Before I forget:
Thursday: Flight delayed 3 hours because of some malfunction on the planes. With the toilets. Angry asian people screamed at the poor Delta people while I wrote monologues and ate 7 thousand innocent gummi bears. With my teeth. On the plane, watched marly and me and cried. Made middle of the night friends with girl next to me who owns botique on lower east side – Mint Julep – definitely going to check it out. Slept on my tray because I had forgotten my neck pillow tray. Woke up confused with tray on my face.
Friday:
Arrived in London three hours late. Had to turn on my phone to call Ben (producer) and let him know. Sucks. That will probably be 8,000 dollars. Stood in 1hr queue at customs. Customs gave me weird lucks. I entered the country! Was greeted by Ben with best welcome present ever – a good review in the London Times! Took to train to hotel in Kensington – room not ready – listlessly wandered the neighboring streets, excited and confused. Ate at Pret (lovely, familiar.) Went back to hotel. Room still not ready. Sat in the their fancy lobby and pouted and complained to steve over AIM and fell asleep on my suitcase until they let me in. Slept 4 hours. Woke up! Went to Sloan Square to see Wallace Shawn play at the Royal Court. Saw Wallace Shawn. Drank wine. Went for a big curry dinner by myself. Fell asleep, gasy and content.
Saturday: Woke up early! Raring to go! Explained to starbucks person what iced coffee is! made them make it for me! Took train to buckingham palace. St. James Park, changing of the guard, wandered, sort of lost, found and went to National Gallery. Gawked at pretty old things. Big Ben, Parliment, Westminster Abbey – a hike across the bridge to the South Bank. A giant hot dog. The eye. A completely freaky run in with the norwegian girl I met in italy for years ago who I never thought I’d see again – playing the Saw for bystanders. Walked all the way to London Bridge. Back to hotel! Put on tights and boots. Met up with Ro (friend from UNC) – birthday party for his friend at a gallery. Another birthday party at dancey place. Then gayest gay bar I have ever been in in my life. Made lots of friends with lots of gays. German ones who work for Sothebys. Out way way way too late.
Sunday: Had to wake up way way way too early to leave hotel. So cracked out. Found a top shop. Gawked. Freaked out. Overwhelmed and confused. Bought a shirt with a wolf on it and a dress. Spent four hours touching things and more gawking. THen to Greenwich to meet person with keys at whose apartment i’d be staying at for remainder of trip. Sans phone, took forever to find him. Found him, got keys and cute homedrawn map. Got coffee, wandered around, more gawking at Greenwich park. A meat pie! Back to hotel to grab luggage, then bust it to theater to see play! Am almost too late! See show and love it! Drinks after with the director, then to train. Get on train and have no idea where I’m going, get quite lost in south london, but find it, eat a cadbury egg and noodles, sleep in stranger’s bed. The Stranger was not present.
Monday: Notting Hill! slow walk up portabello road; a giant cheesey sandwich and a giant glass of wine mid-day. Back into the city center place, giant department stores, overwhelming shoppers. The play again! I’m late and watch the first act from the booth! Dirty chinese for dinner with the literay manager. Drinks with actors and director after. One too many -miss the train. 22 pounds for a cab. Vomit. Back to stranger’s bed.
Tuesday: a burnt british latte, The Tate Modern with Ro – japanese lunch involve fried chicken AND rice AND curry – a tour of the Globe!! St. Paul’s Cathedral. Pints of bitter and fish and chips with Maggie. Rush off to the National to see a play – I MISS IT! I’m awful with no phone and no sense of time! Wander bank towards the north bank – the sun is going down – pretty. Head to Soho to jazz bar where Ro works. Listen for a bit. Finally develop an opinion of jazz, at my age.
More to come! with pictures!