"I do believe in fairies!"

I can't believe my trip is almost over. Three weeks ago we bought tickets to Peter Pan in Kensington Gardens and I just got back from seeing it.

I accidentally woke up early this morning and for whatever reason I couldn't go back to sleep. I started doing some packing and just tried to take a nap on the couch while I watched Friends reruns. We had to meet up at The Globe one last time for a tour and a workshop type thing. Sara and I left early and got some Starbucks--it's been pretty instrumental for survival here--before we met up with everyone. The tour guide that we had was pretty entertaining--in that he tried to engage everyone with awkward staring contests... He had us do this workshop because he's an actor himself. We were given a part of a speech by Phebe in As You Like It and we had to read it in different ways. First we sat around in a giant circle and each person read a line. That didn't work out so well so each of us read to a punctuation--better. We had to whisper it to each other, pretend we were reading it to a 5 year old child across the room, yell it while standing on chairs, and yell it into the ground. It was hilarious! Finally we had to act out a set of lines from the speech in small groups. Kathleen, Kendall, Patrick and I had so much fun. Kendall and Patrick said the lines while Kathleen and I hid behind them and used our arms as theirs. So funny!

After I said goodbye to The Globe a few of us went to Vinnopolis again to get gifts--I just got a bottle of wine with a few of the girls that we're planning on drinking by the river in Westminster tomorrow night when the city is all lit up and gorgeous. Then we walked through the Borough Market. That place is just awesome! It's all foods and cooking stuff and it smells AMAZING! I got my parents each a gift there and then we headed back to Ability to get pretty for Peter Pan.

I did a little bit more packing--well mostly a little more head scratching because I have no idea how the heck I'm going to get everything home! Then it was time to go.

Sara, Sara, Alex and I went to Chilango (our favorite mexican restaurant) to get burritos before the play. We underestimated how much time it would take to get there, so after looking at the Tube Map we got our food to go and high-tailed it to the station. Once we got to the park we had time to sit under a tree and eat our burritos. Classy.

The play was not in a theatre, really. It was in this amazing white tent set up in the middle of Kensington Gardens. The whole thing was absolutely gorgeous because it was white and lit up in the middle of this area with grass and trees. We were so excited to go in and see what it was going to be like. It did not disappoint. We bought programs even though they were too expensive because I don't think I could describe how they did everything with my own words. The tent was circular and so was the stage, so all the seating wrapped around it. Our seats were in the dead center on the third row! The actors were really great. Peter Pan was a lot hotter than any version that I've ever seen! Tinkerbell was hilarious--she had some kind of Italian/Mexican combination accent of some sort and wore a pink tu-tu. Captain Hook was amazing too! I just couldn't get enough of all of it. The actors flew above our heads and there was a screen that wrapped around the entire audience above us where they could change the scenery. We teared up a few times because it was all just so gorgeous! When Tinkerbell dies and has to be brought back to life we all had to jingle little bells and whisper, "I do believe in fairies." I cried at that part because there were two little girls behind me whispering that with so much intention. It was beyond precious! I didn't want to leave. The way that they did everything was just so impressive--all the animals were puppets that were controlled by a man who just walked around with them. Sounds weird, but it was done really well. The Crocodile was awesom! It was driven around on stage by two people and was absolutely hilarious! I want to go back right now!

We left the park in the best moods ever. It really was the perfect thing to end on because I'm getting ready to go back home now. Caitlin made us all laugh and cry when she said, "London is like our Neverland!" We were ridiculous.

After we left we mad our way to our pub, the Angel, for one last time. The tube ride was hilarious because the driver was obviously in a horrible mood. Sometimes when people try and board right when the doors close, they open back up just like elevator doors. Well the doors tried to close, and then opened and shut again. He came over the speaker when we got on and said, "Your journey was delayed because of passengers obstructing the door, thank you very much." It was a little uncomfortable because at the next stop he spoke again, "Please move away from the doors! Man in the black shirt please move inside the car!" Everyone was laughing because then he gave a small speech about the importance of not standing near the doors again!

At the Angel I ordered my last pear cider in London and we just sat around again talking.

I'm back at Ability now thinking about packing and how it might possibly not work out very well for me...I hope I don't have to leave anything behind!

Tomorrow's my last day in London,
Whitney

Plastic People

Today was the longest day ever. We had class for SIX HOURS! So many people had to do their presentations still that we didn't leave the classroom until after 3:30. It was terrible. We also had a guest speaker--a theatre critic from the London Financial Times. She talked to us about trends in the theatre and about notable things that she's seen, and her critique on several current shows. It would have been nice to hear her on another day--but today she was boring because we knew we had to sit through all of those presentations...but regardless, class is finished!

After the Anglo marathon we headed back to Ability where I planned on taking a nap and a shower because I knew we were going out later. But then Kendall came to the door and convinced Sara and I to go to a pub with him and Patrick. We got off at the Goodge Station--one I hadn't been to yet, and went to a pub that Patrick looked up and really wanted to go to. I feel bad not running around and doing every little thing during my last few days--but I'm just so tired and anxious to get home that it's just more fun to hang out with everyone instead. We all went to a club tonight called Plastic People. It was absoultely ridiculous! The whole place was completely dark except for a few small lights and strobe lights on the dance floor. The DJ was really awesome and we just danced and danced and danced until we were so exhausted and sweaty that we had to leave and get some fresh air! Great night!

Tomorrow we have a tour and a workshop at the Globe and then I get to see Peter Pan! So excited!

Home in 2 days!
Whitney

What else can we do?

Today we had most of the day free so I just let myself sleep in. It was wonderful. I woke up and did some reading before I took my sweet time getting ready for the day. Sara and I went to Camden again to look for gifts to take home to family and hopefully a gift for ourselves! We only had to stay there an hour for her to buy three things and for me to make two purchases. I got myself a really funky necklace and a ring for just a little over £15 total. Camden is so great.

After we left we just went back to the flat to take naps and to just relax. We've just been doing so much that we were having trouble thinking of other things that we wanted to do that wouldn't cost us an arm and a leg. I just ended up looking for ways to get to the airport on Sunday morning. My flight leaves before 8am and I have to be there three hours before that. I could take the tube for next to nothing but it doesn't start running until 5am, so that's not an option. I'm going to have to take a cab and hopefully find someone to split it with so that it won't cost too much.

We had another play to go to tonight! I can't even tell you how many shows I've been to since I've been here--I just know that I'm going to one more before I leave: Peter Pan in an amazing looking tent out in Kensington Gardens. Can't wait! But back to tonight--we saw The Cherry Orchard by Checkov. No offense to anyone, including Ethan Hawke-who was in the play-but it was incredibly boring. I don't really even want to talk about it but you can look it up if you're really interested.

Now I'm just back at the flat getting ready for bed because we have a really long day of class from 9am-5pm. Yikes!

Three days until I'm headed home!
Whitney

I feel ridiculous in this parka...

Today was our last Tuesday class at Anglo American. We got up and headed there on the tube and actually got there on time! We had two guest speakers today--Lemn Sissay and Hannah Poole. Lemn is a British poet who has published several books and also does radio and TV shows. He was so great! He's such a character and he was so entertaining. Lemn read a few of his poems to us and talked to us about his life. He is a black man who was adopted at a very young age by a very proper white family in England. His mother just wanted to have him fostered for a little while because she was young, unmarried and pregnant--but the social worker that she contacted had Lemn adopted instead and when she begged for him back she was told that there was nothing that could be done. Lemn, whose adopted name was Norman, was rejected by his entire family at the age of 11 because he "didn't love them enough." He never spoke to them again and lived in orphanages until he was 18. It made me so sad to think about being rejected by your entire family, and then spending vital time without anyone to speak of; without anyone who has known you for longer than a year. It made me so thankful for amazing and ridiculous people that I call family--sometimes I think I forget how lucky I am. Anyway, Lemn was finally able to get a copy of his birth certificate and finally knew his real name. He tracked down his mother and family and now has a very successful career! As soon as he opened his mouth I was pretty much in love with him. He was so well-spoken and genuine, and when he read one of his poems called Invisible Kisses I honestly teared up a little. It is just the most perfect poem about love that I think I've ever heard. Here it is:

INVISIBLE KISSES

If there was ever one
Whom when you were sleeping
Would wipe your tears
When in dreams you were weeping;
Who would offer you time
When others demand;
Whose love lay more infinite
Than grains of sand.

If there was ever one
To whom you could cry;
Who would gather each tear
And blow it dry;
Who would offer help
On the mountains of time;
Who would stop to let each sunset
Soothe the jaded mind.

If there was ever one
To whom when you run
Will push back the clouds
So you are bathed in sun;
Who would open arms
If you would fall;
Who would show you everything
If you lost it all.

If there was ever one
Who when you achieve
Was there before the dream
And even then believed;
Who would clear the air
When it's full of loss;
Who would count love
Before the cost.

If there was ever one
Who when you are cold
Will summon warm air
For your hands to hold;
Who would make peace
In pouring pain,
Make laughter fall
In falling rain.

If there was ever one
Who can offer you this and more;
Who in keyless rooms
Can open doors;
Who in open doors
Can see open fields
And in open fields
See harvests yield.

Then see only my face
In the reflection of these tides
Through the clear water
Beyond the river side.
All I can send is love
In all that this is
A poem and a necklace
Of invisible kisses.

It's AMAZING when he reads it out loud, because he doesn't just say the words--he acts them out and smiles while he speaks. Love it.

After Lemn signed our books and left we heard a couple of our classmates' presentations and then our second speaker came in.

Like Lemn, Hanna Poole was also adopted at a young age. She was originally born in Eritrea, Africa as the youngest of six children. Her mother died during childbirth and she was given up. She wrote a book, called My Father's Daughter and in it she tells about how she had grown up thinking that both of her biological parents were dead and that she had no blood family. She got a letter from her biological brother from Eritrea saying that she not only had a father but four other siblings! Ten years later she decided to go there and to meet them. It was interesting hearing her talk about how primitive her biological family is and how the culture is so incredibly different that it's like a whole different world. She is a self proclaimed femenist and a single lady in her 30's--so the village where her family lives being a very patriarchial one proves to be a problem. She's struggled to learn the language and to understand an entire new world so that she may get to know her father and siblings. Now she contacts them regularly and works as a columnist for The Guardian, a big newspaper in London. She read some passages from her book and just talked to us about her life. Pretty interesting day.

When class was over we had some free time before we went on a tour of the National Museum. We went there for a show a couple of weeks ago, but this time we got a tour of the backstage areas and the workshops and got to see sets being put together. I thought it was going to be boring but it was actually pretty cool! Our tour guide was really nice and she had so much information about the Theatre itself and about the plays that were going on in it.

After the tour we went to a typical tourist attraction, the Absolute Ice Bar. It's literally a bar that is made entirely of ice. There was a cover charge that included one drink and when you went in a very nice man put a large parka type thing on you and sent you through this room and into the ice bar. It was so hilarious! We were all in these parka robes with furry hoods and big black gloves just dancing around freezing our asses off! The glasses that they gave us were made entirely of ice too! Completely ridiculous! We made sure to take lots of pictures and in about 30 minutes we were cold enough to leave.

When we left there we decided to go to a real pub--one where we didn't have to wear special clothing to survive in. We went to Piccadilly again to a pub called Porterhouse. It was a nicer pub, which unfortunately meant that the drinks were more expensive. I ordered a glass of wine for the first time! I was so excited about doing it because since our wine tasting the other day I know what the words mean! Then, after trying what everyone else was drinking I ordered a house beer called Porterhouse Red that Patrick had. It was so good! I'm such a beer snob now. We just hung out until 11:30--right before the place closed and the tube stopped running. We passed by this bakery that had thrown out some of these giant baguettes. They were probably almost 4 feet long and we picked up a few and kind of staged a sword fight in the road. It was pretty retarded. There were a bunch of us there and people kind of scattered to find their own way home, so Alex, Patrick and I went to a park near Ability. The gate was locked so I scaled a small brick wall to break in. We just sat by the water for a while and talked about art and London and each other. It was really relaxing. Then Alex and I pretended to be little girls again and went on the swings for a little while before climbing the fence again and heading back to our flats to go to bed.

Fun day! Tomorrow we have most of the day free and I'm not sure what I'm going to do with it.

We'll See,

Whitney

Off With Her Head!

Today I got up early for our tour of the Tower Of London. It's the infamous sight where Anne Boelyn, another of Henry VIII's six wives, and many other people were beheaded. It was also where many people of high stature were imprisoned, and where many people were tortured. Today it is a historical sight, and it is where the Crowned Jewels are on display. We got there before the place opened so that we could see the Ceremony of The Keys, where the guards who live there do a ceremonial march to and from the doors to unlock them. It was pretty interesting to see them do it. The place was really cool--I saw Traitor's Gate where people accused of treason and other awful things were brought in for their punishments. I also stood where Anne Boelyn was beheaded, and saw where she was buried in the chapel. Apparently she was buried all squished into this little box, with her head at her waist, underneath her arm. That's why when people have reported seeing her ghost she's always carrying her head. The Crowned Jewels were pretty cool--soooo sparkley! We watched a short film with the highlights of the Queen's coronation and the items used before we actually saw them. It gave me goosebumps for some reason! The peices were behind a huge vault and the doors weigh over 200kg each! They didn't even want people lingering to look at them too long, so there was a conveightor belt that you had to stand on ride through the room. Pretty neat stuff! The crowned Jewels have the largest and 2nd largest diamonds in the world in them. There was also a small exhibition about torture at the Tower--they tried to make it seem like torture was rarely used, but I highly doubt it was a sparse a tool as they made it out to be. Henry VIII beheaded his own wives...what does that say about his treatment of perfect strangers?! There was also an exhibition called Henry VIII: Dressed to Kill, and it was all about the armour that he wore and had a lot of it on display. I took a couple of pictures even though I wasn't really supposed to. Oops!

After the Tower I headed back to Ability just to hang out and relax before we saw As You Like It at the Globe later. I just rested and then went earlier to Waterstone's--a six story bookstore in Piccadilly. I loved it! SIX floors! I bought a book as a gift and then one for myself after I wandered around the place for a while.

Afterwards I headed toward the Tate Modern, a modern art museum where we planned to meet for tea before the play. Unfortunately we forgot to check the hours and it was closed, but fortunately enough the Tate Modern is right near the Globe so we didn't really waste too much time. I bought a couple of things at the gift shop and then it started pouring. If you didn't know--the Globe doesn't have a roof. I got in line with the other groundling ticket holders, bought a poncho because I was smart and forgot my rain coat, and got ready for the show. Groundling ticket holders stand the entire time in front of the stage--they're the cheapest, and arguably the best seats in the house. Even though it was raining--the show was AMAZING!! The entire cast was just awesome, the guy who played Orlando was adorable, and I found myself laughing so much that my side hurt when I left. We had such a great time that we were all wondering how we could get jobs there! I love the Globe--gonna miss it.

That's all for today
Whitney

Relaxation 101

Today was pretty much the most relaxing day ever. I slept in this morning and took my time getting ready for the day. I had no other plans today other than a wine tasting that I set up with some of the other folks here at 3:00. I went to Barclays Cash Point, a.k.a. an ATM, and got out some more money. Living in a city is expensive! After that I grabbed a quick lunch and met some folds out at Kensington Gardens just to relax. It was a gorgeous day today--the sun was out and it was the perfect temperature. It was nice just to sit in the grass for a little while. Then we headed over to Vinnopolis, a local seller of wine and other spirits. We got a quick lesson in how to taste wine. First, you hold the glass by the stem so that your hand doesn't heat up the wine, then you look to make sure that the wine is not cloudy. After that you look at the color--the lighter the edge of a white wine the younger it is, but if the edge of a red whine is lighter then it is an older wine. Then you swirl the glass to look for the legs, or drips. The more drips you see, the higher the alcohol content is. Swirl it again and stick your nose into the glass to see if you can identify the different layers of smells. Finally you actually taste it--but you have to slurp it to incorporate your sense of smell. It was very informative. The place was beautiful too! There was an exhibit of wine and then rooms were decorated that held the wine. There was a tapas bar for (overpriced) food, and a great selection of wine broken down by country. I tried a Cabernet Sauvignon from France, a really great Riesling from Australia, and a Shiraz from Mexico to name a few. Our tickets included five wine tastings along with two extra premium (really good) wine tastings. It was so great! It also included two rum tastings and between the seven of us we got more tickets to try whiskey, beer and absinthe.

After the tasting we headed to a Mexican restaurant right on the Thames. It was the most tasty meal I've had here so far. We had a great time there--possibly as a result of our earlier activities, but I'm sure we would have had as good a time regardless.

Then we headed to my new favorite pub, the Island Queen. We just hung out and each got another drink. I got a glass of Aspall Cider--my new favorite thing. Today was just a day full of drinking, relaxing, talking, laughing, and generally being lazy--loved it!

Tomorrow's going to be an early day--we're going to the Tower Of London and then seeing another Shakespeare Play: As You Like It. Can't wait!

Until tomorrow,
Whitney

To be, or not to be...

I’m not really a person who gets obsessed with celebrities. With that being said—I spoke to Jude Law today!!! He was more handsome in person than I thought he would be and he was pretty much amazing in the performance that I saw! Let me start at the beginning—

We woke up at 5:30 this morning to go and wait outside the box office of the Wyndham Theatre in Leicester Square for tickets to Hamlet. We finally got there at a little before 7:00 this morning and the nine of us that were there took our place in line behind two other men that had gotten there earlier. We entertained ourselves until 10:00 when the doors opened by playing cards and talking—the time passed pretty quickly too! We got in the doors, got our tickets (they were a little pricey at £32, but I knew it would be worth it), and left the theatre refreshed and a little bit giddy for the show tonight!

We got on the tube and went to Buckingham Palace for the Trooping of the Colours—a celebration of the Queen’s official birthday. It was basically a parade of the Royal Family from the Palace and down the road a little way, and then back to the Palace. The whole area around the Palace was decorated with flags and there were people lining the street and the fences. We bought flags from a street vendor, and we were told that it would be exciting and that we should wave them at the Queen. There were lots of dressed guards on horseback and a band that played to let everyone know that the Queen was going to appear. She rode by and I expected there to be more cheering or something, but the guy in front of me was just like, “Oh yes, I do believe that is the Queen. Yes, there she goes.” (Imagine it in a British accent…it’s funnier.) I just expected the whole thing to be a little more festive, but I guess there was a code of conduct that forbade shouting, and any sort of excitement all together. I got a really good picture of her though, but I didn’t get one of Prince Harry or Prince William.

Once we managed to fight through the crowd and get out of there, Alex, Sara, Sara and I headed to Camden Town. It was such a different place. Immediately out of the tube station we could hear all kinds of different music and there were so many people in and around the streets. There were stores all over the place with all kinds of different things in them. A store that sold handmade soap was right between one that sold leather dominatrix clothing and one that sold bongs and other smoking paraphernalia. It was pretty wild. Every where we turned there was another street lined with shops, another set of tents set up, another maze of vendors! There was just SO MUCH stuff! One street that was just across a bridge and over the canal that ran through the town was full of little wooden buildings painted with all different colors, and each little building was selling food from different countries. We got ourselves some very good, but very cheap, Chinese food and sat next to the water to eat it. After walking around for another hour or two Sara and I left to get ready for the show tonight.

I came back to the flat and took a quick nap before I got ready. We got all dolled up, at a frozen pizza, and met up with everyone else to go back to Leicester Square. I was so excited for the show—and it did not disappoint! We went to our seats and they were so great! I didn’t expect our last minute purchase to be so close to the stage, and the theatre itself is absolutely gorgeous. I would have taken a picture but it wasn’t allowed for some reason. We were such giddy little girls! The curtain lifted and there he was—Jude Law crouched while a spotlight shown on him. Then the play started. The set was amazing—the way that it changed and moved was so wonderful. All the actors were fantastic, not just Jude. A lot of them had been in other movies, one was a pirate in Pirates of The Caribbean! The performance was spectacular, and afterward we went to the stage door hoping to get a glimpse of Jude. There was such crowd out there! This drunk girl named Rosanna came running up from a nearby pub and started yelling stupid things. She was yelling for Jude to sign her boobs and singing ridiculous made-up songs. It was pretty tacky. Actor after actor came out and finally he came out. I didn’t expect him to stay long, but he was so great. He came out and signed programs and took pictures with people. He signed mine and we got a picture with him—he was so great about all of it! I told him that I really enjoyed the performance and that he was very generous for coming out like this every night. He looked honestly touched and thanked me for what I said. I’m sure he was on autopilot but it was just nice of him. We giggled all the way back to the flat!

Solid Saturday!
Whitney