Day 34 – London 2008

Me and Sharra are going to Chatsworth House today

We left here and caught the 9:25 train to Chesterfield in which we had to take a bus to Baslow to the house

I’m a genius! I’m glad I found it and went. I just thought everything was soooo beautiful. And there were a couple of surprises. First they have a Firebolt signed by J.K. Rowling herself. We were like estatic to find that.

And the real reason besides seeing the house they filmed the exteriors of Pride & Prejudice the more recent version. But there is a scene where she walks through a room filled with white marble statues…well we walked through that room and guess what

They have the same bust they made of Mr. Darcy for the movie there…of course we took pictures with it. I mean really.

The maze was pretty cool and we got a little lost…well we eventually found the middle and then found our way out.

And then the waterway terrace was pretty neat. We took off our shoes and stuck our feet in…it felt so good.

We didn’t plan down a time…although I had no problem with that I really enjoyed the day despite getting back late

Day 26 – London 2008

I got to sleep in a bit this morning which was a great feeling. I got up and worked on some stuff got dressed and headed out. My first stop was Shakespeare’s Globe b/c the shirt I bought (It says Something Wicked This Way Comes) was too small so I exchanged it and bought some more bookmarks for people. I then just decided to walk along the south bank of the river Thames. It really was a nice walk. Then I decided that I was going to walk to the Tower Bridge and I saw all sorts of things on the way. I stopped by HMS Belfast and took some pictures of it because I knew Dad would appreciate them. I also saw a sign for a design museum so I might have to check that out if I have time. I finally got to the tower bridged and walked across it and took some photos of it and the Tower of London which is right next to it on the North bank. And then I walked to the Underground b/c my feet were getting a bit sore and I figured I had to clean up before tonight. We are seeing Les Miserables tonight after dinner. The whole class is going out for dinner since this is our last performance together. I’m really looking forward to the show tonight. I know the music but I haven’t ever seen it well I’ve seen parts of it I think. Will update after the show tonight but now I have to get ready.

Day 21 – London 2008

Field Trip day!

We’re going to Shakespeare’s Globe theater for a tour and then we’re going to a matinee performance of Twelfth Night in Regents Park

I’ll update with details once I get back

Well The Globe is a great theatre and I really like how it keeps with the original style of the Globe. The current Globe is actually a reconstructed version of the original b/c it hadn’t been discovered until more recent times. They tried to match the original one as much as possible by using other theatres as points of refrences that still existed. It still has a thatched roof which they had to get a law passed specifically for the globe to have it b/c they were outlawed in London. People here in London are very Fire cautious. We didn’t actually see a performance there. But the tour did help us understand how a performance would have been back in those times. They had different tiers and levels at the theatre and it basically represented different social classes. The standing room in the stalls people were called groundlings. they stood all away around the stage. As you moved into the seated areas and up you had to pay more and it showed your status in those times.

We did go see a performance of Twelfth Night over at Regents Park… it had been set in the Jazz era and it was quite good …I was a bit annoyed that they had an inconsisted use of mics on the actors either mic all or none at all.

When I got back the group got together for dinner and Terra made chicken tenders and mac and cheese YUMMY!

We planned for the next day and I went back to get packed for IRELAND!!! We have an early day tomorrow so I’ll have to say good night!

Day 19 – London 2008

Another field trip day.

I panicked this morning b/c I thought I forgot to set my alarm clock because he added a morning portion to our field trip. Which was to the Victoria and Albert Museum. We went and saw the fashion, theatre design, and jewelry room. If I wasn’t feeling a bit sore this morning I might have stayed. I did grab a late lunch and bought a postcard before I left. I had a relax for the better part of the afternoon it was good to take a nap. I didn’t realize how tired I was I just laid down to stretch out and next thing I knew it was a couple hours later.

Tonight we are seeing Hairspray which should be exciting. I’ll edit in more when I get home.

I LOVED HAIRSPRAY!!! Its just as good as the Movie version with some added elements…A definitely must see! Only slips I saw was the British cast sometimes let their accents slips but a lot of them did a great job with the American accent.

Day 18 – London 2008

Well its the halfway point of the trip

Which is probably why were having a midterm meeting after classes

I gave my presentation today and I just felt all jumbled up…and I had practiced…sometimes I just suck at presentations…I’m gonna blame it on the fact that I was a bit sleepy (its a bit rainy today again)

But its over with and done and thats all that matters

I don’t want to go to my Brit Lit class (I’m writing in between breaks)

But thankfully my presentation in that class is Wednesday

After our meeting though I’m going on a Harry Potter walking tour. I’m kinda excited even if its cheesy as I’ve heard it is. I don’t care really. Its Harry Potter!

We had our first major accident out of the group. Appartently a girl on the Edinburgh trip while on their tour of some graveyards passed out from exhaustion or dehydration well she fainted forward and she broke her jaw. I feel so bad for her to have this happen while abroad. But they sent her home as well and that really sucks since its so expensive. Well got to go to class I’ll will edit more in later

So class I really did have a hard time paying attention. Tangents are good sometimes but when they last forever they do not… and spending the whole three hours on Queen Elizabeth I as he read her writings and we had to decipher the meaning… probably didn’t help and the rain sucks

Actually its ADD but I’m hoping that the sun right now lasts b/c I really want to go on the HP tour tonight

and I didn’t have an umbrella so when I got caught in the sudden down pour = not cool at all

We had our midterm meeting and they told us that they think we’re wearing our selves out…I agree after that first week of like non stop stuff I slowed it down

I grew up ignoring the pain in my lower legs when there was lots of walking b/c I didn’t want to ask for help b/c when I did it seemed like no one would help me… it wasn’t until this year that I practically pleaded for help. I grew up and now have to look after myself because no one would do it for me. I’m sure that people around me thought they were helping but they weren’t b/c really what help is it yelling at someone doing something. but I’m getting side tracked to the point is that I know my limits now. And trying to do everything all at once is not the way to go.

So the Harry Potter walk was disappointing. It wasn’t at all what I had expected. It was cheesy and it was more about the history behind things and real stuff she based off of. No Kings Cross was seriously disappointed in that aspect of it  b/c I really want a picture of the momument they have there now I’ll just have to make another trip. oh well.

Day 17 – London 2008

Sleeping in is such a great feeling. Especially when your week is so hectic. I think once a week you should allow your self to get up when you want instead of what time you need to get up to do somethin. Also lounging in the pjs is a must also…especially when the weather is crappy, which is the perfect pj louging weather.

After I finally got up and moving and had luch I went down and took the tube to the Natural History Museum. Which I really like the exhibit. There were some high pointso the museum and low points. First off the Dinosaur wing is densely populated with people… if your claustrophobic and don’t like crowds I would try to go on a week day when it might not be so crowded. But I went on a weekend so I waded through as much as possible. I like hands on exhibits. I’m like a kid and have to push all the buttons and touch stuff. (LOL if you’ve been clothes shopping you know I shop by touch) The earth section (I think its the red zone) has the best hands on exhibits. It also has a massive entrance that I really liked. You take an escalator up through a scuplture of the earth. And the walls outside of the globe have constellations on one side and on the other wall its a model of the solar system. Man I wish I had walls like that. I also liked the marine animals exhibit (not really hands on) you come into a huge room and hanging from the ceiling are models and skeltons of the big ocean animals (whales and dolphins) and its made to look like they’re swimming through the air. I’m pretty sure I didn’t get to see all the exhibits as the place is huge and I probably missed some rooms. Came back around 4:30 that way I could get some things done like get my papers written for tomorrow and prepare for my presentation that is also tomorrow.  I’ll have a busy night but eh I’m a college student I’m kinda used to it by now. All in all it was the perfect thing to do on a rainy sort of day. Although now as I right that the sun is starting to come out.

Day 13 – London 2008

Classes – classes were good I was having issues this morning getting out of bed so I felt a bit sleepy through classes but I made it okay. I have to present next week (thank goodness on different days) for both classes…how weird is that…

I’ve decided that I’m gonna do almost a day trip to Scotland I just didn’t want it to take up my entire weekend.

Tea

Photography Meet Up

Movie – The Oxford Murders – stars Elijah Wood – I thought it was a great movie and ironically I was wearing a oxford shirt. lol but it was really good “made you think” kind of movie. Cinemas are a bit different than US movie theaters. they actually give you assigned seats like if you were going to a theater for a play or such. I thought that was kinda cool…but they have a long time for commercials in the beginning I think almost longer than normal.

Ride Home – It was kind of amusing. As we were crammed onto the train going home there were a group of guys who just came from the jack johnson concert that the other half of our group went to. Well it was obvious they had a little to much to drink…it was just funny

Day 12 – London 2008

Field trip day!

Walking tour with David Alder – we started off in Covent Garden at the Royal Opera House! It was gorgeous inside! And so much history in it with all the fires and the rebuilds and the company. He took us inside the auditorium and can I say that it was a beautiful theater as well. Its all red and has many tiers of balconies and David pointed out the Royal box used by Queen Victoria but the Queen Elizabeth II doesn’t like that box perse so she uses a different one but Prince Charles uses it. They were staging for one of their up and coming shows so it was pretty neat to see. We couldn’t take pictures though b/c of copy right reasons. He then showed us the backstage area and omg it was so big. They have a movable floor that works a bit like those puzzles you have as a kid that a picture is all mixed up and has one piece missing so you have to move them around to make the picture. I think he called them wagons (?) but they can put set pieces and it takes minutes for them to do a scene change all controlled by a computer. It was pretty awesome to see that especially since what most I see is front of house work. He then took us around Covent Garden to give us more history on some of the other theaters in the area.

Harrods – the famous department store in London. After he dismissed us from that portion of our field trip we were allowed to follow him to Harrods. If you don’t know what Harrods is or never heard or seen it. I think your missing out. I wish they had something like it back home but less expensive. I liked the farmers market / food area. And you know everything in that whole place is top quality especially for the prices you have to pay. Everything is just so ornate there especially the Egyptian escalator. And the Princess Diana memorial is great.

Lord of the Rings – I loved the spectacle of this production and the set OMG the set. It just takes over the theater literally. The main stage is a turn table of concentric circle and platforms that rise which the design of it makes it look like a tree and then there is tree limbs and roots that come from the frame of the stage all the way out to the boxes (covering some) and out to the balconies. and the skrim is just covered with them and coming to the point of the large ring in the center of it. They used so many different affect and it still bugs me about how they did the fireflies in the beginning. The acting and the script were a bit sketch to me. First of all why on earth would you try and cram 3 complicated books into a musical…which was 3 hours long and 1 intermission (so not good). And some of the actors I didn’t feel were really into character. Like Gandalf. he pretty much was the one that I had major problems with. Gandalf is supposed to be a wise old man that is a bit eccentric and sort whatever but this guy just didn’t fit it at all. sometimes he was trying to make a joke but he would be to quick about it or he would say it almost yelling at the person. Few problems music wise can’t remember which female lead it was but the transition from her full singing voice to her higher range was a bit rough. All it all it was good something I wouldn’t see more then once I feel but a good performance and I know it had to be a really really difficult thing to perform and I always appreciate that!

http://www.flickr.com/photos/cengels/sets/72157605942170097/

Day 11 – London 2008

I didn’t do much besides going to classes today. I’m trying to be more conscious of not over doing it in terms of walking with my feet. So after classes were done today I went back to my dorm and made sure that I had all my homework done for the week so I don’t have to worry about it later. I’m still indecisive about going with Terra and Diana up to Scotland. In some ways I want to go but I feel like there is so much to see here and that’s why I came was to see London. So I might stay in city this weekend and maybe do some day trips. As much as I think it would be neat to go to there I just don’t want to run out of time doing all the things I want to do here. And I fear that some of my friends don’t have any time management when they’re planning things. My friend contacted finally! I think we’re going to meet up soon which would be awesome. I don’t know what we’re going to do but I’m sure its going to be a blast!

Went to a great Italian place with Emily, Sharra, and Diana called Spaghetti House. medium range prices but it was excellent

Day 10 – London 2008

What a day!

We went to Stonehenge and Avebury! It was one of those organized trips and it was kinda nice to have a structured trip and we found out some interesting stuff from our strangely dressed tour guide.  That was definitely a code charlie! We first arrived in Avebury which is actually a much larger circle of stones. The stones aren’t bigger but its is a much larger diameter that the circle covers. The little town was cute and it was intermingled with the stones its self which I thought was pretty neat. The rocks there you can get up close and personal with them. And even see sheep in the same enclosure! The local football team (that’s soccer to the US) was putting on a teas for tourist that day so we stopped there and had some of their homemade cakes before we headed back to the bus.  We then travelled to Stonehenge while our eccentric tour guide told us to be on the look out for crop circles b/c the areas of these sites have some of the most sightings of crop circles in world. We didn’t see any but I really wasn’t expecting we would

Stonehenge was great and I wish people could be more appreciative of stuff like this. Many people from our group voiced how they were a bit disappointed with it that they thought it would be big. Well it is big just the circle of stones isn’t that big in diameter. And its just like the pyramids its a mystery of how they came to be and why. I wish it had been a better day as it was really cloudy and did start to sprinkle towards the end of our circle around the stones. At stonehenge though you can’t get close to the rocks. You can see that they have been graffiti and its just sad to see history treated like that.

I did buy souvenirs while I was there and I can’t wait to show off my collection of post cards when I get back!

I didn’t do much for the rest of the day when we got back