Catching up on another eventful weekend...
Friday - Nick and I went to the Imperial War Museum. Saw a couple Holocaust exhibitions. Looked around the tanks and planes. Ate mac and cheese. Did not buy anything from the gift shop. Went to Cabinet War Rooms and Churchill Museum. Saw rooms where Churchill & Co. planned WWII. Bought postcard at gift shop. Walked to No. 10 Downing Street. Saw police officer with a gun - only time that's ever happened in London.
Saturday - Nick and I went to Hampton Court. Walked around the palace gardens. Saw people dressed up as Henry VIII's friends. Bought something for the parents at the gift shop. Came back to London. Saw La Cage aux Folles. Laughed.
Sunday - Went to Spitalfields Market. Bought yet another scarf. Nick and I went to Leceister Square. Walked around. Ate Chinese food in Chinatown.
Monday - Went to Kensington Gardens after class. Saw Collaboration after that. Enjoyed both.
Tuesday - Saw Hamlet with Jude Law. Amazing.
Superlatives:
Worst part: Too many things to do, not enough time.
Best part: The best is yet to come.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Summertime in the city
We visited Oxford on Saturday. It’s a cute British town, and the colleges were all beautiful. But what did we all want to see most? The Great Hall from Harry Potter. We hung around for a couple hours after our guided tour ended to see this famous, glorified dining hall (we compared it to Collins). It’s a lot smaller than in the movies, but we all got a kick out of it. We also stood on the stairs where Prof. McGonagall stood for one scene. Sarah insisted on getting her photo taken.
On Sunday I stopped by the Victoria & Albert Museum. I only had an hour so I went to their famous fashion exhibit. I was looking at an 18th century dress when two women walked by and said, “How lucky are we that we don’t have to wear that.” It looks like a worthwhile museum, so I’ll try to stop by again. There’s a courtyard with a huge fountain where you can sit and dip your feet. If I ever get rich/change my major, I’m going to buy a house with a large fountain where I can sit.
On Monday Elvia and I walked around Holborn during our class break. We stopped in this communist book store, and I found a copy of Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball. I’m still confused as to why a communist bookstore in London would carry a book about NCAA college basketball’s integration. But hey, it’s always nice to be reminded of IU.
Nick and I went to the British Library after class. They have an exhibit called “The Sound and the Fury”, which lets visitors listen to different speeches given throughout history. Some were pretty famous (Winston Churchill’s “We will fight on the beaches…”), but others were new to me (Ernest Hemingway’s Nobel Prize acceptance). My favorite was Earl Spencer’s eulogy to his sister, Princess Diana. It seems like people in America have sort of forgotten Diana, but people in the U.K. still remember her, 12 years after her death.
We also saw some original Beatles lyrics. John Lennon wrote one song on his son’s 1st birthday card. Also, on one of lines for “I want to hold your hand” it said “I want to hold your thing.” Nick and I enjoyed that.
We’re going to the ballet tonight. Should be interesting…I hope.
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of the day: Drinking too much coffee
Best part of the day: Summer weather
On Sunday I stopped by the Victoria & Albert Museum. I only had an hour so I went to their famous fashion exhibit. I was looking at an 18th century dress when two women walked by and said, “How lucky are we that we don’t have to wear that.” It looks like a worthwhile museum, so I’ll try to stop by again. There’s a courtyard with a huge fountain where you can sit and dip your feet. If I ever get rich/change my major, I’m going to buy a house with a large fountain where I can sit.
On Monday Elvia and I walked around Holborn during our class break. We stopped in this communist book store, and I found a copy of Getting Open: The Unknown Story of Bill Garrett and the Integration of College Basketball. I’m still confused as to why a communist bookstore in London would carry a book about NCAA college basketball’s integration. But hey, it’s always nice to be reminded of IU.
Nick and I went to the British Library after class. They have an exhibit called “The Sound and the Fury”, which lets visitors listen to different speeches given throughout history. Some were pretty famous (Winston Churchill’s “We will fight on the beaches…”), but others were new to me (Ernest Hemingway’s Nobel Prize acceptance). My favorite was Earl Spencer’s eulogy to his sister, Princess Diana. It seems like people in America have sort of forgotten Diana, but people in the U.K. still remember her, 12 years after her death.
We also saw some original Beatles lyrics. John Lennon wrote one song on his son’s 1st birthday card. Also, on one of lines for “I want to hold your hand” it said “I want to hold your thing.” Nick and I enjoyed that.
We’re going to the ballet tonight. Should be interesting…I hope.
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of the day: Drinking too much coffee
Best part of the day: Summer weather
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Sorry Princess
The title of this blog is from my encounter with a construction worker earlier this week. He was carrying a big piece of lumber, and we almost bumped into each other. I apologized, and he replied, "Sorry, Princess."
Now, if people on the street think I'm a princess, do you think I can get one of those diamond tiaras I see every day as I walk to work? NB: I live in the diamond and jewelry district of London.
Anyway, this week I got to experience one of the worst things about living in London, a Tube strike. Since my parents and I grew up watching reruns of a famous British comedy, "Are You Being Served," I already knew that it wasn't uncommon for conductors to go on strike. But while hilarity always ensued onscreen, I saw it wasn't that funny waiting 45 minutes for a bus, only for it to be full when it got to your stop.
I worked from home for two days and was surprisingly productive. I also visited the Tate Modern for a little bit and discovered it's within walking distance of our flat. Thursday I went to St. Paul's and climbed to the Stone Gallery where I got the best view of the city. I also saw the tombs of Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. My dad's a big fan of British naval history, and I loved seeing monuments of people about whom I've heard so much.
A friend of ours from the IDS came in town on Thursday night. On Friday we visited Abbey Road and luckily survived crossing the street multiple times to recreate the famous Beatles photo. It's such a busy intersection - I wonder how the hell George, Paul, Ringo and John managed to do it for an album cover. Seriously, it's so easy to get hit if you're not paying attention. Don't worry Mom, I'm OK.
After that we went to Brick Lane for some Indian food. It was my third time at Brick Lane, which probably has the best food in London. We also witnessed a street fight break out. After a few minutes, the police (a bobby) intervened. Crazy stuff.
After that, we split up. Jay and Elvia went to the Tate Modern, while Nick and I went to the Tower of London. We spent about 3 hours there and then decided to walk home. It only took us an hour, which I guess shows how close we live to the heart of London.
Anyway, we're heading to Oxford today. Should be interesting.
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of the day: Tube strike all week.
Best part of the day: Tube strike ended.
Now, if people on the street think I'm a princess, do you think I can get one of those diamond tiaras I see every day as I walk to work? NB: I live in the diamond and jewelry district of London.
Anyway, this week I got to experience one of the worst things about living in London, a Tube strike. Since my parents and I grew up watching reruns of a famous British comedy, "Are You Being Served," I already knew that it wasn't uncommon for conductors to go on strike. But while hilarity always ensued onscreen, I saw it wasn't that funny waiting 45 minutes for a bus, only for it to be full when it got to your stop.
I worked from home for two days and was surprisingly productive. I also visited the Tate Modern for a little bit and discovered it's within walking distance of our flat. Thursday I went to St. Paul's and climbed to the Stone Gallery where I got the best view of the city. I also saw the tombs of Lord Nelson and the Duke of Wellington. My dad's a big fan of British naval history, and I loved seeing monuments of people about whom I've heard so much.
A friend of ours from the IDS came in town on Thursday night. On Friday we visited Abbey Road and luckily survived crossing the street multiple times to recreate the famous Beatles photo. It's such a busy intersection - I wonder how the hell George, Paul, Ringo and John managed to do it for an album cover. Seriously, it's so easy to get hit if you're not paying attention. Don't worry Mom, I'm OK.
After that we went to Brick Lane for some Indian food. It was my third time at Brick Lane, which probably has the best food in London. We also witnessed a street fight break out. After a few minutes, the police (a bobby) intervened. Crazy stuff.
After that, we split up. Jay and Elvia went to the Tate Modern, while Nick and I went to the Tower of London. We spent about 3 hours there and then decided to walk home. It only took us an hour, which I guess shows how close we live to the heart of London.
Anyway, we're heading to Oxford today. Should be interesting.
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of the day: Tube strike all week.
Best part of the day: Tube strike ended.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
There's a cat outside my office
Quick recap of Liverpool: I went inside the Cavern Club, probably one of the most famous music clubs in the world. I think I spent more time in the Beatles gift shop though. One of my purchases was a guitar pick – I’m hoping the historical significance will inspire me to play more next year.
I got back to London Saturday night and hit the ground running on Sunday. I went to the National Gallery and the British Library’s exhibit on Henry VIII. It’s the 500th anniversary of him becoming king, and a lot of museums are honoring his legacy. It was actually pretty interesting seeing his love notes to Anne Boleyn or the documents surrounding his divorce.
I stayed up late on Sunday to watch the Lakers game. Missing the NBA playoffs is the only bad part of being in London. Tonight the game starts at 2 a.m. and will likely end at 5. Plus, there’s a Tube strike that starts at 7 p.m. tonight and will go until Thursday at 7. It already takes me 45-50 minutes to get to work so I hate to think how early I’ll have to get up tomorrow. Maybe I just won’t go to bed after the game…
Lately I’ve been planning like a madwoman. We have so few days left, and the opportunities to see everything we want are dwindling. I’m leaving work in a few minutes to head to the British Library. We have a class project that’s due Monday, and I’m not looking forward to doing homework. Bleh.
Daily superlatives:
Best part of the day: Planning more of my time here.
Worst part of the day: Checking my bank balance.
I got back to London Saturday night and hit the ground running on Sunday. I went to the National Gallery and the British Library’s exhibit on Henry VIII. It’s the 500th anniversary of him becoming king, and a lot of museums are honoring his legacy. It was actually pretty interesting seeing his love notes to Anne Boleyn or the documents surrounding his divorce.
I stayed up late on Sunday to watch the Lakers game. Missing the NBA playoffs is the only bad part of being in London. Tonight the game starts at 2 a.m. and will likely end at 5. Plus, there’s a Tube strike that starts at 7 p.m. tonight and will go until Thursday at 7. It already takes me 45-50 minutes to get to work so I hate to think how early I’ll have to get up tomorrow. Maybe I just won’t go to bed after the game…
Lately I’ve been planning like a madwoman. We have so few days left, and the opportunities to see everything we want are dwindling. I’m leaving work in a few minutes to head to the British Library. We have a class project that’s due Monday, and I’m not looking forward to doing homework. Bleh.
Daily superlatives:
Best part of the day: Planning more of my time here.
Worst part of the day: Checking my bank balance.
Friday, June 5, 2009
I shattered the windows of the Liverpool train station
I don't remember the last time I screamed so loud in public - save for a basketball game. I hadn't seen Rachael in two years, since high school graduation, so last night was scream-worthy.
We went out to a few places in Liverpool. Right now we're about to get ready and pick up a friend of hers who's coming to visit. Apparently the largest church in England is in Liverpool, and we're going to climb it...
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of my day: The brief freakout I had before getting to the train station.
Best part of my day: Yet to come...
We went out to a few places in Liverpool. Right now we're about to get ready and pick up a friend of hers who's coming to visit. Apparently the largest church in England is in Liverpool, and we're going to climb it...
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of my day: The brief freakout I had before getting to the train station.
Best part of my day: Yet to come...
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Has Scotland suddenly become independent?
Nota bene: The title of this blog was not said by me.
Last night I went running in Regent's Park. I'd never been there before and expected to see a simple jogging trail.
Another wonderful London surprise.
Regent's Park is filled with a variety of flowers, including several massive gardens, manicured bushes and Roman classical fountains spewing water as birds sing and chirp.
It's a runner's dream.
I stopped a few times to absorb the beauty. Well, that and to catch my breath. It's been a while since I've run, and I definitely felt out of shape. There's a 5k later this month, and I'd like to be able to run it in a respectable (i.e. less than 45 minutes) amount of time.
I probably spent half my time running or walking and the rest sitting on a swing in a middle of a rose garden. I couldn’t believe I was in a middle of paradise.
I’m leaving for Liverpool in a couple of hours. I’ll be there til Sunday morning. While I feel pretty comfortable with London, I’m excited to be in a strange place. I’m staying with a girl who went to our high school senior year and goes to university in Liverpool.
Anyway, I have to go pack, last minute as always.
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of the day: Sitting in almost complete silence at work.
Best part of the day: (hopefully) arriving in Liverpool!
Last night I went running in Regent's Park. I'd never been there before and expected to see a simple jogging trail.
Another wonderful London surprise.
Regent's Park is filled with a variety of flowers, including several massive gardens, manicured bushes and Roman classical fountains spewing water as birds sing and chirp.
It's a runner's dream.
I stopped a few times to absorb the beauty. Well, that and to catch my breath. It's been a while since I've run, and I definitely felt out of shape. There's a 5k later this month, and I'd like to be able to run it in a respectable (i.e. less than 45 minutes) amount of time.
I probably spent half my time running or walking and the rest sitting on a swing in a middle of a rose garden. I couldn’t believe I was in a middle of paradise.
I’m leaving for Liverpool in a couple of hours. I’ll be there til Sunday morning. While I feel pretty comfortable with London, I’m excited to be in a strange place. I’m staying with a girl who went to our high school senior year and goes to university in Liverpool.
Anyway, I have to go pack, last minute as always.
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of the day: Sitting in almost complete silence at work.
Best part of the day: (hopefully) arriving in Liverpool!
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Ian, it's the policeman again
The wonder of this trip hasn’t gone away.
So far classes have been good, but Monday's was probably the most fun. First off, we had a mouse in the classroom. I would’ve been more freaked out like the other girls, but fortunately I was a safe distance away from the rodent.
My allergies kicked in recently, and they didn’t go away when I visited the British Museum during our lunch break. I sneezed in the Elgin Marbles exhibit, and it carried the echo of my sneeze through the entire museum. The mummies probably heard me.
After the break, we had a guest speaker in class, James Brabazon. He’s probably one of the coolest, most inspiring journalists I’ve ever met. He was the only journalists in Liberia filming the civil war. I’ve always wanted to do international journalism, but hearing him talk about how he went to rehab after he returned is making me wonder whether I could physically handle – and survive – such a trip.
I finally visited the Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street. I’d been once before with my parents, but as Elvia can tell you, I really love Sherlock Holmes. I’m not sure if it’s the clever plot, witty dialogue or consistent characters, but SirArthur Conan Doyle wrote some of the most thrilling detective books ever. I need to read more of his work when I get back home.
The best part of the museum was the guestbook where they keep letters people send Sherlock Holmes. There were a few asking Holmes’ help in solving their problems, but my favorite was a kid who had to write to Holmes for a school project. He’s smart enough to know Holmes is dead. “I think my teacher is loosing it,” he wrote. Adorable.
We went to see “As You Like It” at the Globe Theater. Despite the large column blocking part of my view, I still loved the performance. I haven’t read “As You Like It” but it was still hilarious. They did a group dance at the end that had everyone in tears. Side note: The actor played Oliver was also in “The History Boys.” If you’ve seen this movie, you’re my new best friend.
I only realized Monday night I’m a 20-minute walk from the Tate Modern and the Globe Theater. I’ve made a list of 20 things I have to do or see before I leave, and the Tate was one of the few to make the cut.
So far my list includes:
Tate Modern
Hampton Court Palace
Madam Tussaud’s
London Eye
British Library
Imperial War Museum
National Gallery
Victoria & Albert
Hamlet – with Jude Law
Waiting for Godot – with Ian McKellen and Patrick
La Cage aux Folles
Les Miserables – perhaps Susan Boyle will sing in it?
visit Abbey Road
Jewish neighborhood – no idea where that is
afternoon tea somewhere posh
Wimbledon – even if Rafa loses
cricket – found a match for only £20
climb Big Ben
Platform 9 ¾
bookstores
take a tour of Jack the Ripper’s murder spots
I met up with a friend from Memphis yesterday. We got some Pizza Express, which didn't live up to its expectations. I'll go back one more time to see if this was a fluke.
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of my day: The humidity on the Tube.
Best part of my day: Ruthless prioritization.
So far classes have been good, but Monday's was probably the most fun. First off, we had a mouse in the classroom. I would’ve been more freaked out like the other girls, but fortunately I was a safe distance away from the rodent.
My allergies kicked in recently, and they didn’t go away when I visited the British Museum during our lunch break. I sneezed in the Elgin Marbles exhibit, and it carried the echo of my sneeze through the entire museum. The mummies probably heard me.
After the break, we had a guest speaker in class, James Brabazon. He’s probably one of the coolest, most inspiring journalists I’ve ever met. He was the only journalists in Liberia filming the civil war. I’ve always wanted to do international journalism, but hearing him talk about how he went to rehab after he returned is making me wonder whether I could physically handle – and survive – such a trip.
I finally visited the Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street. I’d been once before with my parents, but as Elvia can tell you, I really love Sherlock Holmes. I’m not sure if it’s the clever plot, witty dialogue or consistent characters, but SirArthur Conan Doyle wrote some of the most thrilling detective books ever. I need to read more of his work when I get back home.
The best part of the museum was the guestbook where they keep letters people send Sherlock Holmes. There were a few asking Holmes’ help in solving their problems, but my favorite was a kid who had to write to Holmes for a school project. He’s smart enough to know Holmes is dead. “I think my teacher is loosing it,” he wrote. Adorable.
We went to see “As You Like It” at the Globe Theater. Despite the large column blocking part of my view, I still loved the performance. I haven’t read “As You Like It” but it was still hilarious. They did a group dance at the end that had everyone in tears. Side note: The actor played Oliver was also in “The History Boys.” If you’ve seen this movie, you’re my new best friend.
I only realized Monday night I’m a 20-minute walk from the Tate Modern and the Globe Theater. I’ve made a list of 20 things I have to do or see before I leave, and the Tate was one of the few to make the cut.
So far my list includes:
Tate Modern
Hampton Court Palace
Madam Tussaud’s
London Eye
British Library
Imperial War Museum
National Gallery
Victoria & Albert
Hamlet – with Jude Law
Waiting for Godot – with Ian McKellen and Patrick
La Cage aux Folles
Les Miserables – perhaps Susan Boyle will sing in it?
visit Abbey Road
Jewish neighborhood – no idea where that is
afternoon tea somewhere posh
Wimbledon – even if Rafa loses
cricket – found a match for only £20
climb Big Ben
Platform 9 ¾
bookstores
take a tour of Jack the Ripper’s murder spots
I met up with a friend from Memphis yesterday. We got some Pizza Express, which didn't live up to its expectations. I'll go back one more time to see if this was a fluke.
Daily superlatives:
Worst part of my day: The humidity on the Tube.
Best part of my day: Ruthless prioritization.
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