Hello Collegiettes!
Happy Spring! This week in London the flowers have started to bloom, the birds are chirping, and the sun is making almost a daily appearance, a very conflicting image from the stereotypical view of London! I only have five weeks left in this beautiful city, and I honestly can’t believe how quickly the time is flying by.
This weekend actually begins the start to my visits and travel plans for the rest of the semester. This weekend I am doing a day trip to Bath, next weekend my friend Emily is coming to visit from Edinburgh, the following weekend my friend Maria from Fordham is coming and we are traveling to Paris, and then after that I travel to Florence and Barcelona, and then its finals and I go home! It is crazy to think how fast London has gone by, BUT it’s not over yet and I am still determined to make the most of it all.
This past weekend was St. Patty’s Day. Now in case you didn’t know St. Patty’s Day is really an American holiday, at least the traditional way in which we celebrate by wearing lots of green, eating corn beef and cabbage and drinking excess amounts of beer. In Ireland it is more of religious holiday, and everyone else in Europe doesn’t really care much. However because Ireland and the rest of Europe knows there are Americans everywhere, they put on these celebrations to earn a profit and I think to see a bunch of Americans act ridiculous. So as typical American college students we dressed head to toe in green apparel, complete with costume jewelry and face paint and headed out to a variety of Irish pubs for the day. While initially we did stick out like sore thumbs as we got on the tube, once we got to more populated areas of London it was easy to find fellow tourists, Irishmen, and even some Londoners who had joined in the festivities.
Also this past week I saw two plays, Snookered, by Ishy Din and In Basildon by David Eldridge. The class I am taking alongside my internship during this phase is called “A Critique’s Perspective”—Every week we go to see a dramatic performance prearranged by our Professor, and then we are to review the show and submit our critiques. All of the shows are modern plays, and during the class we are studying Post-War British dramas. Both shows were well done and carry on a theme of Friend/Family reunion Drama. In Basildon was my favorite of the two, set in Essex it is an intense family drama that I think is widely relatable across cultures.
I have always had a love for theater – my family has been going to musicals since before I can remember, but I haven’t seen many straight plays. This class is offering me a great opportunity to be exposed to a new type of theater, and doing so at a discounted student rate!
As said, this weekend I am going to Bath, which has been one of the number one places family and friends have told me I have to visit in England, so I am excited. I also am working on a few different pieces, one solo and one with my boss, to be published on the Nueluxe site for when it launches it April. I have been researching hard for those pieces and beginning to set up interviews so hopefully I will have links to share later on!
Until Next Time,
Emily
Read all my previous posts from arrival to now:
Hopping Across the Pond!
Being a Tourist
A Food Affair in Brussels
Adjusting from American Super-Size to London Minimize
Snow, Cliffs, and Castles, Oh My!
The View From Above
Family Vacation Time!
Lost Amongst the Stars
Internship Phase Has Begun!