A Bit of this.. A Bit of that

After returning to London from Dublin, I had to get my act back together! Monday always means class, we dropped off our travel belongings to our rooms, showered and picked up food before heading to class. In class, we walked around near the South Kensington station and our professor pointed out various places where we should eat or snack at in the future. Then we headed to the V&A Museum (Victoria & Albert Museum). We walked through years and years worth of British history (1500 to as far present as time would allow). Monday evening I went to see Les Miserables! with Taylor and Adrian. The show was phenomenal. The voices, spectacular. The pit, top notch.. the bass trombone/tuba, best I've heard in all the recordings I have ever heard for Les Mis. I purchased a program and I'm tempted to go back, but I need to plan for other things in the future instead! So I bought tickets to see Blood Brother towards the end of the month. I'm pumped!!

On Tuesday, I started my new internship at Contemporary Music for All. I'm truly doing what I want to do for the rest of my life!! They are putting on a summer music camp project during the last week of my internship and they're letting me come along to.. Whales to participate and work!! I've been needing an excuse to get to Whales for this entire trip! This seems to be the perfect opportunity!!

Wednesday, the fourth of July, I worked again at CoMA and spent some time getting to know my supervisor, Ella. She's grand. And I'm having such a fun time at my internship, I hardly noticed it was the fourth of July! All the Facebook and Twitter posts about summer plans did make me a bit jealous. Bonfires, fireworks, cook outs, hotdogs, having a cool one at the lake/park/in the yard. Mmmmmm. And then I remembered. I am in London. The thought passed pretty quickly. :) My flatmates and I made plans earlier in the week, after Alan told us about this great dim song restaurant to try near the South Kensington station. We decided that Wednesday, we would eat dim sung and head to a wine sampling place around the corner. Meanwhile, most of our group decided they wanted to go celebrate for the day because if we didn't, Uncle Sam wouldn't let us back into the country. Unfortunately, the service was crazy bad at dinner for us, and we ended up not getting wine and not meeting up with the rest of our group. Instead, we headed back to our room and got more appropriately dressed (in red, white, and blue), and headed to the ISH Bar. We didn't celebrate to much.. but as we saw fit!

I spent another day at work on Thursday and I tried to make plans and meet up with people from ISH. But all my plans fell through. Instead, I ended up Skyping with people all night! I spent a while Skyping with Marsha (shout out to her blog here) and I spent a couple hours with my brother, Andrew (shout out his site here)! It was so nice to catch up and see friendly faces from home. It was just what I needed to end my night. Thanks guys! :D

We were instructed that for Friday we needed to come back to the V&A museum for the British Exhibit of design and innovations from 1948 - 2012, the space in time between when the Olympics was last in London to when it is in London again. The exhibits were fantastic and I even walked away with a few little things from the gift shop! Afterwards, a few of us headed to Pret for a brief lunch and the next place to tackle was... Harrod's. My oh my. The professor I had for Principles of Marketing/International Marketing always told us about Harrod's. But I didn't think all of that could really have been true. No. Professor Meyers.. You were right!! We had heard that the ice cream parlor was home to the most spectacular ice cream in London. Clearly we had to go speculate to see if this was true, what else were we supposed to do?? At thirteen £13, it was pretty darn fantastic. Believe you me. Go back and get some. But share. I could hardly finish mine. Ofta.

For the rest of the day, I cleaned up my room and organized my things, did some laundry, wrote postcards (hint, hint to those of you who requested them, they were mailed today!), journaled for my class requirement back in Stevens Point and worked a little on my Ireland blog (which I hope you have dearly enjoyed). When I finished these tasks, I headed to ISH Bar at the beckoning of one of my newest and most fantastic (and Portuguese) friends, Barbara. And of course when I said I was leaving, she and Zslatko said no, and one more, and no, and oh just wait I'll walk you home. So I waited. And now it was much later than I intended to be, almost 11:30! You see, I had a big weekend ahead of me..

Saturday morning I took a train to Coventry, just outside of Kenilworth and Warwickshire to see my great-grandmother's cousin, Valerie. Valerie is the sweetest lady in the entire world. She let me stay with her for a night and even let me meet some of her family! On Saturday, we informed one another of  updates within our family, how everyone was doing.. are they married, do they have children, where are they living, etc. etc. etc. And much to my surprise, she knew so much of my family! My grandparents, all aunts and uncles, all cousins- most of their significant others, and a few of their children! I was shocked and surprised! She told me all about her family and then on Sunday I was able to meet them! During the afternoon on Saturday was the Kenilworth carnival, fair and parade. When the parade was going past, we headed out to the street to watch!!

On Sunday, we got up early and had breakfast. Following breakfast, one of her grandsons (Edward) came to pick me up. I headed out with him and Charlie, the dalmation, for a walk. Oh no problem, just a walk past the old Saxon Mill that has been around for a few hundred years. Oh, and then we walked past some old castle ruins. No big deal. After spending about an hour and a half walking Charlie, we headed into town to get tea and coffee. After we shared all sorts of information.. music, skiing, weather, history, life, university, etc. we headed back to his Gran's house. Within the hour, her other grandson, Sebastian, came to join us out for lunch. We headed to this cute little pub that was serving Sunday roast. I had pork. And it was to die for. I thought all this home cooking was the thrill of my trip. Now I know what I need to do in London every Sunday. Go find a great roast!! Who knew?! After lunch we picked out a dessert and then headed back to Valerie's house to watch the final men's single tennis match for Wimbledon. Here, Edward and his wife, Rachel, joined us. As well as Edward and Sebastian's parents, Evon and Jonathan. It was a lovely time. Edward and Rachel are planning on coming to London for opening weekend of the Olympics and we are going to try to get together! When I told them I have tickets to a volleyball match, boy were they jealous!! Before it got to be too late, I headed back to London via train!! <3 (Here is where everyone can complain a lot until the end of time, because no, I did not take any pictures. My camera died. And when I did want to take pictures, my iPod was also dead. Sorry mom!)

THIS IS ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON'S.

On Monday I woke up extra early for the sole purpose of doing laundry. I washed up everything from the weekend to be ready to go for the week. I continued to work more on my journal to send back to Point this week and finally got it all done! I spent a nice leisurely hour or so eating lunch at Pret with Mona and Tori. It was so much more relaxing instead of scarfing my face and running across town to class. During class, we talked about Shakespeare, and we were given our tickets to see Henry V at The Globe this Friday. At the end of class, we took the tube to Hampstead and walked around some famous people's houses and grave sites (Dame Judy Dench's street, J.M. Barrie's gravesite-author of Peter Pan, house of Robert Louis Stevenson just to name a few). At the end of class, I headed to a Hungarian Pastry shop with a few others on our trip to get dessert before dinner. Hazelnut cake. Enough said. Then we headed to a secondhand book store and I picked up a few opera recordings for £2.99 and (get this) a Post Secret UK book for £4.99. I will treasure these finds for ever. Next we headed to the King Henry IV for dinner. I had baked sea bass for the first time ever. Minus the hot hot hot hot hot peppers on top, I loved every bite. Then we headed back to the room and I called it an early night. (When I don't have plans, I'm pretty boring)

J.M. BARRIE'S GRAVESITE.

Tuesday rolled along and while at work, I purchased train tickets to Bangor, Wales! I'll be there from Monday night, 30 July to Saturday afternoon, 4 August for our Summer Music School Project! I keep hearing about how magical Bangor looks with the ocean and the mountains in the same view, and I think I dreamt about it. I cannot wait. I also purchased a ticket to see Sweeney Todd next week!! AHHHH I'm super excited. Literally, on cloud nine.

DID I READ THAT CORRECTLY? AVOID LONDON?

Today is Wednesday. It does not feel like it. I think these days are FLYING past. I'm in no hurry for this whole experience to be done yet!! Today, I went to work and let me tell you about 1. the weather in this country and 2. the interruption of life for the excuse of the Olympics. 1. I was today's weather-checker in our room. Every morning, someone asks the question and who ever has internet at that time checks and announces. Today, it was my job. I read the following: 57 F, rain from 1pm to 9pm with thunderstorms around 3pm. I then left the room for work. No jacket, but definitely my brelly. I walk to the tube: beautiful sunshine, almost enough to prevent me from going to work. I walk between the tube and the overground and sit to wait for the train in the sunshine. And then I feel a handful of little drip drip drops falling on me. I quickly get up to jump on the next train, knowing that after a few drip drip drops, there is usually a number of cats and dogs to follow. Sure enough, at my stop: POURING RAIN like there was never the word or idea of this burning ball of gas out in the galaxy. Frustrated. Can anyone get this weather right? 2. Planning for this trip, I was 150% for being in London during the Olympics because it would be such a cool experience, and think of all the people you get to meet from all over the world, la la la. The first point that is wrong with this is: London is not English. Parts are and some people are, but for the majority everyone in the world here are from everywhere else. I can count at least seven different languages on the tube in the morning. Try walking down the street? Same thing, and then throw in traditional dress. London is absolutely diverse. As for the Olympics, they are updating tube lines all the time (don't get me wrong, this is absolutely helpful), and this week they began testing out evacuations, reroutes, over-crowding drills, etc. and they are transforming a number of bus/taxi lanes in the city to Olympic Lanes. All of these things will inhibit our travel and transport to and from work for the remainder of the summer. This week is the last week to even feel 'normal' before all the Olympic craziness sets in. It's so frustrating. A number of kids on our trip are planning on walking to work- upwards of 1.5-2 hours (yes, that is one way). It's times and thoughts like these that make me wish I was at home for the summer and enjoying the Olympics on TV, wishing I could be there. Today I also purchased a ticket to see Chicago! Not the most traditional British or European show (sarcasm), but when will I get to see it any other time?? Seriously. I am living this up, live to the fullest. I'm going to go big or go home.

This brings up as up to date as humanly possible! More spoiler alerts to my life in upcoming days: Designing 007: Fifty Years of Bond Style (complete with souvenir booklet and martini), London Bridge, Tower of London, Henry V, Stratford-upon-Avon, BBC Proms: rushing My Fair Lady for £5 standing room at the Royal Albert Hall, and Brighton (all this weekend).. then Paris (next weekend).

Cheers!
Sarah Marsh