Yeah, I've been quite busy the past month so I haven't updated at all. I'm finally coming into some free time so I want to update this asap, I'll find my notes on what I've done and then share with all you fine people. Since I don't have time to type out a giant report on my life right now I will share the pictures that I posted the other day. That's all for now and happy holidays.
Amsterdam
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2103308&l=fb475&id=219703240
London Fun pt. I
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2103309&l=6f9a2&id=219703240
London Fun pt. II
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2103310&l=19c25&id=219703240
London Fun pt. III
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2103313&l=a2849&id=219703240
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
pictures
here are some pictures from when kim and mom came to visit as well as some other randoms.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2101373&l=701a9&id=219703240
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2101638&l=5daec&id=219703240
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2101757&l=ed207&id=219703240
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2101769&l=cf409&id=219703240
i'll try to update my blog as soon as i can, so either tonight or next week since i'm going to amsterdam tomorrow.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2101373&l=701a9&id=219703240
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2101638&l=5daec&id=219703240
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2101757&l=ed207&id=219703240
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2101769&l=cf409&id=219703240
i'll try to update my blog as soon as i can, so either tonight or next week since i'm going to amsterdam tomorrow.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Uh Huh Fun!
Let’s see, what have I been up to lately? On Sunday I woke up and Kimberly, Chad and I headed to Speaker’s Corner. We saw the same old-crazy-racist-god-fearing lady that’s always there. It was kind of funny since quite a few people were talking back to her. It was a kind of rainy day so instead of going to Notting Hill we went to the Science Museum. I had never been so I was excited. There was quite a bit of hands on things so it was fun. A few of my favorite parts were the electricity area where there was a giant pole that you could touch and get shocked. Another was an area of all hands on things. One exhibit you put a straw on a metal rod (for hygiene) and bit down and plugged your ears. Like magic (or science I guess) you could hear a song that was vibrating through the rod. It was pretty cool. After that we just went to ISH to eat then headed home and I took it easy the rest of the night and tried to make a little itinerary for when Kim and my mom come.
Monday was a pretty mellow day. I just went to work, went to the “mandatory” weekly meeting (my third time I’ve been since I’ve been here), then I just headed home and hung out. Yesterday was pretty sweet. I went to work then I headed home, changed, ate, then Meredith and I went to see Uh Huh Her at KoKo. I had bought a ticket in advance but Meredith hadn’t so we had to get one from a tout (scalper). He said “60 quid” so we couldn’t help but laugh because it was ridiculous and he asked her how much she wanted to pay so she said “5 pounds” and he laughed at her. Then she got him to come down to 30 quid. She thought about it then he came over by us and hit her in the butt with is crutch and they settled on 25 quid. Then we went in, got a drink and sadly we were not right up front. The first band was kind of crazy, a lot of repetitive synthesizers and strobe lights. I felt like I was going to have a seizure. Then during the in between time we snuck our way up closer. The band is Leisha Hailey and Cam Grey. Leisha Hailey is better known as an actress and she’s kind of famous for being on The L Word. It was a pretty good show, lots of fun. Then after the show we had to wait ages for the bus so we decided to hop on the tube. We ended up sitting next to these two girls who were quite funny. One was from Ireland and the other from London. The Irish girl had to pee super bad so she was being ridiculous and we had a good time. I wish we had to stay on the tube longer but we only had a few stops. Then we walked a little bit home and just hung out for a bit and played Sudoku and I read a Spin article about MGMT (who I’m hopefully seeing on the 28th) then I headed to bed.
Today I went to work and then my boss Anthea and I headed to Sotheby’s. We stopped first at the National Gallery to see Titian’s “Diana and Actaeon”. It’s on display now because they are trying to raise money so it doesn’t get sold off by the private owner. There were lots of TV cameras there and I guess that I was on TV today. Weird. Then we went to Sotheby’s to see a collection that was being sold that Photographic Survey of the Courtauld (where I work) had previously photographed. We couldn’t see it but we just looked around at other stuff. Then we went to Christie’s and did the same thing there. Then while walking around we went to Fortnum & Mason’s which is a really posh store. There were a lot of Christmas decorations around which I loved. Then we went to the Institute of Contemporary Art and saw/heard a sound instillation. It was kind of intense. There was also a collection of odd and obsurd comics which I really liked. They included stories of an amputee with, lesbian unicorns, and homophobic truckers. It was pretty interesting. Then we stopped by the Royal Society of Arts. Then I went back to work then headed to lunch shortly after. I had a nice little lunch with Meredith then I went to see Tom Jones. He was busking (singing on the street) for a charity event. I watched him for a little bit then went back to work and cut and pasted things. Then I went home and just hung out and updated this and watched my room mate dance to Soulja Boy. It was funny.
I’m pretty pumped because tomorrow my mom comes, then I’m going to ditch her to see The Kills and then Kim is visiting on Friday. FUN!
Monday was a pretty mellow day. I just went to work, went to the “mandatory” weekly meeting (my third time I’ve been since I’ve been here), then I just headed home and hung out. Yesterday was pretty sweet. I went to work then I headed home, changed, ate, then Meredith and I went to see Uh Huh Her at KoKo. I had bought a ticket in advance but Meredith hadn’t so we had to get one from a tout (scalper). He said “60 quid” so we couldn’t help but laugh because it was ridiculous and he asked her how much she wanted to pay so she said “5 pounds” and he laughed at her. Then she got him to come down to 30 quid. She thought about it then he came over by us and hit her in the butt with is crutch and they settled on 25 quid. Then we went in, got a drink and sadly we were not right up front. The first band was kind of crazy, a lot of repetitive synthesizers and strobe lights. I felt like I was going to have a seizure. Then during the in between time we snuck our way up closer. The band is Leisha Hailey and Cam Grey. Leisha Hailey is better known as an actress and she’s kind of famous for being on The L Word. It was a pretty good show, lots of fun. Then after the show we had to wait ages for the bus so we decided to hop on the tube. We ended up sitting next to these two girls who were quite funny. One was from Ireland and the other from London. The Irish girl had to pee super bad so she was being ridiculous and we had a good time. I wish we had to stay on the tube longer but we only had a few stops. Then we walked a little bit home and just hung out for a bit and played Sudoku and I read a Spin article about MGMT (who I’m hopefully seeing on the 28th) then I headed to bed.
Today I went to work and then my boss Anthea and I headed to Sotheby’s. We stopped first at the National Gallery to see Titian’s “Diana and Actaeon”. It’s on display now because they are trying to raise money so it doesn’t get sold off by the private owner. There were lots of TV cameras there and I guess that I was on TV today. Weird. Then we went to Sotheby’s to see a collection that was being sold that Photographic Survey of the Courtauld (where I work) had previously photographed. We couldn’t see it but we just looked around at other stuff. Then we went to Christie’s and did the same thing there. Then while walking around we went to Fortnum & Mason’s which is a really posh store. There were a lot of Christmas decorations around which I loved. Then we went to the Institute of Contemporary Art and saw/heard a sound instillation. It was kind of intense. There was also a collection of odd and obsurd comics which I really liked. They included stories of an amputee with, lesbian unicorns, and homophobic truckers. It was pretty interesting. Then we stopped by the Royal Society of Arts. Then I went back to work then headed to lunch shortly after. I had a nice little lunch with Meredith then I went to see Tom Jones. He was busking (singing on the street) for a charity event. I watched him for a little bit then went back to work and cut and pasted things. Then I went home and just hung out and updated this and watched my room mate dance to Soulja Boy. It was funny.
I’m pretty pumped because tomorrow my mom comes, then I’m going to ditch her to see The Kills and then Kim is visiting on Friday. FUN!
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Oh Joy!
So it's been a fun week yet again. Tuesday I went to work then that night Meredith and I went to see Laura Marling at Scala. The venue was pretty small which was great for this show, and we were right up front again but to the side so there were a few heads in my way but yet again we had a pretty good spot. There were two openers, the first guy was ok, but nothing too special. The second opener was Jay Jay Pistolet. He was great. I got his EP and t-shirt for only 8 quid! I've been listening to him pretty much nonstop since. Then after an oddly long wait Laura Marling came on. She was pretty much amazing. She did some stuff just here solo with a guitar (for one song she did play the banjo which was pretty cool) and she had a backing band as well who would go in and out depending on the song. She played a lot of stuff that I didn't know, I probably only knew about one-third of the songs she played but I loved them all. During one song I couldn't really see and I thought that the band was playing with but then I realized that she was solo. She is that great. Then after we just headed back to MTH since it was pretty late.
Wednesday I worked and then after work I almost headed to Scala to try to see Laura Marling again but on my way to the bus stop Jon Marx texted me and he and a few friends were meeting at ISHbar so I ended up just hanging out there for the night. It was a good time.
Thursday during work my boss Anthea took me to the Sir John Soane museum. He was an architect and a collector of art and other things. The museum is in his former home. The home is rather small but he made the most of the space he had, there is just so much stuff in there. You can't take bags in because odds are lots of stuff would get knocked about since it's such tight quarters. Then we just walked about and looked at some architecture around where I work. It was a nice little break from actually working. Then that night there was an International Dinner. There was free food and drinks and beanbags. That was good. Then Shawn and I went to the Wilmington Arms to see a few bands. The band that we went to see is The Joy Formidable. We saw them open up for Does It Offend You, Yeah? a few weeks ago and they were great. After we talked to them for a little bit and they were really nice and they actually remembered us from when we complimented them on their show from a few weeks ago. After we went to ISH and just hung out a bit there.
Yesterday I woke up rather late then went to Primark. I needed some hangers and a warm layer and I ended up getting that and a pair of slippers and 2 t-shirts but it was only 15 quid for all that. As much as I dislike Primark I do like how cheap it is. Then after I met up with Kris at the Tate Modern and we checked out the instillation in the Turbine Hall and looked around a little bit. Then we headed to Camden and went to a Thai place for dinner. After we went to a hookah bar and had some strawberry hookah and chai and just hung out and people watched for a while. Then after we went to the Hawley Arms. I've wanted to go there for a while so I'm glad I finally made it there. The pub was pretty cool. It just reopened a few weeks ago because it burned down in the fires in February. The bathrooms were pretty great because not only did the have cool stable like doors (it's right by the old horse stables) but it also had a Dyson Airblade hand dryer. I had been wanting to use one for so long so I was really excited about washing my hands. Also the pub had a rooftop terrace. It's right off of Camden High St and right by the big sign that says Camden Lock so it was cool to just be able to look around. After that we went to the biggest pub I've ever been in, The World's End. There were a few levels and it just kept going. I was just amazed with the space, it was pretty busy but there was still room to walk around. Then after that we just caught the bus back to ISH and I ended my night there.
Today I woke up and just bummed around and read for a while. Then I got ready and walked around. I ended up going to Leicester Square and read for a while then I went to the National Portrait Gallery. Right now there is a special exhibit from a photography contest. There were some really great photos from all over the world there. After I just hung out in Trafalgar Square for a bit then headed back to MTH since I had to do laundry and maybe take a nap.
some pictures
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100499&id=219703240&saved
review of the laura marling concert.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/gig-23356764-details/Laura+Marling/gigReview.do?reviewId=23585685
laura marling myspace
http://www.myspace.com/lauramarling
jay jay pistolet myspace
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=77130318
the joy formidable myspace
http://www.myspace.com/thejoyformidable
Wednesday I worked and then after work I almost headed to Scala to try to see Laura Marling again but on my way to the bus stop Jon Marx texted me and he and a few friends were meeting at ISHbar so I ended up just hanging out there for the night. It was a good time.
Thursday during work my boss Anthea took me to the Sir John Soane museum. He was an architect and a collector of art and other things. The museum is in his former home. The home is rather small but he made the most of the space he had, there is just so much stuff in there. You can't take bags in because odds are lots of stuff would get knocked about since it's such tight quarters. Then we just walked about and looked at some architecture around where I work. It was a nice little break from actually working. Then that night there was an International Dinner. There was free food and drinks and beanbags. That was good. Then Shawn and I went to the Wilmington Arms to see a few bands. The band that we went to see is The Joy Formidable. We saw them open up for Does It Offend You, Yeah? a few weeks ago and they were great. After we talked to them for a little bit and they were really nice and they actually remembered us from when we complimented them on their show from a few weeks ago. After we went to ISH and just hung out a bit there.
Yesterday I woke up rather late then went to Primark. I needed some hangers and a warm layer and I ended up getting that and a pair of slippers and 2 t-shirts but it was only 15 quid for all that. As much as I dislike Primark I do like how cheap it is. Then after I met up with Kris at the Tate Modern and we checked out the instillation in the Turbine Hall and looked around a little bit. Then we headed to Camden and went to a Thai place for dinner. After we went to a hookah bar and had some strawberry hookah and chai and just hung out and people watched for a while. Then after we went to the Hawley Arms. I've wanted to go there for a while so I'm glad I finally made it there. The pub was pretty cool. It just reopened a few weeks ago because it burned down in the fires in February. The bathrooms were pretty great because not only did the have cool stable like doors (it's right by the old horse stables) but it also had a Dyson Airblade hand dryer. I had been wanting to use one for so long so I was really excited about washing my hands. Also the pub had a rooftop terrace. It's right off of Camden High St and right by the big sign that says Camden Lock so it was cool to just be able to look around. After that we went to the biggest pub I've ever been in, The World's End. There were a few levels and it just kept going. I was just amazed with the space, it was pretty busy but there was still room to walk around. Then after that we just caught the bus back to ISH and I ended my night there.
Today I woke up and just bummed around and read for a while. Then I got ready and walked around. I ended up going to Leicester Square and read for a while then I went to the National Portrait Gallery. Right now there is a special exhibit from a photography contest. There were some really great photos from all over the world there. After I just hung out in Trafalgar Square for a bit then headed back to MTH since I had to do laundry and maybe take a nap.
some pictures
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100499&id=219703240&saved
review of the laura marling concert.
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/music/gig-23356764-details/Laura+Marling/gigReview.do?reviewId=23585685
laura marling myspace
http://www.myspace.com/lauramarling
jay jay pistolet myspace
http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=77130318
the joy formidable myspace
http://www.myspace.com/thejoyformidable
Monday, November 10, 2008
It was fun fun fun, oh it was fun
So some excitement has been happening in the past week. Tuesday night was a lot of fun. Everyone was at the ISHbar seeing who the next U.S. President would be. There were people from all over in the bar, not just Americans and every time CNN announced that Obama had won a state nearly everyone cheered. I stayed up really late but I didn't see who won that night. The next morning Heather came into Meredith's room and she said that Obama won. I was happy to hear it but really tired so I said "yeah" then went back to sleep. Later I got up and went to meet one of my bosses at the National Gallery to get a behind the scenes look. On the tube ride there I saw Ralph Fiennes, who has played Voldemort in Harry Potter as well as being in tons of other films. He was in the same tube car on the Bakerloo line, so that was kind of cool. Sadly I was at the wrong staff entrance (apparently there's 2) so we didn't meet up and I had forgotten to give her my mobile number so I ended up wandering around for a few hours. I got kind of lost which was fun because I saw a part of the city that I hadn't known of before so that was neat.
After a few exhausted hours (since I didn't sleep much the night before) I went back home and tried to nap but I didn't have enough time since it was Guy Fawkes night and I had plans to go to Club Vertigo and watch some fireworks from the penthouse terrace. The circle of friends (me, Meredith, Kallie, Emma and Becky) went to the club but they pushed back the entry time form 9 to 10 so we went to O'Neils to kill some time. Then a little before 10 we went back to the club to queue up but Kallie, Meredith and I decided to go home since we were so tired and not in the mood for a club. I went to bed pretty much right away and got a decent night's sleep for the first time in a long time.
Thursday I woke up and headed to work. Nothing too special that day but it went by rather quickly. Then I quick went home and ran to ISH, ate then Meredith and I went to Koko to see Noah and the Whale. We didn't have tickets but of course we got some from a tout then went right in and once again got right in the front since that's kind of what we do. The show was really fun. Everyone sang along except for the two super emo kids in front of us. They were so emo it was ridiculous. They should have just gone home and cried since they pretty much just stood there the whole time. Aside from those kids the show was great and the band had so many different instruments, it was a good time. After the show we headed to ISHbar and had a drink then went home and just took it easy.
Friday I slept in really late for some reason even though I went to bed relatively early. It was a beautiful day so we decided to go to the zoo. We walked through Regent's Park (the backyard) to get there. The zoo was fun, we got there a little late but we had a good time. There were some really neat animals and the habitats were relatively natural which was nice. Also we went to the reptile house where part of Harry Potter was filmed. We walked back and then I just headed home for a bit then Meredith and I went to another concert. This time we went to the Astoria and saw Cold War Kids. Yup...right up front again. The concert was great. I wasn't sure what to expect since I knew the lead singer also played the keyboard so I was worried he'd just be sitting there the whole time but they blew me away. The guitarist and bass player were all over the place and the whole band had such great energy, it was another great show. Then we went back to MTH and played flip cup for a little bit. After that the group of us headed to the Albany, which is a nearby pub with a semi-club downstairs. I didn't stay for too long since I wasn't really in the mood for club-ness. The walk home might have been the best part since Meredith and I walked Kallie home and half way there she decided to run home. It was pretty funny.
On Saturday I woke up relatively early and went to the Lord Mayor's Parade. We didn't stay too long since it was rainy and we couldn't see much but I'm glad I at last tried to see but the atmosphere of the parade was fun anyways. Then we went to the Diner (yup, 6th time but it's just so good, and the atmosphere is pretty laid back) and ate and hung out for a bit. Then we tried to go to the London Dungeon but the queue was too long so we just walked towards the Tower Bridge to get some pictures. We ended up stopping at a pub and hung out for a bit there. Then we walked towards Embankment to meet up with Emma to watch the fireworks. Meredith, Emma and I got a great spot. We ended up on a boat right on the Thames and just a little down from where the fireworks were shot off from. The fireworks were really neat but I just wish they were a little longer. After we headed to the Lyceum Theatre because Meredith and I were going to get tickets to the Lion King. We headed there through the Somerset House and it turns out they had just put up the Christmas Tree. We were all really excited and took lots of pictures. While we were there they put the star on top of the tree, it was great.
After the Christmas excitement we went to the theatre and got the 13quid standing 'seats'.
After securing our spots we went to Pizza Hut to eat. It was pretty dang good and cheap as well. Then Meredith and I went to the show. Visually it was spectacular. The costumes were really amazing, they do a great job at bringing the animals to life. The show was about 2 1/2 hours but I didn't even notice since I was so engaged. It was a good deal and defiantly worth the 13 pounds. After the show we just headed back and watched Harry Potter 4, but I'm pretty sure I fell asleep within the first 15 minutes. I woke up later and headed to bed.
Sunday a bunch of us had made plans to go to Church. Now you may think "Katy, going to church?", well it wasn't that kind of church. It's an afternoon club at the Forum (where I saw the Ting Tings) and it's only open from noon-4pm on Sundays. We got there and it was complete craziness. The idea is that people go there after their night out Saturday and just keep partying. I don't know if I could handle that but this place was crazy. There were tons of people dressed up in costumes and just ridiculous stuff like weird wigs and sunglasses. There was 'entertainment', which included 2 strippers, a guy singing in a fat suit, and a drinking competition between teams from different countries. Also you had to buy drink tickets and they were for 3 drinks. When you order you get a plastic bag with 3 beers in it then you wander and dance about with a bag of drinks. It was so weird to go to a club and then come out and it's still light outside. It was so much fun though, I want to go back. After a few of us went to Subway then went home. It totally threw me off to be a bit drunk in the middle of the day. I came home and put pictures on facebook and hung out then went to the free movie at ISH. It was '21' last night which I hadn't seen before but it was pretty good. After I just came home hung out a little and read then went to sleep relatively early.
Today I headed to work and it has been a pretty normal day, not too much excitement. I just worked, ran a few errands, ate some food then decided it was time to update this thing since kind of a lot has happened.
noah and the whale's myspace http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=42656921
cold war kid's myspace www.myspace.com/coldwarkids
pictures from the Frieze Art Fair in October http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100150&l=1ba91&id=219703240
After a few exhausted hours (since I didn't sleep much the night before) I went back home and tried to nap but I didn't have enough time since it was Guy Fawkes night and I had plans to go to Club Vertigo and watch some fireworks from the penthouse terrace. The circle of friends (me, Meredith, Kallie, Emma and Becky) went to the club but they pushed back the entry time form 9 to 10 so we went to O'Neils to kill some time. Then a little before 10 we went back to the club to queue up but Kallie, Meredith and I decided to go home since we were so tired and not in the mood for a club. I went to bed pretty much right away and got a decent night's sleep for the first time in a long time.
Thursday I woke up and headed to work. Nothing too special that day but it went by rather quickly. Then I quick went home and ran to ISH, ate then Meredith and I went to Koko to see Noah and the Whale. We didn't have tickets but of course we got some from a tout then went right in and once again got right in the front since that's kind of what we do. The show was really fun. Everyone sang along except for the two super emo kids in front of us. They were so emo it was ridiculous. They should have just gone home and cried since they pretty much just stood there the whole time. Aside from those kids the show was great and the band had so many different instruments, it was a good time. After the show we headed to ISHbar and had a drink then went home and just took it easy.
Friday I slept in really late for some reason even though I went to bed relatively early. It was a beautiful day so we decided to go to the zoo. We walked through Regent's Park (the backyard) to get there. The zoo was fun, we got there a little late but we had a good time. There were some really neat animals and the habitats were relatively natural which was nice. Also we went to the reptile house where part of Harry Potter was filmed. We walked back and then I just headed home for a bit then Meredith and I went to another concert. This time we went to the Astoria and saw Cold War Kids. Yup...right up front again. The concert was great. I wasn't sure what to expect since I knew the lead singer also played the keyboard so I was worried he'd just be sitting there the whole time but they blew me away. The guitarist and bass player were all over the place and the whole band had such great energy, it was another great show. Then we went back to MTH and played flip cup for a little bit. After that the group of us headed to the Albany, which is a nearby pub with a semi-club downstairs. I didn't stay for too long since I wasn't really in the mood for club-ness. The walk home might have been the best part since Meredith and I walked Kallie home and half way there she decided to run home. It was pretty funny.
On Saturday I woke up relatively early and went to the Lord Mayor's Parade. We didn't stay too long since it was rainy and we couldn't see much but I'm glad I at last tried to see but the atmosphere of the parade was fun anyways. Then we went to the Diner (yup, 6th time but it's just so good, and the atmosphere is pretty laid back) and ate and hung out for a bit. Then we tried to go to the London Dungeon but the queue was too long so we just walked towards the Tower Bridge to get some pictures. We ended up stopping at a pub and hung out for a bit there. Then we walked towards Embankment to meet up with Emma to watch the fireworks. Meredith, Emma and I got a great spot. We ended up on a boat right on the Thames and just a little down from where the fireworks were shot off from. The fireworks were really neat but I just wish they were a little longer. After we headed to the Lyceum Theatre because Meredith and I were going to get tickets to the Lion King. We headed there through the Somerset House and it turns out they had just put up the Christmas Tree. We were all really excited and took lots of pictures. While we were there they put the star on top of the tree, it was great.
After the Christmas excitement we went to the theatre and got the 13quid standing 'seats'.
After securing our spots we went to Pizza Hut to eat. It was pretty dang good and cheap as well. Then Meredith and I went to the show. Visually it was spectacular. The costumes were really amazing, they do a great job at bringing the animals to life. The show was about 2 1/2 hours but I didn't even notice since I was so engaged. It was a good deal and defiantly worth the 13 pounds. After the show we just headed back and watched Harry Potter 4, but I'm pretty sure I fell asleep within the first 15 minutes. I woke up later and headed to bed.
Sunday a bunch of us had made plans to go to Church. Now you may think "Katy, going to church?", well it wasn't that kind of church. It's an afternoon club at the Forum (where I saw the Ting Tings) and it's only open from noon-4pm on Sundays. We got there and it was complete craziness. The idea is that people go there after their night out Saturday and just keep partying. I don't know if I could handle that but this place was crazy. There were tons of people dressed up in costumes and just ridiculous stuff like weird wigs and sunglasses. There was 'entertainment', which included 2 strippers, a guy singing in a fat suit, and a drinking competition between teams from different countries. Also you had to buy drink tickets and they were for 3 drinks. When you order you get a plastic bag with 3 beers in it then you wander and dance about with a bag of drinks. It was so weird to go to a club and then come out and it's still light outside. It was so much fun though, I want to go back. After a few of us went to Subway then went home. It totally threw me off to be a bit drunk in the middle of the day. I came home and put pictures on facebook and hung out then went to the free movie at ISH. It was '21' last night which I hadn't seen before but it was pretty good. After I just came home hung out a little and read then went to sleep relatively early.
Today I headed to work and it has been a pretty normal day, not too much excitement. I just worked, ran a few errands, ate some food then decided it was time to update this thing since kind of a lot has happened.
noah and the whale's myspace http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendID=42656921
cold war kid's myspace www.myspace.com/coldwarkids
pictures from the Frieze Art Fair in October http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100150&l=1ba91&id=219703240
Sunday, November 9, 2008
more pictures
more picture fun: the zoo, fireworks, church, random walking around
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100017&l=4510a&id=219703240
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2100017&l=4510a&id=219703240
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
pictures and more
Oh my how could I have not mentioned this before but my friend Kim is coming to visit on the 21st of November and my mom hopefully will be here at the same time!!!! fun!!! I'm excited.
Also, here's some pictures from my life.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2099677&l=c61c8&id=219703240
Also, here's some pictures from my life.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2099677&l=c61c8&id=219703240
Woo Woo!
So fun times yet again. Friday was a wonderfully lazy day. I sat around in Meredith's room and we got our Halloween costumes ready. I was a shark attack victim so she drew a shark on my shirt and cut a bite hole then i painted it full of very realistic fake blood. It was pretty simple but still pretty cool. Then eventually I went over to Becky and Emma's and a few of us hung out and got ready to head out for the night. Then we went to Proud Camden for a little while, it sounded like it was going to be better so we left after a little bit and then went went to the trusty ISHbar. That was a fun time and it ended up being a really fun night.
Saturday I woke up and then a group of us went to Portobello Market. It was a pretty rainy day so we just walked around a bit, went to the Travel Book Store (like the one from the film Notting Hill), went to a few small art galleries then got some of the best cupcakes in the world from the Hummingbird Bakery. Then we split into smaller groups and some of us went to a hookah bar in Camden. On the walk there we saw another Banksy piece. That was a really cool surprise. The hookah bar was fun but it was still raining and we were outside and partially covered so it was a bit cold and wet but otherwise quite good. Then we decided to go to the Diner (my fifth time there). After that day I was pretty tired so I stayed in and we just watched a movie.
Sunday I went to the Hayward Gallery for the Andy Warhol exhibit. It was pretty cool but not what I was expecting. There wasn't as much of his paintings as I'd hope but a lot of his films which I'm not so into. It was more of an audio/visual biography of him than a display of his work but it was still interesting and I'm glad I went. Included in the Warhol exhibit was an exhibit by another artist, Robin Rhode. His stuff was really cool, I hadn't heard of him before but I would definitely like to see more of his stuff. Then we went to Covent Garden and got a cookie from Ben's Cookies and walked home. Then I just relaxed for a little bit then went to the ISHbar and watched a little of the Packer game. Then Meredith, Shawn and I had gotten free tickets to a concert at 229, which is a venue in the lower level of ISH. We saw 3 really great bands, The Operators, The Joy Formidable, and Does It Offend You, Yeah?. The first two were surprisingly good and then Does It Offend You, Yeah?, which was the headliner were great. The show was surprisingly intense and there was some crazy moshing and jumping going on. Didn't see the intensity of it coming but it was so much fun. After that I was all jacked up and awake so we just hung out for a bit then went to bed.
Yesterday was pretty mellow, just worked then hung out at the ISHbar with some people for a while then home to bed. Today I just worked and then had a little dinner and I'm doing laundry right now. Then later pretty much our while group are going to ISH because they're showing the election coverage. I am so excited about it, I pretty much read the news all day at work. I'm not going into work until later tomorrow so I can stay up as late as possible and hopefully see who won, and I hope it all works out and everyone Baracked the vote!
Saturday I woke up and then a group of us went to Portobello Market. It was a pretty rainy day so we just walked around a bit, went to the Travel Book Store (like the one from the film Notting Hill), went to a few small art galleries then got some of the best cupcakes in the world from the Hummingbird Bakery. Then we split into smaller groups and some of us went to a hookah bar in Camden. On the walk there we saw another Banksy piece. That was a really cool surprise. The hookah bar was fun but it was still raining and we were outside and partially covered so it was a bit cold and wet but otherwise quite good. Then we decided to go to the Diner (my fifth time there). After that day I was pretty tired so I stayed in and we just watched a movie.
Sunday I went to the Hayward Gallery for the Andy Warhol exhibit. It was pretty cool but not what I was expecting. There wasn't as much of his paintings as I'd hope but a lot of his films which I'm not so into. It was more of an audio/visual biography of him than a display of his work but it was still interesting and I'm glad I went. Included in the Warhol exhibit was an exhibit by another artist, Robin Rhode. His stuff was really cool, I hadn't heard of him before but I would definitely like to see more of his stuff. Then we went to Covent Garden and got a cookie from Ben's Cookies and walked home. Then I just relaxed for a little bit then went to the ISHbar and watched a little of the Packer game. Then Meredith, Shawn and I had gotten free tickets to a concert at 229, which is a venue in the lower level of ISH. We saw 3 really great bands, The Operators, The Joy Formidable, and Does It Offend You, Yeah?. The first two were surprisingly good and then Does It Offend You, Yeah?, which was the headliner were great. The show was surprisingly intense and there was some crazy moshing and jumping going on. Didn't see the intensity of it coming but it was so much fun. After that I was all jacked up and awake so we just hung out for a bit then went to bed.
Yesterday was pretty mellow, just worked then hung out at the ISHbar with some people for a while then home to bed. Today I just worked and then had a little dinner and I'm doing laundry right now. Then later pretty much our while group are going to ISH because they're showing the election coverage. I am so excited about it, I pretty much read the news all day at work. I'm not going into work until later tomorrow so I can stay up as late as possible and hopefully see who won, and I hope it all works out and everyone Baracked the vote!
Friday, October 31, 2008
More Fun
Again it was a busy week, but I thought I'd catch up on this before the weekend hits. Sunday ended up being a mellow day. Meredith and I went to see a Banksy piece that's going to be painted over then we just hung around MTH for the day until a group of us aka the circle of friends went to La Tasca for dinner. It's a tapa's restaurant and it was so good, I definitely would go back. Then we just hung out and took it easy the rest of the night. Then Monday was pretty relaxed too. I went to H&M after work and got some gloves, a huge warm scarf, socks (to delay laundry) and a shirt all for under 20 quid. Then I headed home, got some food then we just got a drink in the ISH bar and hung out then I headed home and took it easy.
Tuesday after work I went to dinner at Jon Marx's house. He, David, Neil, and I had a lovely little dinner together then we watched some TV show about zombies. Perfect after dinner viewing. Then as Neil and I were leaving we saw that it was snowing. It was the first October snow in 70 years! Luckily Neil gave me a ride so I only had to walk a tiny bit in the wet snow, but still not tons of fun. I got home around 11 so I was tired from the day so I just went to bed.
Wednesday we had planned to go to the Lion King and just get tickets day of. It turns out that there were only 3 standing tickets available or tickets for 50 quid, which is more than I'm willing to pay. So a few people went to the Lion King but Meredith and Kallie decided to walk home but stopped at a few pubs on the way home. It turned into quite the night. We had lots of fun, especially at O'Neils on Wardour St. Then on our way home we happened to be walking down Carnaby St. so we went to The Diner. It was tasty as always. Then we made our way home.
Yesterday was fun. After work I went home, changed, ate and then went to the Astoria to the Black Kids concert. I was in the very front, right up against the bar and pretty center. It was a fun show, and it is the kick start to the concert week. Within 8 days - Thursday to the following Friday - I'm going to 4 concerts. FUN! After the show I headed back to ISH for karaoke night. It was a girl's birthday in our group so we sang Happy Birthday to her and just had an all around good time. Somehow there were glowsticks everywhere. I'm not quite sure where they came from but it was a good time. Then once the bar closed Meredith and I walked home after a funny stop at Great Portland Food and Wine and had a funtime sleepover then today I've been laying around and we were just laughing about last night. Oh man, fun times.
Tuesday after work I went to dinner at Jon Marx's house. He, David, Neil, and I had a lovely little dinner together then we watched some TV show about zombies. Perfect after dinner viewing. Then as Neil and I were leaving we saw that it was snowing. It was the first October snow in 70 years! Luckily Neil gave me a ride so I only had to walk a tiny bit in the wet snow, but still not tons of fun. I got home around 11 so I was tired from the day so I just went to bed.
Wednesday we had planned to go to the Lion King and just get tickets day of. It turns out that there were only 3 standing tickets available or tickets for 50 quid, which is more than I'm willing to pay. So a few people went to the Lion King but Meredith and Kallie decided to walk home but stopped at a few pubs on the way home. It turned into quite the night. We had lots of fun, especially at O'Neils on Wardour St. Then on our way home we happened to be walking down Carnaby St. so we went to The Diner. It was tasty as always. Then we made our way home.
Yesterday was fun. After work I went home, changed, ate and then went to the Astoria to the Black Kids concert. I was in the very front, right up against the bar and pretty center. It was a fun show, and it is the kick start to the concert week. Within 8 days - Thursday to the following Friday - I'm going to 4 concerts. FUN! After the show I headed back to ISH for karaoke night. It was a girl's birthday in our group so we sang Happy Birthday to her and just had an all around good time. Somehow there were glowsticks everywhere. I'm not quite sure where they came from but it was a good time. Then once the bar closed Meredith and I walked home after a funny stop at Great Portland Food and Wine and had a funtime sleepover then today I've been laying around and we were just laughing about last night. Oh man, fun times.
Monday, October 27, 2008
More Pictures
Pictures from country houses I went to, karaoke, the O Bar, Regent's Park, Camden, Banksy and maybe a few others
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098613&l=7d12e&id=219703240
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098613&l=7d12e&id=219703240
Sunday, October 26, 2008
I Like
So a bit has gone on in the past few weeks since I last blogged. I really should do this more often. Anyways, here's just a recap of what I've done since Bath and Stonehenge, and sorry if I repeat anything, I just don't know. I saw a talk by Moazzam Begg (?), he was imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay. It was pretty interesting to hear his story. That Friday I went to the Saatchi Gallery. There's an exhibit of contemporary Chinese art. It was a great exhibit, my favourite so far I'd say. The link to the pictures of the exhibit is below. Check it out. Then that night I saw Jenny Lewis. It was amazing, right up front.
The next day I woke up and headed to the British Museum to see the Hadrian exhibit but sadly I didn't see it because of timing so I walked around the museum a bit. They have this exhibit going on called Statuephilia and they had 3 different sculptures throughout the museum by various artists. One was a solid gold sculpture of Kate Moss, another was by Damien Hirst. It was quite neat. Then after that a group of us walked around trying to find a place to get a tattoo but we weren't very successful. After the unsuccessful search we went to The Diner and I got a hard shake which was tasty. The next day, Sunday, Kallie, Meredith and I went to see the comedian Sarah Silverman. I wasn't sure if I'd like her since I've seen some of her stuff and was kind of bleh about it but she turned out to be hilarious. I laughed the whole time, it was a good way to top off a great weekend.
This past week started off pretty mellow, Tuesday I just went to Yo! Sushi which is a pretty cool place. They have the food on different coloured plates and they just go around on a conveyor belt. After that I just came back and watched Love Actually and got really excited about being here around Christmas and seeing the decorations. Then on Wednesday I went to a private viewing at the National Gallery for the new exhibit about Renaissance and how the art changed during it. Then I went to the Syon House instead of going to work. My boss took me there. It's a huge house right outside of the city. It used to be a country house but the city closed in on it. It was cool to see though. Then that night I went to see Avenue Q again.
Thursday was fun. I worked then I bought some shoes for 4 quid then I went to karaoke at ISH and hung out with Jon Marx and a few of his friends who were pretty cool. It definitely was a fun night. Then Friday a group of us went to Brick Land and went to a ton of vintage stores and just wandered around. There also was a ton of cool street art in the East end as well. Then Meredith, Becky and I went to a snowboard fest/expo. It was a bit less that we thought it was going to be since it was really hyped up but it was cool. There was in indoor jump and there was a competition so that was neat. After we came back to MTH and played beer pong. I lost horribly. Then a group of us went out in Soho, we ended up going to The O Bar. We drank and danced and had fun for a while. Then we tried to go to The Diner but it was closed so we just came home. It was a fun night full of ridiculousness.
Then yesterday Meredith and I got tattoos in Camden. I got a Tudor Rose on the back of my arm. It was exciting. Then we went to a store across the road and I found some awesome shoes and they actually had my size so I snatched those up. Then we just wandered around Camden all day. Then we came back and hung out for a bit then I went to Soho and met up with Jon Marx and friends. It was an interesting night but quite fun. We started out at some bar then we went to Ghetto which I liked quite a bit. It's been a great weekend and today should be good as well. That's all for now, hopefully I'll post again soon.
Saatchi pics http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098338&l=2fb6a&id=219703240
Jenny Lewis video of the show I was at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=J1u-hrZn73Y
The next day I woke up and headed to the British Museum to see the Hadrian exhibit but sadly I didn't see it because of timing so I walked around the museum a bit. They have this exhibit going on called Statuephilia and they had 3 different sculptures throughout the museum by various artists. One was a solid gold sculpture of Kate Moss, another was by Damien Hirst. It was quite neat. Then after that a group of us walked around trying to find a place to get a tattoo but we weren't very successful. After the unsuccessful search we went to The Diner and I got a hard shake which was tasty. The next day, Sunday, Kallie, Meredith and I went to see the comedian Sarah Silverman. I wasn't sure if I'd like her since I've seen some of her stuff and was kind of bleh about it but she turned out to be hilarious. I laughed the whole time, it was a good way to top off a great weekend.
This past week started off pretty mellow, Tuesday I just went to Yo! Sushi which is a pretty cool place. They have the food on different coloured plates and they just go around on a conveyor belt. After that I just came back and watched Love Actually and got really excited about being here around Christmas and seeing the decorations. Then on Wednesday I went to a private viewing at the National Gallery for the new exhibit about Renaissance and how the art changed during it. Then I went to the Syon House instead of going to work. My boss took me there. It's a huge house right outside of the city. It used to be a country house but the city closed in on it. It was cool to see though. Then that night I went to see Avenue Q again.
Thursday was fun. I worked then I bought some shoes for 4 quid then I went to karaoke at ISH and hung out with Jon Marx and a few of his friends who were pretty cool. It definitely was a fun night. Then Friday a group of us went to Brick Land and went to a ton of vintage stores and just wandered around. There also was a ton of cool street art in the East end as well. Then Meredith, Becky and I went to a snowboard fest/expo. It was a bit less that we thought it was going to be since it was really hyped up but it was cool. There was in indoor jump and there was a competition so that was neat. After we came back to MTH and played beer pong. I lost horribly. Then a group of us went out in Soho, we ended up going to The O Bar. We drank and danced and had fun for a while. Then we tried to go to The Diner but it was closed so we just came home. It was a fun night full of ridiculousness.
Then yesterday Meredith and I got tattoos in Camden. I got a Tudor Rose on the back of my arm. It was exciting. Then we went to a store across the road and I found some awesome shoes and they actually had my size so I snatched those up. Then we just wandered around Camden all day. Then we came back and hung out for a bit then I went to Soho and met up with Jon Marx and friends. It was an interesting night but quite fun. We started out at some bar then we went to Ghetto which I liked quite a bit. It's been a great weekend and today should be good as well. That's all for now, hopefully I'll post again soon.
Saatchi pics http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2098338&l=2fb6a&id=219703240
Jenny Lewis video of the show I was at http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=J1u-hrZn73Y
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Sunday, October 19, 2008
more pictures
here's some random pictures from the past week or so. enjoy.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2097844&l=8dd42&id=219703240
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2097844&l=8dd42&id=219703240
Friday, October 17, 2008
Oh Wow.
Quite a bit has happened in the last 12 days, so I'll just recap what I can remember and try to do a best of kind of thing. It's been fun and I've been busy, hence why no update in ages. Also, I'm quite tired right now so bit of this might not make sense or may be ridiculous, fair warning.
I'll start with Wed the 8th Meredith, Shawn and I originally headed out get into the Ting Tings concert but the tube was taking too long so we headed to meet a bunch of people but we ended up going to a restaurant called The Diner. It was a really cool place and we had some food and I got a banana bread beer. It was pretty tasty, like banana bread in a glass. Then we decided to check out a club but it turns out it was kind of lame so we headed home but it was still a good night.
Then Thursday work was fine then after work I headed to ISH to eat then a group of us went into Emma and Becky's room and hung out and played ridiculous games and built a human pyramid. It was fun. Then karaoke happened. Overall it was a very fun night. Then Friday we woke up (I had a funtime sleepover) and we went and got delicious breakfast sandwiches then we got ready and went wandering and shopping. I had wanted to get some shoes but I just didn't find anything just amazing so I waited, but I did get a pretty sweet shirt. We again went to the Diner for lunch and I got a delicious burger but more importantly a strawberry cheesecake hard milkshake. Very tasty. After that we headed to Primark (a ridiculously busy big store but also ridiculously cheap) and I did get a nice hooded cardigan and a blanket. I was happy with my purchases. Then we got some food and Meredith and I tried again to go to the Ting Tings. No one thought we would get in since it was sold out but there were some touts/scalpers right outside the tube stop so we got tickets right away then got into the venue, got some drinks and found our spot. We were right up front, maybe 2 or 3 people in front of me. Also not only were we right up front but Meredith also got a guitar pick that the singer threw out. It was a fun show, I only knew a few of their songs but I enjoyed it, it's just fun music. After the show we just headed home and went to bed.
Saturday I woke up early and Kallie, Billy, Meredith and I headed to Stonehenge and Bath for the weekend. We took the train which was kind of fun. Meredith and I drew pictures and played games. Then we got so Salisbury then took a bus to Stonehenge. I had been there before but it was a good time. Then we headed back to Salisbury and wandered around and ate and just hung out for longer than expected. Then we took a train to Bath and arrived at about 9:30 and wandered around looking for a place to stay. We ended up staying at the YMCA. It was actually pretty nice. We dropped off our stuff then went out. We ended up only going to 1 bar, Belushi's, but it was a lot of fun. There was dancing, drinks, foam, and fun. Then we went and got some food then headed back kind of early.
The next day we woke up and headed to the Roman Baths. It was really cool. I love Roman history so it was cool to see a new part of their history. We also tried the super mineraly water from the hot springs. It was pretty bad, kind of like eggs. Then we went outside and there were some street performers. They did acrobatic things which were pretty impressive but what first gets your attention was that they were in sparkly man-thongs. They were pretty funny too, so we watched for a while. Then Meredith, Kallie and I went to the Fashion Museum. There was some interesting stuff in there, and some things to try on so that was fun enough. Then we just walked around a bit and went to a park and relaxed since we were all a bit tired. On our way to pick up our things and head to the train station we happened to find a mini-golf course so of course we couldn't pass it up and we played, I came in second, so not bad. Then after that we headed to the train station to head back but we had to take a bus part of the way to Swindon, which I recognized from the UK version of The Office. Then we caught the train back into Paddington station then went home. We were all a bit tired from a fun filled weekend.
That's all for now since I need to sleep really badly, I'll probably write about this again and in more detail but today Meredith and I went to to the Saatchi Gallery which has an exhibit of contemporary Chinese artists. It was really cool, I think my favourite so far. Then we walked to Soho, which was a rather long walk, to FedEx her absentee ballot. Then from there we quick ate some dinner, I called my Dad to say happy birthday, then we went to see Jenny Lewis at Koko. It was a great show but I am exhausted.
I'll start with Wed the 8th Meredith, Shawn and I originally headed out get into the Ting Tings concert but the tube was taking too long so we headed to meet a bunch of people but we ended up going to a restaurant called The Diner. It was a really cool place and we had some food and I got a banana bread beer. It was pretty tasty, like banana bread in a glass. Then we decided to check out a club but it turns out it was kind of lame so we headed home but it was still a good night.
Then Thursday work was fine then after work I headed to ISH to eat then a group of us went into Emma and Becky's room and hung out and played ridiculous games and built a human pyramid. It was fun. Then karaoke happened. Overall it was a very fun night. Then Friday we woke up (I had a funtime sleepover) and we went and got delicious breakfast sandwiches then we got ready and went wandering and shopping. I had wanted to get some shoes but I just didn't find anything just amazing so I waited, but I did get a pretty sweet shirt. We again went to the Diner for lunch and I got a delicious burger but more importantly a strawberry cheesecake hard milkshake. Very tasty. After that we headed to Primark (a ridiculously busy big store but also ridiculously cheap) and I did get a nice hooded cardigan and a blanket. I was happy with my purchases. Then we got some food and Meredith and I tried again to go to the Ting Tings. No one thought we would get in since it was sold out but there were some touts/scalpers right outside the tube stop so we got tickets right away then got into the venue, got some drinks and found our spot. We were right up front, maybe 2 or 3 people in front of me. Also not only were we right up front but Meredith also got a guitar pick that the singer threw out. It was a fun show, I only knew a few of their songs but I enjoyed it, it's just fun music. After the show we just headed home and went to bed.
Saturday I woke up early and Kallie, Billy, Meredith and I headed to Stonehenge and Bath for the weekend. We took the train which was kind of fun. Meredith and I drew pictures and played games. Then we got so Salisbury then took a bus to Stonehenge. I had been there before but it was a good time. Then we headed back to Salisbury and wandered around and ate and just hung out for longer than expected. Then we took a train to Bath and arrived at about 9:30 and wandered around looking for a place to stay. We ended up staying at the YMCA. It was actually pretty nice. We dropped off our stuff then went out. We ended up only going to 1 bar, Belushi's, but it was a lot of fun. There was dancing, drinks, foam, and fun. Then we went and got some food then headed back kind of early.
The next day we woke up and headed to the Roman Baths. It was really cool. I love Roman history so it was cool to see a new part of their history. We also tried the super mineraly water from the hot springs. It was pretty bad, kind of like eggs. Then we went outside and there were some street performers. They did acrobatic things which were pretty impressive but what first gets your attention was that they were in sparkly man-thongs. They were pretty funny too, so we watched for a while. Then Meredith, Kallie and I went to the Fashion Museum. There was some interesting stuff in there, and some things to try on so that was fun enough. Then we just walked around a bit and went to a park and relaxed since we were all a bit tired. On our way to pick up our things and head to the train station we happened to find a mini-golf course so of course we couldn't pass it up and we played, I came in second, so not bad. Then after that we headed to the train station to head back but we had to take a bus part of the way to Swindon, which I recognized from the UK version of The Office. Then we caught the train back into Paddington station then went home. We were all a bit tired from a fun filled weekend.
That's all for now since I need to sleep really badly, I'll probably write about this again and in more detail but today Meredith and I went to to the Saatchi Gallery which has an exhibit of contemporary Chinese artists. It was really cool, I think my favourite so far. Then we walked to Soho, which was a rather long walk, to FedEx her absentee ballot. Then from there we quick ate some dinner, I called my Dad to say happy birthday, then we went to see Jenny Lewis at Koko. It was a great show but I am exhausted.
Friday, October 10, 2008
pictures
ooops. here's the link... http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2097001&l=342c6&id=219703240
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Woah
So I think quite a bit has happened this past week. I'm a bit tired so this post might not be the most coherent, but it works. The internship is getting more interesting. I met my other boss and she's so nice and pretty funny so that'll be nice working with her. She mentioned taking me out to some of the big country houses so hopefully that'll work out. I got a bit of a cold on Monday too, so that wasn't too fun but I did get sent home early two days this week so that was nice. Monday night I just hung out in the ISH bar. There was a singer guy there and he was pretty good, and he'll be there every Monday so that'll be nice.
On Tuesday I got sent home early but I headed to the Courtauld Gallery and checked out the Cezanne exhibit they had going on. I had no idea that the gallery had so many great works. I walk in the first room and I was just amazed. The Cezanne's were cool as well, I'm glad I went. Then that night Kris and I went to see Avenue Q. I've seen it before but I'd even see it again it's so funny. We went and got last minute tickets and we got 4th row right in the middle for only 20 pounds. It was such a good time. Then after we went to the ISHbar and hung out for a bit.
Wednesday I just kept it mellow and went to bed early to try to feel better since I knew little sleep would be had over the weekend. Thursday was a good day, I had lunch sitting by the Thames and I realized that my life is pretty great. Also I called my mom to tell her that we have Kimberly Clark paper towels in the bathrooms so I think of her in the bathroom, lovely I know.
That night it was karaoke at the ISHbar and that was a good time.
Friday a group of us went to the Tate Modern. There was some pretty interesting stuff there and a little ridiculous as well. I didn't seen any new installation in the Turbine Hall but I think they're in the middle of setting it up since I did see a giant spider and a big apple and a few other things there, so I'll just have to go back and see. One perk of my job is that I get into special exhibits for free. I haven't taken advantage of it yet but I want to go to the Rothko exhibit at the Tate Modern and there's a Francis Bacon exhibit at the Tate Britain, and at the Courtauld there's going to be a big Turner exhibit. I figure they're free so I might as well check them out. That night a group of us headed to the ISHbar were there for a while then we went to a pub across the street, The Albany. Then we went back to ISH for a little bit. It was a good but more mellow time. Then I hung out in Meredith's room and just talked about music and watched youtube videos.
Saturday I woke up and a few of us went to The Xpo. Apparently it's Fetish Week in London so we decided to go to the expo. It wasn't nearly as crazy as I thought it would be. There was a lot of rubber everywhere. There was a fashion show so that was good. Some of the things were actually just things you could wear out in life, but there were some outfits that were a bit crazier. So it was interesting and I'm glad I went, how often are there fetish expos in town right? After a long day of fetish I was a bit tired so I headed home and just relaxed for a while and I filled in my absentee ballot. Then last night a few of us planned on going to see some bands at some bar. We didn't have very good directions and weren't familiar with the area so we just went to a pub that was right by the tube stop which ended up being a really fun place. Then we left to catch the tube back and once again we ended up going to ISHbar. It was fun.
Today I woke up and a group of us headed to Speakers Corner. It was and is raining so there wasn't really anyone there. So we left right away and Kallie, Meredith and I went to Primark. I wasn't in the mood to go but I'd been putting it off so I had to go today to get a few things since I did kind of a bad job packing. It's always so busy since it's crazy cheap. I got a zip hoody, a sweater, a scarf, and a 3 pack of t-shirts for only 16 pounds, so not bad at all. Then we stopped in a few more shops on Oxford St. then went to ISH to eat but it was closed so we headed to a cafe across the street. Then I headed home and am just taking it easy in my pajama pants.
On Tuesday I got sent home early but I headed to the Courtauld Gallery and checked out the Cezanne exhibit they had going on. I had no idea that the gallery had so many great works. I walk in the first room and I was just amazed. The Cezanne's were cool as well, I'm glad I went. Then that night Kris and I went to see Avenue Q. I've seen it before but I'd even see it again it's so funny. We went and got last minute tickets and we got 4th row right in the middle for only 20 pounds. It was such a good time. Then after we went to the ISHbar and hung out for a bit.
Wednesday I just kept it mellow and went to bed early to try to feel better since I knew little sleep would be had over the weekend. Thursday was a good day, I had lunch sitting by the Thames and I realized that my life is pretty great. Also I called my mom to tell her that we have Kimberly Clark paper towels in the bathrooms so I think of her in the bathroom, lovely I know.
That night it was karaoke at the ISHbar and that was a good time.
Friday a group of us went to the Tate Modern. There was some pretty interesting stuff there and a little ridiculous as well. I didn't seen any new installation in the Turbine Hall but I think they're in the middle of setting it up since I did see a giant spider and a big apple and a few other things there, so I'll just have to go back and see. One perk of my job is that I get into special exhibits for free. I haven't taken advantage of it yet but I want to go to the Rothko exhibit at the Tate Modern and there's a Francis Bacon exhibit at the Tate Britain, and at the Courtauld there's going to be a big Turner exhibit. I figure they're free so I might as well check them out. That night a group of us headed to the ISHbar were there for a while then we went to a pub across the street, The Albany. Then we went back to ISH for a little bit. It was a good but more mellow time. Then I hung out in Meredith's room and just talked about music and watched youtube videos.
Saturday I woke up and a few of us went to The Xpo. Apparently it's Fetish Week in London so we decided to go to the expo. It wasn't nearly as crazy as I thought it would be. There was a lot of rubber everywhere. There was a fashion show so that was good. Some of the things were actually just things you could wear out in life, but there were some outfits that were a bit crazier. So it was interesting and I'm glad I went, how often are there fetish expos in town right? After a long day of fetish I was a bit tired so I headed home and just relaxed for a while and I filled in my absentee ballot. Then last night a few of us planned on going to see some bands at some bar. We didn't have very good directions and weren't familiar with the area so we just went to a pub that was right by the tube stop which ended up being a really fun place. Then we left to catch the tube back and once again we ended up going to ISHbar. It was fun.
Today I woke up and a group of us headed to Speakers Corner. It was and is raining so there wasn't really anyone there. So we left right away and Kallie, Meredith and I went to Primark. I wasn't in the mood to go but I'd been putting it off so I had to go today to get a few things since I did kind of a bad job packing. It's always so busy since it's crazy cheap. I got a zip hoody, a sweater, a scarf, and a 3 pack of t-shirts for only 16 pounds, so not bad at all. Then we stopped in a few more shops on Oxford St. then went to ISH to eat but it was closed so we headed to a cafe across the street. Then I headed home and am just taking it easy in my pajama pants.
Sunday, September 28, 2008
I love this city
So I guess quite a bit has happened in the past few days, so I'll try to just do the highlights. I started my internship on wednesday at the Witt Library in the Courtauld Institute of Art at the Somerset House. So far the people have been really nice but the work's kind of mundane but I'm thinking it'll get better as time goes on. I work a lot with these boxes that are sorted by artist and it pretty much catalogues the history of tons of artworks. The library is in the basement which is rather narrow so it's a bit of a maze and I've gotten lost a few times in there. I felt like such a little adult when I was walking home on Wednesday. The schedule is pretty nice, I work Monday through Thursday 10am-6pm, so I can definately handle it.
That's about all I can say for the internship so far, so on to other things. I've been having quite some fun this week. On Wednesday night at ISH there was a free Bollywood themed dinner so there was some tasty indian food and some entertainment and whatnot. Thursday I worked and then I went to Tesco (the grocer I go to) and I was really excited because I found peanut butter, which is kind of like finding gold. Then later that night I headed over to karaoke at the ISH bar. That's the busiest and usually most fun night there. It's always a good time to watch your friends sing cheesy fun songs.
Friday I worked again and after work I met up with Jon Marx (he was in my previous London group and he lives here now). We had dinner and went to Admiral Duncan which is a bar in Soho, it was a real good time. It was fun to see him, especially in London. Then I came back home then went to the ISH bar because there was a charity drag show. It was fun but not as much fun as I thought it would be, I missed the best part I think. I hung out there for a while then after a bit a group of us went to Koko in Camden. It's a cool music venue, it's an old theatre but with the seats taken out so there's just a giant area. Every Friday there they have a few small bands play so we saw them and then there was a DJ after them. I'm going to see at least 2 concerts at Koko so I'm pretty excited about that.
Yesterday I woke up kind of late and slowly got ready then a few of us went to a cheap asian buffet for lunch then I split and walked around the city. I had bought at cd to a band I'm planning to see (The Kills) and listened to them as I walked around. I made my way to Oxford St but it was way to busy to try to shop so I wandered down smaller streets into Soho and went to Covent Garden and got a cookie from Ben's Cookies (the best cookie in the world) and wandered to Trafalgar Square then made my way back home. Then I went to dinner and came back then figured out my plans for the night. I was going to go to a club that was having inflateable Twister and other fun stuff like that but decided against spending even more money so I went with the ISHbar and had cheap drinks and a lot of fun. There was a good size group of people from the group who went to the bar so that was fun just hanging out with them. Then instead of walking back to my building by myself a few of us had a sleepover at the girl's room who live in that building.
This morning we woke up ate a little breakfast then went to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. It was alright, but rather anti-climactic. Then most of the people went inside the Palace since today was the last day it was open then another girl, Emma, and I walked back home. On the way we stopped by Speaker's Corner, that was a fun. There was a good amount of crazies talking but one was especially funny since there was a lot of people talking and arguing with him. After that we came home and I just cleaned up a little since my area of the room was a total mess since I just throw my stuff down when I get home and haven't had time to clean up after myself. Then I did a little laundry and and doing fun things like posting pictures and updating this bad boy.
here's the link to my new photo album http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2096016&l=f242c&id=219703240
p.s. thanks for all of the comments, I love them all.
That's about all I can say for the internship so far, so on to other things. I've been having quite some fun this week. On Wednesday night at ISH there was a free Bollywood themed dinner so there was some tasty indian food and some entertainment and whatnot. Thursday I worked and then I went to Tesco (the grocer I go to) and I was really excited because I found peanut butter, which is kind of like finding gold. Then later that night I headed over to karaoke at the ISH bar. That's the busiest and usually most fun night there. It's always a good time to watch your friends sing cheesy fun songs.
Friday I worked again and after work I met up with Jon Marx (he was in my previous London group and he lives here now). We had dinner and went to Admiral Duncan which is a bar in Soho, it was a real good time. It was fun to see him, especially in London. Then I came back home then went to the ISH bar because there was a charity drag show. It was fun but not as much fun as I thought it would be, I missed the best part I think. I hung out there for a while then after a bit a group of us went to Koko in Camden. It's a cool music venue, it's an old theatre but with the seats taken out so there's just a giant area. Every Friday there they have a few small bands play so we saw them and then there was a DJ after them. I'm going to see at least 2 concerts at Koko so I'm pretty excited about that.
Yesterday I woke up kind of late and slowly got ready then a few of us went to a cheap asian buffet for lunch then I split and walked around the city. I had bought at cd to a band I'm planning to see (The Kills) and listened to them as I walked around. I made my way to Oxford St but it was way to busy to try to shop so I wandered down smaller streets into Soho and went to Covent Garden and got a cookie from Ben's Cookies (the best cookie in the world) and wandered to Trafalgar Square then made my way back home. Then I went to dinner and came back then figured out my plans for the night. I was going to go to a club that was having inflateable Twister and other fun stuff like that but decided against spending even more money so I went with the ISHbar and had cheap drinks and a lot of fun. There was a good size group of people from the group who went to the bar so that was fun just hanging out with them. Then instead of walking back to my building by myself a few of us had a sleepover at the girl's room who live in that building.
This morning we woke up ate a little breakfast then went to Buckingham Palace to see the Changing of the Guard. It was alright, but rather anti-climactic. Then most of the people went inside the Palace since today was the last day it was open then another girl, Emma, and I walked back home. On the way we stopped by Speaker's Corner, that was a fun. There was a good amount of crazies talking but one was especially funny since there was a lot of people talking and arguing with him. After that we came home and I just cleaned up a little since my area of the room was a total mess since I just throw my stuff down when I get home and haven't had time to clean up after myself. Then I did a little laundry and and doing fun things like posting pictures and updating this bad boy.
here's the link to my new photo album http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2096016&l=f242c&id=219703240
p.s. thanks for all of the comments, I love them all.
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Pictures
Here's a link to my facebook album of my pictures so far, I hope it works.
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2095702&l=1a891&id=219703240
http://www.new.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2095702&l=1a891&id=219703240
I'm Finally Back
On Friday the 19th of September my mom and I drove down to Chicago and then had a lovely last meal of pizza before I headed out. I went through security and found the gate just fine then I waited around for a few hours. One of the other interns on our flight, Kimberly (who turns out to be my roommate), sat by me in the gate so we talked for a bit then got on the flight. I flew Air India, which I never had before, so I didn't know what to expect but it was just fine and the flight wasn't very fully so luckily I wasn't crammed in between people or anything.
Once we landed the 4 of us that were on the flight met up and made our way into London. I was a bit tired since I slept maybe an hour so I was glad to have made it to ISH (International Students House - where I'm staying and no I'm not in the Tower of the World this time). Then I unpacked a bit and we did some necessitites like phone and oyster card then went back to ISH and napped. I met my other roommate, Helen, who's from Australia and was the roommate of Amy Snyder when we were here in 2007. Later we headed to the Green Man for dinner. It was pretty good then on our way back we saw that the rest of our group had arrived (they had been traveling the continent for a few weeks). I met some of them, headed to MTH (the building where I'm staying). I ended up just hanging out at MTH in the guy's room downstairs then headed to bed early.
On Sunday Kimberly and I walked around for a few hours. We went from ISH to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, and Picadilly Circus then over to St. James Park and over to Parliament then crossed the Westminster Bridge to the South Bank and walked down to the Tate modern and crossed the river on the Wobbly Bridge to St. Pauls. There was a lot of stuff going on and it remined me why I love this place so much. Then we came back home, and another group meeting. After the meeting we had a little picnic in Regent's Park and sat around until another group meeting that night. Then after the meeting a few of us headed to Big Ben and walked around there then went to Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square then headed back to ISH.
Yesterday I woke up and ran a few errands with Kris then the interns had a meeting at the place that set up all of our internships. After that a few of us went to a pub and had a drink then Kris, Kimberly and I went to Oxford Street to look for some necessities, and I ended up getting a pair of ridiculous sunglasses. Then we came back to (ISH) had yet another group meeting then headed to the ISHbar. It was pretty mellow in there, but they did have a jazz trio playing and cheap jugs of Pimms and Lemonade. After hanging out there for a while a group of us went out because it was Mike's birthday. We headed down to Soho and went to some bar then we made our way to Zoo Bar, oh boy, that's all I can say about that.
Today I just relaxed, ran an errand and got the internet finally set up and am just getting organized since I start my internship tomorrow. I'm pretty excited about that but a bit nervous since I don't really know what I'm in for, but we'll just see how it goes.
Once we landed the 4 of us that were on the flight met up and made our way into London. I was a bit tired since I slept maybe an hour so I was glad to have made it to ISH (International Students House - where I'm staying and no I'm not in the Tower of the World this time). Then I unpacked a bit and we did some necessitites like phone and oyster card then went back to ISH and napped. I met my other roommate, Helen, who's from Australia and was the roommate of Amy Snyder when we were here in 2007. Later we headed to the Green Man for dinner. It was pretty good then on our way back we saw that the rest of our group had arrived (they had been traveling the continent for a few weeks). I met some of them, headed to MTH (the building where I'm staying). I ended up just hanging out at MTH in the guy's room downstairs then headed to bed early.
On Sunday Kimberly and I walked around for a few hours. We went from ISH to Trafalgar Square, Leicester Square, and Picadilly Circus then over to St. James Park and over to Parliament then crossed the Westminster Bridge to the South Bank and walked down to the Tate modern and crossed the river on the Wobbly Bridge to St. Pauls. There was a lot of stuff going on and it remined me why I love this place so much. Then we came back home, and another group meeting. After the meeting we had a little picnic in Regent's Park and sat around until another group meeting that night. Then after the meeting a few of us headed to Big Ben and walked around there then went to Buckingham Palace and Trafalgar Square then headed back to ISH.
Yesterday I woke up and ran a few errands with Kris then the interns had a meeting at the place that set up all of our internships. After that a few of us went to a pub and had a drink then Kris, Kimberly and I went to Oxford Street to look for some necessities, and I ended up getting a pair of ridiculous sunglasses. Then we came back to (ISH) had yet another group meeting then headed to the ISHbar. It was pretty mellow in there, but they did have a jazz trio playing and cheap jugs of Pimms and Lemonade. After hanging out there for a while a group of us went out because it was Mike's birthday. We headed down to Soho and went to some bar then we made our way to Zoo Bar, oh boy, that's all I can say about that.
Today I just relaxed, ran an errand and got the internet finally set up and am just getting organized since I start my internship tomorrow. I'm pretty excited about that but a bit nervous since I don't really know what I'm in for, but we'll just see how it goes.
Saturday, September 13, 2008
Less Than a Week
I'll be leaving in one week from yesterday, so I'm really starting to think about packing and all of that fun stuff. It doesn't seem real yet that I'm going back, but once I head to the airport I think it'll start to sink in. I'm definately nervous and excited but it'll be good once I get there. I'm especially a bit freaked about working since I have no idea what I'll be doing, but I'm sure I'll get a hang of things pretty quickly then hopefully it'll just be a fun time. Also, if anyone would like a postcard or something then feel free to leave me or email me your address. Hopefully this time I actually send out postcards, I only got as far as buying them last time I was there. That's all for now, next time I post I'll probably be in London. Oh my.
Monday, August 25, 2008
24 days...
So it's official, I'll be interning at the Courtauld Institute. I talked to Grandma Joan the other day and she said that she mentioned the institute to a fellow from London and he was quite impressed, so that makes me even more excited. Also, I've been told that the woman who will be overseeing my internship is very nice, so that makes me happy.
I'm still working on getting everything organized but I won't worry until the week before. My visa came in the mail so now it's just details like packing that I have to deal with. Aside from that I've also been perusing the concerts that are going on in London while I'm there. I have a list of about 30 that I would like to go to, but that will probably be a bit much. I did already buy tickets to two concerts, Laura Marling, which if it works out my mom may go with, so that would be very fun. The other concert is Black Kids. I'm pretty excited about that one as well. The concert is at the Astoria, which is a pretty famous and historic venue, but it's being torn down late this year because of something to do with the tube and preparing for the 2012 Olympics, so I'm glad that I'll get to go there before it's gone.
Well, that's all for now.
p.s. I just want to say thanks for the comments that people have left, I always get so excited when I have new ones to read so please feel free to comment a lot, and I'm sure there will be more to comment on once I'm actually there.
I'm still working on getting everything organized but I won't worry until the week before. My visa came in the mail so now it's just details like packing that I have to deal with. Aside from that I've also been perusing the concerts that are going on in London while I'm there. I have a list of about 30 that I would like to go to, but that will probably be a bit much. I did already buy tickets to two concerts, Laura Marling, which if it works out my mom may go with, so that would be very fun. The other concert is Black Kids. I'm pretty excited about that one as well. The concert is at the Astoria, which is a pretty famous and historic venue, but it's being torn down late this year because of something to do with the tube and preparing for the 2012 Olympics, so I'm glad that I'll get to go there before it's gone.
Well, that's all for now.
p.s. I just want to say thanks for the comments that people have left, I always get so excited when I have new ones to read so please feel free to comment a lot, and I'm sure there will be more to comment on once I'm actually there.
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
It's Getting Close
Just thought I'd write a little update about what's going on. I recently applied for my visa, which asked a lot of redundant questions. Then I had to go down to Milwaukee for my biometrics appointment. I had no idea what to expect but I ended up needing to go to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and get my fingerprints picture taken, I kind of felt like a criminal. Weird. That day I also found out that I may have an internship placement in London. It's not for sure yet but I possibly might be placed in the Photo Survey Department at the Courtauld Institute of Art. There's a link to their site at the bottom. I'm not sure what I'd be doing there but I think it'd be interesting and it's a very central location within the city, so it could be interesting, but we'll see if that pans out.
Aside from getting all of my paperwork in order I'm starting to think of packing and all of that fun stuff. I'm not to worried about it yet, but the time is passing by pretty quickly. I actually only have 36 days until I leave, so within a week or two it'll hit me that I'm really going back and I'll think of all that I have to do.
That's all I've got for now but I'll keep you updated when I find out for sure about my internship placement and all of that fun.
http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/index.html
Aside from getting all of my paperwork in order I'm starting to think of packing and all of that fun stuff. I'm not to worried about it yet, but the time is passing by pretty quickly. I actually only have 36 days until I leave, so within a week or two it'll hit me that I'm really going back and I'll think of all that I have to do.
That's all I've got for now but I'll keep you updated when I find out for sure about my internship placement and all of that fun.
http://www.courtauld.ac.uk/index.html
Thursday, July 10, 2008
70 days and counting
So you may or may not know but I will be returning to London this fall but instead of studying there I'll be interning. I'm not sure where my internships is yet, I'm hoping for a major museum like the Victoria and Albert or the British Museum, but I'll take whatever they give me. I'm just really excited to get back to London.
I thought I'd once again do a blog to let everyone know what I'm up to but this time I actually plan on updating it more than once every fortnight. I'm leaving on September 19th and I'm really not sure when I'll be back. I'm going to stay as long as they let me.
From e-mails and whatnot the people that are going in the group to London seem really nice, so that's a plus. I'm not sure if they can be as amazing as the last group but if the group is half as great I'll be in for a good time. That's really all I've got for now but come September I'll have some more exciting things to share.
I thought I'd once again do a blog to let everyone know what I'm up to but this time I actually plan on updating it more than once every fortnight. I'm leaving on September 19th and I'm really not sure when I'll be back. I'm going to stay as long as they let me.
From e-mails and whatnot the people that are going in the group to London seem really nice, so that's a plus. I'm not sure if they can be as amazing as the last group but if the group is half as great I'll be in for a good time. That's really all I've got for now but come September I'll have some more exciting things to share.
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