So, today - July 13th, my name day and the birthday of my brother in law, I started on my travelling adventure. I have successfully managed to pack just one piece of hand luggage to bring with me on this trip. It is stuffed to the brim, and I cheated a little bit by having my lap top out of the case, ready for inspection (it wont fit in there anyway) plus all of my liquids in a separate clear bag. I am not sure this tactic will work though outside of Cyprus so I may have to come up with a plan... the one I am brewing at the moment it to find a slightly bigger hand luggage case.
The flight was ok, I attempted to eat the plastic eggs and tomato that they served up, watched a bit of the movie before giving in to my body telling me that it needed to sleep. I had only managed to get about an hour and a half of sleep before getting ready to go to the airport - I was quite excited about my trip. Hopefully I didnt alarm the man on the otherside of the aisle with my mouth gaping open while I was sleeping - I'm pretty sure he was sleeping too so he wouldnt have noticed.
On landing at Heathrow I made my way to my hotel. I have decided to stay at the Yotel, I thought it sounded quite cute, and a fun way to start my trip. I had to get the heathrow express to take me from terminal 3 to 4, and as I was walking to catch the train, a local called over to me "oi lav, I wouldn't advoise leavin' your parspor' 'angin' out of yaw back pockit loike tha'". I was greatful to him for pointing out my rookie error and felt a bit daft - like a village girl out in the big city. That feeling was only to get worse when I ventured into London.
I got to the hotel and it certainly was very cute. They call it a cabin, and I imagine it is just what a cabin would be like on a ship. I will post pictures in due course. I wouldnt advise it for people who are much bigger than me though.... or anyone who is claustrophobic!
I tried to have another little nap, having only got a couple of hours sleep on the flight, but I was too excited to get on with things so I headed out into LANDAN!!!
First stop was Leicester square to pick up some half price tickets for some shows. There was a bit of a queue at the tkts stand so I went in search of a bookshop to find a guide book for London. Managed that, and then I wanted to find a local little cafe to have a bacon buttie, but I was too intimidated by the places that looked really local, so I went into a nice sterile non intimidating slug and lettuce instead.
Queued up for my ticket and got a ticket for Chicago for this evening, then quickly walked up the road and got a ticket for Mamma Mia for tomorrow night. The ticket clerk offered me a ticket on the right hand side of the theatre, meaning that most of the stage would be to my left. I asked if he had any tickets on the other side of the theatre, mentioning that I had a bit of a hearing problem, and he initially offered me another ticket, but then picking up on the deafness issue said he could give me a better ticket right in the middle for the same price! Score! I think that might be the first time that I have ever mentioned my hearing to anyone and been given a concession because of it!
I then wanted to buy a little rucksack to put my bits and pieces in and thats where things got a little bit more intimidating for me. I decided to head to Oxford Street, walking using the handy map in the guide book that I had bought. I discovered that my sense of direction is TERRIBLE!!!! I could not follow the map for love nor money, and if there was a possibility of taking a wrong turn, then, well, I took it!!! I walked all the way up New Oxford Street before I realised that I was going the wrong way, then up another road, then back along the road I had just come from before realising that the fourth and last option off the junction was the one I wanted. But once I got onto Oxford street I just wanted to get off again!!! And I started to realise the enormity of what I am trying to do. I am thinking of coming to live in this HUGE city with MILLIONS of people about the place, to try to find a job of some kind in the theatre world. I want to try to stand out, in this city of individuals. But I was the most un-individual person on the streets today!! There were people with funky glasses, people with green hair, or purple hair, or bright red hair, or all of the above. People wearing clothes that I would just feel like a pratt wearing. Me - I was in my trusty jeans, Nike trainers that I bought 5 years ago thinking that I might start running and I have been running so infrequently that they are still almost new to this day, a black tee shirt and a dark blue jacket (which by the way in a moment of madness I did consider not taking with me for this day out in London - luckily I realised my folly and grabbed it at the last minute). When I bought my little rucksack there was the option of buying a bright pink one - but I opted for the black one - so it wouldnt stand out so much...
Anyway, I was starting to flag and feeling like a very tiny little fishy in a very very big pond, so I thought an ideal solution would be a lovely glass of wine. I headed over to Covent Garden to check out the street acts who have so much confidence in their abilities that they just perform in the street and then demand anyone who stopped to watch to pay. I wonder if I will ever have that much confidence in my performance skills.
The first glass of wine went down very nicely, so I ordered a second, but then I could see a bit of a wine filled afternoon looming up in front of me, so I left the pub and went for a walk along the Thames. I had two hours until the musical started, so I thought considering my lousy sense of direction I ought to try to find the theatre. I was quite chuffed that i found it quite quickly, but then had to find a restaurant that I wouldnt be too shy to walk into and eat by myself. I hate eating at restaurants by myself. It is not fun. But then, what are you supposed to do.... not eat? I had spotted a wagamammas in the area earlier, but when I went off to try and find it I couldnt. I was a bit pooped with all this walking, us Cypriots are definately not used to it at all... so I saw a Pizza Express and thought that looked like a pretty safe bet. I ordered my Pizza and then popped down to the loo. As I came back up the stairs I heard one of the chefs call over to me.... Pizza for one eh??? I was so surprised and thought that I must have made it up in my head because I'm embarrased about it, and looked over to see if someone had really said that, and got the full effect of the slimy chef running his tongue over his lips at me oh so suggestively. "Thank you very much" I thought to myself "I pluck up the courage to go into a restaurant by myself, and this is the kind of attitude I get!!! Git!!" Lets just say I didnt leave a tip in that particular restaurant.
And then it was time to watch Chicago. I had a mixed experience watching the show. Of course I enjoyed it very much, but all the while I was thinking.... er... I want to do that???? I cant do that anywhere near as well as all of those people on stage. It occured to me that perhaps I will need to do some training to see if I can get anywhere close to that! And at the same time I was interested in the way that they had staged the show. The cast members would not go entirely off stage when they werent involved in the scene, but they would sit on chairs that were lined up on both sides of the stage, and watch the performance. But they would watch the performance as themselves, not as their characters, which I found quite off putting and spoiled my experience of the show. The band was actually on the stage the whole time, featured on a band stand that the rest of the cast would pop up on from time to time. At one point though the guitar/banjo player wasnt playing for that particular piece of music, and decided it would be a good time to inspect something going on on the bottom of his shoe! I was very surprised that these professional actors and performers couldnt hold it together for the duration of the show. I guess the director didnt think this would be an issue??
Overall though, I did enjoy the show and was quite happy on my little treck back to the tube station to get the train back to the hotel.
I really am quite tired, I have walked a lot today, which as you all know is not something I am in the habit of doing, but really looking forward to tomorrow. In fact, I have a two hour walking tour lined up for myself tomorrow, but after a well deserved lie in I think!!
The flight was ok, I attempted to eat the plastic eggs and tomato that they served up, watched a bit of the movie before giving in to my body telling me that it needed to sleep. I had only managed to get about an hour and a half of sleep before getting ready to go to the airport - I was quite excited about my trip. Hopefully I didnt alarm the man on the otherside of the aisle with my mouth gaping open while I was sleeping - I'm pretty sure he was sleeping too so he wouldnt have noticed.
On landing at Heathrow I made my way to my hotel. I have decided to stay at the Yotel, I thought it sounded quite cute, and a fun way to start my trip. I had to get the heathrow express to take me from terminal 3 to 4, and as I was walking to catch the train, a local called over to me "oi lav, I wouldn't advoise leavin' your parspor' 'angin' out of yaw back pockit loike tha'". I was greatful to him for pointing out my rookie error and felt a bit daft - like a village girl out in the big city. That feeling was only to get worse when I ventured into London.
I got to the hotel and it certainly was very cute. They call it a cabin, and I imagine it is just what a cabin would be like on a ship. I will post pictures in due course. I wouldnt advise it for people who are much bigger than me though.... or anyone who is claustrophobic!
I tried to have another little nap, having only got a couple of hours sleep on the flight, but I was too excited to get on with things so I headed out into LANDAN!!!
First stop was Leicester square to pick up some half price tickets for some shows. There was a bit of a queue at the tkts stand so I went in search of a bookshop to find a guide book for London. Managed that, and then I wanted to find a local little cafe to have a bacon buttie, but I was too intimidated by the places that looked really local, so I went into a nice sterile non intimidating slug and lettuce instead.
Queued up for my ticket and got a ticket for Chicago for this evening, then quickly walked up the road and got a ticket for Mamma Mia for tomorrow night. The ticket clerk offered me a ticket on the right hand side of the theatre, meaning that most of the stage would be to my left. I asked if he had any tickets on the other side of the theatre, mentioning that I had a bit of a hearing problem, and he initially offered me another ticket, but then picking up on the deafness issue said he could give me a better ticket right in the middle for the same price! Score! I think that might be the first time that I have ever mentioned my hearing to anyone and been given a concession because of it!
I then wanted to buy a little rucksack to put my bits and pieces in and thats where things got a little bit more intimidating for me. I decided to head to Oxford Street, walking using the handy map in the guide book that I had bought. I discovered that my sense of direction is TERRIBLE!!!! I could not follow the map for love nor money, and if there was a possibility of taking a wrong turn, then, well, I took it!!! I walked all the way up New Oxford Street before I realised that I was going the wrong way, then up another road, then back along the road I had just come from before realising that the fourth and last option off the junction was the one I wanted. But once I got onto Oxford street I just wanted to get off again!!! And I started to realise the enormity of what I am trying to do. I am thinking of coming to live in this HUGE city with MILLIONS of people about the place, to try to find a job of some kind in the theatre world. I want to try to stand out, in this city of individuals. But I was the most un-individual person on the streets today!! There were people with funky glasses, people with green hair, or purple hair, or bright red hair, or all of the above. People wearing clothes that I would just feel like a pratt wearing. Me - I was in my trusty jeans, Nike trainers that I bought 5 years ago thinking that I might start running and I have been running so infrequently that they are still almost new to this day, a black tee shirt and a dark blue jacket (which by the way in a moment of madness I did consider not taking with me for this day out in London - luckily I realised my folly and grabbed it at the last minute). When I bought my little rucksack there was the option of buying a bright pink one - but I opted for the black one - so it wouldnt stand out so much...
Anyway, I was starting to flag and feeling like a very tiny little fishy in a very very big pond, so I thought an ideal solution would be a lovely glass of wine. I headed over to Covent Garden to check out the street acts who have so much confidence in their abilities that they just perform in the street and then demand anyone who stopped to watch to pay. I wonder if I will ever have that much confidence in my performance skills.
The first glass of wine went down very nicely, so I ordered a second, but then I could see a bit of a wine filled afternoon looming up in front of me, so I left the pub and went for a walk along the Thames. I had two hours until the musical started, so I thought considering my lousy sense of direction I ought to try to find the theatre. I was quite chuffed that i found it quite quickly, but then had to find a restaurant that I wouldnt be too shy to walk into and eat by myself. I hate eating at restaurants by myself. It is not fun. But then, what are you supposed to do.... not eat? I had spotted a wagamammas in the area earlier, but when I went off to try and find it I couldnt. I was a bit pooped with all this walking, us Cypriots are definately not used to it at all... so I saw a Pizza Express and thought that looked like a pretty safe bet. I ordered my Pizza and then popped down to the loo. As I came back up the stairs I heard one of the chefs call over to me.... Pizza for one eh??? I was so surprised and thought that I must have made it up in my head because I'm embarrased about it, and looked over to see if someone had really said that, and got the full effect of the slimy chef running his tongue over his lips at me oh so suggestively. "Thank you very much" I thought to myself "I pluck up the courage to go into a restaurant by myself, and this is the kind of attitude I get!!! Git!!" Lets just say I didnt leave a tip in that particular restaurant.
And then it was time to watch Chicago. I had a mixed experience watching the show. Of course I enjoyed it very much, but all the while I was thinking.... er... I want to do that???? I cant do that anywhere near as well as all of those people on stage. It occured to me that perhaps I will need to do some training to see if I can get anywhere close to that! And at the same time I was interested in the way that they had staged the show. The cast members would not go entirely off stage when they werent involved in the scene, but they would sit on chairs that were lined up on both sides of the stage, and watch the performance. But they would watch the performance as themselves, not as their characters, which I found quite off putting and spoiled my experience of the show. The band was actually on the stage the whole time, featured on a band stand that the rest of the cast would pop up on from time to time. At one point though the guitar/banjo player wasnt playing for that particular piece of music, and decided it would be a good time to inspect something going on on the bottom of his shoe! I was very surprised that these professional actors and performers couldnt hold it together for the duration of the show. I guess the director didnt think this would be an issue??
Overall though, I did enjoy the show and was quite happy on my little treck back to the tube station to get the train back to the hotel.
I really am quite tired, I have walked a lot today, which as you all know is not something I am in the habit of doing, but really looking forward to tomorrow. In fact, I have a two hour walking tour lined up for myself tomorrow, but after a well deserved lie in I think!!
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