Channeling a Screech Owl. Left my snowy white coat in London with the rest of the magic.

My flatmates are a big part of the reason why I can't currently think of Newcastle fondly. They and the rest of the college students here are stunning sometimes.  One of the reasons I came here was to escape the superficiality of my generation but now that I'm here I'm stuck in this everlasting *facepalm* moment. Don't get me wrong, I like a lot of the British kids I have met from around up here. And I still love London and spending the last week of my Spring Break there with my grandparents rekindled my flame for England herself. Maybe it's the New Yorker in me that will always be more taken in by the big city and sophisticated image. I would still love to live in Leicester Square one day, spend my days wandering through Covent Gardens ad my nights musical-hopping. Despite the way the rest of the college students here seem perfectly gung-ho about turning the best years of their lives into one large chug of a treble and a fist-pump, my favorite way to spend an evening is by going to see what happens when ordinary people with extraordinary voices step onto stage and become larger than life. Especially if the experience is anything like Jersey Boys at the Prince Edwards theater.

You guys, this performance was INCREDIBLE! When I got to London, my grandparents were like, "hmm maybe we should see if we could get tickets to this." They knew it was about Frankie Valli and the Four Season whose music they love. I knew even less than that, just that it was about a quartet, that it was acclaimed, and that my mom has been trying to get tickets to it for about two years now. So I was all, YES! because I love musicals, because my grandparents have a record for taking me to see shows that are off the charts! (ex: Best performance you could EVER see of Les Mis at a small theater in Mesa, Arizona) and because I love everything I know about the fifties. 

Little did I know that I was going to see the best performance I've seen to date. So good I started to get sad a little ways into the second act because I knew it would be over soon and as my ears perked to the sound of the awesome music, and we laughed at the practically flawless script (and laughed uncomfortably AT the guy playing Gyp DeCarle who just had a ridiculous Jersey accent that made me have a flashback to the January showing of Footloose when my friends and I left the theater going: Where could they have been from?! He sounded like he was from Boston and then at moments he was sort of British except when he was Irish...) I was already plotting the fastest way to see it again. In the SECOND ROW. My grandparents rock ya'll.

Perhaps the most startling thing was that we didn't see the regular lead, or even the understudy apparently! Instead we saw Frankie played by this guy named Tom Oakley, and judging from the star power he had I am literally weak in the knees imagining what the usual guy is like. To add to my delight, my Grandfather also loved it and said it was one of the best he's ever seen. My grandfather has lived so it always makes me excited when he seems as jazzed about something we experience together as I am.

Other highlights of my fabulous sojourn in London include, but at not limited too:

1) When I ventured to Portabello Road for the first time and my Mimi bought me the BEST MOTHEREFFING SHOES on the planet! They are from this fabulous little shop that sells stuff that plays on a vintage theme but looks shiny and brand new. I want to live in this store:

It's actually just off of Portabello Road. And unlike a lot of what you'll find at the market, it is not cheap. And yet my Mimi who is amazing and kind of a hippie spotted these shoes in the window, encouraged me to enter the store, encouraged me to try on the shoes, and agreed to buy them without blinking an eye at the price because she said they looked so London!-they do!- and that every 21 year old should own a pair of shoes like these. She shops like I do!!

 So without further ado: 

Can't decide if the tissue box makes it artsy or cheaper looking.  I don't know! It's  my first time trying for a fashion-y photo ok? 

Aren't they just wild?! I make inappropriate NnUGH! sounds when I look at them and they look SO good on. And I suppose some people would think these shoes are par for the course with the fashion scene in England but you would be wrong because what I generally see the trend being are strappy fuck me shoes with really really high heels and platforms all in one solid color. And those are fine- hot, whatever- but they are not fashion ladies and gentleman. With finds like these, you never forget where you were when you saw them for the first time, how your heart raced and your hands got all sweaty, and then the trickle of disbelief and ecstasy when you realized that they were going to be yours, all yours. You look at them and you're transported back to, in this case, London, April 2011 when you were 20 going on 21 and had the world at your feet. Or should that be on your feet? 

As we checked out, my grandfather facetiously held up this card:

That's all I'm saying! 

But just to clarify. I'm not saying purchases like these have to be expensive. Things can be cheap and still let you have that moment. This particular moment just cost a bit more. 

And that moment continued into the next day when I pranced them all about Covent Garden and into my favorite jewelry store, Accessorize. It's an awesome, awesome chain- chique, funky Modcloth style for half the price- and I am ecstatic that a store just opened in the mall near my house in New York. One of the reasons that store makes me so happy just to be inside of it is that the girls in there have good taste. For instance, when I was trying on sunglasses in there (and btw England, what is WITH the sunglasses in your chain stores? None of them settle on the face right. I had this problem in H&M too) the girl behind the counter scampered over to me and said, "Excuse me, I just have to tell you that your shoes are absolutely amazing. Where did you get them from?" and then a few minutes later another salesgirl tapped me on the shoulder and laughed, "I was listening earlier. Where did you get those shoes from again?"

After I was oohed and ahhed at as we checked out, we happily made our purchases (great flip flops for my grandma who didn't realize they are not commonly $30 - they were her first pair!- and this guy!!

for me! I collect owls because I'm an owl! See?

Tip for those living in England for a while:  buy a change purse for your big pound and two pound coins along with all the crazy different types of coins you'll pick if you decide to travel on the continent. I bought one and had to replace it with this one because it was too small! The owl is a good size)

2) After checking out, we made our rejuvenated way over to this little cafe in a secluded, downstairs area of Covent Garden where we met my Gampy for glasses of wine and where we were treated to an excellent performance by a troupe of goofy violin players called Oopsie who made the funniest expressions while they played, had choreogaphy thrown in there, and best of all, played to the children. We had two adorable little kids, an older girl and her brother, drop change into the group's case and pull up chairs next to us. The 5 payers surrounded them and played sweet songs for them and one of the guys made heart eyes at the girl causing her to giggle uncontrollably. We bought their CD but I wish there was a DVD too! 

3) Hamlet at the Globe! The lead was great! 

The only downside was this poll was in our way = /

4) The Tower of London where we had a fantastic Beafeater for our tour guide. I've been to the Tower three times and it remains one of my favorite things to do in England. Those stories do not get old and it is impossible to remember all of them so a refresher is always nice. I knew about the death of the two little Princes by King Richard III in the bloody tower, and about Anne Boleyn but I DID NOT know her execution story. Apparently, her executioner's heart wasn't really in it because she was supposedly quite beautiful and non-threatening. On her execution day, a resigned Anne walked up Tower Hill to her execution spot, clasped her hands in front of her and started to pray. Her executioner, wanting to quell her terror by catching her off guard shouted "Where is my sword!!" and swung. Apparently- I don't even know if this is possible- but when he held her head up the crowd gasped. Anne's eyes were still moving back and forth and her mouth was moving in silent prayer. 

Goosebumps right? That's just the story I remember the most. There are so many other great ones. I really want to see The Other Boleyn Girl with Natalie Portman and Scarlett Johansson and read all of those books now! The English monarchial tradition is fascinating.  

I also saw a Tower Raven! They're ginormous! 

My Mimi actually joined me in hypothesizing what the other, normal sized birds think of when they see these guys for the first time. Something along the lines of, "Oh my god! What's that." "Just be quiet, wait for it to leave" "It's not leaving!"

She's so great. 

5) And at the Tower, I accidentally ran into Natasha Bedingfield. I'm not a huge fan or anything but this is notable because these types of things never happen to me. If I meet a famous person, it's usually the culmination of months of planning, saving, and persuading my parents to let me go and then convince my best friend to "just COME to the PATD show at Jones Beach. I will physically pay for you to stand there with me and hear good music and see my favorite piece of eye candy. BRENDON URIE for FREE woman!" 

So we're standing at the entrance to the Tower and all of a sudden this woman starts singing "Unwritten" and its jaw-droppingly good and I couldn't imagine a cover that good and I could only see her from behind but she was blonde and had great shoes and there were a ton of people watching her so I asked someone. I asked, "Is that Natasha Bedingfield?" and they said "Yes" so I was like "OH MY GOSH..wait...could I..maybe I could" and I bantered a bit with the security guy who finally let me out with the promise that yes, I would take less than five minutes,yes, and then I ran over to the gate where other fans were standing so I could get a picture of her on stage but the song was over = / but then she was walking towards me : ) and then she was IN FRONT of me taking a picture with the fans next to me and then this happened!

She's very pretty in person. And she seemed sweet.
A bit harried but nice. 

6) I'm gonna do a lump sum here cause I'm tired and this is getting long. Spinach and Mushroom crepes outside of St. Pauls, visiting the Cathedral with my Mimi who was seeing it for the first time, trying turkish food for the first time and best god-darn hummus I've ever had.

View of the Millenium Bridge and St. Pauls from the Globe. 

Yes, when my Gampy and Mimi travel they like to luxuriate in food and culture which is just another one of a hundred reasons why they are two of my favorite people on the planet! This trip has been in the making for years as they've told me mouthwatering travel stories that made me itch to do it for myself, but I have also always wanted to do it together, to see it firsthand. My Gampy hadn't been to London in 40 years. My Mimi hadn't been for a long time either. And I was really proud and honored, after all these years of having them introducing me to beautiful things in the world, to be able to show them some of my favorites.

So yes, I was living the good life during that time in London. And then I was on the train home and I spotted the neon of the life center sign and my shoulders hunched, the sense of unease rising slowly. Then I came back to my flat where I barely talk to my flatmates, where I've spent the last few months not feeling very well, in a city where there isn't much to do. And well, I won't ramble. I'll just post this. I wish it was more of an exaggeration. There are a few diamonds in the rough but her description of how she acts on a night out, and the way she looks, is pretty close to the norm.

http://www.mtv.co.uk/shows/geordie-shore/video/geordie-shore-sophie-interview

Yep, that's my current city. Oh and my flatmates would rather watch THIS than "Glee". As if they could ever actually "watch" anything at all though since they still haven't managed to ascertain the proper way to act when watching something in the living room. Even when we got along back in the beginning of the year there was a night when Elizabeth I came on and they proceeded to talk so incessantly and so loudly that I finally had to point out that I was watching the movie. And then, the other day one of my flatmates and I are watching Wifeswap, two other flatmates enter, and I could not hear one more word anyone on screen said. The baffling thing about it was that they were laughing and commenting on the show. I wondered how this was possible when they surely could not hear what was going on. And then today I'm watching "Glee" and the doorbell rings. I let my flatmate's dentist buddies in who apparently came over to watch the premier of "Made in Chelsea". My flatmate enters the common room. Glee is over for me. I am sitting two feet away from the screen, the actors and actresses are singing, but the meaning behind their moving lips is no longer accessible to me. I give up and go to make soup and laugh awkwardly as everyone talks over Chris Colfer belting in the background. Chris Colfer has a beautiful voice especially in "As If We Never Said Goodbye" but I don't think there can be a more awkward form of background noise. My flatmate commented on it. She said, "Oh my god, I don't get it. It's so embarrassing. Why would you just belt out a song out of nowhere?"

Um, because it's Glee, and there's a format to Will Schuster's lessons and the kid's performances, and I doubt he anticipated that he would have your skittish and unappreciative attention?

I wandered back in for "Made in Chelsea". Ask me how it was. I couldn't tell you but maybe they could seeing as there was, again, an awe-inducing running commentary on the show they weren't watching. I mean yes, it's reality TV so its bound to be awful but whatever small amount of plot was there was pretty much incomprehensible. Then one girl goes, "Have you ever seen Remember Me with Robert Pattinson. Oh my god we have to watch it!" I left before I burst. "Watch" it! Ha! That's a laugh!

I'm not answering the doorbell anymore.

Newcastle makes me tired.

Abbey Road

Clearly, I have already shot to hell the notion in my bio that this blog would aim to avoid hodgepodgery since that's all I seem to be offering. But that was my fault; I never should have made such a suggestion. I mean, who would want to avoid something like that? It's easily one of the best words ever. It sounds like Hedgehog and who doesn't want to think about hedgehogs?....


Regardless, I have done a very poor job of fulfilling the intended purpose of this journal and for that, to all my nonexistent readers, my heartfelt apologies. I SWEAR the search for the camera cord is alive and well, although there is a fair chance that the camera cord is neither, here nor there.


So to tie nobody over (so mainly just to add to my slowly building filesofawesome), here is something amazing. It makes me want to weep with both joy and nostalgia. But what it actually makes me do is grin ridiculously.


Panic at the Disco: Cover of The Band's song "The Weight" live from Abbey Road studios
Source: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jYbWsJQmMss

Oh hey, I was there. 

 The Beatles made it famous in the fall of 1969

Panic made it personally resonant for me in 2008 ( not sure what season, but it sure looks like the English Winter). And hey, they're totally just running across the street to avoid traffic and not trying to be fan-dorks like we were.

And that's us!! I think it came out pretty good, despite the strenuous circumstances! Has anyone ever told you that Abbey Road is the busiest street in the world?!  In addition, it is also the one crossway in England devoid of crossing signals. You can literally feel the aggravation of the drivers, imagine them returning home to their families grumbling, "those damn kids again..." So we had to stand on the right, wait for the millisecond of space between cars, race to the other side, scramble into single file, and then dash back. Rinse and Repeat about three times. It was pretty hilarious though. That white building, right behind us and towards the left, those are the studios!

Being there, it really felt like we were a part of history. Watching the other tourists was also fun, all of us trying  to snag our chance to cross the road. I imagine that regular townspeople on their way to work etc. avoid that road as much as possible. There was one particularly tenacious girl who stood exactly in the center of the road as cars whizzed past her, for about 5 minutes, just so she could get the perfect shot of her friends.  #themeaningoffriendship

After we finally got the shot, we headed back over to the other side of the street to make wide eyes through the gates of the studio, and to add our names to the brick columns outside of it. 

I looked frantically for Panics' names but sadly, I couldn't find them. However, it's entirely possible that the boys of Panic, being actually famous and having been allowed into the studios, invited in really on two seperate occasions, considered themselves above all that.

Eh, they're such dorks and avid Beatles fans. The names were probably there. Maybe the problem was that we were in a perpetual hurry.


As we stood there, this adorable girl with a tourist agency came up to us and asked us a bunch of questions. Like:

"If there was a cafe or a little eatery that featured all Beatles Stuff, would you go to that?"
"What should it be called?" (Vote "Lonely Hearts Cafe!")
"What about if there was a shop full of memorabilia off of the cafe? Would you shop there?"

Um...this doesn't already exist? Where am I supposed to get all my Beatles stuff?! 

So another trip to London is now required to pick up a couple of original vinyl recordings, but I guess it won't be too inconvenient. It's only one of the most beautiful cities in the world.

So even though I didn't make it to Madame Tussaud's Gaga exhibit in London, I've discovered that there are even better opportunities to worship. Namely, the figures in Amsterdam, Berlin, and quite possibly, Hollywood.

Berlin Gaga: Mover to Shaker

This is my favorite Gaga wax figure! The Paparazzi video was, in my opinion, that moment Lady Gaga transitioned from a rising popstar to a reigning queen of Pop.  From the lyrics to the dialogue, to the wardrobe to the color scheme of the teacups, this video is pure Cinema, pure artistry. So far, it has been my favorite thing that she has put out thus far, with the song Speechless coming in a close 2nd. Now the wax figure isn't actually from the video but the hair and glasses remind me a lot of the scene where she poisons her lover wearing that ridiculously fabulous mousy one piece. And these boots are killer. 

Amsterdam Gaga: Style 360

 (Here I will take the liberty of generalizing 

about a city that I have never been to.) Only in Amsterdam would this sort of style statement be acceptable. Looking closely at the image, it becomes apparent that she is wearing a tan Leotard, but from far away she looks naked, a look that I'm sure was intended with both the figure and when the diva originally donned the outfit. I just love the colors here! and the idea that shoulder pads and great shoes can make or break a wardrobe. And look at the pose! The girl is one of the best at posing in the industry. This is what I admire and find so enviable about this woman. 24/7 100% commitment to the image. In my opinion, if you are intending to plant yourself next to either of these figures,  your clothing and attitude should portray nothing less( ie: this venture will require a bit of shopping. ) Luckily, Christmas is fast approaching!

 The Hong Kong and White Hollywood (2010 Brit Awards) outfits are also major but for me, Berlin and Amsterdam tie for the win! I've been trying to get to Amsterdam for the whole semester, but it hasn't worked out because of timing and plane fairs. Hopefully, next semester will offer a better forecast. 

Turkish heat wave

Two days of Top Chefs Just Desserts Marathon has given me a new gay boy to flail over. Yigit Pura- expert Pastry Chef, fine hunk of Turkish boy meat, the talent of making wonderful and varied facial expressions but always staying beautiful, polite, proactive, meticulous, adorable, fun, sweet... I would be severely hard-pressed to find anything with a pulse that did not immediately want to rub up the leg of this handsome creature.

Yigit Pura, raising the profile of Turkish boys everywhere. Hopefully, there are some straight ones that are this pretty and delightful.

To see Yigit being beautiful and adorable in motion, click here

In addition, you can see about 10 hours of Yigit by watching the first season of Top Chef Just Desserts! Most of the episodes can be found on sidereel. It's such a great show, even if you aren't at all familiar with the art of making desserts. I didn't have a clue but I've always been an avid fan of Top Chef and Bravo and I got into this just as quickly, if not more. The show and contestants were more fun and exuberant than most of those who have been on Top Chef and their technique was fascinating to watch. Bravo always makes me want to work with my hands, and the whole time I was wishing that the roads here weren't covered in ice so I could whip down to the grocery store and grab some yummy ingredients.

AN ADDITIONAL AND VERY SERIOUS WARNING: Do not watch Top Chef or TC Just Desserts on an empty stomach, or worse, with an empty fridge.

And now, back to Yigit, just for a second. Baby Boy lends himself to so many delicious pastry puns and a bunch are whipping through my head right now...

Yigit, the ultimate Turkish delight whose Mama raised him right.

Eat the chef, not the pastry.

Guys, there're really terrible ones with the words dessert and cherry and more defamation of the Turkish culture coming through, so I'm gonna sign off before my blush takes over my entire body...

I still cannot find my camera cord...

so I will attempt to regale you with an anecdote from today

I'm starting to think that the universe's new joke is that all of my travel destinations receive unprecedented amounts of snowfall. Last year with Snowmageddon 2010 in Baltimore, two weekends ago in Dublin where walking tours took twice as long because the tourists had to climb each of the frost-coated hills twice, and now in Newcastle. Today I was very reluctantly trudging in the general direction of the building in which my Theology class was in (Can't call it the Theology building, because not all buildings have assigned subjects at Newcastle University. Yes, it's quite convenient). I was tired and not in the best of spirits because it was about 30 degrees F. and snow covered every part of the ground that wasn't mud or ice. Mere moments after stepping out the door, my toes were frozen to the tips of my pink and black argyle patterned "wellies."

So there I was crossing in front of the Sports Centre when a car pulled in at the end of the parking lot and I heard a yell. I looked up in time to see this blonde girl throw herself out of her car door with a blustering bellow of a shout that worked as a summons for the flustered but amused smaller girl standing just to the side of her. The louder girl, who had landed on her knees in the snow in her earlier excitement, flung herself around the car and pounced on her friend, laughing outrageously so that every "ha" in the three succeeding "ha, ha, ha" s could be heard clearly. They both went on laughing while next to them stood the figure of a bewildered, but also amused, lad and I wondered if he had heard stories about how crazy the blonde was from her friend and if this was the first face-to-face impression that would set the premise for a visit full of excitement and scandal.

The rest of the walk felt a little bit warmer.

If I didn't have enough to see in London...

"Gaga Daily is giving away tickets for you and a friend to see the unveiling of the Lady Gaga wax figure at Madame Tussauds London, which will take place on December 9th!

In the most ambitious figure launch in Madame Tussauds history, London joins seven other attractions around the world revealing new Lady Gaga figures. Each will depict the fashion icon in a totally different style and details about which city is getting which outfit are being kept a closely guarded secret until the moment they are revealed."

Whether or not you like her , this is a pretty amazing accomplishment for anyone.

My friends and I will be there on December 17th! Maybe we'll have to make a quick stop.

Edit 15/12- We did not in fact get to the Wax Museum as it is pretty expensive and I was traveling with a few people who are nearly utterly consumed with only their plans and destinations but hey, there's always time in the Spring. It was still a great day. When that pesky camera cord materializes I will write all about it.

Fact: Budding winter romances are inevitable when surrounded by oak, leather, and divine school uniforms

I want a place where I can sing at the top of my lungs.

Also, someone to duet "Baby It's Cold Outside" with.

Fine, FINE! I'll link it. Sony is ruining all my fun. First when I try to upload the clip Blogger just doesn't and now that I've found software that allows me to steal videos from YouTube (mwahahaha) they remove the one clip that every single media source was using! At least I avoided linking to Perez. That was a scary moment.

Ok, click here to watch Kurt and Blaine's duet for the ages.

I really cannot recommend the Glee Christmas Album enough! Thankfully, my sister has already assured me that it has a place on the family christmas list. I've only heard the songs from the episode, and the full versions of Baby It's Cold Outside, Last Christmas, and O Holy Night, but they are all outstanding! Lea Michele shines on this album in a way that she hasn't been allowed to this whole season. 

Also, I bought the studio version of Baby Its Cold Outside from iTunes. Never have I been so sad to hear a song come to its end.


mnph. dead.

edit: 04.02.201l
Song has 65 plays on my itunes.