Loving London

Loved, loved, loved dirty dancing! The second half was so exciting. The dancing and the music was amazing. I kinda wish that there was more dancing and less of the actually story line. This was my second musical since I've been here and--holla!--it's my second FREE one! Got more free tokens from CAPA because of the poor pluming situation in or flat (cold showers).

Once again, I was so inspired--beyond belief.

I love shopping in London. Today, Amber and I went to Oxford street, into Topshop for the third time and picked me up a pair of over-the-knee suede boots (that I have been wanting since the beginning of last fall!) for one-hundred pounds. That's the most I have ever spent on a pair of shoes, but I absolutely LOVE them! I can't wait to pair them with my new camel trench that I got from ZARA.

I love Topshop too! The one in Oxford circus is HUGE. I think Amber and I stayed in there for over three hours the first time! And...I'm going back. But maybe I'll wait until after Easter break...nah probably not! LOL.

Okay, first let me just say this, matter fact, let me scream this: FINALLY!! I finally got the rest of my money from my refund check after waiting for it for about a month extra than planned. Amber and I decided to go to Primark since its the biggest (as in square feet) store here for fashion. we styed for only about an hour because the store was closing. One thing that we both concluded by the end of the shopping trip: Primark, has a lot of things for extremely cheap prices, however most of them are not good quality nor do they fit properly. Therefore, Primark is only good for accessories. They're cheap (price wise) and the selection is endless. I ended up picking up a pair of really cute shoes for 10 pounds and a side purse for 6 pounds.

P.S. Just a little side note: Londoners are the same. Everyone shops at the same stores, including Primark. You wouldn't believe how alike everyone dresses. It's crazy. Get some individualism people!

Italy seemed like the perfect get-a-way for spring break, especially since we booked the entire trip, including a place to stay for five nights in Milan with no problem and for a cheap price. We even arrived to the airport extra early in case something went wrong. We made sure we packed EVERYHING we could possibly need including snacks for the train and flight and made sure we didn’t forget anything last minute. We did everything right…right? WRONG! Everything, despite the planning and preparation, went wrong. We ended up only staying one night in Italy…in the airport. I am now back at the CAPA center in London, thank GOD! It’s been approximately 30 hours since I’ve had something to drink. Amber and I have gone almost 36 hours with barely even 5 hours of sleep. We spent 24 out of 30 hours in various airports and nothing to eat but our few snacks (diced peaches in syrup, blueberry muffins, jelly beans, and peanuts).

Milan simply wasn't what we'd expected. It looked like Newark...except with older buildings! And the hostel that we booked was simply out of the question. WE were supposed to share a room (about the size of a dorm room) with a boy. A strange Italian boy whom we've never met. Unt-uh! no way. We coudn't do it so we looked up at each other, shook our heads, I laughed, and then we got our money back and stormed out of there and headed back to the airport.

This trip was a compete and utter wreck. The hits just kept on coming. None stop. Like, serious knock-you-down jabs. It was such a bomb that all Amber and I could truly do was laugh about it. Getting upset wouldn't've made matters any better so why bother?

I have to say though, there were a few things that weren't so bad. I loved the flights, both of them. The scenery was aamzing and I got some really nice pictures of the clouds and the mountians with snow on the tops! Also, I picked up a reeally interesting book from one of the WHSmith shops at Gatewick airport (I've been dying to read a really good novel) And at least we can SAY that we went to Italy even though it was onmly for one night...inside an airport.

Just because I am single doesn't mean that I have to be alone on Valentine's day. After all, V-day is supposed to be spent with those you love, right? Well, there's no one in my life that I love more than my twin so this year we spent V-day together and we made sure we had some fun. First we got ourselves tickets to the London eye and went up four hundred feet in the air and rode the world's second largest ferris wheel. It was amazing to see London from this extraordinary view. We took so many pictures. You can view them in the gallery on the website.

Next, we figured since we already went to the premiere and saw Ashton and Jessica walk the red carpet that we mightas well go and see the movie. So we went to Lecister Square and got tickets at the box office at the Odeon and saw "Valentine's Day". It was hilarious. I love Ashton Kuchter. He's so naturally funny and a really talented actor.

Then we went out and grabbed dinner at Pizza Hut at Piccadily Circus. It was so good\1 Amber and I have been waiting to eat at pizza hut since forever. Our day was really fun. How did you guys spend V-day?

I loved every performance, each for a different reason. My favorite song that they did? Well, that’s like asking me to pick my favorite Michael Jackson song! I can’t pick a favorite, but I can list my favorites. Here’s my breakdown:

I’ll Be There: The young boy who imitated the young Michael impressed me the most. His voice was incredible, and sounded so much like Michael, at times, I thought I was listening to the real King of Pop! When he performed “I’ll Be There” it was magical on that stage. I also loved this one because one of the other lead singers joined in and her voice was mind-blowing to me.

Billie Jean: A classic that looked and sounded incredible live, even without Michael performing it.

Smooth Criminal: This song was excellent! From beginning to end! The energy in the crowd went up ten levels when they performed this song. It was pure, bona fide ENTERTAINMENT. I absolutely loved it!

The Way You Make Me Feel: since this is one of my all time favorites by Michael I had really high hopes for this song…and they weren’t let down. My girl ripped it! That’s right a girl took the lead voice in this song and the guys were her backup dancers! It was great and funny too.

Now every single Michael Jackson song and dance move is stuck in my head! How am I’m going to sleep tonight? I’ll be thinking about the show all night!

Tonight, Amber and I went to see “London’s best Comedy” 39 steps. It was hilarious and so original! The cast members were so talented! Can you believe that the show was about an hour and a half long and there were only four actors? Each one of them had at least three different roles and some even in the same scene! It must have been CRAZY backstage. I can only imagine what went on back there. It was funny to see them change personalities instantly the way they did. The play was flawless in production. I loved it!

It still amazes me how they remember all their lines, especially when you’re playing more than one character!

I just can’t wait to go see some more plays while I’m in London. And because this one was free (CAPA gave out free tickets. First come, first serve) we have even more money to spend on shows and plays.

If there was only one thing that Capa drilled into our heads before, during, and after orientation it was “Don’t loose your oyster card!” Needless to say, when I reached into my pocket yesterday night and felt empty space (my oyster card must have fallen out!) I was horrified. Luckily, Amber was right there by my side at the tube station to settle me down when I started to holler, “What the ef am I going to do now?!?!” She calmly explained to me that I should go tell security what had happened and thankfully, he let me go even though I couldn’t swipe out. After the panic wore off and I got back into my flat I called the emergency line at Capa, explained what happened, and got directions on what to do.

The good news: They’re going to issue and mail me a brand new Oyster card…and I don’t have to pay out of pocket!

The bad news: The receptionist over the phone said that it usually takes up to five days for them to send me a new card! And I have to pay for my own public transportation up until then.

So what did I do? Well, I definitely couldn’t pay for the bus or the tube with my own money. Way too expensive. So, I decided to walk. I’m pretty good at reading maps so finding the Capa center wasn’t that difficult. The walk was forty minutes and just under two miles long. My booty and thighs sure were tight afterwards!

Matt Damon. Clint Eastwood. Morgan Freeman. Up close and personal. Amber and I bared it out in the freezing, bitter cold for five hours to see this all-star cast in the flesh. From the short time I watched him, I can tell Matt Damon is such a nice man. He’s the type of celebrity that shakes your hand and says, “nice to meet you.” Check out the video I recorded to see him live, up close and personal.

I absolutely love Camden market! It’s so eclectic. I have never seen so many tattoos and piercings ever in my life! But they have some of the best shops. Amber and I can’t wait to go back and go shopping in Camden Town. It’s almost like Downtown Manhattan. There’s a million different outside markets and shops with urban style clothing and for cheap! If you’re into the punk/alternative style, you’ll definitely love it here. The food stands were really cheap too. Amber and I are gonna go back tonight and buy this pizza we saw for only four pounds. And the garlic bread was only £1.50. I hope its good.

I love how the people are much less stuck up and polite. People actually walk up and talk to you. When Amber and I were in one of the shops this black guy came up to me, stood so close I could smell his breath (yes, he had been drinking!) and started talking to me out of no where. At first I was a little scared. As I was looking in the mirror, trying on a pair of aviators, he just kept staring at e. then he finally said something. Told me that he had a problem: when he saw a girl that he was attracted to (“not an ugly girl with a mustache or anything”) it was hard for him to look her in the eyes, hence me! So the entire time he was tryna spit game to me he wouldn’t look me in the eyes…seriously! I played along and begged him to try. He did and failed. He was just too shy. It was hilarious!

Amber and got up at six thirty in the morning to go on our first “field trip” in…how many years? We hopped on a coach, rode into Stonehenge, and got out to stare at a stack of rocks. In the freezing cold and rain! I was so mad. Some people were acting like it was such a beautiful sight to see. Just because the Romans stacked some rocks and it’s been sitting there for over 1000 years. Smh!

The next part of the trip was to the renowned city of Bath, were the Romans went to bathe. Apparently this city is very popular in the states as well for celebrities who are interested in a vacation/get-away home. We actually got to tour some of the baths and they looked like huge Jacuzzi. I wanted to jump in so bad, especially since I was almost numb from standing in the cold all morning!

Finally! The moment we’ve both been waiting for. Well, not really. Amber and I went shopping at the famous Harrods…but we didn’t buy anything. Nope. Just some good ‘ol window shopping. The shop was huge! Four floors filled with expensive brands and designers from all over. We also went into H&M and Zara. Amber and I both brought a knitted hat from H&M and Amber also purchased a pair of shades for a total of only three pounds. The shops in London don’t compare to the ones in Jersey at all. The selection is so much better and they have everything that is on the websites. And the best part is that all the clothes were even cheaper than the shops back at home. I can’t wait to go back when we get our refund checks from Rider.

When we saw the Buckingham Palace on the tour of London we knew that we had to go back for more pictures. There isn’t another symbol more significant to the UK than the Buckingham Palace. Luckily, the Palace is only about ten minutes walking distance away from our flat. When we got there we figured that this was the perfect opportunity for another one of our infamous photo shoots. Even though it was freezing outside and everyone keep staring at us like we were aliens from outer space, Amber and I stripped out of our winter gear, whipped out our digital cameras and starting posing as if we were on ANTM (cause that just the kind of girls we are lol). It was so much fun!

Check out the photos we took. You can also view more pictures in the gallery. Don’t forget to tell me what you think!

Finally Amber and I got our forty-pound stipend so that we could go grocery shopping. We have been going all day with barely anything to drink but faucet water and going all night without any snacks! I love that the supermarket is literally two doors down from our learning center. Since we are such great bargain shoppers we got everything we need to last us until the weekend for just over twenty-five pounds. That’s more than a third of our budget when you add both of our stipends together. We got plenty of things so carrying them all back on the tube with my laptop in tow was a workout in itself, but we made it.

Tonight I went to China Town with Amber, Curtis, and his roommate, Danny. We had such a fun time together. A first I was a little nervous to about eating there because I knew that the Chinese food there would be completely different than the “Chinese” food back at home. I bravely ordered a plate of shredded chicken fried rice. When the waitress came out with a plate of white rice I got even more apprehensive. I was like, “No!—I just wasted my six pounds!’ Surprisingly, it tasted really good. Better than at home and much less greasy which is always a good thing. I even went further and tried to eat my rice with my chopsticks. Didn’t work out too well, but it was fun.

Check out some of the beautiful and breathtaking sculptures from the galleries in the V&A museum. They were really extraordinary. Each one told it’s own story. Every piece with remarkable characters and individuality. I could have really stayed and stared at them for hours if my day wasn’t so packed.

Today we hopped on a coach—apparently the English hate when American’s refer to any bus besides the red ones as buses—and drove around in the crazy bumper-to-bumper-traffic for some sightseeing. The tour lasted for about three hours, but it seemed like three minutes. We went to places like the Tower Bridge, City hall, and, of course, Buckingham Palace, where the Queen lives. The tour guide even showed us the shop where the Queen buys her underwear—by appointment, naturally—where Michael Jackson stayed while on his previous tours in London and where he would’ve stayed on his This Is It tour (in the Royal suite for only eight-thousand pounds a night!), and Beyonce and Brittney Spears’ favorite shop. There were so many things to see and so many places I want to visit on my own time. Amber and I have to go back. The first thing on the list is the London Dungeon. I can’t wait ‘til it gets a little warmer so we could walk around and take some more pictures instead of freezing in the rain!

Here are some pictures of some of the main places and infamous monuments that we saw. You can view more pictures in the gallery.

Since we haven’t gotten our food stipends yet Amber and I have to go out to eat for dinner everyday, which is perfectly fine with me because I love going out. Tonight we decided to go to. We hopped on the tube, got off on Kensington High Street, and roamed around until we saw a place that was cheap, but seemed like good quality. We stopped at a small Italian restaurant, checked out the menu and the prices—I love how in London all the menus are outside of the restaurants—and decided to give it a try. The eleven-inch pie was under seven dollars (no tax) and was delicious.

Amber, Curtis, and I visited the National History Museum. The building is huge and the architecture is beautiful and very meticulous. I had no idea there would be dinosaurs there. After perusing the skeletons and fossils of T-Rex and his family Curtis showed us this huge moving…and roaring dinosaur. At first I jumped with shock and hopped back on my foot. It seemed so real! Felt like I was in Jurassic Park. Next we went to the mammal section where there were models of all types of mammals. I loved the model of all the animals, especially the one of the skunk and her baby. I took plenty of pictures. Check them out. They’re really cool, or as the English like to say brilliant!

Amber and I are roommates—of course! The flat that we are staying in is located in Kensington, an upscale part of London. We are only about a five-minute walk away from the tube and ten minutes away from local shopping areas and markets. I was first a little surprised at how modern and contemporary our flat is. I thought it would be a little bit outdated and old-fashioned. I was completely wrong. When I walked in the fresh coat of paint seemed like it had dried only hours ago. The kitchen has a big fridge, a washer/dryer, and a new stove. And I love how to flush the toilet there’s a string you pull hanging from the ceiling!