Status - Making a note here: Huge Success
It's hard to overstate my satisfaction
(you have no idea how badly I've been wanting to do that ^_^)
Thank you so much for following along with me on my fun and games and pain in London.
It truly has been a crazy time in so many ways, good and bad. So many things that I wanted to do that weren't done, but SO MANY THINGS that I did and loved doing. I kept most of the tickets from the shows I went to, places I took planes and trains (and automobiles. I'm shameless) to and so on. I have a ton of wonderful stories and great experiences.
I hope you've enjoyed yourselves as I have.
Now it's time to do another crazy 8 hour flight back to Detroit. I love this time difference. I leave at 8:50am and arrive at 12:15pm. Fly 8 hours, jump back 5 - nuts.
So, take it easy. I'll see you all very soon
And, for the very last time...
Pip pip, cherrio and all that bloody rot!!!
CHEERS, MATES!
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Mouthing the words
Status: Almost without a voice
It's probably not such a good idea to participate in karaoke when you have a sore throat and you're already losing your voice.
So, maybe I sang a rousing rendition of "I Love Rock N' Roll" to an entire pub full of drunk people and managed to completely ruin whatever healing my throat had been doing.
Let it never be said that I am not a rebel.
I was counting up the change I have in my wallet and came to find a 50 piece of some sort. It certainly wasn't American and it wasn't British. So, I typed the inscription on the coin into Google: Magyar Koztarsasag
'Tis Hungarian. I don't who or when, but someone gave me a 50 forint piece back instead of 50 pence. So, I've sort of been swindled considering it doesn't carry much of a value here (16 pence in Britain and 26 cents in America), but on the other hand, I'm in possession of Hungarian currency, which is pretty cool in my estimation.
Group dinner/lunch at 1pm and then filming the rest of Natalie's stuff for her film. Later, Sara wants me to play the piano for her film - God knows why - so, there's that. Then, I don't know...packing and all that jazz, I guess.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
It's probably not such a good idea to participate in karaoke when you have a sore throat and you're already losing your voice.
So, maybe I sang a rousing rendition of "I Love Rock N' Roll" to an entire pub full of drunk people and managed to completely ruin whatever healing my throat had been doing.
Let it never be said that I am not a rebel.
I was counting up the change I have in my wallet and came to find a 50 piece of some sort. It certainly wasn't American and it wasn't British. So, I typed the inscription on the coin into Google: Magyar Koztarsasag
'Tis Hungarian. I don't who or when, but someone gave me a 50 forint piece back instead of 50 pence. So, I've sort of been swindled considering it doesn't carry much of a value here (16 pence in Britain and 26 cents in America), but on the other hand, I'm in possession of Hungarian currency, which is pretty cool in my estimation.
Group dinner/lunch at 1pm and then filming the rest of Natalie's stuff for her film. Later, Sara wants me to play the piano for her film - God knows why - so, there's that. Then, I don't know...packing and all that jazz, I guess.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
I love thee, Tom Stoppard
Status: Hot and sweaty, but in the least sexy way possible
Of course on the most humid day in London, I have to be crazy busy and doing a lot of tube-hopping. We had to film Roof's and Penn's scripts (only a few lines differ in the two of them) that Roof was filming. Got to hang out by the Thames with Cara and Roof, acting and gossiping about all kinds of things. I have decided that I adore this woman to death. Such a shame that she's going to Rice next year, but I can't blame her. I'd leave too if I had to deal with MSU staff politics, especially when it comes to film.
Then I literally ran up and down the Millenium Bridge (which, by the way, fun side story. You've seen Harry Potter, yes? [I can hear the groaning. Stop] Remember how cloudy it was when the loverly Death Eaters tore it apart? Yeah. Pretty much the same weather. I realized that halfway down and I had to stop, look around, smile, and then keep running) so that I could get to Arcadia on time. I almost missed it, but I made it just in time. Out of breath and sweating like an Eskimo in the middle of the desert, but I made it.
Arcadia was quite magical. Tom Stoppard is quite magical.
When I get back to the states, I'm buying the script. I don't think ROIAL Players could quite pull it off, but for personal reasons, I want to own this play. Like I mentioned before, the play takes place in the same house, but in two different times in history. The way that the lines blur between the two times was so beautiful on every level of theater. Plus, your typical snappy, back-and-forth dialogue that Stoppard writes so well was ridiculously funny. It was also touching, too.
Go read it. All of you.
In about 37 hours, I'll be shipping my butt home. Sorry if you're getting tired of the countdown, but my calender is right next to me, blowing in the fan's glorious breeze, so it draws attention to itself and reminds me every half second.
Souvenir shopping is over, thank God. Now I may bask in the wonderful pounds I still have left until Friday morning. w00t
Not really sure how it's all going to fit in my suitcase...but, we'll deal with that when it comes.
I'm gonna go pass out now so I can save my energy for karaoke tonight. yay
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Of course on the most humid day in London, I have to be crazy busy and doing a lot of tube-hopping. We had to film Roof's and Penn's scripts (only a few lines differ in the two of them) that Roof was filming. Got to hang out by the Thames with Cara and Roof, acting and gossiping about all kinds of things. I have decided that I adore this woman to death. Such a shame that she's going to Rice next year, but I can't blame her. I'd leave too if I had to deal with MSU staff politics, especially when it comes to film.
Then I literally ran up and down the Millenium Bridge (which, by the way, fun side story. You've seen Harry Potter, yes? [I can hear the groaning. Stop] Remember how cloudy it was when the loverly Death Eaters tore it apart? Yeah. Pretty much the same weather. I realized that halfway down and I had to stop, look around, smile, and then keep running) so that I could get to Arcadia on time. I almost missed it, but I made it just in time. Out of breath and sweating like an Eskimo in the middle of the desert, but I made it.
Arcadia was quite magical. Tom Stoppard is quite magical.
When I get back to the states, I'm buying the script. I don't think ROIAL Players could quite pull it off, but for personal reasons, I want to own this play. Like I mentioned before, the play takes place in the same house, but in two different times in history. The way that the lines blur between the two times was so beautiful on every level of theater. Plus, your typical snappy, back-and-forth dialogue that Stoppard writes so well was ridiculously funny. It was also touching, too.
Go read it. All of you.
In about 37 hours, I'll be shipping my butt home. Sorry if you're getting tired of the countdown, but my calender is right next to me, blowing in the fan's glorious breeze, so it draws attention to itself and reminds me every half second.
Souvenir shopping is over, thank God. Now I may bask in the wonderful pounds I still have left until Friday morning. w00t
Not really sure how it's all going to fit in my suitcase...but, we'll deal with that when it comes.
I'm gonna go pass out now so I can save my energy for karaoke tonight. yay
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
*sniff sniff* Achooo!
Status: *groan*
I am sick puppy.
This tends to happen after big projects are done, like research papers and play performances. I think my immune system kicks into overdrive because it knows I can't afford to get sick during crucial times. Then afterward...down hill.
It's just a cold, but still not a lot of fun. I'm trying to silence it with with a crap ton of orange juice and a harsh word. Should work.
We saw Swan Lake last night in the Royal Opera House. Gorgeous theatre and our seats weren't too bad. Yes, I would have loved to be by the pit with the strings and their FANTASTIC oboe, but I also enjoyed seeing every part of the stage from above.
Of course, it was a beautiful ballet. But, as in all ballets I see, I wasn't really into the Prince/Lover Boy/Lead Male. And it's not the number of solos - he didn't stand out at all. To me, I feel that the Swan Princess (Odette, I think her name was) and the jester were the leads. I mean, that jester was frickin' flying up in the air with those jumps. To quote Center Stage, he had AMAZING extension. And Odette was a very graceful Swan-type-person.
The music was absolutely beautiful and the dancers were even more so.
And it reaffirmed something I've always held to be true: Don't trust men in masks...or bird costumes that have wings. Both very bad.
Tom Stoppard's Arcadia is tomorrow, as well as filming for the Roof/Penn film (yay), group dinner on Thursday afternoon/night. Then some HEAVY packing and...home. Hmm
In other news, our films will not be a part of our final grade...
*ded from releeeeefz*
It's not that I don't feel like my film could rank well amongst the other films, but for me, this entire filming process was much more of an experiment in how far my abilities could stretch. I write fantastic script. I can critique films from a theory point of view, but taking a video camera and filming something is an entirely different beast. I'm proud of it, but I cannot deny that I am so very happy we're not getting graded on it.
Despite being sick, it's been a pretty good last few days.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
I am sick puppy.
This tends to happen after big projects are done, like research papers and play performances. I think my immune system kicks into overdrive because it knows I can't afford to get sick during crucial times. Then afterward...down hill.
It's just a cold, but still not a lot of fun. I'm trying to silence it with with a crap ton of orange juice and a harsh word. Should work.
We saw Swan Lake last night in the Royal Opera House. Gorgeous theatre and our seats weren't too bad. Yes, I would have loved to be by the pit with the strings and their FANTASTIC oboe, but I also enjoyed seeing every part of the stage from above.
Of course, it was a beautiful ballet. But, as in all ballets I see, I wasn't really into the Prince/Lover Boy/Lead Male. And it's not the number of solos - he didn't stand out at all. To me, I feel that the Swan Princess (Odette, I think her name was) and the jester were the leads. I mean, that jester was frickin' flying up in the air with those jumps. To quote Center Stage, he had AMAZING extension. And Odette was a very graceful Swan-type-person.
The music was absolutely beautiful and the dancers were even more so.
And it reaffirmed something I've always held to be true: Don't trust men in masks...or bird costumes that have wings. Both very bad.
Tom Stoppard's Arcadia is tomorrow, as well as filming for the Roof/Penn film (yay), group dinner on Thursday afternoon/night. Then some HEAVY packing and...home. Hmm
In other news, our films will not be a part of our final grade...
*ded from releeeeefz*
It's not that I don't feel like my film could rank well amongst the other films, but for me, this entire filming process was much more of an experiment in how far my abilities could stretch. I write fantastic script. I can critique films from a theory point of view, but taking a video camera and filming something is an entirely different beast. I'm proud of it, but I cannot deny that I am so very happy we're not getting graded on it.
Despite being sick, it's been a pretty good last few days.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Sunday, August 9, 2009
A sigh of relief
Status: Worn out, but so glad it's over
I finished my film today.
I left the bouquet of flowers (real ones, not straw) there on the grave at which we filmed. I felt it proper to honour Kay Kendall Harrison since we kind of used her.
In other news, a bunch of us went souvenir shopping today. Have no fear, parents. We went to probably the cheapest market I have ever seen. It looked a lot like the street markets in New York on the weekends. My prayer is that the shirts I bought won't fade. None of them have a peel-able print, so that should be okay. We'll see. I won't wash or wear them until I get home and ask my mom. She knows the answer to all clothes related questions.
Last night, Sara, Betsy and I went to see Home which is a French film. It's about a family who lives in a house just off of an abandoned highway. They have the entire road and surrounding grass areas and they use them, biking and sitting outside to watch movies and playing street hockey. Then, construction workers start coming around and the highway is repaved and cars start traveling on it again. The result of the noise and the business of the highway is altogether terrifying, heartbreaking, and totally interesting from a psychological point of view. I truly enjoyed it.
Tomorrow night, we see Penn's last gift to us, Swan Lake. It was so long ago that he gave us the tickets, but since it's coming up, I'm quite excited.
So, y'all have been with me for almost 7 weeks now and I've told you EVERYTHING I've been doing in London. Is there anything that I've left out that you think I need to do? Mind you, I can't really travel out of London at this juncture, but if there's something that you feel I needed to do to have the "London Experience" that I haven't yet done, lemme know.
Okay. Time to chill out and enjoy the FREE afternoon with the sheer knowledge that my film is done done done. Yay
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
I finished my film today.
I left the bouquet of flowers (real ones, not straw) there on the grave at which we filmed. I felt it proper to honour Kay Kendall Harrison since we kind of used her.
In other news, a bunch of us went souvenir shopping today. Have no fear, parents. We went to probably the cheapest market I have ever seen. It looked a lot like the street markets in New York on the weekends. My prayer is that the shirts I bought won't fade. None of them have a peel-able print, so that should be okay. We'll see. I won't wash or wear them until I get home and ask my mom. She knows the answer to all clothes related questions.
Last night, Sara, Betsy and I went to see Home which is a French film. It's about a family who lives in a house just off of an abandoned highway. They have the entire road and surrounding grass areas and they use them, biking and sitting outside to watch movies and playing street hockey. Then, construction workers start coming around and the highway is repaved and cars start traveling on it again. The result of the noise and the business of the highway is altogether terrifying, heartbreaking, and totally interesting from a psychological point of view. I truly enjoyed it.
Tomorrow night, we see Penn's last gift to us, Swan Lake. It was so long ago that he gave us the tickets, but since it's coming up, I'm quite excited.
So, y'all have been with me for almost 7 weeks now and I've told you EVERYTHING I've been doing in London. Is there anything that I've left out that you think I need to do? Mind you, I can't really travel out of London at this juncture, but if there's something that you feel I needed to do to have the "London Experience" that I haven't yet done, lemme know.
Okay. Time to chill out and enjoy the FREE afternoon with the sheer knowledge that my film is done done done. Yay
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Tea is good
Status: Enjoying England's crazy weather
This will have nothing to do with tea. I was just looking at my tins of Whittard and I thought, "Tea is good."
The Cherry Orchard last night was quite good. I would like to read the original version sooner or later to see what Stoppard changed, but I really enjoyed it. Ethan Hawke did not ruin it for me. He was presentable. Thank you, Ethan Hawke.
Turns out the director was Sam Mendes. I thought that was worth mentioning.
There were some bone-chilling sounds and parts to this play. I woke up this morning to the construction going on across the street and there was this high-pitched drilling going on that sounded JUST like a sound from the play and I got the chills. And the way they produced the ending was gruesome. The lighting was also quite clever and sometimes chilling, as well.
I want to go on another London Walk tonight. Blood Curdling London, it's called. Sounds good and it'll take my mind off of this film stuff.
I'm going to see Arcadia on Wednesday and I am SO excited about it.
The play takes places in 1809 and 1989 and the COOLEST part about this is that all the props from 1809 are left on stage for 1989, so the past and present blur together. That's just a little part of it, so go read about it. I'm pumped!
Sorry my posts haven't been as long and picture heavy like usual. All the filming stuff and trying to get my screenplay just the way I want it is taking up a lot of my time. I'm glad that I got to do a lot of touristy stuff with my parents and have had the time to explore a little deeper into what England has to offer, but now it's time to get down to business and do what I came here to do. Filming
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
This will have nothing to do with tea. I was just looking at my tins of Whittard and I thought, "Tea is good."
The Cherry Orchard last night was quite good. I would like to read the original version sooner or later to see what Stoppard changed, but I really enjoyed it. Ethan Hawke did not ruin it for me. He was presentable. Thank you, Ethan Hawke.
Turns out the director was Sam Mendes. I thought that was worth mentioning.
There were some bone-chilling sounds and parts to this play. I woke up this morning to the construction going on across the street and there was this high-pitched drilling going on that sounded JUST like a sound from the play and I got the chills. And the way they produced the ending was gruesome. The lighting was also quite clever and sometimes chilling, as well.
I want to go on another London Walk tonight. Blood Curdling London, it's called. Sounds good and it'll take my mind off of this film stuff.
I'm going to see Arcadia on Wednesday and I am SO excited about it.
The play takes places in 1809 and 1989 and the COOLEST part about this is that all the props from 1809 are left on stage for 1989, so the past and present blur together. That's just a little part of it, so go read about it. I'm pumped!
Sorry my posts haven't been as long and picture heavy like usual. All the filming stuff and trying to get my screenplay just the way I want it is taking up a lot of my time. I'm glad that I got to do a lot of touristy stuff with my parents and have had the time to explore a little deeper into what England has to offer, but now it's time to get down to business and do what I came here to do. Filming
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
Friday, August 7, 2009
A Stoppard Cherry Orchard
Status: Angry at the damn fire alarm that goes off at 9am. Almost as bad as Sny/Phi.
I saw Coco avant Chanel yesterday. It was very good, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I understand it was a movie about Coco before Chanel (you know, thus the title), but I would have liked to have seen a little more of the Chanel build-up. But, that's okay, it was still a really enjoyable movie. Audrey Tautou is a peach and the guy that played Boy was...beyond words attractive. And I couldn't place where I'd seen him before
Jurassic Park III
Odd.
Well, it doesn't look like I'll be filming much of anything today. It's going to be rainy all day long and I need a little bit of sun. Oh well. Saturday is always a good time to go for it
Tonight, I get to see The Cherry Orchard. Upon further research, which I should have done before I bought the ticket, I came to see that this is not the original Chekhov version...it's a new and "improved" version by Tom Stoppard. Hmm. Odd, again. Now, I really wanted to see Stoppard's Arcadia, but there was no way I was paying 60 pounds for a show. That's an entire week of food for me, or all the money I need to spend on souvenirs. So, I didn't think I'd see anything by Stoppard, sadly. Well, now I am...kind of
It also has Ethan Hawke in it. *sigh* Years and years of film-watching has taught me to hate Ethan Hawke. There is little one can do to make me like him. I had to watch Gattaca yesterday and I was sure that that would be my one dose (dose as in cough syrup or Ipecac ) of Ethan Hawke. Wrong
Man, this better be good. Tom Stoppard, don't do me wrong! And Ethan Hawke...try to look presentable to an audience. I would appreciate it greatly.
In other, more positive, news, we had a rainstorm yesterday and it was very lovely. The windows of my room swing out instead of lift up, so I can leave them open and nothing gets wet.
I truly love rainstorms in this city. There is rarely lightning or thunder, just rain, and after the humid, hot mess of yesterday, it's nice for the city to get a cool-down.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
I saw Coco avant Chanel yesterday. It was very good, but it didn't quite hit the mark for me. I understand it was a movie about Coco before Chanel (you know, thus the title), but I would have liked to have seen a little more of the Chanel build-up. But, that's okay, it was still a really enjoyable movie. Audrey Tautou is a peach and the guy that played Boy was...beyond words attractive. And I couldn't place where I'd seen him before
Jurassic Park III
Odd.
Well, it doesn't look like I'll be filming much of anything today. It's going to be rainy all day long and I need a little bit of sun. Oh well. Saturday is always a good time to go for it
Tonight, I get to see The Cherry Orchard. Upon further research, which I should have done before I bought the ticket, I came to see that this is not the original Chekhov version...it's a new and "improved" version by Tom Stoppard. Hmm. Odd, again. Now, I really wanted to see Stoppard's Arcadia, but there was no way I was paying 60 pounds for a show. That's an entire week of food for me, or all the money I need to spend on souvenirs. So, I didn't think I'd see anything by Stoppard, sadly. Well, now I am...kind of
It also has Ethan Hawke in it. *sigh* Years and years of film-watching has taught me to hate Ethan Hawke. There is little one can do to make me like him. I had to watch Gattaca yesterday and I was sure that that would be my one dose (dose as in cough syrup or Ipecac ) of Ethan Hawke. Wrong
Man, this better be good. Tom Stoppard, don't do me wrong! And Ethan Hawke...try to look presentable to an audience. I would appreciate it greatly.
In other, more positive, news, we had a rainstorm yesterday and it was very lovely. The windows of my room swing out instead of lift up, so I can leave them open and nothing gets wet.
I truly love rainstorms in this city. There is rarely lightning or thunder, just rain, and after the humid, hot mess of yesterday, it's nice for the city to get a cool-down.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Mmm. Bread
Status: Realizing that we only have about 8 more days in this fine country. *tear*
I am currently living on the following foods: baguettes, ham, butter, cream cheese, hummus, orange juice and the occasional grape.
Believe it or not, I'm quite satisfied. I'm sure I'd get tired of eating it every day, but I don't have much longer, so it should be all right.
I got some actual filming done today with an actual person. I got scolded by the guy at the Russel Square Tube station. Apparently, I'm not supposed to film there. He told me to delete my footage. Now, I understand being asked not to film and to delete the footage, but damn, this guy was super rude. I had no idea that I couldn't film OUTSIDE a tube station. I'm sorry. Give me a break.
But, that was done. I have probably one or two more days ahead of me in terms of filming, so it should get done in the 8 days I have left. Yay
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
I am currently living on the following foods: baguettes, ham, butter, cream cheese, hummus, orange juice and the occasional grape.
Believe it or not, I'm quite satisfied. I'm sure I'd get tired of eating it every day, but I don't have much longer, so it should be all right.
I got some actual filming done today with an actual person. I got scolded by the guy at the Russel Square Tube station. Apparently, I'm not supposed to film there. He told me to delete my footage. Now, I understand being asked not to film and to delete the footage, but damn, this guy was super rude. I had no idea that I couldn't film OUTSIDE a tube station. I'm sorry. Give me a break.
But, that was done. I have probably one or two more days ahead of me in terms of filming, so it should get done in the 8 days I have left. Yay
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Adventure in Aberdeen
Status: Currently enjoying Bach's cello and violin concertos
WARNING: Long post ahead. Must cover 4 Scottish days of fun
Friday
Flew into Aberdeen at 11am. A taxi ride from the airport to Heather's flat was enough to show me that this was going to be a love-at-first sight kind of thing. I loved the architecture and I loved the greenness of everything. And Aberdeen is such a charming city
Anywho, explored a bit of the city and ended up in Blackfriars Pub. Heather wouldn't let me order anything but haggis and neeps (neeps are turnips, it turns out). Now, I have no idea what haggis is made out of, I just remember thinking it was made of something odd and nasty. Well, if it is, it sure didn't taste like it. It was quite good, actually. And I got to have my first sticky toffee pudding experience. It was love at first lick. Now I'm addicted
Found a graveyard on the way back. What was so fun about this one was that there were people there, reading their papers and eating their lunches. It was like it was a park. Heather told me this was because the Scots like to be reminded of death and that life is painful and it might someday end. This made me laugh
We toured around the University of Aberdeen. Gorgeous campus and I felt as if I were touring a castle. I can't imagine ever getting used to that if I were taking classes there
The haggis and neeps filled me up and stuck to me, so dinner was not necessary.
Saturday
We took a train to Stonehaven, which is a cute little town near Aberdeen. Everyone there has a cute dog. There are no ugly dogs in this town. It's against the law.
Heather said the weather was fantastic for what we were going to do...but it was rainy and windy and cold.
But what better way to view the ruins of an ancient castle than in the true Scottish rain and wind and cold? We hiked up to Donnottar Castle.
Bit of history on Dunnottar, in case you're not familiar. It is most famous for holding out against Oliver Cromwell's army for 8 months in order to protect Scotland's honours, the Scottish Crown Jewels (which now reside in Edinburgh Castle). William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, the Marquis of Montrose and the future King Charles II all hung out there at different points in history.
It was quite a hike up there. My new Pumas were broken in for sure. Took about an hour to walk the mile and a half because we stopped every few feet so I could snap a ton of pictures that all looked exactly the same, but that's okay. The view was breathtaking.
And as we were coming down the stairs of the castle, we heard bagpipes. We looked up the hill and a bride was walking down the stairs toward the castle and the Scottish men were piping her down. She was one brave lady in her white dress and Crosstrainers because it was mighty muddy. But those pictures will be beautiful. Apparently it only costs 400 quid to have a wedding at the castle. Granted, they can't close the facilities down to the public, but you can invite as many people as you want and they'll provide tables and chairs. In the summer, it's popular to get married under the smithy arch. It's nice that they give you tables and chairs, but I'm wondering how the caterers get there. Do you fly them in? Because they certainly can't make that hike with their pots and pans and expensive foods.
This was one of the most amazing experiences. Heather told me that it's one of the prime places she takes people when they come to visit her. I think this was her sixth time. But how could you ever be bored with all of this:
It rained for most of the hike there and for some of the time we were in the castle, but that's okay. The sun came out as we hiked back, so I got to see the castle in all states of weather. It was epic no matter what the weather.
Sunday
We got ourselves up early again for the Tartan Day parade. Even Heather, who has lived in Aberdeen for about 2 years, was uncertain as to what Tartan Day was supposed to be celebrating. I think it's a celebration of Scotland - history, heritage, people, kilts, whiskey, death - itself. All I know is there were bagpipes and men in their tartans (kilts et al dictated by clan).
Later that night, we did some serious pub-hopping.
-Dinner at Slains Castle, which is a bar that is decked out like it's October 31st. Their drink menu consists of the Seven Deadly Sins (mixed drinks) and the Seven Heavenly Virtues (shooters). If you drink all seven of one of those, you get a T-shirt, but I wouldn't reccomend you try. Some are fruity drinks and some have cream in them...good luck holding it all down
-Sticky toffee pudding and drinks at Illicit Stills
-Pints and live, Scottish folk music at Prince of Wales. These little old men gather there every Sunday to play their accoridans, fiddles, guitars and pipe whistles just for the fun of it. It ranged from drinking songs to folk stories. I can't begin to tell you how much of an honor it was to see and hear.
-Drinks, live music, and Scottish men at O'Donoghues. Glen, lovely Scottish guy, sung songs by pretty much anyone - Simon & Garfunkel, Snow Patrol, The Cranberries, Coldplay, Dave Matthews, Damien Rice, Jack Johnson. The list goes on. Glen was lovely and very cute. Yay for Glen
Rachel, Hanna and I were kind of cornered/bothered/honored to have met an old Scot named Peter (or I guess his father used to call him Big Bastard. I'm not sure if this is true, but that's what he said). He had long white hair and was dressed in about three different tartans. When Rachel told him he was representing three clans, he scuffed and began his complaining. After buying us all a dram, he complained about his idiot friends he was with (who we met later and I loved), how everyone nowadays is boring, how he hates Tartan Day (seemed disrespectful to him in some way or another), how his family has been cursed with idiot relatives since 1753, and how hard it is to express the beauty of a woman in english as he is only fluent in Gaelic. Odd man. And very very drunk.
After Peter went out to get more whiskey for himself (as the bartender would not let him buy any more in the bar), we hung around his friends. They were loud and drunk and way too much fun. Us three ladies all had nicknames by the end of the night: Miss America (me), Miss Atlantic (Rachel) and Miss Australia (Hanna).
It was a fun night
Monday
Was another early morning. Heather had to work at 11am and still had things left to show me. We started out with a long hike along the Balgownie River and over the Brig of Balgownie, one of the oldest, if not THE oldest, remaining bridges in Europe and the very same bridge that William Wallace once crossed
We looped around and hit the gardens around Aberdeen
And then onto the Cathedral Church of St. Machar, where I found yet another cemetery.
Beautiful ocean, beautiful river, beautiful flowers, beautiful graveyard. I
Rachel took me out to lunch because she's a gigantic sweetheart and then I hopped on a bus, hopped on a plane, hopped on a train, hopped on the Tube, and walked my butt home.
So, as you can see, I did nothing this last weekend. Boring as usual
And now I must work on my film review and make sure my script is ready to film in about two days. Yay
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
WARNING: Long post ahead. Must cover 4 Scottish days of fun
Friday
Flew into Aberdeen at 11am. A taxi ride from the airport to Heather's flat was enough to show me that this was going to be a love-at-first sight kind of thing. I loved the architecture and I loved the greenness of everything. And Aberdeen is such a charming city
Anywho, explored a bit of the city and ended up in Blackfriars Pub. Heather wouldn't let me order anything but haggis and neeps (neeps are turnips, it turns out). Now, I have no idea what haggis is made out of, I just remember thinking it was made of something odd and nasty. Well, if it is, it sure didn't taste like it. It was quite good, actually. And I got to have my first sticky toffee pudding experience. It was love at first lick. Now I'm addicted
Found a graveyard on the way back. What was so fun about this one was that there were people there, reading their papers and eating their lunches. It was like it was a park. Heather told me this was because the Scots like to be reminded of death and that life is painful and it might someday end. This made me laugh
We toured around the University of Aberdeen. Gorgeous campus and I felt as if I were touring a castle. I can't imagine ever getting used to that if I were taking classes there
The haggis and neeps filled me up and stuck to me, so dinner was not necessary.
Saturday
We took a train to Stonehaven, which is a cute little town near Aberdeen. Everyone there has a cute dog. There are no ugly dogs in this town. It's against the law.
Heather said the weather was fantastic for what we were going to do...but it was rainy and windy and cold.
But what better way to view the ruins of an ancient castle than in the true Scottish rain and wind and cold? We hiked up to Donnottar Castle.
Bit of history on Dunnottar, in case you're not familiar. It is most famous for holding out against Oliver Cromwell's army for 8 months in order to protect Scotland's honours, the Scottish Crown Jewels (which now reside in Edinburgh Castle). William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, the Marquis of Montrose and the future King Charles II all hung out there at different points in history.
It was quite a hike up there. My new Pumas were broken in for sure. Took about an hour to walk the mile and a half because we stopped every few feet so I could snap a ton of pictures that all looked exactly the same, but that's okay. The view was breathtaking.
And as we were coming down the stairs of the castle, we heard bagpipes. We looked up the hill and a bride was walking down the stairs toward the castle and the Scottish men were piping her down. She was one brave lady in her white dress and Crosstrainers because it was mighty muddy. But those pictures will be beautiful. Apparently it only costs 400 quid to have a wedding at the castle. Granted, they can't close the facilities down to the public, but you can invite as many people as you want and they'll provide tables and chairs. In the summer, it's popular to get married under the smithy arch. It's nice that they give you tables and chairs, but I'm wondering how the caterers get there. Do you fly them in? Because they certainly can't make that hike with their pots and pans and expensive foods.
This was one of the most amazing experiences. Heather told me that it's one of the prime places she takes people when they come to visit her. I think this was her sixth time. But how could you ever be bored with all of this:
It rained for most of the hike there and for some of the time we were in the castle, but that's okay. The sun came out as we hiked back, so I got to see the castle in all states of weather. It was epic no matter what the weather.
Sunday
We got ourselves up early again for the Tartan Day parade. Even Heather, who has lived in Aberdeen for about 2 years, was uncertain as to what Tartan Day was supposed to be celebrating. I think it's a celebration of Scotland - history, heritage, people, kilts, whiskey, death - itself. All I know is there were bagpipes and men in their tartans (kilts et al dictated by clan).
Later that night, we did some serious pub-hopping.
-Dinner at Slains Castle, which is a bar that is decked out like it's October 31st. Their drink menu consists of the Seven Deadly Sins (mixed drinks) and the Seven Heavenly Virtues (shooters). If you drink all seven of one of those, you get a T-shirt, but I wouldn't reccomend you try. Some are fruity drinks and some have cream in them...good luck holding it all down
-Sticky toffee pudding and drinks at Illicit Stills
-Pints and live, Scottish folk music at Prince of Wales. These little old men gather there every Sunday to play their accoridans, fiddles, guitars and pipe whistles just for the fun of it. It ranged from drinking songs to folk stories. I can't begin to tell you how much of an honor it was to see and hear.
-Drinks, live music, and Scottish men at O'Donoghues. Glen, lovely Scottish guy, sung songs by pretty much anyone - Simon & Garfunkel, Snow Patrol, The Cranberries, Coldplay, Dave Matthews, Damien Rice, Jack Johnson. The list goes on. Glen was lovely and very cute. Yay for Glen
Rachel, Hanna and I were kind of cornered/bothered/honored to have met an old Scot named Peter (or I guess his father used to call him Big Bastard. I'm not sure if this is true, but that's what he said). He had long white hair and was dressed in about three different tartans. When Rachel told him he was representing three clans, he scuffed and began his complaining. After buying us all a dram, he complained about his idiot friends he was with (who we met later and I loved), how everyone nowadays is boring, how he hates Tartan Day (seemed disrespectful to him in some way or another), how his family has been cursed with idiot relatives since 1753, and how hard it is to express the beauty of a woman in english as he is only fluent in Gaelic. Odd man. And very very drunk.
After Peter went out to get more whiskey for himself (as the bartender would not let him buy any more in the bar), we hung around his friends. They were loud and drunk and way too much fun. Us three ladies all had nicknames by the end of the night: Miss America (me), Miss Atlantic (Rachel) and Miss Australia (Hanna).
It was a fun night
Monday
Was another early morning. Heather had to work at 11am and still had things left to show me. We started out with a long hike along the Balgownie River and over the Brig of Balgownie, one of the oldest, if not THE oldest, remaining bridges in Europe and the very same bridge that William Wallace once crossed
We looped around and hit the gardens around Aberdeen
And then onto the Cathedral Church of St. Machar, where I found yet another cemetery.
Beautiful ocean, beautiful river, beautiful flowers, beautiful graveyard. I
Rachel took me out to lunch because she's a gigantic sweetheart and then I hopped on a bus, hopped on a plane, hopped on a train, hopped on the Tube, and walked my butt home.
So, as you can see, I did nothing this last weekend. Boring as usual
And now I must work on my film review and make sure my script is ready to film in about two days. Yay
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Time to wrap it up, Jude
Status: Drained, excited, content, full, and so many other things
So far, I've seen 2 ethnic films and 1 plain ol' fantastic film: Wolke Neun, Rudo & Cursi, and Frozen River.
I think in the states, you can probably see Rudo & Cursi and Frozen River...I think. They were both really good films, but I recommend you see Frozen River for sure. Probably one of the best movies I have ever seen, hands down.
Movie theatres here never cease to surprise me. When I saw Wolke Neun, I went to the BFI Southbank Cinema and when I went inside, I thought I had entered a film institute. The theatre itself only had about 30 seats. It was a great way to kick off my ethnic film journey because I felt like this was an artsy endeavor. There were sheets with the directors comments and everyone discussed the film afterwards.
Then, Rudo & Cursi was at the Curzon Cinemas. This one had a cafe on the top floor, a bar in the middle, and the cinemas on the bottom floor, with your usual popcorn and soda. That kind of thing. But the cafe served some of the BEST wine I have ever tasted. It was organic wine that they don't serve by the bottle, only by the glass. I swear, it got more potent as it aired out and I was more than tispy off of just a glass. Glorious
Frozen River was at the Apollo Cinemas and this one looked a little more like a regular theatre, except it was decked the hell out. Great, blue lights lining the stairs and fancy decorations. And the seats in the theatre were armchairs. It also had a bar in it, just above the cinemas.
Why aren't theatre like that in America? Even the mainstream theatres are edgy. I loved 'em!
Anywho, Betsy and I went out to dinner after one of the movies in Chinatown and ran into one of the most fun places I've been to in a while. It's a cook-your-own place. There's an electric gridle thing in the middle of your table. You order broth and the veggies and meat you want and they bring it all out to you, raw. Then you cook your own. It was good, it was filling and it was cheap. Because they don't really serve you, the added service charge is for the clean-up. Betsy and I split a bill that was only 15 pounds and we were stuffed. Usually for a dinner like that, it would cost 15 pounds each.
Class is going extremely well. Judith Roof is hilarious, energetic and we always find ourselves engaged in conversation in her class. It's one of those classes that the teacher says, "We don't have anymore time. It's noon" and you just watched 3 hours fly by. It's lovely
I still have SO MUCH work to do. Blech.
But!
I go to Scotland tomorrow. So, there's that.
(!!!!!!!!)
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
So far, I've seen 2 ethnic films and 1 plain ol' fantastic film: Wolke Neun, Rudo & Cursi, and Frozen River.
I think in the states, you can probably see Rudo & Cursi and Frozen River...I think. They were both really good films, but I recommend you see Frozen River for sure. Probably one of the best movies I have ever seen, hands down.
Movie theatres here never cease to surprise me. When I saw Wolke Neun, I went to the BFI Southbank Cinema and when I went inside, I thought I had entered a film institute. The theatre itself only had about 30 seats. It was a great way to kick off my ethnic film journey because I felt like this was an artsy endeavor. There were sheets with the directors comments and everyone discussed the film afterwards.
Then, Rudo & Cursi was at the Curzon Cinemas. This one had a cafe on the top floor, a bar in the middle, and the cinemas on the bottom floor, with your usual popcorn and soda. That kind of thing. But the cafe served some of the BEST wine I have ever tasted. It was organic wine that they don't serve by the bottle, only by the glass. I swear, it got more potent as it aired out and I was more than tispy off of just a glass. Glorious
Frozen River was at the Apollo Cinemas and this one looked a little more like a regular theatre, except it was decked the hell out. Great, blue lights lining the stairs and fancy decorations. And the seats in the theatre were armchairs. It also had a bar in it, just above the cinemas.
Why aren't theatre like that in America? Even the mainstream theatres are edgy. I loved 'em!
Anywho, Betsy and I went out to dinner after one of the movies in Chinatown and ran into one of the most fun places I've been to in a while. It's a cook-your-own place. There's an electric gridle thing in the middle of your table. You order broth and the veggies and meat you want and they bring it all out to you, raw. Then you cook your own. It was good, it was filling and it was cheap. Because they don't really serve you, the added service charge is for the clean-up. Betsy and I split a bill that was only 15 pounds and we were stuffed. Usually for a dinner like that, it would cost 15 pounds each.
Class is going extremely well. Judith Roof is hilarious, energetic and we always find ourselves engaged in conversation in her class. It's one of those classes that the teacher says, "We don't have anymore time. It's noon" and you just watched 3 hours fly by. It's lovely
I still have SO MUCH work to do. Blech.
But!
I go to Scotland tomorrow. So, there's that.
(!!!!!!!!)
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Film and other cultured things
Status: Enjoying the breath of lazy air before the next three weeks of film chaos begin
Roof is here and we are going to be busy. In three weeks I must...
Complete the following:
1) 3 papers
2) 5 reviews
3) 1 script I'm proud to film
4) 1 short film
Go see the following:
1) 6-9 ethnic movies
Read the following:
1) 7 articles of varying lengths
We're also watching the following films in class:
- The Lady Vanishes (Hitchcock)
- Notting Hill (Michell)
- The Cement Garden (McEwan)
- The Big Lebowski (Coen Bros.)
- Gattaca (Niccol)
- Bend It Like Beckham (Chadha)
I'm actually really excited for all of these things. Plus, Penn left tickets for Roof to give to us. On the 10th of August, we're going to see Mariinsky Ballet's Swan Lake. I am thrilled.
As much as I'd like to go see Jude Law in Hamlet (and I might still) or as As You Like It at the Globe (and I might still), I might just want to spend the remainder of my fun money on seeing films around the city.
If you hear of any ethnic cinema that might be coming my way in the next few weeks, let me know. I guess as long as it's not American-made, it's considered ethnic, so lemme know!
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Roof is here and we are going to be busy. In three weeks I must...
Complete the following:
1) 3 papers
2) 5 reviews
3) 1 script I'm proud to film
4) 1 short film
Go see the following:
1) 6-9 ethnic movies
Read the following:
1) 7 articles of varying lengths
We're also watching the following films in class:
- The Lady Vanishes (Hitchcock)
- Notting Hill (Michell)
- The Cement Garden (McEwan)
- The Big Lebowski (Coen Bros.)
- Gattaca (Niccol)
- Bend It Like Beckham (Chadha)
I'm actually really excited for all of these things. Plus, Penn left tickets for Roof to give to us. On the 10th of August, we're going to see Mariinsky Ballet's Swan Lake. I am thrilled.
As much as I'd like to go see Jude Law in Hamlet (and I might still) or as As You Like It at the Globe (and I might still), I might just want to spend the remainder of my fun money on seeing films around the city.
If you hear of any ethnic cinema that might be coming my way in the next few weeks, let me know. I guess as long as it's not American-made, it's considered ethnic, so lemme know!
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Monday, July 27, 2009
If you're saving fallen women, save one for me, too!
Status: Very happy, indeed. Today was a very good day.
Dickens once said that, back in his time, if you were standing at The Monument, you were able to determine exactly where you are, direction wise, with your eyes shut, because of the smells. In one direction, there is the fish market. In the other, the fruits and veggie market. In another, the vinegar factory. In the other, leather goods.
I just thought that was pretty damn cool. Can't do that anymore, but the image is mighty fine.
I just booked a ticket to go see The Cherry Orchard at the Old Vic Theatre (Kevin Spacey owns it). I know, I know. I promised not to spend any more money than is completely necessary...but it's Chekhov, man! I HAVE to see a Chekhov play at least once in my life.
This morning, I went on another of the London Walks. This one was called The Darkest Victorian London. It talked about Victorian London in the 21st century, but centered a lot on Dickens' childhood area and that goings-on in those places. We passed a lot of streets and pubs with names that sounded mighty familiar
Like always, the tour guide has more info for you than you can fit in your brain to remember, but that's all right.
I saw a graveyard of sorts on the walk. Well, what used to be a graveyard for prostitutes, street dwellers, and orphans. They've paved over it all and are doing construction, but what remains is one single gate and people (who, I don't know. All the handwriting looks the same) have tied various things to the gate, including ribbons with names and dates written on them and flowers and dolls and keys. It was quite a sight to see and I mean to go back at some time to take more in-depth pictures.
We ended our walk at The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret. It included:
~The 1703 Herb Garret used by the hospital's Apothecary to store and cure herbs used for treatments
~The oldest surviving operating theatre in Europe. It was built in 1822, before the introduction of anaesthetics and antiseptic.
~A display of all the medical instruments that make you dizzy and your stomach twist into knots.
I think I remember the tour guide saying that John Keats attended this operating theatre as a student. Odd. Florence Nightingale was also affiliated with this, as it was once a part of St. Thomas' and that's where she founded her famous nursing school.
There was this wonderful 32-stepped bell tower of sorts that you had to climb to enter the museum. Apparently, the patients didn't enter that way, only the bellkeep, but it was everything you would ever want in a spiral staircase.
This operating theatre was only open to women back in the day (they separated by sex); the theatre open to men was torn down many years ago. And these operating theatres were places that poor people went to get their amputations and other things, because they got a discounted price. Most wealthy or middle class people would have paid more to have their surgeries in the comfort of their own home, but the poor people were on the surgeons' good humor.
Obviously they called it a theatre because people watched. There were three rows where people could stand. The first two were for "other dressers" (because the apprentices and docs were down on the main floor next to the table) and the last was for students. Apparently, you could also pay to watch...kinda like the Romans used to watch people get eaten by lions. I imagine the same spirit takes hold of people who want to pay to see someone else get a limb sawed off with an anaesthetic.
So, besides the rows, there was an oak table on which the patient lay and there was a box of sawdust that they put under the table to catch the blood (if you can explain why, please...keep it to yourself). The docs generally wore purple or deep red frock coats to operate and their aprons were described as "stiff and stinking with pus and blood."
It was more common for a doctor to wash his hands after a surgery, rather than before
*shudder*
Yeah. So. It was truly facinating and just the right amount of creepy and disgusting to make me cringe but not put me off my appetite.
Okay. Time to finish the screenplay FOR REAL this time. Last time, I promise.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot! G'night
Dickens once said that, back in his time, if you were standing at The Monument, you were able to determine exactly where you are, direction wise, with your eyes shut, because of the smells. In one direction, there is the fish market. In the other, the fruits and veggie market. In another, the vinegar factory. In the other, leather goods.
I just thought that was pretty damn cool. Can't do that anymore, but the image is mighty fine.
I just booked a ticket to go see The Cherry Orchard at the Old Vic Theatre (Kevin Spacey owns it). I know, I know. I promised not to spend any more money than is completely necessary...but it's Chekhov, man! I HAVE to see a Chekhov play at least once in my life.
This morning, I went on another of the London Walks. This one was called The Darkest Victorian London. It talked about Victorian London in the 21st century, but centered a lot on Dickens' childhood area and that goings-on in those places. We passed a lot of streets and pubs with names that sounded mighty familiar
Like always, the tour guide has more info for you than you can fit in your brain to remember, but that's all right.
I saw a graveyard of sorts on the walk. Well, what used to be a graveyard for prostitutes, street dwellers, and orphans. They've paved over it all and are doing construction, but what remains is one single gate and people (who, I don't know. All the handwriting looks the same) have tied various things to the gate, including ribbons with names and dates written on them and flowers and dolls and keys. It was quite a sight to see and I mean to go back at some time to take more in-depth pictures.
We ended our walk at The Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret. It included:
~The 1703 Herb Garret used by the hospital's Apothecary to store and cure herbs used for treatments
~The oldest surviving operating theatre in Europe. It was built in 1822, before the introduction of anaesthetics and antiseptic.
~A display of all the medical instruments that make you dizzy and your stomach twist into knots.
I think I remember the tour guide saying that John Keats attended this operating theatre as a student. Odd. Florence Nightingale was also affiliated with this, as it was once a part of St. Thomas' and that's where she founded her famous nursing school.
There was this wonderful 32-stepped bell tower of sorts that you had to climb to enter the museum. Apparently, the patients didn't enter that way, only the bellkeep, but it was everything you would ever want in a spiral staircase.
This operating theatre was only open to women back in the day (they separated by sex); the theatre open to men was torn down many years ago. And these operating theatres were places that poor people went to get their amputations and other things, because they got a discounted price. Most wealthy or middle class people would have paid more to have their surgeries in the comfort of their own home, but the poor people were on the surgeons' good humor.
Obviously they called it a theatre because people watched. There were three rows where people could stand. The first two were for "other dressers" (because the apprentices and docs were down on the main floor next to the table) and the last was for students. Apparently, you could also pay to watch...kinda like the Romans used to watch people get eaten by lions. I imagine the same spirit takes hold of people who want to pay to see someone else get a limb sawed off with an anaesthetic.
So, besides the rows, there was an oak table on which the patient lay and there was a box of sawdust that they put under the table to catch the blood (if you can explain why, please...keep it to yourself). The docs generally wore purple or deep red frock coats to operate and their aprons were described as "stiff and stinking with pus and blood."
It was more common for a doctor to wash his hands after a surgery, rather than before
*shudder*
Yeah. So. It was truly facinating and just the right amount of creepy and disgusting to make me cringe but not put me off my appetite.
Okay. Time to finish the screenplay FOR REAL this time. Last time, I promise.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot! G'night
Saturday, July 25, 2009
Snapple's Blushing Snapple Apple doesn't taste like I want it to
Status: Consistently amused
My name is Katie, as in Kaitlyn. I go to Texas State and I've lived in Austin all my life. I'm only in London for a week before I head out to Ireland with the rest of my girl friends. Oh, and I have a boyfriend.
Or at least that's what I told the guy at the club last night.
He couldn't take no for an answer, so don't feel quite so bad for him. It's a longer story, but it's your typical girl at a club story. Drunk guys on the prowl. He got over it, though - quite quickly as he was grinding against another girl about a minute or two later.
*shrugs*
Otherwise, it was a fun night. The club certainly wasn't a funk club in the strictest sense, unless you think that playing Bob Marley to techno beats is funk. In that case, you would have been satisfied with the music.
I spent all afternoon at Hyde Park, reading and sunning. It was wonderful to get back to my original London home in Kensington, particularly Gloucester Rd. No matter where I go in London, no matter what towns I see, Gloucester will always be London to me. It was the first area I really saw and it's a gorgeous little place in Kensington. The houses are to-die-for. Think it gives Hampstead a good run for it's money. I love them both.
Anywho, Hyde Park was very relaxing and embodied everything that I love about British people. I got to nap with a duckie. He was tired of all the little children chasing him, so he parked himself right next to me, rested his head on his body and shut his eyes. I decided to join him, but only for a minute.
And. I saw a kitty hanging out of a window. I loved him. I took a picture of him
Tomorrow, some people are heading over to Brighton. Good for them. I have to work on my damn script so I can start shooting my actors next week some time.
That's all for now. I'm going to listen to some more music tonight and take it easy.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
My name is Katie, as in Kaitlyn. I go to Texas State and I've lived in Austin all my life. I'm only in London for a week before I head out to Ireland with the rest of my girl friends. Oh, and I have a boyfriend.
Or at least that's what I told the guy at the club last night.
He couldn't take no for an answer, so don't feel quite so bad for him. It's a longer story, but it's your typical girl at a club story. Drunk guys on the prowl. He got over it, though - quite quickly as he was grinding against another girl about a minute or two later.
*shrugs*
Otherwise, it was a fun night. The club certainly wasn't a funk club in the strictest sense, unless you think that playing Bob Marley to techno beats is funk. In that case, you would have been satisfied with the music.
I spent all afternoon at Hyde Park, reading and sunning. It was wonderful to get back to my original London home in Kensington, particularly Gloucester Rd. No matter where I go in London, no matter what towns I see, Gloucester will always be London to me. It was the first area I really saw and it's a gorgeous little place in Kensington. The houses are to-die-for. Think it gives Hampstead a good run for it's money. I love them both.
Anywho, Hyde Park was very relaxing and embodied everything that I love about British people. I got to nap with a duckie. He was tired of all the little children chasing him, so he parked himself right next to me, rested his head on his body and shut his eyes. I decided to join him, but only for a minute.
And. I saw a kitty hanging out of a window. I loved him. I took a picture of him
Tomorrow, some people are heading over to Brighton. Good for them. I have to work on my damn script so I can start shooting my actors next week some time.
That's all for now. I'm going to listen to some more music tonight and take it easy.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Friday, July 24, 2009
I could dance all night
Status: Happy she got an actual Italian dessert instead of Haagen-Dazs
Past few days, I've just been working on my script and scoping out filming locations. I sent out postcards, which means they should be in the states sooner or later...hopefully. Anyone know how long it takes for post to go from one country to another?
Penn is now officially gone. He flew out earlier today after meeting with Roof.
The last thing he did for us was to give us free tickets to go see Duet for One, which was an emotionally draining play. Juliet Stevenson plays a world famous violinist who ends up getting Multiple Sclerosis and pretty much bound to a wheel chair. There's a lot more of a backstory to her, but the whole play takes place in her therapists office. The therapist has a Freud-like accent and tends to look at his shoes when she talks to him. She begins going to him because her husband thinks she's been "down" lately and needs to talk to someone. Cliche storyline, yes?
In so many ways, it was just exhausting. As cliche as the story was, the idea of losing the ability to do something that got you through life's terrors and is something that is as much a part of your identity as your own bloodline is just heartbreaking. It was also visually exhausting because there were only two people in this play and both of them spent most of their time sitting. I don't care if they were fidgeting or not, it was hard to stay visually engaged because there wasn't a lot of action. It was certainly a character study.
Now, Juliet Stevenson was absolutely wonderful. She is what I wish all stage actors were like. Every line was convincing and every movement had reason and cause. I adored her. And, to top it all off, she was in one of my favorite chick flicks with Alan Rickman. Any time I got sad with the subject matter, I just flashed back to her and Alan singing at the piano together. *sigh*
And the stage design...holy God, I thought I was going to cry. It was so beautiful. It WAS an office, with books and CDs and a desk. But it was so meticulous. Upwards of about 300 or so CDs and the books weren't alphabetized, but they looked like there was some order to them. And they had built in windows and rigged lights to filter in through the trees outside of the window. That was the main source of lighting. I know I shouldn't be so impressed, but it was everything I could have asked from a set design. It didn't just look like a shrink's office, it was a shrink's office. I wish I could explain this better, but take it as read that I was most impressed with it.
Today, we went to the Natural History museum. I wish I had gotten a picture of the building because it was GIGANTIC and I wasn't really quite sure that we were going into the right building. It looked like a palace of some sort, but I saw a bunch of kids walking in with their parents, so it seemed harmless enough
I spent so much time in the exhibit about space. I walked in the room with the beautiful dim, blue lighting and it took my breath away. You could take an escalator up into the moon.
There was also an exhibit about the wonders of the human body. I find that every museum I go into tends to have one of these, but they're always different. I think this one was focused on how genetics have progressed over history. There was something about birthing and how different it's been over the ages. Very interesting. Everyone else was super grossed out, but my mom's a labor instructor. It doesn't creep me out - I'm just wary to ever get pregnant. Ever
Afterward, we went out to Soho.
Lizy got her wallet stolen today. We were out in Soho, which is fangoriously busy in the afternoons, especially during the weekend. She opened her purse to make sure her wallet was still there, then something caught her eye and distracted her for a second (as she said) and when she looked back down to zip the bag up again, the wallet was gone. Thankfully, she only had 20 pounds and her ATM in there - no credit cards or passport. In terms of pick-pocketing, she was lucky. They missed her iPod and Oyster and a lot of other things, but still - made us all a little jumpy.
There are SO many sex shops in Soho. I know it used to be the biggest redlight district, but, damn! No one goes unsatisfied in that part of town, that's for sure.
A bunch of us are heading out to a funk club a few blocks down from our dorm. I'm very tired, but I'm only going to live once, so, I'm going with them. They're all going to Brighton on Sunday, but I don't have the money to swing for that (saving up for Scotland), so Lord John Russel pub and Cara will be my weekend entertainment. And I can always make my own ^_^
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
Past few days, I've just been working on my script and scoping out filming locations. I sent out postcards, which means they should be in the states sooner or later...hopefully. Anyone know how long it takes for post to go from one country to another?
Penn is now officially gone. He flew out earlier today after meeting with Roof.
The last thing he did for us was to give us free tickets to go see Duet for One, which was an emotionally draining play. Juliet Stevenson plays a world famous violinist who ends up getting Multiple Sclerosis and pretty much bound to a wheel chair. There's a lot more of a backstory to her, but the whole play takes place in her therapists office. The therapist has a Freud-like accent and tends to look at his shoes when she talks to him. She begins going to him because her husband thinks she's been "down" lately and needs to talk to someone. Cliche storyline, yes?
In so many ways, it was just exhausting. As cliche as the story was, the idea of losing the ability to do something that got you through life's terrors and is something that is as much a part of your identity as your own bloodline is just heartbreaking. It was also visually exhausting because there were only two people in this play and both of them spent most of their time sitting. I don't care if they were fidgeting or not, it was hard to stay visually engaged because there wasn't a lot of action. It was certainly a character study.
Now, Juliet Stevenson was absolutely wonderful. She is what I wish all stage actors were like. Every line was convincing and every movement had reason and cause. I adored her. And, to top it all off, she was in one of my favorite chick flicks with Alan Rickman. Any time I got sad with the subject matter, I just flashed back to her and Alan singing at the piano together. *sigh*
And the stage design...holy God, I thought I was going to cry. It was so beautiful. It WAS an office, with books and CDs and a desk. But it was so meticulous. Upwards of about 300 or so CDs and the books weren't alphabetized, but they looked like there was some order to them. And they had built in windows and rigged lights to filter in through the trees outside of the window. That was the main source of lighting. I know I shouldn't be so impressed, but it was everything I could have asked from a set design. It didn't just look like a shrink's office, it was a shrink's office. I wish I could explain this better, but take it as read that I was most impressed with it.
Today, we went to the Natural History museum. I wish I had gotten a picture of the building because it was GIGANTIC and I wasn't really quite sure that we were going into the right building. It looked like a palace of some sort, but I saw a bunch of kids walking in with their parents, so it seemed harmless enough
I spent so much time in the exhibit about space. I walked in the room with the beautiful dim, blue lighting and it took my breath away. You could take an escalator up into the moon.
There was also an exhibit about the wonders of the human body. I find that every museum I go into tends to have one of these, but they're always different. I think this one was focused on how genetics have progressed over history. There was something about birthing and how different it's been over the ages. Very interesting. Everyone else was super grossed out, but my mom's a labor instructor. It doesn't creep me out - I'm just wary to ever get pregnant. Ever
Afterward, we went out to Soho.
Lizy got her wallet stolen today. We were out in Soho, which is fangoriously busy in the afternoons, especially during the weekend. She opened her purse to make sure her wallet was still there, then something caught her eye and distracted her for a second (as she said) and when she looked back down to zip the bag up again, the wallet was gone. Thankfully, she only had 20 pounds and her ATM in there - no credit cards or passport. In terms of pick-pocketing, she was lucky. They missed her iPod and Oyster and a lot of other things, but still - made us all a little jumpy.
There are SO many sex shops in Soho. I know it used to be the biggest redlight district, but, damn! No one goes unsatisfied in that part of town, that's for sure.
A bunch of us are heading out to a funk club a few blocks down from our dorm. I'm very tired, but I'm only going to live once, so, I'm going with them. They're all going to Brighton on Sunday, but I don't have the money to swing for that (saving up for Scotland), so Lord John Russel pub and Cara will be my weekend entertainment. And I can always make my own ^_^
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
Tuesday, July 21, 2009
Yes, it certainly could get better
Status: Way overjoyed and feelin' fine
So, 'tis official: I am going to Aberdeen. Heather is free that weekend and she's very excited to show me around some "real castles" (as she put it). I am looking forward to this trip more than I can express. Scottish whiskey and Dracula's castle, here I come!
On top of all that, Penn said he got us tickets to go see Duet for One, starring Henry Goodman and Juliet Stevenson. I had seen ads for this and truly wanted to go see it. Now, we get free tickets for Thursday night.
And, Penn said he was going to try to get us tickets to see a collection of dances from famous ballets. I'm not quite sure who this is or what show this is, but he mentioned it. Whoever is dancing, I'm game for another ballet, so I'll be happy if he gets us tickets to that.
One more week until Judith Roof takes over to Penn. Not sure if this will be a good thing or bad thing, but we get to see movies in odd places around London.
Culture and excitement all around. Yay
I'M SO EXCITED FOR EVERYTHING!
Pip pip cherrio and all that rot!
So, 'tis official: I am going to Aberdeen. Heather is free that weekend and she's very excited to show me around some "real castles" (as she put it). I am looking forward to this trip more than I can express. Scottish whiskey and Dracula's castle, here I come!
On top of all that, Penn said he got us tickets to go see Duet for One, starring Henry Goodman and Juliet Stevenson. I had seen ads for this and truly wanted to go see it. Now, we get free tickets for Thursday night.
And, Penn said he was going to try to get us tickets to see a collection of dances from famous ballets. I'm not quite sure who this is or what show this is, but he mentioned it. Whoever is dancing, I'm game for another ballet, so I'll be happy if he gets us tickets to that.
One more week until Judith Roof takes over to Penn. Not sure if this will be a good thing or bad thing, but we get to see movies in odd places around London.
Culture and excitement all around. Yay
I'M SO EXCITED FOR EVERYTHING!
Pip pip cherrio and all that rot!
Monday, July 20, 2009
No words to explain...
Status: Still wired and so satisfied
Today, Danielle and I went out to the cemetery to get establishing and filler shots. She helped me a ton with all of it and I think we got some good footage. There's an awesome macro feature on the camera, which leads to some great flower shots with zoom. Yay
And then, Lizy and I saw Clint Mansell and the Sonus Quartet...
First of all, the venue was fantastic. It was the Union Church, which is an older church and it was just big enough to fit a good number of people but it felt so intimate. There wasn't a bad seat in the house.
And they had someone really interesting introducing Clint Mansell
Darren Aronofsky.
Yeah. Holy shit, right?
His loverly lady, Rachel Weisz couldn't be there because she had a show to do (A Streetcar Named Desire). But, he was there. And he was glorious.
So, after that, Clint Mansell and the quartet played a collection of songs from some of the movies he's composed for (Pi, The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Moon, and a 10-minute documentary I didn't catch the name of). Seriously, hearing Death is the Road to Awe and Lux Aeterna live was the beyond-words kind of beautiful. And they did a version of Together We Will Live Forever that had violin and cello parts added. I thought I loved the straight piano, but with the added strings, it was enough to make me tear up.
Seriously one of the best nights I've had here so far.
And then I ended the night with a Big Mac, some fries, and high-fructose-corn-syrup-free Coke. Yum yum yum.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot! G'night! ^_^
Today, Danielle and I went out to the cemetery to get establishing and filler shots. She helped me a ton with all of it and I think we got some good footage. There's an awesome macro feature on the camera, which leads to some great flower shots with zoom. Yay
And then, Lizy and I saw Clint Mansell and the Sonus Quartet...
First of all, the venue was fantastic. It was the Union Church, which is an older church and it was just big enough to fit a good number of people but it felt so intimate. There wasn't a bad seat in the house.
And they had someone really interesting introducing Clint Mansell
Darren Aronofsky.
Yeah. Holy shit, right?
His loverly lady, Rachel Weisz couldn't be there because she had a show to do (A Streetcar Named Desire). But, he was there. And he was glorious.
So, after that, Clint Mansell and the quartet played a collection of songs from some of the movies he's composed for (Pi, The Fountain, Requiem for a Dream, The Wrestler, Moon, and a 10-minute documentary I didn't catch the name of). Seriously, hearing Death is the Road to Awe and Lux Aeterna live was the beyond-words kind of beautiful. And they did a version of Together We Will Live Forever that had violin and cello parts added. I thought I loved the straight piano, but with the added strings, it was enough to make me tear up.
Seriously one of the best nights I've had here so far.
And then I ended the night with a Big Mac, some fries, and high-fructose-corn-syrup-free Coke. Yum yum yum.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot! G'night! ^_^
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Jet planing again
Status: Still shaking a little bit from nerves
So, I just booked a flight to Aberdeen.
I figured I wouldn't travel while I was here because it wasn't within my budget. But seriously. Heather lives there so I wouldn't have to find a hostel and I'll have a tour guide of the area. And the round trip tickets were costly, but they weren't as much as I was thinking they would be. And I'm going on the weekend that everyone else will be in Dublin, so there's not a ton of filming for class stuff I'll miss.
I'll fly out on Friday morning on the 31st and come back Monday evening on the 3rd.
I'm very excited.
But I'm also very nervous. Travel always makes me a little bit scared, especially from an airport I've never seen before. And this will be my first time flying alone anywhere.
Oh well. Gotta get used to it sometime.
I'll just have to budget my money SUPER well now. No more 30 pound shows for me. I'll have to be picky with what I see. It won't matter too much anyway because Roof will have us going to a few, if not many, indie movies in London once she gets here, so I won't have a great need to see a ton more shows. I've already seen my fair share.
And it's Aberdeen for goodness sake. It's SCOTLAND.
I think I can live off bread and butter for a while. ^_^
Tomorrow (or today, rather, since it's 1:46am over here), I'm going to go out with Danielle to the graveyard and maybe get some actual shots in. If I don't use any of the footage, that's fine. I'll just screw around with the camera. And she wants to see the graveyard, so it works out.
Then, I get to see/hear Clint Mansell and the Sonus Quartet.
It's shaping up to be some fine weeks ahead
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot. G'night!
So, I just booked a flight to Aberdeen.
I figured I wouldn't travel while I was here because it wasn't within my budget. But seriously. Heather lives there so I wouldn't have to find a hostel and I'll have a tour guide of the area. And the round trip tickets were costly, but they weren't as much as I was thinking they would be. And I'm going on the weekend that everyone else will be in Dublin, so there's not a ton of filming for class stuff I'll miss.
I'll fly out on Friday morning on the 31st and come back Monday evening on the 3rd.
I'm very excited.
But I'm also very nervous. Travel always makes me a little bit scared, especially from an airport I've never seen before. And this will be my first time flying alone anywhere.
Oh well. Gotta get used to it sometime.
I'll just have to budget my money SUPER well now. No more 30 pound shows for me. I'll have to be picky with what I see. It won't matter too much anyway because Roof will have us going to a few, if not many, indie movies in London once she gets here, so I won't have a great need to see a ton more shows. I've already seen my fair share.
And it's Aberdeen for goodness sake. It's SCOTLAND.
I think I can live off bread and butter for a while. ^_^
Tomorrow (or today, rather, since it's 1:46am over here), I'm going to go out with Danielle to the graveyard and maybe get some actual shots in. If I don't use any of the footage, that's fine. I'll just screw around with the camera. And she wants to see the graveyard, so it works out.
Then, I get to see/hear Clint Mansell and the Sonus Quartet.
It's shaping up to be some fine weeks ahead
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot. G'night!
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Under da Sea
Status: All good over here
# of Fish & Chips consumed to date: 6
Danielle and Missy woke me up this morning. Not incredibly early - around 10 - but I was actually still sleeping. I was very disoriented.
They said it was a beautiful morning and that it wasn't going to rain.
It was very cold, very windy, and slightly rainy today.
So, we went to the London Aquarium to look at the fishies.
And oh, the fishies we saw. There were many a fishy and some sea turtles, too. We got our picture taken (green screenin') on a turtle.
Then, we went out to the pub. The London Pub, actually, and I had a Snakebite (lager and some kind of cider mixed together. A nice twist on a plain beer).
Missy and Danielle met someone from New Zealand, who was very nice. I think his name was Paul.
But, the minute the 2 Scotsmen came over in their kilts and Scottish purses, I think poor Paul realized he would not be captivating the ladies' attention anymore, seeing as his accent was slight and theirs was thick thick thick.
I felt like I was talking to Billy Boyd...except even Billy Boyd wasn't as cute as these two.
I went into shy mode (which is why I probably should have had a few more beers), but that's okay. I smiled, I laughed, I spoke when spoken to, and otherwise just sat back and listened to them talk. Missy and Danielle did all the flirting. I just wanted to listen to them. They were wonderful
They also had a TON of girls' pictures in their phones. And they said they were on a European tour, so I can only guess just how many ladies they've wooed with their accents. I was wooed, but I don't give out my entire deck of cards. They're heading to Paris tomorrow anyway, so their company was enjoyed by me for one night.
Now I be back here.
I wanna chill tomorrow. Finish revisions on my script. Go to church. Maybe hang out at the British Library (if it's open on Sundays). Otherwise, chillin' sounds like a fantastic plan
Okay.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot! G'night
# of Fish & Chips consumed to date: 6
Danielle and Missy woke me up this morning. Not incredibly early - around 10 - but I was actually still sleeping. I was very disoriented.
They said it was a beautiful morning and that it wasn't going to rain.
It was very cold, very windy, and slightly rainy today.
So, we went to the London Aquarium to look at the fishies.
And oh, the fishies we saw. There were many a fishy and some sea turtles, too. We got our picture taken (green screenin') on a turtle.
Then, we went out to the pub. The London Pub, actually, and I had a Snakebite (lager and some kind of cider mixed together. A nice twist on a plain beer).
Missy and Danielle met someone from New Zealand, who was very nice. I think his name was Paul.
But, the minute the 2 Scotsmen came over in their kilts and Scottish purses, I think poor Paul realized he would not be captivating the ladies' attention anymore, seeing as his accent was slight and theirs was thick thick thick.
I felt like I was talking to Billy Boyd...except even Billy Boyd wasn't as cute as these two.
I went into shy mode (which is why I probably should have had a few more beers), but that's okay. I smiled, I laughed, I spoke when spoken to, and otherwise just sat back and listened to them talk. Missy and Danielle did all the flirting. I just wanted to listen to them. They were wonderful
They also had a TON of girls' pictures in their phones. And they said they were on a European tour, so I can only guess just how many ladies they've wooed with their accents. I was wooed, but I don't give out my entire deck of cards. They're heading to Paris tomorrow anyway, so their company was enjoyed by me for one night.
Now I be back here.
I wanna chill tomorrow. Finish revisions on my script. Go to church. Maybe hang out at the British Library (if it's open on Sundays). Otherwise, chillin' sounds like a fantastic plan
Okay.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot! G'night
Friday, July 17, 2009
All righty, then
Status: Feeling like the laziest thing that has ever walked the planet
So, I didn't get up for tickets. I will some other time. Lia wants to see it, Lizy wants to see it and we'll go. I'll probably see Waiting for Godot, as well. 10 pounds is a cheap ticket.
But anywho, I got up at 10 and did nothing but sit in front of the computer and read fan fiction (Lori Summer's stuff, if you're wondering, which you probably weren't). I've also been granted with the extreme privledge of blacking the tapes for our group. This consists of putting a tape in the camera, pressing record and watching to make sure it blacks out. Each tape is 1 hour. There are 16 of them. This will take a while.
I haven't eaten all day long. Not a single thing. I need food...but having 20 extra pounds is a joy.
I'm going to go see Clint Mansell and the Sonus Quartet on Monday with Lizy. She was very relieved to find that 1) I actually knew who Clint Mansell was, 2) I was just as excited as she was to hear that he's going to be here, and 3) I had a credit card, which we need to book tickets and which she didn't have. They're cheap tickets for such a small venue and such FANTASTIC composer as Mr. Mansell, so I don't mind shelling out the pounds.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
So, I didn't get up for tickets. I will some other time. Lia wants to see it, Lizy wants to see it and we'll go. I'll probably see Waiting for Godot, as well. 10 pounds is a cheap ticket.
But anywho, I got up at 10 and did nothing but sit in front of the computer and read fan fiction (Lori Summer's stuff, if you're wondering, which you probably weren't). I've also been granted with the extreme privledge of blacking the tapes for our group. This consists of putting a tape in the camera, pressing record and watching to make sure it blacks out. Each tape is 1 hour. There are 16 of them. This will take a while.
I haven't eaten all day long. Not a single thing. I need food...but having 20 extra pounds is a joy.
I'm going to go see Clint Mansell and the Sonus Quartet on Monday with Lizy. She was very relieved to find that 1) I actually knew who Clint Mansell was, 2) I was just as excited as she was to hear that he's going to be here, and 3) I had a credit card, which we need to book tickets and which she didn't have. They're cheap tickets for such a small venue and such FANTASTIC composer as Mr. Mansell, so I don't mind shelling out the pounds.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Oh yes, oh yes, oh yes, oh yes. We both reached for the gun
Status: Singin' The Press Conference Rag and lovin' it.
It was damn hard getting up this morning for class. We ended up having it outside because both the classrooms were taken up and we hadn't booked a classroom for today, to Penn's unpleasant surprise. He even handed me the sheet to see if he had overlooked someone. It was flattering. He looked around the group and said, "All right. Who's smart? Who do I trust? Chrissy!" He just wanted me to check to make sure that he had, indeed, forgot to book the classroom. He apologized and I told him not to worry, that I did this for my dad all the time because he can't see small numbers...or medium-sized numbers, for that matter. ^_~
For the record, it is raining outside (yes, again) and it sounds absolutely beautiful.
So, after class, I chilled like a beer in a cooler on a hot day...
You're not funny, either, so back off, bucko!
I played the piano, which happens to be on the guys' floor. Not a big deal. They don't mind, but like Sny/Phi, the room is not sound proof, so I constantly feel as if I'm performing. Makes things hard to work on. BUT, it's a piano and I'm grateful. yay
Chicago was glorious. It was a bigger theatre, but it felt intimate because it was taller than it was wide, so I could see everything just fine. Michelle Williams (not Heath Ledger's ex, but the Destiny's Child's ex ^_^) was quite good, but Velma and some of the back-up dancers truly stole the show. The men were wonderful in their pants, especially the one with the pinstriped pants, and all the ladies were damn hot. Billy Flynn had to walk in some big shoes because NO ONE compares to my guy Richard Gere, but he hit it hard and did a fantastic job.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot. G'night!
It was damn hard getting up this morning for class. We ended up having it outside because both the classrooms were taken up and we hadn't booked a classroom for today, to Penn's unpleasant surprise. He even handed me the sheet to see if he had overlooked someone. It was flattering. He looked around the group and said, "All right. Who's smart? Who do I trust? Chrissy!" He just wanted me to check to make sure that he had, indeed, forgot to book the classroom. He apologized and I told him not to worry, that I did this for my dad all the time because he can't see small numbers...or medium-sized numbers, for that matter. ^_~
For the record, it is raining outside (yes, again) and it sounds absolutely beautiful.
So, after class, I chilled like a beer in a cooler on a hot day...
You're not funny, either, so back off, bucko!
I played the piano, which happens to be on the guys' floor. Not a big deal. They don't mind, but like Sny/Phi, the room is not sound proof, so I constantly feel as if I'm performing. Makes things hard to work on. BUT, it's a piano and I'm grateful. yay
Chicago was glorious. It was a bigger theatre, but it felt intimate because it was taller than it was wide, so I could see everything just fine. Michelle Williams (not Heath Ledger's ex, but the Destiny's Child's ex ^_^) was quite good, but Velma and some of the back-up dancers truly stole the show. The men were wonderful in their pants, especially the one with the pinstriped pants, and all the ladies were damn hot. Billy Flynn had to walk in some big shoes because NO ONE compares to my guy Richard Gere, but he hit it hard and did a fantastic job.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot. G'night!
Wednesday, July 15, 2009
Oh, Harry Potter. How odd you are
Status: Ridiculously tired
'Tis 2:53am and I just got back from seeing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
I will tell you that it was so odd to watch this movie and recognize most of the places they went. The Death Eaters flew over London and through a street and I leaned over to the person beside me and said, "There's a really great Tandoori place on that corner over there."
As to everyone complaining about the movie not being like the book, I say, Have they ever been like the book? Has ANY movie ever been like the book it was inspired by? Get over it. Enjoy the movie for what it is.
So, we went to Hampton Court and visited the very nice palace of King Henry XIII and his six, wonderful wives.
As Kara said, it is a very palacial area.
I thought that was funny
Shut up
WARNING: Picture vomit to follow
Everything was so mind-blowing! The tapestries were of epic size and detail.
I got to see the king's bedchambers and the smell of burning wood lingered throughout the entire palace.
The "bathroom" still had the lingering scent of urine
The gardens were gorgeous and very large. Were I to get into a dispute with the king, or anyone for that matter, I could easily get myself gone in those grounds...you know, that is if he didn't decide to have me beheaded right away
I learned about the game of tennis back in those days. I would like to play it sometime, though I'm not sure I'll ever get a chance. Here is a link to the wikipedia page about it. Check it out!
Kara and I went through the king's maze. They have placed speakers inside the walls of the maze and, instead of playing music, they recorded mothers and children laughing. It sounds VERY real; so real, in fact, that I was just about to say excuse me to the mother and children when we turned the corner to find that there were no mothers or children.
Truth be told, the maze was ridiculously easy to get through, but SHHHHHH, don't tell anyone.
Today (or yesterday, I should say), they were celebrating the anniversary of the king's marriage to Catherine Parr, regardless of the fact that the couple didn't get married on the 15th, but on the 12th of July. Oh well. The king was out and about, yelling at people on the main grounds and complaining down in the wine cellar about his first five wives (yes, I was there, both times). Quite entertaining, although I doubt the real King Henry XIII would have appreciated a load of jean-clad people laughing at him (because we certainly weren't laughing with him).
After that, we took a 4 hour boat ride down the Thames. Yes, 4 hours is a very long time and in those 4 hours, we ran into a number of interesting weather conditions. It's Britain and it's bound to rain at some point during the day, and rain it did. They did have a bar, though I didn't make use of it.
Tandoori was the only thing I had in mind to eat today. Their lamb tikka masala is glorious and makes for wonderful left-overs. And I had a cup of my tea, which was also quite glorious.
Tomorrow night, we are going to see Chicago. I am excited. Yay
But, I have to get up at 8, so I'll say g'night!
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
'Tis 2:53am and I just got back from seeing Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince.
I will tell you that it was so odd to watch this movie and recognize most of the places they went. The Death Eaters flew over London and through a street and I leaned over to the person beside me and said, "There's a really great Tandoori place on that corner over there."
As to everyone complaining about the movie not being like the book, I say, Have they ever been like the book? Has ANY movie ever been like the book it was inspired by? Get over it. Enjoy the movie for what it is.
So, we went to Hampton Court and visited the very nice palace of King Henry XIII and his six, wonderful wives.
As Kara said, it is a very palacial area.
I thought that was funny
Shut up
WARNING: Picture vomit to follow
Everything was so mind-blowing! The tapestries were of epic size and detail.
I got to see the king's bedchambers and the smell of burning wood lingered throughout the entire palace.
The "bathroom" still had the lingering scent of urine
The gardens were gorgeous and very large. Were I to get into a dispute with the king, or anyone for that matter, I could easily get myself gone in those grounds...you know, that is if he didn't decide to have me beheaded right away
I learned about the game of tennis back in those days. I would like to play it sometime, though I'm not sure I'll ever get a chance. Here is a link to the wikipedia page about it. Check it out!
Kara and I went through the king's maze. They have placed speakers inside the walls of the maze and, instead of playing music, they recorded mothers and children laughing. It sounds VERY real; so real, in fact, that I was just about to say excuse me to the mother and children when we turned the corner to find that there were no mothers or children.
Truth be told, the maze was ridiculously easy to get through, but SHHHHHH, don't tell anyone.
Today (or yesterday, I should say), they were celebrating the anniversary of the king's marriage to Catherine Parr, regardless of the fact that the couple didn't get married on the 15th, but on the 12th of July. Oh well. The king was out and about, yelling at people on the main grounds and complaining down in the wine cellar about his first five wives (yes, I was there, both times). Quite entertaining, although I doubt the real King Henry XIII would have appreciated a load of jean-clad people laughing at him (because we certainly weren't laughing with him).
After that, we took a 4 hour boat ride down the Thames. Yes, 4 hours is a very long time and in those 4 hours, we ran into a number of interesting weather conditions. It's Britain and it's bound to rain at some point during the day, and rain it did. They did have a bar, though I didn't make use of it.
Tandoori was the only thing I had in mind to eat today. Their lamb tikka masala is glorious and makes for wonderful left-overs. And I had a cup of my tea, which was also quite glorious.
Tomorrow night, we are going to see Chicago. I am excited. Yay
But, I have to get up at 8, so I'll say g'night!
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
I need a teaspoon
Status: So satisfied with my food choices
# of fish & chips consumed to date: 5
I knew I had to have cemetery success somewhere.
There is this OLD cemetery in Hampstead, and while I'm looking for a place where people are still buried, there were some newer graves and I can completely imagine a girl who is so in love with old cemeteries that she would want to be buried in one.
So, this might be my location.
Penn was, unfortunately and fortunately, scarce with the details of where it was. "You get out of the Hampstead Station and take left instead of heading up the hill."
O_o
Hampstead's a little bigger than that, buddy. But the kindest lady who was standing outside giving out cranberry tea samples helped me. Without trying to sell tea or anything else, she gave me perfectly clear directions.
Can I just tell you what I creep I am before I tell you that I ADORE cemeteries, especially old ones like these.
I don't even think it had a name. It's just off of an old, abandoned church, so I'm not sure who takes care of the graves. The pathways were covered in moss and grass, the gravestones were so old that the names of people had faded off, but you could still read some of the epitaphs. I was in love with this place. Like I said, perhaps not what I pictured for my screenplay, but I really can make do. If I decide not, there's still Emily's perfect idea to film at the Hyde Park Memorial.
And on top of the cemetery, Hampstead is truly one of the most beautiful parts of London I've seen in a while. I was so glad to spend a good 2 hours there. It's such a cozy place.
But, back to the tea lady. I was so grateful to have finally found a cemetery that won't charge me a 300 pound fee that I decided to at least check out the tea shop.
Yeah, so I said I was going to bring wine back to the states. No. That idea is dumb. What I am bringing back is this tea.
Apparently out RA said that the brand, Whittard, is a popular Brit. brand and it is wonderful. If you're not a fan of the bitter tea, they have the most wonderful fruit tea that is so good hot and even better cold. And they've got traditional tea, too. And they had a sale today, 3 for the price of two...and they were only 5 pounds and you get a TON of instant tea. The tea lady was so kind and was very happy to hear that I'd be back for more soon. Until then, I got me some English Fruits, Pink Lemonade (I like lemonade, so shut up and don't judge) and Mandarin & Pomegranate Green Tea.
And, of course, being Tuesday, it was 1 pound a pint at The Rocket. College students can't resist.
Then, Natalie and I went and got some take-out chinese and a huge thing of McDonald's fries.
It was a wonderful day.
And tomorrow, we head on over to Hampton Court where there's Hampton Court Palace and the most beautiful gardens, or so says Penn. Then, a 2 hour boat ride down the Thames and back home.
Yay. Yay. Double yay!!!
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot! G'night!
# of fish & chips consumed to date: 5
I knew I had to have cemetery success somewhere.
There is this OLD cemetery in Hampstead, and while I'm looking for a place where people are still buried, there were some newer graves and I can completely imagine a girl who is so in love with old cemeteries that she would want to be buried in one.
So, this might be my location.
Penn was, unfortunately and fortunately, scarce with the details of where it was. "You get out of the Hampstead Station and take left instead of heading up the hill."
O_o
Hampstead's a little bigger than that, buddy. But the kindest lady who was standing outside giving out cranberry tea samples helped me. Without trying to sell tea or anything else, she gave me perfectly clear directions.
Can I just tell you what I creep I am before I tell you that I ADORE cemeteries, especially old ones like these.
I don't even think it had a name. It's just off of an old, abandoned church, so I'm not sure who takes care of the graves. The pathways were covered in moss and grass, the gravestones were so old that the names of people had faded off, but you could still read some of the epitaphs. I was in love with this place. Like I said, perhaps not what I pictured for my screenplay, but I really can make do. If I decide not, there's still Emily's perfect idea to film at the Hyde Park Memorial.
And on top of the cemetery, Hampstead is truly one of the most beautiful parts of London I've seen in a while. I was so glad to spend a good 2 hours there. It's such a cozy place.
But, back to the tea lady. I was so grateful to have finally found a cemetery that won't charge me a 300 pound fee that I decided to at least check out the tea shop.
Yeah, so I said I was going to bring wine back to the states. No. That idea is dumb. What I am bringing back is this tea.
Apparently out RA said that the brand, Whittard, is a popular Brit. brand and it is wonderful. If you're not a fan of the bitter tea, they have the most wonderful fruit tea that is so good hot and even better cold. And they've got traditional tea, too. And they had a sale today, 3 for the price of two...and they were only 5 pounds and you get a TON of instant tea. The tea lady was so kind and was very happy to hear that I'd be back for more soon. Until then, I got me some English Fruits, Pink Lemonade (I like lemonade, so shut up and don't judge) and Mandarin & Pomegranate Green Tea.
And, of course, being Tuesday, it was 1 pound a pint at The Rocket. College students can't resist.
Then, Natalie and I went and got some take-out chinese and a huge thing of McDonald's fries.
It was a wonderful day.
And tomorrow, we head on over to Hampton Court where there's Hampton Court Palace and the most beautiful gardens, or so says Penn. Then, a 2 hour boat ride down the Thames and back home.
Yay. Yay. Double yay!!!
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot! G'night!
Monday, July 13, 2009
Haagen-Dazs *sigh*
Status: Knowing there will be regret for the entire pint of Vanilla Caramel Brownie
Okay, so, my cemetery search...
Kensal Green Cemetery thinks it fit to charge me at the bargain price of 500 pounds to film in their cemetery for 2 hours. I made it very clear to the lady that this was as amateur a production as you can get and, no, I won't be bringing trailers of actors with me and, no, I won't be making a profit out of it and, yes, I am a poor college student.
"Five-hundred pounds is the base price for all filming."
Brookwood Cemetery does not exists. At all.
St. Pancras/Islington is going to charge me a fee, as well. I was afraid to ask how much, but something tells me it was a bit more than my weekly allowance of fifty pounds, so, no thanks.
My dad's friend has another one I can try out in Acton Town, where he lives. It's a smaller one. If that doesn't work, I plan on going to a priest, mentioning that I'm Catholic and asking if he knows anywhere I can film and mentioning I'm Catholic and begging him to let me use the church's cemetery and reminding him that I'm Catholic. Do you think it'll work?
Or, my WONDERFUL roommate had an idea that I could film at the Hyde Park memorial for the victims of the bombings on July 7th, 2005. That, or any other public memorial would work just fine. I plan on changing my script a bit so I don't have to spend a ton of time there, anyway, so if the cemeteries fall through, that's where I'm headed.
OKAY NOW, enough of that. Today, Lia and I went to Regent Park and checked out the Queen's Gardens. Lia told me, "It's so pretty you'll...I dunno. You'll just touch yourself, I swear."
Yeah. I was nearly there.
I'm not sure I've seen a more gorgeous garden and it smelled AMAZING. The flowers were all just light enough in scent that nothing was too overwhelming.
So, I sat and read Dangerous Liasons in complete ecstasy and thought of more script stuff.
Then, I ate an entire pint of Haagen-Dazs. Shut up and don't judge. I'll be paying for it later, but it was so worth it.
Throwing out an idea here. I didn't hop onto the bandwagen of people going to Dublin. Nothing was too well put together and the trip would probably cost me a good 300 pounds.
But
Ian is going to Barcelona. This is significant because my two favorite books of all time take place in the early 1900s Barcelona. I mean, I've been dreaming of visiting Montjuïc Castle and Ciudadela Park since I read The Shadow of the Wind. And there are SO MANY other streets that I need to find. If I plan in advance, I think I could probably find a really cheap hostel to stay at and the flight wouldn't be too bad.
What do you think? If you think it's a bad idea, let me know, please.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Okay, so, my cemetery search...
Kensal Green Cemetery thinks it fit to charge me at the bargain price of 500 pounds to film in their cemetery for 2 hours. I made it very clear to the lady that this was as amateur a production as you can get and, no, I won't be bringing trailers of actors with me and, no, I won't be making a profit out of it and, yes, I am a poor college student.
"Five-hundred pounds is the base price for all filming."
Brookwood Cemetery does not exists. At all.
St. Pancras/Islington is going to charge me a fee, as well. I was afraid to ask how much, but something tells me it was a bit more than my weekly allowance of fifty pounds, so, no thanks.
My dad's friend has another one I can try out in Acton Town, where he lives. It's a smaller one. If that doesn't work, I plan on going to a priest, mentioning that I'm Catholic and asking if he knows anywhere I can film and mentioning I'm Catholic and begging him to let me use the church's cemetery and reminding him that I'm Catholic. Do you think it'll work?
Or, my WONDERFUL roommate had an idea that I could film at the Hyde Park memorial for the victims of the bombings on July 7th, 2005. That, or any other public memorial would work just fine. I plan on changing my script a bit so I don't have to spend a ton of time there, anyway, so if the cemeteries fall through, that's where I'm headed.
OKAY NOW, enough of that. Today, Lia and I went to Regent Park and checked out the Queen's Gardens. Lia told me, "It's so pretty you'll...I dunno. You'll just touch yourself, I swear."
Yeah. I was nearly there.
I'm not sure I've seen a more gorgeous garden and it smelled AMAZING. The flowers were all just light enough in scent that nothing was too overwhelming.
So, I sat and read Dangerous Liasons in complete ecstasy and thought of more script stuff.
Then, I ate an entire pint of Haagen-Dazs. Shut up and don't judge. I'll be paying for it later, but it was so worth it.
Throwing out an idea here. I didn't hop onto the bandwagen of people going to Dublin. Nothing was too well put together and the trip would probably cost me a good 300 pounds.
But
Ian is going to Barcelona. This is significant because my two favorite books of all time take place in the early 1900s Barcelona. I mean, I've been dreaming of visiting Montjuïc Castle and Ciudadela Park since I read The Shadow of the Wind. And there are SO MANY other streets that I need to find. If I plan in advance, I think I could probably find a really cheap hostel to stay at and the flight wouldn't be too bad.
What do you think? If you think it's a bad idea, let me know, please.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
My skin is peeling off, but the tan ain't goin' away
Status: Beat beat beat, but satisfied
Today, I felt like a true Brit.
I always felt that the sign of a Londoner is someone who reads a newspaper on the tube or listens to their iPod or what have you and doesn't hold onto the poles. I did that today without even thinking and then realized it halfway through my tube ride. I felt pretty proud of myself.
Let it be said that there are NO cemeteries in greater London, or at least none that I can film at. My GOD, if you have any suggestions on what I should put in the search engine that I haven't come up with yet or a suggestion of another place that would help an audience figure out that my main character is visiting a dead friend's grave without her having to say, "I'm visiting my dead friend's grave."
So, after my nasty cemetery search that yielded nothing but construction sites and extra fees, I decided to head over to Temple Tube Station and go on my "The London that Inspired Harry Potter" walk.
It was more geared towards the little kids, but I now know what alley inspired Diagon Alley (there are actually a TON of antique bookshops in the alley, so I'm going back). And, I know where the public entrance to the Ministry of Magic is.
Did I dial M-A-G-I-C into the phone, you ask?
No. Of course not. Do you think I'm dim? I know better than that.
It's Sunday and the Ministry isn't open on Sundays.
Remember when I thought I saw the Tardis from the boat on our tour. From far away, it looked like it, but it is not a Tardis. I took a picture of it anyway. It was the only blue box thing left in London. I was disappointed. Let's all just pretend that the Tardis went through a wormhole.
I had to get a picture of it for Sam. Sadly, people (foreingers, probaby) have started using it as a rubbish bin, so I had to rearrange the trash to get a proper picture. Poor wormholed Tardis
I'm going to go see Chicago on Thursday; that should be fun. But this is the last time I'm paying that much for a ticket. I'll wait in line in the mornings for hours to get cheaper tickets if I have to. That's all there is to it.
All right now. I think I have a hunger-induced headache, so I'm going to go eat something, pop a few pills and get to enjoying the rest of my Sunday night. You go do that, too...except for the pill-popping...unless you need to.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Today, I felt like a true Brit.
I always felt that the sign of a Londoner is someone who reads a newspaper on the tube or listens to their iPod or what have you and doesn't hold onto the poles. I did that today without even thinking and then realized it halfway through my tube ride. I felt pretty proud of myself.
Let it be said that there are NO cemeteries in greater London, or at least none that I can film at. My GOD, if you have any suggestions on what I should put in the search engine that I haven't come up with yet or a suggestion of another place that would help an audience figure out that my main character is visiting a dead friend's grave without her having to say, "I'm visiting my dead friend's grave."
So, after my nasty cemetery search that yielded nothing but construction sites and extra fees, I decided to head over to Temple Tube Station and go on my "The London that Inspired Harry Potter" walk.
It was more geared towards the little kids, but I now know what alley inspired Diagon Alley (there are actually a TON of antique bookshops in the alley, so I'm going back). And, I know where the public entrance to the Ministry of Magic is.
Did I dial M-A-G-I-C into the phone, you ask?
No. Of course not. Do you think I'm dim? I know better than that.
It's Sunday and the Ministry isn't open on Sundays.
Remember when I thought I saw the Tardis from the boat on our tour. From far away, it looked like it, but it is not a Tardis. I took a picture of it anyway. It was the only blue box thing left in London. I was disappointed. Let's all just pretend that the Tardis went through a wormhole.
I had to get a picture of it for Sam. Sadly, people (foreingers, probaby) have started using it as a rubbish bin, so I had to rearrange the trash to get a proper picture. Poor wormholed Tardis
I'm going to go see Chicago on Thursday; that should be fun. But this is the last time I'm paying that much for a ticket. I'll wait in line in the mornings for hours to get cheaper tickets if I have to. That's all there is to it.
All right now. I think I have a hunger-induced headache, so I'm going to go eat something, pop a few pills and get to enjoying the rest of my Sunday night. You go do that, too...except for the pill-popping...unless you need to.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Saturday, July 11, 2009
Underwear is fun
Status: Ashamed
Today, I did two things I said I would never do:
1. Buy a purse
2. Buy/wear leggings
*hangs head in shame*
I had to, though! This whole carrying around my messenger bag thing is getting ridiculous. It's easy to reach your hands into and it's too deep, so I freak out every time I reach in there for something. I'm so paranoid. And the leggings...well, I bought a dress that I thought was a shirt but it's too long to be a shirt and I can't justify wearing it with jeans. But it is WAY to short for comfort and you'd see a ton of stuff on my legs that you really don't want to see and I really don't want to show you. And the leggings were only 5 pounds...I had to, guys. I swear.
I didn't make it to my walk today. After blogging and emails and facebooking, I went to bed at 4:30am and was not going to get up at 9am on a Saturday.
But, I did go to the Fashion and Textile Museum today. It's super small, but their exhibit was concentrated on ladies undergarments through history. It was actually quite cool and I got a lot of pictures of it. Here are some
There was one piece that was called the Honeymoon Set. It's made of recycled panties and bras. It is an underwear monstrosity. And I kind of want to own it...just to hang it up in my room by a string as a conversation piece in boring moments
I'm not at all sure what I'm going to do tonight, but reading a book and relaxing sounds like a really good plan. That or playing the piano. That sounds nice, too.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Today, I did two things I said I would never do:
1. Buy a purse
2. Buy/wear leggings
*hangs head in shame*
I had to, though! This whole carrying around my messenger bag thing is getting ridiculous. It's easy to reach your hands into and it's too deep, so I freak out every time I reach in there for something. I'm so paranoid. And the leggings...well, I bought a dress that I thought was a shirt but it's too long to be a shirt and I can't justify wearing it with jeans. But it is WAY to short for comfort and you'd see a ton of stuff on my legs that you really don't want to see and I really don't want to show you. And the leggings were only 5 pounds...I had to, guys. I swear.
I didn't make it to my walk today. After blogging and emails and facebooking, I went to bed at 4:30am and was not going to get up at 9am on a Saturday.
But, I did go to the Fashion and Textile Museum today. It's super small, but their exhibit was concentrated on ladies undergarments through history. It was actually quite cool and I got a lot of pictures of it. Here are some
There was one piece that was called the Honeymoon Set. It's made of recycled panties and bras. It is an underwear monstrosity. And I kind of want to own it...just to hang it up in my room by a string as a conversation piece in boring moments
I'm not at all sure what I'm going to do tonight, but reading a book and relaxing sounds like a really good plan. That or playing the piano. That sounds nice, too.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot!
Friday, July 10, 2009
The clock be ticking
Status: Both regretting and glad for the fact that I didn't get in that taxi
Like I said, we went to Notting Hill and explored Portabello Market
And got the see the actual travel bookshop that inspired Notting Hill's travel bookshop.
We also passed by a house that was once owned by George Orwell.
I did not see Hugh Grant or Julia Roberts, but I did buy a pocket watch that I adore. I was about ready to drop a good 35 pounds on a real quill(feather and all) and green ink, but I couldn't do it. If I have that money to spare, I'll go back and get it. It's not going anywhere.
I did the last part of my shopping alone and then hopped on the tube.
And met. The most. Attractive Brit. I have. Ever. Seen.
He was probably 27 or 28, wearing a light blue cashmere sweater and pants that...well, suffice to say I almost missed looking at his hands because other parts of him were mouthwatering. He was carrying a leather briefcase. He had Jude Law's sandy, curly hair from The Holiday and artsy, square glasses. In fact, he reminded me a lot of Jude Law, except less rough around the edges. He jaw wasn't as sharp.
He bumped into me and said, "Oh, excuse me, luv."
My dearest love, you may bump into me any time you like. Plzthx
Then he sat down next to me and we had the following conversation:
Him: You do know those tabloids are complete rubbish, don't you?
Me: Yeah. Someone just shoved it at me and I grabbed. I was in a hurry
Him: Oh. You're American.
Me: Indeed, I am.
Him: What are you doing here?
Me: Studying film
Him: *raise eyebrows* Hmm. Interesting.
And that was all, until we ran into each other on the street and he smiled and said, "You're following me, I can tell." I laughed because I thought if I opened my mouth, I might not be able to stop myself from jumping him. Then he hailed a cab and left. I never got his name.
Later on, a lot of people headed out to Soho for some clubbing, but I wasn't in the mood so I sat in my room with Erin and Kara and talked girl-talk. Kara never got to hang out in the dorms, so this was all new and fun for her. Then we went downstairs and met up with some of our gang and a Scotsman named Lewis who is 24. He's from Inverness, but he's hanging out here for work. He has a girlfriend, but they got in a fight, so he was out getting drunk. I don't know how they all ran into him but I was glad they did. He was a pretty pretty man. I mean, really. And this time I knew his name. I told him I had never met a Scottish guy before. He shook my hand. Then, he got down on one knee and kissed my hand, in "a true Scottish gentleman's way" as he put it.
Again, my heart was stolen.
So when he wanted to go out some more, he called a cab. Kara and the rest of the gang headed off to The Rocket as the cab pulled over. I had no money with me, no phone, but DAMN I wanted to get into that cab with Lewis, and I thought about it for a minute, but followed Kara instead. Hell knows what could have happened if I had gotten in that cab with him, but I'll never know now. I know it's probably a good thing, but again, it would have been one hell of a story
But The Rocket was a ton of fun. Kara told me it looked a lot like the Riv, so I'm excited to be back in EL and hang out there. Matt and I sang to Nickleback (in jest, so don't judge)
And now I'm here, typing to you.
And now I'm going to bed. I have a London Walk I want to go on in the morning at 10:45. It's called Doctor's London: Pox & Plague, Leeches & Quacks. It sounds like a lot of fun and it's a one time deal, so if I get up in time, I'll head over to St. Paul's and meet my tour guide.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot. G'night!
Like I said, we went to Notting Hill and explored Portabello Market
And got the see the actual travel bookshop that inspired Notting Hill's travel bookshop.
We also passed by a house that was once owned by George Orwell.
I did not see Hugh Grant or Julia Roberts, but I did buy a pocket watch that I adore. I was about ready to drop a good 35 pounds on a real quill(feather and all) and green ink, but I couldn't do it. If I have that money to spare, I'll go back and get it. It's not going anywhere.
I did the last part of my shopping alone and then hopped on the tube.
And met. The most. Attractive Brit. I have. Ever. Seen.
He was probably 27 or 28, wearing a light blue cashmere sweater and pants that...well, suffice to say I almost missed looking at his hands because other parts of him were mouthwatering. He was carrying a leather briefcase. He had Jude Law's sandy, curly hair from The Holiday and artsy, square glasses. In fact, he reminded me a lot of Jude Law, except less rough around the edges. He jaw wasn't as sharp.
He bumped into me and said, "Oh, excuse me, luv."
My dearest love, you may bump into me any time you like. Plzthx
Then he sat down next to me and we had the following conversation:
Him: You do know those tabloids are complete rubbish, don't you?
Me: Yeah. Someone just shoved it at me and I grabbed. I was in a hurry
Him: Oh. You're American.
Me: Indeed, I am.
Him: What are you doing here?
Me: Studying film
Him: *raise eyebrows* Hmm. Interesting.
And that was all, until we ran into each other on the street and he smiled and said, "You're following me, I can tell." I laughed because I thought if I opened my mouth, I might not be able to stop myself from jumping him. Then he hailed a cab and left. I never got his name.
Later on, a lot of people headed out to Soho for some clubbing, but I wasn't in the mood so I sat in my room with Erin and Kara and talked girl-talk. Kara never got to hang out in the dorms, so this was all new and fun for her. Then we went downstairs and met up with some of our gang and a Scotsman named Lewis who is 24. He's from Inverness, but he's hanging out here for work. He has a girlfriend, but they got in a fight, so he was out getting drunk. I don't know how they all ran into him but I was glad they did. He was a pretty pretty man. I mean, really. And this time I knew his name. I told him I had never met a Scottish guy before. He shook my hand. Then, he got down on one knee and kissed my hand, in "a true Scottish gentleman's way" as he put it.
Again, my heart was stolen.
So when he wanted to go out some more, he called a cab. Kara and the rest of the gang headed off to The Rocket as the cab pulled over. I had no money with me, no phone, but DAMN I wanted to get into that cab with Lewis, and I thought about it for a minute, but followed Kara instead. Hell knows what could have happened if I had gotten in that cab with him, but I'll never know now. I know it's probably a good thing, but again, it would have been one hell of a story
But The Rocket was a ton of fun. Kara told me it looked a lot like the Riv, so I'm excited to be back in EL and hang out there. Matt and I sang to Nickleback (in jest, so don't judge)
And now I'm here, typing to you.
And now I'm going to bed. I have a London Walk I want to go on in the morning at 10:45. It's called Doctor's London: Pox & Plague, Leeches & Quacks. It sounds like a lot of fun and it's a one time deal, so if I get up in time, I'll head over to St. Paul's and meet my tour guide.
Pip pip, cherrio and all that rot. G'night!
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