So despite the fact that I'm in London and the director of our program told us we would be 'losers' if we weren't out until 3 a.m. at every opportunity (that's a direct quote, mind you), I managed to have a relatively relaxing weekend. It began first with meeting up with Christine Thompson, a fellow Chi O, who is spending the fall semester of her senior year studying in Dubai through the Clinton Fellowship, a program developed by President Bill Clinton himself. What a guy. She came to London on a whim with one of the girls she has become friends with in Dubai so I was lucky enough to catch a quick dinner at Gloucester Arms, a pub down the street, and hear about what student life in Dubai is like. Unfortunately they were exhausted from their travels (can't blame them), so they retired early. However, it was pretty incredible to be able to meet up with a sister THIS far away from Wake Forest.
Thursday night ended up being a very bizarre evening for all involved. A few of the guys in our program have been working with party promoters to get some pretty reasonable deals for BU program students to get into clubs and lounges that typically have exorbitant cover charges. Unfortunately, what the party promoter told these guys regarding an event at a lounge down the street called Opal was misleading and created a relatively awkward first hour or so when we all arrived at the venue. Opal itself was a very interesting place. It is an underground lounge decorated to look like some sort of mystical cave with faux rock-like walls. I liked the environment though because there was a bar area, an area for dancing with loud music and an area with tables where you can sit and chat. I won't go into detail for mom and dad's sake, but the evening was eventually a success and all departed Opal, at midnight or 3 a.m. (to each their own), feeling relatively fulfilled. I for one was pretty happy to return to the room and share a cup of tea with Kendall, classy late-night London-style. Yet, every night that we go out we meet a very diverse group of people and are exposed to a foreign lifestyle that we otherwise never would have known. That makes it worth getting dressed up and dishing out serious poundage.
Friday was a relatively uneventful day, but I made the most of it. I slept in, made myself a solid breakfast and worked on finishing the White Queen for a while. Then, I took it upon myself to go to the fashion exhibit at the Victoria and Albert Museum (also known as the V&A), which is right next to where we live and has free admission. I really enjoyed the exhibit because they had everything from the evolution of designer shoes to how women came from wearing corsets and petticoats to mini-skirts and pant-suits.
Unfortunately the shoe display only had Ferragamo's and Manolo's, so no Louboutin's to show Briel when she visits in a month. Yet, I did find the wedding dress displays to be fascinating simply because wedding gowns really have not evolved at all. While women have come from wearing ball gowns every single day to only wearing them for special black-tie occasions, the tulle, lace, flowers, and ornate designs of wedding dresses have not changed at all except for the use of color. The earlier wedding gowns from the 1800's often had colorful garland-like designs along the trim of the skirt. However, by the 1970's, as can be seen in the below picture, wedding dresses had their distinction in the cut of the fabric, not in the colors used in the detailing.
I particularly liked this gown because the skirt is so unique. No matter how unlearned you are in the world of fashion, the immediate thought that comes to your head when you see the dress is "flower petals". I also find this to be a less ostentatious way of achieving the princess-feel that many women try to achieve on their wedding day. Other than a layer or two of tulle beneath the outer layers of the dress, the skirt maintains its shape simply because the manner in which each petal of fabric is laid together. I don't know why I just went on a rant about this dress, but I couldn't take my eyes off of it among the dozens of other pieces of fashion genius from Paris to Hong Kong that it was surrounded by, so I thought I would share. After strolling through the V&A, I headed back to the Crofton where I prepared for my first visit to Club Kensington, the gym that I have signed up for. It was a successful work-out, especially considering how long it has been since my cardio came from anything other than exploring London, and I must note that the gym deserves the name Club Kensington, as it is club-themed. Only in Europe (or the UK).
On Saturday morning, Simone and I awoke early and went to Portobello Market in Notting Hill. I had been twice before, only once on a Saturday, but I'd have to say I would definitely recommend going earlier in the day. We got there by 10:30 probably and were able to navigate the entire market fairly easily, which I had not been able to do the other time I had come on a Saturday. This was also the first time I actually indulged in what the market had to offer, as the first two times I visited I did not want to let the mystique and novelty of it to dupe me into purchasing something I didn't really desire. However, what I do desire in life, as a principle, is anything with sequins. Thus, I purchased a pair of sequin leggings. Don't lie... you know that those will get far too much use back at Wake, if not when I hit up the Euro club scene here on the other side of the ocean. I'd have to say, I'm already planning multiple occasions in the spring in which these leggings will make an appearance. I also had a crepe with Nutella on our way out of the market, which I am proud to say is the first Nutella I have had on my entire trip. I love Nutella, but everyone has been so mesmerized by it in my program and has therefore become addicted to it, so being the stubborn Zagarow that I am, I have adamantly refused to purchase it or consume it. Yet, the heat of the moment in Portobello enveloped me and I broke down. After hitting up the Portobello Market, Simone and I met up with Caroline and Caroline (Naughton & Lewis) and headed to the Winston Churchill Museum and War Cabinet underground lair thing. On our way there, we were lucky enough to come across the last leg of the Tour of Britain cycling race!
I have never seen a cycling race live before and I'd have to say I may now be a fan. To my surprise, watching the dozens of cyclists flying by at a ridiculous speed was more thrilling than any 9th inning of a baseball game that I've ever seen. I'd have to say that right after the cyclists passed and all of their back-up cars sped by us in their attempt to keep up with their respective riders, I had a little moment. The sheer randomness of the moment overcame me and brought back sweet memories of riding on the Corona bus the week before. I couldn't help but think that THIS is what studying abroad is all about. Not the museums you plan to go to. Not the lower drinking age. It's about the completely spontaneous, unexpected events that shock you into the reality of being somewhere other than what is familiar. I have a feeling that I will remember seeing that cycling race more clearly than the fashion exhibit at the V&A months, if not years from now. What I also will not forget seeing is the Churchill museum. Basically, it is the underground complex where Winston Churchill and his team essentially ran World War II. Beyond how exciting it was to be seeing such an interesting artifact from world history, I was down-right giddy over the idea that I was walking the same cold, cement corridors that Winston Churchill once paced during his 'finest hour'. I really enjoyed seeing the Winston Churchill Museum part of the venue because it documented many of the Prime Minister's most memorable quotations and actions from his long career. He is such an interesting person and I would recommend that everyone take the time to read about him if not visit the War Rooms and the museum.
At the end of the day, I was pretty exhausted, as I had traversed the length of the central London area in one day and was in a culturally-induced coma. On our way back from the museum, we stopped at Hummingbird Bakery and got some cupcakes. I ate one yesterday and it was INCREDIBLE, but the other one is sitting next to me right now, patiently awaiting when I return from the gym later today. When we returned to the Crofton, Caroline, Natasha and I got together for our thousandth attempt at planning our fall break, which we gave up on after planning one flight. They never warned us that traveling would be exhausting merely because of how much energy it takes to plan it all! I partially blame myself because I am trying to maximize the length that my minimal travel funding stretches. However, I think the girls will thank me later for being economical (cheap) and responsible (nit-picky). I finished the White Queen so I have begun reading Dan Brown's new book, the Lost Symbol, and really like it so far! It was quite the transition to change from reading about the Lancasters, Yorks, and Tudors to reading about symbology and Washington D.C., but a little American literature never killed anyone. Hopefully next time I update I will have a FINAL plan for fall break. Four days until Oktoberfest!!!!!!!
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