Silly me.

This is what happens when Hazel experiences photo booth on Philippe's groovy computer for the first time...






I guess I still have the actress in me afterall. Or perhaps it's Philippe's influence.








Well, I'm back in London, and enjoying the Bayswater and Notting Hill area quite thoroughly. I've started addressing people as "love" or "darling" a lot again. I think it may be annoying, but I'll only be here until the 10th, so I will live it while I've got it.
A couple days ago, after a wonderful meander through Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park, I took a stroll through the Victoria and Albert museum. Wow. What a collection.

Much of the exhibits were not displayed with any rhyme or reason, but instead I found the Precious Silvers Collection next to 'Modern Drawing Techniques' and followed by 'Oil Miniatures.' And, of course, 'Japanese Civilization' was right between 'Islamic Civilization' and a special exhibit on DaVinci. The section on modern social and artistic movements (1920-1980), the only, as I saw, chronological section in the place, preceeded a room full of Baroque furniture. Needless to say, it was a fabulous museum to explore on one's own, wandering in and out of rooms, smiling.


I didn't smile, however, at the stolen foreign histories (although the British Museum has a worse rep of this - Greece exceedingly angry, for example, because England won't give back the stone-carved murals once found along the walls of the Parthenon. Egypt also has significant cause to be peeved re: tomb plundering...). But, as my mother says, how else would Britain-bound museum-goers grasp a concept of the world around them if they didn't have these exhibits (or the means to visit Egypt, Greece, or Iran)? There's also the "protectionist" theory that, if the colonial powers had not taken many of the pieces, they would have been destroyed during times of national and international conflict (which, in opinion, is too often reminiscent of the "white man's burden" for "civilized society"). Anyway, something I can't help but think about when seeing mummies, tombs, and massive ancient architectural pieces in the middle of London. The jury isn't out yet in my mind.

To give you a smidgeon of a sense of the museum.....
(this one's for you, dad)








In other news, as a celebration of our Mid. Eastern heritage, Amanda and I went out for delicious Lebanese food the other night. I always manage to find the Lebanese restaurants anywhere I go.. (Yes, even in Brussels.) We stuffed our tummies full of fattoosh, green olives, spicy fish, sauteed okra, Lebanese sausage (I'm weaning myself back onto meat in preparation for the places to come), and of course, hilwiyat. But don't worry, Sittoo, your batlawa (baklava, for those of you who have no idea what I'm talking about - just don't call it baklava in front of my family) is ALWAYS better. We were quite full. Very very full.

We also experienced the joys of Camdentown and the Camden markets on a bustling Sunday. Since the markets in that area are one of the main tourist attractions open on Sundays, we often felt like salmon swimming upstream.
Amidst the hustle and bustle

PRETTY CANDY!!

Along the street - this giant boot moved back and forth.

Do you poke badgers with spoons? Amanda does.

Inside one of the markets

Quite a lot of friends from Exeter happen to be in London now, which has made for many enjoyable gatherings and dinners out. More to come in the next week, too!

Other activities have included multiple walks in and along Hyde Park, Sainsbury egg sandwiches, a frightening stroll through Harrods (gluttonous consumerism at it's worst), long, heartfelt conversations over shisha and mint tea, kebabs (and being winked at by the cute kebab man every time), debates regarding the kafiyyah as a style accessory, meeting Philippe's lively actor gang, perusing the art fair along Notting Hill Gate, spending too much money on the Tube, spending too much money in general, hating the 2-pence coin (it has no purpose!!), exploring London's many monuments + museums, exploring London's many pubs, mentally recording various English accents, hyper-analyzing British society...
Harrod's @ night (it's prettier on the outside)

The Natural History Museum

Schoolkids in the park (they were gathering leaves for their teacher)

monument to Albert...complete with representational sculpture depicting 4 parts of the world (Africa and America are rather interesting)

I like shop windows

God Save the Queen.

Well now, off for a walk across London towards Oxford Circus!
Love to all,

Horrah!

Cheers, London!

Well friends, I'm in London and very vibrantly alive. I had forgotten the excitement of this fabulous city, and have certainly been making the most of it since my arrival on Tuesday. It feels like I've been here for much longer.

Getting the touristy stuff done with: Admiralty Arch near Charing Cross

I have also discovered even more friends who also happen to be here and have been busying myself with various meetings-up. Tonight Megan cooked up a tasty dinner @ Philippe's flat (which is terribly cute and has a great balcony)... the meal was very luxurious for poor college students, but certainly complete with cheap red wine and 45p chocolate digestive biscuits for desert (they sound gross, but trust me...).

Meg = the hostess with the mostess... so I gave her a smooch.

During the day, Lily, one of her friends from school here, and I walked the westward Thames walkway (The Tower of London, Tower Bridge, Saturday market, London Bridge, Southwark Cathedral, the Globe Theatre, Tate Modern art museum, Millenium Bridge, and St Paul's Cathedral), spent some time enjoying the Tate's new aquisitions (& a really fabulous room of Richard Hamilton's work), and took a zillion photos like true touristas.

Tower Bridge + the Thames

@ the Globe (she's scorning me and I'm fainting with shame, clearly.)

These slides are inside the Tate Modern - you can ride them from the 5th + 2nd floors to the basement!! WEEEE!

I also ventured to Stratford-upon-Avon (and dragged Lily along with!) for a deja vu and reunion with the current Stratford gang, the program that allowed me to live in England for four months as a highschooler. They had invited me along to see The Winter's Tale, which was fabulous, although some scenes were a bit obstructed. Not the best use of stage space, anyway. It felt so nostalgic to be riding the train (our clutch means of transport when we'd travel all around), back in Stratford... with the RSC... and the swans... Well, maybe not the swans.

Being silly on the train... (I taught Lily to play Spit! We caused a ruccus.)

Dinner @ Barnaby's in Stratford - classic fish n' chips, of course!

Backtrack to the British Museum with Megan - I especially liked the Ancient Egyptian adornments (wish I had a headpiece of gold foil cut flowers..and some sweet hair rings), small ivory miniatures, and Japanese prints - and wandering around Russel Square.

A carved monkey trainer and his trainee... such a good facial expression

How amazing is she... I mean, c'mon, she has talons for feet!

Yes, I have already gotten lost trying to find an address I had been to 3 times previously. For 40 minutes. But I was only 6 minutes late (sorry, Meg). And have been verbally misunderstood more times than appropriate when asking directions or talking with British folk I meet. So yes, I am a tourist. And worse yet, an American tourist. Although today someone told me, upon meeting, that I didn't look like an American. "I thought you were Spanish or something," she said. I was quite proud. Americans are known here, as in much of the world, for being rude, inconsiderate, and ignorant. I'm sure there will be more to be said on the national identity subject later...

On Monday, Lily and I head off to Brussels to visit her family (via EUROSTAR!! oh I love trains!). Much chocolate, art-noveau, and waffles to be had, I'm sure... Until then, much love!