Mount Martre
-The Louvre
-Notre Dame
-Sante Chapelle
-The Royal Opera
-Arcade Shopping
-Versailles
-Delicious Amazing Dinner
-Eiffel Tower
-Arms Museum
-Le Grande et le Petit Palais
So I still managed to accomplish an awful lot. When I called my dad up to tell him about it, I went through about an hour long narration on what I did, + while I won't inflict that on you, I will tell you my favorite story from my weekend:
I decided I wanted to see the inside of the Royal Opera house, because it looked very fancy from the outside + it was pouring, so that would give me something to do inside. However, when I went inside there was a sign hanging up saying that there was a performance at 2:30, so the tours would not be operating. I looked down at my watch, and it was 2:30 exactly.
So I picked up my handy dandy pocket guide to see what else was in the area that I might want to see, and the doorman came up + told me that if I bought one of the cheapest tickets (seven pounds!), I could see the show and the opera house.
So I buy my ticket, and I sort of wander around the lobby, and then an usher (in a fancy suit and bowtie, mind you) stuffs me into this fancy elevator + takes me up to the third floor, where he passes me off to another usher. She leads me around the corner and unlocks (!) the door to a booth, and asks me if I speak French. When I tell her that I don't, she takes me in, opens a second door, and leads me into pitch darkness by the hand.
Once I sat down, I realized I had no idea what kind of a show I had come in for- it was a ballet. I could only see 1/3 of the stage, so it wasn't particularly interesting, but it was a selection of classic French ballets- Le Papillion was first, and the lady was wearing the excessive glittery head-thing, and had little wings on the back of her costume. The two dancers were smiling at the audience the whole time, like "ooh, look at me, I'm the greatest thing ever." Kind of hilarious.
The opera house itself was lovely- totally opulent and bizarre. I had been in a little booth- six chairs arranged two by two, with a couch and a coat hook behind them. It was really much fancier than anything I had ever seen before.
___
The food in Paris, and the weather on the last day are what really got me, though. It seems like New York, but flatter and older. I would love to go back some day, and when I do I'll do research so I can do what I want to, rather than the main touristy things. I would also allocate a whole day to the Louvre, take a cruise down the river, and search out better restaurants.
Monday, March 23, 2009
The Pitmen Debaters
[I went to see this play with my program, + this is the review I had to write for my Modern Drama class]
The Pitmen Painters, now playing at the National Theatre, is the story of a few pitmen who accidentally take an art class and wind up with accidental success. An already interesting story known in the art world as that of the Ashington Group, the playwright Lee Hall pulls from it a number of debates on where money belongs in art. While not literally faithful to the original scale of the group, the play gives us a strong sense of the passionate dynamic of the artists.
Throughout the 2 hour and 40 minute production, the cast remains a solid company, even when the action lags, pushed to strong characterization by the director Max Roberts- unsurprising, as Roberts is a founding member of Live Theatre, Newcastle Upon Tyne. The group's tutor, Robert Lyon, is given an appropriately conflicted sensibility by the talents of Ian Kelley. Playing his foil Oliver, Christopher Connel is an occasionally over-loud bully, who none the less manages to reel it in during more sensitive scenes. The most commendable performance of all is that of Brian Lonsdale, who transforms himself from the unhappy unemployed miner into the acclaimed Ben Nicholson with such a marked transformation of posture and accent that the audience hardly knew he was the same actor.
In the National Theatre's hulking auditorium it would seem that it would be easy for the action to get lost, but Gary McCann's design gives us a succinctly communicative set which utilizes but does not strain the audience's imagination. Projections of the paintings appear over the actors heads when needed, and the sounds of the pit provided by Martin Hodgson which appear between scenes give us a constant reminder of where these men come from.
And where these men come from seems to be one of the central sticking points for their art throughout the play- Hall enters us into the debate about why art is made, and who it is for. For the pitmen, it is a personal expression of their world, and they feel that nobody but them could have created such works. For the art collectors, the pitmen are a quaint occurrence to be admired for their raw experiences, and possession of their paintings acts as a status symbol, a symbol of their 'with-it-ness'. But the pitmen don't really "get" the commodification of their art- to them it is something which would be absurd to put a price tag on. As Oliver says at one point in the play, "A funny thing, once you've painted a picture, you feel it’s part of your life.”
As the pitmen set to tearing each other to pieces over their ideals about their art, the audience is swept up and along, and one feels they would like to dive onto the stage and engage the actors as their characters. Though it tends to drag toward the end, The Pitmen Painters is a thought-provoking treatise on money’s place in art- just don’t spend too much of your own on it.
The Pitmen Painters, now playing at the National Theatre, is the story of a few pitmen who accidentally take an art class and wind up with accidental success. An already interesting story known in the art world as that of the Ashington Group, the playwright Lee Hall pulls from it a number of debates on where money belongs in art. While not literally faithful to the original scale of the group, the play gives us a strong sense of the passionate dynamic of the artists.
Throughout the 2 hour and 40 minute production, the cast remains a solid company, even when the action lags, pushed to strong characterization by the director Max Roberts- unsurprising, as Roberts is a founding member of Live Theatre, Newcastle Upon Tyne. The group's tutor, Robert Lyon, is given an appropriately conflicted sensibility by the talents of Ian Kelley. Playing his foil Oliver, Christopher Connel is an occasionally over-loud bully, who none the less manages to reel it in during more sensitive scenes. The most commendable performance of all is that of Brian Lonsdale, who transforms himself from the unhappy unemployed miner into the acclaimed Ben Nicholson with such a marked transformation of posture and accent that the audience hardly knew he was the same actor.
In the National Theatre's hulking auditorium it would seem that it would be easy for the action to get lost, but Gary McCann's design gives us a succinctly communicative set which utilizes but does not strain the audience's imagination. Projections of the paintings appear over the actors heads when needed, and the sounds of the pit provided by Martin Hodgson which appear between scenes give us a constant reminder of where these men come from.
And where these men come from seems to be one of the central sticking points for their art throughout the play- Hall enters us into the debate about why art is made, and who it is for. For the pitmen, it is a personal expression of their world, and they feel that nobody but them could have created such works. For the art collectors, the pitmen are a quaint occurrence to be admired for their raw experiences, and possession of their paintings acts as a status symbol, a symbol of their 'with-it-ness'. But the pitmen don't really "get" the commodification of their art- to them it is something which would be absurd to put a price tag on. As Oliver says at one point in the play, "A funny thing, once you've painted a picture, you feel it’s part of your life.”
As the pitmen set to tearing each other to pieces over their ideals about their art, the audience is swept up and along, and one feels they would like to dive onto the stage and engage the actors as their characters. Though it tends to drag toward the end, The Pitmen Painters is a thought-provoking treatise on money’s place in art- just don’t spend too much of your own on it.
Weekend starting 3/21
On Saturday, Sarah Jason + I got on the train down to Brighton (£20 round trip!). We walked past the Brighton Pavilion but didn't go inside because we didn't feel like spending the money on it. Most of the rest of the day was spent walking up + down the beach- we went to the Marina + walked along the seawall, got some really tasty fish + chips for lunch, + walked along the entertainment boardwalk. More photos can be found in my photostream.
Overall, it was just a nice relaxing experience- I haven't just chilled + enjoyed my surroundings for an extended period of time for a while, + it made me really excited to spend more time on the beach this summer.
***
Yesterday was a really nice day, so I didn't really want to stay inside doing work. Sarah + I walked down to the South Bank Centre (one of our favorite haunts for free entertainement), but we saw the strangest thing on our way, on Charing Cross.
Heading south, three horse buggies popped out of the intersection and headed up the street in the opposite direction- everybody on the street stopped and stared. A few moments later, about seven more buggies popped out of the same road going in the opposite direction, closely followed by a number of police vehicles.
At first we thought it was some kind of official event, but then one of the horses got turned in the wrong direction into traffic and one of the police officers started yelling at the man driving the buggy, and the general attitude of the officers toward the buggy drivers was one of open hostility. Was it some kind of protest? I don't think I'll ever know- a quick Google search merely tells me that 'Charing Cross' is cockney rhyming slang for horse.
Overall, it was just a nice relaxing experience- I haven't just chilled + enjoyed my surroundings for an extended period of time for a while, + it made me really excited to spend more time on the beach this summer.
Yesterday was a really nice day, so I didn't really want to stay inside doing work. Sarah + I walked down to the South Bank Centre (one of our favorite haunts for free entertainement), but we saw the strangest thing on our way, on Charing Cross.
Heading south, three horse buggies popped out of the intersection and headed up the street in the opposite direction- everybody on the street stopped and stared. A few moments later, about seven more buggies popped out of the same road going in the opposite direction, closely followed by a number of police vehicles.
At first we thought it was some kind of official event, but then one of the horses got turned in the wrong direction into traffic and one of the police officers started yelling at the man driving the buggy, and the general attitude of the officers toward the buggy drivers was one of open hostility. Was it some kind of protest? I don't think I'll ever know- a quick Google search merely tells me that 'Charing Cross' is cockney rhyming slang for horse.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Wednesday + beyond
I got up earlyish on wednesday in order to get to the Garden Museum by the time it opened at 10:30. I have been getting up early and going to bed early quite a lot recently, and I must say I really like it- it makes me feel so much more productive.
The Garden Museum was kind of a bust. I had seen into what I thought was it on the bus yesterday on my way to the Tate, but when I got inside it appeared that what I had been seeing was actually somebody else's private garden. The museum had free entry for students, though, so Sarah + I sat in the (tiny) garden, she with her book and I with my inks.
We walked home along the Thames and up through Covent Garden, and I stopped into the Royal Opera House to see if I could get tickets for the Gerome Robbins show being done, and decided to do SRO day of, but bought tickets for the showing of Swan Lake that evening.
I had an appointment for a free facial at Lush, so I went, and it was really quite nice. The store was relatively empty, so the employees were dancing around and kept coming over to chat with me in a very sincere way, which added to the whole experience. The girl who gave me my massage was from Barbados, so it was interesting to hear a different kind of outsider's perspective on the whole culture.
Tom decided that he wanted to go with me to Swan Lake, so at the appointed time we made the 10 minute jaunt to the Royal Opera house and took our positions in the SRO boxes, people watching the wealthier classes below us.
I haven't been to a full-on, old-school ballet in quite a long time, so it was fun to watch all of the spectacle of costumes and scenery and crazy dancing whizzing around. Part of the fun was watching the drunk woman try not to fall out of the chair in front of me, and Tom had a really great time, this being his first ballet.
Other highlights this week include:
-Violin/Accordion concert at SBC
-the Garden Museum
-Climbing out onto the roof
-Waiting For Godot with Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Simon Callow + Ronald Pickup
-Getting my Computer back + running
The Garden Museum was kind of a bust. I had seen into what I thought was it on the bus yesterday on my way to the Tate, but when I got inside it appeared that what I had been seeing was actually somebody else's private garden. The museum had free entry for students, though, so Sarah + I sat in the (tiny) garden, she with her book and I with my inks.
We walked home along the Thames and up through Covent Garden, and I stopped into the Royal Opera House to see if I could get tickets for the Gerome Robbins show being done, and decided to do SRO day of, but bought tickets for the showing of Swan Lake that evening.
I had an appointment for a free facial at Lush, so I went, and it was really quite nice. The store was relatively empty, so the employees were dancing around and kept coming over to chat with me in a very sincere way, which added to the whole experience. The girl who gave me my massage was from Barbados, so it was interesting to hear a different kind of outsider's perspective on the whole culture.
Tom decided that he wanted to go with me to Swan Lake, so at the appointed time we made the 10 minute jaunt to the Royal Opera house and took our positions in the SRO boxes, people watching the wealthier classes below us.
I haven't been to a full-on, old-school ballet in quite a long time, so it was fun to watch all of the spectacle of costumes and scenery and crazy dancing whizzing around. Part of the fun was watching the drunk woman try not to fall out of the chair in front of me, and Tom had a really great time, this being his first ballet.
Other highlights this week include:
-Violin/Accordion concert at SBC
-the Garden Museum
-Climbing out onto the roof
-Waiting For Godot with Patrick Stewart, Ian McKellen, Simon Callow + Ronald Pickup
-Getting my Computer back + running
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Tate Britain: Altermodern
Tate Britain: Altermodern
Originally uploaded by Tim Bradshaw
Today I got on a bus and went down to the Tate to see their "Altermodern" exhibition. After wandering around past parliament due to a diversion suffered by my bus, I bought my ticket (£4.50 for students, not too bad), got my free brochure, + proceeded to wander around.
I found that many of the artists had their base, or a lot of their work, in performance- which solidified the feeling of wanting to spend my life on some kind of a Gesamtkunstwerk. Some of the work I felt relatively neutral about, and some of the work I didn't really get, and I was interested to find that I hardly hated anything at all [I have the tendency to get very angry at art].
I won't bother describing any of the art, but I'll send you a link to an article on Charles Avery (and a link to a photo of the room where his work was displayed), because I enjoyed his work in particular.
But the whole, whole point of this post is that I feel like going to this exhibit has, in some way, helped me with my 'journey.' I still don't know what I want to do with my life (who does?), but I know a few things-
-Sculpture is more interesting than drawing
-Making clothing IS sculpting
-My life will somehow be connected with the theater.
Will I build avante-garde costumes for the hat circus? Will I be a good personal assistant to a lawyer/celebrity/accountant? Will I spend my days in a coffee shop and my nights building a tiny replica of Binghamton in my basement? Only time will tell, but it seems that these people have managed to do it (and some of them not that well, or interestingly), so there's no reason I can't.
If I had known all of this when I started undergrad, I could have created my own program of study and given myself an education in sculpture/costume design. But I didn't, and that's okay too.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Sorry, Kids
Hey guys! Sorry I haven't posted in so long- I got back from Break on Saturday, and I've been spending most of the time that I've been around the computer trying to upload pictures to Flickr, + I'm not even really done yet, but here are some links to what I do have:
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Train Between Edinburgh + York
York
Fountains Abbey
York and Fountains Abbey are still in the process of being updated (should be done by tonight, so check back then), and after that I just have the Liverpool pictures to put up. The Fountain's Abbey is the one that is probably the most dense with pictures, so don't feel like you have to look at all of them (or any of them, really)
Another reason I haven't updated recently is that my computer has been seriously having a seizure, and I honestly thought it was completely gone at the beginning of this week. Fortunately I have been able to fix some of it, but I have an appointment at the Apple store to get it fixed on Saturday. My worst fear is that they have to wipe my entire hard drive to save the computer from whatever it has, and while that wouldn't be too horrifying as I backed up my computer before I left for London back in January, it's still not great- I'll lose any pictures I haven't posted to the internet, all of the music that I've bought since January, and (worst of all) the journal that I've been keeping since then. I did put my journal on my little 1 GB jump drive, but I can't really save the rest of it- the drive is too small. So keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?
Glasgow
Edinburgh
Train Between Edinburgh + York
York
Fountains Abbey
York and Fountains Abbey are still in the process of being updated (should be done by tonight, so check back then), and after that I just have the Liverpool pictures to put up. The Fountain's Abbey is the one that is probably the most dense with pictures, so don't feel like you have to look at all of them (or any of them, really)
Another reason I haven't updated recently is that my computer has been seriously having a seizure, and I honestly thought it was completely gone at the beginning of this week. Fortunately I have been able to fix some of it, but I have an appointment at the Apple store to get it fixed on Saturday. My worst fear is that they have to wipe my entire hard drive to save the computer from whatever it has, and while that wouldn't be too horrifying as I backed up my computer before I left for London back in January, it's still not great- I'll lose any pictures I haven't posted to the internet, all of the music that I've bought since January, and (worst of all) the journal that I've been keeping since then. I did put my journal on my little 1 GB jump drive, but I can't really save the rest of it- the drive is too small. So keep your fingers crossed for me, okay?
Monday, March 2, 2009
Notes from the Road: Glasgow edition
Hello all! Thought you wouldn't hear from me, did you? Wrong!
The bus ride up to Glagow was good. Long, tedious, and a smelley guy, but I guess that's how the bus is- I read half of a book Sarah lent me (the one I meant to bring, 'A Room With A View', I accidentally left in my backpack, which was below the bus). I messed up our hostel booking, but they were really nice about it and gave us some better rooms that were avaliable for the same price as we would have paid for the ones I made the reservation for.
Glasgow itself was very beautiful. Many of the buildings are from the Victorain era (which is when it was a boom town), so it's interesting to think that that is what London would have been more like if it hadn't been bombed all apart during the war. All of the people who live there are very friendly too! I didn't feel any ill will toward me as a tourist at any point, and everybody was very friendly and polite.
We went on a self-guided walking tour, saw a few museums, looked at the school, and walked up the side of the necropolis near the cathedral, which had GREAT views. I took about 100 pictures, and don't worry- they'll be up on Flickr as soon as I get home.
The bus ride up to Glagow was good. Long, tedious, and a smelley guy, but I guess that's how the bus is- I read half of a book Sarah lent me (the one I meant to bring, 'A Room With A View', I accidentally left in my backpack, which was below the bus). I messed up our hostel booking, but they were really nice about it and gave us some better rooms that were avaliable for the same price as we would have paid for the ones I made the reservation for.
Glasgow itself was very beautiful. Many of the buildings are from the Victorain era (which is when it was a boom town), so it's interesting to think that that is what London would have been more like if it hadn't been bombed all apart during the war. All of the people who live there are very friendly too! I didn't feel any ill will toward me as a tourist at any point, and everybody was very friendly and polite.
We went on a self-guided walking tour, saw a few museums, looked at the school, and walked up the side of the necropolis near the cathedral, which had GREAT views. I took about 100 pictures, and don't worry- they'll be up on Flickr as soon as I get home.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
2009.2.18- Where you going?
2009.2.18- Dogs in the Park
Originally uploaded by chlorinebeach
So, here it is, the promised update-
1. Glasgow- Because Laura had is recommended to her, + Jill knows somebody who lives there.
2. Edinburgh- Because Sarah has a friend who is studying there.
3.York- Because it means that we get to visit Fountain's Abbey! (Be jealous, be mad jealous.)
4.Liverpool- Because Sarah loves the Beatles.
Now, I realize that this itinerary makes it look like I didn't want to go any of these places, but that is not the case! I really wanted to go around the UK during my break, because I feel like I really want to experience where we are and rushing all around Europe is not my idea of a good time. But! I didn't have my own independent ideas of where I wanted to go, so I let other people make the decisions for me, and I am very happy with them. Oh, and I am mad stoked to go to the Abbey. Srsly, landscape/architecture <3.
___
(The photo is some dogs we saw tree a squirrel while out with classes. It has nothing to do with what I'm talking about, it's just that my camera is still without memory card)
Monday, February 23, 2009
Yikes
2009.2.20
Originally uploaded by chlorinebeach
Yes, here it is people, the entry you've all been waiting for- "Oh my gosh, I have a million things I want to do and my semester is already half over."
Many of the things I want to do are time specific- seeing the tulips in Green park, visiting the Royal Mews, or seeing the Museum of Tea and Coffee are all things I cannot do until mid-March, at earliest, because they're not open/available until then.
Only a few of the things I want to do haven't been gotten to because I've been lame- many many art exhibits, a few specific pubs/restaurants, and several movies.
However, the bulk of things I want to do haven't been gotten to because I only just realized I want to do them- the History of Hats exhibit at the V + A, and about a thousand plays. There are not enough days in the week for the number of plays I want to see. I think I've only just started looking into the theatre because I've moved past the getting comfortable phase, vaguely into a bored phase, and now into a wanting to do things phase. Which is all part of the process, I'm sure.
Overall I feel alright, and I am somewhat anxious to get back home to familiar, less expensive territory, but I feel that very familiar New York feeling of gearing up to rush around just about everywhere.
Soon: a new memory card for my camera, more pictures, and a preview of my Spring Break (which starts on Friday, aaack!)
Sunday, February 22, 2009
Hey y'all
2009.2.16- Outside Canterbury Cathedral
Originally uploaded by chlorinebeach
Long time, no blog- I am exceedingly sorry! My family visited this week, and I was so busy running around having fun with them that I was barely near the computer at all.
Here's a short list of things I have done:
-Jazz/Bellowhead concert at the Southbank Centre, Silent Rave in Leicester Square
-Visit to Canterbury + the Cathedral
-Delicious French food at "La Poule Aux Pot" with the family
-Saw "Taming of the Shrew"
-Bought some pretty headscarves at Liberty of London
-Multiple sleepovers at the flat my family stayed in
-Visit to Warwick castle, broke my camera
-Saw a great production of "The Tempest"
-Visit to Avon, went to Anne Hathaway's house + Holy Trinity where Will is buried.
So I've been busy!
My camera broke when I was sitting at a picnic table- it slipped out of my pocket + hit the ground. I didn't think anything of it, and went on with my life, but the next time I tried to turn it on it made a scary grinding noise + wouldn't cooperate. Needless to say I was very upset, and thought I tried not to let it spoil my day, but I'm still very disappointed.
Fortuitously, my parents were in town this week, so they let me have the old family camera (which is kind of on it's way out anyway), + took mine home to see if it can be repaired.
I'm a little disappointed, because though I had wanted a new camera for some time, I was hoping to buy a nice camera- probably a few steps down from an SLR. There's a lot of research involved in buying a new one, which I just really don't have time to do right now. AND, I had been planning on buying a new computer (a desktop) this summer- I don't have the extra money for a camera.
But I have my parent's camera, + I have learned my lesson- keep the camera in a case.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Don't Do It For Free
A few days ago, I got an email solicitation from a guidebook-making company (which shall remain nameless), telling me one of my photos had been selected as a finalist to be included in their upcoming guidebook on London. My compensation? My name under the photo.
[Note: Don't watch this if you are easily offended by foul language.]
For how I feel about that, check out Mr. Ellison's feelings at about the 1:31 mark on the above video:
"And what are people going to say, ooh, I really like the way that guy gave that interview. I wonder if he's ever written a book? Let me go and buy- there's no publicity value."
I don't really see why this company thought I would like to give them the photo for free. It's the same reason I pretty much refuse to get an internship where I am not getting paid/compensated in some other way (free food/housing/education). I think it's almost criminal how companies are allowed to get free slave labour from students who give up an entire summer to make photocopies for a law firm when they SHOULD be getting paid instead.
The funny thing is that it's not really that great a photo anyway:
It's a crummy little snapshot, + if they had a camera and maybe half an hour they could go take the same photo themselves. But instead of doing the legwork, they feel the need to (basically) screw me out of my money, even when it says "All Rights Reserved" right there on the photo page.
I know this is the internet, this is the new age of freedom of information, + I am a hypocrite if I have stolen even one song from the internet ever. But lately I have been really getting into supporting artists, keeping my money with local businesses, and buying handmade, so stuff like this really rubs me the wrong way.
And hey, at least they asked first. I noticed the other day that my stats had gone way up on one of my photos, I checked the site that they were being linked from- it was a forum on Cirque du Soleil. I am completely behind that- the guy posted a link to my photo instead of just stealing it, and it was being used as part of a discussion. But I would have liked a little note from the guy linking it- just a little hello, how are you, would you mind if I..? Because the answer would have been an invariable yes, and then I would have had a little connection with somebody, as opposed to wondering why my photo was being stalked.
Coming Soon: My visit to Brick Lane, and a short wondering on Hipsters.
[Note: Don't watch this if you are easily offended by foul language.]
For how I feel about that, check out Mr. Ellison's feelings at about the 1:31 mark on the above video:
"And what are people going to say, ooh, I really like the way that guy gave that interview. I wonder if he's ever written a book? Let me go and buy- there's no publicity value."
I don't really see why this company thought I would like to give them the photo for free. It's the same reason I pretty much refuse to get an internship where I am not getting paid/compensated in some other way (free food/housing/education). I think it's almost criminal how companies are allowed to get free slave labour from students who give up an entire summer to make photocopies for a law firm when they SHOULD be getting paid instead.
The funny thing is that it's not really that great a photo anyway:
It's a crummy little snapshot, + if they had a camera and maybe half an hour they could go take the same photo themselves. But instead of doing the legwork, they feel the need to (basically) screw me out of my money, even when it says "All Rights Reserved" right there on the photo page.
I know this is the internet, this is the new age of freedom of information, + I am a hypocrite if I have stolen even one song from the internet ever. But lately I have been really getting into supporting artists, keeping my money with local businesses, and buying handmade, so stuff like this really rubs me the wrong way.
And hey, at least they asked first. I noticed the other day that my stats had gone way up on one of my photos, I checked the site that they were being linked from- it was a forum on Cirque du Soleil. I am completely behind that- the guy posted a link to my photo instead of just stealing it, and it was being used as part of a discussion. But I would have liked a little note from the guy linking it- just a little hello, how are you, would you mind if I..? Because the answer would have been an invariable yes, and then I would have had a little connection with somebody, as opposed to wondering why my photo was being stalked.
Coming Soon: My visit to Brick Lane, and a short wondering on Hipsters.
Sunday, February 8, 2009
A Day's Viewing
On Saturday we got up early and (after a little wait) climbed onto the bus to Stonehenge. It was brisk, but not unbearably cold, and very bright- it had snowed + there was not a cloud in sight. However, because it had snowed, most of the path around stonehenge was closed, meaning everybody there had to cram onto the cement strip on the Northeast side of the site- so think about 250 (or more!) people cramming into the same space, with everybody trying to take pictures of themselves with the rocks in the background- I can't tell you how many people's pictures I must have walked through. However, it did mean I could get a photo of the whole thing without a ring of people walking behind it, so click over there if you want to see the really great panorama I was able to take.
Back onto the bus for the ride to Bath, where we had tea/lunch at the Jane Austen museum and then took a tour of the Roman Baths. We got free audio guides, and I was really glad we had, or else I wouldn't have understood anything that was going on. They were really really cool.
A little description (for those in the know, feel free to skip this bit): There was a central hot spring, called "the Sacred Pool", which nobody was allowed to bathe in, but was the central source for the water used in the rest of the complex. However, apparently the common Roman people used to toss things into is, as offerings or pleas to the Gods, so historians have been able to use the coins that were thrown in to date the usage of the pool- unsurprisingly, it got less popular as Christianity pushed its way through the empire.
There were the various different rooms that were involved in the process of bathing constructed in a linear fashion through the complex and the big central pool that most people take pictures of was the main plunge pool (the big picture above). It was filled/refreshed via the mind-bendingly complex plumbing system set up by the Romans, and is only green now because the roof is missing, so sunlight has allowed algae to grow. However, we're not allowed to swim in it today because the floor of the pool (at 1.3m deep) is a solid sheet of lead (seemed like a good idea at the time to the Romans). That, and the rest of the complex is kind of deteriorating... we wouldn't get the full effect.
The water was very warm + relaxing- I can see why the Romans thought it was a holy thing. I really enjoyed my time in the building, looking at the architecture and daydreaming about staying in a spa.
Back out in Bath, we didn't really have enough time to visit the various museums we had wanted to see, and so sort of wandered around, taking pictures of the various churches + the river Avon. After snacking on some pasties (the pie, not the glittery thing) and buying a new pair of gloves (I lost mine, quelle sad), it was back on the bus to go home and rest, but there were some fantastic views out the window on the way.
Feel free to check out Flickr for many more pictures of my trip, and click below for a video of the baths!
Wednesday, February 4, 2009
Too many Moleskines!
Today I bought a small red 2009 planner, to replace the deteriorating calendar print-outs I had in my purse.
I'm slowly realizing that the Moleskine city notebook is not that great- I have to carry around a separate map, because the ones in the front of the notebook are not thoroughly labeled and difficult to navigate (pun intended), and I don't even really look at it that often. It would be better if I could take the tabbed "fill it in yourself" sections in the back of the city notebook and put them into the back of my planner, along with another section for overall lists (movies to see, books to read, clothing to keep an eye out for), because the tabbed list-enabling portion of my moleskine is the only part I've been using for the past few weeks.
The problem with having a little tiny 2009 planner is that there's no place for homework or to-do lists, meaning I have to re-activate my archaic and over-complicated post-it note system, which doesn't necessarily work that well anyway.
I think this need to over-organize stems from my continuing angst that we don't have desks in the apartments. I don't really want anything all that complicated, just a place that I can leave my computer and all of my papers, like a pop-up card table. I'm the kind of person whose creative process involves spreading all pertinent notebooks out across my desks and making as big a mess as possible and leaving it there, so shuffling my belongings from bags on my (half) bedside table out to the kitchen counter and back again is stressing me out.
'Sure', says part of my brain, 'just get over it! Enjoy being in London!'
But this is part of the package- learning about myself. And the bit that I'm learning right now is that I need some kind of designated place where I can just be and not have to worry about inconveniencing anybody, or being messed with.
Oh, and that I have a problem with notebook consumption.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Danger! Disaster! Maybe a few puddles!
This photo is from last night, but when I woke up this morning, there were about 7 cm of snow on the ground, and all of the London schools were closed.
Sarah + Susannah + I went out to go to Harrods, and after waiting for 15 minutes for the bus, we were informed by a passing local that the buses weren't to run today. Okay, on to the (more expensive) tube, then.
Entire parts of the tube system were shut down. The place was packed, with everybody going nowhere in particular as most things were shut down- hospitals were only accepting emergency calls, and most businesses I walked by were closed.
As a New Yorker, this inability to deal with the snow is vaguely amusing- everybody is trying to stomp around in the same shoes they usually wear and looking quite grumpy about it.
They're all going to be surprised tomorrow when they wake up that the entire city has turned into a skating rink, since NONE OF THE SIDEWALKS ARE SHOVELED.
You would think they would have at least a few shovels stored somewhere, but... for right now (while the temperature lingers just above freezing) everything that isn't in front of a fancy hotel is coated in about an inch of slush. Yum. My toes are happy because I very specifically didn't pack my snow boots, thinking I wouldn't need them. Oh well. It's still kind of funny.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Monthly Playlist: January
Let's Misbehave, Elvis Costello: I spent all of the first week of January re watching the YouTube video of Christopher Walkin tapdancing in "Pennies from Heaven." When I went to the mall with my dad to hit up some New Year's sales, FYE was going out of business, and along with a lot of other CDs, I snagged the soundtrack to "De-Lovely", the movie.
I Don't Care, Fall Out Boy: Milton burned me the new Fall Out Boy CD, and I played it in the car for a while. I find this song really quite funny, I think in the way it's actually supposed to be perceived for once (I don't know what's weird anymore).
I Miss You, Bjork: I love Bjork. 'Nuff said.
Rave on, Buddy Holly: We went to see "Buddy" with the program, and it re-ignited my love for Mr. Holly. And you know what? After seeing that show, I hear his music EVERYWHERE. What is it with these people and 50's Americana?
Lying is the Most Fun a Girl Can Have Without Taking Her Clothes Off, Panic! At the Disco: In my Modern Drama class, we're doing a scene from "Closer" (I'm the director apparently, yikes!), and the title of this song is actually a line from the show. Re-listening to the song, I think the song may have been written about the show, so I'm planning on using it. Somehow.
'Alfie' + 'Smile (Gutter Mix)', Lily Allen: I have the Time Out London bumper on my iGoogle homepage, and the other day it was advertising a concert of hers in my area. It was sold out, however, so I jumped onto iTunes to see if I couldn't find anything I like. She's a ton of fun, it turns out, and her new album comes out soon, so I'll have to check that out.
Until it Talks, Divide + Create: the Bootie blog just released their Best of Bootie 2008 album (what's that you say? Never heard of bootie? RUN, don't walk, to your nearest search engine and check them out. They make mashups that will one day rule the world). While it's not quite as good as the Best of Bootie 2007 album, there are still some incredibly danceable tunes on that thing that make me miss my bangin' speaker system I have waiting for me on my desk at home.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
things I love Thursday
(Things I love thursday, or TiLT for short, was started by the fabulous Gala Darling, life/style icon to the world. Check out her site at www.galadarling.com!!!)
♥Victor Grippo: I went to the Tate Modern today, and his art was just exactly what I needed to see at that very moment. I think it's magical when things like that happen.
♥ Texture I felt very texturally dressed today, and walking around TM I couldn't help but admire some of the outfits that people were wearing more than the art itself. You ever want to run up + lick the art in the museums? I felt that way about some sweaters today.
♥Don Boros: This man is a fantastic professor, and one of my personal heroes. His 309 class I took last spring was uber informative and had been the most fantastic thing in terms of understanding museums I have ever done for myself. I can't wait to take the Alternative Performance techniques class with him!
♥ Waiting for Godot: For the uninformed, I am going to see Godot in March, starring Ian McKellen, Simon Callow, + Patrick Stewart. Needless to say, I am vomiting with excitement!!!!
♥Honorable Mentions: Lioness hair, Metallic Pink Nail Polish, New Friends named Jill, Skype, Getting my Hands dirty, Paint, Couples, the South Bank, Friendly Londonders, Settling in, Tent Dresses, Tea.
Monday, January 26, 2009
The Dublin Debacle ('Bitch Goddess city of my Ancestors '-K)
Got up early on Friday morning + put my things together, + then we (Sarah H, Sarah L, Susannah, Laura, Amanda, Adrianne + I) got to the train station far too early. Got on the train with some good seats, and after a short nap, watched the scenery go by. Wales and upper England are BEAUTIFUL. I took a thousand pictures of the rolling countryside, the sheep, and the coastline. We also went straight past the Castle Conway, an old fortress built right next to the train line. The steep hillsides and rolling country reminded me of a less steep, less densely forested putnam county. From the train we got right on the Ferry, + it was much bigger than I had though it would be! It looked like a cruise ship, but they were driving sixteen wheelers out of it, so I guess it had to be quite large.
We got off the boat and into a bus with some incredibly intoxicated Welshmen, who were out for a Stag Slag (Bachelor Party). The bus dropped us off in front of a train station, but we had no idea where we were because our map was crap. I eventually made us go into an Hotel, where the concierge pointed us in the right direction.
The Hostel, Avalon House, was decent, I think- I've never been in an Hostel before. We slept in a room with two bunk beds which seemed pretty clean, and all of the people staying at/working in the hostel had a pretty cool vibe. After some diner food, everybody went out to a pub but I stayed in and wrote/slept, because I was feeling a bit ill.
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Up early the next morning for free breakfast (that's toast and orange juice to all of you with food allergies), + then out into the city. We wandered around, looking at Christchurch Cathedral, the Book of Kells at Trinity College (which wasn't actually there, there was a reproduction of it! But we got a discount + the exhibit beforehand was informative), and the Garden at Dublin Castle (we couldn't get inside), which was very beautiful + made me realize why they call Ireland the "Land of the Green"- everything looked lush and growing, even though it was January.
We stopped at a little place in Temple Bar for lunch, + all got Guinness/Beef stew, which was yummy and filling. Afterward, some of the others went off to the Guinness factory, but Sarah H + I didn't care about that, so we wandered around looking at whatever we wanted to. I must say that Dublin is a much tougher city than London- you can feel from the people that they more recently went through periods of intense violence. I never felt directly threatened, but I was nervous for most of the time we were there.
In the evening we went out + got some Vegetarian takeaway + sat in the Hostel kitchen arguing about literature + racism + politics + women's studies- a very interesting, collegiate discussion. We all mozied out to a pub afterward, but I got in there + instantly didn't like it- it was too dark, + loud, + not my scene, so Susannah + Amanda + I bounced. We fooled around a bit on the hostel computers, and then decided to call it a night.
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On Sunday, we got up early, checked out, ate, and then went to St. Patrick's, which you had to pay to get inside of so we gave it a skip. We walked out to the Kilmainhaim jail, which was the one thing we wanted to see not directly inside the (tiny) city centre. I loved the tour, because I learned a lot about Irish political history and nationalism from it. It was also interesting to see the evolution of (prison) architecture- from the old freezing castle wing to the open Victorian section, it very much typified all of my visions of jails from different eras.
We took the bus back to the town centre and ate at a cute little place called "The Queen of Tarts", which was probably the best meal I have had so far during my entire time in the UK. I had a goat cheese and roasted tomato tart, which came with a green salad, potato salad and a big slice of Ciabatta bread. Everything tasted really fresh + good, and afterward we sat with a pot of tea and some desserts and people watched, because it was raining outside.
Back over to Dublin Castle, for another tour. The more modern section (think Queen Victoria until Thatcher) was kind of boring, because it looked like every other mansion from that era, but we got to go into the basement and see the remains of the old Nordic city walls, and have a bit of the viking/norse conflict explained to us. In the gift shop, I bought some stickers to give out to people when I get home.
We hung about in the hostel until it was about time to go, + then walked over to the bus station for what felt like a much longer ride than we had taken to get into the city, and no wonder- it brought us to the wrong ferry station. So with less than an hour until its departure at 8:55, we caught cabs to the other, north side of town, where we leapt into the ferry. Once we were on, we tried to relax + sleep, but the water was choppy + making me kind of sick. The ferry ride finally ended at 12:05, and we waited in the Holyhead ferry station (where they didn't seem to care about our passports) until the next train, at 4:50. It was quite cold, so we all put on all of the clothing we had packed and huddled under our towels together to try + keep warm. There was a creepy guy we had had the pleasure of meeting on the Ferry who kept trying to talk to us, but after we repeatedly expressed complete + total disinterest in him he eventually took the hint and left.
When we finally got onto the train, I fell directly asleep and didn't wake up until we got into London Euston, at which point we dragged our sorry butts home + went to sleep.
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Overall, Dublin was enjoyable and informative, but it's definitely a weekend town- we saw everything we had wanted to see within two (admittedly rather active) days. It was a bit rough, so I recommend knowing where you're going and (for young women) not going out alone, especially at night. They say the Irish locals are friendly, and while the cabbie was nice, and the young man I stopped on the street to ask for directions was nice, it mostly seemed like the Dubliners were a little pissed at having foreigners there- I did in fact hear two very drunk young men screaming obscenities at an Asian couple.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Forget London, I'm going to Hogwarts!
Today we walked to Euston station to buy our tickets for the train/ferry to Dublin, and in our usual roundabout way, we wound up at King's Cross station, where we of course HAD to take photos of ourselves at platform 9 3/4 (ultra touristy moment #1, check!).
The weather held up quite nicely, and only rained while we were inside buying our tickets, which I find a quite agreeable arrangement. Mostly the weather here seems to be like Binghamton- doom and gloom predicted every day, but then bright + sunny when I get up in the morning, and sort of variable throughout the day.
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So, who is reading this Blog? I know of a few people who have said they are, but even if you've already told me, give me a shout out in the comments (a blog is very lonely without comments)! Tell me somewhere you think I should go, or something you think I should write about, or just say hi.
And if you want a postcard, you had better send me an e-mail with your address before I run out of money...
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Stuff I (Already!) Wish I Had Packed:
No, not a baby!
Stuff I was told not to pack that I wish I had:
-Face Cloth
-Another pair of jeans
-More socks
-More shirts
-More Bras
Stuff I would have brought if I was clever:
-Hand Mirror
-A suitcase I can do weekend travel with
-Nail File
-Lap Desk (We haven't got desks here... it makes me really bitter)
-Stuffed Animal
-Different Art Supplies
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Week in Review
Thursday: Sarah + I went to go to Cirque du Soleil's Quidam at Royal Albert hall in the evening. We only got a little lost on the way there, + got in + got some pretty good tickets for 22 pound before the hall even opened. We were sitting in the circle, which was at the very top, but in the front. They were quite good seats, as we had a pretty good angle on watching the aerial acts. The show was AMAZING. It was everything I had ever thought a Cirque show should be, and more. Over and over again I was amazed by how strong the people were: yes, they were flexible, and had great balance, but really it was just a test of human strength. My favorites were the man in the circular ladder (I don't know what else to call it), + the four girls with the diablos. The aerial acts mostly made me nervous. The costumes were also really cool, + there was another part where they stacked four guys on top of each other, + it was very dramatic- you could hear the whole audience gasp as they threw the fourth guy up into the air.
Yesterday: It took us about an hour to walk to the Tower of London, + we stopped in at some places along the way, + took our pictures in front of "Gringotts" bank. I had been to the tower before, but it was quite interesting still- I really liked the crown jewels, + the medieval castle. They had a little display of all of the different types of fabrics used in a King's bedroom, + I guess it never gave it much thought before, but the fabrics were H-E-A-V-Y, because they had no heat, so they had to have as much insulation as possilbe- hence the fur blankets and the tapestries everywhere. I was stil mad jealous of the King's bed, though.
Today: We (Sarah, Jason, Jill, Laura, Susannah + I) trotted off to Camden Markets, to have a look around. There was a lot of crappily made clothing there, but once we explored a little deeper I also found some artisans selling jewelry they had made, and some people with legit antiques. It was a very over-stimulating experience, but it was pretty cool + I think I would go back. I got a long black skirt, which makes me happy because I had been wanting a new one for a long time. I also bought some tasty tea from some hippies, ate some free falafel samples, and laughed at the punks- that style was edgy maybe 30 years ago, + stylish 25 years ago. I don't know, it could also have something to do with the fact that I got over that look in eighth grade.
Tomorrow: Homework + Laundry. Jealous?
ps- Have a look at my flickr for more photos, + better descriptions of what's in them.
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Edward Scissorhands
The theatre itself (Sadlers Wells) was definetly very "we are a modern dance company!!!" I had forgotten that British audiences were more laid back than Americans, so I tried not to be annoyed when it started late + the audience was a bit chatty.
Overall, I really enjoyed Edward Scissorhands (lots of cool pictures and video clips on the site, if you care to check out more). All of the dancers (and there were about 25) were very strong- the company numbers were enjoying (but overwhelming) to watch. Because it was a dance, you could tell each of the dancers had worked really hard to develop a strong characterization of who they were playing. The physicality was big big big, sometimes almost bordering on the absurd, but in a really delightful way.
I must say that I think the two main dancers were the ones that I enjoyed the least- maybe because I felt like they hadn't worked so much on their characters. The guy who was Edward was certainly a great dancer, but I think he relied too much on the characterization that Johnny Depp had developed + didn't bother to make it his own.
I loved the costumes- each of them were very strong and clear, + I kept wondering what they were made out of that would allow them to look so good and be flexible at the same time. But lots of really eye-popping colors, all very broadway. Since it was my first show since taking costume design, I found myself analyzing them- I noticed all the uses of white on borders to make it so the more important characters were highlighted, and the play of different blacks against each other. I did lose Edward sometimes in the mix because he tended to blend in. Oh, also, all of the wigs were really good.
the sets were very... technological? They didn't really do anything for me- lots of flying in + out, + yes they told you where you were etc., but it wasn't anything I hadn't seen before. So no impression there.
The choreography (not that I know much about this sort of thing) was communicative and energetic. Overall, I had a lot of fun watching the show + was rather moved several times.
Monday, January 12, 2009
Yesterday- 11/1/09
Last night I fell right the hell asleep.
Alarm clock went off at 9, and after some fussing around (I watched the telly, but we only get 8 channels so there wasn't much of interest) I went out for a walk. I saw some stuff, met up with a main tourist-y drag, and bought a TOLondon and a paper (which I later discovered was Irish, oh well).
I stopped to admire a church (The Church of England at Langham Place), and there was a deacon outside (Cedric) who chatted me up. Apparently it was built during the Victorian era, so it is made entirely from brick + decorated with tile. It was much prettier (I think) on the outside than on the inside, but still rather decorative and interesting to look at the nave. I managed to go at a time when they were having a service soon, so I didn't want to be rude, but it was sort of unnerving for me, because they did the service in a completely different way than my church does- it felt rather Catholic (incense, singing priests, hymn books without the music scored, lots of marching the Bible and the cross around the church, crossing ourselves, and kneeling during prayer are a few examples I can think of). Which isn't a bad thing, I just didn't know what to do. My mom told me to find a church of Scotland, and I think I will do that instead.
When I got out, I got quite turned around as to where I was, but I wasn't too put out, because I feel it helped me get more of a feel of the neighborhood.
I got back in time for the bus tour, which went down Haymarket square, along the side of Hyde Park, down out of town back + forth over the Thames a few times, back up past Parliament, around Soho and back to Bloomsbury. It helped give me an idea of the lay of the land, and quite a few ideas for things to do. We stopped at St. James for a little bit, and I went to a sandwich Shop behind it called James, where I got the best Mocha I have ever had- it was much thicker and richer than one from Starbucks- it tasted less milk based. I also got an elephant's ear, and a strangely shaped olive loaf- it looks like it was made the same way fried dough is made.
Back to the apartment where I fooled about on the computer with some other girls, + then eight of us trucked off to Wagamama for cheap(ish, not as cheap as people would have you believe) noodles. It was an interestingly formatted place, and my Ginger Chicken Udon noodles where quite tasty, with plenty left over to take home. Also, Plum Wine is to be added to my list of favorite drinks.
Later on I am going downstairs to play Taboo with the same folks I went to Wagamamma with. I think it may wind up being an early night- I am confused by everything being closed on Sundays, + the Tube closing at all. I suppose that since I grew up near New York, my idea of a city is a bit different- things should be open all the time, and the Tube should never stop at all.
I aim to get up early tomorrow + go buy a handbag (I can't believe I still don't have one) before our series of meetings- we have a meeting with some of our Professors, and then a meeting with the people who run the buildings, when I will (hopefully) be able to buy wireless.
Going on the tour made me realize even more how much there is to do, + how little time I have, + it re-enforced my plan to not travel every other weekend- it just seems like there is so much I would miss out on. I should sit down some time in the near future + create a list of things I want to do, maybe tomorrow evening when I have wireless access.
Alarm clock went off at 9, and after some fussing around (I watched the telly, but we only get 8 channels so there wasn't much of interest) I went out for a walk. I saw some stuff, met up with a main tourist-y drag, and bought a TOLondon and a paper (which I later discovered was Irish, oh well).
I stopped to admire a church (The Church of England at Langham Place), and there was a deacon outside (Cedric) who chatted me up. Apparently it was built during the Victorian era, so it is made entirely from brick + decorated with tile. It was much prettier (I think) on the outside than on the inside, but still rather decorative and interesting to look at the nave. I managed to go at a time when they were having a service soon, so I didn't want to be rude, but it was sort of unnerving for me, because they did the service in a completely different way than my church does- it felt rather Catholic (incense, singing priests, hymn books without the music scored, lots of marching the Bible and the cross around the church, crossing ourselves, and kneeling during prayer are a few examples I can think of). Which isn't a bad thing, I just didn't know what to do. My mom told me to find a church of Scotland, and I think I will do that instead.
When I got out, I got quite turned around as to where I was, but I wasn't too put out, because I feel it helped me get more of a feel of the neighborhood.
I got back in time for the bus tour, which went down Haymarket square, along the side of Hyde Park, down out of town back + forth over the Thames a few times, back up past Parliament, around Soho and back to Bloomsbury. It helped give me an idea of the lay of the land, and quite a few ideas for things to do. We stopped at St. James for a little bit, and I went to a sandwich Shop behind it called James, where I got the best Mocha I have ever had- it was much thicker and richer than one from Starbucks- it tasted less milk based. I also got an elephant's ear, and a strangely shaped olive loaf- it looks like it was made the same way fried dough is made.
Back to the apartment where I fooled about on the computer with some other girls, + then eight of us trucked off to Wagamama for cheap(ish, not as cheap as people would have you believe) noodles. It was an interestingly formatted place, and my Ginger Chicken Udon noodles where quite tasty, with plenty left over to take home. Also, Plum Wine is to be added to my list of favorite drinks.
Later on I am going downstairs to play Taboo with the same folks I went to Wagamamma with. I think it may wind up being an early night- I am confused by everything being closed on Sundays, + the Tube closing at all. I suppose that since I grew up near New York, my idea of a city is a bit different- things should be open all the time, and the Tube should never stop at all.
I aim to get up early tomorrow + go buy a handbag (I can't believe I still don't have one) before our series of meetings- we have a meeting with some of our Professors, and then a meeting with the people who run the buildings, when I will (hopefully) be able to buy wireless.
Going on the tour made me realize even more how much there is to do, + how little time I have, + it re-enforced my plan to not travel every other weekend- it just seems like there is so much I would miss out on. I should sit down some time in the near future + create a list of things I want to do, maybe tomorrow evening when I have wireless access.
Friday, January 2, 2009
Organizing my Brain
Anybody who has seen my room/handbag/planner/brain knows that I am a hyper-organized person. A bizarre system of sticky notes and post-it flags helps me remember when to do my homework + why I exist on this planet. So when going to London, I see it as the ultimate organizational challenge, as you may have surmised from my previous posts.
Today I went to Barnes + Noble to spend Christmas gift cards, and I found a great planner- the Burde 08/09 planner (it pained me to have rip out half a year of pages, but there was really no point in keeping them). I love it because it has the whole week on one page, but each day has hours going from 8am to 8pm- I saw a planner once that ended at 5pm, which is completely useless for most human beings. Also, it has a spot on the side for writing to-do lists, meaning I will perhaps not have to make such vehement use of a post-it note system. Joy! It's also very lightweight (read:cheaply made), so it won't weigh me down too much.
In addition to this, I am going to bring my blank Moleskiene (for sketching on the go), my lined journal (because I can't blog everything), and my London Moleskiene, for writing down exciting places to go + generally keeping track of where I am.
However, this means at least three notebooks in my bag at any given time- do you think this is too much? Should I stop obsessively chronicling the banalities of my life? I'd love to be able to slap them all together into one book, but desfortunadamente that is not possible, and it would have to be a damn big book. Also, if I lost it, I'd be totally screwed.
Even at this I'm leaving behind my big sketchbook, which I would love to be able to take. I'm trying to convince myself I won't have time to sketch in the flat, what with homework and running around being fabulous and all, but a tiny part of my brain goes bring it, bring it! So I may succumb to that and cram it in if I have extra space.
Speaking of art, I also have no idea what to bring in terms of supplies. I've decided I'm allowed to bring EITHER markers OR colored pencils, but I don't know which- the markers take up less space + the pencils are heavier, but the color range available with the markers is far smaller. Or should I wait until I get there + find a supply store + just buy some decent markers there? Or should I just completely cut myself off + only allow myself to bring art pens? Decisions decisions.
Suggestions? I'll take them from writers, sculptors, wanderers or dreamers- I'm not picky.
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