Poor, poor Will. Shakespeare, that is. He would have committed a highly dramatic and eloquent suicide if he had watched the Royal Shakespeare Company's production of Romeo and Juliet.
But let me start at the beginning.
Saturday last, Shannon, Alex and I journeyed forth to Stratford-Upon-Avon, which is known for being the home of one William Shakespeare. Upon arrival, we found our way from the train station, through the quaint town and down to the River Avon. As I walked through the village I truly felt that I was on the set of Shakespeare In Love...only there was no Bard hottie with a six pack rushing manically around. It appeared that some of the architecture from the 1500s still stands, adding to the antiquated air present in town. After reaching the end of the cobble-stoned street, we intrepid explorers started off onto the muddy path along the Avon. Many pictures were taken, ancient houses with miniscule doors were cooed over and a general sense of excitement pervaded the party. It must be said that Stratford is among the more cozy and homey villages I have visited thus far, and with the budding trees, the infant flowers, and the quaint vistas it seemed a charming locale in which to live. Never fear, dear reader - I promise not to set root there! Well...not yet.
But, I digress. As I was saying, we adventurous lot made our way down the Avon and ended up at the church in which darling Will's bones lie. Apparently the playwrite gave specific instructions against his bones being moved to Westminster Abbey...they were carved in his tombstone and were something to the effect of, "Whomsoever moves my bones shall be cursed." Ok, it was far more eloquent than that, and I do believe it rhymed...but that was the main sentiment expressed. Later, we walked back to town and saw Shakespeare's house, and the school he attended...needless to say there was much uncontained excitement in the form of clasped hands, gasps of delight and prancing in the streets.
And now most loyal reader, we reach the low point, the disaster, the eye-gouging pain if you will. A little background into the Views of Lauren would indicate an impatience for Romeo and Juliet in the first place. Romeo's emo and childish behavior as well as his fickle personality make me hard pressed to take him seriously or become emotionally attached to his well-being. While less annoying than her male counterpart, Juliet is the epitome of a naive teenager. Not only does she decide it would be a good idea to marry a boy a couple hours after making his acquaintance, but she adds to this stupidity by taking a roofie from a priest. Ummm....Juliet....darling? I know teenagers are supposed to make stupid mistakes, but yours are...well...they're fatal, now aren't they?
Despite my cynical views on "the greatest love story ever", I sat down in my seat expecting to see a great performance. My dahlings, it was horrendous. While some of the actors were truly abominable, I believe most of the performers would have done better had the direction been anywhere close to decent. At one point, the director felt it necessary to have the messenger sing his lines to Romeo in an extremely high and out of tune falsetto. Why, you ask? I don't know. I just don't know. After the initial shock wore off, I found it necessary to stuff my fist in my mouth to keep from loudly guffawing. As it was I was forcibly shaking with laughter. Now it wasn't going to do at all that the messenger should sing only once; oh no! He was called upon to do so again during the death scene. I must say that I never before envied Romeo and Juliet their deaths, but at that moment, I was a bit jealous.
Speaking of the deaths, they were so awkward I didn't know whether to cry with mortification or laugh outright. Alas, it did bring tears to my eyes, but for all the wrong reasons. Romeo felt compelled to drink his pint (yes, pint) of poison out of a water bottle that took a great while for him to chug - it rather ruined the intensity of the moment. He then proclaimed, "Thus, with a kiss, I die!" but he didn't kiss Juliet. Apparently the director felt that the need to match words with their indicated action was overrated and unnecessary. A brave choice on his part I must say. Then Juliet, not to be outdone, gave three long, piercing screams that ended with a gurgle as she stabbed herself, and collapsed in a truly Acting 101 fashion.
In conclusion, when a play is three hours long, and you catch yourself looking at your watch every two minutes, you come to realize that it doesn't hold much merit. Poor, dear Will. What did he do to deserve his art being butchered thus?
Tomorrow I am going to get massacred at my violin lesson so if you hear from me no more, it is because I have died a truly gruesome death - most likely by being impaled several times with my bow. If I survive, I'll regale you with my adventures in Edinburgh in my next post.
Anon!
Lauren
Monday, April 5, 2010
The Good, the Bad, and the Really, Really Ugly
The Good
So here is a catch up of what I did this past weekend divided into how much I liked each thing. On Thursday, our history class went to St. Paul's Cathedral. Amazing. It is so beautiful inside that I was just blown away. I also climbed to the top and got a good view of the city. Then, on Friday, my friend Alex, her friend Helen, and I got up early and went to stand in line for a Van Gogh exhibition. You heard correctly. We got up at 8 am so we could get to the Royal Academy of Arts and get in line for a ticket office that opened at 10 am. Now who says young people aren't cultured? We got there at 8:45 and were the fourth group in line. By 10 o'clock, there were at least 100 people standing in line. So we got in right away and went through the exhibition which featured many of Van Gogh's paintings, but also his letters that he wrote to his brother and his artist friends. It was a really good exhibition and I'm really glad we stood in line for it. After that, we went to Fortnum and Mason and I got a chocolate cupcake that was pretty good. We then went for lunch at a pub called Ye Grapes. Now, here's a fun fact about pubs in London: the newest and most posh thing for them to do is to have a Thai restaurant within their pub. I've been to a pub near my flat called The Churchill Arms a few times for Thai food, but we'd heard this place was better, so w decided to check it out. It was good, but not as good as the Churchill. Finally, Alex and I went to the Wallace Collection. It is a private collection of art in a fancy house. Rococo art plus a beautiful, well-furnished old house equals perfection in my eyes. It was a really cool collection.
The Bad
The weather here has been cold and rainy and we are about ready to kill anybody who tells us that it is 70 and sunny in the Midwest.
The Really, Really Ugly
On Saturday, Lauren, Alex, and I went to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. The town itself wasn't bad at all; we got some really good food and cake at the market, but we timed it wrong. We wanted to see a play of course, but to see an evening show means staying the night as there is no train that late at night. However, since it was Easter weekend, no one was booking for just one night. So we saw the matinee of Romeo and Juliet (which I will get to). This meant that the play was from 1-4:15 so by the time it was over, most of the attractions and stores and such were closed. We did see Shakespeare's grave and the outside of his house where he was born, but that was kind of it.
Now, the play. I don't even know where to start except to say it was just awful. I was so disappointed because I'd really been hoping that the Royal Shakespeare Company's version of Romeo and Juliet was going to be awesome. Unfortunately because they are so famous, I think they are expected to try new things and new concepts which is fair because if the RSC performed Romeo and Juliet the same way as it has always been played, they would probably get a lot of crap for it. Instead, they tried something new and I'm going to give it a crap review. It wasn't one of those plays where you could say, "Well, if only Romeo had been a bit better it would have been okay," EVERYTHING was wrong and bad. The directing, the costumes, the staging, and the acting. I don't think any of the lines were cut, not even speeches that are traditionally cut, so the play was really long. The director decided to put Romeo and Juliet in modern day dress (jeans, sweatshirts, and Converse) while everyone else was in Elizabethan attire. Lauren, Alex, and I put our heads together about this and decided that the director was going for a "they were ahead of their time" thing because at the end, everyone comes out in modern clothes. So everyone around R&J was so stuck in their ways that they seemed Elizabethan while R&J's love was modern. Right, because a 14 year old girl marrying some twenty-something year old would be totally accepted now a days. Please. Anyway, the acting was not good either. R&J barely looked at each other when they were talking to one another, let alone touch. Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, was one of the worst actors I've seen. And Mercutio. Oh my God, I don't even know what to say about him. To be fair, it was mostly the director's fault, because they decided to take him in a really perverse direction. Mercutio is the comedy in the play and is known for making some not very discreet speeches about love and sex. There was NOTHING discreet about his speeches in this version. I won't describe to you what he did because I do not wish to scar any of you and to be honest, I was cringing and not watching half of it and really really hoping that the young children in the audience were not getting it at all. Mercutio is one of the best parts of R&J for me, but in this version, I was literally thinking "Thank God he dies soon." The only redeeming factor was that the Friar and the Prince were both pretty good, but they have relatively small parts. So, really disappointing. :(
So here is a catch up of what I did this past weekend divided into how much I liked each thing. On Thursday, our history class went to St. Paul's Cathedral. Amazing. It is so beautiful inside that I was just blown away. I also climbed to the top and got a good view of the city. Then, on Friday, my friend Alex, her friend Helen, and I got up early and went to stand in line for a Van Gogh exhibition. You heard correctly. We got up at 8 am so we could get to the Royal Academy of Arts and get in line for a ticket office that opened at 10 am. Now who says young people aren't cultured? We got there at 8:45 and were the fourth group in line. By 10 o'clock, there were at least 100 people standing in line. So we got in right away and went through the exhibition which featured many of Van Gogh's paintings, but also his letters that he wrote to his brother and his artist friends. It was a really good exhibition and I'm really glad we stood in line for it. After that, we went to Fortnum and Mason and I got a chocolate cupcake that was pretty good. We then went for lunch at a pub called Ye Grapes. Now, here's a fun fact about pubs in London: the newest and most posh thing for them to do is to have a Thai restaurant within their pub. I've been to a pub near my flat called The Churchill Arms a few times for Thai food, but we'd heard this place was better, so w decided to check it out. It was good, but not as good as the Churchill. Finally, Alex and I went to the Wallace Collection. It is a private collection of art in a fancy house. Rococo art plus a beautiful, well-furnished old house equals perfection in my eyes. It was a really cool collection.
The Bad
The weather here has been cold and rainy and we are about ready to kill anybody who tells us that it is 70 and sunny in the Midwest.
The Really, Really Ugly
On Saturday, Lauren, Alex, and I went to Stratford-upon-Avon, the birthplace of Shakespeare. The town itself wasn't bad at all; we got some really good food and cake at the market, but we timed it wrong. We wanted to see a play of course, but to see an evening show means staying the night as there is no train that late at night. However, since it was Easter weekend, no one was booking for just one night. So we saw the matinee of Romeo and Juliet (which I will get to). This meant that the play was from 1-4:15 so by the time it was over, most of the attractions and stores and such were closed. We did see Shakespeare's grave and the outside of his house where he was born, but that was kind of it.
Now, the play. I don't even know where to start except to say it was just awful. I was so disappointed because I'd really been hoping that the Royal Shakespeare Company's version of Romeo and Juliet was going to be awesome. Unfortunately because they are so famous, I think they are expected to try new things and new concepts which is fair because if the RSC performed Romeo and Juliet the same way as it has always been played, they would probably get a lot of crap for it. Instead, they tried something new and I'm going to give it a crap review. It wasn't one of those plays where you could say, "Well, if only Romeo had been a bit better it would have been okay," EVERYTHING was wrong and bad. The directing, the costumes, the staging, and the acting. I don't think any of the lines were cut, not even speeches that are traditionally cut, so the play was really long. The director decided to put Romeo and Juliet in modern day dress (jeans, sweatshirts, and Converse) while everyone else was in Elizabethan attire. Lauren, Alex, and I put our heads together about this and decided that the director was going for a "they were ahead of their time" thing because at the end, everyone comes out in modern clothes. So everyone around R&J was so stuck in their ways that they seemed Elizabethan while R&J's love was modern. Right, because a 14 year old girl marrying some twenty-something year old would be totally accepted now a days. Please. Anyway, the acting was not good either. R&J barely looked at each other when they were talking to one another, let alone touch. Benvolio, Romeo's best friend, was one of the worst actors I've seen. And Mercutio. Oh my God, I don't even know what to say about him. To be fair, it was mostly the director's fault, because they decided to take him in a really perverse direction. Mercutio is the comedy in the play and is known for making some not very discreet speeches about love and sex. There was NOTHING discreet about his speeches in this version. I won't describe to you what he did because I do not wish to scar any of you and to be honest, I was cringing and not watching half of it and really really hoping that the young children in the audience were not getting it at all. Mercutio is one of the best parts of R&J for me, but in this version, I was literally thinking "Thank God he dies soon." The only redeeming factor was that the Friar and the Prince were both pretty good, but they have relatively small parts. So, really disappointing. :(
one experience with the NHS
So I've been sick recently, and decided that I did not care to be so for the remaining 3 weeks of the semester. I went to the local walk-in clinic to get some answers, and hopefully some really good drugs.
After getting really lost, I ended up waiting for my nurse for about half an hour. He was nice, though a bit harried. He took my information really quickly, and sent me back to the waiting room. After waiting for another half hour or so, the doctor called me in. He asked a lot of questions, and did a basic examination. I thought that, given the amount of time and the number of patients he had, he was very thorough and did not try to rush me out. He ended up giving me a prescription, which could be filled at any chemist's.
Getting my medicine was really easy. There is a Boots (which is like a Walgreens) on most every street, and I walked to the nearest one and showed my prescription. The guy said I didn't need the exact number on the prescription, and I could have more or less depending on how much I wanted to spend and how bad I thought my pain was. Getting my drugs was really easy, and I get the feeling that if you know what you need, you talk to the chemist and they will give it to you. Obviously the good stuff (Vicodin and whatnot) is much more controlled, but for really basic things, it's really straightforward. It's a nice change from "you get three months of pills every three months. It's only been 2 months 3 weeks, so no pills for you".
Overall, I had to pay for the Tube ride there and back, and my pills. No copays, no insurance cards, no anxiety that I'll have to forgo groceries. I liked dealing with the NHS, for sure.
After getting really lost, I ended up waiting for my nurse for about half an hour. He was nice, though a bit harried. He took my information really quickly, and sent me back to the waiting room. After waiting for another half hour or so, the doctor called me in. He asked a lot of questions, and did a basic examination. I thought that, given the amount of time and the number of patients he had, he was very thorough and did not try to rush me out. He ended up giving me a prescription, which could be filled at any chemist's.
Getting my medicine was really easy. There is a Boots (which is like a Walgreens) on most every street, and I walked to the nearest one and showed my prescription. The guy said I didn't need the exact number on the prescription, and I could have more or less depending on how much I wanted to spend and how bad I thought my pain was. Getting my drugs was really easy, and I get the feeling that if you know what you need, you talk to the chemist and they will give it to you. Obviously the good stuff (Vicodin and whatnot) is much more controlled, but for really basic things, it's really straightforward. It's a nice change from "you get three months of pills every three months. It's only been 2 months 3 weeks, so no pills for you".
Overall, I had to pay for the Tube ride there and back, and my pills. No copays, no insurance cards, no anxiety that I'll have to forgo groceries. I liked dealing with the NHS, for sure.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Insert witty title here
Belated Birthday shout out to my brother! In true Anastos style, expect a really belated birthday card.
Last week was glorious as my parents were visiting. This meant not only staving off the ever present homesickness for a few days and enjoying family time, but also eating REAL food and touring historical edifices for free! Thanks parental unit! Amongst the many places we visited were the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. Description time:
The Tower of London: As my mom stated, "I feel like I'm in a BBC film." So true, mumsie. Walking in a place that was entrenched in so much history, literally standing where famous figures such as Anne Boleyn had stood was unreal. Unlike most girls, my most exciting experience came not upon viewing the crown jewels, but on entering Lady Jane Gray's cell. After freaking out quite audibly (to the consternation of those around me), I was able to calm down enough to notice the etchings and carvings on the walls. Supporters of Lady Jane had pledged their allegiance to her even after she was executed. So there I was, standing where Lady Jane Gray had stood, looking at people's testimonials from 500 years ago, and imagining the fright she must have experienced in the dim, cold cell. Reader, it was unreal.
Westminster Abbey: Way cool place with way cool dead people buried there. Ok, I'll be more specific. So, I kinda, sorta saw the tomb of most of the Tudors, the Edwards, Richard the III (!!!!!) and, you know, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. The last two were hilarious really because enemies in life, they would not be pleased with their current burial arrangements. They are buried one on top of the other - that is Elizabeth on top of Mary (bite it, Mary!), all sisterly and whatnot. Oh, the irony! Poet's corner, a section dedicated solely to authors was also quite to my taste (Chaucer is buried there!), as was the music section where Handel's body now lies.
Oh, silly me! I haven't actually given you a description of the abbey, have I? Dear me. Well, look it up, google image it, check out a picture book because all I can say is that it's magnificent.
Friday I went to Bath where I fulfilled my Jane Austen inspired dream of going to the Roman Baths, the Pump and Assembly Rooms and walking along the Royal Crescent. These specific places are mentioned in two of her novels: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Interestingly enough, Northanger Abbey, her first novel, presents Bath in a very positive light, yet after living there herself, Austen depicts it in a negative tone in Persuasion. Huh. I myself have mixed feelings about Bath and need to further sort them out. In a fit of bravery I even "took the water" - a nasty, metallic water that bubbles up from the Earth's core. Although it contains 43 minerals including calcium and iron, I didn't fancy it much.
In other news I just finished two papers on which I procrastinated a ridiculous amount. In London everyone has the mentality of, "Papers? Homework? What's that? Library? Studying? Huh?" Clearly, this is not conducive to getting things done, let alone putting a lot of effort into work. Thus, I have speed-written some pretty mediocre bullshit this past week. C'est la vie.
Love you, Lovers!
Lauren
Last week was glorious as my parents were visiting. This meant not only staving off the ever present homesickness for a few days and enjoying family time, but also eating REAL food and touring historical edifices for free! Thanks parental unit! Amongst the many places we visited were the Tower of London and Westminster Abbey. Description time:
The Tower of London: As my mom stated, "I feel like I'm in a BBC film." So true, mumsie. Walking in a place that was entrenched in so much history, literally standing where famous figures such as Anne Boleyn had stood was unreal. Unlike most girls, my most exciting experience came not upon viewing the crown jewels, but on entering Lady Jane Gray's cell. After freaking out quite audibly (to the consternation of those around me), I was able to calm down enough to notice the etchings and carvings on the walls. Supporters of Lady Jane had pledged their allegiance to her even after she was executed. So there I was, standing where Lady Jane Gray had stood, looking at people's testimonials from 500 years ago, and imagining the fright she must have experienced in the dim, cold cell. Reader, it was unreal.
Westminster Abbey: Way cool place with way cool dead people buried there. Ok, I'll be more specific. So, I kinda, sorta saw the tomb of most of the Tudors, the Edwards, Richard the III (!!!!!) and, you know, Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary. The last two were hilarious really because enemies in life, they would not be pleased with their current burial arrangements. They are buried one on top of the other - that is Elizabeth on top of Mary (bite it, Mary!), all sisterly and whatnot. Oh, the irony! Poet's corner, a section dedicated solely to authors was also quite to my taste (Chaucer is buried there!), as was the music section where Handel's body now lies.
Oh, silly me! I haven't actually given you a description of the abbey, have I? Dear me. Well, look it up, google image it, check out a picture book because all I can say is that it's magnificent.
Friday I went to Bath where I fulfilled my Jane Austen inspired dream of going to the Roman Baths, the Pump and Assembly Rooms and walking along the Royal Crescent. These specific places are mentioned in two of her novels: Northanger Abbey and Persuasion. Interestingly enough, Northanger Abbey, her first novel, presents Bath in a very positive light, yet after living there herself, Austen depicts it in a negative tone in Persuasion. Huh. I myself have mixed feelings about Bath and need to further sort them out. In a fit of bravery I even "took the water" - a nasty, metallic water that bubbles up from the Earth's core. Although it contains 43 minerals including calcium and iron, I didn't fancy it much.
In other news I just finished two papers on which I procrastinated a ridiculous amount. In London everyone has the mentality of, "Papers? Homework? What's that? Library? Studying? Huh?" Clearly, this is not conducive to getting things done, let alone putting a lot of effort into work. Thus, I have speed-written some pretty mediocre bullshit this past week. C'est la vie.
Love you, Lovers!
Lauren
Saturday, March 27, 2010
Saturday
I've been sick on and off, which is why I haven't blogged in a while - I've basically been a bump on a log. However, today I ventured outside the apartment for a considerable length of time.
First, I went to the Globe gift shop. It's a lovely place with many amazing things.
For future reference, I should never be allowed in there again - or at least not with a credit card.
I also went to St. Paul's Cathedral - you know, the big one - and walked around a bit. To be honest, I didn't have the greatest time.
Part of it was I didn't have a tour guide or anyone telling me about the amazing things I was looking at, so my experience boiled down to, "Gee, that's pretty".
Part of it was I was dumb enough to go on a Saturday, when all the tourists are out. It was busy, and everyone was noisy.
Part of it was that people were taking pictures (which they asked us not to do) and being loud, and there was some screaming, which seems disrespectful to me. So I was crabby.
But mainly, it was because I heard the guy in front of me talking about how there were so many Catholics (I didn't know Catholicism was that obvious), and that Catholics shouldn't be allowed in St. Paul's because it's an Anglican church. So that colored the entire experience.
Really, St. Paul's was beautiful, and if I had had a tour guide and a non-jerky guy in front of me, I would have had a fabulous time.
And the Globe gift shop was really incredible.
First, I went to the Globe gift shop. It's a lovely place with many amazing things.
For future reference, I should never be allowed in there again - or at least not with a credit card.
I also went to St. Paul's Cathedral - you know, the big one - and walked around a bit. To be honest, I didn't have the greatest time.
Part of it was I didn't have a tour guide or anyone telling me about the amazing things I was looking at, so my experience boiled down to, "Gee, that's pretty".
Part of it was I was dumb enough to go on a Saturday, when all the tourists are out. It was busy, and everyone was noisy.
Part of it was that people were taking pictures (which they asked us not to do) and being loud, and there was some screaming, which seems disrespectful to me. So I was crabby.
But mainly, it was because I heard the guy in front of me talking about how there were so many Catholics (I didn't know Catholicism was that obvious), and that Catholics shouldn't be allowed in St. Paul's because it's an Anglican church. So that colored the entire experience.
Really, St. Paul's was beautiful, and if I had had a tour guide and a non-jerky guy in front of me, I would have had a fabulous time.
And the Globe gift shop was really incredible.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
So, are you sick of hearing about the plays I went to and the famous people I've been meeting? If you are....I'd skip this blog post because last night Maggie and I went to see Cat on a Hot Tin Roof. It was an all star cast (who I'll get to) and directed by Debbie Allen, who chose to make it an all black cast which I thought completely worked. I knew nothing about the play but it is about a family in the South who has come home to celebrate Big Daddy's birthday. However, everyone except Big Daddy and Big Mama know that Big Daddy is dying of cancer. Anyway, as it is Tennessee Williams, who I am convinced never believed that any sort of relationship could work or be healthy, the ending was unhappy and ambiguous. But the performances were fantastic. Adrian Lester played Brick, one of Big Daddy's sons. I know him from the TV show Hustle and two Kenneth Branaugh Shakespeare movies and I'm a huge fan of his, so it was really cool to see him. But the best performance of the night, no question, was Big Daddy who was played by James Earl Jones. Now, you think his voice is impressive as Darth Vader, but can you imagine how c
ool it is in a live theatre? Needless to say, it carries extremely well. He was fantastic and extremely funny (he even made Adrian Lester laugh when he wasn't supposed to, which just made the audience laugh even more). Of course, Maggie and I waited by the stage door after the show. Adrian Lester was really nice and talked with us for a littl
e while and of course, we both got pictures with him. James Earl Jones only did autographs, no pictures. I was pretty disgusted with the people waiting with us because they had all brought pictures of Darth Vader for him to sign. However, it made him like me when I came up with my program. Okay, I know this is nerdy, but I had a really cool conversation with him and the best way to do it is this way:
Me: Hi. (Hand him program)
ool it is in a live theatre? Needless to say, it carries extremely well. He was fantastic and extremely funny (he even made Adrian Lester laugh when he wasn't supposed to, which just made the audience laugh even more). Of course, Maggie and I waited by the stage door after the show. Adrian Lester was really nice and talked with us for a littl
e while and of course, we both got pictures with him. James Earl Jones only did autographs, no pictures. I was pretty disgusted with the people waiting with us because they had all brought pictures of Darth Vader for him to sign. However, it made him like me when I came up with my program. Okay, I know this is nerdy, but I had a really cool conversation with him and the best way to do it is this way:Me: Hi. (Hand him program)
James Earl Jones (JEJ): Hello. Oh, you actually saw the show!
Me: Yes, of course. It was really good and I really enjoyed it.
JEJ: Good. Where are you from?
Me: The U.S.
JEJ: New York?
Me: No, Minnesota.
JEJ: Are you a student here?
Me: Yes.
JEJ: And are you studying theatre?
Me (Laughing a little): No, I wish. I'm actually studying English Literature.
JEJ: That's even better! It'll broaden your horizons. (Hands back program). Thank you for coming.
Me: Thank you!
So, as I said, sorry for being nerdy and doing the word by word conversation, but when James Earl Jones tells you that being an English Literature major is cool, you kinda have to brag a little. Now I have a fantastic response if anyone ever asks me why I would want to be an English major. I'll simply tell them that James Earl Jones told me it would broaden my horizons. :)
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Tricky Linguistics
So we went to see Stonehenge. And, according to my British mates, I pronounce it incorrectly. Apparently Americans say STONEhenge, with the emphasis on "stone", whereas Brits say stoneHENGE. As Ziggy said, "It's a henge made up of stone, not a stone made up of henge."
Right. I'm stupid. I can't pronounce words correctly. Even my violin teacher with his markedly Romanian accent started laughing at my accent last week when I asked the ever-comical question, "what?" According to him American accents are funny. Apparently we say "totally" too much (which I totally don't think is true) and "like" (ok, that one is totally valid). Also, whenever people in drama club are representing a character that is supposed to be ditsy, phony or flaky, they give them an American accent. Similarly, I was told by my director for "Hitchhiker's" that my character Trillian, whom I hve been trying to give a sophisticated, brisk and no-nonsense personality (she IS a neuro-scientist after all) needs to "be more Barbie". Are all Americans viewed as stupid Paris Hilton types? Are we perceived to be imbeciles who bat our eyelashes and say the most mundane and obvious things? I wish that we wouldn't immediately be stereotyped into the Hollywood/media projected image. You know, not this attitude of, "oh she's American - 'Tis pity, she's a whore". Ok, maybe not that strong, but I was channeling John Ford there.
Enough of this. StoneHENGE was amazing! I mean, I didn't get the feeling, but I still like it. You know, that feeling. The one where you are so overcome that you feel if you were to touch the stones you would be transported to an alternate universe where Pagans rule and dancing naked under the full moon is a mandatory ritual. Despite this, the sprawling fields and smell of hay and horses brought me back to Wisconsin. Before going to Salisbury, we stopped at Old Serum where, in a fit of nostalgia for our past childhood, we were allowed to climb up and frolic over the ruins of an old castle. It is absolutely gorgeous there, remote and unreal. I mean, climbing over the ruins of a castle? Not something you do every day. Afterward we drove to Salisbury, which is a cute village-y town known for its Cathedral. While impressive, it wasn't my favorite place of worship that I have viewed thus far. We hit up the market where we were immediately drawn to the pastry and book stalls. Pretty predictable.
Yesterday a few of us went to the site for the 2012 Olympics. While we all know I'm not the biggest sports enthusiast, it was pretty awesome to see the stadium, as well as other unique architecture that will be used for the games. It was a lovely day, Spring is FINALLY here in London, and we took the train to Canary Wharf (an area of London) which reminded me a lot of Chicago. Actually, it was apparently inspired by Chicago architecturally-speaking, complete with huge shopping mall. After hitting up the docklands museum, which was pretty darn groovy we hit up the mall. Thirty minutes later I promptly felt sick (shopping does that to me) and took the tube back to go see some friends at Imperial College in their hilarious production of Noises Off.
And tomorrow my parents will be here! A little slice of home right in London. So excited!
Good-bye for now my dahlings!
Lauren
Right. I'm stupid. I can't pronounce words correctly. Even my violin teacher with his markedly Romanian accent started laughing at my accent last week when I asked the ever-comical question, "what?" According to him American accents are funny. Apparently we say "totally" too much (which I totally don't think is true) and "like" (ok, that one is totally valid). Also, whenever people in drama club are representing a character that is supposed to be ditsy, phony or flaky, they give them an American accent. Similarly, I was told by my director for "Hitchhiker's" that my character Trillian, whom I hve been trying to give a sophisticated, brisk and no-nonsense personality (she IS a neuro-scientist after all) needs to "be more Barbie". Are all Americans viewed as stupid Paris Hilton types? Are we perceived to be imbeciles who bat our eyelashes and say the most mundane and obvious things? I wish that we wouldn't immediately be stereotyped into the Hollywood/media projected image. You know, not this attitude of, "oh she's American - 'Tis pity, she's a whore". Ok, maybe not that strong, but I was channeling John Ford there.
Enough of this. StoneHENGE was amazing! I mean, I didn't get the feeling, but I still like it. You know, that feeling. The one where you are so overcome that you feel if you were to touch the stones you would be transported to an alternate universe where Pagans rule and dancing naked under the full moon is a mandatory ritual. Despite this, the sprawling fields and smell of hay and horses brought me back to Wisconsin. Before going to Salisbury, we stopped at Old Serum where, in a fit of nostalgia for our past childhood, we were allowed to climb up and frolic over the ruins of an old castle. It is absolutely gorgeous there, remote and unreal. I mean, climbing over the ruins of a castle? Not something you do every day. Afterward we drove to Salisbury, which is a cute village-y town known for its Cathedral. While impressive, it wasn't my favorite place of worship that I have viewed thus far. We hit up the market where we were immediately drawn to the pastry and book stalls. Pretty predictable.
Yesterday a few of us went to the site for the 2012 Olympics. While we all know I'm not the biggest sports enthusiast, it was pretty awesome to see the stadium, as well as other unique architecture that will be used for the games. It was a lovely day, Spring is FINALLY here in London, and we took the train to Canary Wharf (an area of London) which reminded me a lot of Chicago. Actually, it was apparently inspired by Chicago architecturally-speaking, complete with huge shopping mall. After hitting up the docklands museum, which was pretty darn groovy we hit up the mall. Thirty minutes later I promptly felt sick (shopping does that to me) and took the tube back to go see some friends at Imperial College in their hilarious production of Noises Off.
And tomorrow my parents will be here! A little slice of home right in London. So excited!
Good-bye for now my dahlings!
Lauren
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