A lazy post...

We saw the world's most famous pile of rocks, and some ancient Roman baths. Pretty cool.

For more pictures, see this album.

English Pub (from an American Perspective)

Until Thursday night I had never been to one. But when my boss suggested that we all leave work an hour early for drinks, I wasn't going to say no.

Pubs are where English people socialize. They go with friends and meet new people, everyone buys drinks for everyone, and they stay for hours. We left the office at 4:30 that afternoon, and I didn't get back to my dorm until 10:30 that night. Good times.

I went with my boss and a few people from the office. It was nice to get to know them outside of their jobs. They asked me several times during the course of the night if I was having a good time. I guess they thought I wasn't because I wasn't drinking beer. But I did have a great time, and I enjoyed my Sprite.

The guys from the office introduced me to some of their friends, we watched the Spain-Russia football game together with everyone else in the pub, and celebrated when Spain won.

It was a great insight into everyday British life. I had fun, even though I wasn't drunk. I might even go back sometime, just for the social interaction.

Wimbledon

Yeah, I went there. It’s a kind of Mecca for classy people with lots of money, sharp brand-name blazers and sweater-vests, and a very refined sense of entertainment.

…Well, then there’s me. I have neither money nor a sweater vest. But I do find tennis very entertaining.

My friend was able to get free grounds passes for my roommate and me. Grounds passes allow you access to all courts except two: No.1 Court and Centre Court. Which of course is where the really famous people play. People like Roger Federer and Ana Ivanovic. It’s been my dream to watch one of Federer’s matches on Centre Court, but alas, I can’t afford the £195 tickets. I suppose I’ll just have to be content with having walked on the grounds where he has been.

I did get to watch a very good match, however, between Fernando Verdasco and Olivier Rochus. Verdasco is ranked #22 in the Wimbledon lineup, so he’s quite good. And I feel a sort of connection with him because he’s left-handed (we lefties have to stick together). The match was excellent. Both men played very well, but Verdasco seemed to have more control and use less effort. Rochus made the ever-popular “tennis grunt” every time he hit the ball, while Verdasco remained mostly silent on his shots. In the end Verdasco was the victor: 7-6, 6-7, 6-1, 6-1. Great match.

After the match we ran around the grounds taking pictures and purchasing ridiculously-priced food and souvenirs. Like I said, Wimbledon is a place for people with lots of money. But it was definitely the highlight of my week.

Bus Tour

I'll admit, I wasn't too keen on the idea. Spend my Saturday morning on an open-top, double-decker bus riding around London? That's what old people do. All I need now are my bermuda shorts and straw hat.

We walked outside to get on the bus this morning, and it was raining. Jessi and I decided we didn't care (along with several other members of our group) and headed for the open top deck. We could take better pictures from up there. Or so I thought.

As soon as we started going, I realized it was going to be more difficult than I thought to get the pictures I wanted. Everyone else was trying to get the same pictures I was hoping to get, so their cameras, heads, and arms were constantly in my shots. And the bus just kept moving. We only made one stop, at the Tower of London, where we were allowed to get out and look around for about 15 minutes. But the rest of the time we were just zooming through the streets, and I was frantically trying to snap pictures of all the major landmarks before they were obstructed by trees or street light poles.

We stopped for lunch at a swanky bar and club called Sugar Reef. It was quite good. After lunch we were supposed to continue on the tour, but Jessi and I opted to go back to the Tower of London and tour the inside. 

We went on a great tour of the grounds inside, gawked at the sparkling crown jewels, learned all sorts of fascinating things about the history of the fortress, and were reprimanded by our tour guide because, as he put it, "If you Americans had paid your taxes, this could have been YOUR history, too." Oh well.

I took about 100 pictures today. Not many of them are worth posting. I did my best.

STOMP

Last night was Friday night, and as such, my roommate and I felt a compelling need to plan something fun. So that afternoon when I got off work I ran over to Leicester Square (pronounced LESS-ter...why all the extra letters? Couldn't say. Probably the same reason that Worchestershire has all those extra letters.)

Leicester Square is at the heart of the theatre district. It also happens to be about two minutes' stroll from where I work on St. Martin's Lane. In the middle of Leicester Square there is a ticket booth that sells tickets for many of the theatre shows at half-price. Which is great when you are a poor starving college student working 40 hours a week and not getting paid for any of it. The only catch is that you have to buy them on the day of the show. I wanted to see Stomp, and it was on sale at the half-price ticket booth for, well, half price. So instead of paying £45 per ticket I paid £22.50 (plus a £2.50 service charge, but still...) And that was for seats that were eight rows back from the front on the side with a clear view of the stage. Not bad, if you ask me.

So that night Jessi and I went to see the show. I'll just tell you right now, if you ever get a chance to see it, DO IT! I loved it.

Stomp is a percussion ensemble made up of eight or nine people. They perform several numbers clapping, snapping, and hammering out rhythms on just about anything you can imagine...INCLUDING the kitchen sink. They use everything from trash cans to Altoids boxes to newspapers to water jugs to toilet plungers...and yes, there was a number that four of the members performed with kitchen sinks full of water strung around their necks. Not only are the rhythms and audio ensemble incredible, but the visual aspect is mesmerizing as well. They move around the stage and interact with each other while still keeping the beat and acting natural.

There's also a brilliant comedic element to the show, and it's achieved only through actions and facial expressions. There is no verbal conversation in the whole performance. In fact, aside from the occasional shout or mumbling in gibberish during part of the show, there are no words at all. But each performer has a distinct character, developed entirely through his or her interactions with the others in the group, as well as with the audience. The performers responded to laughter in the audience, and even led us in some call-response numbers. One of the performers would step out in front and clap/snap/stomp, and we would imitate his rhythm, while the other performers drummed out an accompaniment with various...instruments (like 50-gallon plastic drums and large metal buckets.)

I've wanted to see this show for years, and all I'm trying to say is that it was TOTALLY WORTH IT!

Always read the instructions

I bought an iron yesterday. It's travel-size, complete with steam jet and folding handle. Used it for the first time this morning. I melted a hole in my shirt. I turned over the tag on the shirt to find the words "warm iron, no steam"...

Always read the instructions.

First Day on the Job

Today was my first day working at EuroNews. I left the dorm this morning with plenty of time to get to the office. Too much, in fact. Even though the tube station was INSANE this morning and I had to wait for the next train because the first one was jam-packed, I arrived at the office shortly before nine, and I was the first one there. About ten minutes later, Fred (who works there) arrived with the keys. I introduced myself to him and he showed me around the office. He also took me across the street to a little cafe and told me a little bit about the history of EuroNews. We had a great discussion about publicly and privately owned news stations. Publicly-funded news stations are much more prevalent in Europe. There are some noticeable differences in public news. It's more straightforward and neutral, because the stations receive their money from the government rather than from advertising. There's less pressure to "sell" the news, so to speak, so there's less focus on entertainment value. He contrasted EuroNews with Fox news, which is probably about the biggest contrast you could draw. Just reading the headlines on their websites reveals how much hype we Americans put into our news. It's interesting to compare the two.

After Fred and I got back to the office, I met the other interns that I'll be working with. And I got my first responsibility: laminating. Yes, I am an intern, and as such, I do have to complete menial tasks. Menial tasks that take as much as two hours to complete. I'm not complaining, though. I was working together with Jessica, another intern, so we talked and got to know each other. It was good. And, after ruining a few pages in the experimental phases, I now feel very confident in my ability to operate a laminating machine.

My boss was in France today on business, and this afternoon, the other two paid staff members left to join him. Meaning the office was left in the hands of the interns. There are four interns in the office: myself and Tim and Jessica, all from the States, and Charlotte, from France. We all went out to lunch. One thing I love about London: there are so many great places to eat. There are little pubs and cafes on practically every street corner.

When we finished lunch I received a crash course in all my internship responsibilities, courtesy of Tim. And soon after that, I left for the day.


I think I'm going to love working there. The people are great, the work is interesting, and the location is awesome. After work I walked for two minutes down to Trafalgar Square. And yes, I had my camera with me this time. It was amazing. And there was a great view of Big Ben. I also wandered into the National Gallery and lost myself in the incredible collection of artwork. I could spend all day in there. And it's free! Except for the special exhibits; you have to pay to see those. But I can go and see the work of Manet, Seurat, Titian, Goya, Monet, etc. without paying a dime. I love London.