This past week classes started which would be more exciting if they weren't as time-consuming and reading intensive. I have two novels and a play minimum to read a week. That is not including articles for my two non-English major classes. But since last week was introductions, etc I had time for some extra activities. Tuesday evening I went to a blues dance lesson in Shoreditch. It was fun and helped me get back into the "swing" (haha) of things. Wednesday after class I went with another girl on my floor to a bunch of Beatles sights. We started at abbey road, which I crossed three or four times in case you are wondering, and then saw Apple Records. Then we went to Paul McCartney's house and to the Beatles store and to where Apple Records used to be. We went to where John Lennon used to live and where he and Yoko Ono got busted for drugs. We also went to where Paul McCartney used to live with some other girlfriend. It was pretty cool and it didn't rain that much (surprising for London). I was pretty excited about going to all these awesome historical Beatles sights. Most of them were in Westminster and near Regents Park. Later that night two other girls from my floor and I went to an spoken word open mic in Shoreditch called "Kid, I wrote back" and I met some British poets. AWESOME. One of them invited me to his performance poetry workshop group the next week. Thursday evening began the series of weekly trips to the theater. We saw "Amphibians," which is a new play and it is site-specific about ex-Olympian swimmers trying to move on from past romance and past swimming careers. It was a lot about movement and dance as much as it was about plot. I am doing a presentation on it this Thursday for class. Friday during the day we had the last of our tedious orientation sessions (free at last, free at last) and we went out later that night. Saturday two other girls who live on my floor and I went to the Tower of London. We saw the crown jewels, the bloody tower, graffiti and engravings of prisoners, some military and armor history (in the white tower), the ravens, the chapel, the sites of private beheadings (like Anne Boleyn), and the changing of the guards. That night I walked around Covent Garden with some other girls from my program and we split some Thai food. Saturday night was an early night due to ridiculous amounts of homework. Sunday morning, bright and early, IES took us on a tour of the East End markets in Shoreditch and Spitalfield and through Brick Lane. This is a much funkier part of London, feels more like Capitol Hill in Seattle, and has food from EVERYWHERE. I got Ethiopian (one of my favorites) for lunch. After this I came back, tried to a bit of homework, and then went blues dancing!!!! So exciting. Made me miss all my favorite Seattle dancers, however. Monday night I went to the poetry performance workshop and it was really small, just three other poets, and I was definately the youngest and most experienced but I like the group. They are open-minded and constructive and might help me get spots at some open mics. Exciting, no?
All in all I would say this was quite an excellent first week in London. Now just to see if I can stay on top of my school work and figure out my trips for the semester...
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