Seventh Post | Around the World

Dear readers, I hope you're not too cross with me for not updating this blog in nearly a month. In my last post, I explained that in my acting class I am learning how to embody a peacock. At the start of the semester, each student was given a character and had to choose an animal that physically personified their character. I went to the zoo and chose a peacock. Peacocks are very fidgety creatures, despite their reputation for being majestic and regal. Their necks crane forward, their tongues stick out, and they make the most dreadful noises known to man. Peacocks can serve as watch-birds; they used to be placed outside castles and alerted royalty when guests arrived or if enemies were nearby.

I had one week off from class in October, and I had the good fortune of visiting Barcelona, Venice, and Paris. I would like to take this opportunity to tell any and all students: do not travel for 9 consecutive days, land late Sunday night, and then go to your 9AM Monday class. You will be cranky.


BARCELONA:
DO go to the beachside clubs. DO go to Sagrada Familia, the gigantic unfinished cathedral by Gaudi. DO ride the cable cars up to Montjuic. DON'T leave your stuff unattended on the beach (even if you jump in the Mediterranean). DON'T buy your ticket for Sagrada Familia in person, save yourself the headache and buy it online. DON'T wear jeans when it is 80 degrees.

VENICE:
DO eat all the pizza and gelato you possibly can. DO go to the Doges Palace and the St. Mark's Basilica. DO take a minute to smell the roses and drink Bellinis. DON'T go down sketchy alleyways in search of "authentic" food. DON'T forget your ticket to the Basilica (the line is stupidly long to buy a new ticket). DON'T pay a kajillion dollars for a gondola ride. If you really want to go on the water, take a short ferry ride to Murano where the famous Italian glass is made.

PARIS:
DO go see the Eiffel Tower even though it is the most touristy thing. DO go to the thrift shops and secondhand stores. DO visit Sacre Coeur in Montmartre. DON'T see the Eiffel Tower when there is a Greenpeace activist hanging from the second balcony (yes this actually happened). DON'T go to the thrift stores that charge you by the pound/kilo, you will get ripped off. DON'T walk up the hill to Sacre Coeur, take the Funicular if you can swing it.

Sixth Post | Dublin-ing

It is clear to me now that I am terrible at updating this blog. Would it be a good excuse to say "I was in Dublin?" Because I actually was. Last weekend was my first trip out of England since I arrived here in early September. My LDA friends and I woke up at 3:30AM Saturday morning (Friday night?) to take a bus to a bus to the airport where we hopped on a 90 minute Ryanair flight to Dublin. (We even boarded the plane outside on the tarmac!) By 10:30AM we were in Dublin City Centre, LITERALLY backpacking through Europe.

We passed by Christ Church Cathedral, many other churches whose names I can't recall, and of course, we took the Jameson Distillery tour. Although it is no longer an actual working distillery, we got to take a look at how Ireland's famous triple distilled whiskey is made.

After we got our whiskey treats, we took a boat ride along the River Liffey. It was the absolute best way to see the city, and we were able to rest our legs. Then, we headed over to our hotel (which was a bit of a walk) and absolutely passed out.

Boat tour on the River Liffey

Next, after our power naps, we headed back over to the Temple Bar area where I had Irish stew and the best beer of my life. The next morning we had a ridiculously awesome buffet breakfast at our swanky hotel. Then we had tea at "Queen of Tarts" and walked around the Temple Bar area a bit more (it's amazing how insanely different a space can be in the daytime). We were waiting for one of our friends who had gone to see his sister, but he had curiously missed the meeting time/place that we had previously agreed upon. Deciding he had just lost track of time, we went ahead and took a cab to our ferry with Dublin's most adorable cab driver. Even after we paid the fare, he kept talking to us about the culture of Ireland, Gaelic, politics, and family. Sometimes people are sincerely generous.

Turns out our friend missed the ferry completely, and had to change around all of his train tickets as a result. He is a champ and a seasoned traveler, so he didn't panic quite as much as I did about the whole ordeal. So then, after 1 ferry and 2 trains, we finally made it back to London. Coming back on the Tube, it was the first time I regarded the city as a type of "home base" that seemed familiar and comfortable.

Classes are really starting to ramp up--now seems to be the "swim or drown" period that truly tests each person on an individual basis. Additionally, by now it is essential that our group succeed in acting as a unit rather than a hodge podge of loose ends. There is strength in support, and it is amazing what can happen in the safety of a group. This premise is demonstrated particularly in my Shakespeare class; I am continually awed by the dedication and commitment I am witnessing. I have no less than 3 epiphanies per session about life and/or acting. (That's a lot of "Oprah Ah-Ha" moments for a 2 hour class). In my other acting class, I am slowly but surely becoming a peacock--more about that in the next blog entry.

Other adventures over the past 3 weeks include:

• Macbeth at the Globe Theatre--more disappointing than entertaining
• Othello the Remix--Chicago Shakespeare Theater & The Q Brothers nailed it!
• Arturo Ui--Henry Goodman needs an Olivier Award
• Liola at the National Theatre--everyone gets pregnant and nothing happens
• Kensington Palace--Princess Diana's dresses were flawless

Quotes:

"Don't be sorry, I'm from Canada!"
"Research breeds intuition."
"Real women do real things!"

Dublin from above

Self-empowering Dublin street art

Fifth Post | Magnificent

It's been almost 2 weeks since my last post and time has absolutely FLOWN by. I have danced, walked, sang, "meow"-ed, laughed, cried, "moo"-ed, and pondered. Here's the thing about being in a 14 week conservatory-style acting program--the pace is lightning fast and it is impossible to learn everything. Many of the professors here at the London Dramatic Academy have also taught at RADA and other British acting schools, where they devote 3 years to learning "the craft" of acting. Attending a 3 year program wasn't in the cards for me, but I feel extremely lucky that these magnificent professors and coaches have taken on the gargantuan task of imparting the most amount of knowledge in the least amount of time.

In the past two weeks, I have been to Buckingham Palace, experienced high tea, seen a show at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, and delivered a monologue at the Rose Theatre, the first official venue to stage a production of a Shakespeare play. I FINALLY got my Student Oyster card that allows me to ride the Tube at a discounted rate. I visited Covent Garden where I bumped into my American friend TOTALLY ON ACCIDENT because the universe is magnificent and magical. I went to Camden Market and experienced all of its Seaside-esque grime and magnificent energy. I met my Shakespeare professor and he is magnificent. I wish I could pack up all this magnificence into a box or a locket and keep it with me always.

Here are some quotes that I heard/experienced:
"He's not a bloody sloth!"
"Don't talk to me while I'm not here"
"Chicken run is literally the best"
"Ha ha! It looks like he's smoking a spliff!"
"I don't want to see 'kitten on a happy day'"
"The reed that bends is stronger than the oak"

Fourth Post | London

These past two days have been a blur. After arriving safely at Heathrow Airport, I traveled with Thom (another student attending LDA) from Terminal 1 to our designated "meeting spot" in Terminal 3. Towing over 100 pounds of luggage after a 6 1/2 hour flight is not something I would recommend. Then the LDA gang met up, and after some official introductions, we all hopped on a bus that took us to our new home. We chatted and had a mini-orientation with our Resident Directors and RAs. Later, we ventured out to get adapters and other miscellaneous items. The night ended with a trip to a nearby pub (is pear cider a thing in America?) and then I think it took me all of 10 seconds to fall asleep once we were back in the dorms.

Today we met up with the LDA's director, Ellen Newman, for a walking tour around Hampstead Heath, an absolutely gorgeous park that's nearly 800 acres! Of course, this trip required riding The Tube, which is essentially a cleaner version of the NYC subway system. After our tour, we headed back onto The Tube and traipsed around Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus. Then, we came back to our neighborhood (via Tube) and found a diner with Wifi and French Toast and all was right with the world. We all met up again to try out a nearby bowling alley, which I think I would have enjoyed more had I not been so cranky--I really should have taken a nap today.

This is the Cliffnotes version--hopefully I'll write up a more fleshed-out description of everything this weekend. Also I can already tell I'm amongst an extremely talented group of artists/actors/cool people and I just can't wait to work and play and act and yeah.

Here are some pictures!

Third Post | Day of Flight

"If your dreams don't scare you, they aren't big enough." That is the message on one of the pictures I am taking with me to London, along with some photos of my friends and family and two (slightly) overpacked suitcases. In 9 hours I will leave to go live in a country that I have never visited before. I am both excited and terrified, so I figure I must be doing something right. More info to come from the other side of the Atlantic.

Second Post | 8 days

Only 8 days left in America. I'd like to use this lazy Sunday to share with you a few quotes about traveling:

1. "The traveler sees what he sees, the tourist sees what he has come to see" --Gilbert K. Chesterton
2. “A wise traveler never despises his own country” --William Hazlitt
3. “One’s destination is never a place, but rather a new way of looking at things” --Henry Miller

First Post | Still in USA

Hello! Starting in September, I will be posting photos and info about my study abroad experience in London. Since this is my first crack at a blog, I figured I'd post a little something about myself:

1. Born/Raised: Northern New Jersey

2. Something You’re Really Bad At: Math/ Peeling Potatoes

3. # of Siblings: 1 (younger sister)

4. Most Visited Websites: Buzzfeed. Facebook. Youtube.

5. Favorite Cities: New York & Paris

6. Favorite Books: Harry Potter Series, Slaughterhouse Five

7. Pop Culture Guilty Pleasure: Mob Wives

8. Leading Ladies You’re Dying to Play: Eliza Doolittle, Elphaba, Belle, Penny Pingleton, Wendla

9. Leading Men You Wish You Could Play: Jean Valjean, Sweeney Todd, Gabe (Next to Normal)

10. Favorite Showtunes: “Forever Yours” (Once on this Island), “No Good Deed” (Wicked), “What Am I Doin’?” (Closer Than Ever), “Welcome to the 60s” (Hairspray), “I’m Alive” (Next to Normal)