It's fascinating that music can change a mood. I am sitting in the Wroxton Abbey Pope Library thinking about everything that has happened over the past 3 months. It has finally hit me that I have been living in England for these months. Why, when you are about to leave a place that you have fallen head over heals for you finally realize that you have to leave it? I have written 13 essays taken 3 finals with 1 more on Thursday and now my last week in this Abbey hits me straight in the face and says you don't want to leave but this amazing place must be shared with anybody and everybody. I know I have 6 days left and I keep thinking why am I counting down! I am in love with this country and everything in it.
The first time I came to England I was in 2nd grade. I was a small toe-head who had terrible fashion choices because I was a tom boy. I would dance in the parks and be so happy to be some place new. When we got there we took a double decker bus to our hotel and we got lost. Typical. But the best part was that each family member got to choose what play they wanted to see. Simple and too the point. My father chose Hamlet. Typical. It turned out that there are many ways to kill Claudius. Apparently poison was not enough but emptying a revolver into seemed like a great idea! Good times. My mother chose to see Henry VIII by Shakespeare. Apparently it was really good but Histories are not my cup of tea and I slept through the production. My sister chose Les Miserables my first musical. Obviously I wanted to be the girl on the poster. Now Les Mis is the fall back musical if we can't find something to see. I the amazing child I was chose the ever classy classic play about a boy who didn't want to grow up. Yes, I chose Peter Pan. I think his story is my favorite children's story. This production had the ever classic Sir Ian McKellen. Ahh what good times with the cute dresses my mom would put me in.
Fast Forward my second trip to England. I was 13. I came with my parents and my 2 aunts and 2 cousins. I think I mentioned this but my family likes Les Miserables s hey guess what we saw that on this trip too. The next play we saw was Jumper? I am not sure but the first thing we saw was a woman on a swing and each time she swung back stage an article of clothing came off. I did not understand any of this at the time. And I still don't remember that one very much. Then a bright idea popped up into my head. I decided to go see Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat! Let me tell you how amazingly disastrous this was! First there were way too many colors! Second at the end of the show middle aged women through panties onto the stage!! my aunts loved it! me and my cousins were kind of scared. Andrew Lloyd Weber what were you thinking! god awful!
3rd trip I am 16. We traveled to Paris this time too. The shows we saw was Wicked. That was fantastic and Professor Sprout was in it! (ps I am now friends with her, no joke). We also saw the classy production of Spamelot with Tim Curry! It was a great show but the next day I got sick and all hell broke loose. PS the day after Saddam Hussein was executed.... then we also saw the History Boys. I only paid attention to the hot by who had to drop his trousers. Don't worry he kept his 'pants' remained on. when i say pants I mean underwear. Then my dad got us tickets to see Corum Boy. My dad told me it was a comedy! A COMEDY! it was so tragic and upsetting! Don't get me wrong it was an amazing production and it is one of my favorite plays that I have seen but holy shit I was out of my seat with fear after the first half! It was a great play and I am glad I saw it but holy moley!
4th trip I am now 19!! So i saw a grand total of 6 performances in 7 days I think that is pretty impressive. First we got tickets to see Keira Knightly and Damien Lewis in the Misanthrope. It liked it and it was funny. Also Damien Lewis is soooo cute! Anywho.... The next play we saw was hey guess what it was Les Mis! told we like seeing that show! then I saw War Horse! now this is a fantastic show but not in the first row. It is very traumatizing! But I loved it and will be seeing it again on Saturday yay and not int he first row!! Then to compensate for the sadness that is WW1 me and my mom ventured to the O2 Dome to see you guessed it Peter Pan. This was not as good as the first but I can't help it if I am in love with Peter :) then my dad bought me and my mom tickets to see the Lion King! ahh love. and finally Every Boy Deserves Favor was the final production we saw. It was great and I loved it.
my latest trip has been to study abroad. On this trip we saw Les Mis! wow is that becoming a cliche! then I saw the amazing production of Into the Woods followed by Romeo and Juliet ballet, Blood Brothers (2 times), Antony and Cleopatra (love!), and Ariadne auf Naxos the opera... not my cup of tea if you ask me.
I love everything about this place and when I play back my own history in this country it is sad because it is so hard to leave. This is my love letter to England. You have given me this amazing life and im only 20! the only song that fits my mood right now is..... To Sir With Love the link is below :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y9SdmeCEKrM
Tuesday, 7 December 2010
Sunday, 5 December 2010
Many Many Tangents....
Hello again... I am going to go off on many tangents so bare with me.
Since my last post I have been depressed about Harry Potter but guess what there are more books in the world and more movies. I have been told recently that I tend to read mostly mystical and magical books. I see their point. I love be taken to a wold that I would not be able to experience unless the words in the book take me there. But I would love to point out that some of my favorite books are not mystical or magical. For example, East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Surprising but I feel in love with this book as a junior in High School. It has been four years and still I am in love. It also doesn't hurt that James Dean was in the film adaptation. But I have discovered great books that are not Harry Potter. Here is my list of my favorite books...
1. Harry Potter Series.. did I need to tell you this?
2. The Hunger Games Series.. No Joke this is brilliant!
3. East of Eden (as above stated)
4. Pride and Prejudice.. I love me some Jane Austin
5. basically any Rick Riordan book pertaining to Egyptian or Greek mythology
6. Murder on the Links (mystery's are so good!)
7. Hood Series (the story of Robin Hood told in a completely different way)
8. The Crystal Cave series (soooo good! told by Merlin!)
9. Go Ask Alice (I implore you to read this!)
10. Beauty (a take on Beauty and the Beast)
and the final is Peter Pan its pretty close to Beauty :)
As you can see it is mostly mystical and magical but I am telling you it takes you to a completely different place!
My second tangent... Disney Movies
I feel like any Disney movie has a song that expresses how you feel in a given moment. I recently re-watched Mulan and I am telling you what a female empowerment movie. I mean she is so tough and awesome and after studying a whole semester in China, she is a great role model. Beauty and the Beast appeals to the reader inside me. Lion King is all about the Shakespearean in you. Hunchback of Notre Dame shows you that it is good to be different. And Hercules is well Hercules. Disney brings a whole new meaning to experiencing different things. Recently I have been obsessed with watching Disney movies. Recently I watched Tangled, ya know the Rapunzel one. Well I found this movie to be extremely witty and beautiful. It tells the story of Rapunzel very well even the dark parts of Rapunzel. If you do not know Rapunzel is locked in a tower by a witch who says she is her mother. And every day the witch comes and asks her to let down her hair. Each time she does until she meets a "prince," in Tanged's case he isn't a prince so we can over look this. But the witch causes harm to the prince and Rapunzel finds him and saves him with her tears. PS this happens in the movie. But like any Disney movie it does not talk about the part where Rapunzel gets pregnant has children and is sent off to a desert. But its Disney whatcha gonna do.
Now my last tangent not as fun as the afore mentioned...
Finals. Don't we all love them! NO! thats what I said NO! Now lets back track and see why I do not like the extreme torture that is finals. First, here at Wroxton, finals take up 3 hours for each class. Now these are not those easy Multiple Choice questions where you have a 25% chance of getting the question right. No No No that would be too easy. Basically the test is set up s that you have to basically write 3 to 4 essays on subjects that you studied in class. Social Psychology I had to write about the "self," conformity and obedience, and the Dramatergical Model. Now after studying all this information in class it isn't as hard as some would think. but lets bring other things on the table. One it is cold outside and you are locked in a room for 3 hours. Oh yea if you leave you can't come back in and finish your test! Second test I took was Core, I had to write 4 essays one on china, india, and nigeria and the last essay was on all 3. it was soo much fun let me tel you. Tomorrow I take a final on "the Plays the Ting". A class devoted to theater and analyzing texts and performances. We get to write 3 lovely essays about the different performances we saw and recall everything including quotes. Doesn't this sound like a blast! wait there is more! my last final which is on Thursday is about English Art History. I know you are asking who are the famous English painters! let me tell you! Turner, Hogarth, Constable, Bacon, Holbein, Van Dyke.. on top of knowing who painted which painting then you get to talk about the type of painting the story behind it and the different techniques used! I am jumping for Joy right now. So after this ti-raid I will be going to sleep because as my parents just told me i look really tired! but it could not be because of the hours of testing I have just endured. 3 more tomorrow and 3 on Thursday then this semester is over and I go back to the States.
It is said to think that I only have about 7 days left before I have to leave this beautiful country. I get to spend it taking tests but on Saturday We all go into London to see War Horse. Brilliant production but can be extremely sad! what a way to be sent back tot he States with a lovely story about WW1. Oh There is always a silver lining.
Until Next Time! I will have you watch this lovely clip :) It is getting me through this :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HcqCFva-Gc&NR=1I have not mastered fully uploading it but watch it oh and this one too while your at it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsNJJIMwAB0
AHHH now time to sleep and read some Agatha Christie.. Good Night and Good Luck ;)
Since my last post I have been depressed about Harry Potter but guess what there are more books in the world and more movies. I have been told recently that I tend to read mostly mystical and magical books. I see their point. I love be taken to a wold that I would not be able to experience unless the words in the book take me there. But I would love to point out that some of my favorite books are not mystical or magical. For example, East of Eden by John Steinbeck. Surprising but I feel in love with this book as a junior in High School. It has been four years and still I am in love. It also doesn't hurt that James Dean was in the film adaptation. But I have discovered great books that are not Harry Potter. Here is my list of my favorite books...
1. Harry Potter Series.. did I need to tell you this?
2. The Hunger Games Series.. No Joke this is brilliant!
3. East of Eden (as above stated)
4. Pride and Prejudice.. I love me some Jane Austin
5. basically any Rick Riordan book pertaining to Egyptian or Greek mythology
6. Murder on the Links (mystery's are so good!)
7. Hood Series (the story of Robin Hood told in a completely different way)
8. The Crystal Cave series (soooo good! told by Merlin!)
9. Go Ask Alice (I implore you to read this!)
10. Beauty (a take on Beauty and the Beast)
and the final is Peter Pan its pretty close to Beauty :)
As you can see it is mostly mystical and magical but I am telling you it takes you to a completely different place!
My second tangent... Disney Movies
I feel like any Disney movie has a song that expresses how you feel in a given moment. I recently re-watched Mulan and I am telling you what a female empowerment movie. I mean she is so tough and awesome and after studying a whole semester in China, she is a great role model. Beauty and the Beast appeals to the reader inside me. Lion King is all about the Shakespearean in you. Hunchback of Notre Dame shows you that it is good to be different. And Hercules is well Hercules. Disney brings a whole new meaning to experiencing different things. Recently I have been obsessed with watching Disney movies. Recently I watched Tangled, ya know the Rapunzel one. Well I found this movie to be extremely witty and beautiful. It tells the story of Rapunzel very well even the dark parts of Rapunzel. If you do not know Rapunzel is locked in a tower by a witch who says she is her mother. And every day the witch comes and asks her to let down her hair. Each time she does until she meets a "prince," in Tanged's case he isn't a prince so we can over look this. But the witch causes harm to the prince and Rapunzel finds him and saves him with her tears. PS this happens in the movie. But like any Disney movie it does not talk about the part where Rapunzel gets pregnant has children and is sent off to a desert. But its Disney whatcha gonna do.
Now my last tangent not as fun as the afore mentioned...
Finals. Don't we all love them! NO! thats what I said NO! Now lets back track and see why I do not like the extreme torture that is finals. First, here at Wroxton, finals take up 3 hours for each class. Now these are not those easy Multiple Choice questions where you have a 25% chance of getting the question right. No No No that would be too easy. Basically the test is set up s that you have to basically write 3 to 4 essays on subjects that you studied in class. Social Psychology I had to write about the "self," conformity and obedience, and the Dramatergical Model. Now after studying all this information in class it isn't as hard as some would think. but lets bring other things on the table. One it is cold outside and you are locked in a room for 3 hours. Oh yea if you leave you can't come back in and finish your test! Second test I took was Core, I had to write 4 essays one on china, india, and nigeria and the last essay was on all 3. it was soo much fun let me tel you. Tomorrow I take a final on "the Plays the Ting". A class devoted to theater and analyzing texts and performances. We get to write 3 lovely essays about the different performances we saw and recall everything including quotes. Doesn't this sound like a blast! wait there is more! my last final which is on Thursday is about English Art History. I know you are asking who are the famous English painters! let me tell you! Turner, Hogarth, Constable, Bacon, Holbein, Van Dyke.. on top of knowing who painted which painting then you get to talk about the type of painting the story behind it and the different techniques used! I am jumping for Joy right now. So after this ti-raid I will be going to sleep because as my parents just told me i look really tired! but it could not be because of the hours of testing I have just endured. 3 more tomorrow and 3 on Thursday then this semester is over and I go back to the States.
It is said to think that I only have about 7 days left before I have to leave this beautiful country. I get to spend it taking tests but on Saturday We all go into London to see War Horse. Brilliant production but can be extremely sad! what a way to be sent back tot he States with a lovely story about WW1. Oh There is always a silver lining.
Until Next Time! I will have you watch this lovely clip :) It is getting me through this :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HcqCFva-Gc&NR=1I have not mastered fully uploading it but watch it oh and this one too while your at it
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zsNJJIMwAB0
AHHH now time to sleep and read some Agatha Christie.. Good Night and Good Luck ;)
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