A Day in the Life

   Alas, the time has come for the B.I.G to arrive in Liverpool, England, a coordinate on the Earth in which many consider to be the birthplace of The Beatle’s. Monday, bright and early, we set off for Oxford, because what better place for college students to visit than, well, a college. I felt significant treading upon the grounds of Oxford University knowing how many influential people have also stood there before my time such as Albert Einstein, C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, J.R.R Tolkien, as well as the impact that Oxford has had on my personal favorite, the film making of Harry Potter. We grabbed panini’s from an adorable little take-away café, and strolled along doing a little shopping, as well as studying the people. One person really stood out to me as well as one of the girl’s in the group (who was also the birthday girl). In larger cities it is not uncommon to see a homeless person, and sad to say after spending quite some time in big places, passing by people asking for change does not phase me as much as it used to, but there was something different about the site of this man sitting on the side walk, simply just watching the people pass him by. So, long story short, the birthday gal and I ran into a café and took him back a croissant as a simple wish to him to have a happy bank holiday.

   Once we hopped back onto the charter bus, and after about a three and a half ride, we completed the journey to Liverpool. The first observation I made was the dreadful weather in comparison with what we had been dealing with while in London. Our hotel is located right along the Mersey River, which flows into the Irish Sea, so being this close to a body of water automatically adds a rather damp, chill into the air. For the cherry on top of the English weather, it was raining, but not enough to put a hold to our outdoors tour. After seeing the sights that were a must, we made ourselves right at home with the Liverpool locals and dined at an authentic Italian restaurant that made the most delicious ethnic food I have yet to taste, but probably far from the best service I have actually received in Europe. And, to top it off, after booking it away from our oh-so charming wait staff, as I heard a sound of what I thought to be rain drops pluttering not so delicately once again, it was anything but rain. I had not heard the sound of precious rain drops, but of bird doo-doo, plopping on, not the ground, but me. At least it was a seagull from Europe... But anyways, that was my first day in Liverpool.

    My second ran much more smoothly as we rode along on the Magical Mystery Tour, viewing many of the significant places in which is everything and anything Beatle’s related in Liverpool. This included the birthplaces of two of the members, schools that the boys attended, the church where John and Paul met, the first club they played at, and childhood homes. This was quite neat to see how such significant members of musical society all started out as just another average Joe living just another “Day in the Life.”

Westminster and Wembley Wackiness

   And the tours continue! The B.I.G. had a jam packed Saturday of events. It started off with a tour of the Handel House, which also happens to have been Jimi Hendrix place of residence at one point in his life. These two artists are complete opposites of one another, but the tour made the tie how all musicians are related in a twisted sense one way or another. Then we headed off to the Academy of Music Museum, which was unique in two ways: a.) the museum houses one of the few Stradivari Violins of the world, so being able to lay my eyes on such a gorgeous instrument was quite opportune. And b.) the madness of the Wembley futbol game going on (but I will get to that later). Last of the days tour was of Westminster Abbey, now that was WOW. I still have a hard time fathoming that I was in such a beautifully, architectured church. Not only that, but the significant people that are resting there. People like Charles Dickens, Sir Issac Newtwon, Queen Mary, and Queen Elizabeth, all of whom I have been studying in school since I can remember. Being in Westminster Abbey just made all of those historical figures much more real to me, and put them into a perspective that although they impacted the world greatly, they are just as much of a normal person as I am.
   Switching gears into the wackiness of the Wembley yesterday.. whoa! The tube stations were all extremely packed with cheering fans dressed in their teams colors, so either red or yellow. When I thought the underground was a hot mess, getting back to surface level was a whole other story. These futbol fans were parading around, bearing all the pride they could summon from their souls, singing songs, waving flags, taking pictures, and of course there were many drinks being consumed by all. Futbol, or soccer, has been a sport of importance to my family for as long as I can remember, so for me to be here and witness this kind of sporting event (well the crowds at least) far surpasses any Super Bowl that I have watched (yeah, kind of anti-American of me to say). Even after the game had long ended, there were fans out and about screaming and singing for hours in either celebration, or pitying themselves. I would love to sometime experience such an international event as one of this sort actually in the stadium, but being a passer-byer was pretty neat if I do say so myself.

Observations and Nonsense

   People watching is fun, especially people watching in a place filled with someone from a different country every time you spin your head around. I had tried to mentally prepare myself to the best of my ability for this trip, so I would not go into culture shock. It is not so much the city itself that is culturally shocking, as it is easily compared to a large U.S. city such as Boston, but it is the assortment of people within that remind me I am in a foreign land.

   When touring around the streets, I could very easily pass five people in a row, and they all not speak the same lick of language. I attempt to not make it as obvious as possible, but my subtle gawking gives away the fact that I am indeed a foreigner to the country, but the funny thing is when people come up and ask where I am from, but not usually pegged as an American girl. Up to this point in the trip I have been questioned on being Slovak, Australian, Norwegian, and German which humors me every time.

   Also, when touring around the streets, I can tell the difference between having lived in a Western culture versus the Eastern culture here in Europe. The distance of personal space is one indicator. People of Europe have a much smaller gap of personal space, lean in much closer to have conversations, and the one that does irritate me is the whole bumping on the street deal, without as much as an excuse me. Apparently it is normal to run right into someone without evening glancing back to sympathize with the person you just so rudely ran into. My experience in American “bumping” is you bump, apologize, and get on with your day as it is the courteous thing to do. Call me old fashion, but I believe in politeness.

   When the group is not touring, we are most likely eating. The food here is so delicious I cannot even being to go into detail about all of the striking flavours my palette has had the delight of interacting with. But, aside from the yummies in my tummy, the service here is different than that in the States. First off, I have not been as impressed with the wait staff. They are not always the friendliest of people and jump at every chance they can to serve you like waiters do in America. I think this is due to the tipping factor. It is extremely rude to not tip in the States, but in England it is not expected, and if eating at a “tipping” place then usually the most to tip is about ten percent of the meal, and that is considered generous. Also, when sitting down to wine and dine, expect to really be sitting down for a while to eat. The food establishments here serve slow, not because the staffers are lazy (although, I question that a bit), but because when out to eat you are to enjoy yourself, your food, and the people you are with. You are not to be in a hurry, but sit back and relax, which is quite the opposite of American dining where everybody is rushing around like a headless chicken.

   Stay tuned for more quirky observations by yours truly!

Oxford Street Galore

   As a long time thespian myself, I had a great appreciation for the tour on today’s itinerary. The B.I.G had a look-see at the London Palladium, a very well known theater in all of England. The group did not have to meet up until a half past ten in the morning, which was a wonderful opportunity for us all to catch up on some much needed sleep. It does not seem like much, but after walking around day after day and then sitting for a moment your legs break out into Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus.

   When the twenty-four of us arrived at the Palladium, a short ways from Oxford Street, we were greeted by a plethora of musical theater belongings. There were numerous lines for the current show, A Chorus Line, our lovely tour guide, and the original London Till Girls (who are quite similar to the Radio City Rockettes of New York). The theater was built in a similar architecture to much more of the gorgeous England buildings, in a Victorian Gothic style. Beautiful red carpeting everywhere, sparkling gems covering the ceilings, and golden banistery winding around the rooms.  I loved getting this inside look at what it takes to put on a show of the equivalent to America’s own Broadway productions. We saw where the cast keeps props, the orchestra pit, and even the royal box where the Queen herself has sat.

   After the insightful tour, being as close to Oxford Street (thee place to do all major shopping... for days) as we were, a few of us headed out to continue on with more shopping. I have found this to be the case with frequency actually. Being the girly girl that I am, this is very much so one of my favourite activities, especially in a chic city like London. Somehow a few B.I.G’ers manage to make our way toward the main shopping points during our free time, and we have all found a love for the store Primark. Primark is this little God send we oh-so thankfully stumbled upon. It is four floors of sheer magic to any shopper, holding all of the latest trends inside and accessories of one’s wildest imagination, all for an extremely reasonable price. One of the many times while riding on the tube, I overheard an older English gentleman talking to a couple of tourists, helping them map out places to hit up, and he went on and on about Primark being a must see. This struck me slightly funny due to the fact that even an older man is in the know of the dos and do not’s here. I suppose that everyone in this city is up to speed with what is “in” especially living right around the corner from Oxford Street.

Nothing But Blues

   As I hope most of you have figured out, the main objective of my trip is studying the music of the era of the British Invasion. Yesterday evening, a group of us had the chance to do such a thing. Near Oxford Circus right along Kingly Street, there is this quaint bar called "Ain't Nothing But" and it is the home to anything and everything blues related. The bar itself was about two of my living rooms back home, so it gave for a very packed house, but everyone fed off of one another's energy while listening to the fabulous live band. Performing last night was the "Living Legends" which I thought were absolute gems! It was neat to follow along with my ears and notice the twelve bar blues rhythms we have learned in class and guitar improvisations! This bar was also a place were only locals hang because it is tucked away within the city, so it was refreshing to not be surrounded by annoying tourists (yes, I've been here for a week, I can call others tourists, right?).

Privately Parliament

   This trip is nothing short of opportunities. The B.I.G has seen more influential and historical places within the past week than most people could ever dream of visiting within their lifetime.Not only does the group have the chance to view these locations, but majority of the time we head behind the scenes for an even more in-depth look to understand the importance of what we are viewing.
   One of the priests himself of St. Martin's Church set aside time during his busy schedule to give us a walk around of the church. He was the jolliest, elder gentleman, and he was not expecting a young group of adults which I think added to the spontaneity of the church tour.
   The Royal Opera House is the most majestic theater I have yet to lay my eyes on, and the B.I.G took a backstage tour, which in my opinion helped me to further more appreciate the beauty of the performing arts, and the way that even opera music itself has had influence on the music of Rock'n'Roll (which is the main component of our study of The British Invasion).
   Lastly, I want to point out how fortunate our group is to have not only toured Parliament, but be guided through an even more behind the scenes look by Senior Staff members for an MP (member of Parliament). Thanks to the generosity of our group leader, Professor Tim Gerber, during their trip to the States last year, Tim was able to set up this personal tour with his friends for us. We had an inside look from somebody who actually works in the building for the English Government on a daily basis. Now, this may not be significant to some, but this was not an opportunity available to all. These truly are opportunities of a lifetime.

Mid-week Madness

   Wednesday already? I can't believe how short of a time period I have been here, but yet how long it feels. As much as I would like to say that I am a Londoner expert, I think I could live here my whole entire life and still be unsure of which way to turn. As I have noted over my past few days, as similar as the culture of the UK is to the States there are still differences, as there would be traveling from any one country to another.
   Just to make note of some English ways of life, sure not all Brits have the best dental care, BUT they sure are clean. The city (at least the parts I have seen) streets are spotless, but yet I rarely ever see a litter, or rubbish bin (as they call it). Everyone always ends on saying 'cheers'. I think that is a sweet, joyous word that just has a very warm, and welcoming connotation to it. Londoners are quite friendly for the most part. I have found them walking up to me, asking me if I need help when staring at a map, rather than me walking up to them. They are quite hospitable if I do say so myself.
   As for currency, I am still getting the hang of the different values of each coin, and find myself to look like a moron at times staring at my sterling while the cashier working the till waits for me patiently to get my money bearings. It is confusing having grown up knowing the value of a quarter and its size, then being told here is a coin just as large but it is only worth one pence.
   Language wise, I have heard what feels like every tongue and accent possible to hear in this city. It is always exciting when I hear someone with a North American accent, so I usually try to strike up conversation with them to find where they are from. I have met many people from the States already, and we always share that same American pride when discussing home. There is something about a British accent though, that is oh-so enchanting, and enticing to listen to. Once your ears get attuned to know what to listen for, you always find yourself craving the speaker to talk more (at least that is how I find myself feeling). Before I even begin to talk, apparently (I have been told) that I look rather American, so as soon as my mouth opens, that seals the deal and bingo, whoever I was talking to is probably applauding them self silently because they were able to guess where I come from in this small world.
   As for style here, Europeans dress so chic. I wake up feeling as though I am leaving for the day's itinerary looking nice, and boom as soon as I step outside of the hotel and see the people hustling about on the streets, I feel quite under dressed. I rarely see ladies wearing blue jeans, but rather dark jeans, or pants of some other dark color, as well as leggings. If not that, then women are in dresses and skirts, always with black panty hose and of course, gorgeous shoes! If not that, then leggings with sweaters and blazers it is. And the men, they are super fashionable, which to my delight is refreshing. They usually are wearing patent leather shoes, dress pants or dress jeans, and the perfect ensemble is completed with a scarf. Fashion here in Europe is honestly its own world all together. And the shopping there is to do. I have seen a store for anything imaginable to the human mind, and all running one right after another.
   I know that my two weeks here are going by oh so quickly, and it is impossible for me to see everything I will want, but I am trying my best to fit it all in. I have become quite the little navigator, working the tube (the underground train system), as well as managing out my time wisely. It's sort of soon to be thinking about this, but I cannot wait until I have the chance to come back!

Tea Time Anyone?

     Today has been, once again, nothing but splendid! The B.I.G had an early start to our day grabbing an English breakfast served by our hotel. The meal was similar to an American served continental breakfast in the states, with quite different at the same time. There was an assortment of cold and hot cereals, rolls, toasts with butter and jelly, eggs, breakfast meats, and typical morning beverages. It was an extremely buzzy atmosphere and quite crowded, with people browsing around everywhere to have a bite to eat in the dining room.

     When our bellies were full, we met up with our tour guide, Margaret, and took a short stroll from our hotel to The British Museum, which is the largest, covered public area in the entire world being over 37 acres! This place was astonishing, holding more than 6 million artifacts collected from around the world, and the architecture just absolutely gorgeous! As we were pressed on time, the B.I.G mostly saw the ancient Egyptian exhibits, and the ancient Greece exhibit which held legitimate artifacts from the Parthenon. I also saw the Lewis chess set, which happens to be the figures in which the Harry Potter movie modeled wizard chess pieces off of (fun tid-bit of the day).

     After a few hours of browsing the museum, we had to go back and get all dolled up for afternoon tea! Our guide took us back by way of the tube, or the underground. I was extremely impressed as to how clean this English type subway is, along with the rest of the city actually. Anyways, my point here is that there are 12 lines to the tube, and operating the system based upon which zone needed to ride the line in is quite simple.

     Once the B.I.G was cleaned and classy, we hopped onto the tube and headed to Fortnum and Mason for tea! This extravagant event was so tastefully put on by the staff. The table setting was fabulous, including flowers as a centerpiece and of course super yummy food including scones, finger sandwiches, and desserts to die for! I left the tea room feeling like royalty and filled as a lord.

As for the rest of the afternoon, a few of us ventured around Piccadilly Circus, taking pictures, doing some sight-seeing and a little bit of shopping. I actually came across a caricature artist who made me an offer I couldn’t refuse, and now a wonderful piece of art to take back to the States

     I am still in absolute shock that I am actually all of the way across the globe from home right now, but I am soaking in every second. The people, the languages, the art, the architecture, the food… all of it is a once in a blue moon opportunity.

Magical Mystery Tour Day One

     I am now currently running on about 31 hours of no sleep, but there is no amount of sleep I would trade for the experiences that I have already obtained within my thus far day and a half journey. The moment that the "oh my gosh, I left the country" feeling finally hit me was upon the plane's descent into England. After staring into a pitch black sky for countless hours, being consumed by the clouds then emerging into the new light below and laying my eyes upon foreign country that I have yet to witness was my "ah-ha" realization.
     Upon arrival myself and the fellow British Invasion Group (B.I.G) was greeted by a cheery tour guide for the day, Margaret. The group drove around London to get a general overview for our next 9 days stay within this city. Let me just say, the initial ride was quite hairy due to we American's driving on the "right" side of the road, and the British driving on the "correct" side claimed Margaret. Our fearless driver, Kim (a Portugal native), dropped us off occasionally so we were able to get a better look-see at London's best. Westminster Abbey, the Prime Minister's home, Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, the traditional changing of the guard ceremony, Big Ben, the London Eye, and the bright red double decker buses were all part of what I was able to lay my eyes on at a glance this first day.
      Listening to the wide assortment of languages and viewing the different styles worn by folk from all over the world all in one place allowed me to understand how "it's a small world after all," but I just have yet to experience. I want to close by sharing Am excellent piece of advice that the B.I.G's professor, Dr. Tim Gerber left us with, "Keep your eyes open, your ears open, your heart open, have fun. And learn a lot." Oh, how I am so anxious to discover what this Magical Mystery Tour has in store.