Wouldn't It Be Loverly

Today has been a glorious day! First off, last night, I made a new friend! Mara, from Portugal. She has been living here in London for the past fifteen years and loves it. We had a really good discussion about how racism is tied to people's accents. For instance, Brazilians speak Portuguese and so do people from Portugal; however, they have different accents within the language. People who actually live in Portugal hate Brazilians... Such crap. Sounds like the States!

Mara!

She said she is the Wild Child in her family... Something we both share ;)

Additionally, last night, I was blessed with something special. A really kind doctor of philosophy bought me a ticket for the play, The 39 Steps. The 100-minute farce involves 1930s British comedy/drama/mystery about a gentleman who gets mixed up with a conspiracy involving the next world war and Scotland's involvement. The show only has four actors (3 men and 1 woman) who all play different characters throughout the show. It was marvelous. Thanks, Dr. ;)

I want to mention two more amazing things that occurred today. I stopped by the Victoria & Albert Museum. Readers, this has been THE highlight of London. I thoroughly enjoyed the exhibits, the art, the deco pieces, the dozens of collections and thousands of period pieces, and most importantly of them all, the theatre and music section. There, they had so many costume pieces from various performances, plays, musicals, concerts, etc. I loved it. 

Beatrix Potter's original work....!

So much money into these artifacts...! Dear church, I don't think gold works in heaven... Let's pawn the gold and enhance the poor's livelihood! Sincerely, I don't really understand...

The other wonderful thing I would like to mention is my all-time favorite movie musical, My Fair Lady. As I was walking back from Hyde Park (BEAUTIFUL), I stumbled upon Wimpole St. Below is a picture:

Although I did not see 27A Wimpole St., I did see 27 Wimpole St.!!! *sigh* Glorious moment...

Another post tomorrow, readers! Cheers! 

I <3 LONDON

Cheers, mate! I only have a few minutes because the day is just about to get even BETTER... London is everything I hoped it would be and so much more... Check out some photos below!

British Museum painter...!

I hear Mr. Big Ben off in the distance everywhere I go! 

Aye, matey!

Stumbled across this place and bought a ticket... where?

I've been DYING to see this show! 

There you have it, for now! I'm off like a prom dress to see a great musical! Ciao! 

Well, if I flunk out of school or can't find a teaching position, I can always go back to modeling!? 

Today is Lazy...

*My last blog post didn't upload, last night! Please read that one, first, and then this one! Sketchy wi-fi...

But that is a very good (and needed) thing. Readers, although I am in one of the most enchanting and bustling cities in the UK, I must be wise and rest. I have only left my dorm room to do laundry... Other than that, I have been sleeping, booking an overnight stay in Chicago for when I arrive, booking a train from Chicago back to Wisconsin, begging my friends to pick me up from the train station, and writing post cards to loved ones. In a few minutes, I will be on the prowl for a coffee shop with a comfy chair and do some reading. Remember, not only am I exploring the world and myself, I am rejuvenating and preparing for the busy and hair-pulling year ahead of me. I have loads to do when I return:

-pack and change apartments

-find and purchase a new car

-type like a madman (late-life divorce study)

-type like a madwoman (finishing touches of my thesis literature review)

-sit through IA training...

-prep for my teaching

-sign up for my fall classes

-work

-finally start the semester!

Back to London. Yesterday was filled with walking, jaw-dropping monuments and buildings, and my new favorite show, Once. After a grand sleep, I had a full English breakfast provided by the University of London. May I highly recommend staying at the University during the summer!? The school dorms are nestled in a quiet part of London (Russell Sq.) and are close to the tube. The facilities are great for students and young travelers and include a large single-room with closet space, shared bathrooms (yet, private), and free wi-fi! I will definitely remember this place for future travels.

I walked. And walked, and walked. London is huge and full of winding roads, curving brick paths, and areas begging to be explored. I chose to spend my time at free museums such as the British Museum and the National Gallery. Two really interesting things occurred during my visits...

First, at the British Museum, I saw one of my all-time favorite discoveries, The Rosetta Stone (pictured below). 

Readers, I had no idea that this would be within my reach until I entered the building. Here's why this stone means a lot to me. For those of you who do not know, I was homeschooled throughout K-12 and during my 5th grad history class, I learned about this stone during the Ancient Egypt chapters and marveled at its importance in history. I learned about the many different people who tried to bridge the languages to crack Hieroglyph meanings. At that time, I was also smuggling sneak peaks of Indiana Jones and The Mummy movies so I was so into the topic, and this stone. 

After viewing the stone, I wondered the museum for about three hours. I only scraped the surface of this place! Please sir, I want some more. I refused to take pictures of everything like most of the other visitors... I still feel guilty for taking pictures of some of my favorite pieces but se la vie. 

The National Gallery refused to let anyone take pictures, which was a treat! There, I saw Monet, Manet, Renoir, and many other famous works. This, I think, was a great part of the day. Haha, but I must tell you... Outside of the Gallery were hundreds, if not, several thousand Scottish people gathered for something... I have yet to discover. Below are some pictures:

When I arrived to the National Gallery, I was like, "Oh! Hello people!" I secretly wanted to belong. Readers, although I am proud to be an American, I would like to mention that my view is deepening. I have met and discussed with about a dozen people from different countries about the US and what they think about Americans. My mind is still being blown away and torn in many different directions. I guess we all will have differences and different views but what I am learning is making me rather frustrated, mostly over my naivety. I must continue to educate myself. 

After the museums and sightseeing, I headed back to my dorm room for a lie down before I headed to see Once. Let me tell you. That show really encouraged me to make more time for composing on the piano. I am also thinking about picking up my ukulele, again! Jamming session at David's apartment! I must make more musician friends in Point... Where are the drama-free ones?

More pictures:

Part of Chinatown. Not what I expected! I barely saw any Chinese people! 

I was starving and opted for a buffet... Just like the Hong Kong Buffet :( You get what you pay for!

The Phoenix Theatre where Once played... be still, my heart

'Ello!

That's it for now! 

Speaking with scouse

*Again, sorry for the large photos!

People in Liverpool speak with a "scouse" accent. It is kind of like the Boston accent of the US. Where it really originated from, I have no idea. Regardless, people here speak with a lot of "scouse." Ha, I cannot tell the difference. Liverpool is like the Chicago of the US. The buildings, although not dark, intimidating, and towering skyscrapers, do have a certain style much like in Chicago. In fact, I went to the Liverpool Museum and sure enough, it had an architecture exhibit that mentioned similar styles to Chicago buildings. I knew it! 

The outside of Lime St Station, Liverpool. Beautiful.

My time in Liverpool felt a bit rushed but I enjoyed it immensely. I arrived at 10p and had the whole hostel room (4 bed, mixed dorm) to myself. I had considered hunting for the source of club music beating right outside my window but decided against it and opted for a good sleep. I was so tired from the long trip from Scotland that I fell immediately crashed... Literally. I fell off the top bunk. Thankfully, I managed to swing myself halfway onto the bottom bunk but still have a bruise on my rump. The show must go on!

HOAX Hostel... Honestly, I half expected the hostel to be fake...! 

Clean-cut and bright rooms

The lobby area ... :D

The hostel I stayed at was amazing. It had recently opened three weeks prior to my arrival. The staff were extra friendly and very helpful. At breakfast, a Liverpool local and HOAX Hostel employee, Emelia, and I talked about politics and views on Americans... More about that in another post. Anyway, once more people discover HOAX Hostel, I have a feeling that the extremely clean and new interior will be faded and dirty within a decade. Why? The hostel is so clean cut and blunt that one does not have to worry about being charged 3 pounds to use a towel and the wi-fi is throughout the building with strong signals. And you cannot beat the location! In Liverpool, apart from exploring the 8+ miles worth of docks, the shopping district is outstanding. Envision the Magnificent Mile and State Street in Chicago combined but without the cars. Yep, the shopping district is off-limits to traffic which makes it very easy for street performers, families, and people stumbling around after having several and cheap pints of great beer from JD Wetherspoon. Don't know what JD Wetherspoon is? Let me explain. 

JD Wetherspoon was explained to me by a gentleman I met at breakfast in the Castle Hotel back in Dublin. This well-traveled high school wood shop teacher from South Bend, IN advised me that when traveling in the UK on a budget, stop by JD Wetherspoon for cheap beer and inexpensive good food. JD Wetherspoon is a British pub chain founded by Tim Martin. Martin named the chain after one of his college business professors who claimed that Tim would never be successful. Now, the chain boasts over 800 locations and almost $2 billion in revenue in 2012. Martin wanted to create a cheap place for travelers (or locals) to have a pint or six and affordable pub food. I tip my hat off to Martin. Cheers, mate.

The picture above is a meal I had at JD Wetherspoon (I love saying the name of this place...). For a huge slab of lasagne, a hefty garden salad, bread, AND a pint of great beer, I only paid 7 pounds (around $11, I think...). This will be my dinner in London, where I hear that everything is expensive. Yep.  Call it McDonald's drunk cousin from Britain. And the food is served until 11p! I do love me some JD Wetherspoon.

Back to Liverpool. Below are some shots of my favorite buildings from the city:

Not sure what these buildings are but they look grand

This was the view from my hostel room

Well, right now I am waiting for the train to take me to London. *smiles broadly at the thought*... In London, I hope to meet my friend, Domenique. I met her in NYC at work about three years ago. We have been besties ever since. She currently resides in her home country, Romania. Originally, she was going to take me all around Eastern European countries such as Italy, Germany, and then hit up France. However, due to her job transitions, plans fell through and we decided on London. I cannot wait to see her! We talked about staying with her friends but I booked a dorm room at the University of London. I decided to do this to have a break from the hostel life and because things with Dom were still up in the air. The single room with a shared bathroom cost about $60 per night. But it comes with a full, hot English breakfast! Most of the hostels only come with a cheap continental breakfast. Until next time, readers. Cheers, luv! 

After the car in flames and injured police!

Belfast is a crazy town. But I loved it and would like to return for a visit. The rest of my time there was really special. Below are some pictures of around the city!

Yeahhhhh!

Making food in the hostel! These places are AMAZING for making your own meals....and cheap! Spam sandwiches with cheese and hard-boiled eggs

Outside of the Belfast hostel

One of the MANY famous murals around the city

A theatrical spoof performed by people with down-syndrome.. would have been interesting to see and great to support!

City Hall

Some of the many street performers

Emeli, a French street violinist (also a student)... She was playing a song from my favorite film, Amelie, and gave me a special performance!

First rainbow in (Northern) Ireland!

One of the pieces at the FREE art museum

Like Ii said, I really enjoyed Belfast. The highlight of the trip there was a show I went to see at a really classy hotel. The traveling show had traditional Irish music and dancers and showcased several of the young local dancers from the city. I randomly sat at a table with a family who had a nine-year-old daughter performing. They were SO proud! Below are some pictures from the show:

Anna, the daughter, is on the far right in the pink

EXCELLENT singers! They sang, "Oh Danny Boy," "Galway Girl," and a personal favorite, "You Raise Me Up." Yes, I was sort of in tears!

Anna and I! She signed my ticket (insisted by her proud mother in case she ever becomes famous...all of her family thought I was from Canada!)

After Belfast, the plan was to hop on a 10:30 ferry straight to Liverpool in the United Kingdom. I originally had some trouble booking my ticket but finally managed to do it several weeks ago. When I arrived at the dock to board at around 10a, I could not board because my ferry was leaving FURTHER down the dock.... the terrible part is the check-in sight to board closes off one hour before boarding so I was already screwed. The ticket operator was extremely helpful and cancelled my ticket and rebooked my journey through Glasgow, Scotland. Here was my new itinerary: 

Ferry from Belfast to Cairnryan (2.25 hrs)

Bus NORTH from Cairnryan to Ayr (1-ish hrs)

Train more NORTH from Ayr to Glasgow (1.5 hrs)

Train SOUTH from Glasgow to Preston (3.5 hrs-change trains)

Train from Preston to Liverpool (1 hr)

I was dead tired! HOWEVER, the new route was SO worth the change because of two things: a) the scenery in Scotland is AMAZING and b) I met a new friend!

Pictured above with me is Michelle. Michelle is from Ohio and is another one of those awesome adventures who quit their job and is backpacking around Europe for months. Michelle worked as a nurse and is interested in providing therapy and counseling for child victims of disasters. She is also interested in ER and pediatrics. Her college journey was refreshing to hear! Both she and I had a rough time figuring out what we wanted to be when we grow up. Looks like we both are doing an awesome job at living :) 

Inside the luxurious ferry!

Another ferry

A glimpse of Scotland!

Now, I am all settled at the hostel in Liverpool... Here is a glimpse of the BEST hostel so far:

Until next time, readers! I have a feeling that Liverpool will be as good as a yellow submarine.