Last week in london :(

Hello All,

So, I am going to assume this will be my last blog since my time in London will soon be over. Since the wonderful tea at the Ritz (and my last blog), I have knocked quite a few sites off of my list of things to see.

I toured Westminster on Monday afternoon. I found it very amusing that they buried Queen Elizabeth I and Mary Queen of Scots across the hall from one another (scandelous!) Monday night we saw a performance of 4:48 psychosis. It was written by a woman who committed suicide shortly after writing the play so, while extremely entertaining, the performance was very emotionally draining.

Tuesday I toured Buckingham palace. This castle has earned the title of my favorite thus far because while it is extravagant, it seems inhabitable (unlike Versailles). Then I headed out to the final performance of the summer,"War Horse". It seemed that all of the most advanced theatre techniques were displayed in this performance (there were  life sized puppet horses, a full scale model of a tank, video montage for scenery and a cast of 20 or so actors). 

Yesterday, my film class went on a field trip to a small art exhibit. There was a room in the museum in which a round table was set up for debate and the backdrop was a tapestry that portrayed Picasso's Guernica painting (the real one is currently in the UN and this was the inspiration for the exhibit-the idea that many great debates occurred in front of the painting), so our class was held in this room. We then ate lunch at a pakistani/punjabi restaurant (similar to indian food) in honor of the latest topic of study in the class.

After this field trip I ventured out of the city and headed to the Freud museum. It was really interesting to see the desks where Freud wrote his most famous works and "dreamed up" his theory of the unconscious (pun intended). He was also an avid art collector and a classicist so it was interesting to see all of the decorations on display in the home. I also saw the famous couch and first editions of Freud's work so it was definitely a worthwhile excursion.

Last night was our farewell dinner. We had a private room in a thai restaurant and the food was incredible. They brought out like fifteen different dishes and all of them were delish. The teachers made toasts and one of the seniors said a few words and it was  a wonderful evening of reminiscing and reflecting on all of the great times we have shared here in London. 

Today I am going to tour St. Paul's Cathedral. I have heard from friends that it is beautiful, but more importantly it is next to the millennium bridge (seen in harry potter) so I will have to take some great pictures of that and then I will probably spend the rest of the evening exploring the banks of the Thames. 

Tomorrow I am either going to do a self guided walking tour of London (my friends and I want to revisit our favorite places and say goodbye to the city), or I may get up early and visit the tennis museum at Wimbledon and then spend the rest of the afternoon walking around the city. I will probably go with option one and save Wimbledon for another date (since I am sure I will be back here someday... hopefully in the near future, guess I should check out the study abroad options for Oxford Cambridge and University of London).

That is all, thank you for making this wonderful summer possible and I can't wait to see you on saturday.

Love,

Hope

Sunday 26/7

Hello All,

So today was tea at the Ritz. To say it was incredible would be an understatement. The food was great, the harpist played songs that I could recognize and the service was very attentive. I realized that I have led quite a charmed life this summer, to say the least. 

Yesterday I visited Windsor, Bath and Stonehenge. Windsor was beautiful and the rooms were decorated less ornately than Versailles so it seemed more inhabitable (But still a tad on the extravagant side). Bath was really beautiful, located in the countryside and inspiration for many of Jane Austin's novels. We toured the Roman baths and the surrounding area and we were able to drink the water from the springs..It tasted very metallic-y and I was not a fan but it is said that the water has magical healing powers so I had to give it a try. Stonehenge was an interesting place to see (the idea that people dragged these ridiculously heavy stones across the country is hard to fathom) and I got some great pictures.

Friday was an extremely productive day. I got some cute shirts while shopping and I saw the National Gallery and the British museum. Highlight of the National gallery was definitely vanGogh's sunflowers. I felt like such a dork at the British museum because I loved every minute of it (and could have spent the entire day there). I walked in and was greeted by the Rosetta stone which, unlike the mona lisa, was not a disappointment. It is huge, you can see all of the different languages and you are able to get pretty close to it. There are currently exhibits on Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt and Indian art. I skipped the Indian art exhibit but I LOVED the others. It was cool to see the busts of playwrights whose work I read in my myth course, as well as the artwork that depicted scenes from myths that I am familiar with. And mom I took pictures of the canopic jars from the egypt death exhibit--look just like the ones I made for my third grade project.

Friday night my friend and I went to an asian fusion restaurant that I found online. It is under the movie theatre that is across the street from our house so we now call it our secret hideout. The food was great and I hear that it is frequented by the who's who of the London theatre world, so I am sure we will head back there again. I stayed in and slept Friday night (had to get up at 7am for the tours on Saturday) so last night I checked out a famous London club with my friends. It is called the "ministry of sound"..I stayed and danced with my friends for around 2 hours but I got tired and I am not a fan of the creepy euro clubbers so a group of us headed home. I think we might do karaoke tonight or check out a jazz club (where we can just sit and talk which I much prefer). I am planning on spending the rest of the day reading for a class though so I will have to see how far along I am in my work and then figure out what is a reasonable option.

Steph--we may head to the burberry outlets tomorrow (items are less than half the cost) do you want a scarf or anything? And mom I think I may get zoey a wallet for a graduation gift since I still need to do that (she got me one so it is only appropriate that I get her a present)

That is all I have to report. I think this week I am going to tour westminster, sit in on parliament and head to the Freud museum (? still deciding on that one). I guess the gang wants to walk around all of london on friday to say bye to some of our favorite places, so I am sure that will be a nice way to spend the last day. See you all in less than a week! Steph..work on that scrabble game.

Love,

Hope

Friday 24/7

Hello All,

Hope Martha and her Vineyard are treating you well.

I saw my favorite performance thus far. The title of the play was Jerusalem, and it was absolutely phenomenal. The dialogue was witty, the lead actor delivered the best performance of the year (according to Michael Billington, most respected theatre critic in london so you can take his word for it), and I both laughed and cried during the performance. The play is about a man, Rooster, who lives as a gypsie "gyppo"  in less nice terms. He is an interesting character in that he provides a safe haven for kids who are abused at home, but he also deals drugs and is intoxicated for 99% of the performance. But, the lead actor was required to swallow a raw egg and at one point emerges from his trailer bloodied and beaten beyond recognition after being attacked by one girl's disgruntled father (we dont like the father..it is implied he rapes his stepdaughter). It is expected that he will take home the tony for best performance of the year so it was great to see acting of that caliber. 

Then, yesterday, I saw Hanif Kureshi's "Black Label". I had to read Buddah of Suburbia and watch Sammy and Rosie Get Laid, both from the same author and I hated both. The play was no exception. I feel that Kureshi does a disservice to minorities in that he focuses solely on stereotypes and rather than making the minority seem like innocent victims, he uses very corrupt and flawed characters. I always feel somewhat offended by his works. This coupled with horrific acting made the afternoon at the theatre less than stellar. But there are only two shows left. I may go through withdrawal when I get home so perhaps I will look into what is playing in Boston haha. 

Steph..spotted coming out of Stella's house: Liv Tyler! My friends saw her but I was at dinner, I figured this may be info you cant get from perez though :) I also think my friends and I may stand at stage side doors to get Ian Mckellan and Patrick Stewart autographs from Godot, and meet Jude Law after Hamlet ( I could have had a ticket to the actual performance but I had scheduled my voyage to stonehenge bath and windsor for the same day..oh well c'est la vie).

Today I am going to be super efficient. I got up early for a run in the park and now I am off to sloane square for some shopping followed by the British museum and National gallery. I am super excited because the British museum is home to the rosetta stone so OBVIOUSLY i will be checking that out. I think my friends and I are all either going to a jazz club or a kareoke bar tonight (here you get your own private room so we can all act like fools and not have the public throw rotten veggies at us).

Tomorrow is the voyage to stonehenge bath and windsor..I will let you know how that goes.

Love you and see you in t-minus 8 days

?-Tuesday 22/7

Hi Family,

 

I hope you are enjoying your time in Martha’s Vineyard.

 

I think I had my most exciting theatre experience on Sunday. The play was Waiting for Godot and to be honest I was skeptical. The entire play is about waiting for something that never happens so I anticipated spending the entire play waiting for an end that would never come (it’s a 3 hour performance). But when Didi and Gogo (main characters) crawled on to the stage, I was faced with Ian McClellan and Patrick Stewart! They delivered incredible, believable performances and I loved every minute of it.

 

Last night I saw a rendition of “All’s well that ends well” at the National Theatre. They chose to do a contemporary version but I didn’t feel that any of Shakespeare’s meaning was compromised in this decision. All of the modern details were subtle and seemed to only enhance the performance.

 

I spent all day yesterday searching for a dress for Sunday tea at the Ritz. Since I have been to Harrods thrice since arriving here, I decided to set sails for a new horizon. I headed off by myself and went to Harvey Nicks, Piccadilly Circus and finally Oxford Circus. In other words I was ambitious enough to tackle all of the major shopping districts in the city of London. I ended up getting a dress on Oxford street that I had tried on at Harrods a few days ago, further confirming my belief that I could live in that department store.

 

Today I am going for a run after class and since it is rainy, I may head to a movie or just relax in Notting Hill. Some upcoming events: Saturday I am going to Stonehenge, Bath and Windsor. Sunday is chocolate tea at the Ritz (you can look at the menu on the website..it looks unreal). I think I would also like to go to Canterbury and one of the famous gardens before leaving. I may also have a “museum day” where I knock out as may British museums as I can handle in one day (after yesterday’s shopping marathon I think I can handle this). I have been to Westminster but I may do a guided tour of the church because that could be interesting. If you can think of any other must sees that I have neglected please let me know.

 

Love you lots and I will see you soon.

Hope

Blog week 4

Dear Family,

My deepest apologies for my failure to keep up with this blog over the past week. I could not possibly write all that I have seen and done so I will highlight the main points.

Theatre: Saw three plays. Time and the Conways, Triolus and Cressida and Dreams of Violence. To be honest, I did not love any of these shows. Time and the Conways was written in the late 1930’s and told of the time following the war. But, on top of telling the story of one wealthy family, it also included J.W Dunne’s theory that time (past, present and future) is all occurring simultaneously. In other words the play was all over the place, the characters were not likeable and the script was terribly written. I left Triolus and Cressida feeling that Shakespeare should have stuck to Elizabethan England and left Ancient Greece/the Trojan war to Homer and his contemporaries. And, some terrible director decided it would be a good idea to have all sword fighting scenes throughout the play but then some kid pulled out a machine gun to kill Ajax-did not appreciate the modern reference so late in the play. Dreams of Violence was funny but the make-out session/stripping that took place on stage was a little awkward. Hopefully this week will be better-Michael Billington said that one of the plays that we will be seeing has been one of the best performances he has seen in a while but we shall see.

There were also a few fun outings this week. 3 of my friends and I went to Kensington Park and rented a row boat for an hour. Then we headed to Picadilly Circus (a shopping area in the city NOT a circus) to find a cute candy shop I saw online. It looked like the first scene of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Needless to say, I was a happy camper. Then, we had girls night. I made chicken hoy sin and other girls made sides, dessert, got champagne cheese and crackers and then we watched Notting Hill and laughed about the fact that it was shot in our neighborhood.

On Friday we went to Cambridge. The campus is beautiful, complete with a river and boats to go punting (like a gondola in Venice). It rained so we couldn’t really enjoy the outdoors but I was able to go into the library and see a first edition Sir Isaac Newton book so, that was definitely impressive.

Today I checked out Portobello Market (street next to mine that has outdoor shops on the weekend). I didn’t get anything so I headed back to Harrods for round three with a friend. I bought some produce and stir fry sauce (I quit bar food because it is gross so I make stir fry for dinner every night)- Tonight I tried olive oil infused with hot peppers..delish. I am also trying to run everyday in the park because 1) it is beautiful and I should totally take advantage of living in such proximity to such a great place and 2) I have no intention of coming home any less fit than when I got here.

Tomorrow we are going to see Godot…should be intense because, having read the play, I know that Beckett’s work is solely dialogue based (the entire story takes place on a park bench). I’ll let you know how that goes.

Xoxo,
Hope

Wednesday 7/8-Monday 7/13

Good morning all,

Sorry I have gotten so far behind with this blog. But, on the plus side it means I get to write a really ridiculously long one for today.

Starting with Wednesday: I spent the afternoon exploring the Tower of London. My friend and I were especially interested in seeing the Crown Jewels, so after exploring the grounds for a bit we headed to that exhibit. I thought the layout of the exhibit was great because while waiting in the insanely long line there were films playing of the various coronations and detailed descriptions on the history of all of the pieces on display. After this brief voyage we met up with friends and did some shopping at Harrods.

Wednesday night we saw one of the most famous British plays, Arcadia. We had read the play for class so it was interesting to observe all of the details that are lost when the play is read rather than performed. The play bounces between the 18th and 19th centuries and while reading the play, I found that the 18th century characters were much more interesting and much easier to relate to. But, strong performances from all of the actors completely altered my opinion of the play. Perhaps, if I have time, I will reread the play after having seen it and will be able to make new discoveries.

Thursday was roommate bonding day aka shopping with my roommate Susie. We explored the area around Notting Hill and then wandered back over to Harrods. I definitely picked the right time to be here because the huge Harrods sale goes until the end of the month :) Then, Thursday night I planned an outing for the gang to our first Indian restaurant. I did my research and found a well reviewed and inexpensive restaurant only one underground stop from the house. The food was great and my friends all really enjoyed themselves.

Then Friday it was off to Scotland. We left on the 10am train from Kings Cross station and headed up north to Edinburgh (yes, it is the Harry Potter journey, leaving from Kings Cross and heading north). When we arrived in the center of the city we first headed over to our bed and breakfast. The home was very nice and it was great that all 12 of us were able to stay in the same location. We dropped off our bags and then headed out on a hike of Arthur's seat. The hike is comprised of two peaks and at the top of the second one is able to view a 360 degree view of the entire city and surrounding area. Only half of us were able to make it to the top of the second peak, but the view was well worth it.

Saturday we headed over to Edinburgh castle. The trip included an abundance of bag pipes and some more great views of the bay and the city (the castle is atop a tall hill). Then, we spend the afternoon wandering around the city. At seven we all met up at the beehive inn and pub for the literary pub tour. Two actors engaged in a dialogue and led us around three pubs and 200 years of Scottish literary history. It was quite interesting but somewhat hard to follow due to thick accents and my lack of prior knowledge on the subject. The tour left us at a large pub/cafe so we hung out there for a while. There weren't enough seats at our table so I sat at the bar by myself. I ended up engaged in a conversation with two elderly Scottish men who were extremely entertaining. They told me that Scots were responsible for soul music and they asked me about where Scottish influence was most apparent in the US. As lifelong Edinburgh residents they were certainly the epitome of Scottish pride. One of my friends decided to join in on the conversation and we both had a great time. After this, I was tired so I headed back to the house with a friend. The rest of the gang headed out to a kareoke place where they were able to get their own room. Since I am tone deaf I am still thinking my choice to head back was a good one and I had a good time hanging out with my friend.

Sunday morning, following our Scottish breakfast (strange bacon and eggs and my friends had sausages etc.) we walked over to the beach. We sat on the rocks for a while and then headed over to the JK Rowling pub (Called "The Elephant House"). The food was great and it was interesting to note that from the window one could view the Edinburgh castle where it meets the edge of a cliff...very Hogwartsish in appearance.

Fortunately we decided to head back earlier than scheduled (we all had work to do) because there ended up being problems with the scheduling and delays resulted in the ultimate cancellation of our train (we were supposed to leave at 7 but decided to jump on the 5pm train home).

Which brings me to today. I am probably going to catch up on some sleep this afternoon and get some work done. I also need to do some errands, so it will be a productive day. Then 7:30 theatre outing followed by a night of reading Waiting for Godot (we're discussing the play this week and seeing it next week).

I hope you are all enjoying the summer.

Love,

Hope

PS- some scots gaelic terms for your enjoyment (although I would not recommend saying this in public): pog ma thoin (kiss me arse) and then pog mo "wee" (last word spelled phonetically..kiss yer own!)

Tuesday 7/7

Hi Family,

Today was another glorious day in London. It rained all day but it was good because it finally cooled down. I went on a guided tour of the globe theatre, which was exciting because I was able to see the rehearsal of Troilus and Cressida. We will be seeing the performance later in the trip.

Then my friends and I sat in a restaurant for 3 hours and just hung out before the show at the National Theatre. The performance titled "The Observer" was extremely pertinent and very well done. It was about election corruption in nations that decided to adopt democracy. I was excited because the female lead was the mother from "What a Girl Wants"!! Dad would have been so excited as it is his FAVORITE movie. 

During intermission some of my friends told me that they had gone to the Harry Potter premier. They got great pictures of and with the cast. I was super jealous, so four of us decided to head over to Leicester square after the play got out. The cast had gone but we got all of the signs (really cool house banners) so Steph I am bringing those home for you. Apartment decorations? Got 'em!

That is all for now. Hope all is well.

xoxo,

Hope

Monday and Tuesday (7/6-7)

Hello All,

I forgot to mention in my previous blog that while in France I tried escargot. Didn't hate it but it was certainly not my favorite culinary experience.

Yesterday was a productive day. I went down to the laundromat with a friend and did 3 loads of laundry. Then, I got groceries for the week and spent the remainder of the afternoon in Starbucks reading the play Arcadia. I have found that coffee shops have the perfect amount of ambiance, more comfortable than a library and less noisy than most other places. 

At 530, three other members of the program and I headed over to the theatre. The play titled "Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Toward the Somme", told the story of 8 men and their experience as volunteers in the 36th (Ulster) in WWI. The men all end up perishing, save one,  in the battle of the Somme. I thought the play was well acted but the writing was not exceptional so it was not my favorite.

Today we are touring the Globe Theatre and then attending a play at the National Theatre. I'll let you know how it goes.

Love,

Hope

July 2-5

So much to share, so little time!

 

First things first. The play on Wednesday was great, upsetting but extremely well done. The story begins as a mystery (three characters, 2 male 1 female were named Gabriel). Needless to say it was a bit difficult to follow but, a revelation in the middle tied everyone together. To summarize, the story was about a family that was torn apart because the father is a pedophile who ends up killing the female Gabriel's younger brother. The pedophile's son, Gabriel, on a quest to learn about his father, goes to Australia and meets the female Gabriel and they fall in love. While driving and discussing their pasts the two characters realize how they are connected and the shock results in a car accident which claims Gabriel's (male) life. The remainder of the play depicts the subsequent events. It was extremely depressing but very powerful and well acted. The film critic came Thursday morning and he led an interesting discussion on the performance. In his opinion, the play was extremely creative. I agreed that the play was well-done but I felt that it was extremely similar to the Greek tragedy “The house of Atreus”, and I pointed out the many ways in which the two stories are identical. He said he hadn’t thought of it but he found validity in my argument and said that he supposes the best stories of a dysfunctional family should find roots in the Greeks. So, yes I enjoyed class.

 

Now to the fun part…….

 

Thursday afternoon we left for Belgium. I knew nothing about the country, so while waiting for the boys to get ready I read a travel guide (the library in the house has books on each European and UK country…super helpful). I found out that there is a famous statue in Brussels and “no trip is complete without visiting Brugges”.

 

After a quick 2 hour train ride, we arrived in Brussels and dropped our belongings off at the hotel. Since we had no set plans, we decided to walk around and try to find the fountain I had read about. We ended up stumbling upon the heart of the city, their government building and a major square (named Grand Place…and said with a French accent). It looked like they were setting up for an event, and upon investigation we found out that Ommegang festival was being held in the square that night. It is a celebration of Emperor Charles V (16^th century) and involves hundreds of citizens dressing in the garb of that time. It was only 5 and the show started at 8 so we decided to eat dinner outside, and by dinner, I mean local cuisine. I got a waffle (there are 2 kinds, I went with the square, classic Belgian waffle with ice cream, but tried my friends small sugared one..mine was better). Then we found the fountain. It is called “mannequin pis” and is a little boy peeing. Citizens dress it up so there are pictures of this kid peeing wearing an Elvis costume, soccer jerseys, bull fighter attire etc. I thought it was hilarious. Then we returned and watched the parade which included horses, a knight, fire works, and other amusing costumes.

 

The boys decided to get Belgian beer platters after (5 beer samples because Belgium is known for that). I am not a fan, so I just had a sip…peach beer was pretty good. Then one of the boys and I were tired so we went back to the hotel while the other 2 explored the night scene of Brussels.

 

We got up at 11 and hopped on a train to Brugges. Since we only had 5 hours before we had to go back to Brussles for our train to Paris, we decided to see the main attractions. We went to the Grand Market. I am not exaggerating when I say this is the most incredible town I have ever seen. It is comprised entirely of Renaissance architecture and Venice-esque waterways. The area is known for fries, chocolate, and mussels so, we sampled all of the above. I really enjoyed walking around the streets and people watching in the main square. Since we had some time to spare we decided to go to the Dali museum. They had an impressive collection and even had some pieces on sale (but I didn’t want to blow my millions and I am not really a fan of Salvador Dali’s graphic work..can’t really picture it hanging in the family room).

 

We made it back in plenty of time for the train to Paris and met up with the rest of the gang (total of 4 girls 4 boys…great for hotel arrangements). The hotel was in the business district, but right next to the metro so, traveling was really easy. Since I know the Louvre area the best (thanks to the trip with daddy), we decided to go there for dinner the first night.

 

In the morning, I went to Saint Chapelle and the Catacombs with two of the boys who had also been to Paris in the past. We didn’t feel the need to revisit the Louvre with the newbies and I hadn’t visited these two attractions during my last visit. I thought Saint Chapelle was breathtaking and I made a video of a 360 degree view of it to show you when I get home. The Catacombs were somewhat troubling at first but after a few hundred feet you sort of get used to it. My friend Jesse studied Latin when he was in high school and I am decent in French, so between the two of us, we were able to translate nearly every inscription on the walls (they were written in both languages so we were able to help each other out).

 

We met up with the rest of the gang at 2 and headed over to Versailles. I was appointed tour guide, so I led everyone through the castle and around the grounds. I took a group of friends to Marie Antoinette’s house (the Trianot and Petit Trianot and the Hamot). It is over 1 mile from the front of the castle, and on the way back we found that the palace gardens were closed so we had to walk all the way around Versailles. Grand total of 5-6 miles on the day. I was glad I wore my running shoes.

 

That night, our last in Paris, I thought it would be fun to check out the skyline of the city. There is an incredible view from Sacre Coeur (I hadn’t been there on my first trip, so it was another place I wanted to see on this visit). We had dinner up on the hill and thought it would be fun to check out the Moulin Rouge all lit up. After taking some pictures in that neighborhood we went into a nearby night club (dancing NOT burlesque..who do you think I am?!) It was really interesting to see the difference between our culture and that of Europe in that we dance differently and our men are a lot less inclined to dance with other guys.

 

Then it was time to return to London, and after a 6 hour bus ride I arrived safely at 21 Pembridge gardens. It was a wonderful weekend and I am looking forward to the week.

 

We are thinking of Scotland for this coming weekend- Long ride to Loch Ness and then spend a few days in Edinburgh.

 

I hope everything is going well at home and that it finally stopped raining there (Note: it has not rained once in all my time here and is just finally cooling off..it was 70 degrees today instead of 90!) and I hope that you can excuse the length of this post..I just had so much to say.

 

I miss you and love you and wish the internet was better so I could send pictures. But alas, no such luck.

 

Love,

Hope…your favorite UK resident/Euro traveler/blogger

July

Greetings Family,

Yesterday was another sunny day in London (not Philly..apparently the mottos got switched). Anyways, I spent the morning in class, grabbed a quick lunch and then headed over to the Globe Theatre to see a performance of As You Like It. We are attending two shows at the Globe this month, one standing and the other seated. The teacher feels that this will provide us with diverse theatre-going experiences. Yesterday we stood (were groundlings for those of you up on your shakesperian terms). I loved the show but standing in one place for 4 hours was extremely painful on my heels. The theatre resembled the one you see in Shakespeare in Love, so that was pretty cool.

Then I came back to get some work done and plan the trips for the weekend. Final itinerary: Belgium thursday 2-friday 8pm, Paris until Sunday evening. I can't wait! Plus, it is only fitting to spend the 4th of July in Paris-I mean the French showed up in the 9th inning to help us win the war and I will be arriving there the day before the 4th, just repaying the favor :)

Today I had class and then three friends and I headed over to Buckingham Palace. The Queen is there so you can't go into the main part but I did see the Queen's gallery and the muze (place where they keep the horses and carriages). The Queen has some pretty impressive bling-my favorite was a necklace with a large three dimensional horse and knight (it was the size of my head). I think the rappers need to know that the queen's bling is far more flashy than theirs. There were also impressive suits of armor, beautiful china and some other interesting pieces. At the muze I saw the carriage that Princess Diana took to her wedding.

We have another play tonight (When the Rain Stops Falling) so I am going an hour early with friends to check out the area and get dinner. I think this will be my last blog until Sunday night since I don't know how safe my lap top will be abroad and I got all of my work done so I don't need to bring it. Enjoy the weekend, I hope it stops raining there and if you get a free moment would someone please email me the Wimbledon results.

Monday Recap 6/29

Hi All,

So I know I update this compulsively but 1) The days are long and I don't want to forget anything and 2) this is an English program so I feel it is necessary to embrace my inner journalist.

Today I had my first class, london through film. We discussed Shakespeare in Love, and I discovered that in this film, the music acts as a third dimension. In saying this, I mean that the music invokes emotion that can't be attributed to action or dialogue-I am currently working on a journal entry for class on this argument.

After class (11) I went to the park to read. I was interrupted by a 30-something year old man from Turkey who asked me if I would mind helping him with his English. He said he just wanted to talk for 10 minutes, and I know how useful dialogue can be in learning a language so I agreed to help. It turned out that he worked for the Turkish government and they were paying for him to get his masters in English so that he would be able to help modernize Turkey (according to the man, science requires English so to make technological advancements he needs to be proficient in the language). We ended up talking for about an hour and I found the experience very entertaining and informative. I then left, grabbed a quick lunch and headed back to the house to meet some friends.

Then, two of my friends and I decided to take the train ( I bought an oyster month pass so I have unlimited access to the trains--super useful) to Westminster. We walked around the parliament building, saw Big Ben and looked at the outside of Westminster Abbey. We decided that we would either do the London Eye or Westminster Abbey, and decided to get a view of the whole city while the weather was pleasant. The view from the London Eye was incredible. After just a 30 minute wait (caugh caugh Eiffel tower should take a hint) I was flying high over all of London. I saw Buckingham Palace, a beautiful panoramic view of the city, and took some quality tourist pictures. 

After this trip we boarded the train for Shepherd's Bush for the play. We arrived at 6 for the 7:30 show, so we had just enough time for dinner. The location of the play was very interesting in that it was at a theatre located above a bar. The place seated maybe 40 people, so it would definitely be considered an intimate performance. Apologia is, in essence, the story of a dysfunctional family. The entire play takes place at the dinner table, so it was like nothing I have ever seen before. I really enjoyed the performance, some parts more than others, but overall it was a great first trip to the theatre. OH and one of the women in the play was in Love Actually- she played Hugh Grant's secretary (not the one who becomes the girlfriend...minor roll but still cool)

We decided to walk back as a group (about 10 of us) and on the way we saw Claire Danes and Hugh Dancey (yay london celeb sightings!)

Tomorrow's itinerary: theatre class 9-11 followed by an afternoon performance at the Globe Theatre (SO EXCITED!) of As You Like It. The play ends at 5 so I might just hang out and do work tomorrow night, but I have learned to expect the unexpected.

Other fun things to look forward to this week: Wednesday-possible trip to Wimbledon (Men's quarterfinal so may not be possible to get tickets...we're looking in to the queue) Thursday-exploration of london (Buckingham palace and/or London Tower) OR trip to Belgium. Friday- PARIS!

Yes, I am aware it is late but I am still adjusting to the time and I figured your desire to have another blog will outweigh your disapproval of the ungodly hour at which I have chosen to write it. 

xoxo, You know you love me :)

Hope

Monday, 6/29

Greetings Family,

Let me begin by saying that London is incredible. The weather has been beautiful (warm and sunny with just minutes of rain each day), and the city provides a seemingly endless number of activities and attractions.

Yesterday, I got up and had breakfast (yogurt and berries-and fruit is better here and the kitchen in the house is lovely) and then attended orientation with the GAs of the house and then our professors. Following a quick lunch we headed to Hampton Palace (Henry VIII's favorite castle and home of the famed Ann Boleyn/ the Tudors. The castle had very interesting decor (tons of animal heads) but my favorite attraction was the Royal Tennis Court, it is indoors and you play off the walls so it seemed to combine squash and tennis into one very amusing game. 

I start class in a half an hour and the plan for today is to go, with some friends, on a tour bus around the city so that we can orient ourselves. We will probably visit the London Tower (yes one day Ann Boleyn's house, the next where she was beheaded), and then tonight we will be attending our first performance,  Apologia at Bush Theatre.

Some of my friends do not have class on Wednesday and I have class 9-11 monday to Thursday so that will be the day for Wimbledon-my friends will get up early and queue up and I'll meet them after (sadly Roger is playing today so I don't know that he will be there but hey, its Wimbledon so I cannot complain). 

Needless to say, I love it here, all is well, and I am having quite an experience. 

Love,

Hope

day One

Dear Family,

I intended to write emails but I figured creating a blog is easy enough and it makes it very simple to keep everyone on the same page. With that said, I just had my first exciting day in London. It began with a long flight (which was delayed on the ground in London for some time). Then I took the train to Paddington station, and being the tourist that I am I took pictures (will send those along later). Then it was just a short cab ride to the "hostel". I use quotes because there is nothing hostel about this place, I allegedly am living across the street from Stella McCartney.

After unpacking my belongings and getting to know some of the students on the program, we all decided to go to lunch. I spent the remainder of the afternoon walking around the park (Kensington Gardens), and lounging by a lake with some friends- needless to say the weather cooperated. 

When I got back to the house the kids I have gotten to know thus far decided it would be a good idea to discuss weekend excursions. We planned for paris this weekend, rome and venice the following, staying in london the third (we have to stay to see a play for class) and finally a boat trip to amsterdam for the last weekend. 

After a much needed nap, the gang and I went out to get pizza for dinner. They had this interesting dish where I was able to get a pizza that had the center cut out and instead of pizza there was salad-I thought that was clever. Then I stocked up at the grocery store, so I am set for breakfast for the next few days. Now, I am back at the house just hanging out with some friends but I will probably be heading to bed soon. All in all it was a great first day.

Everyone seems very nice and I am really looking forward to exploring more of the city and I am sure there will be more to report soon. Thanks again mom for putting so much work into making this trip hassle-free, I really do appreciate it.

Love, Hope