Southern Sun

Hey all!!!

First, I would like to say that Lily, I empathize with you. 34 hours of travel from my house in MV to Charlton house here in Cape Town is not what I would dub a pleasant experience, especially when it includes three layovers. I lost one bag on route, but ever the Boy Scout, I'd divided up my things so I have plenty of clothes and such to tide me over until my other bag arrives (it's still in Johannesburg).

Cape Town is such a surreal experience. That's what this city is...an experience. So much life exists here. The city center is constantly moving. From any point in the city you can see Table Mountain watching over her people. It's absolutely stunning. I'll be hiking it sometime within the next week for sure.

The house I'm staying in is awesome...three stories, a pool table, and a gorgeous view of the mountain. Twenty one other kids live here, most from the states, a few from Norway. My roomie is from Berkeley, and is the total CAL girl (backpacker at heart). We get along great. Oh, and Drew, did I mention that she was at the inauguration?

Anywho, I'm safe in Cape Town, though it hasn't yet sunk in that I'll be here for 5 months.

Much love as always!!

NEW ZEALAND BITCHES!!!!

Briefly: I MADE IT TO NEW ZEALAND!!! (feel free to stop reading now if you are not interested in the boring details)
It took me over 36 hours to get here with my four flights; thankfully all my luggage arrived with me, and both of us remained intact. The hostel I'm staying at is just what I'd hoped it would be, quiet and out of the city (in a suburb). Yesterday, after 12 hours of sleep, I took a lovely hike/run up a volcano, which is right next door to the hostel. The view from the top was beautiful, you could see the whole city of Auckland, which in itself (the center) is not large, but there are tons of sprawling suburbs with very low houses. The one similar city I've been to is San Diego.
Currently, it is summer here, which is also lovely. Whilst the air isn't very hot (a nice 70-75 degrees) the sun is super intense, due to the giant hole in the ozone layer. I'm still getting used to walking without anything on my feet! I've spent the past month with heavy ski boots for 8 hours a day, and snowshoes whenver I went out for a hike! I feel light as a feather, but I have yet to resort to skipping down the streets (trying to retain some dignity).
Today, I hung out with my hostel roomie who is from Germany. We went to the aquarium and walked a ton around the city. All in all a good day.
Tomorrow, I think I'm headed to the beach for the day. Probably wrapped in one sort of shroud or another, but it'll be the beach none the less. Not sure yet what I'll do the other days I'm here prior to the rest of my program, but I'll figure it out in time.
I hope everyone is doing well.
Miss Maggie: it will get better in time (I know it sounds lame), but it's extremely hard to adjust to a new place, just get as immersed as possible so that homesickness doesn't overwhelm.
Much love to all
-Lily

a VERY short note - made longer

Everyone. Do whatever you have to to see The 39 Steps. It is hilarious. Its also playing in NYC, so its not like you have to come here to see it. Though you could. That'd be fun too.

-------

So I've seen a lot of shows here now. Read reviews for all of them, both before and after seeing them (some were in previews still). Still can't get my head around this acting from the outside in thing - Caiti might be able to shed some light on that...

But one thing I've noticed is that its a serious thing here. Its serious business. Its not even like NYC and Broadway. I mean, its infinitely better, for one thing - more options, better options, better atmosphere..
They (being the critics) also have no problem absolutely ripping a show apart - in very astute and not-mean ways, but just being exactly critical. Its actually a little unsettling, to be honest. The headline for the Telegraph's review of Complicit:

Complicit at the Old Vic, review: a play about torture? It certainly was

Sorry for the type font change - that's how it was on their site. But I mean... WHOA. I don't know that I've seen a review that starts throwing punches like that right from the start. It wasn't a very good show, by any means, but still.

That might, in the long run, be a bad thing - too much criticism leads to jaded audiences. But there are people going to everything all the time. If its a bad show, you know it because it doesn't sell out. Everything sells out if its good. It isn't where you have a critically lauded show that falls through the cracks because it didn't have a star performer or writer or director (coughcough Passing Strange). Yes, people line up for stars (would I have lined up for David Tennant and/or Patrick Stewart in anything? Absolutely. Not afraid to say it.) but they also line up for theatre in general.

we need the arts like this in America... we really do.

The Nij begins

Echoing Drew's sentiments on updating for the hell of updating...

I miss you all so much. And BC. And America. And everything. I don't know if you who are already abroad had the same sentiments, but I've generally just been overcome with homesickness and feeling like I made a huge mistake in coming here. I'm hoping--desperately--that this will pass.

I'll tell you one thing, though: never have I been so grateful for my friends and family. They have always been close at hand to pick me up and dry my tears, and now that they're not, it's really difficult to function. Their absence is overshadowing everything about the present. Whatever. I guess I'm just a big baby, is all.

Nijmegen, as one might expect, is super Dutch. No touristy bullshit here. Which makes it a bit difficult to get around, but I think I'm starting to get the hang of it. I got a bike, and after some small repairs, Priscilla is serving quite nicely as a tool for assimilation.

Orientation, which is essentially one big pub crawl with a day trip to Amsterdam at the end of the week, starts tonight. Send good friend-making karma, please.

Love and angst,
Mags

An Update for the Sake of an Update

Hi everybody!

Just figured I'd drop an update on you. Just some fun stats that I was thinking about as it rained enough to drown a small village yesterday.

Days since arrival: 24
Shows seen since arrival: 8 (at the National Theatre: 3)
Shows on my list to see (not including those for class): 25 (give or take)
Different theatres visited: 6
Cups of tea consumed: more than I can count
Pictures taken of Big Ben: about 30 - but from various artsy points.
Tube lines taken: 5
Times I've gotten lost: 6
Times I've managed to get un-lost: 6
Times I've watched LOST: 1 (WHAT THE FUCK to that season premiere....)
Books I've read: 5
Sherlock Holmes books purchased: 8 (Penguin has a GROOVY set they just published... I had to)
Concerts I've missed because they were already sold out/I didn't know about them: 2
Times I've been pick-pocketed: 1 (they got my London Moleskine... wanker...)
Pubs visited: 4
American friends I've seen: 2 (Caiti and Riley! woo! and soon Tina!)
Drunk Londoners seen: too many to count... too drunk to have counted...
Cabs taken: 2
Times I've missed you guys: very many
Money spent: quite a lot... oops.
Classes done: 4
Classes to go: 7 (yep. count 'em.)
Percentage of the way through the semester: 33.33333333333....%
Trips planned: 2
Countries visited: 1 (England!)
Days I've been happy here: nearly all
Times my cleaning lady has asked me to make her an egg for breakfast: 1 - it was a terrifying experience.


A semester in London: priceless.
For everything else, there's my VISA card. Because its accepted everywhere. Except, apparently, the Young Vic's website.

Hope auditions went well for everyone and that the semester is off to a wonderful and rolling start. I'll see some of you soon, some of you sooner, and some of you later.

Paris

Coming at you liiiive from Paris!

The travel wasn't as bad as expected; I actually arrived early at CDG and my luggage was the first off the plane. But as of today, I've managed to a) be struck by panic and ask the incredulous attendants at Charles de Gaulle if I forgot to go through customs (no, not kidding) and b) forget to hook up my blow dryer to the converter and have it go WHOA EUROPEAN VOLTAGE and turn orange and all but blow up. I guess I've failed Study Abroad 101, but other than that, life is awesome.

I'm renting a room at the Foyer International des Etudiants on the Rue de Saint-Michel--pretty much standard European hostel fare (plain, slightly sketchy), but the location is...unbelievable. I have a balcony:


And that view of la Tour Eiffel that you see at the top? Yeah, I can see that from the solarium (similar to a study lounge).

Paris is so beautiful that it doesn't even try to be beautiful or acknowledge that it's beautiful. It's got gorgeous, absolutely baffling roads and beautiful people with small, precocious children. Contrary to logic and the best interests of the people I deal with in day-to-day business, being here makes you want to speak French. So I've tried.


Adventures thus far: a cheap panini (in Paris, cheap is 3.9 euros, which is equal to about $5.10), looking at fantastic art until my eyes fell out at the Musee d'Orsay, watching the Eagles embarrass themselves yet again at a Canadian pub, learning the hard way that my cellphone alarm doesn't function overseas, and figuring out the getting-to-Nijmegen situation at the Gare d'Austerlitz.

Up for tomorrow: a day at the Louvre, looking at awesome art until my eyes fall out, and then bar-hopping in honor of our newest president. And hopefully Montmartre and the Musee Rodin on Wednesday.

Hope all is well. Bises from France!

Brief Note. Really.

You're probably all a bit sick of hearing from me, so I'll keep this brief.

One: I met Dr. Watson yesterday and had tea with him. and wandered around Holmes' suite for like an hour.

Two: I saw August: Osage County today. Caiti, we'll discuss after you see it... because I felt this way, it may be that you hate it. But so be it - I've never been so powerfully moved by a production. I was sobbing at the end. I mean, literally, tears (multiple) streaming down my face. I felt like an idiot walking to the Tube because my eyes were still all bleary and I was clearly an emotional wreck.
Maybe its just because I could draw so many parallels to my own dysfunctional family (don't worry - mine is a fun dysfunctional. not a fucked up dysfunctional, like the Westons in the play). But wow. wow wow wow.

In London the Phones Don't Work, or Else I'd Be Calling.

I'M ALIVE!!!! In case anyone was worried, I made it here in one piece. Drew's basically told you peeps already, but to expand upon it, my flight got delayed in Chicago because it's snowy there, so I didn't get into London until 12:30am after the tube had stopped running. I didn't want to pay 95+ pounds for a taxi (around $150), so I decided to try to navigate the night buses with all of my luggage. In total I'd have to make 3 transfers, and since the oyster ticket machines were all broken or shut down, I had to beg each bus driver to let me onto the bus. The first one wasn't even checking tickets, so that worked pretty well. Except that the bus broke down. Slowly and painfully. Another bus eventually came along and picked us all up, and I made it through the rest of the transfers to the last bus stop and decided to catch a cab since it was super late and I still had no ticket and buses can't take cash. I finally got dropped off on Drew's campus, but my phone stopped working somewhere over the Atlantic, so I couldn't call him to find out where on his campus I should go, FORTUNATELY, we bumped into each other when I hadn't been there more than 15 minutes and we got back to Drew's room and I DIED, having woken up at 4:15amEST to catch my flight to Chicago.

Fast forward to me showing up in the queue and letting Drew go warm up a bit: there were 6 people in front of us who were quite lovely and talkative and made the waiting go MUCH faster! 10am came around and the box office opened up and people started getting tickets, and I don't know what Drew is on about "Eight people in front of us" because tickets ran out SIX ahead of us! The same 6 we'd been talking to the whole time. Since at this point we'd all been waiting together and besides, we were inside now even if it was still cold (It had actually been snowing at one point in line! Oddly, the snow was all 2 pointed instead of 6-pointed flakes. I have NO idea why, but Drew can confirm.) we all decided to wait together. Long story short, we got return tickets with full view in house left of the stalls (ground level) and we scurried off home to change and get all prettied up for the show! We missed champagne with our waiting family in the bar beforehand, but we made it in before the lights got flashed.

As you all should know by now, Drew and I NEVER agree about theatre. Think Communist Dracula Pageant. Or really anything we've seen together. Usually we conform to exactly the opposite opinion of each detail, HOWEVER!!! This Hamlet was THE BEST SHOW I've EVER SEEN. Ever. Evereverever. I'm not particularly a Star Wars fan or an X-Men fan, and I'd only watched a few episodes of Doctor Who, so while I liked Patrick Stewart and David Tennant, I didn't really have hugely strong opinions of what they would be like. It was... amazing. I really don't know how to describe it! It was natural and beautiful and genuine and just... AUGH! SO GOOD!!! There was one point where Hamlet was talking to Horatio (I think) and the bit about the king carousing and the cannons being shot off each time and the lights BECAME the fireworks they were talking about. And the costumes for the play within a play were perfect. And the set was incredible and the acting was... Words can't even describe. It makes me want to run off and join the RSC (which is only a few tube stops away, after all!!!)! In a while maybe I'll be better able to describe it, but for now: It was without question the best piece of theatre I have ever seen.

Ok, this is about my fourth time writing on this entry since I've just got bits of time during lunch or between classes to get online.

In other news: I just finished my first week of classes and I am EXHAUSTED. It is an exhaustion I have never known in BC theatre due to the fact that I am spending up to 12 hours a day in theatre classes with nothing else, and then going back to the hostel and doing theatre homework, and nothing else. I haven't even had time to get out to a pub yet, and there's one about 100 yards from my doorstep! It's amazing. At the end of these 14 weeks I'm either going to be a fucking amazing actress, or I'll be DEAD. Right now it could go either way, although after the 3 hour jazz class I had last night that made Kirstin's class look like child's play, dead is looking more and more probable. I've got text classes, acting classes, choir, small chorus, singing (yeah, that's 3 classes), plus voice (pure, applied, and phoenetics), movement, jazz, Shakespeare's histories, historical dance, stage combat, Alexander technique, and clown/physical theatre improv. Classes go from 10am-6pm, except on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays when they go until 9 or 9:30pm and Thursdays when they start at 9am. This whole course is exactly what I've been wanting, especially since it is chock full of teachers who are entirely happy to tear you apart to make you better (even happier if they're doing it to an American or someone who's French).

To give you a taste of what it's like: our first day we had a 3 hour lecture/explanation of the line of ascent to the english throne and how that shaped all of the history of English Kings from 1066 until the Henry VIII, including who was lord protector and what conditions required one, who was duke of where and why, who was sleeping with whom, and about a million other details all spouted off in a manner that would've put an encyclopedia to shame. Yesterday in the histories class we went literally word-by-word through 6 scenes of Richard II as well as through the full play paraphrasing every line into modern language, which was (obviously) tedious, but really pulled it apart in a way I've certainly never experienced at home. This evening we had Jeff Perry (one of the co-founders of Steppenwolf) come in and talk about how they started the theater (which, if I'd known beforehand I would've dragged Drew over to hear it), how he approaches a role, how he deals with having over a THOUSAND performances of the same show, and whatever else he felt like talking about. August:Osage County is here for a few more days, so I'm going to try to get out to see it this weekend.

As for London itself, it's not quite what I thought it might be. I haven't seen any of the touristy stuff yet, not even the Thames or London Bridge or anything, so maybe that's why... But it's much more just like any other city than I expected, just that they drive on the wrong side (which may just get me killed one of these days) and it's all super expensive. I'm feeling rather lonely for everyone at home and in Boston and scattered across the globe!!! I wish you could all be here, because I miss you lots and lots and lots!!!

I love you bunches!!!
Caiti

p.s. And now I'm going out clubbing to celebrate a week of exhaustion. Bad ideas? I think so, but it's for all the LAMDA students, so ah well. I LOVE YOU!!!

YAYY TEAM!

Hi everybody!! I'm in Rome! (currently trying to figure out these Italian keyboards in the computer lab...) but there is so much to tell you! I wish I could either a) tell you about every day of my life, maybe as it's happening or b) (BETTER) have you all here with me!!!

So I live in this apartment building with three other girls in a cute little appartamento with other Romans in the building. We live next to a teeny pizzeria (high five!) and there are so many bars, gelaterias, and caffè's EVERYWHERE, which is really cool to explore! Every time we go out, it's an adventure... will we be able to figure out how this caffè is supposed to work (do we pay first? if we sit down will they serve us? do we go to the counter to pay? or wait for a waiter?), will we be able to communicate with the servers, if we ask for directions in decent italian, will we at ALL be able to figure out what their directions are? Will we get run over by a motorino or a smart car? This is my new life... lol.

I haven't seen much of Rome yet aside from the area around our school, but it's a little different than I expected: there's a lot of graffiti and garbage and dog poop everywhere, but if you look up, you can see beautiful monuments and churches in the distance (which is not really that far of a distance, it's like a couple blocks away). But I have visited some little shops and market areas in a piazza where I bought some apples and flowers and wine (on my way to becoming Italian... I just need to take up smoking, obtain an incredible sense of style and get a Fabio on my arm... see below)! Hopefully I'll put up a few pictures on facebook or here (could I figure that out?) of the area where I live... I so wish you guys could be here with me... my roomates are pretty nice, but when you're hanging out with them like... 18 hrs a day, they can (and 2 do) get really annoying... as I'm sure I'm annoying them. But we have yet to go out to bars that aren't flooded with drunken American frat boys, so, maybe I'll need to meet some people who I can go to quiet bars and hang out with. I have met some really nice people, though, and we've been having some fun!

Also, in regards to my sense of style/lack of style vs Rome... whoa. I may as well be wearing a huge sign that says AMERICAN. Nope, actually, I don't need a sign because EVERYONE knows I'm American already. Even I can spot Americans a mile away, we look that different (or we all look the same...). But I need to get some leather boots... everyone has them and it's been rainy and kinda cold and I've been trying to wear my rainboots proudly cause I like them, but it's hard to be stared at all day. Also, in regards to Italians... the RAs told us 2 main things at Orientation: to ALWAYS watch your stuff because everyone will try to take it and/or take advantage of you. and that "girls, your game will improve 200% with the Italian guys who are incredibly aggresssive, can be sleazy and really only want sex from you" and "boys, you will get NOWHERE with Italian girls, don't even try, they aren't interested." Which was pretty funny to joke with some of the boys about. Oh, and on that note, I also saw a man masturbating in his car last night around 1am... yessss! Buona sera, Roma!

Anyways, in case I didn't reiterate enough... this is a really fun adventure, but it would be more fun if you guys were here with me....soo... come on over! Actually, in all seriousness... I don't know if Christina (or anyone else abroad) will read this in enough time, but Carnevale in Venice is Friday, February 13, 2009 - Tuesday, February 24, 2009 and I'm planning to go on either of those weekends with at least one friend! Now I now its earlier than expected, cause I was hoping Christina would want to come, but you just start school then, Xtina? But anyways, facebook me or something... I'm trying to book things for that VERY soon because I heard everything fills up super quickly. So let me know... anyone who wants a weekend getaway to Venice in a few weeks!

Ahh... I'm sorry this is so long, but I literally have 80 million stories to tell you and I MISS YOU! So maybe I'll try to keep it shorter or write littler ones more often. But I'm glad I've gotten to talk to a few of you online too!! So more skyping and blogging and gchatting and AIMing so I can hear about all your lovely lives as well. I miss you and LOVE YOU!

Theatre, Round Two

Hi again, everybody.

This is a good ol' two parter - having seen two shows since the last one. I'll start with Part One, subtitled "The Best Thing I've EVER SEEN" - no lie.

Caiti had quite the adventurous time getting here, which she will no doubt expound upon in the not-too-distant future. She finally got to my flat around 2:30am and promptly crashed. I, too, decided to sleep but it would only be for a few hours, as we had decided that come hell or high water, we were seeing the closing performance of Hamlet.
So, 530am, I'm up and out the door, catching the first tube out of Mile End (the station next to my campus). Caiti would meet me a few hours later. I stood in line, much like that time for Spring Awakening, from about 615 onwards. Only this time, I was alone (until Caiti came/we befriended some nice people around us) and it was fucking freezing. I thought my toes would fall off. But we waited, we perservered... and then they announced they were out of tickets EIGHT PEOPLE in front of us. The dilemma, then... do we wait? Returns or unclaimed? Will it be worth it?
So we sat on the floor of the lobby and chatted and read and slept... and slowly but surely, they announced that tickets came back. Soon, we were one person away from tickets. THEN! we got them. Hallelujah, we got two unclaimed tickets on the aisle about 15 rows back... 40pounds a piece, which is like 60 bucks, but it was so worth it - having stood/sat in line ALL DAY, having barely slept, and getting the opportunity to see this show that has been so incredibly acclaimed... it was worth it.
We rushed home (it was about 415 and the curtain was at 715), showered, made a pseudo-dinner (mind you, we're both running on FUMES at this point) and hustled back to the theatre.

As my reading for Reading Theatre for this week said, it can be quite difficult to accurately verbalize how you felt about a show, because you've channelled it through yourself. However, you're all pretty familiar with my rather critical eye, so I'll just lay it out there - this was the best show I have ever seen. Ever. Yes, I love David Tennant and Patrick Stewart, but if the show was shit I would say "well, it was cool to see those guys..."

The staging, the directorial decisions, the acting (with the exception of Ophelia, really - she wasn't BAD, but she just didn't reach the level of everyone else. She was a little one-dimensional)... it was just fantastic. People in London have been talking about this show as though its the best thing to hit stages in a long while and legitimately it is. I mean, its the second show I've ever seen in London, so its not like I can agree without sounding like a complete idiot, but it was excellent. Tennant brought a manic energy to the role and he really let Hamlet off the chain. His first sollioquy was heart-rending and you FELT it. It wasn't like with Branagh's, for example, where you can see that he's sad but he also is just a little pathetic (and I like Branagh's Hamlet). It was just pure emotion. Same with when he confronts Gertrude in her bedchambers... it was almost tough to watch because it was so physical and so viceral. Of course, he was also HILARIOUS - his insanity was a joy to watch. Actually, his take on the insanity was really interesting - there were times where he was clearly in control and just playing with people, moments where he was clearly off his rocker, and moments where even he didn't know - where the audience AND the character didn't quite seem to know where it was going. A balancing act of sorts.
I enjoyed Patrick Stewart's Claudius perhaps because of how subdued he was. He wasn't some grand ruler who has grand ambitions and such... he was just a man who desperately wanted power and now has to decide how to use it - not necessarily in a grand way, but in the way of real modern-day rulers. This also contrasted nicely with Tennant's Hamlet, who seemed like he didn't really WANT to be king. He just wanted to hang out, be happy, etc.
I cried at the end, too. I'm going to stop going on before I start sounding like Louis. But yeah, I cried. It was incredible. They came back out for four bows, we were all on our feet before they even got to the stage the first time... it was not only a fantastic show but a fantastic moment in theatre history. They (the theatre pundits or whoever) are talking about Tennant in the same breath as classic Hamlet's like Olivier and Branagh. Its all justified. I look forward to seeing Jude Law as Hamlet at the end of my time here, but... well, you always remember your first. My first Hamlet will be no exception.

Part Two is that I'm going to see a Tom Stoppard tonight called "Every Good Boy Deserves Favour" - its like an hour long and it is a "play for actors and orchestra" so color me interested.

In other news... settled in, finally. Bought some books at Waterstone's yesterday, wandered Piccadilly Circus a bit... Its quite rainy here today and so it really feels quite like London is supposed to. Not to say I don't miss people, but I think I'm going to quite like spending the next few months here.

Theatre, Round One

First off, a shout out to Carr on a Bike. Love it. I only found it through clicking on the following-this-blog link - I'm not THAT creepy.

Second off, I'm seeing Riley tomorrow! I didn't already mention that, did I? I mean, its confirmed now!

Third off, I saw my first London play today. Called Amazonia, at the Young Vic. It wasn't very good. One actor was pretty talented and the movement pieces were pretty fantastic, but the music... the staging... the play itself... not very good. It also devolved into a Chuck Mee style dance at the end that had nothing to do with anything... which is okay in a Chuck Mee, but not when its completely random and at the end of an otherwise more-linear and less Chuck Mee-y play. Interesting staging - in the round, but with a HUGE wooden "tree" in the middle that actually blocked a lot of action at various points throughout the play... so that sucked. Also, the play is all about saving the rainforest, so it begs the question of why you put a whacking great thing of 2x4s as your only set piece... seriously, at least an entire tree went into building this set. PROBABLY from the amazon. Nice going, Young Vic.

Next up: something theatrical with Caiti (hopefully Hamlet... or August: Osage County...).
There's a play at the Old Vic directed by Kevin Spacey with Richard Dreyfuss called "Complicit" that looks quite good... who wants to go see it in the next month-ish? Tina, does that sound like something you'd want to see when you're visiting us before heading to Bath?


oh, ps... I'm actually done classes at the end of MARCH... and then I have a month... and then I might not even need to be back for finals, depending on if any of them are sit-down or not... so let's discuss inter-Euro travel, yeah?

Proper Hammered

RIGHT! So its been one hell of a couple of days.

Let's get the basics out of the way: I'm homesick by varying degrees and miss all of you terribly. Some days or even moments are better than others. I'm hoping Caiti's arrival at the end of the week makes me feel better - knowing that there's someone else here, cause its lonely knowing you guys are all still in the States. Though I might be meeting up with Riley on Thursday! So that'll be fun too!

Orientation was not-so-much orientating as disorientating. or disorienting. I'm getting phrases mixed up here - they use different things, obviously, and so sometimes its like "uhh.... what did you say?"

Classes started yesterday. However, before I could go to class, I had to formally enroll and get my id card and stuff. You can't get into buildings without an id card. Enrollment started at 10:30. I had a 10am class, followed by one at 11 and one at 2 - back to back to back. A dilemma, to be sure. So I went over to the offices where they were doing ids right at 10, when they opened. I lucked out and got in right away, so at this point we're only like three minutes later for class. Or so it seems.
They don't have anything like we do with Agora, where they tell you where your classes are online or in a nice, easy, user-friendly manner. You have to go to the department office and find your class on this big list. Sounds easy enough, except I have no freaking clue where the department offices are. Turns out everything that isn't science or math is in the Arts Building (which also houses the Harold Pinter studio theatre, for those of you theatre buffs in the crowd). So I finally make my way into the building, which can only be accessed from the street, which is a bit silly. I figure out quickly where my Reading Theatre class and the Hitchcock class are - but they're the 2 and 11 (respectively). So I finally go into the poli sci secretaries office and ask about my 10am and, since I'm there, the class I was supposed to have today at 12. They tell me the 10am is on the first floor of that building - sweet, no problem - but that they can't find my other class. It turns out... that the class I was registered for is in fact not being offered this semester. How I managed to get REGISTERED for it is beyond anyone. They, however, helpfully say "you need another class" and I was like "UHHHHH no idea - gotta go to this one first!"

SO I run downstairs, this whole thing having taken longer than expected or anticipated or hoped. I get into my class, The British Political System, about 20 minutes in. I try to slip in and am very quiet, but the professor, of course, stops and looks up at me. Awkward. Great start. It also turns out that all of the discussion sections (which they don't tell you about when you sign up for classes...) are during my other two Monday classes. So I have to figure THAT one out...
The Hitchcock class was a nice breather. About 45 minutes of lecture, then a film. We watch Strangers on a Train this past week. We get a film EVERY week too. Awesome. A nice midday break. Discussion later this week - we'll see how that goes.
Reading Theatre seems fun - a lot of shows for very cheap (I think it ends up being 8 for 90 pounds, which is great on all levels. It would be 9, but I'm missing one for the Rome trip). First show is tomorrow night at the Young Vic. It's called Amazonia. And has gotten shitty reviews. But I don't care that much, simply because I'm getting out to see a show!
Today, I tried to get my class thing resolved... that didn't happen. Most of the English modules (classes) are filled, so I have to meet tomorrow with my abroad advisor and see what he can do for me - there's a poli sci option too, but this might be an opportunity to get into a Shakespeare class.

Finally met all of my flatmates yesterday. We had a party last night, actually, for one of them who just turned 20. Side note: I'm the oldest person in the flat. What. The. Fuck.
There's Dan, who is a chain-smoking punk-mixed-with-hippie kind of guy. British.
There's Katy, whose name I actually don't know if I've spelled properly, but she reminds me of a British Carol. Sort of the mom of the flat, but a cool mom. British - obviously.
There's Caty, whose name I also don't know if I've spelled correctly, but she was the one who turned 20 yesterday. I've talked to her the least, so I know the least about her. British.
There's Charlotte, who kind of reminds me of Jen Winslow, if Jen was British. ...predictably, British.
There's Daveed - no idea if its actually spelled that way, but thats how his name is pronounced. He's NOT British but in fact another abroad-er, from the Bahamas. Goes to Miami. Hooray ACC! A bit of a loner, but that might just be the jet lag.

Speaking of, its awful. Jet lag. If you have a night flight, you try to sleep, and you think that'll work out. Perhaps it has helped me - I don't really know. But I like to take naps as it is... I slept from 2 to 9 this morning and then from 1030 to 2 (after my failed attempt to get into another class). I would have slept longer except I forced myself to go get a SIM card and do some grocery shopping.
For those interested: 0781 243 7823 is my number!
I'm probably going to cook something for dinner... and then go to bed. I mean, maybe I'll sit up with the flatmates for a bit, but honestly I could sleep for a freaking day.

So yeah. That's about it. The homesickness has been coming and going - talking about it helps, I'll give that advice. It's just so strange to look up at night and not recognize the stars. That's probably been the strangest thing - plus, you all know how "cosmic" I can be, with the Zodiac and stuff. not the killer. though that's a good movie.
Okay. Signing off for now.

depature?

hey- can we get departure dates for those of you who have yet to leave, just so i know when i should start flooding your text inboxes with messages you won't get until your phones work again in may?
kidding, i just want to know when my lovelies are going to be out of reach, so i can get to you before then.

LOVE

London Calling - Received

Bags are packed.
Boarding pass is printed.
Passport is here. (It's a new one, no visa... what an odyssey that was... but the British Consul General promised me one, personally! So that's something! Thanks, connections from Mom's work!)
I have pounds, not dollars in my wallet.
My dad shot off fireworks. (It was too windy last night, so they did double duty tonight)


For those interested, my intinerary for tomorrow:
British Airways Flight 66 departs PHL at 6:55pm (EST), arrives LHR (London - Heathrow) at 6:50am (GMT). That's 1:50am EST, for those playing at home (Boston College, for all intents and porpoises).

Catch you all on the flip side.


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

This being the flip side. It's London. Whoa.
I feel like I'm dreaming. This could be because I slept for less than an hour on the plane and so am running on yesterday still. Pretty cold here, as it is at home. That's helping me stay awake.

If you're flying British Airways, try to fly "club world" if you can spare the change. I didn't. I regret it. Flying across the ocean crammed into a hard seat with people kicking you in the back/practically laying on you in the front gets old fast. Especially when the TV doesn't work.
Heathrow is a breeze to move through - wish American airports were like that... I spent less time in Heathrow, including customs and shit, than I've spent in some American airports. Unbelievable.

Everything here is, obviously, British... but it also feels really natural. This is, perhaps, because I am a ridiculous Anglophile. But the driving on the other side of the road, the different names for things... its cute and endearing but also natural. It just... fits.

My room is a pretty groovy single. Big window, looks onto a nice courtyard. The bed sucks, but what else does one expect? Nice amount of space though, overall. Met one of the flatmates so far - his name is Dan (hey, look at that) and he has assured me that we'll be going out and getting "proper hammered" tonight as a welcome.

Orientation tomorrow... A couple city-based things during the week... Who the hell knows when classes and things start - I guess I find that out tomorrow. Well, anyways, I need to unpack properly and things.

I miss you guys already - those of you coming over here, get here soon!