So what has happened since my last post?
Thursday, January 30th, my friends and I got cheap tickets to see RENT. I am a big fan of the movie, so this was an amazing experience for me to see it live. We were definitely not disappointed!
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| RENT at Hackney Empire Theatre |
Friday, January 31st, we decided to go on a pub crawl in Camden, which is only a short walk away from where we live. We got tickets ahead of time which covered free admission to 5 different pubs and clubs and discounted drinks. It was a blast being able to see different pubs and clubs that I probably would not have gone to on just a normal night. I even ran into some high school friends that are also studying in London this semester. Talk about a small world!
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| Pub Crawl Shenanigans |
Saturday, February 1st, Wow already February! Decided to meet two friends from school, Rachel and Katie, and their friend Sonya out in China town for dinner and drinks. The pub we chose had a live band upstairs which we decided to just stay after to dinner to experience. I am a sucker for any live music, so we just all four danced the night away! My kind of night!
Sunday, February 2nd, Trafalgar Square had a huge celebration for the Chinese New Year. Athena and I met up with Rachel, Katie, and Anna who was a Chi Omega exchange student from England when I was a freshman. She was in Illinois for one year and I hadn't seen her since, so it was amazing to catch up with her! Walking around Trafalgar Square with the thousands of people was intimidating but really cool to see all the families and people who came out to celebrate the day.
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| China Town |
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| Katie, Me, Anna, and Rachel - Chi Os take over London! |
The next week, every moment I had, I was working on a 2500 word essay for my History of Art class on Jan van Eyck's Arnolfini Portrait. After days of researching and having to come up with my own topic to argue in my essay, I finished the essay on Sunday the 9th when the essay was not even due until Today (the 13th)! I am notoriously a procrastinator, but with all the exciting things that I had going on, who would have time to write an essay at the last minute?!
Thursday, February 6th, Athena, Rachel, Katie, and I met up with a friend from Illinois and his friends to see Wicked! It was AMAZING of course. Third time seeing that show and I could never get sick of it. We were happy the show was worth it though, because getting there was a nightmare. Last week there was a 48 hour tube strike in which most of the lines and stations were closed. Athena's friend told her about one station and line that was still open though in which it would lead us right to the theater. Not knowing there was a difference between Euston Station and Euston Square Station, Athena and I realized we were in the wrong place. So, we decided, why not cab it? Black cabs are the most expensive way to get around London, but when Wicked is about to start in 15 minutes, you do what you can so you can see the curtain rise. To our surprise though, there were zero open cabs. We waited for 20 minutes, trying to hail down any cab we saw. Athena finally got a hold of her friend who told us the correct station and line to take and we took off. Running through the rainy, busy streets of London was never on my study abroad bucket list, but we sprinted towards Euston Station just as it turned 7:30. It was practically like we were in a movie. We got on the Victoria Line, ran out of the station and got into the theater by 7:47. A new record I would believe. We got our tickets that were waiting at will call, but were not allowed in until a certain spot in the show. Once seated, we finally were able to enjoy the night we deserved.
Friday the 7th, with the History of Art essay still hanging over my shoulder, I worked on the essay all throughout the day, but decided to get away from the computer screen that night. We finally left our room early enough to make it to the University of London Union. I am sure glad we did! It was a blast seeing all of our friends from the dorm and meeting new people. Definitely will become a new Friday tradition (well when I am in town, at least!)
Saturday, Athena and I got to see the Saracens vs. London Irish Rugby match. I have never seen rugby, nor know anything about it, but it may have become my new favorite sport to watch. We were so into it! Trying to figure out the rules and scoring from wikipedia, Athena and I cheered on the Sarries (even though they lost). I really hope that I can go to another game before leaving!
Last Monday the 10th, Athena's dreams came true. I have never been a huge fan of Taylor Swift. I'll listen to her with friends (and jam alone in my car), but I would never say she is one of my favorite artists. But, I decided to go with Athena to her concert at the O2 Arena! I am very, very glad I did. We took the tube over with enough time to get dinner and dessert over by the arena. Taking our seats and seeing the thousands of girls (and guys!) with their signs, lights, and t-shirts, we could not keep the smiles off of our faces. I have been to a fair amount of concerts before, but I have never seen anything quite like a TSwift concert. It is a production! Each song had a different outfit and theme. The dancers were AMAZING. She was great live and was flawless on stage. I could not have asked for a better night!
Tuesday, though we were not planning on going out, we were invited back to the Sky Bar on the top of Centre Point tower. How can you say no to seeing London 35 stories up again? It was beautiful and breathtaking. Definitely a treat to be so lucky to experience something like that!
Last night, the 12th, going to see Billy Elliot was on our to-do list. Mind you, my paper was proofread and ready to be printed before I left! I had not heard much about the show beforehand. I didn't really know what it was even about. But, I was completely blown away by it. For anyone who has not seen it, that would be number one on my recommendation list. I believe I would categorize it as my new favorite musical. Dancing was the main aspect of the show, which is very relevant to my life, so I was in awe. The main boy was 12 and a better dancer than I will ever be. The storyline was inspiring, and the performers were so entertaining. Never have I laughed, cried, and clapped more during a show. I hope I can see it again before I leave London, that is how good it was. :)
After a busy day of printing and turning in a 10 page paper, going to the National Gallery for class, exchanging pounds for the Norwegian krone, stuffing a backpack with 6 days worth of sweaters and wool socks, I am finally ready for NORWAY TOMORROW!!! Our flight leaves at 8:30 am at a small airport an hour out of central London, so our 4:30am wake up call will come fast, but I could not be more excited. Hiking, snowboarding, skiing, museums, food, etc. await me in this beautiful country that I can't imagine I would ever go to if I were not here this semester. Wish me luck and godnatt!! (goodnight in Norwegian ;) )
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