This Week

Right, it's been a week and I have five days left in London. It's a bit surreal to be honest, despite the inevitable mailing that will occur tomorrow (all my sweatshirts, all of the presents for those who don't live with me, my posters, the rest of the large-ish teddy bears) and the fact that I've packed up all my mugs and everything else in my room is, bit by bit, getting put away either in my duffel bag or my carry on. Still, I haven't been resting on my laurels or moping in my room about my departure on Tuesday. No, I've been out and about getting in my last trips both in the southern part of England and in London. There will be more trips in London tomorrow, but for now I'm going to talk about a couple of stand out moments from the last seven days.
So I'm going to admit it: I bailed on Miike Snow. I printed out the ticket but when the time came to leave for the gig, I decided that I just didn't want to spend 3 hours rubbing shoulders (literally) with a bunch of hipsters. I like Miike Snow's music, but the majority of the people who were going to be at that concert are exactly the kind of people who have made my London experience less than brilliant. So I stayed home and relaxed, which given the week I've had was probably a good idea.
The next night however I didn't bail on seeing the Hertfordshire Choir perform Mozart's Requiem. It was an amazing performance and so Mozartian that at points I just had to smile and go "Aaah Mozart. So distinctive, so pattern oriented." I had a nice dinner and in general a nice night out. However to all future composers: Don't try and mix modern music with scientific theories and moral concepts. Especially where lyrics are involved. It doesn't work.
Monday I mailed things. I had grander plans, but after I found out that I would be spending hard cash to mail everything, grander plans went out the window.
Tuesday I went to Brighton and while the weather was nice and I got some good pictures, it was a bit disappointing to be honest. I went to the Pier, but none of the rides were opened and for me, that was the whole point. Sure the Royal Pavilion was beautiful and opulent and well worth the time, but it's not why I went to Brighton. I went to Brighton to have fun on the pier. Still, at least I can say I've been there (like I can say I've been to Leeds, Cardiff, Liverpool, Glasgow, Bath, Winchester, Salisbury, York, Canterbury, Greenwich, Penzance, Windsor, Stonehenge, and Dover.)
Speaking of Dover, that's where I went today. It was over cast the entire time, I couldn't find the restaurant my Mom found for me (I walked past where it was multiple times though without knowing it, which annoys me even more), and it took 35 minutes to get from the White Cliffs (National Trust shop site) to the Dover Priory train station (which means it probably took about 30 minutes to get from the town centre to the cliffs). Once I was at the White Cliffs, the views were amazing, but again, it was over cast and chilly. Not a great day for viewing needless to say. However the day was redeemed because I got a crepe and the book my grandmother wanted me to get for her at St. Pancras. However the some of my flatmates are being obnoxious, but I only have a few more days of said obnoxiousness.
I still have to make up my mind about what I'm doing tomorrow, but I do know that the morning will be devoted to spending a great hairy wad of money to send off the last of my sending off things. It annoys me, but the post office doesn't take credit cards (well American credit cards) so I have no choice. I might be getting my hair done or I might be shopping and going to the Eye. All I know is that I'm having dinner with Amanda and a friend of her's, so part of my evening is taking care of. I also know that on Saturday I'm going to a cinema theater to watch Dr. Strangelove: or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb because I haven't seen it all the way through and it seems like a good movie to see on the big screen. In the next entry I will talk about my undying love for Glee and the Comedy Store. But that's next time. Until then, don't panic.

Nice Things

I had something nice happen to me today. This is not to say that nice things don't happen to me, it's just to say that one of those nice things happened today. I ran into one of my former music radio classmates Jade. It's been ages since I'd seen her and while we only had the briefest of conversations* she said it was really nice to have met me and gave me a hug. I haven't gotten many hugs while I've been here but one of the things I missed the most during the low point that was the majority of February and March were hugs. I have a friend** at UMW who is a big hugger and while I missed getting hugs from my family I missed getting random hugs from Joe. So, in short, getting a hug from one of the only British people I'll remember fondly was really nice.
So while I've been in London, and in general really, I've been remiss on updating you guys on the music world. This is because I've stopped checking NME.com like a crazy person and rely entirely on the AV Club. I don't know if this is for the best, but it is the way it is. However I read a news item on the AV Club that I had to immediately report which reminded me that I have another news item from a couple of weeks ago that also needs to be written up here. The first item is about George Harrison and a docu about him being directed by Martin Scorsese. I have to admit that after reading two biographies on the Beatles George has become my favourite by a long shot. This is because I will always prefer the underdog and George, at least in the Beatles, was the underdog (and no, Ringo doesn't count, he's just sad.) So the fact that there's going to be a documentary on him that could possible feature demo-ed songs from when he was in the Beatles makes me start salivating. In fact my reaction was "I want now." Sadly, we have to wait until 2011. The other news items pertains to Brandon Flowers forthcoming solo album (aka the end of the Killers). I loved the Killers first album. I liked one of the tracks from their 3rd album. I hated their second album. However I really like Jenny Lewis so the idea of Brandon Flowers dueting with Jenny Lewis makes me slightly interested in hearing this solo album. As the AV Club would say, I'm cautiously optimistic.
So that's it. I've got 11 days left and two music performances in a row. I also have rugby shirts to buy for myself and my Dad. Until then, don't panic.

*In short: "Hey! When are you leaving?" "Hey, in a week and a half" "Oh, well I probably won't see you again, but it was really nice meeting you" "Yeah, you too" "Bye" "Bye"
**Loghman, who I've friended on Facebook, had a really strange definition for friend that I've since adopted. So technically Joe isn't a friend, he's an acquaintance. But unlike Loghman, I make exceptions to this strange definition.

Tanning in the English Rain

I got a sunburn. I'm known for being suspiciously pale and whenever photos are taken of me next to my Mom's younger sister's kids (otherwise known as my aunt's kids) I look like a freakin' albino (save for the dark hair.) So getting a sunburn isn't exactly something I like getting. However, because this is just how my brain works, I immediately thought of the couplet in "I Am the Walrus" dealing with English rain:

Sitting in an English garden waiting for the sun
If the sun don't come you get a tan from standing in the English rain

Of course now said sunburn is itching like a mofo, so the damn thing isn't nearly amusing as it was before it started itching. But how did I get a sunburn you might ask? From riding in an open top double decker bus, that's how. So let's talk Penzance.
After the stress of my final week of classes I decided that going to Dublin would have been too much. After canceling all of my tickets and booking a room in a lovely guest house, it was decided that I would be going to Penzance, best known for being really near Lands End and its pirates. It's also very close to the shore and I thought, what better way to de-stress from a stressful week than by spending some time by the seaside? Well my supposition proved correct and Penzance was just what I needed. While I didn't spend that much time in the actual town, the entire trip was not only incredibly restful but also incredibly beautiful. I visited my final Tate at St. Ives (excellent, though not as fun as Liverpool) and then took a very bumpy and amusing ride to Lands End. The roads in the part of Cornwall I was visiting narrow and aren't really meant for more than one car. Granted there aren't a great many people driving around the area, so the narrow roads aren't that much of a problem. Unless you're a great big bus and have several small cars heading your way. Then you get to do a little dance, which is highly amusing to watch from the top of said great big bus. Sure the wind whipped my eyes quite a bit and I somehow ended up with a sunburn, but I had a great time in Penzance and kind of wish I could have stayed a bit longer.
I've got 12 days left. It's a bit daunting and a bit surreal at the same time. I keep telling people that it doesn't seem that long ago I was landing in London and freezing to death in Paddington waiting to move into my home away from home. I'm looking forward to going home though (not excited about packing, never excited about packing) and seeing everyone after such a long time. Especially my woofies. Oh there were so many cute dogs in Penzance. So until next time, don't panic.

Waterloo Sunset At Last

I'm done. And no not in the "I can't put up with this anymore" way. I've felt that way for awhile now actually. No, I mean I'm officially and finally done with all of my classes. The last two days were incredibly stressful (and not just because I had to write two papers that were due on the same day). The past week in fact has been incredibly stressful because of the three papers I had to write. And then there was birthday. So let's start there and move forward.

Birthday!
I haven't really done anything special for my birthday for the past couple of years because school lets out a week before my birthday and so all of the people I would invite to a birthday party are in other states. That and I'm not use to really having birthday parties for people outside my family. You could say I'm out of practice. But since I don't really have a lot of family over here I decided that I would take my only friend here out for pizza. Amanda and I shared a pepperoni pizza at the place my Mom and I found near Holborn and I had a nice glass of red wine with it. We talked about how weird it was to think that our time in London was almost over and wondering what the heck we are going to do with all the stuff we're not bringing home with us (Oxfam!). It was really nice all in all. Then I went home and opened some really lovely pressies. I got two QI DVDs from my Dad's parents, a CD of accordion music from my Mom's older sister, and a lot of other really nice things (books, more DVDs and a blouse to be specific.) I talked to my Mom and Dad on the phone and then I talked to my sister on her cellphone. It was, all in all, a much better birthday than I was expecting.

Papers
Then the paper writing started. Actually it was more like, I spent a day "researching" and then on Wednesday and Thursday I wrote papers. I had spent Monday morning finishing my marketing paper even though it wasn't due until Wednesday because I wanted as much time to focus on my other two papers as possible. I spent most of Wednesday writing my law paper and then most of Thursday writing my incredibly crappy and awful Art and Society paper. I really didn't like that paper. The law paper was better though largely because I felt more secure in what I was doing. The marketing paper was not brilliant, but passable and that's all I care about with that class. It was a huge relief to get them done though. I had spicy beef pho for dinner with a beer and strawberry with "fresh" basil sorbet for dessert which was even nicer than getting the papers done.

Friday
For my birthday my Mom's parents gave me a considerable amount of money. I felt very fortunate to have such nice grandparents and decided that on Friday I would spend it on a nice shirt/sweater combo at White Stuff, my new favourite place to buy clothing. So after a relaxing morning (sort of) I went to Spitalfields, had lunch at Crepe Affair (my favourite crepe place in the whole world outside of Paris) and went to White Stuff. I got a cute orange shirt and a striped blue/light green sweater to go with. I felt very pleased with purchases and with some time to spare I wandered around the stalls before finding a stall that sold really cute mens cardigans. I proceeded to purchase one even though it just about emptied me out. Then, in my big plan for the day, I went and saw a movie. The movie, highly recommended by Time Out, was La Danse and was about the Paris Opera Ballet. As I told my Mom it was more a visual stream of consciousness than a documentary with a story to tell (or at least a story in the traditional sense.) It was a beautiful and fascinating movie and I'm very pleased I didn't chicken out on seeing it.

Winchester, Salisbury, Waterloo
I wanted to go to Solsbury Hill. It turns out Solsbury Hill is nowhere near Salisbury is nowhere near Solsbury Hill, despite the fact that when spoken they basically sound the same. However I did see two more cathedrals (Winchester and Salisbury) and got spend some more quality time on trains looking out at the British country side. There's something inherently peaceful about the country side that I appreciate deeply. The cathedrals themselves reminded me of many of the other cathedrals I've seen, though Winchester was less impressive than Salisbury (and none of them compare to Canterbury.) The weather was off and on, though there was no real rain, which was good since I forgot my umbrella. After making my way back to Waterloo station I decided to take advantage of the nice weather in London and take pictures from Waterloo Bridge while listening to "Waterloo Sunset" by the Kinks. This has been a goal of mine basically since I got here so getting to do that, while dorky, was fulfilling. Then I went home in a tranquil state and watched the second to last episode (ever) of Ashes to Ashes on the BBC iPlayer. I'm going to miss that piece of software after I leave this country. It's so legal.

So that's it for me. I've got two more weeks in the UK and on my itinerary I've got Penzance (where hopefully there will be no pirates), Brighton, Dover, the Eye, the Imperial Museum, and some quality time in Hyde Park. It's not particularly ambitious but I do have to pack at some point. Also, next week I'm seeing Miike Snow and the LSO perform Mozart's Requiem. And hopefully getting a haircut at some point. Until next time, don't panic

I Don't Like This Paper

I can't decide whether I work better in the library or in my room. I've written the majority of my papers this semester in my room, but I've also written a couple in the library and I can't figure out if I concentrate better in my room or in the library. Sure, there are technically less distraction in the library and so I probably finish the papers quicker in the library than in my room. However I feel more relaxed in my room which I think makes my writing more coherent and just better overall. Granted I also think that my attention span is better when I actually care even an iota about what I'm writing about. For instance, I don't really care about portraiture and yet here I am writing a paper about portraiture and how it reflect society. I'm almost certain that even with a lengthy introduction and conclusion I'm not going to reach the target number of words, even a modified version of the target number of words. But I just don't care anymore. I want these classes to be over and I want this experience to be over. I want to go home. But I can't go home until these papers are done and that means I have to write about something I could care less about. At least with the law paper I actually cared a little bit. With this paper I don't even give a damn. If it were up to me, I wouldn't write it at all. But I know I must and I've grown up enough to realize that avoiding isn't the best way to deal with things I don't like. So here I am, writing a paper I don't want to write in a country that I would like to leave as soon as possible. Well either leave the country or move to another part of the city, one that's less annoying and loud.
Really though, I just don't want to write this paper whatsoever.

I Completely Forgot You Where Here

While in London I've done a good amount of solo dining. Taking into account that I don't eat out every night and that I've been to a number of the same restaurants more than once, I've been to a good number of restaurants in a variety of locals throughout the city. Solo dining however is not the easiest. Dining in London, in general, is not a quick affair due largely to the entire waiting service of the city being very well trained in the art of not looking at their costumers. With a larger group, or a small group with one particularly vocal member, is more likely to get attention than a small group with no vocal members. It's even worse for someone dining by themselves. However, despite the above description, I haven't had that bad a time in my dining experiences. I believe this is in part because I go to restaurants of a high-ish caliber and I tend to frequent restaurants that are short on space and therefore paying attention to me means getting a table free quickly for two people who will spend more than I ever could. For the most part I've enjoyed my dining experiences both in London and throughout the UK. Last night though I hit rock bottom at a restaurant recommended, oddly enough, by Zagat. I was effectively ignored for the entire time and my original waiter, who went off shift after placing my order, admitted that he had forgotten I was there. The risotto I had was undercooked and a bit bland to be honest. However the pinot grigio I had was lovely. Last night though, in my mind, was the bottom of the barrel in terms of London restaurant service. As I stated, I've mostly been pleased with the service I've received and the food I've eaten while in London. But for anyone who's has plans to eat in London, even if it's with other people, be aware of how the service works here. It's nothing like in the US and can take a while to get use to, but is ultimately worthwhile. London may not have the best food in the world, but it does pretty damn well and whole lot better than people give it credit. Granted, I'm not talking about English food. That's a whole other story.

Fuzzy Brain

Edit: I didn't get the internship at Sirius XM. Still, at least I got to the interview part and the whole process was quick like ripping off a band-aid which is better than with NPR. And I still have WPFW to return to, so it's not like I'm at a loss for things to do. Better luck next time I say.

If you've been reading this blog for more than a year, you probably know the following facts about me:

• I'm an anglophile
• I've had a minor obsession with a number of male singers
• QI is my number one lifeline

Another leading fact about me is that I don't really pay attention to politics. I'm aware of what's going on around the world because my parents wouldn't let me be that ignorant, but I don't read a newspaper every day, watch a news program (except during the summer when I can't help it), or listen to news radio. However, the British recently held an election, one that was really hard to ignore even for me. The result of the election was a hung parliament which means that there's still a chance that the Cyborgs* could come into power and do severe damage to a fragile country. As I mentioned at the beginning of this ramble, I don't really care about politics. It's depressing, even though it's getting slightly less so in the US, but not much. However, I really like the UK and I don't want to have to ban myself from it because of this election (which is what will happen if the Cyborgs get power). This was meant to be more coherent, but this is what happens when my brain stops focusing, which it hasn't been doing for awhile now.
In other news I'm in love with Glee and Kurt. He's so wonderful and the show is so ridiculous sometimes, it's like critically lauded crack. It fills the gap that Gossip Girl use to fill but since that show has sadly gone to seed and so I'm glad I have back up now. Again, this was meant to be longer and more coherent, but my brain seriously can't focus, though it doesn't have to do with Glee. That show just makes me giddy, not unfocused.
That's it really. I have PEO and Macbeth tomorrow and then it's the epic paper writing spree of 2010. Also my birthday on Monday which means I get to open all the packages that have been accumulating. So until next time, don't panic.

*The conservatives. Cameron doesn't look human to me, so I've labeled the whole party cyborgs. It's not mature, but they aren't my politicians.

Interview, Julian Barret, Brian May

I just* finished my first real interview ever. It was for an internship with Sirius XM in their music programming department. In case you've ever wondered, the biggest surprise about me is not that I'm obsessed with Glee but that I like sci-fi (like Star Trek and Star Wars). :hits head against desk repeatedly: I need all of you to think nice things and keep your fingers crossed for the next two weeks because it would be super awesome if I got this internship. However don't feel the need to hold your breath as well, I don't want to be responsible for any deaths.
In other news my grandparents arrived with only minor** delays and because it just made sense I spent the weekend with them. As far as I can tell a good time was had by all, especially when my great-aunt Hina showed us every program she has recorded from Japanese television. Here are some more highlights in bullet point form (because we all know how much I love bullet points).

• Julian Barret was spotted at the second to last performance of Spymonkey's Moby Dick gathering new ideas for the next series of The Mighty Boosh. My suggestion would be to rip off the whole thing and claim it as theirs. It could work.
• Brian Fraking May. And a chorus of 1,000 people. But more importantly Brian Fraking May.
• Sweet Charity is possibly the sweetest musical about a dance hall hostess ever. Despite the undercurrents of cynicism and prostitution it really is a sweet play. Too bad she doesn't get the guy because he's an idiot. Anyway.
• London's perfect weather went away. I suspect it was upset with TfL as well and decided to spend the bank holiday in Europe.
• It's exactly a week until I am no longer half of the answer to life, the universe, and everything. I will accept late presents. Or mailing tubes for posters. Either is fine.

Well that's it. This week is fairly boring. I have PEO on Saturday and I'm seeing the Scottish Play that same night. I've decided that I'm going out for dinner for my b-day, I just have to figure out which restaurant location I'm going to drag Amanda to. That's the problem with having one's birthday on a Monday and having three papers due two days later: You can't really big it up. So until next time, don't panic.***

*When I say "just" what I mean is about 15 minutes ago. I had to talk to my Dad first and it takes awhile to write these things, despite evidence to the contrary.
**If minor is a two hour delay from 11pm to 1am. Then they had minor delays.
***I should have mentioned HHGG. However I was trying desperately to avoid mentioning DW, so that whole section of my brain shut down. Oh well.

Trains and APD

Transport for London (TfL) and I currently have a love/hate relationship. I love them when they make the trains run on time and everything is going smoothly (which is most of the time) and hate them when they close of my Underground access to central London (which occurs on a nearly weekly basis.) Sometimes the closures aren't so bad. For instance, they'll only close the Metropolitan around where I live but the Bakerloo line (which is just a 10 minute walk from me) will remain open the entire weekend. Other times the Metropolitan will be closed one day and the Bakerloo the other day. Or the Metropolitan is closed both days of the weekend, but the Bakerloo is open on Saturday so I can still get into the city, even if it's not from the most convenient location. And then you have weekends like the one I'm about to encounter where all the lines that can get me into the city are closed. Thankfully my grandparents are in town and staying at a flat in zone 1 and I'm staying over from Friday to Saturday, but Amanda and I have plans (and have had these plans since March) for Sunday afternoon in the city. The Bakerloo is shut down as is the Metropolitan. These kind of shut downs only seem to happen on bank holidays (and Easter oddly enough), so it's not as though it happens every weekend (then I would have serious issues), but it's highly annoying anyway. I don't think I would mind so much if didn't have plans on Sunday, but these closures effect more people than me. It effects everyone outside of zones 1 and 2 to be honest and the fact that TfL doesn't seem to have an issue with cutting people outside those zones off is a problem in and of itself. I know they need to get these tracks fixed and spiffed up for the Olympics, but it shouldn't be to the detriment of those people who live outside of central London. Especially people who live outside of central London who have plans to go into central London.
In a completely unrelated topic, many, many moons ago I mentioned that I have auditory processing disorder. While I have a really hard time explaining it to people not trained in special education, this past Tuesday the New York Times had an article on APD in the health section of its Science section. The article does an absolutely brilliant job of describing what APD is and how it effects both the scholastic and social aspects of their lives. As a person with this disorder I'm glad it's getting this attention because, despite what some people might think, it's not a well known learning disability and often gets short shrift in comparison to the bigger name disabilities like ADHD and dyslexia.

More Culture

So this past week I went to three very different shows. However, in the time honoured tradition of Nore not actually reviewing anything, I'm just going to say what I went to and whether I liked it or not. Also any highlights from the production will be included.
First up we have another visit to the Comedy Store which was better than first because they were all professionals. Granted it was a very different format (improv vs. stand-up) but the highlight, beyond the penguin farm opera/musical/mystery/Bollywood sketch, was Phill Jupitus. He's probably one of my favourite comedians and at this point is the sole reason I still watch Never Mind the Buzzcocks (sorry Noel, you're just better with a script). The entire show was absolutely hilarious, but the things that stick in my head, besides the penguin farm bit, was the sketch that incorporated the three following elements: sci-fi, talking sheep, Mars, and music. Absolutely brilliant. If I get another chance to go to the Comedy Store I definitely will.
Unforunately Private Lives, written by Noel Coward and starring Kim Cattrall and Mr. Darcy (2005 film)/Keeley Hawes' husband wasn't as good. Sure the lines were pithy which is what you would expect, but the two leads had little to no chemistry (which isn't a good thing in a rom-com) and Kim Cattrall's attempt at a British accent came across as a screechy parody of Brits in 1920's films. It wasn't bad and the supporting cast were very good, but you'd kind of hope that such famous leads would be better.
Finally, there was "Cinderella" as performed by the National Royal Ballet. It was beautiful and a joy to watch, even way, way up high. The Prince's hair was a bit creepy, but the dancers were amazing and the music (which was live!) was beautiful, though oddly sad for such an, ultimately, happy story. My one complaint, and it is a very minor one, is that there were no frogs. While I'm absolutely certain my ballet school was just trying their hardest to give me roles in our productions, but not seeing any animal (frog) attendants during the transformation scene was a bit disappointing. And, coincidentally, Keeley Hawes and some friends were at the same performance as me, though probably in seats with armrest and a slightly better view. Aaah, the wonders of Twitter.
Well that's it. My grandparents are actually visiting this week (damn you Icelandic volcano) and I'm seeing Sweet Charity and "A Night of 1,000 Voices" which has as its theme this year Stephen Sondheim, which should be good. I'm still waiting on my law paper to be marked, but I'm none too worried unless he's the toughest grader known to man or I really screwed up. Until next time, don't panic.

My Signature Has Been Questioned Once Again

It's drizzling. I think drizzle is the weather's way of saying "You should really stay indoors and finish watching that episode of Bones you started." But my food is here and because I'm "saving" up for London by using my parent's credit card as often as possible, I have to sign my name on the dotted line. For a couple of years my signature had been devolving into more of a scrawl, largely because of situations like these. I have to sign for my take away and signing for things outside of a dorm means no flat places and a desperate urge to get back to the comfort of my room. So what once looked like a full name now looks like a scribble. When I first started doing it, it was meant to be my initials, but really it's just a "B" in an artful scribble. So that's the story behind my signature. Time constraints, bad weather, and paused TV shows. And now I must ask, can everyone stop questioning my scribble and just move on? I mean honestly, asking me to sign a receipt twice is unnecessary.

London, I Love You

I realized something as I made my way from my dorm to the Comedy store. As much as I wouldn't give my entire experience in London a gold star, I continue to really love the city itself. I actually came up with a list of all the things (and the numerous restaurants/cafes) I'm going to miss when I go home on June 1st. That's what really hit me last night, all the things I've gotten used to that I'm going to miss. Sure, there are lots of things I won't miss :cough:evil former flatmates, Euro-trash, rail closures:cough:, but I think there's more that I will miss and those are things that I'll remember 10 years down the line (as well as the evil former flatmates.)
Anyway, I just wanted to say that. My marketing teacher is an idiot (there are no classes on my birthday, just exams!!) but the paper for that class has be pushed back which is nice. Though that means I have three papers all due within three days of each other which kind of really sucks. Oh well, c'est la vie. I will give a review of my theatre experiences on Sunday. Until then (or whenever I actually update next) don't panic.

It's So Pretty When It's Sunny

When I first started looking at Westminster, I looked at Harrow. The reason for this was that I was applying only to classes that were based at the Harrow campus and so I assumed (quite rightly) that I would be living on that campus. So I looked up Harrow on Wikipedia and found out there's a fancy boy's school located in the town. Then I actually came here and found out that the campus was actually closer to Kenton than the boy's school. However I knew about Eton well before then, but after finding out about the Harrow School (aka the fancy boy's school in Harrow-on-the-Hill), I discovered that the Harrow School is Eton's main competition. As often happens with me, I've become very protective of this school I've only seen from the outside and could never afford to go to. Which is why I can say, with no bias whatsoever, that Eton is plug ugly compared to Harrow. Sure, the town it's in is slightly prettier than Harrow (but only a little bit), but the actual school is ugly. Yeah, I don't care that it's old as the hills and that Harrow is young in comparison (Eton = 1440, Harrow = 1572), but Harrow is still prettier and when it comes to these things, I just care if they're pretty. This is probably why I liked Windsor Castle and the town of Windsor so much. Both are extremely pretty. It's hard to say anything else about Windsor Castle because it was just. So. Pretty. There was one room with wallpaper the perfect shade of green and another that had the perfect shade of red. Another room had the most ridiculous amount of gold gilding on everything. It was exactly what you'd expect a castle to look like. And of course I couldn't take pictures of the State apartments, the prettiest part, but I did get pictures of the moat garden and the Royal Chapel. And to top things off, the weather was perfect. 60 degrees and sunny the entire day. Aaron Eackhart was our* tour guide again and the most gorgeous man alive (aka the German one) was in our group. It was a perfect way to spend a Saturday morning/afternoon.
In other news my new flat is working out much better than my last one. There's a reasonable amount of noise before 11pm, but by the time I want to go to bed, everything has quieted down. However the train freaks me out every once in a while, but then I remind myself that it's a train, not a loud party about to happen. Also it's the last week of classes, which is odd to think about. Granted there's two weeks of "independent study" and then another two weeks of exams, so the fact that I'm not going home until the beginning of June does make sense in its own way. The fact that I'll be spending two of the last weeks of "exams" traveling is totally beside the point.
In one final note, I'm super busy this week which is the excuse I'll use for not updating and I've decided that being a lawyer isn't the end of the world. Which is why I've been looking at how to become a lawyer in the UK and law schools in the States (just in case.) It's all a bit odd and has been happening rather quickly, but it's better than being miserable in a job I thought I would love and don't in actuality. So that's it for another week or so. Not only am I going to the Comedy Store, seeing "Private Lives" and "Cinderella" (the ballet), but my grandparents are coming to visit starting Tuesday (as long as the ash doesn't get in the way) so I'll probably be spending some time with them as well. Until whenever, don't panic.

*When I say "our" in these post I usually mean either the social programme or me and Amanda. In this case I mean both.

Back to the Grindstone

With only a month and a bit left and with my nose theoretically going back to the figurative grind stone, I figure you lot get to know how my last week of spring break went. It wasn't an unmitigated success, but it had it's moments. Most of them were in Leeds. But first the rainy, rainy city of Glasgow.
As we well know, I've gone a bit soppy here in London, so when I was told I couldn't get on my train to Glasgow, I nearly broke down in tears. The only thing that stopped me from doing that was the knowledge that hundreds of people would be privy to my sobbing, which isn't something I really wanted to have happen. Sevenish hours later I was in Glasgow sans ear plugs (which I could have used because my room was right next to the road) and guidebook. However for one pound I could watch the TV in my room for 15 hours, so I took advantage of that to watch University Challenge.
The next day wasn't much better. It rained the entire time, the one museum I went to was pretty sad, I rode around on a bus for an hour and a half and felt so nauseous that I couldn't finish the sandwich I got for lunch. However I got a little Scottish terrier plushie and shortbread shaped like sheep as well as a set of linen tea towels for my Mom which I'm sure she'll like. I then spent the night watching cookery shows for the most part, which was far more enjoyable than I thought it would be. Then, with sun shining, I came back to London.
Leeds, in contrast, was brilliant. The weather was beautiful. Amanda and I went to numerous fascinating museums. I ate like a normal person and got to watch TV for free. Leeds totally made up for the misery that was Glasgow. The best part, at least in my opinion, was the stuffed tiger that use to be rug that the Leeds City Museum has in its collection. Of course I got the tiger plushie from the museum shop as well as a postcard of the tiger itself. The next day we went to the main art gallery in Leeds, but sadly the shop was closed which meant I couldn't get any postcards of the cool pieces of artwork the gallery houses. In short, everything in Leeds is brilliant.
In other news, tonight I finally got around to putting up all but three of my postcards. I would have put all of them up, but I ran out of blu tack, so I couldn't. Even though I'm not here for much longer, having all that colour on my wall makes me happy, so I don't care. Also my new flat is remarkably quiet, even with people in it. I only know the name of one of my flatmates, but since I won't be here for much longer, doesn't really matter to me. Also I'm going to see Macbeth on May 8th at the Globe which is geek-tastic. I'm actually quite busy over the next month or so, what with papers and plays and musicals and the ballet. And my birthday, which should be interesting. Being busy is good though, keeps my mind occupied. Anywho, until next time, don't panic.

Going Through the Motions

This is getting harder and harder to do. The once clear and obvious path I walked down has suddenly turned into a vast wood with lots of gnats getting in the way. I don't really know what I want anymore. The future I had mapped out doesn't make sense anymore and things that I held closest to me are starting to slip away. Most of my interests are still intact, but I'm starting to retreat to the old and familiar. It's not as bad as 9th grade but I can feel myself moving in that direction. Hopefully this time I won't grow overly attached to a band that broke up forty years ago, but you never know.
I've started thinking about law school. I've also started thinking that London is more fun to visit than to live in. It feels like a terrible cop-out, giving up on something I've been working towards for two and a half years, but on the other hand the culture that surrounds radio here and back in the States is just something I can't tolerate. But I don't really know if law is what I want to do, though I figure if I get into the right field I won't end up like my Dad, which is the ultimate goal in the end.
But it's not all bad. It's a bit like last summer: As long as I don't think too hard about how homesick I am and how much I hate some of the people I live with and have to deal with, I'm fine. The constant need for chatter of some kind is a bit depressing in a meta way, but for the most part I avoid thinking too hard about the things that make me sad and focus on the things that don't make me sad like Top Gear and going into central London on little expeditions. I've only got a month and a half (about-ish) and the weather is finally starting to turn nice, though we'll see how long that lasts.
Bottom line is that I'm depressed and writing about the things I do means thinking and that's just not something I want to do. Therefore I will continue to update sporadically and infrequently.

Spring Break Quickie

Oh spring break. You've gone so quickly (even though I have one more week of it). Here's what happened this week, in bullet points.

• Mom arrived! And we walked on Hampton Heath and had really good Greek food for lunch.
• Wandered around Lincoln's Inn on Monday because Sir John Soanes Museum was closed. Mom took more pictures.
• I saw one really great play (The Little Dog Laughed) and one alright production of a really great play (The Importance of Being Earnest). No pictures were taken at the plays.
• Went to Hampton Court and had flash backs to visits to Colonial Williamsburg (Henry VIII walking by was strange.) Lots and lots of pictures were taken.
• Went to Bath again and went on an abbreviated Jane Austen tour. So many pictures.
• I had my hair cut and many crepes were consumed. Pictures, of course, were taken.
• I can't for the life of me remember what we did on Friday.
• We went to Canterbury and I saw Vic Reeves. It was really, really cool. As was the church.
• TfL screwed over everyone but the tourists. Some tourists were possibly screwed over as well, but mostly only the non-tourists were screwed over.
• Ashes to Ashes and Doctor Who are both alive and really freakin' awesome. So excited for both.
• Mom left. No pictures were taken.

I'm off to Glasgow (where the internet will cost 1 pound for 20 minutes) and Leeds (TV!!) and then back to the grindstone, such as it is. Pictures will be taken and if I see anyone famous Facebook will be the first to know. Then you lot when I get around to updating next weekend. Until then, don't panic.

The Future

So I've made a sort of decision about my life. It's only a sort of decision because at this point I don't know how the rest of the semester is going to go and I'm not sure how I'm going to feel when I get back to the States. All I know is that my future is no longer as certain as it use to be, something that pains me a great deal. My life made a huge turn around once I decided what I wanted in my future and now that, that has changed it makes everything I've been working towards seem kind of pointless. Anyway, here's the sort of decision I've made: I'm not going to try and get a job in London immediately after graduation. I'm not even entirely sure I want to work in radio anymore, but I don't really have any alternatives either. It's not as if there's a lot you can do with a music degree. I could go into teaching, but I don't really consider that an option since I'd probably hate working in public schools and hate working with private school snobs (unless I could work at Stuart Hall, but that would be weird and mean living in Staunton.) All I can say with some certainty is that I don't want to live in London until I know exactly what I want. I don't think I could go through an identity crisis so far away from everything I've ever known. I'm having a hard enough time as it is, but the thought of having to make a whole new set of friends, deal with an entirely different set of social mores all while freaking out about whether I actually want to be in the field I've chosen seems like a one way ticket to disaster.
The other thing I feel confident in is that I've lost the sense of what makes me, me. For all my bitching and moaning about nobody knowing what I'm talking about, I identify as the misfit outsider. I thought it would be so great being in a country where everyone knew and liked the things I know and like, but thus far it hasn't been so great. I think the biggest problem is that despite the plethora of common interests, I haven't really met anyone like me. It would seem, and this is based on both my experience in the States and here, that you can't be a sci-fi/fantasy geek who's really into music and obsessed with history at a certain age. You have to either be a geek/nerd or cool kid. You can't be both at my age for some reason, at least in the UK. It's incredibly frustrating and demoralizing, especially when you consider how high school it is. In the end though I would rather be in a country where nobody knows what I'm talking about and being accepted for all the facets of my personality than in a country where you get shoved into one category and that's it until you're in your 30's (at which point you can be all the things you actually are.)
This past summer, my therapist at the time said I should visit London before making a final decision on if I wanted to live there for the rest of my life. I told her that's why I was so determined to study abroad in London. I'm glad I've done this, if only because now I know how completely unsure I am of living in this city. It's sad, but I guess I've been building this place up for so long it's not surprising that it's disappointed me. I just wish it hadn't.

Cardiff and Liverpool pt. 2

After registering for classes I went to Grand Central, supposedly a very cool place to shop, but I was thoroughly unimpressed. I walked on the main drag for a I don't know ho long, wandered through an avant garde art gallery called Blue Coat and got dinner for the first and second night as well as some milk at Marks and Spencers. I spent the rest of the night either eating or watching the telly which made the night incredibly enjoyable for me (because at this point my expectations were just that low.) During the second day I actually did quite a lot and got lost which was less fun than the rest of the day. I got up around 8:40am of my own volition, had breakfast and headed out. I went to Albert Dock, got a bit confused as to how to get to the Beatles exhibition, but finally figured it out after staring at a map for a while. I was a really good exhibition, but since I already know so much about the Beatles, what I enjoyed about the exhibition were the interviews with various characters from the band's history like Sir George Martin and Brian Epstein. I got little gifts for the family in the gift shop (which they always make you exit through), spent a lot of time in another Liverpool-based gift shop before heading to the tourist information point to get a ticket for a Beatles tour called "The Magical Mystery Tour." I had lunch at the Tate Liverpool's cafe, strolled through their main exhibit (and got nicely yelled at for taking a picture of Duchamp's "Fountain"). My favourite part of the museum (besides seeing Dali's lobster telephone), was an exhibit on sculpture and the depiction of the human form which incorporated a pre-selected soundtrack. Not only were the sculptures very interesting, but the use of music made the whole thing more memorable. I got Sophie a gift and a couple of postcards at the shop. I then wasted time wandering around Albert Dock and got starred at by a gaggle of idiotic boys while having a cuppa. Then it was time for the tour. What I enjoyed most about the tour was that it added little personal touches to the history I already know. Also the tour guide was very amusing and has met Paul McCartney several times. I bought more Beatles memorabilia, got lost trying to go back to the hostel, but finally made my way there. I spent another night watching telly and packed my things to get ready to leave for London the next morning.
The trip back was thoroughly uneventful and I've mostly unpacked everything from my move to the new room. My Mum arrives tomorrow, which I'm really excited about. Finally, I got my marks for music radio and I got a B for the class. Hurrah me. Until next time, don't panic.

Cardiff and Liverpool pt. 1

:sigh: I'm back from Cardiff and Liverpool. Have been for over 24 hours. It's almost daunting the amount I have to say about my adventures in the south west/north west. Thankfully, I brought a notebook with me so I can quickly summarize my deep thoughts and numerous adventures. Some of what will be relayed are exact quotations from what I wrote while I was in Cardiff and Liverpool while some will be summaries. I won't differentiate between the two, but I just wanted to say that. So let's start at the beginning.
Things started out smoothly enough. I got on the right train and made it to Cardiff Central with no issue. Getting to the Queen Street station and then the hostel were far trickier. Eventually though I made my way to the hostel, slightly damp and very tired. However it was only 2:30, so after a bit of a nap, I wandered around Cardiff central (as my guidebook describes it) and figured out why people make fun of Wales all the time. The weather is crap and it's not exactly the most exciting city known to man. However, it has its good qualities (I'm sure) I just happened to be there when they weren't showing. But that was the first day. The second day was slightly better.
The second day was very eventful for me. I got up ridiculously early (after getting up ridiculously early the day before and would be doing again the next day) so I could get breakfast before the kitchen closed. I then spent some time reading about Eleanor of Aquitaine and listening to the Chris Moyles show which I find extremely comforting and irritating at the same time. I then proceeded by foot and bus to Cardiff Bay. Of course the weather was only partially on my side but the rain held off until I got back to Queen Street. First the Bay. I got a good picture of the Millenium Centre and the fountain (aka the entrance to Torchwood before heading to the Doctor Who exhibition. The exhibition was stuffed with costumes and props from the past four series and specials. I took lots of pictures of Daleks, Cybermen, K-9, and lots of other thing as well as getting some very cute figurines of all of my favourite New Who baddies. I then whiled away an hour or so by taking some pictures around the bay and having two cups of mint tea before getting lunch at a great French restaurant. After lunch I whiled away some more time, got a history of Wales and a book mark before hopping a bus back to the city centre. From there I proceeded down Queen Street to Cardiff Castle where it started to rain in earnest. Nonetheless, I climbed to the top of the keep, went through the house and got another stuffed animal as well as two more postcards. Then after a stop and Marks and Spencers, I went back to the hostel and relaxed by checking my email and reading about Eleanor some more.
The journey from Cardiff to Liverpool was much more confusing than from London to Cardiff. I got to Central station just fine, but getting to my first change in Crewe proved very tricky. I ended up waiting a half hour in Newport. My head, which had been killing me since the beginning of the week, continued to pain me. Finally I got on a train to Crewe and then a train to Liverpool Lime Street, all the while worrying about whether I was going to get to a computer in time to register for classes. Once I got to Liverpool I found it was much easier to get to my hostel than it had been in Cardiff and I registered for classes. I got all of them and in the next entry I'll tell you about Liverpool.

Muchness

I was originally going to write about The 39 Steps and Alice in Wonderland, both of which I enjoyed in very different ways, but I haven't the heart. Starting Thursday night my living situation kind of exploded in my face and next week I'm going to be moving into a new flat. On Monday I head off on my first excursion outside of London and am really nervous about the whole thing. I've discovered that any amount of stress makes me really homesick, so right now I'd like nothing better than to take a flight home and not come back to London until I've graduated from college. Of course that's not really an option, at least not right now. I will say this though: I love this city and I think if my time here had started out differently and if I'd had at least one person from home with me, I wouldn't be quite so miserable right now. But I can't change the past, so here's the future.
I will say this about The 39 Steps: If you ever get a chance to see it, do it. It's one of the most brilliant plays I've ever seen and is now officially my second favourite play after The Importance of Being Earnest. As for Alice in Wonderland only see it if you can see it on a big screen and in 3-D. Otherwise, I don't think it would really be worth it.
There probably won't be any updates until I get back from Liverpool at the end of the week. I'll be registering for classes for the fall while I'm in Liverpool, but I'd prefer to not have to bring my computer with me, but even if I do, I probably won't update anyway. Until then, don't panic (I'll try not to.)