Awkward and Awesome Thursday

One of my favorite blogs to follow is this little gem. And even though I have very little fashion sense, I still enjoy reading Sydney's stories and comments about fashion, and of course her new little that's coming soon! One of the traditions from her blog is Awkward and Awesome Thursdays, where you tell little awkward and awesome moments of your day (or week). So, I thought I'd give it a try, especially when I'm trying my best to avoid homework (hello first blog post since Europe!)

Awkward
- Walking and talking to another student I don't know well from class, and realizing halfway through that I'm heading the wrong way. "Well, if you;ll just excuse me while I go back down this path the way we came....I just like exercise."
- That silence after a classmate makes an outlandish claim in class. Really, who knows what to say after something like that?
- Being the only one dressed up for my tutoring interview. Out of six. "She said business casual, right? Wrong? What's the world coming to?"
- Losing my phone and frantically searching for it at work, only to realize it's in my back pocket. Duh.
- Sharing a 'brilliant' idea in class, only to have everyone look at my blankly before some starts talking about something. completely. different. Right - brilliant.... 
- Students coming into lab, only to hover right behind me, so when I turn around, they look at my funny and scatter - quickly, which makes me feel like a creeper. Or they ask, "Is this lab empty"? "No, it's full of computers with no one sitting in front of them. Can't you see the invisible class?"

Awesome
- Sleeping with the windows open. Best night's of sleep this semester.
- Getting hired even though I may have been overdressed for my tutor interview (or I just blew them away with my amazing outfit)
- Beautiful fall days that remind me why I LOVE fall.
- A surprise visit from this beautiful blogger and plans for a lovely fall picnic tomorrow!
- Starting up my devotional again, and realizing how perfect God's timing can be.
- Pancakes. The perfect, 9:30-done-with-class-hunger-solution.
- Seeing my family tomorrow for the ENTIRE WEEKEND.

I'm super excited for Mom, Dad, and Emily to come visit this weekend. Not only do Emily and I have plans to celebrate her 18th birthday by checking out an area club (and of course eating pizza, ice cream, watching movies, and staying up too late to catch up on life), but we're also all going to watch Iowa State CREAM Texas in the football game on Saturday. I'm hoping to fit in a Panera visit with Mom, and a walk around campus with Dad, plus several hours around the campfire at their campsite. Mmmm, the weekend smells good already!

Learning London by Theatre

A quick note to all my readers - the following is the text of my creative final project for class in London. I thought it would be more fitting to post it here for my professor to read than just using a word document. Also, in order to enhance what I write about, I have included pictures and scans relating to the material I present, which will hopefully help create a better picture of my entire theater experience. Enjoy if you so choose!

 Learning London By Theatre

     Before arriving in London, I had no idea what to expect. I knew very little about the city, besides the commonly shown photographs of iconic London locations. I wasn’t sure if the culture of the city would resemble other large cities I’ve visited, such as New York or Chicago. Although I had previously read literature set in or near London, by such authors as Dickens and Austen, I still had little idea about the important ties between London and literature. I viewed London as one entity, one city that was cohesive and combined. It was just LONDON. Now, after having spent time not only touring through London, but also living and studying in the city, I feel I’ve come to appreciate the wealth of literary and theatrical history that the city, as well as surrounding countryside areas, have to offer. Not only does London serve as such a literary location in history, but also continues to be a city that promotes and sees developments in literature, theatre, and film. Overall, I  feel that my exposure to theater in London had the greatest impact upon my three weeks in London.

     From my limited perspective, I considered New York’s Broadway to be the hot spot for theater. I knew London had theaters as well, but I was woefully ignorant to the extent of theater that London has to offer. The first show we went to see, School For Scandal, helped me to immediately bring both the past and the present together in one instant.

With the original text and dialogue from Sheridan’s play which premiered in London in 1777, 

Ticket stub from the School for Scandal performance

 and some modern costuming and scene changes, the whole play came together in a totally new style. I loved seeing the individual interpretations of the director and the actors, especially after reading the play and making my own assumptions beforehand. The similarities and contrasts between my interpretation and the show’s interpretation showed how literature can mean different things to different people. For example, while reading the play, I didn’t feel much sympathy for Lady Teazle’s situation near the end of the play, but during the production we saw, I found my sympathy much greater towards her plight.

Harry Melling and Matilda Ziegler as Sir Benjamin and Lady Sneerwell

     In addition, it was also a pleasure to see Harry Melling, the actor who played Dudley Dursley in the Harry Potter films in a completely different role. To be honest, I would not have recognized him if not for some more devout Potter fans in our class. 

Claudie Blakley and Zoe Wanamaker as Varya and Ranyevskaya

     This crossover aspect between film and theatre continued to permeate almost all the shows I saw during my trip.  During Chekov’s The Cherry Orchard, I was thrilled to see Claudie Blakley, a character from the most recent film of Pride and Prejudice. Not only was it thrilling to see a well known actress in person, but I enjoyed seeing her take on a completely different role in a totally new setting, much in the same way I enjoyed watching Harry Melling.

Pamphlet from the Nation Theatre advertising the Cherry Orchard

   
     Although we did not read The Cherry Orchard, I was oddly enthralled by the entire performance. Many shows that I have chosen to go see are usually uplifting shows, with happy endings.  Chekov’s play, in contrast, does not end ‘happily,’ and I remember several classmates who expressed dislike of the play. Personally, I thought it was extremely well staged and well cast, and the deeper meanings behind the play left me thinking long after we left the theater and walked across the Thames on our way back to the flat. With The Cherry Orchard, I felt my theatre horizons broaden, and I look forward to other opportunities to see shows somewhat outside the norm.

     Thanks to some interest by other students in a particular performance of Much Ado About Nothing, I was fortunate enough to not only get a ticket to the show, but a ticket to the official press night of said show, starring the Scotsman David Tennant and the lovely Catherine Tate.

Much Ado About Nothing advertisement!

Needless to say, it was an excellent performance from the start, with the added attention and excitement from both the media and from my fellow classmates who enjoyed David Tennant’s work in the show Doctor Who. Instead of setting the play in Shakespeare’s traditional location, with traditional clothing and such, the show was set in the 1980’s in Gibraltar, which added a unique twist to Shakespeare’s original lines. Despite standing for the entire show, I loved every minute of it. The witty lines delivered so well between Tate and Tennant, and the continued support of humorous props and staging had me laughing the entire show, all while hanging onto every word. I was also struck by how the play made Shakespeare easy to understand, and that I could use this example in my own classroom when I begin to introduce my students to Shakespeare. I feel that not only will adapting some Shakespeare pieces to a more modern setting help students make sense of the plays, but will also allow them to take ownership in their own work.

   

     London’s a city that’s not only big enough to pull of several different productions of Shakespeare but TWO productions of Much Ado About Nothing. The second production I attended was at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, and was completely different from my first experience. 

      If I were asked to choose a favorite between the two interpretations, I would fail to 

Ticket Stub from Much Ado About Nothing at the Globe

decide. Both shows were excellent in their own respects. The Globe’s production kept everything traditional, right down to the staging, costuming, and delivery. I especially enjoyed how the actors interacted with the audience throughout the play, delivering lines to specific people in the crowd, or making dramatic pauses when an airplane passed overhead. 

      I felt like I was part of the production in more ways than the first production. It may

My view of the Globe stage before the Much Ado About Nothing performance

have also helped that my ‘seat’ was much closer than before, as I was now standing directly in front of the stage instead of at the back of the theater. I view the first production as a show, and the Globe’s production as more of an experience of theater.

  
     Either way, Shakespeare’s play is truly magnificent, and I’m pleased I was able to see two different interpretations. In addition, our class tour of the Globe helped me understand how theatre fit into London’s history. Being a groundling, and standing throughout the entire performance was something the other financially limited people might have done, just to  see one of the production.

Much Ado About Nothing playbill from the Globe

     Our class was also fortunate to be given a chance to see a show of our own choosing, which allowed us to branch away from our class and into our own interests a bit more. I decided to see Les Miserables, and it was by far my favorite show that I saw in London.

     Everything about the show was spectacular – the set, costumes, music, singing, and acting. I sat through at least half of the show with my mouth open in pure wonderment.

The theater where I saw Les Miserables!

We were also blessed to have the well known singer Alfie Boe sing the lead of Jean Valjean for our performance. Later, we discovered that director Cameron Mackintosh and actor Russell Crowe were both in attendance to hear Boe sing. Speculation has circled since the Crowe might be playing Jean Valjean in the upcoming film production of Les Miserables. As incredible as it was to catch a glimpse of Russell Crowe right before the second act, or to hear the incredible tenor of Alfie Boe, I was again struck by the close relations of the theater and film. Here in America, I feel we make a large differentiation between the film and theater. Usually, actors in movies stick to movies, and actors on Broadway stay on Broadway. Rarely do the two intermingle. In London however, an actor can be seen on stage one night, and seen on the big screen the next night. Their acting craft carries both live and filmed performances, which undoubtedly gives them an edge in adjusting to changes on both stage and screen.

Mom and I outside Her Majesty's Theatre

     To top off my theater experiences in London, I attended the production of The Phantom of the Opera with my mother. I was especially excited to see the live production after being such a fan of the film version. I was not disappointed either. 

     Throughout the production, I found myself making comparisons between the two productions, how the stage was similar to the film, and how it was different. I found many similarities between both, but also some subtle differences, many concerning the unique ways in which scene changes were conducted. It’s always interesting to see scene changes after you’ve seen a movie where virtually anything is possible. The stage has much more limited space and time to complete their production, and yet the scene changes effortlessly to help the story continue moving forward.

     

     After six shows in about three weeks, my view of London as a place of theatre has completely changed. Not only has it surpassed the high level I always associated with Broadway, but it also brought some of my literary studies to life right before my eyes. Visiting the Globe theatre was especially important to helping me understand the importance of theater in London’s history, as our guide explained during our Globe tour. Without a doubt, I will never view London the same again.

Westminster Cathedral

After being up too late last night (ok, not TOO late, but later...), I relished the opportunity to sleep in this morning and relax after I woke up. I finished my blog post from Saturday, and spent the rest of the early afternoon working on classwork  or relaxing.

Around 5:30, Jen and I headed to Westminster Cathedral, to catch the evening mass at 7. Now, most people know about Westminster Abbey, but Westminster Cathedral is also an amazing sight to behold.

Nestled in between several city buildings, the cathedral doesn't drawn near the crowd the Abbey does, which was relatively nice for a tourist who doesn't like big crowds (like me!)

I didn't take pictures inside the cathedral, both out of respect for those who came to pray, and so I didn't appear to be a crazy tourist. But, I did some research on the internet and picked out a couple pictures that show how magnificent the cathedral is on the interior.

 The seating within the church is incredible and expansive.

 These pictures don't do the cathedral justice, especially since they're a little blurry.

It's difficult to describe the awesome power of the cathedral. The ceilings are incredibly tall, and the small chapels to both sides are beautiful and serene. I'm having trouble coming up with ways to describe how spectacular and splendid the entire experience was.

The mass was also a very unique experience. Instead of singing, the entire mass was spoken, and a couple parts were said in Latin, but what amazed me throughout the service was the constant echo. At first it was extremely distracting, but after a little while, my ears grew more accustomed to it and it was not near as distracting. I would love to come back to hear a mass that is sung, as I'm sure the sounds would be interesting and beautiful to hear.

The cathedral is definitely on the list to visit with Mom, so get ready Mommy dearest!

Last night, Jen, Alex, and I all decided to check out Buckingham Palace in time to see the changing of the guard. We got up a little early for a Saturday and caught the tube to the closest stop. When we got close to the palace, we realized something was going on. 

 Instead of being allowed outside the gates, the entire street was sectioned off, and policemen were patrolling the line. Since none of us, including those around us whom we asked, had any idea what was going to happen, we were all on high alert for whatever was going to next. 

Normally, the changing of the guard is at 11:30, but by 12:00, we were still waiting for the big event. So I took pictures of two finely dressed gentlemen with tophats who stopped to talk to a couple mounted guards.

There were also several cars that came and went rather quickly, and with motorcycle escorts, so needless to say, I had to take some stalker pictures....

both of cars....

and people!

At 12:15, our first sign of movement were six guards marching out of the the palace.

They arranged themselves strategically in front of the palace, with three guards flaking each side of a small podium located centrally in front.

There were several empty carriages that came and entered the palace grounds quickly. I know because I took about a million stalker pictures to see if anyone was inside.

Soon, we heard the sounds of a band approaching from the distance, and around the bend came several dozen mounted soldiers.

This first group of mounted men were soon followed by several entire regiments! I was completely in awe of during the entire procession.

All the while, a select group stayed mounted and still in the center of the circle.

In addition to mounted militia, there were also soldiers marching on foot.

They were quite impressive dressed in the entire formal uniforms, with their huge furry hats.

After both mounted and unmounted military members had left the circle, the original guards lefts their posts from in front of the Palace. The crowd started to disperse at this point, so I was able to move a little closer to the front.

Some of the higher ranking officials (or those I would I would assume were higher ranking officers) still remained outside of the palace gates as the procession concluded.

Before long, the public was allowed to approach the gates of the palace to see the actual changing of the guard, though it was somewhat delayed and shortened.

The palace is truly remarkable though, and provided a beautiful backdrop to our walk.

On our walk away from the Palace, we headed down an wide Avenue, which was lined with flags flying for whatever occasion we had just witnessed. I really liked the top of the flagpoles, which we decorated with crowns

We walked through these gates to reach Trafalgar Square on our way home.

Once we got to Trafalgar Square however, we realized something else was going on. Many fans from Barcelona were celebrating in anticipation of the upcoming game against Manchester which was to be played this evening.

Some of them were quite jovial, singing songs in support of their team. I thought it ironic that this group decided to purchase souvenir policemen caps to wear with their colors.

We headed back to the flat for some supper and rest, before striking out to explore a little more of the night scene. We didn't stumble across too much that was crazy. We walked across the Thames and admired the lights of the city, and stopped by the Tattershall Castle (the boat featured earlier) for a drink. The atmosphere on the boat was still relaxed and nice. There was also a nightclub on board, but only allowed those over 21. Since Jen's not yet 21 yet, we skipped the club and headed to Leischester Square, where we had been told the night life was a little more intense. Boy, was it ever!

The streets were filled with people, and it was 12:15 in the morning! Several people offered us deals to get into clubs without waiting in line, and tried to sweeten their deal in several different ways. Jen and I were both a little overwhelmed, and decided to forgo actually going into a club, considering the late hour. We walked around a bit more, checking out some of the options for next weekend, then caught one of the last tubes back to Holburn station.

Needless to say, it was an interesting experience, that will hopefully have helped to prepare for next weekend, when plans to go out are in the works to help Alex celebrate his birthday.

Gardens, Museums, and Boats Oh My!

After class on Thursday, everyone was free to go out on their own and do their own things for the weekend. I decided that I was interesting to going to Kensington Gardens to have a look around. Jen and Alex decided to accompany me, and we set off on Friday morning to find the park and gardens. The day was cool, with patches of sunshine in the morning, which sadly disappeared later in the afternoon. However, the gardens were beautiful, even without some sunshine. I loved the opportunity to get away from Camden Town and out where there was more open space.

Not all the pictures have a story or meaning behind them, since most pictures were taken to capture the atmosphere of the park. So, this post is more of a slide show, although I'll add little comments here and there. Please, enjoy the trip through Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens. 

This amazing tree is a child's (and some adults) favorite in the park, since the branches create an amazing little cave.

Many people carve their names into the trunk of the tree, and the signatures stretch towards that top fo the tree.

Hundreds of flower gardens decorate the park

Circular rose garden  - the scent was awesome!

Me in front of the Serpentine

Babies!

Alex feeding a squirrel, only to be freaked out after he touched the squirrel.

Peter Pan sculpture. The author of Peter Pan, J.M. Barre, lived near Kensington Gardens and it was in these Gardens that he met the Llewelyn Davies family, who inspired him to write about Peter Pan.

I loved the chance to regress to childhood a little! Jen and I decided that once we got back to the apartment, we would watch Finding Neverland, a movie based on the creation of Peter Pan. If you haven't seen it, you should watch it. It's not groundbreaking by any means, but the imagination and youthfulness that permeates the entire film is quite fun. (Same as the movie Miss Potter, about the author Beatrice Potter, but that's a tangent)

The Italian Gardens, far end of Kensington Gardens

 

Overall, the park was beautiful! I'm hoping to visit next weekend as well, with hopes that it's sunnier and a bit warmer. There are lawn chairs throughout Hyde Park that visitors can use for a small fee, and I think it would be perfectly lovely to sit and read a book along the Serpentine. 

After visiting the park and gardens, we walked a short way over to the Science Museum and had a look around. My favorite floor was one featuring flight. The picture is dark, but the entire room is hung with old aircrafts. It was incredibly interesting!

There was also a display of clocks spanning over 600 years. This was one of my favorites. The seconds are counted by a ball rolling down the incline.

After a quick look through the museum (we might go back this weekend), Jen, Alex, and I headed down to the Thames to meet up with some more of the group for supper. Here's my supper. Whatever sauce was on the chicken was delicious, and as always, the bread was amazing!

The restaurant is completely wonderful. It's an old boat that permanently docked. So, while you never float off, the boat does rock a little bit, especially after a boat has passed by. The atmosphere is fun and laid back, with seating both on the open, upper deck, and below decks. Music plays in the background, a more upbeat/hip-hop sound, and many people seem to come from work to meet their friends for a drink. The prices are reasonable, which is also a plus

Needless to say, we had a good time!

To top off an already long day, some of the group went for a little walk along the Thames, and looked at Cleopatra's needle. Notice the marks beneath the sculpture.

All the marks were caused by bombs dropped in the war.

I was amazed by the size of some of these marks. The strength of the bombs astounds me, and adds a bit more meaning to this site of London.

Gilchrist was quite jolly after supper, and decided to baptize himself in the Thames. We all enjoyed laughing at his antics.

After our walk, we caught the tube and headed home to our flat. I really appreciate the tube system in London. It's not too difficult to use, and it's very convenient.

Tomorrow, we're planning on going to Buckingham Palace to see the changing of the guard. Look forward to some more pictures!