Well, tomorrow morning I leave for Berlin for the weekend. Myself, Emily, Noelle, Greta, Mallory, Preston, Trevor, and Kurt are taking a cab to our bus stop at 4:15 (ugh) and then we fly at 7:55. I'm so excited for this trip! Hopefully the language barrier won't be too bad. I only know a few German words. Kurt is the only one who is somewhat fluent in German, so he will probably be our translator for the whole trip lol.
Well, I'm off to bed to get some sleep for the long day tomorrow. I probably won't have access to the internet while I'm there, so the next blog entry won't be until Sunday evening.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Another Summary of a Few Days
Once again, I am trying to post every night but I can only do so much as a human being lol. Anyway, on Monday we had a tour of the Royal Opera House and saw a production of a Ballet of Romeo and Juliet. First off the Opera House is very beautiful, and I would have loved to have shown you some pictures, but unfortunately they didn't let us take any. I only have a pic of the entrance. Our tour guide showed us through the entire facility, and it was interesting to see the combination of old and new architecture. The opera house itself remains close to what it looked like when it was build in the 1850's. The house holds over 2,000 people, and it is preserved this way because the house was built with perfect acoustics. In the late 1990's, they added on to the building, and built a larger backstage, more rehearsal spaces, and well as cafes, restaurants, and lobbies for the multiple floors next to the seating areas. The building was quite impressive, and the Romeo and Juliet ballet was really good. It was interesting to see the story adapted to a dance. It was fairly long (around 3 hours) with two intermissions! The dancers who played Romeo and Juliet were incredibly talented, and had good chemistry together on stage. The only parts I didn't like of the show was that it was difficult to figure out the different supporting roles (like Benvolio and Mercutio). Also, the section where Juliet takes the poison I thought was a bit too long, as six maids came in and did what felt like a 10 minute dance before they saw Juliet "dead." The fighting was pretty decent. It wasn't realistic looking in any fashion, but it was done to the beat of the orchestra. Lastly, the orchestra was quite wonderful to listen to.
After Romeo and Juliet, we went back to Schiller for dinner, and then I left to see yet another show: Spamalot. I went with Preston, Jessica, Rachel, and Carrie, and the show was pretty funny. My only complaints are that are seats were very high up in the theatre and there were guard rails on the edge that limited our view of the stage. I also thought that the actor who played King Arthur was a bit bland and lackluster, but aside from that, the show was hilarious. There are several musical theatre parodies in it which were cleverly written, such as a parody of the bottle dance in Fiddler on the Roof (in this one the knights dance while balancing Holy Grails on their heads lol).
Tuesday we started classes, which were actually not too bad. We had Shakespeare from 12:00 to 5:30 with many breaks in between (our teacher rocks and is a very understanding person when it comes to eating lunch and the like). We started reading Troilus and Cressida, and finished it today. I thought it was pretty good. Its about a love affair set during the Trojan war. The only thing about the play is that it emphasizes the political part of the war more than the romance between Troilus and Cressida. The play also kind of just ends with no real resolution, only the knowledge that the war is going to continue.
After classes we went to the Hard Rock Cafe, and had our first edible meal here lol. The food at Schiller isn't very good, so we jump at opportunities like free food. We had a choice of several meals, and I ate a grilled chicken and mashed potatoes meal, which was great. We were also treated to a free wine or beer with our meal. After Hard Rock, we went to the Wellington at Waterloo and met up with Dr. Sharon as a final goodbye. She leaves tomorrow to go back to the U.S.A., and we were all sad to say goodbye for now to her. She is very much like a mother to us all, and I think it will be hard for us for awhile to not have her here.
Well, today we had Shakespeare and Acting (in which we read part of Midsummer Night's Dream). We get to either do the final scene of the play, or pick scenes to perform, which I am very excited for, since I love the play.
After classes, I went on a date with Emily (don't worry Kelly, it wasn't a romantic date) to find a show to see on the West End. We tried to find cheap tickets for Gone With the Wind the musical (yes, its a musical here lol), but alas they were fairly expensive, so no dice for that. We ended up seeing a play called God of Carnage, which features Ralph Fiennes (the actor in The English Patient and he plays Voldemort in the Harry Potter films), and it was hysterical. It dealt with two parents dealing with one child hitting a child from the other family. The son of Ralph Fiennes's character hit the other families boy with a stick and knocked some of his teeth out, because that boy was making fun of him. The play shows the two parents meeting together for the first time, and talking about liability issues, hospital payments, etc. Eventually the parents end up arguing with their spouses and each other, and start acting like children themselves. It was a very funny play that was cleverly written. Ralph Fiennes actually had the least amount of lines, but his presence and expression were very impressive. The father of the other kid (who was a strong Irish accent), provided more of the comedy, with being more talkative, loud, and sometimes just plain rude. I also thought the two wives did a great job. They both had power in their own way, and at times had more authority than their husbands. Toward the end of the show, Ralph Fiennes's wife takes his cell phone and puts its into a flower vase filled with water, and the audience was instantly dying with laughter. To mend the situation, the father of the other kid takes out a hair dryer and tries drying out the water in the cell phone, which was also hysterical. Overall, I thought it was a very good play. The only part I didn't like was the ending (it kind of just ends with each character spotlighted and exhausted from their fighting and arguing).
Well, I have class from 9:00 to 5:30 tomorrow and its going to be a very long day, so I'm going to sleep. Friday morning I leave for Berlin for a weekend stay there!
After Romeo and Juliet, we went back to Schiller for dinner, and then I left to see yet another show: Spamalot. I went with Preston, Jessica, Rachel, and Carrie, and the show was pretty funny. My only complaints are that are seats were very high up in the theatre and there were guard rails on the edge that limited our view of the stage. I also thought that the actor who played King Arthur was a bit bland and lackluster, but aside from that, the show was hilarious. There are several musical theatre parodies in it which were cleverly written, such as a parody of the bottle dance in Fiddler on the Roof (in this one the knights dance while balancing Holy Grails on their heads lol).
Tuesday we started classes, which were actually not too bad. We had Shakespeare from 12:00 to 5:30 with many breaks in between (our teacher rocks and is a very understanding person when it comes to eating lunch and the like). We started reading Troilus and Cressida, and finished it today. I thought it was pretty good. Its about a love affair set during the Trojan war. The only thing about the play is that it emphasizes the political part of the war more than the romance between Troilus and Cressida. The play also kind of just ends with no real resolution, only the knowledge that the war is going to continue.
After classes we went to the Hard Rock Cafe, and had our first edible meal here lol. The food at Schiller isn't very good, so we jump at opportunities like free food. We had a choice of several meals, and I ate a grilled chicken and mashed potatoes meal, which was great. We were also treated to a free wine or beer with our meal. After Hard Rock, we went to the Wellington at Waterloo and met up with Dr. Sharon as a final goodbye. She leaves tomorrow to go back to the U.S.A., and we were all sad to say goodbye for now to her. She is very much like a mother to us all, and I think it will be hard for us for awhile to not have her here.
Well, today we had Shakespeare and Acting (in which we read part of Midsummer Night's Dream). We get to either do the final scene of the play, or pick scenes to perform, which I am very excited for, since I love the play.
After classes, I went on a date with Emily (don't worry Kelly, it wasn't a romantic date) to find a show to see on the West End. We tried to find cheap tickets for Gone With the Wind the musical (yes, its a musical here lol), but alas they were fairly expensive, so no dice for that. We ended up seeing a play called God of Carnage, which features Ralph Fiennes (the actor in The English Patient and he plays Voldemort in the Harry Potter films), and it was hysterical. It dealt with two parents dealing with one child hitting a child from the other family. The son of Ralph Fiennes's character hit the other families boy with a stick and knocked some of his teeth out, because that boy was making fun of him. The play shows the two parents meeting together for the first time, and talking about liability issues, hospital payments, etc. Eventually the parents end up arguing with their spouses and each other, and start acting like children themselves. It was a very funny play that was cleverly written. Ralph Fiennes actually had the least amount of lines, but his presence and expression were very impressive. The father of the other kid (who was a strong Irish accent), provided more of the comedy, with being more talkative, loud, and sometimes just plain rude. I also thought the two wives did a great job. They both had power in their own way, and at times had more authority than their husbands. Toward the end of the show, Ralph Fiennes's wife takes his cell phone and puts its into a flower vase filled with water, and the audience was instantly dying with laughter. To mend the situation, the father of the other kid takes out a hair dryer and tries drying out the water in the cell phone, which was also hysterical. Overall, I thought it was a very good play. The only part I didn't like was the ending (it kind of just ends with each character spotlighted and exhausted from their fighting and arguing).
Well, I have class from 9:00 to 5:30 tomorrow and its going to be a very long day, so I'm going to sleep. Friday morning I leave for Berlin for a weekend stay there!
New Pics!
The Entrance to the Royal Opera House:
Seriously, this sign was in front of the Hard Rock Cafe:
Watch out everybody! Dr. Sharon is drinking wine!
Great comedy with Ralph Fiennes in it:
Emily and I after the show:
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Some Pics From The Recent Trip
A Roman Bath from above:
Me in front of one of the baths (with my new jacket!):
Bath Abbey:
Bath is so beautiful, that's all I have to say.
A thatched roof!
A conceptual drawing of Stonehenge 6,000-8,000 years ago:
Stonehenge as it exists today:
Preston and I in front of Stonehenge:
Bath and Stonehenge
So today we woke up super early to start our tour of Bath and Stonehenge. We had to be at a station near London Bridge by no later than 7:30, so we all figured we could take the tube. I went down to Waterloo station at 6:40 to get some breakfast, and realized that the tube didn't open until 7:30, so we had to all book it as fast as we could to London Bridge. By this time it was 7:00, and it was at least a 20 minute walk to get there, not to mention we didn't know where the station was lol. Anyway, it started to rain a lot and I didn't bring a umbrella nor a hoodie (stupid me) and by the time we got to the station I was completely soaked! At first we saw a bus that was going to the Isle of Wight, and then eventually our bus came.
After several minutes (as I dried off one of my drenched shirts), we realized that Anderson tours goes to several pick up stations before actually departing, and we could have taken the tube later to a different station. Oh well I guess. During the ride, I sat next to a German gentleman and I found out that he was born in Berlin. He was a pretty cool guy, and he told me some places to go when I go to Berlin this next weekend. He was staying in London for his business to take lessons to improve his english speaking. I thought this surprising because he was actually quite understandable. Anyway, the bus ended up stopping by a rest stop, and I found a waterproof jacket for 12 pounds! The jacket was originally marked at 29 pounds, so I think I got a pretty good deal.
After an hour or so, we arrived in Bath, and it was beautiful. For anyone who doesn't know the area, it is the source of natural hot springs, and during the Roman Period the Roman Empire built elegant baths in the area. Apparently the water there has a mix of salt and iodine that is said to soothe and heal the body, and it has been a site for physical and medical treatment. There is also a vast array of 18th century architecture that remains preserved. One interesting thing to note about the buildings in the UK is that for the most part, they remain preserved from the time they were made and not much can be done to change or remodel them. This way the old and beautiful architecture remains intact. Anyway, the Roman Baths were amazing! It was an exciting experience to see ancient Roman ruins and artifacts for the first time. I have many pictures from this excursion that will hopefully be posted soon. After the baths, I walked around the city of Bath, and saw the Bath Abbey and the hundreds of beautiful old architecture. I also walked by the Fashion Museum there, which apparently has one of the largest exhibits of period fashion in the world. Later I stumbled upon a French and Continental Market, and bought some legit French wine and brie for only five pounds each (five pounds for four different cheeses of brie!).
After checking out the market, I quickly got some food at Burger King, and we were off to Stonehenge. We drove by several small towns, some that even had buidings with thatched roofs! We eventually got to Stonehenge, and what a site. Although I was surprised at the size of the ruins (they're not as big as you think they are), it was still an awe inspiring experience. I have pictures of the ruins from basically 360 degrees, so any fans of the area can let me know if they want to see them all lol. I learned some interesting facts about Stonehenge. For instance, many of the stones there are actually from Wales, and apparently 6,000-8,000 years ago, the Celts brought the stones over by barge, and moved them several kilometers to the site. They did this by putting the stones on tree trunks, and had many as 600 men moving the stones. This makes sense, as the stones range in weight from 5 to 50 tons! The stones are also a different color underneath the grey exterior. If one were to polish them, some stones would be a blue-grey, and others would be gold. Although not much is known about the purpose of Stonehenge, historians believe that these stones were used to shine in the moonlight and in the sunlight. There are two stones outside of the henge that when the sun hits them a certain way on a specific day, they show both the longest and shortest days of the year. Very fascinating I thought.
Well, that's enough of my history lecture. After Stonehenge we took the long drive back, and I took the tube home with a few members of our group. A very fun and tiring day if I do say so myself!
Saturday, May 24, 2008
Photo gallery now available!
Well, I slept in today, and our group doesn't have anything really planned for today, as we have to get up super early for our Stonehenge and Bath trip on Sunday. So...I have finally posted pictures of my trip thus far! You can find the gallery at this site: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26334492@N05/sets/72157605225326502/. Flickr does not require an account to see my photos, so feel free to check them out. By clicking on the photo, you can see a larger dimension of it, as well as any comments that I have posted about each photo. You can also check out my Flickr photo stream at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/26334492@N05/. This includes all the London pictures, as well as pictures from shows that I have been in at Niagara University. Enjoy!
Friday, May 23, 2008
What has happened the past few days
Sorry that I haven't posted in a few days. I've been dealing with a cold/sinus infection that has been plaguing me ever since I left on Monday. So instead of staying up late, I have tried to sleep as much as possible and get over this cold. I am feeling much better now, so....
Let's see, on Wednesday we went to the British Library and had a tour of their Ramayana ("Epic" Indian Poem of 24,000 verses) exhibit. It featured what seemed like close to 100 small intricate paintings that depicted the story. This was pretty fascinating, and our tour guide was an Indian woman and seemed very passionate about telling the story. After the tour was done, we were free to walk around, and I noticed several sections that featured shadow puppets and dance drama of the Ramayana. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any pictures of any of this! I wish that I could have because I know that Kelly would have found them quite interesting.
After the library, we visited St. Pancras and King's Cross Station (King's Cross is the station featured in the Harry Potter series for any fans out there). We got to see the inside of St. Pancras, but for King's Cross, we took the undergound and didn't see platform 9 and 3/4 :(
In the evening, we saw our first London show: Cabaret. The show was extremely powerful and original in my opinion. Having just performed in Cabaret (and being a fan of the show in general), I quickly saw how vastly different this was from any other production of Cabaret that I had heard of. The arrangement of Act 1 and Act 2 was fairly different, as Act 1 ends with the first "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" instead of the Reprise, and there were small scenes that show the passage of time inserted into the show as well. There was also a little bit of nudity in the show, but it wasn't obscene for the most part (except for the random naked ballet at the end of Act 1). For example, the show ends with several members of the cast taking off their clothes and getting gassed, which left me in tears.
The Emcee of the show was really good in my opinion. He was extremely funny in how he played the role, and on top of that he improvised during much of the show and even tried talking to various audience members. Preston's blog already comments on this, but when the Emcee stopped the show during "If You Could See Her," it was probably the funniest moment of the show, and provided good contrast to the sad moments that had just happened (such as Schnieder and Shultz deciding not to get married). Sally and Cliff were very good as well. The Sally in this production seemed really disconnected with reality, that by the time she sings "Cabaret," you feel sympathy for her. Overall this was a wonderful production, and the only lowpoint I saw was that many of the actors and actresses did not have good accents with their characters, specifically German.
Thursday was kind of a low energy day for me. I couldn't sleep very well because of my cold, and when I got up in the morning I was pretty sick. We went to this orientation meeting that was basically pointless. Several faculty and staff of the University told us practically the same things we were told the other day, so it was pretty boring. After that, I had lunch and took a loooooong nap (like five hours), and when I woke up I felt much better. I then went to see Jersey Boys with Emily, Preston, Kurt, Trevor, Noelle, Greta, and Mal. The show is about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and tells the history of the band through their own songs. This show was phenomenal! First of all, it was so cool that the songs of this band actually told the story in the scenes of the show, they weren't just randomly inserted to fill time. Secondly, the four actors who played the people in the band were amazing singers. Frankie Valli in particular sounded so similar to the actual Frankie Valli, and on top of it all, the four actors had surprisingly good Jersey accents for all being British.
I forgot to mention another great thing about Cabaret and Jersey Boys. In addition to both being great shows, I saw them both for 20 pounds each (roughly 40 dollars), and got great seats. For Cabaret, we got row J of the Stalls (what we call the Orchestra seats), and for Jersey Boys I got the front row! I definitely am liking the student rush ticket discount here, and I hope that I can see a few more shows at this price.
Friday the entire group went to the London Eye to meet Dr. Sharon and Bill Angus, and we went to Big Ben, and then took a boat trip down the Thames River and got off on the Southbank at the location of Shakespeare's London. Our tour guide was really nice, and he always was excited about everything that he had to share about the area. I saw the New Globe Theatre, as well as the original site of the Globe Theatre. Our theatre major group is seeing Merry Wives of Windsor at the Globe at some point (can't remember), so I'm pretty excited about that. I also got to see a replica of the boat Sir Francis Drake used to circumnavigate the globe, as well as The Clink Prison (where we get the saying "going to the clink"). We also walked by Southwark Cathedral, where William Shakespeare's brother, Edmund, is buried. So far it has been a very exciting day, and tonight we are celebrating Mal's birthday, and Dr. Sharon is even coming!
Let's see, on Wednesday we went to the British Library and had a tour of their Ramayana ("Epic" Indian Poem of 24,000 verses) exhibit. It featured what seemed like close to 100 small intricate paintings that depicted the story. This was pretty fascinating, and our tour guide was an Indian woman and seemed very passionate about telling the story. After the tour was done, we were free to walk around, and I noticed several sections that featured shadow puppets and dance drama of the Ramayana. Unfortunately, I couldn't take any pictures of any of this! I wish that I could have because I know that Kelly would have found them quite interesting.
After the library, we visited St. Pancras and King's Cross Station (King's Cross is the station featured in the Harry Potter series for any fans out there). We got to see the inside of St. Pancras, but for King's Cross, we took the undergound and didn't see platform 9 and 3/4 :(
In the evening, we saw our first London show: Cabaret. The show was extremely powerful and original in my opinion. Having just performed in Cabaret (and being a fan of the show in general), I quickly saw how vastly different this was from any other production of Cabaret that I had heard of. The arrangement of Act 1 and Act 2 was fairly different, as Act 1 ends with the first "Tomorrow Belongs to Me" instead of the Reprise, and there were small scenes that show the passage of time inserted into the show as well. There was also a little bit of nudity in the show, but it wasn't obscene for the most part (except for the random naked ballet at the end of Act 1). For example, the show ends with several members of the cast taking off their clothes and getting gassed, which left me in tears.
The Emcee of the show was really good in my opinion. He was extremely funny in how he played the role, and on top of that he improvised during much of the show and even tried talking to various audience members. Preston's blog already comments on this, but when the Emcee stopped the show during "If You Could See Her," it was probably the funniest moment of the show, and provided good contrast to the sad moments that had just happened (such as Schnieder and Shultz deciding not to get married). Sally and Cliff were very good as well. The Sally in this production seemed really disconnected with reality, that by the time she sings "Cabaret," you feel sympathy for her. Overall this was a wonderful production, and the only lowpoint I saw was that many of the actors and actresses did not have good accents with their characters, specifically German.
Thursday was kind of a low energy day for me. I couldn't sleep very well because of my cold, and when I got up in the morning I was pretty sick. We went to this orientation meeting that was basically pointless. Several faculty and staff of the University told us practically the same things we were told the other day, so it was pretty boring. After that, I had lunch and took a loooooong nap (like five hours), and when I woke up I felt much better. I then went to see Jersey Boys with Emily, Preston, Kurt, Trevor, Noelle, Greta, and Mal. The show is about Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, and tells the history of the band through their own songs. This show was phenomenal! First of all, it was so cool that the songs of this band actually told the story in the scenes of the show, they weren't just randomly inserted to fill time. Secondly, the four actors who played the people in the band were amazing singers. Frankie Valli in particular sounded so similar to the actual Frankie Valli, and on top of it all, the four actors had surprisingly good Jersey accents for all being British.
I forgot to mention another great thing about Cabaret and Jersey Boys. In addition to both being great shows, I saw them both for 20 pounds each (roughly 40 dollars), and got great seats. For Cabaret, we got row J of the Stalls (what we call the Orchestra seats), and for Jersey Boys I got the front row! I definitely am liking the student rush ticket discount here, and I hope that I can see a few more shows at this price.
Friday the entire group went to the London Eye to meet Dr. Sharon and Bill Angus, and we went to Big Ben, and then took a boat trip down the Thames River and got off on the Southbank at the location of Shakespeare's London. Our tour guide was really nice, and he always was excited about everything that he had to share about the area. I saw the New Globe Theatre, as well as the original site of the Globe Theatre. Our theatre major group is seeing Merry Wives of Windsor at the Globe at some point (can't remember), so I'm pretty excited about that. I also got to see a replica of the boat Sir Francis Drake used to circumnavigate the globe, as well as The Clink Prison (where we get the saying "going to the clink"). We also walked by Southwark Cathedral, where William Shakespeare's brother, Edmund, is buried. So far it has been a very exciting day, and tonight we are celebrating Mal's birthday, and Dr. Sharon is even coming!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
The London Experience Begins!
Okay, so I'm turning my blog that was used for my writing for the web class into a blog that I write about my experiences studying abroad in London. So...
Today we arrive at Heathrow airport, and all went well. Everyone found their luggage, and getting through customs was much easier than I expected. We were told to bring something that shows that we have enough money to live in London, and we didn't end up needing it. Schiller University called the customs office in advance and our group was able to pass through quite fast.
Anyway, the bus ride to Schiller was beautiful. I already love the architecture of London. And unlike NYC, London seems less cramped. On another side, London's streets are somewhat difficult to get a hold of, as they do not follow a grid system. Instead, streets and buildings fit together like a giant assymetrical puzzle.
My room at Schiller isn't too bad. I even have a fridge! Unfortunately, I have to walk up four flights of stairs to get to it! I'm fairly certain that I will be losing a lot of weight this summer, and that is a good thing.
In other news, I was able to buy a cheap phone to use to call back home. It only cost me ten pounds and it is a pay as you go plan with calls to the U.S. only costing 6 pence (around 12-13 cents). Later I went with the group of theatre majors and checked out Waterloo station, and went across the bridge to look at various restaurants. Eventually we settled on this Oyster Bar that was pretty cool on the inside, with multiple floors to explore.
I would love to go on to further detail on my first day experience, but I am really tired and in need of some sleep. I think the jet lag is finally getting to me. Anyway, hopefully this will be a constanly updated blog to keep everyone at home posted on my adventures. I miss you all and hope all is going well back in the U.S.
Today we arrive at Heathrow airport, and all went well. Everyone found their luggage, and getting through customs was much easier than I expected. We were told to bring something that shows that we have enough money to live in London, and we didn't end up needing it. Schiller University called the customs office in advance and our group was able to pass through quite fast.
Anyway, the bus ride to Schiller was beautiful. I already love the architecture of London. And unlike NYC, London seems less cramped. On another side, London's streets are somewhat difficult to get a hold of, as they do not follow a grid system. Instead, streets and buildings fit together like a giant assymetrical puzzle.
My room at Schiller isn't too bad. I even have a fridge! Unfortunately, I have to walk up four flights of stairs to get to it! I'm fairly certain that I will be losing a lot of weight this summer, and that is a good thing.
In other news, I was able to buy a cheap phone to use to call back home. It only cost me ten pounds and it is a pay as you go plan with calls to the U.S. only costing 6 pence (around 12-13 cents). Later I went with the group of theatre majors and checked out Waterloo station, and went across the bridge to look at various restaurants. Eventually we settled on this Oyster Bar that was pretty cool on the inside, with multiple floors to explore.
I would love to go on to further detail on my first day experience, but I am really tired and in need of some sleep. I think the jet lag is finally getting to me. Anyway, hopefully this will be a constanly updated blog to keep everyone at home posted on my adventures. I miss you all and hope all is going well back in the U.S.
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