Mar 23, 2012

Orientation, day two

aka: The joys and pains of being an English major

Why joy and pain, you might ask? 

Because of these lovelies - 


Joy: acquiring new books and the prospect of reading all of these. Pain: carrying them all over London in a backpack (for four hours). They conveniently handed out our books right before our four hour walk today.

That pile contains:

  • London Labour and London Poor by Henry Mayhew
  • The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster
  • Down and Out in Paris and London by George Orwell
  • Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
  • 253 by Geoff Ryman
  • The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
  • London A to Z (eeee... Sherlock geekout)
  • She Stoops to Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith
  • The Comedy of Errors by Shakespeare
  • London guide book
  • The Tempest by Shakespeare
  • The London Scene by Virginia Woolf
  • The Madness of George III by Alan Bennett
And that's not everything. Still have the books for the second half of the London Theatre course. 

Have to admit I'm getting pretty excited about classes starting up. Especially since the classes are going to be integrated with the city itself. Excursions and experiences, rather than lectures.  

Tomorrow's being taken over by Sherlock Saturday, so I'll write a proper post about my first week on Sunday. 

~L
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Mar 22, 2012

Orientation, day one

Four plus hours of walking around London, with this brilliant and witty man as our leader:

Peter Buckroyd


Here he is, telling us to keep an eye out for lampposts.


~L

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Mar 21, 2012

First full day

Though I may not write every day (I'll try to write once a week, at the minimum), I will try to post something for every day that I'm in London... a picture, video, or link.

My place of residence

My room is the top left window

Adorable and friendly, Bubbles the cat

A bit of Barnet from my walk today: timed my walk
 to Cockfosters station and explored Barnet 
~L
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Mar 20, 2012

Arriving

Three hours in Sea-Tac, nine hours on an airplane, three films (A Dangerous Method, My Week With Marilyn, and Tinker Tailor Solider Spy), border control, a very long ride on the Underground (the entire Piccadilly line), no sleep, and I am here. London.

Everything went quite smoothly. No delayed flights, nothing lost (and that includes myself), no problems. Also, the weather was gorgeous today. A rather exceptional beginning.

My final destination: Cockfosters, end of Piccadilly Line
Attempting to stay awake as long as I possibly can. Already had two cups of tea, and biscuits. My homestay is absolutely lovely. Quite perfect, really. The most charming house with a crazy staircase and very friendly cat named Bubbles. Suzan and Esme are wonderful.

I reside at the top of a winding narrow staircase on the third floor:


All unpacked and settled in now. Here's my lovely room and the view outside my window:



Dinner's in a few. Listening to the sound of cooking and Esme doing her homework. 
~L
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Mar 18, 2012

The playlist

London Bound

"Escape!" (from The Hours Solo Piano) - Philip Glass

"Murder in the City" - The Avett Brothers  
If I get murdered in city, go read the letter in my desk, don't trouble with all my belongings, but pay attention to the list 

"Are You Leaving" - Erik Hassle
I was wide awake in this sleeping town, was infected by its void, so I left that life back in 2K4, couldn't take it anymore, while the small town boys were busy being bored

"What the Water Gave Me" - Florence + the Machine
But oh my love don't forget me, I let the water take me. Lay me down, let the only sound be the overflow, pockets full of stones 

"Moon River" - Henry Mancini
Two drifters, off to see the world, there's such a lot of world to see. We're after the same rainbow's end, waiting 'round the bend, my huckleberry friend, moon river and I 

 "Welcome to England" - Tori Amos
Now don't you forget, you bring your own sun, just enough for everyone, for everyone, welcome to England

"Unintended" - Muse
You could be my unintended choice to live my life extended, you could be the one I'll always love 

"The Violet Hour" - Sea Wolf
You love all sailors, but hate the beach, you say come touch me, but you're always out of reach 

"Lovely Rita" - The Beatles
Oh lovely Rita, meter maid, may I enquire discreetly, when are you free to take some tea with me? 

 "Big Jet Plane" - Angus and Julia Stone, covered by Daniela Andrade
Gonna take her for a ride on a big jet plane

"All My Loving" - The Beatles, covered by Jim Sturgess in the soundtrack for Across the Universe 
Close your eyes and I'll kiss you, tomorrow I'll miss you, remember I'll always be true, and then while I'm away, I'll write home everyday and I'll send all my loving to you. 

"Oh No!" - Marina & the Diamonds
I know exactly what I want and who I want to be, I know exactly why I walk and talk like a machine, I'm now becoming my own self-fulfilled prophecy, oh, oh no 

"Travelling Man" - Chameleon Circuit
The Travelling Man will save the day, the Travelling Man will keep you safe, even if he has to die five hundred and seven times, the Travelling Man will save the day 

"Sigh No More" - David Tennant, Catherine Tate, and Original London Cast Recording
Sigh no more, ladies sigh no more, men were deceivers ever, one foot in sea and one on shore, to one thing constant never 

"Exterminate, Regenerate" - Chameleon Circuit
Exterminate, regenerate, I thought you always knew our fate to just keep fighting on and on while time keeps turning 

"Penny Lane" - The Beatles
Penny lane is in my ears and in my eyes, wet beneath the blue suburban skies, I sit and meanwhile back... 

"Us" - Regina Spektor
They made a statue of us, and put it on a mountaintop, now tourists come and stare at us, blow bubbles with their gum, take photographs have fun, have fun 

"Sinnerman" (Felix Da Housecat's Heavenly House Mix) - Nina Simone & Felix Da Housecat

"Sigh No More" - Mumford & Sons
Love it will not betray you, dismay or enslave you, it will set you free, be more like the man you were made to be. And there is a design, an alignment to cry of my heart to see, the beauty of love as it was meant to be 

"Dreamer" - Elizaveta
I believe in fairy tales and serendipitous encounters 

"Mouthwash" - Kate Nash
This is my face, covered in freckles and the occasional spot and some veins. This is my body, covered in skin but not all of it you can see. And this is my mind, it goes over and over the same old lines. And this is my brain; it's tortuous and analytical thoughts make me go insane. 

"La Mer" - Julio Iglesias (from Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy)

"She's Always Singing (Yellow)" - The Dear Hunter
And every other lover in this city has got a song to sing, but none of them ring in my ears 

"Liz On Top of the World" - Jean-Yves Thibaudet, from Pride & Prejudice soundtrack

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Mar 16, 2012

Counting down

Three more days until I leave for London. 

Finished up my quarter, packed and moved out of the dorms, then unpacked... leading to a state of disaster in my tiny bedroom.


Exhibit A

Exhibit B
Relatively clean now and ready to start repacking. Had my last day of work (until June). Dealt with various financial institutions. Made contact with my homestay. Met up with most of my friends for goodbyes. I have absolutely brilliant friends. Graveyard walks, watching period British films, eating contraband cake in Cafe Allegro, sushi, watching Sherlock, coffee dates, early morning breakfasts... this week has been full of amazing friend dates. It's been good to be home for a week too. 

Today I spent time planning out the mid-quarter break in April. Pretty sure I'm going to make a Brontë pilgrimage. Spend a few days in Haworth Village in West Yorkshire... explore the Yorkshire Moors. I am ridiculously excited about this possibly. 

Also received the list of plays that I will be studying and attending while in London. Another cause for eager anticipation.

Tomorrow begins the serious packing and one last shopping trip. 

Soon, very soon.
~L
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Feb 17, 2012

Approaching

Midterms (two papers, one portfolio, one exam): survived. Now entering the final leg of the quarter. Full speed ahead.

Officially, there are only 15 days of class left. I only have 11. And yet for some reason, I still need to read Summer on the Lakes, in 1843 by Margaret Fuller, Moby Dick by Herman Melville, The Life and Narrative of Frederick Douglass by Frederick Douglass, American Pastoral by Philip Roth, and The Tempest by my lovely friend the Bard.

I'm still unsure about the feasibility of this undertaking.

But my departure for London is coming up soon. Plane tickets have been purchased and I am set to leave on March 19th. Really only a month away now.

Had another study abroad orientation last night. The meeting, though quite dull and made up of information that I already know, nevertheless served as a "bell to toll me back" to the reality of my leaving. (Sorry. "Ode to a Nightingale" reference. I can't get the words out of my head... see recent entry from Potential for further explanation.)

It's a bit hard to think about the trip while trying to stay afloat in the ocean of literary texts, papers, and school work.

A few things I'm excited about:
  • Being in Britain
  • Getting to see the places associated with my favorite writers and books and television shows
  • Reading Mrs. Dalloway while in London
  • London theatre
  • Staying in a homestay
  • Living in another country for more than two weeks (the longest amount of time I've spent in a foreign country)
A few things I'm nervous about:
  • Staying in a homestay
  • Getting to know the other students on the trip
  • Finances
  • Homesickness
  • Getting lost, losing things, missing flights, chaos, everything going wrong  (ahem... that would be my paranoid worry exposing itself for all the world to see...)
Despite a bit of nervousness, my excitement completely outweighs any anxious feelings that I have with regard to the trip.

I simply cannot believe how quickly London is approaching.
~L
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