WALES the adventure Week 9, 10, & 11. (part 2.)
Saturday- We were losing our weekend to rehearsal. Well, we needed it, but still- some part of me was pouting about not being able to spend the day wasting around my room. I was feeling like an exhausted tub of lard at this point. So I dragged myself to rehearsal and actually found that it wasn’t half bad. I had more energy than I thought and I survived the day and even got out early. I ended up going back to my flat and playing around for a couple of hours.
Sunday- Could rehearsal last any longer?! I’m sorry to anyone I pissed off this day for my lack of focus. My dad was finally coming in and I was waiting all day for him to contact me. Of course rehearsal lasted really late and I found myself bouncing up and down with a bit of an irksome temper. Usually I don’t mind everyone’s little banter but it was really on my nerves this particular day. Finally we were let out and I found myself dashing out of there before anyone could catch me. Earlier in the day I had gone to town and gotten dinner so I was fed full of my new addiction to Gregg’s pastys. Caroline was nice enough to drive me into town to meet with my dad at the Boars head. I couldn’t be more grateful to her, honestly it meant the world for her to sit down stairs all the time and wait while I caught up with my dad on life and drama back home. As some may know, my grandparents aren’t doing too well and I was really worried. I wont go into detail, but it was nice to have a chat with my dad about them. He was tired though and after about an hour I left him to sleep and reunited with Caroline in the bar downstairs. The people had left it open later for me…WHY IS EVERYONE IN CARMATHEN SO FREAKING NICE- IT’S TOO BEAUTIFUL I MIGHT JUST CRY. STOP IT… no seriously heheh. I thanked the guy and dashed out with Caroline who told me she had found our cast photo in the paper. I was super excited to see it and I brought it up to the union with me for quiz. I was so excited from seeing my dad that I could hardly contain my hyper mood at Quiz. I must have annoyed dozens of people- seriously, I was all over the place.
People kept asking if my dad had come all this way just to see my play. The answer is no, he was here on business; it was just super lucky and convenient timing. I was super excited he had gotten the chance to come out at all. Even back home I don’t get to see my dad more than twice a year because of school and the small fact he lives two states away. So seeing him, especially here, was a huge treat for me and it meant all the world to me that he was here. After all it’s not a cheap train ticket to Carmarthen. Quiz was super fun, and it was a wonderfully inventive idea to raise money for a Scottish Theater Festival. Simon, Tom Midd, and Tom Owen organized the questions and from what I gathered a bunch of people formed groups and paid donations and fees to play for the prize. It was a great way to bring people together and have fun, and I honestly enjoyed it. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying it as well, and I can describe the homey air in the room at that time. It was like watching game night at a particularly large family reunion. It was just…fun. So I went and put a couple of pounds of extra change in their cup.
Monday- Today, and I was super lucky, I only had rehearsal till about a 10am. This was because everyone was taking snippets to performance industry and since I don’t really need an audition piece of me on dvd I opted to save some of their film in the process. I was released until 4pm and so I quickly rushed off to find my dad who had managed to get lost on his way to the school. I lead him to the school and showed him around, walking part way into the theater and showing off Tom Monty as well as Cat to my dad. It was funny to see montys eyes widen a bit when he saw how tall my dad was. Yes, he is very tall. After that we headed into town and ate lunch at Wetherspoons since it was the one place in town to have free wifi. My dad did work while I ate a technically free lunch. That was an added bonus for me- especially since it tasted really good. I got cider for a drink and managed to only drink half- I am still kind of alcoholed out at this point. We then hit up the train station and bought my tickets for the week and then scoured the entire town before I needed to head back at four. We even managed to fit in a trip to Costa and Greggs. It was an extremely fun and good day. I’ve missed having someone around who understands my sense of humor and who likewise is very funny in my own eyes. Also, spending quality time with my dad was just something I’ve been meaning to do for a couple years now. It was very much needed.
Tuesday- All day in rehearsal and then, opening night. The show went phenomenally. Before the show, Simon decided to make the statement that “It was probably the last show that all of them would be able to act together in…” and I found myself crying. It wasn’t a statement for us Americans, I knew that much. In that moment it was for those who have been at Trinity for three full years and to see their faces, some tearing up while others struggled to ignore the comment all together…well I found myself crying. It reminded me of the time out sunbathing and all the times at the union with them. Even I could hardly bare the thought that their time together was growing short. It reminded me of when I was in high school, our senior drama banquet how everyone in our senior class (because we all had been a very tight nit family group since the beginning) had ended the night by crying into each others arms. It also reminded me, that my time here was also- half way over. All the fun I was having, and all the great people I had met-…I would have to leave it all, and I knew for a fact I would never be acting with them again. At least for a very long time. I tried not to be seen crying, but- Cat was nice enough to lend me a shoulder. After that I was thoroughly resigned on the idea of punching Simon for making me feel unnecessary emotions- although in actuality they were very necessary indeed.
The show went superbly and my dad actually really enjoyed it immensely. This fact only made me feel more proud and he ended up coming to the union bar with the us after the show. It was fun to have him there to talk to and for him to experience a small piece of the life I was currently living. I wanted to share the fun I was having with him. A lot of the cast came up and talked to him and we all had fun. Honestly, I had fun showing my dad off. But he had to leave and so I promised to see him in London on Friday and then made my way to spend the rest of the night in the union with my fellow cast members.
Wednesday- The second and third show today went kind of blandly. They went really well, but the energy was just a tad down. Not that it mattered much, it was quickly off after the show to do the laundry I forgot I had to do. Late night laundry is slightly creepy if I do say so myself, however I was done by midnight. Then it was off to bed.
Grandparents From Norway (Photo taken in Norway)--- Yay for finding old family photos!! No lie, these came from my great grandma's album. Finally got my hands on the scans.
Thursday- Today was the end two performances. Both went spectacularly and I could not have asked for a better end to a show. I wished it could have gone on for another week, because I realized at the end that I was actually having so much fun doing this. Just being a part of something. After the show I ran home to shower and get the rock of hair spray out of my hair. It felt like heaven, and to finally have my hair down and free was like a godsend. Now if only I could have my bangs (Uk call them fringes) back. I went to the union and was having a great time drinking my heart out. It was St. Patricks day after all, but I ended up stopping after I felt buzzed, not really into getting completely shit faced. I ended up sitting in the bathroom a lot of the night as well, playing bathroom guru. It was fun to tell people what toilets where working, the right soap dispenser to use, and that if you wanted toilet paper you had to sneak into the mens room. The bar was also serving free Guinness so everyone was having fun with that. After a while, my emotions where finally catching up with me. Some stuff had happened that was getting on my nerves and when I started to get angry at myself I decided it was a good time to leave. I knew I still had to pack for London and so I used it as an excuse to practically run out of the bar. It didn’t help when the door downstairs wouldn’t open in my fast get away attempt and when I finally managed to get it open, I stomped almost all the way home. The cool air felt great, and I really wish it could have taken over my insides and turned me to stone at that point. I won’t lie- the great night turned crappy and I had only myself to blame for it. But at that point it wasn’t going to get any better. I really did have fun the first part of the night, just after a certain point I became a downer to everyone- and I knew that after that point it was good just to leave and not embarrass myself anymore with something so petty. I felt like sitting in the bathroom made everyone mad at me anyway. Finally getting home, I cried what I had been holding back for three weeks and then packed before I passed out.
Friday- Today was another day, but there is a point in your life when you learn that wounds ALWAYS take time to heal. As I metaphorically hit my head against a wall for my overwhelming stupidity and lack of finesse or sense for that matter, I kept trying to tell myself that today was brand new and that no matter what happened I was going to have to get over being mad at myself at some point. So while my shoulder angels played silent mobius while my insides burned with guilt and embarrassment, I quietly made my way to strike. I talked to a couple people and tried to keep the subject thoroughly off me- besides it was fun to hear how everyone had fun and how funny they thought it was when our director John got so drunk. I was glad everyone had fun, and in a way- knowing they all had a good night made me feel tons better. I had fun helping with strike, and in a way it was calming to finally be working on something slightly technical in aspect again. I still felt like a burden on everyone- and the other half of me wanted to just beat that feeling up because in honest to god goodness it was super stupid to be feeling that way. Sometimes I hate the fact that I’m ultra sensitive to others feelings. There was some torn relief when I was able to get away. I called a cab and flew off to the train station, having forgotten to pack my nice pair of clothing or my ipod charger cord. At least I didn’t forget my camera or passport. The train ride from Carmarthen to Cardiff Central was quiet and I found myself dosing off or wandering with my thoughts to the classical music and the beautiful scenery around the train. It was at this time that I passed by Kidwelly Castle and was comforted by the good memories that came with it. After zooming onto my next train I sat down for the long ride and stared out the window. I wanted to pull my laptop out at many point in the trip but never really got around to it. The sun was beginning to set and I found it odd how I came to a country for the clouds and the sun kept following me. Honestly, and this is going to sound cheesy, but it made me remember that whatever had happened the last two weeks (and to be honest, I have no clue what happened, which in a way scares me the most) it would all end up alright. It always had. Today was also Red Nose Day. A Day devoted to comedy in order to gain money for various charities. Apparently its a really big and successful movement with dozens of famous participants. All I've seen are the t-shirts, and there is one I want to buy. For now I have two bracelets for it.
I was soon to regret feeling so happy. The rain had been pouring over London with a forecast saying it would rain all weekend. Then miraculously, an hour before I arrived in Paddington Station, the sun decided to come out and play. WHAT THE HECK SUN?! California! Seriously! Take your sun back- I DON’T WANT IT. Luckily I was a bit more focused on finding my dad in the station, and luckily too- that was not too difficult. His height is good for many things. I found him easily enough and we quickly began to walk back to the hotel. We snagged us some Doner Kebabs from a small store in the wall from a really nice guy with a bit of bland sense of humor. We then rushed off to the hotel, checked me in (much to what appeared to be the desk clerks dismay- hey sorry I don’t look like the president of the united state pal). Once in my room we ate dinner and then I zoomed to freshen up since I couldn’t change without something to change into. We left to see Wizard of Oz with Michael Crawford in its cast. I don’t like the movie, but the musical was oddly exciting and I had a lot of fun watching it. There was even a point in the show when the Wicked Witch dropped out over the audience. It spooked me a bit and I found myself laughing pretty hard. After the show, my dad reminded me that in London the actors come out at the stage door. We hurried as fast as we could to the stage door to wait and then we were directed to the front doors. I shoved my way into the crowd (being an expert and crowd navigation) and quickly managed to get to the front. There was a little girl dressed as Dorothy, complete with toto and basket- and honestly there was just no way I was letting her miss the big chance to meet the cast. I made sure no one pushed in front of her and then kept myself neatly in line after her. It was only a matter of minutes before the two stars came out (even though Dorothy was performed by the understudy that night) and I was walking away with a photo and two autographs. Extremely happy with how the night had gone. I finally felt like I was traveling again- and once again there was that odd sense of comfort. I love trips and travel- and I couldn’t help going to bed excited for the next day. Of course, only after I had a very long luxurious bath.
Saturday- Getting up was shockingly easy. It would seem my body has gotten into the habit of waking up at 7:30 every morning without fail. I got dressed and was at my dads door ready for breakfast. We went down to the ritzy buffet. Lots of middle eastern people there, I felt a bit intimidated. Anyway, ate my breakfast as politely as possible before my dad and I headed out for the first adventure. We walked around London to try and find Temple church, the location of the grave of one of the last knights templar. Unfortunately our luck from the night before had run out and both of us walked away with only pictures of the outside. It was closed for recording sessions- bummer indeed. We then headed to find the master mason building which even if I wanted a tour of the entire building I could never get it because I’m a girl and thus could never be a free mason. This got lots of pouting out of me, but my dad was excited to see it so in turn I was happy too. However it was also closed to the public that day. So we wandered on the tube towards Cutty Sark- an ancient ship. However it was still undergoing extreme repairs since the last time my dad had been to London. So we sauntered to the nearby maritime museum. That was actually very interesting. We managed to get through the entire building and for some reason I found myself walking out feeling smarter. But my camera was already running out of photo space and battery- figures something else had to go wrong. It was fun to get history notes from my dad, I always like the random tidbits he seems to know. After that we dashed off back to the tube to get lunch at Oxford Circus. At least I’m pretty sure that’s the name. It was a little stand of some spicy rice stuff with a bunch of different types of meats and seafood. We then dashed our way over to the Churchill Bunkers. Now that was cool- pricey- but cool!!! You got to go underneath these fancy buildings and see the rooms Churchill worked from during the WWII blitz. I had a blast reading all the info they had, but we where crunched for time and unfortunately I had to speed the rest of the way through the exhibit. I managed to watch the Churchill funeral procession though. That was sad. Man I love that guy. I then raced off with dad to quickly look at the Blitz/ Battle of Britain memorial before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the show. Once again only a freshener upper because I had nothing to really change into. We then went from there to Curry for dinner- which was really good taste wise. Because no one else was in the small restaurant with us, all the waiters where out staring and talking in their native tongue. It was like going to happy nails for the first time. Awkward was all I was feeling throughout the entire experience. Thankful to get out we made our way to see ‘Love Never Dies’ the sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Needless to say, I enjoyed watching it once, but I would never see it again. To be frank, the play was extremely predictable and the music seemed extremely draggy and not very colorful or emotional. The story was otherwise alright, but I didn’t like the way they portrayed Raoul. I went back to the hotel sort of content and excited to take a bath again. It felt amazing after the long day and I snuggled into the sliding bed, tired from a long day. That’s the best way to fall asleep.
Today- That brings me to this morning. After a lovely walk through Hyde Park and watching the kids play around the Diana memorial fountain, geese hiss at dogs, and finding the peterpan statue- we went to the national war museum and I was able to explore most, if not all the floor thoroughly. It was a huge museum and really worth seeing if you have the time. I saw a video on genocide which kinda killed my mood for the day, or what was left after my back pains and the fact I would soon have to leave my dad. Going into the WWI exhibit was exciting and made me laugh when I realized I could sing along with the songs that where playing over the speaker. People stared at me funny. But soon into the exhibit and right after I finished going into the Trench exhibit (which was actually fashioned to look just like a trench, and with the broken bathroom near by- that day smell like one as well) I realized how War’d out I was. After all, six weeks with WWI,….imagine four years. After a quick Kebab grab I jumped on my train. Now it’s quiet, and the night has settled over the landscape making it impossible to see anything but your own reflection in the window. There are two little girls across the way from me coming home with their dad from Disneyland Paris. It reminds me of me and my sister…at least you can tell they had fun too.
-Stefani.
p.s.
please tell me I'm not the only one who say the resemblance between this and a certain pink adorable pokemon....
p.s.a.
cant wait to see this movie when it comes out- the play was epic. just cant wait!!!
Sunday- Could rehearsal last any longer?! I’m sorry to anyone I pissed off this day for my lack of focus. My dad was finally coming in and I was waiting all day for him to contact me. Of course rehearsal lasted really late and I found myself bouncing up and down with a bit of an irksome temper. Usually I don’t mind everyone’s little banter but it was really on my nerves this particular day. Finally we were let out and I found myself dashing out of there before anyone could catch me. Earlier in the day I had gone to town and gotten dinner so I was fed full of my new addiction to Gregg’s pastys. Caroline was nice enough to drive me into town to meet with my dad at the Boars head. I couldn’t be more grateful to her, honestly it meant the world for her to sit down stairs all the time and wait while I caught up with my dad on life and drama back home. As some may know, my grandparents aren’t doing too well and I was really worried. I wont go into detail, but it was nice to have a chat with my dad about them. He was tired though and after about an hour I left him to sleep and reunited with Caroline in the bar downstairs. The people had left it open later for me…WHY IS EVERYONE IN CARMATHEN SO FREAKING NICE- IT’S TOO BEAUTIFUL I MIGHT JUST CRY. STOP IT… no seriously heheh. I thanked the guy and dashed out with Caroline who told me she had found our cast photo in the paper. I was super excited to see it and I brought it up to the union with me for quiz. I was so excited from seeing my dad that I could hardly contain my hyper mood at Quiz. I must have annoyed dozens of people- seriously, I was all over the place.
People kept asking if my dad had come all this way just to see my play. The answer is no, he was here on business; it was just super lucky and convenient timing. I was super excited he had gotten the chance to come out at all. Even back home I don’t get to see my dad more than twice a year because of school and the small fact he lives two states away. So seeing him, especially here, was a huge treat for me and it meant all the world to me that he was here. After all it’s not a cheap train ticket to Carmarthen. Quiz was super fun, and it was a wonderfully inventive idea to raise money for a Scottish Theater Festival. Simon, Tom Midd, and Tom Owen organized the questions and from what I gathered a bunch of people formed groups and paid donations and fees to play for the prize. It was a great way to bring people together and have fun, and I honestly enjoyed it. Everyone else seemed to be enjoying it as well, and I can describe the homey air in the room at that time. It was like watching game night at a particularly large family reunion. It was just…fun. So I went and put a couple of pounds of extra change in their cup.
Monday- Today, and I was super lucky, I only had rehearsal till about a 10am. This was because everyone was taking snippets to performance industry and since I don’t really need an audition piece of me on dvd I opted to save some of their film in the process. I was released until 4pm and so I quickly rushed off to find my dad who had managed to get lost on his way to the school. I lead him to the school and showed him around, walking part way into the theater and showing off Tom Monty as well as Cat to my dad. It was funny to see montys eyes widen a bit when he saw how tall my dad was. Yes, he is very tall. After that we headed into town and ate lunch at Wetherspoons since it was the one place in town to have free wifi. My dad did work while I ate a technically free lunch. That was an added bonus for me- especially since it tasted really good. I got cider for a drink and managed to only drink half- I am still kind of alcoholed out at this point. We then hit up the train station and bought my tickets for the week and then scoured the entire town before I needed to head back at four. We even managed to fit in a trip to Costa and Greggs. It was an extremely fun and good day. I’ve missed having someone around who understands my sense of humor and who likewise is very funny in my own eyes. Also, spending quality time with my dad was just something I’ve been meaning to do for a couple years now. It was very much needed.
Tuesday- All day in rehearsal and then, opening night. The show went phenomenally. Before the show, Simon decided to make the statement that “It was probably the last show that all of them would be able to act together in…” and I found myself crying. It wasn’t a statement for us Americans, I knew that much. In that moment it was for those who have been at Trinity for three full years and to see their faces, some tearing up while others struggled to ignore the comment all together…well I found myself crying. It reminded me of the time out sunbathing and all the times at the union with them. Even I could hardly bare the thought that their time together was growing short. It reminded me of when I was in high school, our senior drama banquet how everyone in our senior class (because we all had been a very tight nit family group since the beginning) had ended the night by crying into each others arms. It also reminded me, that my time here was also- half way over. All the fun I was having, and all the great people I had met-…I would have to leave it all, and I knew for a fact I would never be acting with them again. At least for a very long time. I tried not to be seen crying, but- Cat was nice enough to lend me a shoulder. After that I was thoroughly resigned on the idea of punching Simon for making me feel unnecessary emotions- although in actuality they were very necessary indeed.
The show went superbly and my dad actually really enjoyed it immensely. This fact only made me feel more proud and he ended up coming to the union bar with the us after the show. It was fun to have him there to talk to and for him to experience a small piece of the life I was currently living. I wanted to share the fun I was having with him. A lot of the cast came up and talked to him and we all had fun. Honestly, I had fun showing my dad off. But he had to leave and so I promised to see him in London on Friday and then made my way to spend the rest of the night in the union with my fellow cast members.
Wednesday- The second and third show today went kind of blandly. They went really well, but the energy was just a tad down. Not that it mattered much, it was quickly off after the show to do the laundry I forgot I had to do. Late night laundry is slightly creepy if I do say so myself, however I was done by midnight. Then it was off to bed.
Grandparents From Norway (Photo taken in Norway)--- Yay for finding old family photos!! No lie, these came from my great grandma's album. Finally got my hands on the scans.
Thursday- Today was the end two performances. Both went spectacularly and I could not have asked for a better end to a show. I wished it could have gone on for another week, because I realized at the end that I was actually having so much fun doing this. Just being a part of something. After the show I ran home to shower and get the rock of hair spray out of my hair. It felt like heaven, and to finally have my hair down and free was like a godsend. Now if only I could have my bangs (Uk call them fringes) back. I went to the union and was having a great time drinking my heart out. It was St. Patricks day after all, but I ended up stopping after I felt buzzed, not really into getting completely shit faced. I ended up sitting in the bathroom a lot of the night as well, playing bathroom guru. It was fun to tell people what toilets where working, the right soap dispenser to use, and that if you wanted toilet paper you had to sneak into the mens room. The bar was also serving free Guinness so everyone was having fun with that. After a while, my emotions where finally catching up with me. Some stuff had happened that was getting on my nerves and when I started to get angry at myself I decided it was a good time to leave. I knew I still had to pack for London and so I used it as an excuse to practically run out of the bar. It didn’t help when the door downstairs wouldn’t open in my fast get away attempt and when I finally managed to get it open, I stomped almost all the way home. The cool air felt great, and I really wish it could have taken over my insides and turned me to stone at that point. I won’t lie- the great night turned crappy and I had only myself to blame for it. But at that point it wasn’t going to get any better. I really did have fun the first part of the night, just after a certain point I became a downer to everyone- and I knew that after that point it was good just to leave and not embarrass myself anymore with something so petty. I felt like sitting in the bathroom made everyone mad at me anyway. Finally getting home, I cried what I had been holding back for three weeks and then packed before I passed out.
Friday- Today was another day, but there is a point in your life when you learn that wounds ALWAYS take time to heal. As I metaphorically hit my head against a wall for my overwhelming stupidity and lack of finesse or sense for that matter, I kept trying to tell myself that today was brand new and that no matter what happened I was going to have to get over being mad at myself at some point. So while my shoulder angels played silent mobius while my insides burned with guilt and embarrassment, I quietly made my way to strike. I talked to a couple people and tried to keep the subject thoroughly off me- besides it was fun to hear how everyone had fun and how funny they thought it was when our director John got so drunk. I was glad everyone had fun, and in a way- knowing they all had a good night made me feel tons better. I had fun helping with strike, and in a way it was calming to finally be working on something slightly technical in aspect again. I still felt like a burden on everyone- and the other half of me wanted to just beat that feeling up because in honest to god goodness it was super stupid to be feeling that way. Sometimes I hate the fact that I’m ultra sensitive to others feelings. There was some torn relief when I was able to get away. I called a cab and flew off to the train station, having forgotten to pack my nice pair of clothing or my ipod charger cord. At least I didn’t forget my camera or passport. The train ride from Carmarthen to Cardiff Central was quiet and I found myself dosing off or wandering with my thoughts to the classical music and the beautiful scenery around the train. It was at this time that I passed by Kidwelly Castle and was comforted by the good memories that came with it. After zooming onto my next train I sat down for the long ride and stared out the window. I wanted to pull my laptop out at many point in the trip but never really got around to it. The sun was beginning to set and I found it odd how I came to a country for the clouds and the sun kept following me. Honestly, and this is going to sound cheesy, but it made me remember that whatever had happened the last two weeks (and to be honest, I have no clue what happened, which in a way scares me the most) it would all end up alright. It always had. Today was also Red Nose Day. A Day devoted to comedy in order to gain money for various charities. Apparently its a really big and successful movement with dozens of famous participants. All I've seen are the t-shirts, and there is one I want to buy. For now I have two bracelets for it.
I was soon to regret feeling so happy. The rain had been pouring over London with a forecast saying it would rain all weekend. Then miraculously, an hour before I arrived in Paddington Station, the sun decided to come out and play. WHAT THE HECK SUN?! California! Seriously! Take your sun back- I DON’T WANT IT. Luckily I was a bit more focused on finding my dad in the station, and luckily too- that was not too difficult. His height is good for many things. I found him easily enough and we quickly began to walk back to the hotel. We snagged us some Doner Kebabs from a small store in the wall from a really nice guy with a bit of bland sense of humor. We then rushed off to the hotel, checked me in (much to what appeared to be the desk clerks dismay- hey sorry I don’t look like the president of the united state pal). Once in my room we ate dinner and then I zoomed to freshen up since I couldn’t change without something to change into. We left to see Wizard of Oz with Michael Crawford in its cast. I don’t like the movie, but the musical was oddly exciting and I had a lot of fun watching it. There was even a point in the show when the Wicked Witch dropped out over the audience. It spooked me a bit and I found myself laughing pretty hard. After the show, my dad reminded me that in London the actors come out at the stage door. We hurried as fast as we could to the stage door to wait and then we were directed to the front doors. I shoved my way into the crowd (being an expert and crowd navigation) and quickly managed to get to the front. There was a little girl dressed as Dorothy, complete with toto and basket- and honestly there was just no way I was letting her miss the big chance to meet the cast. I made sure no one pushed in front of her and then kept myself neatly in line after her. It was only a matter of minutes before the two stars came out (even though Dorothy was performed by the understudy that night) and I was walking away with a photo and two autographs. Extremely happy with how the night had gone. I finally felt like I was traveling again- and once again there was that odd sense of comfort. I love trips and travel- and I couldn’t help going to bed excited for the next day. Of course, only after I had a very long luxurious bath.
Saturday- Getting up was shockingly easy. It would seem my body has gotten into the habit of waking up at 7:30 every morning without fail. I got dressed and was at my dads door ready for breakfast. We went down to the ritzy buffet. Lots of middle eastern people there, I felt a bit intimidated. Anyway, ate my breakfast as politely as possible before my dad and I headed out for the first adventure. We walked around London to try and find Temple church, the location of the grave of one of the last knights templar. Unfortunately our luck from the night before had run out and both of us walked away with only pictures of the outside. It was closed for recording sessions- bummer indeed. We then headed to find the master mason building which even if I wanted a tour of the entire building I could never get it because I’m a girl and thus could never be a free mason. This got lots of pouting out of me, but my dad was excited to see it so in turn I was happy too. However it was also closed to the public that day. So we wandered on the tube towards Cutty Sark- an ancient ship. However it was still undergoing extreme repairs since the last time my dad had been to London. So we sauntered to the nearby maritime museum. That was actually very interesting. We managed to get through the entire building and for some reason I found myself walking out feeling smarter. But my camera was already running out of photo space and battery- figures something else had to go wrong. It was fun to get history notes from my dad, I always like the random tidbits he seems to know. After that we dashed off back to the tube to get lunch at Oxford Circus. At least I’m pretty sure that’s the name. It was a little stand of some spicy rice stuff with a bunch of different types of meats and seafood. We then dashed our way over to the Churchill Bunkers. Now that was cool- pricey- but cool!!! You got to go underneath these fancy buildings and see the rooms Churchill worked from during the WWII blitz. I had a blast reading all the info they had, but we where crunched for time and unfortunately I had to speed the rest of the way through the exhibit. I managed to watch the Churchill funeral procession though. That was sad. Man I love that guy. I then raced off with dad to quickly look at the Blitz/ Battle of Britain memorial before heading back to the hotel to get ready for the show. Once again only a freshener upper because I had nothing to really change into. We then went from there to Curry for dinner- which was really good taste wise. Because no one else was in the small restaurant with us, all the waiters where out staring and talking in their native tongue. It was like going to happy nails for the first time. Awkward was all I was feeling throughout the entire experience. Thankful to get out we made our way to see ‘Love Never Dies’ the sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Needless to say, I enjoyed watching it once, but I would never see it again. To be frank, the play was extremely predictable and the music seemed extremely draggy and not very colorful or emotional. The story was otherwise alright, but I didn’t like the way they portrayed Raoul. I went back to the hotel sort of content and excited to take a bath again. It felt amazing after the long day and I snuggled into the sliding bed, tired from a long day. That’s the best way to fall asleep.
Today- That brings me to this morning. After a lovely walk through Hyde Park and watching the kids play around the Diana memorial fountain, geese hiss at dogs, and finding the peterpan statue- we went to the national war museum and I was able to explore most, if not all the floor thoroughly. It was a huge museum and really worth seeing if you have the time. I saw a video on genocide which kinda killed my mood for the day, or what was left after my back pains and the fact I would soon have to leave my dad. Going into the WWI exhibit was exciting and made me laugh when I realized I could sing along with the songs that where playing over the speaker. People stared at me funny. But soon into the exhibit and right after I finished going into the Trench exhibit (which was actually fashioned to look just like a trench, and with the broken bathroom near by- that day smell like one as well) I realized how War’d out I was. After all, six weeks with WWI,….imagine four years. After a quick Kebab grab I jumped on my train. Now it’s quiet, and the night has settled over the landscape making it impossible to see anything but your own reflection in the window. There are two little girls across the way from me coming home with their dad from Disneyland Paris. It reminds me of me and my sister…at least you can tell they had fun too.
-Stefani.
p.s.
please tell me I'm not the only one who say the resemblance between this and a certain pink adorable pokemon....
p.s.a.
cant wait to see this movie when it comes out- the play was epic. just cant wait!!!