Holy crap, I haven't updated about Scotland yet?! The days are just running away with me, I'm trying so hard to squeeze in all the things I want to do before I fly home. On WEDNESDAY. Wow. That came up fast.
In one word, Scotland was AMAZING. In many, it was funny, and beautiful, and a great opportunity, and historic, and cultural, and exciting, and, and, and! Just so great! I went on a bus tour and we started in Edinburgh and travelling up into the Highlands hitting up places like Glencoe and Loch Ness, and drove even further North to the Isle of Skye, which was so pretty and actually reminded me a lot of Canada! Our tour guide was this small young Scottish woman named Debs who was this hilarious spritely girl who doubled as our bus driver! And Dianne and I made friends with these two Aussie girls, Louise and Hannah, and now I'm really tempted to go to Australia (as if I wasn't tempted already with Ryan being down there). I learned so much history and random facts about Scotland, Nessie, clans, and whisky! I bought a little souvenier for myself and a small bottle of whisky to try! All in all, a fantastic trip - I can't wait to go back!!
Now I'm in packing/sightseeing/soaking-up-London mode. I went on a huge walk from my res, down Baker St, across Wigmore, then down Regent to Oxford, then across Oxford (CRAZY CHRISTMASY OXFORD - so many people!!!) to Marble Arch. That's a looooooong walk for those of you who don't know the area - about 3km! Ok, I know, that's not a whole lot, but it is considering I didn't plan any of that. Yesterday Liz, Sarah, and Sarah's boyfriend Nathan and I saw Natalie off (so sad!) and then went Christmas shopping at Whiteleys (very posh mall in Notting Hill) and then to Oxford Circus, then to Picadilly/Leicester to see about getting theatre tickets. We couldn't get any for last night so we'll go back today and see about getting some £20 tickets to Avenue Q. So then we grabbed dinner and went to this pub I've been meaning to go to since I got here. Then we went to Vic and hung out for a bit. Long day, but a good one!
So today our foresome (aptly named Remainder Four) are hitting up the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square, and then hopefully the Christmas festival in Hyde Park, and also hopefully Avenue Q tonight. Should be a good day if everything goes as planned!
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Showing posts with label shopping. Show all posts
Monday, 17 December 2007
Wednesday, 10 October 2007
WOW
So much has happened since I last wrote! I'm going to try to get it all in! So since I last wrote I've seen four plays and two concerts (holy crap, I know!), been out to celebrate two birthdays, welcomed two of my best friends to London and done a bunch of schoolwork. (Look Martin, I'm talking about school!) I saw two productions of The Merchant of Venice, one at The Globe (which was such a fun experience!) and a fringe production at a theatre in London's east end called The Arcola. The first one was really good because they really tried to take your back to what it would have been like seeing a show during Shakespeare's time. So we stood in the yard, and they simulated daylight, and it was generally a raucous good time. The other production wasn't as good. I liked some of the concepts that were introduced but on the whole I was frustrated by it because they opened a lot of doors and set up a lot of themes and bigger questions and then stopped addressing them. It just felt half-baked.
The other show I saw was Cabaret on the west end, it was really fun too! I don't really like Cabaret but I liked the dancing and the set design, and it was still a show on the west end (in Picadilly Circus!) and the cherry on top was having one of the characters come to our class the next day to talk with us a little about the show and about being an actor in London. He was really nice and it was a great treat to talk to someone in the business.
The latest play I saw was another one at the National Theatre called Rafta Rafta. It's set around an immigrant Indian family and is basically a family comedy-drama. It was a good slice of life for a family like that, and was pretty funny. I think our class liked it.
The two conerts were also good. I saw a lack-lustre concert on tango music (the music was good but the singing and dancing were corny and lame), and a concert by the London Philharmonia on Brahms and Strauss which was really great! The music was so well done and the pieces were moving, I only wished the piano soloist had had more emotion in his playing. But overall it was a great concert.
Last week was Steph's birthday and we went out last Wednesday (though her birthday was Friday) to ISH bar, which was a great time. Jerrrard (our prof) and his wife Diana came out, which was hilarious, and I was really glad that the group just all (or mostly all) came out and was in good spirits. We all had a good time chatting and all that. And then last night Steph, Dianne, Cara, Evan and I went out kind of for Dianne's birthday, which is on Thursday. We wanted to go to the Ice Bar but got there too late (we might try to go back later in the week, even though it had a £15 cover - eek!) and then ended up at a bar in Picadilly Circus called On Anon, which was pretty good. We stayed for a couple pints and then headed home.
Saturday marked the beginning of Cara's & Evan's visit to London! They got here around noon and we've been doing things non-stop since then, with the exception of class. We've been to Regent's Park (duh, it's basically our backyard), Harrod's, Primark, out to dinner, and Cara and Evan have also been to Fortnum and Mason's (a high end dept store like Harrod's), Hamley's Toy Store, and the London Eye. I think theyre having a good time, and it's really great having them here, even with having to share my tiny single bed. Oh, and we've been trading all sorts of gossip and drama, us telling about random things that happen here and them filling Dianne and I in on the drama happening in our group of friends right now.
So I suppose now you're (mostly) all caught up! Tonight we're seeing Carmen for music class (yay!) and this weekend Dianne and I are going to Brighton, and Dianne, Cara, Evan and I might go to Stratford-Upon-Avon to visit Cara's friend from high school. And Steph's off to Amsterdam this weekend for lots of fun and debauchery. We're always busy, now I just need to find time to do work!
The other show I saw was Cabaret on the west end, it was really fun too! I don't really like Cabaret but I liked the dancing and the set design, and it was still a show on the west end (in Picadilly Circus!) and the cherry on top was having one of the characters come to our class the next day to talk with us a little about the show and about being an actor in London. He was really nice and it was a great treat to talk to someone in the business.
The latest play I saw was another one at the National Theatre called Rafta Rafta. It's set around an immigrant Indian family and is basically a family comedy-drama. It was a good slice of life for a family like that, and was pretty funny. I think our class liked it.
The two conerts were also good. I saw a lack-lustre concert on tango music (the music was good but the singing and dancing were corny and lame), and a concert by the London Philharmonia on Brahms and Strauss which was really great! The music was so well done and the pieces were moving, I only wished the piano soloist had had more emotion in his playing. But overall it was a great concert.
Last week was Steph's birthday and we went out last Wednesday (though her birthday was Friday) to ISH bar, which was a great time. Jerrrard (our prof) and his wife Diana came out, which was hilarious, and I was really glad that the group just all (or mostly all) came out and was in good spirits. We all had a good time chatting and all that. And then last night Steph, Dianne, Cara, Evan and I went out kind of for Dianne's birthday, which is on Thursday. We wanted to go to the Ice Bar but got there too late (we might try to go back later in the week, even though it had a £15 cover - eek!) and then ended up at a bar in Picadilly Circus called On Anon, which was pretty good. We stayed for a couple pints and then headed home.
Saturday marked the beginning of Cara's & Evan's visit to London! They got here around noon and we've been doing things non-stop since then, with the exception of class. We've been to Regent's Park (duh, it's basically our backyard), Harrod's, Primark, out to dinner, and Cara and Evan have also been to Fortnum and Mason's (a high end dept store like Harrod's), Hamley's Toy Store, and the London Eye. I think theyre having a good time, and it's really great having them here, even with having to share my tiny single bed. Oh, and we've been trading all sorts of gossip and drama, us telling about random things that happen here and them filling Dianne and I in on the drama happening in our group of friends right now.
So I suppose now you're (mostly) all caught up! Tonight we're seeing Carmen for music class (yay!) and this weekend Dianne and I are going to Brighton, and Dianne, Cara, Evan and I might go to Stratford-Upon-Avon to visit Cara's friend from high school. And Steph's off to Amsterdam this weekend for lots of fun and debauchery. We're always busy, now I just need to find time to do work!
Friday, 21 September 2007
Ok! I'm back with more stories. Sorry I haven't posted pics yet, I'm not used to Blogger and haven't put the time in to figure it out yet. There are just so many other things to do!
So when I last left you I was talking about what... fireworks? Which brings us to the beginning of this week. Classes this week were good, we're starting to settle into a good groove which is relaxing. On Tuesday night we went to the Battersea Arts Centre in South London to see an adaptation of Poe's The Masque of the Red Death. Let me tell you, it was A-MAZING!!!! It was the best and most different play I've ever seen. Instead of having the play performed for us, we were totally incorporated into the performance of it. So instead of sitting in a theatre with the actors on the stage, we all got to take part in the play, walking through the building which was transformed into the world of the play. It was so crazy! You could be walking down a hallway and all of a sudden there is a actor walking toward you on their way somewhere. So you can stick in one room and see who comes and goes, or follow a specific cast member through the building, or just wander and take in the whole thing. There was even a saloon/cabaret room with a bar and band and people performing. It was just so crazy and amazing. If ever I doubted my love for theatre, this show just reaffirmed it.
So I guess it's obvious that that was the highlight of my week. Wednesday we went to the Tate Britain (an art gallery specifically for British art) for art class, and we looked at Victorian paintings and stuff, which was interesting. And last night the music class went to the theatre to see a show all about the Tango. So there was tons of great music and lots of dancing. It was a great show musically but the dancing was kind of lack-lustre. Nothing like So You Think You Can Dance!
Today we went to Portobello Market, which was really cool. It has a lot of antique shops and food and clothing stalls. I bought a couple scarves, a black one and a reddish stripey one like my other two. Oh, and Tuesday morning we went to Camden Market which is so cool and such a hippie place to be. It had tons of cool little handcrafted shops, and places to haggle and stuff. I got a bracelet and a pair of earrings for about £3. I can't wait to go back. :)
Tonight we're going out to dinner to a place called Giraffe. It'll be really nice to get away from the same old caf food for a night. I'll be SO looking forward to cooking and home-cooked food when I come home. And tomorrow the roomies and I are going to Buckingham Palace! We get to go into the rooms and stuff before it closes for the year, so I'm going to try to take some pictures.
I guess that's all. I'm off to watch Friends with Dianne and wait for everyone to get here so we can go to dinner. Thanks for commenting people! Keep 'em coming! :)
So when I last left you I was talking about what... fireworks? Which brings us to the beginning of this week. Classes this week were good, we're starting to settle into a good groove which is relaxing. On Tuesday night we went to the Battersea Arts Centre in South London to see an adaptation of Poe's The Masque of the Red Death. Let me tell you, it was A-MAZING!!!! It was the best and most different play I've ever seen. Instead of having the play performed for us, we were totally incorporated into the performance of it. So instead of sitting in a theatre with the actors on the stage, we all got to take part in the play, walking through the building which was transformed into the world of the play. It was so crazy! You could be walking down a hallway and all of a sudden there is a actor walking toward you on their way somewhere. So you can stick in one room and see who comes and goes, or follow a specific cast member through the building, or just wander and take in the whole thing. There was even a saloon/cabaret room with a bar and band and people performing. It was just so crazy and amazing. If ever I doubted my love for theatre, this show just reaffirmed it.
So I guess it's obvious that that was the highlight of my week. Wednesday we went to the Tate Britain (an art gallery specifically for British art) for art class, and we looked at Victorian paintings and stuff, which was interesting. And last night the music class went to the theatre to see a show all about the Tango. So there was tons of great music and lots of dancing. It was a great show musically but the dancing was kind of lack-lustre. Nothing like So You Think You Can Dance!
Today we went to Portobello Market, which was really cool. It has a lot of antique shops and food and clothing stalls. I bought a couple scarves, a black one and a reddish stripey one like my other two. Oh, and Tuesday morning we went to Camden Market which is so cool and such a hippie place to be. It had tons of cool little handcrafted shops, and places to haggle and stuff. I got a bracelet and a pair of earrings for about £3. I can't wait to go back. :)
Tonight we're going out to dinner to a place called Giraffe. It'll be really nice to get away from the same old caf food for a night. I'll be SO looking forward to cooking and home-cooked food when I come home. And tomorrow the roomies and I are going to Buckingham Palace! We get to go into the rooms and stuff before it closes for the year, so I'm going to try to take some pictures.
I guess that's all. I'm off to watch Friends with Dianne and wait for everyone to get here so we can go to dinner. Thanks for commenting people! Keep 'em coming! :)
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
I have no witty title to put here...
Mainly because I'm so tired! I've been going non-stop since I got here. I've been out every night except one since I got here, and I've been here almost a week! I need to take it easy or I'm going to get sick or crash really hard, neither of which are good prospects.
So! Classes have started, and I'm really enjoying them. I'm taking Music in London, Drama in London, English Art, and Designing a Walking Tour, all of which I've had already. I really like all of them, they're pretty engaging and interesting and are very London-centric. Also, the workload isn't too heavy so I'll still be able to explore the city and travel. But the best part is that through taking the drama and music courses Dianne, Steph, and I go to two performances a week! Monday we went to the National Theatre to see George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, about Joan of Arc. It was amazing!!! The set design was pretty symbolic and SO beautiful, and the production had this musical accompaniment that was just so so good. It had this amazing intensity in some scenes that was just overwhelming, I loved it! Anyways, tonight for music class we saw an opera by Benjamin Britton called Alfred Herring which I really enjoyed. And we're going to see Carmen in a couple weeks - my nan would be so proud!
Also, I've discovered my London vice, and it's name is Primark. It's a clothing store where things are really nice and really cheap. I found a purse for £6, a cashmere cardigan for £10 and a whole bunch of shirts for £4 or less. It's like Winners, only I only get one brand choice. Anyways, it's a marvelous store, and I'm trying not to go back there daily to check out their £6 jeans and £1 shirt racks.
Anyways, it's getting on to 1am here and my roomies are already in bed so I think I should go. I finished reading Le Petit Prince and now I'm onto a new one, I borrowed Midnight in the Garden of Good and evil from Dana. Mom, is it scary? I don't like reading scary things before bed! I'm lame, I know.
Leave comments! Love y'all!
So! Classes have started, and I'm really enjoying them. I'm taking Music in London, Drama in London, English Art, and Designing a Walking Tour, all of which I've had already. I really like all of them, they're pretty engaging and interesting and are very London-centric. Also, the workload isn't too heavy so I'll still be able to explore the city and travel. But the best part is that through taking the drama and music courses Dianne, Steph, and I go to two performances a week! Monday we went to the National Theatre to see George Bernard Shaw's Saint Joan, about Joan of Arc. It was amazing!!! The set design was pretty symbolic and SO beautiful, and the production had this musical accompaniment that was just so so good. It had this amazing intensity in some scenes that was just overwhelming, I loved it! Anyways, tonight for music class we saw an opera by Benjamin Britton called Alfred Herring which I really enjoyed. And we're going to see Carmen in a couple weeks - my nan would be so proud!
Also, I've discovered my London vice, and it's name is Primark. It's a clothing store where things are really nice and really cheap. I found a purse for £6, a cashmere cardigan for £10 and a whole bunch of shirts for £4 or less. It's like Winners, only I only get one brand choice. Anyways, it's a marvelous store, and I'm trying not to go back there daily to check out their £6 jeans and £1 shirt racks.
Anyways, it's getting on to 1am here and my roomies are already in bed so I think I should go. I finished reading Le Petit Prince and now I'm onto a new one, I borrowed Midnight in the Garden of Good and evil from Dana. Mom, is it scary? I don't like reading scary things before bed! I'm lame, I know.
Leave comments! Love y'all!
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