Let's Go to London!

On Wednesday, my next-door-neighbor Jake and I took a day trip to London. We mainly went to visit the Tate Modern Museum of Art, which is right on the Thames, but we also did some city exploring. First off, we ate lunch for 5 pounds in China Town - who knew there was a China Town in London? I certainly didn't. It was here that I introduced Jake to the wonderful phenomenon of bubble tea!

He approved.

"Let's take pictures in front of thing shrine-thing."

"...and this!"

I really loved the Tate Modern - especially because it was free of charge... We spent a good 2 hours there, but then were forced to leave because the museum closed at 6. I really appreciate a good museum buddy. It seems that so many people breeze through and then get bored within 45 minutes (I know this was me when I was forced to go to all those art museums as a kid! David, you know what I'm talking about.) I suppose all of that torturous meandering through museums as a kid was actually a beneficial part of my upbringing, though I certainly didn't think so at the time. Remember Calvin's dad from Calvin and Hobbes? "It'll build character!" Just like that.

Whenever I go to art museums of any sort, I always leave with my museum guide covered in the scribbled names of artists who I liked and wanted to remember. Here are some of the pieces I was particularly struck by:

Marcel Dzama

Eerie and light comic-style of drawing - I am intrigued.

Henri Michaux

Simultaneously a giant mass of birds and ocean waves.

Giorgio de Chirico

Wonderful shadows.... and bananas.

Jannis Kounellis

Its hard to tell from this photo, but the two birds (taxidermy, for sure) were stuck to the wall with real arrows. Loved this piece and its mixed mediums. Made use of space in such an interesting, full and active way.

There was this one room that was literally plastered, floor to ceiling, with Soviet propaganda posters. Very powerful.

Rineke Dijkstra

One hour after birth, one day and one week. Think I remember seeing this in a photo book somewhere. In the real thing, the women are life-size.

After the Tate, we wondered over to a couple of bars in Soho. An interesting feeling, being one of the only females in an all male gay bar..! Good times. The last stop of the night was at this tiny, underground cabaret where the singer of the evening sang Disney songs. I was a bit bummed that it wasn't drag night, though. (Mondays, not Wednesdays.) On the drink menu, we found a bottle of champagne for 349 pounds, and then felt classy and mature in taste because we were quite obviously the youngest people there, and were at a place that sells 349 pound bottles of champagne. We settled for 4 pound bottles of beer.

I went to bed at 2:18, thinking I would wake up late, but no! I woke up at 8:45 to glorious sunshine peeking in through my curtains. I then went to a volunteer work party at Stanmer Park (right next to campus, the one I have pictures of in my second post.) They have a substantial community garden project going, similar to the other one I volunteer at. Everyone there is so friendly and good-natured and down to earth (no pun intended..) Definitely my kind of people! We were planting fruit trees for a future orchard, so I dug a really big hole, and it was SO satisfying, though left me feeling as stiff as a board the next day. While we were moving logs out of the way to plant the trees, I found lots of snails and even a little toad!

I had to leave early to go to class, and the lovely people there literally forced me to take food with me for lunch. I then found out that the class had been canceled. :(

Now for a lightning quick itinerary of my Spring Break travel plans. I will be going to: Prague, Vienna, Budapest, Zurich, Geneva, Rome, Athens and Istanbul. So excited!

More on this soon.