Week Two in London!

Ashley’s Field Journal

1/29/12

 So week number two in London Town is complete and I love it more and more! This week was definitely hectic but incredibly exciting at the same time. It also flew by so quickly I can tell that this semester is going to fly by a lot faster than I think. Here is my past week in a nutshell:

Monday was a wonderful trip to the Globe Theater! We were able to stand on the actual stage as our tour guide told us all about the way performances are run and the history behind the theater. Unfortunately the shows for the theater do not run in the winter so we were unable to see one but the offical season starts April 26th so we are hoping we can catch a show before we leave London. It seems like such a unique experience. Though the day was cold and rainy me and my friends had a great time learning about the theater and seeing it from every angle. 

After the tour of the theater our witty tour guide brought us inside to do some "acting" which basically required us to make fun of ourselves for an hour and a half! We did some great stretches and vocal exercises along with some reading of lines and physical movements as well. It was a blast and I learned a lot about how actors and actresses prepare for their performances

I really enjoyed walking over the Millenium Bridge to get to the theater and it was definitely a must see for anyone who plans on traveling to London. 

On Tuesday I went to the theater with my class and we saw Matilda! It was phenomenal. To see little kids act and sing and dance as well as they did was unbelievable... the theater so far has been such a treat (literally)….they serve Ice Cream at intermission! There is nothing better than that!

Mrs. Trunchbull, Ms. Honey and Matilda!

My favorite character throughout the play was Mrs. Trunchbull. She was played by a man and he did was HILARIOUS and definitely the highlight of the show. On Wednesday I had my Art and Architecture class and we went to the National Portrait Gallery in Leicester Square. We saw some incredible Art from the 16th century all the way to the 20th century both painted and photographed. Wednesday night was a fun because my group and I decided to go out and well, I learned the hard way not to “Google” a place called Roxy's in a city as big as London because it could take you to the complete wrong side of town! I ended up at a bar in Borough instead of at a bar in Camden! It really wasn't that bad I just now know to check the address a little more carefully before I decide to hop on the tube.

   

Thursday was a standard day everyone had homework to catch up on and we wanted to get all of our work done before the weekend started so we could have time to do everything we wanted to. Friday we had a scheduled bus tour, which sounds somewhat cliché but it was so much fun! We got to see all of the touristy sights that everyone comes to London to see and it was an absolutely beautiful day so we lucked out with that.  Here are some of my photos from the bus tour:

We said hello to “Big Ben” (actual name: St. Stephen’s Tower)

 

The Tower Bridge! (not London Bridge)

 

Greenwich, England

I actually now feel like I am in London as weird as that sounds but after I saw Big Ben and Buckingham Palace it all started to feel very real. I am enjoying every minute and am beyond excited that I actually decided to go. I was telling my mom I cannot believe I was so close to not taking this opportunity. I am just so glad I saw the bigger picture and decided to challenge myself. I enjoy the commute to and from school and exploring all over the city on weekends. So after the bus tour on Friday my friends and I went to this bar called KOKO which used to be a theater and was converted into a bar and they played live music all night which was awesome, it was three floors and a roof top deck that looked out onto Camden so that was definitely a fun experience. On Saturday my friends Brittany and Chelsea and I got up at 9:30 and trekked to the Embankment tube station and went on a free guided walk called everything else London, which took us to some cool little spots that not very many people get to visit. What was funny is that we already knew most of the stuff the guide was saying because of our encountering London class where we learn all the history of the city and go on walks throughout. It was fun but we decided to leave early and explore another aspect of the city...Well... We went to Harrods and I followed the rule LOOK BUT DON’T TOUCH!

 

We had a great time walking around exploring everything from the puppies to Pucci!   

Today (Sunday) Brittany and Chelsea met me in Leicester Square for the Chinese New Year celebration! It was so fun walking around and eating street food and watching the performances going on around us. We walked through China town and ran smack into a flash mob, which was extremely entertaining, and then we had tea at a small cafe. There were tons and tons of people celebrating the Chinese New Year so it was fun to people watch and see all the different types of people who came to engage in the celebration.

Beautiful Decorations in the Streets of China Town!

Next weekend our groups will be taking a trip to Bath and Stonehenge, which is going to be awesome, and then the weekend after that I will be going to Brixton with my friend Brittany to stay with an Afro-Caribbean family! Our program gives us the opportunity to travel to a different part of London and stay with another home stay family for the weekend in order to experience a different culture within the city of London. My roommate Emily just came back from South hall, which is the predominantly Indian area of London, and she LOVED it. She ate and ate and ate... apparently they just feed you all of this amazing food and take you out around the area so you can see it all! Well, I am beyond excited to go because I am hoping to get some authentic Caribbean food! The women we are staying with is also a minister so she will be taking us to church on Sunday morning (I know my mom is excited about that part). 

 Week two went by WAY too fast and I am trying my hardest to hold on to every moment! The theater class is going to see The Lady Killers tonight and I heard it is quite hilarious! (yes, I used the word quite...my vocabulary is really expanding in the two weeks I have been here. So many more words to express the way I want to say something)

That is all for now…