So tomorrow (being Saturday, since it's technically very early Friday morning here), I head off to my mid-term break in Paris and Rome. Pam and I will be taking the Eurostar beneath the English Channel to Paris. Pete's going to meet me there for a couple of days, and then on Wednesday morning Pam and I will continue on to Rome for a couple of days and then fly back to London on Sunday, March 9. It's going to be a whirlwind of a week, but I am so excited. Today, I practiced key French and Italian phrases, namely those like "Where is the bathroom?" and "I'm lost! Do you speak English?" My favorite phrase that I've perfected is "I would like a litre of the house red wine, please" in Italian. Haha. We'll see if I actually use that one.
This week has been pretty laidback. Monday and Tuesday were class days, and besides giving a group presentation on British ads on Monday, were pretty basic. Wednesdays we usually have a class-related field trip, but this week being right before break, they let us have a free day. I ended up having to go into work and help set up for a presentation and party that evening. Prior to going in, I treated myself to the National Portrait Gallery, where they have a current high-profile exhibition of Vanity Fair photos throughout the decades. It was a little pricey of an exhibit, but I loved it. It's amazing to see these famous and beautiful photos of some of the world's most famous people. My favorites are by Anne Leibowitz, whose work is easily identifiable. She's the one who is often behind the big tri-fold Vanity Fair covers with a spectrum of celebrities. She's an absolute genius. Google her. You'll be impressed. After that exhibit, I checked out one of the all the Tudor portraits, which featured original oil portraits of King Henry VIII, his hundreds of wives (ok, he only had 6 in reality...still too many) and a lot of Elizabeth I and her court. I've been so immersed in the Tudor dynasty since reading and watching The Other Boleyn Girl, so I'll ride this wave of interest until I get sick of it. It is intriguing history, though.
After the museum, I went in to help set up for a presentation and screening of the Cannes Lions Festival. This Festival is like the Addies of the US--it's the top ads of the year in all mediums from all over the world. My employer has ownership in the festival, so it was an event put together to show clients a little about what the festival has to offer. The ads themselves were absolutely brilliant. It makes me happy to be in a field that is so creative, even if I never actually create the stuff. The whole night was a lot of fun. We all enjoyed great champagne (probably too much) and tapas, and afterwards one of my bosses and a couple coworkers went out with the interns to a pub for a pint. It's great that we're getting to know everyone on a much more personal level. I feel like I can joke around and be really casual with people in the office. It's so cool to feel that you can relate to people on that level and not just be viewed as "the intern." I had similar relationships with some of my coworkers over the summer, so it's really nice that the same thing is working out overseas. We're at the halfway point in our internship now, which is pretty sad, but I know the latter half of the semester is going to be just as great as the first. It's hard not to have fun when I go into work. It's a nice reassurance that I'm going into the right career.
It's been a nice, low-key week leading up to a crazy one this coming week. I want to forewarn you that I will not be bringing my computer on my trip with me, so there will be no blog updates for a little while. When I return, prepare yourself for a monster entry and too many pictures. Also, I still need to upload some pictures from Greenwich, particularly those where I'm in two hemispheres at once. I'll try to get those up tomorrow, but no promises. Packing takes precendent.
That's it for now. Happy leap year! I'd like to give a special shout out to my cousin, Annie, who turns 6 today! Hooray!
Thursday 28 February 2008
Sunday 24 February 2008
Sitting in a pub that's older than my country
I'm going to Tarantino this story a little bit and tell you my most recent adventure first and kind of work my way back through my memory of the past week or so.
Today Pam and I attended mass at a nearby Catholic church with a couple of friends of ours. It was the Latin mass, and so some of the prayers and all of the songs were in Latin, which was kind of challenging, but still really fun. Afterwards, Pam, Alex and Steph Coon and I traveled out to Greenwich (pronounced Gren-itch), which is in East London, on the other side of the Thames. It’s a really cool city with a number of great attractions. On a nice day, you could make a whole day out of it by traveling out there and enjoying lunch in Greenwich Park, shopping in the markets and visiting the Royal Maritime Museums and Royal Observatory. We got out there a little later, especially after a good 30-45 minute walk from the tube station since the connecting line was shut down, so we only hit up the Royal Observatory. It’s the place where they have the Prime Meridian marked, so you can stand with your feet literally in two hemispheres. Obviously, pictures of this momentous occasion were taken, but I’ll have to upload them later. My camera’s out of batteries. If I get a chance, I’d love to come back on a sunny day. The Observatory is settled on a tall hill with a spectacular view out on the city. You can’t see way west toward Westminster and the London Eye, but you can see a lot of the east part of the city.
Last evening, I accomplished one of my London goals by hitting up the famous old pub, Ye Olde Chesire Cheese, where Charles Dickens used to haunt, as well as several of London's old journalists, as its location on Fleet Street (yes, Sweeney Todd's area) used to be a major newspaper hub back in the day. This pub was REbuilt in 1667 after the great London fire, so it is extremely old and rich in history. I literally felt like I was walking a time portal as I entered into the building with it's dark, uneven floors and walls, it's little bar rooms and restaurants tucked into every corner and the smell of charcoal burning in the fireplace. It was seriously one of the coolest places I've been in London. Pam and I had dinner there and a couple of drinks and chatted for a few hours, which made for a really nice evening. I really wanted to try a meat pie at a pub, so I felt it appropriate to make this the night. So I ordered a steak and kidney pie. Ever tried kidneys? Not for me, I discovered. But the steak aspect was good as well as the bountiful chips (fries) that came along with it. All these good chips make dieting in London hard, which I was not expecting.
The Chesire Cheese has been around for 15 sovereigns. It's hard to comprehend that!
The ceilings were so low!
This weekend has been pretty laid-back. I stayed in most of yesterday, just getting some homework done for a group project we have due on Monday and investigated some traveling options for Pete's and my Easter break to Vienna and Bratislava in a couple of weeks.
Friday night I had a great time out with the girls. A group of 8 of us went to a very small and posh club out in Fulham, which is further south outside of the city. We talked the bouncers down about £10 to get in and danced the night away. In all honesty, I enjoy the pub atmosphere better than club atmosphere, but I really had a great time dancing with my friends and experiencing something entirely new and a little out of my element.
As far as other highlights throughout the week go, besides The Other Boleyn Girl premiere, I took a nice day-trip through class out to Dover castle and the city of Canterbury. Dover Castle was extremely fun and gorgeous. We had some serious fog on our way there that finally broke when we hit the castle. It's situated atop the famed white cliffs of Dover, right on the English Channel, and is a really unique structure in its history because it has been used for tactical war purposes from the 1200s through WWII. Even now, there is a military church there, run my priests in the militia. The grounds were beautiful and fun to explore for a short hour and a half, or so. I could have spent more time there enjoying the sunlight and the scenery, but we were jetted off to the city of Canterbury (Chaucer's Canterbury Tales ring a bell?) to explore the Canterbury Cathedral, where Christianity formally was brought to the UK. It also has some historical significance as Bishop Thomas Beckett, now known as St. Thomas of Canterbury, was murdered in the cathedral itself back in the 1200s. It was a cool church, but lately, after St. Paul's, Westminster and a couple of others, I feel like I've reached a saturation point with visiting churches. We managed to stop in one more in Canterbury, where St. Thomas's finger bone, one of his only remains, was placed in a box above an alter in memorial. Very weird, but interesting I guess? We walked around Canterbury after lunch for far too long, and were happy to be bussed home, as these all day trips can be really exhausting. Luckily, this week we do not have one and just are meeting with our internship coordinators to discuss our mid-term progress.
On that note, I am shocked that it's already mid-term. As of today, I've been abroad 47 days, which astounds me. Part of me feels like I've been here forever, yet it's hard for me to comprehend that I only have a few weekends left in London due to all the traveling I will be doing the remainder of the semester. I put all the things I want to see/do on a calendar so that way I could visually see what needs to be done when, and I'm shocked at how everything is starting to get squeezed in. Hopefully I get it all done.
Here's a couple of pictures from the trip Wednesday.
What I could see of the white cliffs of Dover.
The Dover Castle keep, which was set up on the interior to show what it would have been like when King Henry VIII and his court would have occupied the castle.
This old lighthouse was constructed by the Romans in 160 AD. It is actually called a pharos.
Just so sexy.
St. Thomas Cathedral at Canterbury
Inside the nave at the cathedral.
A couple more things. Check out this picture of me as the "Official Creeper to the Stars" behind Scarlett Johansson. This photo was on Perezhilton.com this week, which is easily the world's most popular celebrity blog that a ton of my friends back home read. My flatmate Alex is snapping the photo, and I am peeking out over her shoulder with a look of sheer joy for being within feet of Scarlett. Unfortunately, my face actually makes me look like "that girl" who was purposely trying to get in that shot. Not really what I was going for, but oh well. I'll take my fame where I can get it I guess. Just get a good laugh out of the photo. It's pretty funny.
By the way, I want to let you know that have not let my recent celeb exposure get into my head. I don't anticipate or necessarily want anything like this to happen again, but it was a really cool experience while it lasted.
Here are some pictures of St. Paul's from my adventure last Saturday. It is a gorgeous building with an even more gorgeous view of London. Enjoy!
Pigeons at St. Paul's
Walking toward St. Paul's. So pretty.
From atop the dome, looking over the front of St. Paul's, west onto the City.
A view of the London Eye, Waterloo Bridge and way in the distance, Westminster and Parliament.
I'm up in the spire now! I could slide down the dome if I wanted...Ok, maybe not.
Today Pam and I attended mass at a nearby Catholic church with a couple of friends of ours. It was the Latin mass, and so some of the prayers and all of the songs were in Latin, which was kind of challenging, but still really fun. Afterwards, Pam, Alex and Steph Coon and I traveled out to Greenwich (pronounced Gren-itch), which is in East London, on the other side of the Thames. It’s a really cool city with a number of great attractions. On a nice day, you could make a whole day out of it by traveling out there and enjoying lunch in Greenwich Park, shopping in the markets and visiting the Royal Maritime Museums and Royal Observatory. We got out there a little later, especially after a good 30-45 minute walk from the tube station since the connecting line was shut down, so we only hit up the Royal Observatory. It’s the place where they have the Prime Meridian marked, so you can stand with your feet literally in two hemispheres. Obviously, pictures of this momentous occasion were taken, but I’ll have to upload them later. My camera’s out of batteries. If I get a chance, I’d love to come back on a sunny day. The Observatory is settled on a tall hill with a spectacular view out on the city. You can’t see way west toward Westminster and the London Eye, but you can see a lot of the east part of the city.
Last evening, I accomplished one of my London goals by hitting up the famous old pub, Ye Olde Chesire Cheese, where Charles Dickens used to haunt, as well as several of London's old journalists, as its location on Fleet Street (yes, Sweeney Todd's area) used to be a major newspaper hub back in the day. This pub was REbuilt in 1667 after the great London fire, so it is extremely old and rich in history. I literally felt like I was walking a time portal as I entered into the building with it's dark, uneven floors and walls, it's little bar rooms and restaurants tucked into every corner and the smell of charcoal burning in the fireplace. It was seriously one of the coolest places I've been in London. Pam and I had dinner there and a couple of drinks and chatted for a few hours, which made for a really nice evening. I really wanted to try a meat pie at a pub, so I felt it appropriate to make this the night. So I ordered a steak and kidney pie. Ever tried kidneys? Not for me, I discovered. But the steak aspect was good as well as the bountiful chips (fries) that came along with it. All these good chips make dieting in London hard, which I was not expecting.
The Chesire Cheese has been around for 15 sovereigns. It's hard to comprehend that!
The ceilings were so low!
This weekend has been pretty laid-back. I stayed in most of yesterday, just getting some homework done for a group project we have due on Monday and investigated some traveling options for Pete's and my Easter break to Vienna and Bratislava in a couple of weeks.
Friday night I had a great time out with the girls. A group of 8 of us went to a very small and posh club out in Fulham, which is further south outside of the city. We talked the bouncers down about £10 to get in and danced the night away. In all honesty, I enjoy the pub atmosphere better than club atmosphere, but I really had a great time dancing with my friends and experiencing something entirely new and a little out of my element.
As far as other highlights throughout the week go, besides The Other Boleyn Girl premiere, I took a nice day-trip through class out to Dover castle and the city of Canterbury. Dover Castle was extremely fun and gorgeous. We had some serious fog on our way there that finally broke when we hit the castle. It's situated atop the famed white cliffs of Dover, right on the English Channel, and is a really unique structure in its history because it has been used for tactical war purposes from the 1200s through WWII. Even now, there is a military church there, run my priests in the militia. The grounds were beautiful and fun to explore for a short hour and a half, or so. I could have spent more time there enjoying the sunlight and the scenery, but we were jetted off to the city of Canterbury (Chaucer's Canterbury Tales ring a bell?) to explore the Canterbury Cathedral, where Christianity formally was brought to the UK. It also has some historical significance as Bishop Thomas Beckett, now known as St. Thomas of Canterbury, was murdered in the cathedral itself back in the 1200s. It was a cool church, but lately, after St. Paul's, Westminster and a couple of others, I feel like I've reached a saturation point with visiting churches. We managed to stop in one more in Canterbury, where St. Thomas's finger bone, one of his only remains, was placed in a box above an alter in memorial. Very weird, but interesting I guess? We walked around Canterbury after lunch for far too long, and were happy to be bussed home, as these all day trips can be really exhausting. Luckily, this week we do not have one and just are meeting with our internship coordinators to discuss our mid-term progress.
On that note, I am shocked that it's already mid-term. As of today, I've been abroad 47 days, which astounds me. Part of me feels like I've been here forever, yet it's hard for me to comprehend that I only have a few weekends left in London due to all the traveling I will be doing the remainder of the semester. I put all the things I want to see/do on a calendar so that way I could visually see what needs to be done when, and I'm shocked at how everything is starting to get squeezed in. Hopefully I get it all done.
Here's a couple of pictures from the trip Wednesday.
What I could see of the white cliffs of Dover.
The Dover Castle keep, which was set up on the interior to show what it would have been like when King Henry VIII and his court would have occupied the castle.
This old lighthouse was constructed by the Romans in 160 AD. It is actually called a pharos.
Just so sexy.
St. Thomas Cathedral at Canterbury
Inside the nave at the cathedral.
A couple more things. Check out this picture of me as the "Official Creeper to the Stars" behind Scarlett Johansson. This photo was on Perezhilton.com this week, which is easily the world's most popular celebrity blog that a ton of my friends back home read. My flatmate Alex is snapping the photo, and I am peeking out over her shoulder with a look of sheer joy for being within feet of Scarlett. Unfortunately, my face actually makes me look like "that girl" who was purposely trying to get in that shot. Not really what I was going for, but oh well. I'll take my fame where I can get it I guess. Just get a good laugh out of the photo. It's pretty funny.
By the way, I want to let you know that have not let my recent celeb exposure get into my head. I don't anticipate or necessarily want anything like this to happen again, but it was a really cool experience while it lasted.
Here are some pictures of St. Paul's from my adventure last Saturday. It is a gorgeous building with an even more gorgeous view of London. Enjoy!
Pigeons at St. Paul's
Walking toward St. Paul's. So pretty.
From atop the dome, looking over the front of St. Paul's, west onto the City.
A view of the London Eye, Waterloo Bridge and way in the distance, Westminster and Parliament.
I'm up in the spire now! I could slide down the dome if I wanted...Ok, maybe not.
Wednesday 20 February 2008
Lily Allen + Samantha Schaefer = BFFs(?)
The Royal Premiere of 'The Other Boleyn Girl' surpassed my expectations. The movie itself was wonderfully done (though, I definitely prefer and recommend the book). However, it was the star factor that still has me going back and being like, "Wait, did that just happen?"
Take, for instance the picture that I found of myself online at several websites. I was walking in with famous Brit singer, Lily Allen, and got stuck behind her during a huge photo shoot. Oops!
I was trying to quickly get out of the way so I wasn't "that girl" to the celebs. But too late.
So here's the whole story: After work Tuesday, Denise and Lillian, two of our supervisors took us down to the Radisson Edwardian on Leicester Square, right next to the Odeon Theater where the premiere was. We had a couple of snacks and drinks before heading toward the red carpet, which in this case, was actually a turquois color. Here's me with Sarah (far left) and Alex, the two amazing girls I intern with on the turquois carpet.
We timed our entrance just right. Literally, as we were walking up the carpet, Natalie Portman was just 10 feet away from us doing interviews and Eric Bana who played King Henry VIII just a couple feet further. Then out of nowhere swoops in Scarlet Johansson, passing within an arms length infront of us. I am using all of Alex's pictures to document the night because my camera's night vision quality was absolutely awful.
Our view of the Odeon walking up.
Eric Bana doing interviews.
Natalie Portman doing interviews (the one with the hair slightly up, with the beautiful curl). She looked absolutely amazing.
Scarlett Johansson as she walked past us.
Scarlett working it for the cameras. She is even more gorgeous and very tiny in person.
Scarlett and Natalie walking onstage before the movie began. Isn't Natalie's dress stunning? Alex was third row, so was able to take these amazing photos.
The main cast on stage as the director, Justin Chadwick spoke. He's so young and great at what he does.
I was up in the balcony level, which actually proved quite fun. When Prince Charles and Camilla arrived, they were seated at the bottom of the balcony, about 15-20 rows in front of us. The cast also had seats nearby. It was hard to comprehend at the time that I was in the presence of royalty, let alone the future king of England. They seem like such friendly people. Denise, our boss, got to meet him earlier in the day at a luncheon for trustees of a film board. She raved about Charles and even Camilla (I think she's on Team Camilla, not Diana. My boss, Lillian, is definitely rooting the other way.) At the end of the film, Charles and Camilla walked up the stairs and stopped just a couple rows in front of us to talk to friends, so I got a good close-up view. I was tempted to snap a picture, but no one else was, so I didn't want to be rude about it. You'll just have to take my word for proof.
Overall, an incredible evening. I know I will never get to experience anything like it again in my life, so I definitely enjoyed getting dressed up and living in the moment. London is an amazing city--a financial headquarter and a huge cultural and entertainment hub--that I'm so lucky to get to enjoy at this point in my life. I know at the end of this, I'll be anxious to get home and back to the pace of the States, but in the meantime, I'm really appreciating all the experiences, whether or not they involve the Royal family.
I have a few more pictures of Dover Castle and the Canterbury Cathedral that I need to upload and tell you about, but I need to get going at the moment. I'm working on planning Pete's and my Easter break. Next week (beginning the 1st) is my mid-term break, and Pam and I are going to Paris and Rome. Pete is going to meet us in Paris for a couple of days, so I'm really excited to explore the city with him. My suitemate freshman year/roommate part of sophomore year is living in Paris for the semester, so she's going to be an awesome tour guide as well. Two weeks after our mid-term break is Easter break, and Pete and I were wanting to go a little further east like to Budapest or Prague or Vienna, but flights are proving difficult. So I'm still looking around. Hopefully there will be some breakthrough.
All right, I'm out. Hope everyone is having a good week!
Also, one more thanks to Alex for the photos. They are magnificent.
Take, for instance the picture that I found of myself online at several websites. I was walking in with famous Brit singer, Lily Allen, and got stuck behind her during a huge photo shoot. Oops!
I was trying to quickly get out of the way so I wasn't "that girl" to the celebs. But too late.
So here's the whole story: After work Tuesday, Denise and Lillian, two of our supervisors took us down to the Radisson Edwardian on Leicester Square, right next to the Odeon Theater where the premiere was. We had a couple of snacks and drinks before heading toward the red carpet, which in this case, was actually a turquois color. Here's me with Sarah (far left) and Alex, the two amazing girls I intern with on the turquois carpet.
We timed our entrance just right. Literally, as we were walking up the carpet, Natalie Portman was just 10 feet away from us doing interviews and Eric Bana who played King Henry VIII just a couple feet further. Then out of nowhere swoops in Scarlet Johansson, passing within an arms length infront of us. I am using all of Alex's pictures to document the night because my camera's night vision quality was absolutely awful.
Our view of the Odeon walking up.
Eric Bana doing interviews.
Natalie Portman doing interviews (the one with the hair slightly up, with the beautiful curl). She looked absolutely amazing.
Scarlett Johansson as she walked past us.
Scarlett working it for the cameras. She is even more gorgeous and very tiny in person.
Scarlett and Natalie walking onstage before the movie began. Isn't Natalie's dress stunning? Alex was third row, so was able to take these amazing photos.
The main cast on stage as the director, Justin Chadwick spoke. He's so young and great at what he does.
I was up in the balcony level, which actually proved quite fun. When Prince Charles and Camilla arrived, they were seated at the bottom of the balcony, about 15-20 rows in front of us. The cast also had seats nearby. It was hard to comprehend at the time that I was in the presence of royalty, let alone the future king of England. They seem like such friendly people. Denise, our boss, got to meet him earlier in the day at a luncheon for trustees of a film board. She raved about Charles and even Camilla (I think she's on Team Camilla, not Diana. My boss, Lillian, is definitely rooting the other way.) At the end of the film, Charles and Camilla walked up the stairs and stopped just a couple rows in front of us to talk to friends, so I got a good close-up view. I was tempted to snap a picture, but no one else was, so I didn't want to be rude about it. You'll just have to take my word for proof.
Overall, an incredible evening. I know I will never get to experience anything like it again in my life, so I definitely enjoyed getting dressed up and living in the moment. London is an amazing city--a financial headquarter and a huge cultural and entertainment hub--that I'm so lucky to get to enjoy at this point in my life. I know at the end of this, I'll be anxious to get home and back to the pace of the States, but in the meantime, I'm really appreciating all the experiences, whether or not they involve the Royal family.
I have a few more pictures of Dover Castle and the Canterbury Cathedral that I need to upload and tell you about, but I need to get going at the moment. I'm working on planning Pete's and my Easter break. Next week (beginning the 1st) is my mid-term break, and Pam and I are going to Paris and Rome. Pete is going to meet us in Paris for a couple of days, so I'm really excited to explore the city with him. My suitemate freshman year/roommate part of sophomore year is living in Paris for the semester, so she's going to be an awesome tour guide as well. Two weeks after our mid-term break is Easter break, and Pete and I were wanting to go a little further east like to Budapest or Prague or Vienna, but flights are proving difficult. So I'm still looking around. Hopefully there will be some breakthrough.
All right, I'm out. Hope everyone is having a good week!
Also, one more thanks to Alex for the photos. They are magnificent.
Saturday 16 February 2008
Life as a rock star?
Ladies and gentleman, look for me on the red carpet. No joke, this Tuesday, I get to go to the world premier of The Other Boleyn Girl, starring Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson. Our boss at work has great movie connections and so generously gave the interns passes to the premier. What's more is that this is the Royal Premier and thus, Prince Charles and Camilla will be present. How crazy is that?! Check out the movie trailer by going to www.sonypictures.com/movies/theotherboleyngirl. I'm quickly trying to read the book before I go, though I am only a fifth through. Regardless, it looks to be an incredible movie and an incredible night. I am so excited to share it with my co-workers. I honestly can't believe that I am so lucky to have this opportunity--just to be in the same theater as some of the world's greatest movie stars and (I still can't believe this) royalty, is beyond my comprehension. Stay tuned for pictures by Wednesday or Thursday.
Getting that wonderful news was one of the great treats we received at work this week. We were treated to the Century club, an exclusive private club that some of our bosses at work belong to, for lunch and a late-night cocktail party on Thursday night. The way they do clubs in downtown London is different than our country club method in the United States. It's not necessarily about the money, but about your profession. Century is comprised of people in advertising, film, entertainment, music or theater, so it's definitely a very artsy club. It's about creating an atmosphere or vibe with its members. I've enjoyed lunch there a few times--fabulous food. Smoked sea bass and a light mozzarella, tomato and basil salad were on the menu this go around. We stayed late after work on Thursday and then headed straight back to Century for an open cocktail bar and appetizers at the rooftop (which of course was covered, given that it's February in London). It was a great relaxed evening, just enjoying the scene and observing some of the posh London crowd.
Honestly, my job treats me and the other interns like rock stars. It's absolutely incredible. I feel so blessed. Their generosity is beyond belief, and I keep telling them that when I go back to Missouri, I won't know what to do with myself because I'll have been so spoiled. I've been thanking everyone incessantly, but I don't feel like any amount of cards I give or teas I make can really compare to what they’ve given me. In case you are wondering, I do actually do work at my internship. I've been really busy the past few weeks and Lillian has given me a couple of projects that I've really taken under my wing and have become the main contact for. As much as I love the perks and lunches that I've been showered with at work, getting good, hands-on agency experience is by far the best part. I feel like I've grown a lot in a professional sense, and am looking forward to see where I am by the end of this.
Moving away from work, it's been a fairly quiet week. On Wednesday all my flat mates and I went to see Avenue Q, a hilarious musical with a human and puppet cast. I like to think of it as an R-rated Sesame Street. Every taboo subject is touched on and sang about in such a light-hearted cheery tune. The irony is delightful. My stomach hurt from laughing at the end. Here are a few stage shots.
I’d highly recommend the show for anyone with a sense of humor. Although, it’s definitely not for the kids. Read a plot synopsis and you’ll get the point.
I forgot to mention that I saw another musical last Friday night. Pam took me out to Richmond, a western suburb of London, for a musical that her work had given her tickets to. It was an off-West End production called Next Door’s Baby about two Irish mothers and their families competing in a beautiful baby competition. It was a small cast of maybe 10 and it was at London’s only theater in the round, which means that the audience is seated all the way around the stage. It was an amazing musical. I loved the cast and the plot, and although the music wasn’t my favorite out there, they all had such amazing vocal quality. I also just loved that I was seriously 5 feet away from the actors themselves. You felt so engaged in what was going on. And the fact that it was a smaller theater and not some big West End/Broadway production, made me feel really part of the everyday London community, not so much as a tourist.
I also mentioned a bit ago that I’d upload pictures from the Lion King that I went to over a week ago. Check out some of these costumes:
Scar and Simba.
Yes, those are people in giraffe costumes. They were my favorite.
This weekend has been pretty relaxed. I haven’t done a lot besides my laundry and then a solo trip to St. Paul’s, which was absolutely amazing. The church itself is huge. Going in, I knew that the dome was big, but until you get inside and stand under the rotunda and look up, you can’t fully fathom how big it all is. It is an absolutely gorgeous building, and I had a great time exploring and climbing the 400 and something stairs up to almost the highest point of the steeple where I was able to snap some panoramic pictures of London. Thank God it was a clear day. It was an absolutely breathtaking view. I’ll post some pictures soon.
That’s about it for now. Stay tuned for Tuesday’s pictures! If I can, I’ll snap some of the stars or the royalty, but no guarantees.
Getting that wonderful news was one of the great treats we received at work this week. We were treated to the Century club, an exclusive private club that some of our bosses at work belong to, for lunch and a late-night cocktail party on Thursday night. The way they do clubs in downtown London is different than our country club method in the United States. It's not necessarily about the money, but about your profession. Century is comprised of people in advertising, film, entertainment, music or theater, so it's definitely a very artsy club. It's about creating an atmosphere or vibe with its members. I've enjoyed lunch there a few times--fabulous food. Smoked sea bass and a light mozzarella, tomato and basil salad were on the menu this go around. We stayed late after work on Thursday and then headed straight back to Century for an open cocktail bar and appetizers at the rooftop (which of course was covered, given that it's February in London). It was a great relaxed evening, just enjoying the scene and observing some of the posh London crowd.
Honestly, my job treats me and the other interns like rock stars. It's absolutely incredible. I feel so blessed. Their generosity is beyond belief, and I keep telling them that when I go back to Missouri, I won't know what to do with myself because I'll have been so spoiled. I've been thanking everyone incessantly, but I don't feel like any amount of cards I give or teas I make can really compare to what they’ve given me. In case you are wondering, I do actually do work at my internship. I've been really busy the past few weeks and Lillian has given me a couple of projects that I've really taken under my wing and have become the main contact for. As much as I love the perks and lunches that I've been showered with at work, getting good, hands-on agency experience is by far the best part. I feel like I've grown a lot in a professional sense, and am looking forward to see where I am by the end of this.
Moving away from work, it's been a fairly quiet week. On Wednesday all my flat mates and I went to see Avenue Q, a hilarious musical with a human and puppet cast. I like to think of it as an R-rated Sesame Street. Every taboo subject is touched on and sang about in such a light-hearted cheery tune. The irony is delightful. My stomach hurt from laughing at the end. Here are a few stage shots.
I’d highly recommend the show for anyone with a sense of humor. Although, it’s definitely not for the kids. Read a plot synopsis and you’ll get the point.
I forgot to mention that I saw another musical last Friday night. Pam took me out to Richmond, a western suburb of London, for a musical that her work had given her tickets to. It was an off-West End production called Next Door’s Baby about two Irish mothers and their families competing in a beautiful baby competition. It was a small cast of maybe 10 and it was at London’s only theater in the round, which means that the audience is seated all the way around the stage. It was an amazing musical. I loved the cast and the plot, and although the music wasn’t my favorite out there, they all had such amazing vocal quality. I also just loved that I was seriously 5 feet away from the actors themselves. You felt so engaged in what was going on. And the fact that it was a smaller theater and not some big West End/Broadway production, made me feel really part of the everyday London community, not so much as a tourist.
I also mentioned a bit ago that I’d upload pictures from the Lion King that I went to over a week ago. Check out some of these costumes:
Scar and Simba.
Yes, those are people in giraffe costumes. They were my favorite.
This weekend has been pretty relaxed. I haven’t done a lot besides my laundry and then a solo trip to St. Paul’s, which was absolutely amazing. The church itself is huge. Going in, I knew that the dome was big, but until you get inside and stand under the rotunda and look up, you can’t fully fathom how big it all is. It is an absolutely gorgeous building, and I had a great time exploring and climbing the 400 and something stairs up to almost the highest point of the steeple where I was able to snap some panoramic pictures of London. Thank God it was a clear day. It was an absolutely breathtaking view. I’ll post some pictures soon.
That’s about it for now. Stay tuned for Tuesday’s pictures! If I can, I’ll snap some of the stars or the royalty, but no guarantees.
Monday 11 February 2008
I'm off to Hogwarts!
Within the first couple of days of getting to London, I sat down and created a list of all the things I wanted to see and do. I successfully put a huge checkmark through so many this weekend and absolutely had a blast doing it. It was so warm and sunny all weekend—I just wore a light jacket out both days—so I hit up some outdoor activities.
Saturday Pam and I trekked up to Camden Market. I was there the week before with Pete, but I actually did some shopping this time…too much, unfortunately. I picked up a couple of gifts for people, a great pashamina scarf (the cashmere is so soft!) and a cute little dress for me. I even haggled my way down the price on that one by like £5/$10. I was pretty proud of myself for that one. The one thing I set out to get was wellies, and of course, that was the one thing I didn’t get. Oh well. If the weather holds out like it has been, I won’t need them.
On a weird note, Camden had a huge fire Saturday night. It started in one of the market stalls, but its origin is unknown. So weird….
Here's Camden pre-fire. Look at all the crazy store fronts!
Camden is located on a lock canal that boats actually go through. It's actually a cute little area.
On the way back, our tube stopped at King’s Cross, so naturally, Pam and I had to look for Platform 9 ¾. Those of you who read Harry Potter know the significance of this. Some people want to skydive before they die or maybe go on a Mediterranean Cruise, but no, all I wanted was to take my picture at Platform 9 ¾. Now if I could only figure out to go through the wall….
Screw London; I'm off to Hogwarts!
The famed King's Cross Station seen in the movies.
We took the tube to Portobello Road, another market, just to scope out the scene. It was a lot different than Camden. More antiques and food, less punk and alternative. It was such an awesome vibe though. I’m planning on going back next weekend to pick up some fresh fruit and peruse the area further. While there, Pam and I spotted something we’ve both been on the lookout for—a genuine Banksy piece of art. Banksy is one of the most famous graffiti artists in the world, and it’s pretty rare running across one. Pam and I were beyond excited, and of course, entered tourist-mode and took some pictures. Check them out, as well as this website: http://www.banksy.co.uk/
A view of some colorful flats lining Portobello Road. It is the markets of all street markets, in my opinion.
Chinese New Year has been in full-swing since Wednesday, but Sunday was the big parade and festival. Pam and my flatmates, Alex and Grace, and I got up early for the parade and followed it into Chinatown for some dim sum, which I regard as Asian tapas/appetizers. They are absolutely delicious and a cheap meal if you split them between friends. We walked around a bit afterwards before heading home. It was so cool feeling a part of this cultural event. That’s one of the perks about being in a huge city like London—you’re exposed to all these diverse cultures and experiences. I doubt I’ll ever be in a place as culturally diverse ever again. I hope to keep taking advantage of the opportunities as they come.
Chinatown was decorated the entire week. I loved the lanterns.
Here's the bearded dragon candy, the 'Candy of the Emperors' that I sampled. I was not really impressed, but at least I siezed the moment and had the experience.
The start of the parade.
Every night this weekend has been pretty low-key, which is nice after the extremely busy days I’ve had. Also, I’ve been doing some tight budgeting to save up for my trips this semester, so if I can keep the clubs to a minimum, I should be in good shape for Paris and Rome for spring break in a couple of weeks, and later on Vienna/Munich, Cork Ireland and Spain after that. A lot of travels. But airfare is fairly cheap, so now’s the time to capitalize on it.
Last thing before I sign off. Pete is nice and settled in Pamplona. He had to stay in a hostel for the first couple of nights, but found a great apartment with a spectacular view over the city. And it has free WiFi, so he and I have set up Skype so we can talk over the Internet and not burn up our cell phone minutes. It sounds like he’s having a good time. He’s met people in his program from all corners of the earth—Australia to France to Colombia. It also sounds like he’s going to have one of his apartment mate’s girlfriends help him with his conversational Spanish if he in return helps her learn English. If you want to keep updated with him and see some absolutely stunning pictures of the Spanish coast and countryside, you should keep up with his blog at: www.pamplonaprose.blogspot.com. He's a great writer, so it makes a good read.
Before I go, here are a few more pretty pictures from this past week:
Anne Hathaway's (William Shakespeare's wife) adorable country cottage.
Looking down at the Warwick Castle grounds.
Gorgeous green countryside. It's more breathtaking in person.
Pete and I in my flat.
In busy Piccadilly Circus.
To check out more photos of my weekend click
here.
Enjoy!
Saturday Pam and I trekked up to Camden Market. I was there the week before with Pete, but I actually did some shopping this time…too much, unfortunately. I picked up a couple of gifts for people, a great pashamina scarf (the cashmere is so soft!) and a cute little dress for me. I even haggled my way down the price on that one by like £5/$10. I was pretty proud of myself for that one. The one thing I set out to get was wellies, and of course, that was the one thing I didn’t get. Oh well. If the weather holds out like it has been, I won’t need them.
On a weird note, Camden had a huge fire Saturday night. It started in one of the market stalls, but its origin is unknown. So weird….
Here's Camden pre-fire. Look at all the crazy store fronts!
Camden is located on a lock canal that boats actually go through. It's actually a cute little area.
On the way back, our tube stopped at King’s Cross, so naturally, Pam and I had to look for Platform 9 ¾. Those of you who read Harry Potter know the significance of this. Some people want to skydive before they die or maybe go on a Mediterranean Cruise, but no, all I wanted was to take my picture at Platform 9 ¾. Now if I could only figure out to go through the wall….
Screw London; I'm off to Hogwarts!
The famed King's Cross Station seen in the movies.
We took the tube to Portobello Road, another market, just to scope out the scene. It was a lot different than Camden. More antiques and food, less punk and alternative. It was such an awesome vibe though. I’m planning on going back next weekend to pick up some fresh fruit and peruse the area further. While there, Pam and I spotted something we’ve both been on the lookout for—a genuine Banksy piece of art. Banksy is one of the most famous graffiti artists in the world, and it’s pretty rare running across one. Pam and I were beyond excited, and of course, entered tourist-mode and took some pictures. Check them out, as well as this website: http://www.banksy.co.uk/
A view of some colorful flats lining Portobello Road. It is the markets of all street markets, in my opinion.
Chinese New Year has been in full-swing since Wednesday, but Sunday was the big parade and festival. Pam and my flatmates, Alex and Grace, and I got up early for the parade and followed it into Chinatown for some dim sum, which I regard as Asian tapas/appetizers. They are absolutely delicious and a cheap meal if you split them between friends. We walked around a bit afterwards before heading home. It was so cool feeling a part of this cultural event. That’s one of the perks about being in a huge city like London—you’re exposed to all these diverse cultures and experiences. I doubt I’ll ever be in a place as culturally diverse ever again. I hope to keep taking advantage of the opportunities as they come.
Chinatown was decorated the entire week. I loved the lanterns.
Here's the bearded dragon candy, the 'Candy of the Emperors' that I sampled. I was not really impressed, but at least I siezed the moment and had the experience.
The start of the parade.
Every night this weekend has been pretty low-key, which is nice after the extremely busy days I’ve had. Also, I’ve been doing some tight budgeting to save up for my trips this semester, so if I can keep the clubs to a minimum, I should be in good shape for Paris and Rome for spring break in a couple of weeks, and later on Vienna/Munich, Cork Ireland and Spain after that. A lot of travels. But airfare is fairly cheap, so now’s the time to capitalize on it.
Last thing before I sign off. Pete is nice and settled in Pamplona. He had to stay in a hostel for the first couple of nights, but found a great apartment with a spectacular view over the city. And it has free WiFi, so he and I have set up Skype so we can talk over the Internet and not burn up our cell phone minutes. It sounds like he’s having a good time. He’s met people in his program from all corners of the earth—Australia to France to Colombia. It also sounds like he’s going to have one of his apartment mate’s girlfriends help him with his conversational Spanish if he in return helps her learn English. If you want to keep updated with him and see some absolutely stunning pictures of the Spanish coast and countryside, you should keep up with his blog at: www.pamplonaprose.blogspot.com. He's a great writer, so it makes a good read.
Before I go, here are a few more pretty pictures from this past week:
Anne Hathaway's (William Shakespeare's wife) adorable country cottage.
Looking down at the Warwick Castle grounds.
Gorgeous green countryside. It's more breathtaking in person.
Pete and I in my flat.
In busy Piccadilly Circus.
To check out more photos of my weekend click
here.
Enjoy!
Thursday 7 February 2008
Picture links
Hello all! I am exhausted, but I wanted to put up a couple of links to some photo albums on Facebook.
To view pictures from Pete's weekend, click here.
To view pictures from my trip to Warwick Castle and Shakespeare's home in Stratford-Upon-Avon, click here.
We had an absolutely GORGEOUS day at Warwick and Stratford-Upon-Avon. It was sunny and beautiful, not too cold either. Just being able to look out on the incredible countryside was my favorite part. Also, I've discovered that I'm a bit of a history buff, so I've enjoyed hitting up these castles and learning about the people that once lived there. Visiting Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare's (Hathaway was his wife) homes in Stratford-Upon-Avon was also a lot of fun. I'm a little bit of a doubter on the whole Shakespeare thing. I have a couple of issues believing that the son of a glove maker in rural England who was only educated up until the age of 13 was capable of writing these incredible sonnets and plays which deal with royalty, aristocracy and classical history. I am what one may classify as a fan of the Oxfordian theory, which felt it may have been some sort of earl that actually wrote the plays. Regardless, I still enjoyed the trip so much and appreciated learning about how people lived back in the 1600s. It definitely was a simple life back then, at least by our standards. Part of me would love that simplicity, but I am too connected to technology and electricity to ever wish that I lived back then.
Tonight I saw the Lion King musical with a group from my classes. It was an event paid for by our program fees, so I definitely opted to go. And I'm glad I did. The show was incredible, especially the staging and costumes. The costumes literally brought animals to life on stage. I'll have to include a few still shots later to show what I mean. As one of my favorite Disney movies of all time, I had a blast watching it and singing along to the songs in my head. The vocals were amazing as well. It was definitely a different perspective seeing it on stage than as a cartoon. I think I liked the stage better.
There are more updates with work and some more pictures that I need to post up here, but I'm going to get to bed right now. Sorry for the brief update. However, hopefully the picture links will suffice for now. Goodnight from London!
To view pictures from Pete's weekend, click here.
To view pictures from my trip to Warwick Castle and Shakespeare's home in Stratford-Upon-Avon, click here.
We had an absolutely GORGEOUS day at Warwick and Stratford-Upon-Avon. It was sunny and beautiful, not too cold either. Just being able to look out on the incredible countryside was my favorite part. Also, I've discovered that I'm a bit of a history buff, so I've enjoyed hitting up these castles and learning about the people that once lived there. Visiting Anne Hathaway and William Shakespeare's (Hathaway was his wife) homes in Stratford-Upon-Avon was also a lot of fun. I'm a little bit of a doubter on the whole Shakespeare thing. I have a couple of issues believing that the son of a glove maker in rural England who was only educated up until the age of 13 was capable of writing these incredible sonnets and plays which deal with royalty, aristocracy and classical history. I am what one may classify as a fan of the Oxfordian theory, which felt it may have been some sort of earl that actually wrote the plays. Regardless, I still enjoyed the trip so much and appreciated learning about how people lived back in the 1600s. It definitely was a simple life back then, at least by our standards. Part of me would love that simplicity, but I am too connected to technology and electricity to ever wish that I lived back then.
Tonight I saw the Lion King musical with a group from my classes. It was an event paid for by our program fees, so I definitely opted to go. And I'm glad I did. The show was incredible, especially the staging and costumes. The costumes literally brought animals to life on stage. I'll have to include a few still shots later to show what I mean. As one of my favorite Disney movies of all time, I had a blast watching it and singing along to the songs in my head. The vocals were amazing as well. It was definitely a different perspective seeing it on stage than as a cartoon. I think I liked the stage better.
There are more updates with work and some more pictures that I need to post up here, but I'm going to get to bed right now. Sorry for the brief update. However, hopefully the picture links will suffice for now. Goodnight from London!
Wednesday 6 February 2008
Pete weekend
First of all, I should inform you that I am not dead. I know I warned you that I’d be taking a temporary hiatus from blogging and essentially all other technology when Pete was here, but I want to reassure you that I’ll be back to posting every day or so.
Pete’s visit was the most amazing five days of my London stay so far. Which I guess isn’t too surprising. Being able to share the city with someone you really care about can’t be matched by practically anything. I’ll catch you up on what the past couple days have entailed. There are quite a few pictures, but I’m just going to give you the direct link to my photo album right here:. Note: Blogger is once again giving me a bit of trouble, so I actually may have to try linking it all together again tomorrow, or posting the pictures on the site. I'll get something worked out though. Don't worry if you can't view the pictures right now.
Pete arrived really early Friday morning at Gatwick Airport. I took a train up there to meet him and take him back to my flat so he could drop off his stuff and get settled before taking on the city on my beast of a scavenger hunt. I actually arrived to Gatwick a little late because there was a delay on the tube. So he actually had been waiting for me. When I arrived at his terminal, I was all frazzled, staring up at the screen and trying to figure out where I could meet him. All of a sudden, I felt someone standing uncomfortably close behind me. I turned around and nearly jumped back, having to do a double-take because I couldn’t believe it was him. It was very much a Pete greeting. So funny and cute. We commuted back to my flat and let’s just say both of us were ecstatic and cheesin’ pretty hard. I had to leave him to go to work, but he met up with Alex and me for lunch at Hummus Bros (best hummus EVER) and a little pastry at Café Valerie. My boss was incredible and upon finding out he was in town, let me off work after an afternoon meeting. She even let him come in and chill for a bit while I was in the meeting, just so we could jet off and spend time together.
Friday evening was pretty mild, especially since Pete was exhausted from the plane and jetlag. We did a little grocery shopping at Sainsbury’s and later hit up the cute little Wine Bar down the road. It’s so cozy and quintessential European (or at least what I can tell from my experiences so far)—it was a perfect romantic evening.
Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. Pete brought the good weather with him from Atlanta. Well, I guess it was still cold, but at least the sun puts a bright spin on things. We made some pasta and walked up to Kensington Gardens for a picnic at Round Pond. I showed him all the routes I take around the city, and probably exhausted him even further. Oops.
I decided to hit up an area of town I hadn’t been to yet on Saturday night. That’s what I love about Pete. He’s fun to explore new areas and things with. We went up to Camdentown after hearing a suggestion for good live music at a pub called the Dublin Castle. Camden is definitely alternative. We had to have seen about 50 mohawks getting off the tube with us alone. It was totally edgy and out of my element, but a lot of fun. There are amazing markets there on the weekends, so we caught the tail end of them when we arrived. There’s so much cute, cheap stuff that I’m definitely making a trip back this weekend. I am in some serious need for wellies, which are pretty cheap there.
Sorry, I digress. After checking out the markets, we found this AMAZING tapas bar called Jamon Jamon. I know Pete’s going to eat tapas like every day in Spain, but we’re both a big fan, so it hit the spot. It was definitely run by Spaniards so the taste was authentic and wonderful. The jug of sangria we split was also wonderful. Sangria is one of our favorite drinks, so I guess you could say we had to order it for sentimental reasons...and because we didn’t want to pay too much at the bar at the concert. Dublin Castle ended up being pretty cool. It has a great local vibe and the bands that played were really good. I honestly forgot their names, and it really ended up being only two by the time the night got rolling. I was just happy to check out some live music since so many great bands have rolled out of London.
Sunday was kind of a lazy day. We got going a little later in the afternoon and walked around Piccadilly Circus for a bit and then explored the National Gallery. This was my third time here, and I still am not finished seeing all the paintings. I guess I dawdle more than the average person. I made sure Pete saw the DaVinci’s and one of my favorite painting called “The Ambassadors” by Hans Holbein. Google it sometime. It’s pretty cool. We also moved into the 1750-1900 years, so I was psyched to see some beautiful Monets and Van Goghs, among many others.
Sunday night was the Superbowl, which we watched at the Imperial College union. It was definitely mostly Americans there, but oh well. You've got to have your American football, too. Sadly, Pete and I had to watch the Patriots lose. Yes, I know they’ve won so many others, but honestly, they are such an amazingly talented and dynamic team. Even when Brady’s down, the rest of the team performs incredibly well….at least up until this game. Pete was highly bummed about it. He’s big into the NE sports teams. Hopefully they can pull a big streak again next year. Something tells me it could happen.
Once again, my boss was incredible and let me off work a little early both Monday and Tuesday. Pete and I sampled some delicious local Indian food (I’m not a fan of British food too much, but London is renowned for all its Indian places…so good!) and on Monday night, took an amazing walk down the Thames River in central London. I heard that the Waterloo Bridge promised a gorgeous view at night with St. Paul’s lit up in the east and all of Westminster with Big Ben and Houses of Parliament to the west. And it was absolutely true. We had an incredible hour or two walk down the bank of the Thames, taking pictures and goofing around as we walked. I am perpetually amazed by the amount of fun Pete and I are able to have together. There is never a dull moment, and we enjoy each other’s company so much that it’s impossible not to enjoy anything we do together. Taking that moonlit walk was probably my favorite part of London so far. All the beauty and incredible sights around you are enhanced when you’re there with someone you care about so much.
Overall, it was a wonderful couple of days. We hung out with my flatmates a bit, and they really seemed to like Pete a lot. Again, not surprising for anyone who’s met him. He’s a charmer.
He left this morning, and though it was hard seeing him go, knowing that he was en route to Pamplona to start his semester in Spain made it much easier to handle. He’s arrived and I think is doing well. A little overwhelmed, I think, but I have no doubt that he’ll have conquered the country by the time he’s done. He’ll probably be fluent in Spanish after a couple of weeks too, which I know he’s excited for. He’s been looking forward to this experience since he was 17, so I’m ecstatic that he’s finally seeing it happen. He’s so passionate about Spain and the Spanish culture that there’s no way that he won’t have an absolutely amazing experience.
I have more to add about the class trip I went on today, but it’s a bit late here for me, so I’ll give you updates and pictures tomorrow.
Love you all. Cheers!
Pete’s visit was the most amazing five days of my London stay so far. Which I guess isn’t too surprising. Being able to share the city with someone you really care about can’t be matched by practically anything. I’ll catch you up on what the past couple days have entailed. There are quite a few pictures, but I’m just going to give you the direct link to my photo album right here:
Pete arrived really early Friday morning at Gatwick Airport. I took a train up there to meet him and take him back to my flat so he could drop off his stuff and get settled before taking on the city on my beast of a scavenger hunt. I actually arrived to Gatwick a little late because there was a delay on the tube. So he actually had been waiting for me. When I arrived at his terminal, I was all frazzled, staring up at the screen and trying to figure out where I could meet him. All of a sudden, I felt someone standing uncomfortably close behind me. I turned around and nearly jumped back, having to do a double-take because I couldn’t believe it was him. It was very much a Pete greeting. So funny and cute. We commuted back to my flat and let’s just say both of us were ecstatic and cheesin’ pretty hard. I had to leave him to go to work, but he met up with Alex and me for lunch at Hummus Bros (best hummus EVER) and a little pastry at Café Valerie. My boss was incredible and upon finding out he was in town, let me off work after an afternoon meeting. She even let him come in and chill for a bit while I was in the meeting, just so we could jet off and spend time together.
Friday evening was pretty mild, especially since Pete was exhausted from the plane and jetlag. We did a little grocery shopping at Sainsbury’s and later hit up the cute little Wine Bar down the road. It’s so cozy and quintessential European (or at least what I can tell from my experiences so far)—it was a perfect romantic evening.
Saturday was a beautiful sunny day. Pete brought the good weather with him from Atlanta. Well, I guess it was still cold, but at least the sun puts a bright spin on things. We made some pasta and walked up to Kensington Gardens for a picnic at Round Pond. I showed him all the routes I take around the city, and probably exhausted him even further. Oops.
I decided to hit up an area of town I hadn’t been to yet on Saturday night. That’s what I love about Pete. He’s fun to explore new areas and things with. We went up to Camdentown after hearing a suggestion for good live music at a pub called the Dublin Castle. Camden is definitely alternative. We had to have seen about 50 mohawks getting off the tube with us alone. It was totally edgy and out of my element, but a lot of fun. There are amazing markets there on the weekends, so we caught the tail end of them when we arrived. There’s so much cute, cheap stuff that I’m definitely making a trip back this weekend. I am in some serious need for wellies, which are pretty cheap there.
Sorry, I digress. After checking out the markets, we found this AMAZING tapas bar called Jamon Jamon. I know Pete’s going to eat tapas like every day in Spain, but we’re both a big fan, so it hit the spot. It was definitely run by Spaniards so the taste was authentic and wonderful. The jug of sangria we split was also wonderful. Sangria is one of our favorite drinks, so I guess you could say we had to order it for sentimental reasons...and because we didn’t want to pay too much at the bar at the concert. Dublin Castle ended up being pretty cool. It has a great local vibe and the bands that played were really good. I honestly forgot their names, and it really ended up being only two by the time the night got rolling. I was just happy to check out some live music since so many great bands have rolled out of London.
Sunday was kind of a lazy day. We got going a little later in the afternoon and walked around Piccadilly Circus for a bit and then explored the National Gallery. This was my third time here, and I still am not finished seeing all the paintings. I guess I dawdle more than the average person. I made sure Pete saw the DaVinci’s and one of my favorite painting called “The Ambassadors” by Hans Holbein. Google it sometime. It’s pretty cool. We also moved into the 1750-1900 years, so I was psyched to see some beautiful Monets and Van Goghs, among many others.
Sunday night was the Superbowl, which we watched at the Imperial College union. It was definitely mostly Americans there, but oh well. You've got to have your American football, too. Sadly, Pete and I had to watch the Patriots lose. Yes, I know they’ve won so many others, but honestly, they are such an amazingly talented and dynamic team. Even when Brady’s down, the rest of the team performs incredibly well….at least up until this game. Pete was highly bummed about it. He’s big into the NE sports teams. Hopefully they can pull a big streak again next year. Something tells me it could happen.
Once again, my boss was incredible and let me off work a little early both Monday and Tuesday. Pete and I sampled some delicious local Indian food (I’m not a fan of British food too much, but London is renowned for all its Indian places…so good!) and on Monday night, took an amazing walk down the Thames River in central London. I heard that the Waterloo Bridge promised a gorgeous view at night with St. Paul’s lit up in the east and all of Westminster with Big Ben and Houses of Parliament to the west. And it was absolutely true. We had an incredible hour or two walk down the bank of the Thames, taking pictures and goofing around as we walked. I am perpetually amazed by the amount of fun Pete and I are able to have together. There is never a dull moment, and we enjoy each other’s company so much that it’s impossible not to enjoy anything we do together. Taking that moonlit walk was probably my favorite part of London so far. All the beauty and incredible sights around you are enhanced when you’re there with someone you care about so much.
Overall, it was a wonderful couple of days. We hung out with my flatmates a bit, and they really seemed to like Pete a lot. Again, not surprising for anyone who’s met him. He’s a charmer.
He left this morning, and though it was hard seeing him go, knowing that he was en route to Pamplona to start his semester in Spain made it much easier to handle. He’s arrived and I think is doing well. A little overwhelmed, I think, but I have no doubt that he’ll have conquered the country by the time he’s done. He’ll probably be fluent in Spanish after a couple of weeks too, which I know he’s excited for. He’s been looking forward to this experience since he was 17, so I’m ecstatic that he’s finally seeing it happen. He’s so passionate about Spain and the Spanish culture that there’s no way that he won’t have an absolutely amazing experience.
I have more to add about the class trip I went on today, but it’s a bit late here for me, so I’ll give you updates and pictures tomorrow.
Love you all. Cheers!
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