It's all in the Small Things

So I have made it safely back to the states and as I try to get over the jet lag, I begin reflecting back on my experience in London. I am so blessed and grateful for the opportunity to travel abroad and in London out of all places. Since my last post I got a chance to see Sister Act the Musical (AMAZING!!!), The Lion King (AMAZING), eat at a Gordon Ramsey Restaurant called Foxtrot Oscar, go to West End Live 2010, and act like a big kid at the Science Museum. 6 weeks is a long time to truly experience a place and I think I have seen all the ups and downs of London. This post is just to reflect on the small things I enjoyed in London. To my readers, I urge you all to experience visiting, studying, etc overseas. It is truly a great experience and I stole this idea from my classmate. I plan on filling up passport before it expires in 2020... who is with me??

1. Pre-sliced mangos for about 2 pounds
2. The ability to ride for two stops on the Tube and find myself in the middle of West End
3. Always finding something free to do
4. Eating McDonald's and not seeing grease and not having my stomach messed up afterwards
5. Being fascinated with flowers in the park and find myself taking pictures of all the ones I past by
6. Eating scones!!
7. Tea with milk
8. Going to 2-3 museums in one day for free
9. Covent Garden!!!
10. Getting my exercise on..because I was walking everywhere (oh how I have become so lazy in a matter of 2 days..lol)
11. People trying to guess which part of the states I am from
12. Costa Coffee (so much better than Starbucks)
13. Tesco Express (the smallest store with everything you need that is open for 24 hours)

ENERGY ENERGY!!!

So I am in my last week of London...tear! But I think that it will be time to come home once this week is over. I have finally had Bangers and Mash (basically mashed poataoes and sausages), so that makes me certified in English cuisine...lol. I saw a bit of the Queen's birthday parade known as the Trooping of the Colour

1. How do people in London not know about the Queen's birthday parade?? Like they shut down streets??
2. Energy, Energy!! (DJ in Moonlighting Club who said this the whole night)
3. People watching went to a whole new level at Moonlighting Club, in fact we have gotten to the point where if we see something crazy we will just say that it is "moonlighting"
Example:
Woman walks by in jeggings that are too small
We look at one another and say "now she know she moonlighting"
4. So I have come to the conclusion that half of London does not work..lol. It is 9 a.m. I am going to work, why are you on the tube with 5 shopping bags?
5. I wrote a 12 page paper in 2 days...gotta love procrastination..grrr
6.So I went to the National Gallery and why were there over 10 pictures that have Baby Jesus breastfeeding
7. "I mean you know he had to eat but dang"- Kelundra in response to seeing all the pictures of Baby Jesus breast feeding
8. Saw Avenue Q and I find myself singing songs from it at least 3-4 times a day (now humming "Only for now...for now")
9. Saw Sister Act the Musical...sooooooo great! Now it is on my top 3 list from London shows that I have seen so far. Plus I got a chance to meet the star Patina Miller
10. Oh hi ho- Paradise Found.... probably one of the corniest musicals ever in life
11.Went to Stonehenge
12. They have a TK Maxx..lol
13. hey I know my Americans, ya'll don't like to pay for shit!- club promoter
14. Yeah ya'll looking for quality hip hop, we got it right here (Chris Brown song plays) #epicfail
15. What a pleasure it must be for you to look upon my beauty every day.- La Dispute
16. Endsleigh Court...when our lights don't work, our internet connection is better :)
17. Went for a couple of days without a toilet seat...grrr

Awkward!

So this past week i began my internship with Pure Events Hospitality and Event Management. It has been a good experience thus far especially since I cmae during a period of high volume for clients and events. Since my second degree in Public Relations I wanted the opportunity to have an internship with event management. I also got the opportunity to go to Madame Tussauds, which was so amazing. Beyonce was getting repaired so that was the only one who I really wanted to see but I did not get a chance to. So I have the random list for this week, and as always if you have any questions about the list, just comment and I will explain.

1. Take it...take it like a man- Kelundra telling the ATM to take her debit card.
2. Oooooh they have free refills- At Pizza Hut (this was the first place we have seen in 4 weeks!!)
3. So I had my first and hopefully only experience where i threw up after a play- Thanks Cleansed by Sarah Kane (I am vomiting in my mouth thinking about it)
4. Saw myself on the Graham Norton show...YAAAY!!
5. Saw my teacher on the Graham Norton show (although he was knocked out of a chair on National TV!!)
6. Love Brighton Beach! (It is sooo pretty)
7. I only have two more weeks left (tear)
8.But since I only have 2 weeks, I am doing everything that I possibly can...and slightly ignoring the fact that I am studying.
9.Saw Sex in the City 2...was thoroughly entertained.
10. Going to the movies in London, interesting. For the previews, they have commercials and people talk all the way through them....grrrr
11. I have found people watching as a form of entertainment
12. Miley Cyrus talks a lot, there were some things I found out about her on the Graham Norton show that I could have done without.
13. Things the British don't believe in: ice, water fountains, vending machines, napkins, salt
14. I felt like I was in elementary one day at my inernship this past week
15. Last week after experiencing the Paris Metro I was so happy to get back to the London Tube. This week after being squished in between 3 people on the Tube, I am not so sure.
16. Taking pictures with the wax figure of Hitler kind of bothers me..walk away slowly.

Ruined at Almeida Theatre..AMAZING!!

So last night was an epic night!! I had the pleasure of seeing the play Ruined written by Lynn Nottage. Ruined tells the story of a woman's bar in the Congo during the civil war. Within the bar the owner Mama Nadi sells drinks and pleasure to the soldiers who come along the road. Once you step into the bar, all of the politics and violence from the outside remain there. The show was performed at the Almeida Theatre in London.

Seeing this production was beneficial to me in many ways. First the UGA Department of Theatre and Film Studies will be putting on Ruined in the Spring of 2011 so it was good to be able to see the show and get a feel for what is expected if I was interested in auditioning. Also UGA has certain shows that are unproduced which basically means that all of the props, costumes, and set are provided by the actors and directors. The show at Almeida was of course produced so it was a little intimidating to think of how UGA could pull this all of. But I am an optimistic individual so I feel as though it was be perfect and the woman who is directing the show is the one and only Dr. Freda Scott Giles and I am confident in the work that she is capable of as a director.

Jenny Jules played the lead role in Ruined as Mama Nadi and I truly loved her performance. She went above and beyond with the accent, her gait as her character, and the committment to emotion. For the UGA production I would want the role of Mama Nadi and attempt to be just as good as Jenny Jules. I don't want to talk too much about the plot because for those who are going to see the show, I want you all to be surprised and fully enjoy the script (which won a Pulitizer Prize by the way).

Sometimes after shows, it is customary to stand outside the stage door and get autographs of the actors in the show. Well of course after a giving the production a standing ovation, I definitely waited outside the door The cast was so humble and really great people to talk to. I got everyone's autograph except like 3 which kind of sucks but out of all the shows we have been to here in London, I got the most autographs from Ruined. YAAY!!

Adrienn Gecse from The London Insider did a review of the show that was at the Almeida so I would encourage everyone to read it. And of course I think I am a new fan of the Almeida in general because it was there that Ruined made its European premiere and Lynn Nottage herself worked with the cast during rehearsals. (so awesome) This is the last week of the show and she is supposed to come back during the week. I almost want to go back and see the show again just to have the chance to meet her.

So ladies and gentlemen, Spring 2011 be prepared to see greatness at UGA and read more up on Ruined if you get a chance!!

Where's the Romance Part 2

23. French duded tryna holla but clearly I did not understand a word he was saying..be gone!
24. French dudes tryna holla at French girl and she ignores you completely..guess your game does not work in your own language.
25. I need to get me a metro hustle- Kelundra
26. I'm leaving Paris (tear) but I'm going back to London (wipes tears)
27. Rode on the slowest train ever on the way to the Palace of Versallies
28. Ha ha ha street hustlers I have an umbrella!!
29. Louis XIV- loved all things gaudy
30. Watched Days of our lives and Scrubs in French
31. Hey ya'll let's go to Pussy's- Kelundra pointing at a location with that name..hot mess
32.The street Boulevard de Clichy that leads to Moulin Rouge is crazy!!
33. Had I remembered how this shirt fits I probably would have made a different bra decision- Kelundra
34. Please take off that nose...nope that was hers...oh!
35. Kelundra found her Paris lapel pin in a souvenior place next to a sex shop
36.Buddha and Buddha's lady friend outside of the Museum of Eroticism
37. Plug in an iron and short circuit everything in Hotel de Place
38. Woman breast feeds her child on the train, gets off train, one minute later gets back on train and begs for money..confused
39.Mental breakdowns because we missed our train back to London
40. The French don't like Americans...no really
41. Going to another country, not prepared for roaming charges =epic fail
42. Touring Notre Dame during Mass= even more of an epic fail
43.We got so familiar with the Paris Orly airport and didn't even fly to Paris, we took a train
44. Unnesscary art is everywhere in Paris, but it is sooo pretty!!

Where's the Romance? (Cue Accordian)

This past weekend was one of the most amazing, exhilirating, stressful, entertaining, wildest experiences ever! What began as a rocky start turned into a wonderful vacation. I got the chance to eat some good french cuisine and stay at a nice hotel. I think that the biggest thing that I can take away from the Paris experience is how much we stereotype a place and once you see it, you realize how wrong those stereotypes were. I remember thinking of Paris as this wonderfully romantic place with music everywhere. But when I got there, no music, gypsies, and grafitti. Don't get me wrong, Paris is still a beautiful place but I am grateful that I got to see more than just the tourist area. The random list from Paris is pretty long, but funny and I hope you guys enjoy it.
1. It's more expensive than free- The Eiffel Tower Hustle
2. Excuse me, you speak English- The opening lines of the gypsy encounter
3. I'm disillusioned, where are the mimes??- Erin
4. Oooo bun buns. Bonjour French bunnies!! -Erin when she saw rabbits outside our hotel
5. WTF- Erin looking at a towel strapped to a bed as a sheet at Hotel de Place
6. WTF???- everything at Hotel de Place
7. Where's the romance? (Cue accordian)- I said this on the metro station and as soon as I said it, a man walks onto the train and begins playing his accordian
8. The London Tube is definitely better than the Paris Metro
9. Grafitti?? Really Paris
10. We have to have at least one expensive French dinner
11. Is this the same unknown soldier known to God and Washington?
12. Eiffel Tower Hustle- So there are like 50 men outside the Eiffel who try selling you water, planes, Eiffel Tower mini's...ahhh it was horrid
13. Sooo if something happens we can jump out of the window
14. Is that black mold- Looking at the mold on the walls at Hotel de Place
15. Didn't Paris outlaw smoking 3 years ago in public places...just saying
16. Did he just drug us?
17. He has denim blue eyes- Kelundra commenting on the tour guide on the Batobus
18. Last day in Paris- do everything that we possibly can and of course miss our bus to get back to the hotel
19. So if we can't pay for the hotel room, Erin will be working at La Diva making her amateur debut
20. 2 person quartet singing horribly in French
21. Hippopatamus- French Applebee's
22. Observing 1st date of couple on train- A woman not interested in a man is obvious no matter what language they are speaking

Life's a Drag...well not really

So this past week in London has been pretty amazing!! I went to three shows and they were all wonderful in their own ways. Monday night I went to a drag show at this sketch place called the Cellar Door. The address to this place was Zero Aldywch street and we ended up walking past it. Why?? Well it is literally underground that has a structure on top of it on the sidewalk. It was fun though. I also got a chance to see Priscilla Queen of the Desert the Musical... AMAZING! I was thoroughly entertained from the beginning to the end. On Wednesday I went to the famous Shakespeare Globe Theatre and saw a very bloody production of Macbeth but I enjoyed it and was very glad that I was not in the orchestra pit.This post only covers things from Monday to Wednesday because of course I went to Paris for the Bank Holiday weekend. So here is the random list from last week and if you guys have any questions just let me know!!

1. I did not run, I walked briskly- Erin on finding out a crush she has was at the laundrette around the corner from our flat
2. Love is in the air and so it pollution. P-O-L-L-U-T-I-O-N Pollution Pollution- Cookie the drag queen we saw at the Cellar Door
3. Don't you wish your girlfriend could stand up and pee!- Cookie at the Cellar Door
4. I think I need to write a book on social cues- Kelundra
5. People don't know how to move to the center- UGA crowded bus formation
6. We went back to the old days last week, no hot water, no problem, time to boil water
7. When the funds run low, it is definitely ok to blowdry clothes in the room
8. I saw so many colors in the production of Priscilla Queen of the Desert that my eyes were tired
9. Favorite costume from Priscilla was the cupcakes...hands down
10. Money is honey and don't you forget that- Tour guide at the Globe Theatre