It's alive!
Yes, my subject is a Frankenstein reference and yes, the production at the National Theatre was totally stunning, but more on that later!
I'm back from London. It was a magical trip. It's changed a lot since I've been there - this was my fourth time there, but the last time was some 12 or more years ago. It's a very sexy city. I want to move there, alas.
I did as I said I would and spent very little money. I walked a lot, I ate very little, I did no shopping except for some expensive chocolates for the husband. Less food meant I could get buzzed much more easily, and pubs don't serve great wine, so there wasn't a lot of outlay on alcohol either. I wrote down everything I spent and may post it somewhere for posterity, mainly because I find it interesting and was sure I couldn't do it, but it ended up being okay. Naturally, you spend money on things you didn't expect to spend money on, and things you probably could have avoided spending money on, but there you are.
I have many fabulous photos which I am processing and will select a few for your entertainment. I am also making a little video because I bought a tiny Flip-like HD camera off Craigslist before I left and shot some scenes. (And also _doodle saying We're in the Ye Olde Cock pub. You just wanted me to say cock, didn't you?.)
Oh! Also relevant to interests herein, I met obviously _doodle and apiphile and they are both amazing and brilliant. I spotted Catherine Tate at the stage door of the National and whooshed past Mark Gatiss on the Hungerford Bridge (now apparently called the Jubilee Bridge, which just, no). Yes, I recognized him by his facial hair. Neither of them recognized me, can you believe it? Was also foiled in attempts to meet Benedict Cumberbatch as one evening he was too ill to exit via the stage doors and another evening he had close family in, and Jonny Lee Miller never made an appearance either. Really lads, your fans wish to pay tribute, give it up already.
I stayed with my friend L, who is a wonderful person that I could never say enough about. She introduced me to a lot of her friends and her boyfriend and they are all great and pretty unique people. My friend L is a post-op transsexual (that's how she refers to it, at any rate, not sure what the preferred terms are), and I am constantly amazed at the strength of character she has shown me over the years. We met in grad school at Columbia - and I was impressed by this nice guy S., because all the other people in this particular class were assholes. So we became friends and then when I broke up with the boyfriend of the time, we hooked up a few times (make out sessions, not ze secks).
I remember this one time we were sitting on a leather banquette at a downtown club drinking apple martinis and we're macking, like you do, and he says to me, "so I have to tell you something... I've been doing some cross-dressing and I would prefer to be a woman." I may have had more than a few drinks *after* that. Our friendship developed after that in a different way, me being straight, but I saw the rigors of the choice that she'd made... transitioning at work and in life, surgeries, family issues (Mormons), eight brothers, in addition to recognizing the challenges of life as a woman!
She's an impressive individual, I SO enjoyed the time we spent together. She's a journalist, a managing editor for a major international news service and works in the City. She's one of the nicest people I've ever known. Kind and giving. Her boyfriend is a great guy, too. She met a lot of people through the S & M scene (both in New York and London). She's not particularly into it as a way of life, but she likes to dress up and finds that people in that scene are less judgmental and more accepting of someone "different." Now they are all just as likely to gather for a Sunday brunch in Camden (as they did with me) as get high and go clubbing (which L. does a lot less of now). I am thrilled she has found great friends and a life in London. Although she really hates the weather.
IN SHORT. LONDON ROCKS.
I'm back from London. It was a magical trip. It's changed a lot since I've been there - this was my fourth time there, but the last time was some 12 or more years ago. It's a very sexy city. I want to move there, alas.
I did as I said I would and spent very little money. I walked a lot, I ate very little, I did no shopping except for some expensive chocolates for the husband. Less food meant I could get buzzed much more easily, and pubs don't serve great wine, so there wasn't a lot of outlay on alcohol either. I wrote down everything I spent and may post it somewhere for posterity, mainly because I find it interesting and was sure I couldn't do it, but it ended up being okay. Naturally, you spend money on things you didn't expect to spend money on, and things you probably could have avoided spending money on, but there you are.
I have many fabulous photos which I am processing and will select a few for your entertainment. I am also making a little video because I bought a tiny Flip-like HD camera off Craigslist before I left and shot some scenes. (And also _doodle saying We're in the Ye Olde Cock pub. You just wanted me to say cock, didn't you?.)
Oh! Also relevant to interests herein, I met obviously _doodle and apiphile and they are both amazing and brilliant. I spotted Catherine Tate at the stage door of the National and whooshed past Mark Gatiss on the Hungerford Bridge (now apparently called the Jubilee Bridge, which just, no). Yes, I recognized him by his facial hair. Neither of them recognized me, can you believe it? Was also foiled in attempts to meet Benedict Cumberbatch as one evening he was too ill to exit via the stage doors and another evening he had close family in, and Jonny Lee Miller never made an appearance either. Really lads, your fans wish to pay tribute, give it up already.
I stayed with my friend L, who is a wonderful person that I could never say enough about. She introduced me to a lot of her friends and her boyfriend and they are all great and pretty unique people. My friend L is a post-op transsexual (that's how she refers to it, at any rate, not sure what the preferred terms are), and I am constantly amazed at the strength of character she has shown me over the years. We met in grad school at Columbia - and I was impressed by this nice guy S., because all the other people in this particular class were assholes. So we became friends and then when I broke up with the boyfriend of the time, we hooked up a few times (make out sessions, not ze secks).
I remember this one time we were sitting on a leather banquette at a downtown club drinking apple martinis and we're macking, like you do, and he says to me, "so I have to tell you something... I've been doing some cross-dressing and I would prefer to be a woman." I may have had more than a few drinks *after* that. Our friendship developed after that in a different way, me being straight, but I saw the rigors of the choice that she'd made... transitioning at work and in life, surgeries, family issues (Mormons), eight brothers, in addition to recognizing the challenges of life as a woman!
She's an impressive individual, I SO enjoyed the time we spent together. She's a journalist, a managing editor for a major international news service and works in the City. She's one of the nicest people I've ever known. Kind and giving. Her boyfriend is a great guy, too. She met a lot of people through the S & M scene (both in New York and London). She's not particularly into it as a way of life, but she likes to dress up and finds that people in that scene are less judgmental and more accepting of someone "different." Now they are all just as likely to gather for a Sunday brunch in Camden (as they did with me) as get high and go clubbing (which L. does a lot less of now). I am thrilled she has found great friends and a life in London. Although she really hates the weather.
IN SHORT. LONDON ROCKS.