Transfer your attention (and bookmarks)

Listen, I'm not in London anymore.

However, I am still alive. Which means you probably want to know exactly what I'm doing at all times. While I can't strap a secret camera to my head and broadcast my life, I can direct your attention over to my BRAND NEW blog. Heeeerrrrrre it is ---> Scratches on [Digital] Paper.

Also, check out some of my rad friends' blogs on the left-hand column of the new blog!

Upon Leaving

I remember sitting, tired, on my bed during the last few nights of my time in London thinking about writing my last post. I thought about what I could say about London and me. It turned out to be a very difficult task, so much so that I kept putting it off. How could I say what London meant to me until I wasn't there anymore?

So finally, after many months, many trips on the Tube and many legal drinks, I am back in Massachusetts and back to my normal, regular life. To be honest, at times it feels as if I never left , as if it was all a very long, interesting dream. Although sometimes I'm surprised at how much I've missed. I've had to remind myself about things that used to be second nature, like the route to Quinnipiac or the numbers of friends' dorms there.

I find it difficult to articulate much more about my experience other than that it certainly changed me and my life. I am not the same: I dress differently, I have a new hairstyle, and new friends - but I also think differently. I see the world in a slightly different way. I know what it's like to live in the city, what it's like to be alone in an unfamiliar one, and what it's like to meet people you know from the start that you may never see again.

Although there are things that I wish I hadn't had to give up in order to go to London, the truth is that I really like the person that I've become and the person that I am at the very moment that I am typing this. I think I let myself be open to all sorts of new - be it people, experiences, places, foods - and as a result, I am renewed. If I hadn't taken the risk, I wouldn't now have the reward.

There are a lot of things I will miss about London and England. I already miss living in the city and being in the center of accessibility. I yearn for the way the British accepts others more freely and openly. I miss the oldness of the architecture. I definitely miss the eloquent feel of British speech. I miss being away, and feeling like for a few months, it didn't really directly matter to anyone else what I did (even if that may not be true). I miss being able to travel, having Europe and a myriad of culture right at my fingertips.

I miss my friends.

I miss feeling like an adult with some direction.

But from here and now on, I can and will only move forward.


It's not about what I've left behind in London, but what I've taken home with me. And that is so much more that I can ever express.


Cheers,
B.

P.S. Check back soon - I might post a link to a new blog I might be starting this summer.

Snow!!

So, it's already April! Crazy! Even crazier? Snow... in London... in April.
Here's proof:







Home in just two weeks now. See you all then!

Cheers,
B.
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Now playing: Brendan Benson - What I'm Looking For

Here's a slideshow of pictures from Liverpool and the Movieum in London with John!
Just press the play button!

Cheers,
B.

Location, Location, Location

Yesterday was a fun day at work. I wasn't really expecting to do anything too exciting when I went in, but after taking care of a few minor details of things I had been working on before, Danielle said to me, "I have a fun job for you today." Excellent, I thought. My quest was to venture over to Film London's locations library to search for possible locations for Hangman's short film in currently in pre-production, Spunkbubble. Now, the building in which Film London lives is an interesting thing in itself. Approaching the building, you suddenly come upon this tall mass that is topped off with what looks like a rather old sign that simply says "TEA." The main entrance is actually on the side of the building. Just beyond the doors, there is a reception area where one is required to state his or her purpose, sign in and is given a visitor's badge to tack onto his or her shirt. I was then directed to take a left to the short flight of stairs, and to take the middle elevator to the 6th floor. I wasn't exactly sure why I needed to take the middle elevator specifically, but I decided not to question the instructions. The elevator was either extremely old or just simply old fashioned, requiring a gate and a door to be opened manually before entering.

The Film London office consisted of a high-ceilinged room that looked like a converted New York studio apartment, separated into sections without actual walls. The locations library itself stood in the middle, with several tall shelves filled with huge black binders. The binders are packed full with tons of pictures of hotels, hospitals, houses, parking lots, office buildings and more. I spent a few hours looking through just the hotels section, sitting on the floor with a huge binder spread out on my lap. It was a fabulous job!

Times past are not times forgotten.

Week of January 28 - February 3
After a lovely weekend in Scotland, it was time to return to Pembridge Gardens and classes once again. My first paper was due on Tuesday for Social Psychology, which I have since gotten back (A-!). At this point, we had been in class for nearly a month. With my first paper due, and another one to follow the next week, I was starting to think of this as less of a vacation and more as a life experience (and academic venture, of course).

The next day, Wednesday, was unexpectedly busy. After London history class, I had my first day of work at Hangman Studios in Shepherd's Bush. Right before I had left for Scotland, I had an appointment with Hangman's producer, Danielle Edwards, to discuss the possibility of me coming to Hangman as a work experience. The interview went well, but I spent the weekend in Scotland without the internet anticipating an answer from Danielle upon my return. The answer, of course, was that I should begin work on Wednesday (30 Jan), as I said before, and that it would be paid! My first day wasn't too demanding - I spent most of it on the animated character Pipkin's myspace promoting the animation. If you get a chance, go ahead and watch the short video. It's a rather morbid cartoon, but will most likely make you chuckle if you've any sense of humor about you. Since my time at Hangman, I've done some promotional work, a lot of research for various areas including distribution for the short film that is currently in pre-production, as well as some covert research on Hangman Studio's competition in the London area. My work is by no means glamorous or revolutionary, but just being there has given me a lot of information and experience about how a production company works. I wrote a bit more about it in my last entry (18 Feb).

After work that Wednesday, I took the tube to the Roxy Bar and Screen. It was my first time there, and I was certainly not disappointed. It is a small theatre in an area of London where there doesn't appear to be much else of interest. You first see the bar when you walk in, and then deeper in the building there is the screening area, which is made up of an outer layer of tables and chairs and an inner layer of couches and loveseats. There are scarlet-shaded lamps and vintage rugs scattered about. It really is a very charming venue. It reminds me a lot of The Space in Hamden, CT in that it creates a unique environment which in turn attracts a unique audience. The showing that night was of several short films by Underground Films.

Week of 4 Feb - 10 Feb
Monday (4 Feb) was my first full day at Hangman. On Wednesdays and Thursdays I work from around 2/2:30 until 6, but my Mondays go from 10a-6p. It's a long day, but if I were ever to work an office job in the future, I would at least want it to be like this. The dynamics of a production office are much like any other office, I would assume, but much more relaxed. Many of the employees wear jeans to work and one Thursday evening I was offered a glass of wine around 5:00. All of this makes a very interesting work environment, but what's more is what I have access to. I've been a bit shy about it, but I've been able to sit in on recording sessions for the Tales of Twee (with Pipkin) animation second episode, and Danielle gave me the entire binder that holds all of the documentation for Hangman's upcoming short film. I was able to read the script, look at the storyboards, as well as see the budget, schedule, props list, and cast & crew lists. It's amazing how organized it all is. I even got to contribute to my own section of the binder, "Film Festivals," where I put in all of my research on upcoming festivals in which Hangman may be able to enter the short for distribution and exposure, and perhaps some sort of prize. I'm hoping that pretty soon I will get off my arse and ask to sit in the studio a bit more. I've never been involved in an animation before and it's insane work. Even though it's done all on computers these days, it is diligent work, and the second episode took a month with two or three people on it, and it was only about a minute and a half long. My big goal for this month is to be one of the voices in the next episode. How awesome would that be?

After a full day of work, I met Christina at the Roxy Bar and Screen (one my my favorite places, as you may begin to see) for a screening of Atonement. The theatre was packed, but we managed to score a chair to share between the two of us, and ordered two amazing appetizers. The movie, I thought, was quite good.

Tuesday (5 Feb) was another super busy day. Unfortunately, it didn't work out exactly the way I would have liked it to, but such is life. There was Social Psychology in the morning. I thought I might have time to make it to the band showcase that I was put on the guest list for, but unfortunately, there just wasn't enough time to make it. It was for the band Passenger, and I imagined it to be a super swanky party. Shame to be on the guest list to an event and not actually make it there. No worries, though, because after my afternoon class, Anne and I walked over to the Renoir Cinema for an advanced screening of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, a new French film about a man who writes a novel while completely paralyzed, after suffering a stroke and a coma. I had scored a pair of free tickets to the screening from Time Out London. The film was very different, comprised entirely of disorienting dutch angles and neglecting to show a single shot of the main character and narrator for the first 20 minutes. I must admit that, although my mother often calls me a "hard heart," I did tear up a bit. It certainly was touching. Of course, you have to be able to get past the subtitles first. After the screening, I was meant to catch Okkervil River play a show at the Scala venue, which is just a half a block away from King's Cross station, but found it to be sold out upon my arrival. Unfortunate, but I did have a pretty full agenda that week.

As you may know, when you are a college student, and you do not have class on Fridays, Thursday essentially becomes Friday for all intents and purposes. I do not have classes on Fridays, and nor does anyone else at Pembridge Gardens, number twenty-one. Therefore, Thursday night (7 Feb) is the perfect night to go out to Kavanagh's, an excellent bar/pub in South Kensington. The drinks aren't too cheap, but there's no cover charge before 10p and there is a small dance floor, which comes in handy whilst the live performer is playing a mixture of oldies, 90s hits and current popular music. After a day of class in the morning and work in the afternoon, and a somewhat annoying rush hour tube ride home, a nice night in curling up with a book is just not what's on the menu. No, I want to go dancing! So I did.

I found that sancing Thursday night can't stop me from going out again for more dancing on Friday night. A few people from the house had discovered this bar Rocket's that has student night on Fridays. Anne and I spent the afternoon not doing homework but lazying around, watching Finding Neverland and napping instead (still a valuable use of time, I assert), so getting up and doing something felt good. It's an interesting crowd at Rocket's, the first place I've been where it is only young people. Here in London, older people go out just as often as students, and you are hard-pressed to find a pub lacking a few old broads or blokes in the corner (although not necessarily lurking). It was quite a fun night. We stayed so late that we had to take the night bus home, and then we spent another hour or so in the kitchen, snacking and chatting, as it is customary to do in the house on weekend nights.

Two nights out in a row. Sounds tiring, doesn't it? I must have gotten a lot of sleep during the week, because I managed to go to the market early Saturday morning, then the library for a bit, and then out again, even if just for a bit. Anne and I decided to split off from the Pembridge Gardens crowd and meet up with some of her friends from Butler University, who had just arrived in London that day. They are doing a unique study abroad program that takes them from one city, where they stay for three week and do one intensive course, and then fly off to another country and do the same thing all over again. They had already taken a course in Paris, and were now beginning their 3 week in London. It sounds like an amazing experience, but I have to say I really like how I am able to take the time to really get to know London more intimately and in a less touristy way. The girls were nice, and we spent some time in a small pub and then at the International Students House (where the girls are staying) bar for a short while, before heading home.

Sunday was spent in the library doing some homework and snagging some much-needed quiet time. And thus the week came to an end. (You will note that the week goes Mon-Sun here).

Week of 11 Feb - 17 Feb
The week started out with another full day at Hangman. Not all that eventful. Tuesday (12 Feb) I had classes all day until 5p, and then Anne and I traveled west to Spitalfields on the recommendation of Danielle. She told me about a toy shop there that has a variety of masks, which was exactly what we needed for the masked ball we were planning on attending for Valentine's Day. The shop was exactly how you picture an old toy shop, narrow and wooden, with toys and costumes filling every centimeter of shop space. It was almost like a shop right out of Diagon Alley. Anne picked out an elegant red and gold mask, while I chose a classic black with gold eyelashes and black feathers on one side for embellishment. They also had a few shelves worth of very nice, expensive handmade masks, some imported from Italy. I would have liked to been able to afford one of the nicer ones, but I liked mine just the same. We then managed to check out this awesome vintage shop, Absolute Vintage, for about two minutes before it closed for the day. I definitely intend to go back at some point. Before heading home, we had dinner at an excellent pizzeria Sweet Basil. One pizza was enough for the two of us, but since it was Anne's birthday week, we both treated ourselves to dessert. I had a delectable chocolate cake dripping with hot fudge, and Anne had some sort of apple crisp creation.

After class and work on Wednesday, I went to the Scala for the Manchester Orchestra show. It was the first show I have ever gone to alone. Going solo is kind of weird at first, but it's really not that bad. I actually chatted to one guy for a little while; he was promoting his band Narration. I missed the first opener, but right before Manchester Orchestra played was Anathallo. I really enjoyed the off-beat sound that came out in their songs about mythological legends and other quirky subjects. They had a copious amount of various percussion instruments, as well two horns, a keyboard and then your standard guitars and bass. I think what really got me the most was their amazing stage presence. They enjoyed being there and it showed in the way they performed. Then, of course, Manchester Orchestra took the stage. I hate to use the wrod captivating again to describe a musical act, but that's exactly what they were. I completely forgot that I was there alone and just enjoyed the music. The great thing about London venues is that they don't blast the amps quite as much as U.S. venues do, so you can actually enjoy and feel the music without needing earplugs. Call me an old woman, but I prefer it when my ears don't literally bleed after a good show. I was already late for Anne's birthday celebration by the time of the encore, but I just couldn't tear my ears away. I did eventually make it to the Old Swan. It was a fun little celebration, with everyone buying way too many drinks for Anne. It kind of made me sad to think that I don't even know where I will be for the 21st birthday. If I'm home, there won't be much of a party; Most of my friends are at school now, and there are few people from Billerica or Arlington Catholic that I stay in touch with. Although becoming legal won't be that big of a deal anymore after being legal here in the UK for several months already.

Thursday was St. Valentine's Day. Many people call it a Hallmark holiday, and it's never quite as special as you'd like when you're single, but that's no reason to not enjoy yourself. Anne, Adam and I went to a masked ball at the Roxy Bar & Screen, that eccentric place I mentioned before. Anne and I got these excellent free cocktails made with Mozart Chocolate Liqueur and some kind of coffee element. It was delightful, and well, how do you know like a drink that's free? There was swanky dance music playing, with Gentleman Prefer Blondes playing on the screen in the background. I really enjoyed myself, even though it took Adam and I almost two hours to get home on the night bus.

Friday during the day I actually watched a football match all the way through for the first time. It was Arsenal v. Manchester United, and sadly, it wasn't as an exciting of a game as expected. Both teams are supposedly top, but Arsenal just did not deliver, although I was rooting for Man U anyway. Later, I went to this really inexpensive bar Print Works with Addison, Devin, Jeff and Laurie. It was so cheap that I could afford to get a Cosmopolitan at £3.50. That doesn't seem that a terribly good deal, but trust me, that's good for a cocktail with 50ml of alcohol. While we were sitting at a table sipping our drinks, I looked around and couldn't help but wonder, "Is it gay night?" I was curious, so I went up to one guy and asked him politely, "I don't mean to be offensive, but is it gay night here tonight?" He responded, "Well, not officially, but there is a drama school right around the corner and a lot of the students come here after classes on Fridays." His name was Anthony, and was very nice, and his boyfriend was as well. We chatted for a bit before I returned to my friends, and we eventually left.

So that pretty much brings you up to date, besides this week, which I will get to soon. The only thing I forgot about was the Big Bus Tour, Family Weekend and Oxford Street, which I might add on later in a separate entry. Stay tuned and don't feel shy about leaving a comment!!

Cheers,

B.

Work, Actually..

Unfortunately, the internet at Pembridge Gardens, number twenty-one, has been quite finicky lately and access is only possible whilst one puts their computer on the right-hand arm rest on the couch near the window in the lounge, in a 2 o'clock position facing the television.  With a situation as such, it has been difficult for me to update the blog - well, nearly impossible. 

 At the moment, I am at work taking a personal moment.  My desk faces a brick wall painted over with white and is currently surrounded by boxes on two sides, leaving just one side for access.  It is by no means a glamorous workstation, but it suits me well enough to get things done.  I'm working on PowerBook G4.  To the left of the laptop, I have a file of things I've been working on.  To the right, there sits a phone that has no cord, a lamp that isn't plugged in, and a stapler that I'm sure works, when it actually has staples in it.

But don't get the wrong idea.  The office on whole is actually quite posh and modern.  The filing cabinets are lime green, the shades are powered by a remote, and the door leading from this particular office room that I work in to the main lobby is a huge wooden sliding door with a long metal handle that stretches down almost the entire length of the door.  In the morning, the sun comes in from the tall three-panel windows and warms my back and hair.

Every time I think about the fact that I have an actual job at an actual production company doing research and making phone calls that actually matter, I start to think a lot about life in general.  I begin to think about what I will do when I graduate, when having a job will actually matter - when I hit the point at which it stops being "gaining valuable experience" and becomes "surviving."  It's hard to believe that I am so close to that part of my life already.  What's even more difficult to comprehend is the fact that it doesn't really scare me anymore.  Working here and just living on my own - actually on my own, without a lifeline 3 hours away - has made me a lot more confident in my abilities.  Even just getting this job was something I wasn't sure I could do until now.  I think it's something to be proud of.

I hadn't meant for this to be a philosophical post, but sometimes these things just come out.

Can you believe February is already half over?  How can I ever leave this city?

Lochs, Glens, & Nessie! Oh My!

I apologize for my lack of updates lately.  There are just so many things to do and that I've been doing, that before I know it, they have all added up.  The idea of updating becomes overwhelming.  But here is my attempt at it anyway.

I'll start with the week of 21-23 January.  Most of the week was spent preparing for the holiday to Scotland.  However, on Tuesday (22 Jan) Christina (who had been in London since the 13th, despite the fact that she refuses to update her half of the blog) and I went out to Camden to a Jaymay show.  Camden is the part of London known as the center of British punk and all things alternative.  It also has a massive market, where you can buy anything from boots to coats to gemstones to hooka pipes (as well as several other forms of drug paraphernalia) to art prints.  It's very much typical of markets, especially in that you are able to weasel down the price of almost anything with a little effort.  To get to the bar that Jaymay was playing at, Dingwall's, you have to take a cobblestone pathway lit by lanterns that once were gas-lit.  I of course brought the wrong credit card with me, and could not confirm my ticket. I must have seemed very earnest, however, because the woman at the ticket counter let me in anyway.  I couldn't help but think that that would never happen in the States.  People here are much more trusting.

I have been listening to Jaymay for over a year now, and seeing her live was an interesting experience.  She was a tiny person, light-footed like a sprite, and it's hard to believe that so much voice and creative spirit comes from within such a small frame.  She played some songs I knew and some unfamiliar ones as well.  I'm not sure I've ever been as captivated at a show before.

   "I know you're living in London

     cause you keep on complaining,

     'where is the sunshine?

    It's always raining...' "

  -Jaymay, "One May Die So Lonely"

On the way home from the concert, Christina and I forgot to pay attention and ended up getting on the wrong train without realizing it, going far out of our way, but generally not caring.

Then came the trip to Scotland.

I love train rides.  The one from King's Cross to Edinburgh was particularly beautiful, with lots of green and at one point the sun actually came out... and then disappeared as soon as we got off the train.  We arrived in the afternoon on Thursday, so there was some time to do a little site-seeing and shopping straight away.  Anne, Hans, Jeff and I walked along the cobblestone to Edinburgh Castle, only to find that it was closed.  No matter, though, we took some pictures anyway.  On the way back to the hostel, we stepped into some shops.  They were filled with plaid wool scarves, huge blankets, kilts, sweaters, and various golf accessories.

  

Back at the hostel, it was Robert Burns night, which is celebrated by reading one of his poems, eating haggis, and taking a shot of whiskey.  Very Scottish.  Before celebrating Scottish poetry, we had eaten at The Filling Station, a very American restaurant, so I at least had an excuse to merely taste the haggis.  In all honesty, it was not horrible.  Later we went back to the Filling Station for cocktails, but retired fairly early.  

Saturday morning the nine of us took a day trip through the highlands to Loch Ness.  Our driver and tour guide was an absolute nut, referred to everything as "sexy" (i.e. "sexy loch," "sexy bus," "sexy tree," "sexy rubbish bin"....), and was named Fergie.  He was hilarious.  Much of the trip was travel time, but we stopped about halfway through to a place called Spean Bridge for lunch.  I had the most amazing lunch I can remember having in a long time.  The sandwich was cool with cucumbers, caramelized onions and a delicious spread, and the potato leek soup warmed my whole body.  It was simply delectable.  Along the way to Loch Ness, we stopped at a couple "love nests," which are little houses along the river, usually by a waterfall.  I videotaped a little so maybe I will put some of that up at a later date.  As we were near approaching the famous lake, Fergie explained to us that in Scotland, there is no such things as "lakes" and "valleys."  No, there they have only "lochs" and "glens."  He insisted that we practice our pronunciation of "loch."  Lucccchhhkkkkkkk.  Must get the throaty sound. (You gutta "chhhh" when you say it.)  We also learned that if you pass 7 white horses in Scotland within one day, the next person whose hand you shake is to be your soul mate.

Finally, finally, after so many hours of driving in the sexy bus, we reached Loch Ness!  Fergie had promised that if we took off our shoes and socks, rolled our trousers up, went into the lake to our knees, and yelled, with our hands in the air, "I Believe!," that we would see Nessie.  I did not go into the lake.  Mackenzie did, though, but Fergie claimed that it wasn't good enough for Nessie because she didn't go in to her knees.  What a trickster, that Fergie.  Unfortunately, we did not see the Loch Ness monster.  It was fun anyway.  On the way back, we stopped at a ruined castle that I found very eerie and fascinating.

By the time we finally got home, we were all quite exhausted.  It was a 12-hour trip, mostly spent on the bus.  Nevertheless, a group of young students cannot be deterred from taking advantage of their legal right to consume alcohol.  We decided to pop into a few famous, historical bars.  The Last Drop is the pub criminals were taken to for their last drink of whiskey before being hung.  We also went into Scotland's oldest pub, The White Hart, which boasts a continuous 500 years in service.  Later, we stopped in at The Three Sisters, but didn't stay long.

The next morning, Anne, Hans, Jeff and I woke up early and finally went into Edinburgh Castle.  It was a very interesting place.  All cobblestone paths, entirely made out of stone buildings and towers.  It is a superb view of Edinburg, especially the garden below, with an ampitheatre and fountain on opposite sides, between which lies green grass and a winding dirt pathway.

A weekend well spent.

I won't bore you with the train ride home, but I will mention that during it, I completed my first successfully solved Sudoku puzzle.  I shall hang it up on the wall.

More later on the past week and a half between Scotland and now.. Stay tuned..

Cheers,

B.

Episode 1 - Video Portrait of Pembridge Gardens

As promised, my first video post:
Episode 1 - A Video Portrait of Pembridge Gardens
Four minutes of video displaying the characteristics of 21 Pembridge Gardens, home to 17 international Birkbeck students in the Spring of 2008.
Enjoy!






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Doors Open Productions

In this video:
Michael Bublé - A Foggy Day (In London Town)
Mazzy Star - Flowers In December