Although I'll be enjoying my Easter Sunday before most of my readers have a chance to, I still hope all of yours' goes well.
On Friday I went with my wonderful Londoners (that's what we're calling the group these days) to Oxford Street, the shopping Mecca that I travelled to myself a few days earlier. It was more enjoyable with friends, but also stressful, as we lost many members of the group on several occasions. When your department store is 5 stories tall, and as wide as any JC Penny's or Elder Beerman's back in the states, it can be pretty difficult to keep track of everyone.
Later that evening I spent some time with professors Keith and Rachel, as well as some other students. The next time you see Keith, be sure to mind where you place your prepositions. Also, ask him about his Harvard joke.
Yesterday I took a solo trip to the British Museum. Talk about a completely overwhelming place. Imagine the two largest Smithsonians packed into one, and then some. I spent nearly two hours there, and only saw part of the top floor. I'll definitely be going back at least once or twice more. The level of comprehensiveness they grant each civilization for each era in history was astounding. I took photos of some of my favorite artifacts, and hopefully I'll have those up before long.
Last night I took the tube to a part of London called Angel with a couple friends. Luke had found a free blues show at the King's Head Theatre, and Greg and I couldn't help but tag along. With a name that incorporated "theatre" into it, we were expecting a moderately-sized, seated performance -- hopefully with a bar. Instead, we found ourselves packed like sardines in a tiny pub, shoulder to shoulder with all sorts of amazing people. Though we could hardly move to order a drink or go to the bathroom, the atmosphere was exactly what I needed, though certainly not what we expected. The Big Girls Blues Band (the entertainment for the evening) advertised themselves pretty accurately; they were eight strong, three of whom were female. I'm still unsure how they managed to fit a drummer, two guitarists, a bassist, a saxophonist, and three singers on a "stage" no larger than my OU dorm room, but somehow they did, and they rocked the place. Playing blues, funk, and soul standards, they had everyone in the pub dancing, shaking, and of course, buying more drinks to fuel their aforementioned dancing.
I think I love this town.
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Busy, busy, busy.
I apologize for not keeping up with this thing regularly. The time gets away from me, and London keeps me busier than I imagined. I don't have time to give a whole lot of detail and photos right now, but I can give you a quick little update regarding my going-ons, and I'll post in further detail later.
Saturday I was able to visit the Tower of London. We arrived with only an hour and a half until closing time, so we didn't see everything, but we were able to see a lot. As I mentioned before about London in general, the sheer age of the place amazed me, and getting to walk through a medieval castle was pretty much a childhood dream come true. I managed to get some nice photos, so I'll be sure to post those.
On Monday the group took a trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum; a truly impressive museum with a wide array of exhibits revolving around art and design from all eras. We specifically went to see an exhibit on the history of performing arts and theatre. Although the exhibit was alright, I would have much rather spent time in the rest of the museum, exploring art from all over the world.
Last night my friends and I hit up two lovely pubs: The Northumberland, and The Grafton Arms. I've grown to really enjoy European beer -- Carlsberg was my drink of choice last night -- but interestingly enough, Budweiser is pretty big over here. It's also expensive, which is guess isn't too surprising since in Europe it's an import.
Today I had a free day, so I decided to trek off on my own. I left the the apartment around 10:45 to see Regent Park. Regent is host to a whole number of attractions, including the London Zoo, Queen Mary's Gardens, several cafés, and sports pitches. I came mostly for the garden, so I spent most of my time there. The landscaping was beautiful, and I was impressed by the variety of plants. If journalism doesn't work out, I'd be glad to look into botany...
After Regent Park I walked over to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. By this point it had started to rain a little, and had become overcast. The "gardens" turned out to be little more than a more heavily-forested continuation of Hyde, so I was somewhat underwhelmed. However, the friendliness of the squirrels more than made up for it. I bribed one into actually coming close enough to touch, but before I could snap a picture he saw that my promise of food was a ruse. With a chirp of indignation he scampered off to the next generous park visitor. I walked home via Oxford Street, and did some more window shopping while I was out.
The evening was concluded with a night at the National Theatre, where we saw She Stoops To Conquer. An 18th-century comedy, the material was much lighter than that of our last theatre attendance. I was still very entertained, and couldn't believe how well most of the humor managed to transcend the test of time. After the walk home, I calculated that I had walked at least 10 miles today, if not more. Needless to say, these feet of mine are ready to kick of my shoes and slip under the sheets of my warm bed.
Goodnight/afternoon, everyone.
Saturday I was able to visit the Tower of London. We arrived with only an hour and a half until closing time, so we didn't see everything, but we were able to see a lot. As I mentioned before about London in general, the sheer age of the place amazed me, and getting to walk through a medieval castle was pretty much a childhood dream come true. I managed to get some nice photos, so I'll be sure to post those.
On Monday the group took a trip to the Victoria and Albert Museum; a truly impressive museum with a wide array of exhibits revolving around art and design from all eras. We specifically went to see an exhibit on the history of performing arts and theatre. Although the exhibit was alright, I would have much rather spent time in the rest of the museum, exploring art from all over the world.
Last night my friends and I hit up two lovely pubs: The Northumberland, and The Grafton Arms. I've grown to really enjoy European beer -- Carlsberg was my drink of choice last night -- but interestingly enough, Budweiser is pretty big over here. It's also expensive, which is guess isn't too surprising since in Europe it's an import.
Today I had a free day, so I decided to trek off on my own. I left the the apartment around 10:45 to see Regent Park. Regent is host to a whole number of attractions, including the London Zoo, Queen Mary's Gardens, several cafés, and sports pitches. I came mostly for the garden, so I spent most of my time there. The landscaping was beautiful, and I was impressed by the variety of plants. If journalism doesn't work out, I'd be glad to look into botany...
After Regent Park I walked over to Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. By this point it had started to rain a little, and had become overcast. The "gardens" turned out to be little more than a more heavily-forested continuation of Hyde, so I was somewhat underwhelmed. However, the friendliness of the squirrels more than made up for it. I bribed one into actually coming close enough to touch, but before I could snap a picture he saw that my promise of food was a ruse. With a chirp of indignation he scampered off to the next generous park visitor. I walked home via Oxford Street, and did some more window shopping while I was out.
The evening was concluded with a night at the National Theatre, where we saw She Stoops To Conquer. An 18th-century comedy, the material was much lighter than that of our last theatre attendance. I was still very entertained, and couldn't believe how well most of the humor managed to transcend the test of time. After the walk home, I calculated that I had walked at least 10 miles today, if not more. Needless to say, these feet of mine are ready to kick of my shoes and slip under the sheets of my warm bed.
Goodnight/afternoon, everyone.
Sunday, April 1, 2012
Sometimes art is both strange and beautiful.
Friday was our first organized full-group trip after the bus tour. On the agenda: an animatronic art piece based on the Last Supper, and a theatre performance of A Clockwork Orange. After meeting in front of Byng Place (our flats), the group headed off to a nearby tube station. The trip to the Last Supper piece did not go smoothly by any measure. We managed to go the wrong way on the tube, as well as becoming completely lost in downtown London. I have no idea how long the journey ultimately took, but as we walked deeper into the city, our environment began to shift from the tall elegant structures of the West End, into the narrow streets and crowded brick heaps of east London.
Hipster-chic art shops and indie bookstores began to spring up on every corner. Detailed graffiti marred the stonework, and we even ran into a street artist spray-painting his own work in a back alleyway. As we approached a side street littered with rubbish and shadows, our professors indicated we were nearing our destination. We wound our way through the street, over the back porch of a fenced-in bar, and into a narrow alley. A few hiply-dressed art junkies stood around talking or smoking, and decaying furniture was scattered about wherever it would fit. We were told to wait, although we didn't exactly know for what. After a few minutes, a black curtain over a hidden doorway was raised, and we were led into the gallery space.
Within was a strange sight to behold indeed. In the middle of a smallish room, lit only by candles around the perimeter and strategically placed spotlights, was an artistic display that seemed to be many things at once. Although certainly not the orthodox arrangement of Christ's Last Supper, the resemblance was clear. Twelve animatronic figures sat around a table -- arranged carefully to appear much like a sailing ship -- with a thirteenth figure standing on the table with its back against a cruciform mast. Set against an ambient audio track of low drones and harbor-like bells, the figures began to move and speak, their voices seeming to be provided by samples of films. Everything about the display was eerie and beautiful, from the fog generated by a machine in the corner of the room, to the tiny creatures on the table, sporting the skulls of birds.
Hipster-chic art shops and indie bookstores began to spring up on every corner. Detailed graffiti marred the stonework, and we even ran into a street artist spray-painting his own work in a back alleyway. As we approached a side street littered with rubbish and shadows, our professors indicated we were nearing our destination. We wound our way through the street, over the back porch of a fenced-in bar, and into a narrow alley. A few hiply-dressed art junkies stood around talking or smoking, and decaying furniture was scattered about wherever it would fit. We were told to wait, although we didn't exactly know for what. After a few minutes, a black curtain over a hidden doorway was raised, and we were led into the gallery space.
Within was a strange sight to behold indeed. In the middle of a smallish room, lit only by candles around the perimeter and strategically placed spotlights, was an artistic display that seemed to be many things at once. Although certainly not the orthodox arrangement of Christ's Last Supper, the resemblance was clear. Twelve animatronic figures sat around a table -- arranged carefully to appear much like a sailing ship -- with a thirteenth figure standing on the table with its back against a cruciform mast. Set against an ambient audio track of low drones and harbor-like bells, the figures began to move and speak, their voices seeming to be provided by samples of films. Everything about the display was eerie and beautiful, from the fog generated by a machine in the corner of the room, to the tiny creatures on the table, sporting the skulls of birds.
After the "show" was over, we were lucky to be able to speak with the artist himself, Giles Walker. Although he was intentionally unclear about the specific meanings of each individual robotic figure (art is as much interpretation as it is intention), he did tell us that the child-like figure being chastised by the other twelve was supposed to represent Judas, while Jesus himself sat at the "helm" of the table. I thought the entire piece was incredibly well done, and delivered a very pointed message about the relationship between children and religious indoctrination.
Later that evening we made our way to a predominately Turkish part of London, where I was able to enjoy some cheap Turkish cuisine before watching the live performance of A Clockwork Orange. The show was definitely unlike anything I'd ever seen before in theatre. Those who are familiar with Burgess' famous novel by the same name -- or Kubrick's infamous film adaptation -- will understand why I went into the theatre expecting the unexpected, ready to be shocked for better or worse. It was definitely for the better.
The show was absolutely jarring, but it did so with a sense of grace and purpose not often found in small theatre groups. After an interesting sort of "pre-show", the main performance began with an abrupt cut of the house lights and a blast of industrial music. Five actors (four males, one female) played several roles, each playing a different aspect of the main character Alex, as well as supporting parts. The grit and violence of the book and film were captured well, as the stage performance held nothing back. Certain parts of the play subjected the actors to violent physical acts, and both male (full-frontal) and female (partial) nudity was present. Of course, the message of the play could not be as effectively delivered without the inclusion of these aspects, and discussion of the performance's impact continued amongst the group long after the final bows were taken.
Scenes from a bus tour.
Although we took the London double-decker bus tour on Tuesday, it took me some time to get the pictures edited up to satisfaction -- mostly straightening tilted shots, and cropping the tops of people's heads out of the frame. Without much further ado, here are the pictures you may or may not have been waiting for since Tuesday!
Some buses similar to the ones we rode on.
An alley in Chinatown.
Seen on the way to the bus. Yes, they have these over here as well, although this one seems to be out of business.
My pre-tour drink. Tastes sort of like a more orangey Fresca.
Sorry for fans of sleek, masculine Bond cars. Aston-Martin has officially released their first Smart Car. This is not a joke.
Westminister Abbey, in all its glory.
You can't go to England without getting a shot of Big Ben.
The London Eye.
Not sure what this really means, but I liked it.
I wish I had been paying more attention when the tour guide told us what this is.
A cool clock. I know there's further significance, but once again I was too busy snapping pictures to listen.
Same as above.
The famous Tower Bridge.
London's City Hall.
A bad shot of the Tower of London.
More of the Tower.
A bit of the Thames and some building.
Imposter!
Friday, March 30, 2012
London makes you lazy.
At least in terms of keeping up with blog posts, I have been pretty lazy, and for that I apologize. On the same note, I've been walking more in the last few days than I have in a long time. I'll go over a quick recap of the last couple days' events, and then post some tasty pictures.
Wednesday was a classless day for me -- that's not to say that it wasn't classy, however -- so I took advantage of my freedom and set off into the depths of London around 10:00 in the morning. With no real goal or final destination in mind, I picked a cardinal direction (east, in this case) and started walking. The weather was pleasant, with the midmorning sun casting its warmth through a cloudless sky. My walk led me through a few residential sections of London, past hidden cafés and snack shops; shady parks and plazas barely populated by anything more than pigeons at this earlier hour.
The first thing that struck me as I walked was the sheer age of this place. The first colony in America (Virginia) was founded in 1607, and with the naturally unstable qualities of the earliest settlements' construction, one is unlikely to come across any standing structure older than a couple hundred years. However, as I navigated the streets of London I found myself constantly in, on, and generally surrounded by buildings and infrastructure dating from 1000 AD to the present day. The experience was fascinating, and in some ways even humbling.
The second thing I noticed about London as I wove through narrow alleys and brick streets were the number of parks. Our guide on Tuesday's bus tour mentioned that London is the greenest city in the world, in terms of amount of physical greenspace. I'm not sure if this is 100% accurate, but it wouldn't surprise me at all. No matter where I found myself in the city, an ample-sized park was never more than a couple blocks away. The parks here also seem to be well-tended and beautifully landscaped.
After wandering for some time, I headed to the south until I came upon the River Thames. There I found a public green called the Victoria Tower Gardens. Its location on the bank of the Thames made for some truly lovely scenery. Unfortunately my pictures don't do it justice, but this was my view from a park bench.
I spent some time relaxing here, and then headed towards Trafalgar Square, the largest public plaza in the city. On my way I stopped at the Sherlock Holmes Pub for a beef sandwich and a pint of the house ale. I normally don't advocate drinking before noon, but I cut myself a break for the day. Once in Trafalgar, I headed straight to the focal point of the plaza: The National Gallery. An art museum of truly epic proportions, I spent an hour and a half exploring within its many halls and galleries, and still only saw about half of the exhibits. Below are some shots of my lunch at the pub, and Trafalgar Square.
After I was finished in the National Gallery, I headed to Covent Gardens to do some extreme window shopping. It took everything in my power to not spend all my money on clothes and trinkets from the labyrinth of stalls and shops. Instead, I managed to leave having purchased only a fine Cuban cigar, something not legally attainable within the States. Later that evening I returned to Covent Gardens with a couple of friends, saw some impressive street performances, and ate some very tasty gorgonzola gnocchi at an Italian restaurant. I ended the evening enjoying cigars and Strongbow cider with friends in front of our flats.
Thursday was a much less eventful day, though by no means less enjoyable. It consisted primarily of classes, followed by a jaunt up to Camden Markets, an even larger shopping center than Convent Gardens, and aimed more towards the youth. I sampled some English candy with a few friends, and talked briefly with some kind locals. In the early evening, a handful of us brought a few bottles of wine to the nearby Russel Park, and sat on the lawn drinking, eating various cheeses, and playing cards. The weather in London has continued to surpass our expectations, and even into dusk we were able to enjoy the outdoors at a comfortable temperature.
Today should be an interesting one for the group. At 15:30 we're seeing an art exhibit about the Last Supper, and at 19:00 we'll be watching a stage performance of a Clockwork Orange. Later tonight I'll try to post the (finally) edited bus tour photos, as well as any I can take today.
Take it easy, everyone.
Wednesday was a classless day for me -- that's not to say that it wasn't classy, however -- so I took advantage of my freedom and set off into the depths of London around 10:00 in the morning. With no real goal or final destination in mind, I picked a cardinal direction (east, in this case) and started walking. The weather was pleasant, with the midmorning sun casting its warmth through a cloudless sky. My walk led me through a few residential sections of London, past hidden cafés and snack shops; shady parks and plazas barely populated by anything more than pigeons at this earlier hour.
The first thing that struck me as I walked was the sheer age of this place. The first colony in America (Virginia) was founded in 1607, and with the naturally unstable qualities of the earliest settlements' construction, one is unlikely to come across any standing structure older than a couple hundred years. However, as I navigated the streets of London I found myself constantly in, on, and generally surrounded by buildings and infrastructure dating from 1000 AD to the present day. The experience was fascinating, and in some ways even humbling.
The second thing I noticed about London as I wove through narrow alleys and brick streets were the number of parks. Our guide on Tuesday's bus tour mentioned that London is the greenest city in the world, in terms of amount of physical greenspace. I'm not sure if this is 100% accurate, but it wouldn't surprise me at all. No matter where I found myself in the city, an ample-sized park was never more than a couple blocks away. The parks here also seem to be well-tended and beautifully landscaped.
After wandering for some time, I headed to the south until I came upon the River Thames. There I found a public green called the Victoria Tower Gardens. Its location on the bank of the Thames made for some truly lovely scenery. Unfortunately my pictures don't do it justice, but this was my view from a park bench.
I spent some time relaxing here, and then headed towards Trafalgar Square, the largest public plaza in the city. On my way I stopped at the Sherlock Holmes Pub for a beef sandwich and a pint of the house ale. I normally don't advocate drinking before noon, but I cut myself a break for the day. Once in Trafalgar, I headed straight to the focal point of the plaza: The National Gallery. An art museum of truly epic proportions, I spent an hour and a half exploring within its many halls and galleries, and still only saw about half of the exhibits. Below are some shots of my lunch at the pub, and Trafalgar Square.
After I was finished in the National Gallery, I headed to Covent Gardens to do some extreme window shopping. It took everything in my power to not spend all my money on clothes and trinkets from the labyrinth of stalls and shops. Instead, I managed to leave having purchased only a fine Cuban cigar, something not legally attainable within the States. Later that evening I returned to Covent Gardens with a couple of friends, saw some impressive street performances, and ate some very tasty gorgonzola gnocchi at an Italian restaurant. I ended the evening enjoying cigars and Strongbow cider with friends in front of our flats.
Thursday was a much less eventful day, though by no means less enjoyable. It consisted primarily of classes, followed by a jaunt up to Camden Markets, an even larger shopping center than Convent Gardens, and aimed more towards the youth. I sampled some English candy with a few friends, and talked briefly with some kind locals. In the early evening, a handful of us brought a few bottles of wine to the nearby Russel Park, and sat on the lawn drinking, eating various cheeses, and playing cards. The weather in London has continued to surpass our expectations, and even into dusk we were able to enjoy the outdoors at a comfortable temperature.
Today should be an interesting one for the group. At 15:30 we're seeing an art exhibit about the Last Supper, and at 19:00 we'll be watching a stage performance of a Clockwork Orange. Later tonight I'll try to post the (finally) edited bus tour photos, as well as any I can take today.
Take it easy, everyone.
Tuesday, March 27, 2012
Today was a good day.
I woke up this morning refreshed (though still wanting to sleep longer) and ready to take on the city. After attending a couple of classes, the group got together to take a tour of London. We got a bite to eat at a Lebanese hole-in-the-wall -- it turned out to be delicious -- and then took a two-hour bus journey around the city, seeing more sights than I can convey with words. Luckily, I took a TON of pictures. A lot of them need a little cropping and minor editing to be nice and pretty, so I won't post them today. However, I will have them up as soon as possible.
After the tour, two other guys and I headed to New Oxford street; one of London's major shopping centers. By some miracle I was able to avoid spending money on anything save for groceries. We got back home, where I made pasta for dinner, and then started sorting through my photos. Since I feel so bad for not being able to put them up yet, I'll leave you all with some pictures of my flat and the pub we went to last night!
After the tour, two other guys and I headed to New Oxford street; one of London's major shopping centers. By some miracle I was able to avoid spending money on anything save for groceries. We got back home, where I made pasta for dinner, and then started sorting through my photos. Since I feel so bad for not being able to put them up yet, I'll leave you all with some pictures of my flat and the pub we went to last night!
The bedroom.
Our living room -- or at least a corner of it. It's hard to get an idea of the size, but it's roughly as big as my living room on Coy.
Our adorable European kitchen. The fridge is actually hidden in one of the cabinets!
The front door of 1 Byng Place (where I live).
The College Arms pub, where I enjoyed whiskey and comedy.
A row of phonebooths in front of our flats.
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