Watching (Coriolanus!)

So, my friend Miranda’s Birthday is on the horizon and for her gift she decided that she wanted to go see Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse in London. The show stars Tom Hiddleston and is a classic Shakespearean masterpiece, so needless to say I was more than willing to tag along. The first attempt we made to see the show was last Saturday, the day we took our UMD group trip to London. We arrived at the theatre around 10:30 a.m.  to find that the tickets had understandably been sold out. We debated waiting in the return ticket line, but being that it was our first time in London, we decided we needed to do some exploring. We walked across the bridge that gets demolished in the seventh Harry Potter film, rode the London Eye, saw Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, and walked through Trafalgar Square. It was a great day filled with sightseeing, but we decided that we needed to return again to try and get tickets for Coriolanus. We settled on Thursday, enjoyed some blissful conversation on the drive back to Worcester and waited for the chosen day to arrive.

On Thursday, we departed at 6:14 a.m,, two hours before the sun came up, with the tentative joy of those who try to keep a rein on their hope of success. We were determined we would do whatever it took to get tickets to one of the two performances  that day, and we anxiously awaited our chance. While fidgeting incessantly for the three hours on the train, we came up with our game plan. We had snacks to sustain us through the wait, directions to our destination, money on hand, and we were ready to go. When we finally made it Donmar however, it was only to discover that we had paid over £50 to get there on the one day they were not selling tickets for the performances at the door. They were shooting their live shows, so only pre-purchased tickets were valid. We were so mad! It said nothing on the website about not being able to buy tickets or wait for returns, so we had a decision to make. We could wait out the night in London, and try to get tickets to the show the following evening, or we could admit defeat and go home. Being that we were never ones to give up easily, we decided we had put in too much time and effort to throw in the towel, so we found someplace with wifi and began our hotel search. There was a little sketchy B&B a few blocks down that met our requirements, so we headed over and committed to trying again the next day.

Being that we now had a whole day to do as we pleased, we headed to the local Pizza Hut and waited for them to open. Then, after enjoying some pretty fantastic food, we headed to our room, double checked for bed bugs, and then continued on our spontaneous exploration of the city. We ended up visiting the British Museum, and being as tired as I was, we were able to thoroughly enjoy ourselves by making some slightly inappropriate and sarcastic observations of the exhibits that were there. Topics included, why don’t people carve their visages in stone anymore for their caskets? And why do people think it’s ok to displace ancient remains and the things buried with them? And how did the Greeks make so many pots that remain unbroken? I break all my stuff! And also, how much it must have sucked for people who carved images and words into stone to make mistakes? That’s your life’s work. There may have also been some jokes about virgins, but we won’t go there again. It was a really fun time!  

After the museum, we really felt the need to take in some more culture, so we went to Primark haha. In all actuality though, we hadn’t planned on spending the next few possible nights in London, so we picked up some necessities and continued on our way. That evening we spent some time at M&M world, Chinatown, and Piccadilly Circus before turning in for an early night and an early morning.

We made it to the theatre on Friday by 8 a.m. and then the true waiting began. Donmar does not open until 10, so we enjoyed the rain and cold for two hours before the line even began to move. Some people had been camped since midnight and just about everyone was ready to fight for their tickets. While we waited, a girl joined us in line who had already seen the play numerous times and that sort of set us on edge, but nothing could deter us from getting those tickets. I was sure every person in front of us getting tickets was going to be the last person to get tickets, and every time we crossed any sort of threshold, I was sure they were going to deliver the bad news. However, we continued to inch forward, and other than a short awkward moment were I was forced to shove my butt in a picture of Tom Hiddleston’s face to make room for tech guys, it was a pretty enjoyable experience. Alas though, when we were but six people away from the front of the line, the announcement was made that the tickets were gone. Undeterred, we quickly made our way to the return ticket line to settle in for another nine hours of waiting.

We were close enough to the front of the line that we were confident we would end up with seats, even more so as the weaker fans started to wander away and we made it to the second spot in line. Just about everyone else there with us was surprisingly also American study abroad students, and we made some good friends with the people closest to us. We had Miranda renew our room for us, since the performance would last past the times our train ran, and sent Jasmine out for more pizza, and then the real waiting began. By the time it reached 12:30, I had purchased and started reading Coriolanus in full to prepare for the performance, and by about 2:00 we had all given up on being entertained and reveled in our boredom. Miranda watched a movie, Jasmine played games on her iphone, and we all listened to music with increasing disinterest. There was some good conversation, but it turns out that long before you reach the nine hour mark you run out of things to talk about. We were saved at 5:00 though, by one of the most miraculous experience of my life. TOM HIDDLESTON WALKED BY US!! The girl in front of us noticed him first and once we realized he was there, we had a minor freak out! Miranda said “Hi there!,” I awkwardly blurted out an excited “Hi!,’ he made brief eye contact with me, I fell in love, and Jasmine let out a short little scream, and then he said a quick hello and it was all over. It was amazing! Plus it gave us a good hour and a half of things to talk about, during which I decided that I wished I had touched Tom Hiddleston and his body guard had broken my arm, because it would be the best story ever. Ah! It was such an exciting moment for all of us. J Then on top of all of that, at about 6:30, Jasmine caught sight of Mark Gatiss inside the theatre! We creeped on him through the window and waved like crazy people. And when he saw us, he waved back!! With enthusiasm! It was the best, most sweetest thing ever! He had on a rainbow-ish scarf and a jacket with a fur-lined hood. It was glorious! I will never forget seeing those two men! Those two brief encounters made the long wait worth it!

About a half hour later though, all our dreams came true and we got out tickets!! The show was more amazing than I have words to describe! The entire cast was phenomenal! Everyone was so talented and Tom Hiddleston sort of showered on stage! The theatre was tiny and intimate, and the cast walked literally right next to us on several occasions! Mark Gatiss did his tummy patting and all was right with the world! I wish I could better explain to you how good I thought this show was, but I can’t. Everyone from bearded Game of Thrones guy to Dwane (aka Third Citizen aka one of the many loves of my life) and Scottish guy made me so happy! They even got Dean Thomas from Harry Potter! It was by far one of the best days of my life, and I wish I could have shared it with everyone I know! I just about peed with excitement!

We went back to our room after the show and left early Saturday morning still raving about all we had seen.  If anyone ever has the opportunity for anything like this in their lives, I hope they go for it! Best day ever!

I am more than a little behind on my posts. Procrastination reared its ugly head and I have many other great adventures that are unrecorded as of yet. We took big trips in November and December on our own, and there were a lot of smaller group trips that I will fill you in on soon. I just had to get the fact that I met Tom Hiddleston and Mark Gatiss out into the universe, before I forgot all the wonderful details J

More soon!
 

Searching

Woot! Woot! Yet another trip under my belt friends. This time I accompanied my UMD group to Bath and Stonehenge. I can't even begin to explain to you the depth of excitement I felt during this trip. Each place contained so much history, and yet they were completely separate of each other. You don't get the opportunity to see stuff like this back home in Minnesota.

We left Worcester bright and early at 7:30am on Sunday morning, and our adventure was officially on its way. First stop: Stonehenge.

It is hard to explain the sense of history you feel in a place like this. The best way I can describe it as a weird mixture of overwhelming connection to all those that have come before you and a suspended disbelief that you are where you are. If that makes any sense. It is unreal.

While at Stonehenge, we were guided by an audio tour around the site that regaled us with all sorts of information about the history of the place, including detailed accounts of the different myths associated with the monument. It turns out that Stonehenge is surrounded in mystery in more ways than one. No one knows how the stones really came to be there, or what their original purpose was. Nonetheless, they are a site worth beholding.

After our short stay at Stonehenge, it was off to the city of Bath to soak up a little more early history. Well actually, we started with lunch at The Pump Room, where I had some of the most delicious potatoes of my life, and then we went to soak up a little history. The baths were amazing! We had another audio tour, and there was a lot of information to take in. Then we had a break long enough to get some chocolate and hit up a Starbucks, before taking a walking tour of the city. Bath is an old Roman town, and their presence is obvious. You can really see it in the architecture. It is like a little Italy inside of the UK. I really loved it there.

Overall, I think the Bath/Stonehenge trip has been my favorite one so far, but there are many more to come before the end of my time across the pond.

 

I haven't really been up to much else that is worth talking about. My first article got published in the school paper, and I am in the process of applying for my internship. My friends and I went to the midnight showing of Thor: The Dark World and volunteered at the animal shelter. But mostly, I have been entertaining myself with Netflix and the occasional movie marathons with my whale pod (which from know on is what my extended friend group in England shall be called).

 

Most of my days in England are pretty much the same as my days were back in the states though. Really the only difference is that I occasionally get to go somewhere or see something amazing. Which really does make the whole trip worth while. But, being homesick and actually having homework are starting to put a damper on the honeymoon phase of my trip. The frustration phase is upon me.

 

I have high hopes for the future though. I go to Italy in a week, and my birthday is coming up! Christmas is just around the corner, and my much anticipated trip to Scotland is starting to get planned. Also, one of my best friends will be visiting in about two months! With all that on its way, I have a feeling I will soon be emerging from this little hole I have dug myself into and will be ready to take the rest of this trip head on.

 

I made a little video about a week ago that was supposed to cover everything I had learned since my last post, but it turns out that my apathy got the better of me, and this post took a little longer to get out than I thought. I will link it below though, just incase you haven't seen it, in the first bullet and add a written segment that will cover some of the rest.

 

What I Learned:

• A lot about Stonehenge and Bath
• You apparently cannot buy Half and Half or Heavy Whipping Cream in England
• I really enjoy the show Supernatural
• In England they refer to traditional newspapers as Broadsheets
• Bread is a lot easier to make than I thought it was
• It takes about a month for me to get sick of having spaghetti every night for supper
• Oreos taste pretty much the same in the UK as they do in the US
• Depending on the distance you want to go, public transportation is not always a great option
• Putting a bunch of Americans together to watch a movie is a pretty good treatment for homesickness
• Introducing my friends to D&D may have been a mistake (they get a little crazy)
• And I am sure some other things that are probably more relevant that what I have shared with you here

I hope that you all are enjoying what I share with you though, and that you will continue to follow me throughout this journey. I have a great support system both here and back in the States, and I cannot thank you enough for everything you guys have given me.

 

I send my love to you all. More soon my friends.

Straying

Hello once again my friends! As I mentioned in my last post, I went to Dublin this previous weekend with two of my friends, and I have finally managed to organize my thoughts enough to share my experience with you. So, here we go.

Dublin is a beautiful city, but it is important to remember that it is indeed a city. I loved the time I spent there, but I want to start by warning you that if you are looking for a truly "Irish" experience Dublin may not be your best bet. It certainly has its Irish charms, but as with most big tourist cities, it has modernized itself in many ways, giving in to many chain attractions and cheesy theme restaurants. That being said, there are so many amazing aspects of the city that I want to share with you!!

We started our trip off late Friday night in Birmingham and spent the night in a hostel, so we could make our very early trip to the airport on Saturday morning. The hostel was nice, clean, and had Mario Kart 64, but it also had extremely thin walls. We stayed up later than we should have watching The X Factor and then were kept up most of the rest of the night by various tourists coming back to their rooms none too sober. Then it was up at four and off to the airport by 5:30.


 

This being the first time that any of us had traveled alone, we had a bit of a hard time at the airport. We traveled Ryanair, and they have a policy that all non-eu passports need to be checked before you board the plane, which is verified by a stamp on your boarding pass. The only problem is that where you get this done is outside of security by the baggage check desk. We only had our carry-ons, so we didn't think to go to there and instead continued on to security. We did however know that we needed our passes stamped and asked the lady who checked our boarding passes before going through security if we were ok to continue on, and she told us we were fine.

This was only the beginning of our problems. When we were going through security my boots set off the metal detector, and I had to get checked and scanned before I could go through, and Jasmine apparently didn't have all her liquids in the correct bag, so was pulled aside to make sure they all fit within the required size. Next, we went to get breakfast, thinking the worst of it was behind us, until we realized that we had most likely missed something in regards to our boarding passes. So, we rushed over to the gate area and found some people who worked for Ryanair and asked them about our passes, at which point we were told to hustle back through security to get it stamped and make sure we made it back to gate one before we missed our flight. We were then escorted back out of the secure area, went through the wrong line, then the right line, and brought through priority security on our way back. I was at this point luckily chosen for a random body search, making that the second time that some random lady patted me down in a\one day. We then had to semi-run in an airport past a group of policemen armed with automatic weapons to make our flight. I am sure we weren't suspicious at all. The whole ordeal was indeed quite stressful. Especially considering that we all got hardly any sleep the night before. Once we boarded the plane however, things moved much more smoothly, and we arrived in Dublin without another hitch.



Talking with our cab driver from the airport to our hotel was probably one of my favorite parts of the trip. He was such a nice man, and he gave us wonderful advice on places to visit, told us all sorts of facts about Ireland, regaled us with stories about his family, and talked to us about how Dublin had changed in his lifetime, all in a very charming Irish accent.

Our hotel was gorgeous. Very posh considering what we spent, but we didn't hang out there very long. Our first mission was eating, and I finally got the Chinese food I have been craving since my arrival! All of us were a bit crabby, what with our lack of sleep, and that chicken fried rice was a godsend.

After we ate, we headed off to see the National Library of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland archaeology exhibit (both of which were free). They were housed in beautiful twin buildings, and there was so much to see inside. I wish that I had found some sort of tour through the museum, because there was so much there that would have been more interesting if it had been explained to me in context. Nonetheless, I found a lot of it quite fascinating.

 

It started raining when we left the museum, so we escaped to Starbucks until it subsided. Then, we headed over to Dublin Castle for a tour. I was a bit disappointed by medieval area of the castle that they boasted. It was just a bunch of half-dug up stones, but I very much enjoyed the staterooms. Much of it is still in use today, and I stumbled on a picture of General Cornwallis (who is portrayed in the movie The Patriot as the English general who has his dogs stolen by Mel Gibson) that I very much enjoyed seeing, as well as a few other things.

 





After Dublin Castle, we headed back to the hotel for a bit and then went out to supper. We ate at Bobo's, which is a highly rated local burger place. Then, we went out to experience the night life. We stopped by the infamous Temple Bar, before heading off to find someplace a bit quieter with live music and then calling it a night.

 

 

Sunday was by far the superior day for me however. We started off by doing some tourist shopping and getting a few souvenirs. Then, we went to St. Patrick's Cathedral, which was absolutely beautiful. The building dates back to 1220 and serves as a kind of national church for Ireland. Words can't describe it, so you are just going to get some pictures. I have about a million, but I think that these select few capture it the best. I wouldn't want to overwhelm you. It was absolutely breathtaking.

 

 

 

 

The next stop on our tour of Dublin was Trinity College. We were hoping to see the Book of Kells, but money got the better of us, so we decided to just tour the campus. It too had some really neat buildings, but since we weren't going to visit the library, there wasn't much to see. So, we headed off to the Dublin Zoo.

 

Many of you may not know this, but I absolutely love zoos. Yes, I do sometimes feel bad that the animals are caged and aren't allowed to run free, but there is something about seeing animals that I would never have the chance to see otherwise that makes me as excited as a small child when I enter a zoo. You just turn around and Bam! there is a tribe of gorillas! It's like being on a Safari!

 

The Dublin Zoo especially had some great exhibits. Some of the animals, like the giraffes, zebras, and antelopes, were put together in larger fenced areas to interact with each other and roam much more freely than they would have been able to if they had been sectioned off from each other. They also had a great array of animals to see, over 40 species, and you can bet that I made my friends go and visit each and everyone of them! Unfortunately, they didn't have an owl, but I did get to see a few of my other favorite animals, including a snow leopard with a really great personality (pictured below), two gorgeous red pandas, and some adorable penguins. If you ever have some extra time in Dublin, I highly recommend a visit to the zoo. It really was one of my favorite places that we got to visit.

 

After the zoo, it was time to head back to England, so we took a cab to the airport and made our way home. And that my very dear friends was the end to my Irish journey. Hopefully I will make it back someday, but until then, these are the memories I will take with me.

 

On a slightly different note, I joined student council here as a Non-UK Student Representative and have started writing for the school newspaper this week, so here is to hoping that all that goes as planned.

 

(Some of) What I Learned On This Trip:

• A good nights rest is more important than arriving early when traveling
• Watching an Ostrich somewhat fall down a hill is actually incredibly entertaining
• Get your boarding pass stamped before going through security
• Burger King may be a bigger deal around here than McDonald's
• The Irish really do hold a bit of a grudge against the English
• At least one man in England knows about Cash Cab
• Food is way more expensive when travelling than it should be
• Bring earplugs if you are going to be sleeping in a hostel
• Irish Whiskey Chocolate is really strange, but in a good way
• I need to buy a new carry-on and learn to pack more efficiently
• Irish cabbies are a fun lot of people overall
• Always ask your cab driver if they take cards, because they may not (even if they have the machine that reads them in the car)
• I get really controlling when asked to find our way around a city (I don't like people to question my direction choices)
• I have some really great travel buddies
• And so much more :)

Our UMD group has a trip scheduled for Bath and Stonehenge this weekend, so my next post will be about that. I can't wait to tell you all about it!

 

More soon! 

 

Love from England.