London!

Alright! Time to get back to blogging my friends. I haven't been on in a while, but now I want to, because guess what? I'm in London!!! That's right, London. So here are some pics and stories from the last week:

Day 1: The Flight

So there was really not much to say about the flight. It was WAAAY too long, but I did get to entertain myself reasonably.

I had this to listen to:



Woodkid's new single!!!



and these to read, which dealt unexpectedly with similar themes:



This is funny




This is not. Both are excellent though...



I also got to watch this:

I missed it in theatres, and while the back of an airline seat is not the best quality, the film was wonderful nonetheless.

So, one huge trip and a drunken highschooler spooning me later, I arrieved at the Heathrow Airport! We all got there in various states of emotional well being, and were warmly greeted by the Tube stations, which we have come to understand and love! It reminds me alot of the tubes in Montreal. In fact, getting to the flat was a cinch because of that very reason. It was like coming home again!

The Tube stop closest to our home. I love these signs!

 So it's super hot here right now as well. We brought record breaking heat here! It's done a number on a few of us, but still we keep calm and carry on. It's nice knowing that this is abnormal though. When it finally breaks, the weather will be a releif instead of a problem. We live in a beautiful flat next to Hyde Park during the hot days, this couch is the best seat in the flat. It has three windows facing the park and a wonderfully cool breeze makes its way through to us.

We got a chance to wander around town while we waited for others to get here as well, so our fearless tour guide Nick Grossaint took us around town. When we stopped at the Globe I decided to leave the group and watch a Japanese Coriolanus which was at the very least a rich cultural experience. I liked it alright, but have higher hopes for when I see Hamlet in Lithuanian.

The japanese apparently think that Romans wore alot of denim...

After everyone arrived, we went out for the day and enjoyed ourselves at Kensington Palace. A helicopter landed and we tried to see the royalty, but stopped once we realized we were too cool to meet royalty... well, that's what we told ourselves anyways...

It was about this point I realized the humidity would never relent and I gave into my curls.



A lovely statue of the Queen



Quaint gardens. All english gardens are quaint.

The next day we went to the Victoria & Albert museum and then saw our first show, Antigone. The museum was great and I have decided to go every sunday after church and really take my time enjoying it. The show was... well it was interesting. I liked it overall, it had some really cool design elements, and some really great scenes. The problem was that as a whole it wasn't as cool as the individual parts. Things all worked, but not in the same places.

This is the main entry. So pretty! All the ceilings are so interesting here.

Sculptures galore. They are so much more magnificent in person.

Speaking of magnificence. I got see some Alexander Mcqueen!

Next we spent the day at the Tower of London followed by a great performance of Ragtime at Regent's Park. I was not expecting a whole lot from the tower, nor did I have high hopes for Ragtime. I loved the first more than anything else I've seen here, and really quite enjoyed the performance. Here are some pics during our trip to the tower:

What? We're not tourists at all. This was the most camera of days. So much to snap pics of...I on the otherhand forgot my camera. Sorry folks!

I did get a pic earlier that day next to the Tardis though! Well, next to a police box anyways...

So, it started getting just too damn hot for me, so I improvised and took a scarf and soaked it in cold water before I wrapped it around my head. Yes, I look like a pirate, but I was so cool that day so anchors away!



Me and the always wonderful Topher in front of the tower.



We saw the crown jewels, but couldn't take pics, so instead you get a picture of the creepy wire animals they had everywhere.

The Queen busts a move...



So, as I was saying, Ragtime was awesome. We went to the park and enjoyed ourselves with a picnic and a visit from the Queen, and then went straight in to the theatre. It was an outdoor theatre and the wind was picking up enough to make everyone just a little chilly. It was perfect. The show is based on a framing concept where people from a destroyed futurisitc America, (that is apparently run by Obama) and is about the people telling this little boy about the story of ragtime. It was cool. It made the musical relevant by combining elements of the past, present, and future instead of making it just a fun history lesson. I approved. 



The set. It made me worried when I first saw it, for sure...



And that my friends, brings us to today. Nothing much happened. I did my laundry, went to church, and spent the rest of the day looking at exhibits in the V&A. I hope you enjoyed this little picture journey, and I hope it makes you want to comed here, because you should. It really is a great experience to travel abroad and one that I wouldn't give up for the world. Until next week!

Cheers!