National Portrait Gallery

On Thursday, H and I visited the National Portrait Gallery. It is a wonderful collection of "Who's Who" of English history and very informative. I learned who invented the small pox vaccination (Edward Jenner), saw the man who dubbed the term "interior decorator," and saw portraits two of my favorite authors of all time.

I was keen on seeing the SELF PORTRAIT: Renaissance to Contemporary exhibit because it is leaving this weekend, but I wasn't too keen on the £8 price. Instead, H and I opted to just check out the main collection. We started on the top floor, where the oldest portraits are kept. The Tudor wing was temporarily closed so our browsing was anything but chronological.

The Regency/Romantic Era portraits were particularly interesting. We saw Cassandra Austen's portrait of her sister, Jane (seen above). Of the portrait, another relative wrote that "though the general resemblance is not strong, yet as it represents a pleasing countenance it is so far a truth." Sir Walter Scott (Ivanhoe, Rob Roy, etc.), the infamous Lord Byron, and William Blake ("Tyger! Tyger! burning bright . . .") were other highlights of this section.

As we worked backwards in time, we saw (one of the many copies of) the "dollar bill" portrait of George Washington. H noted the rather abbreviated treatment the American Revolutionary War received amongst the colonial-era pieces.

Finally, we were able to get into the Tudor wing and see two of my favorite monarchs--Henry VIII and Elizabeth I! They had three particularly good portraits of the latter, one of which I'll share with you:



This is the "Ditchley Portrait" and depicts the Queen standing atop a map of the world. I learned the portrait's theme is forgiveness, as evidenced by the stormy sky and emerging sunshine.

As we finished in the Tudor wing, it was nearing closing time. As we descended to the ground floor, we saw the current portraits of the royal family (we weren't too impressed with the latest). And before we left I wanted to see one modern portrait in particular. I am sure many of you can guess which one...



I had seen it before online, but it is a three-dimensional portrait so seeing it in 2-D does not do it justice. Seeing Jo was a nice way to bookend our tour of the Gallery.

Last night, H and I went to dinner down in Leicester Square with three students from Georgia. We went to one of the few "Mexican" restaurants in our area, which was a welcome treat.

I have been taking it easy today; tomorrow is the Chinese New Year Celebration in Chinatown (3 minutes from our apartment), which I cannot wait to see. There will be a parade, dancers, food, and fireworks! In the evening, a few classmates of ours are hosting a party to help welcome in the Year of the Dog. Hopefully I will have pictures of it all to share come Monday evening.

A Day at Cambridge

I took a day trip to Cambridge on Saturday and had a wonderful time.

I caught a commuter train in the morning and arrived in Cambridge around 10 AM. The walk from the train station to the city center took about 20 minutes, but it was a pleasant morning with lots of sunlight. For this time of year, I really could not have picked a better day to visit the town.

My first stop was a Starbucks (sad but true) for some green tea to get me going. Then, using my trusty "Best Day Trips from London" book (great present, Mom!), I quickly found the tourist center. I signed up for a combo tour that included "punting" along the River Cam and a walking tour of a few of the colleges.

I decided to take the punting tour first. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, a "punt" is "a long narrow flat-bottomed boat with square ends usually propelled with a pole." You can see one in my first pictures. Here's some more:



The water was almost completely still that day, which made the slow cruise up and down the river very relaxing. My guide (who was quite cute) told us stories about the various colleges and buildings as we passed their "backs." I'm not sure I believe all his tales (including one about Prince Charles' bodyguard getting better grades than the Prince himself), but they were entertaining nonetheless.

After the river tour, I scurried off to meet my walking tour group. Our guide, Stephen, was both informative and entertaining. He definitely went out of his way to give us extra information, which I appreciated. The famous King's College Chapel (seen in the first photo) was our first stop. The construction of the chapel began in 1446, continued during the War of the Roses (English civil war between the Red Rose of Lancaster and the White Rose of York), and was completed a century later. It is a truly magnificent building, especially the ceiling and windows. We were not allowed to take pictures inside the chapel, but here's an official photo from the college website:



The windows (twelve to on each side representing the twelve apostles) depict stories from the Old and New Testaments.

We also visited St. John's College, where we walked across The Bridge of Sighs, and Trinity College, where Sir Isaac Newton studied. (You will find a bit more about these colleges in a new feature on my blog--Flickr. If you click on the photo below the Flickr link on the side bar, you will be linked to some photos from my Cambridge trip. Below many of the pictures I have included additional information.)

Anyway, in the evening, I attended the evensong service at King's College Chapel. The famous King's College Choir performs the service daily; the choir consists of male choral students from King's as well as boys from a local school. Naturally, their choral performances were outstanding. During the service, the chapel is lit almost exclusively by candlelight, which gives it an almost haunting feeling.

Following evensong, I ventured down to "The Anchor," a local pub I had spotted near the river. I had a typical pub meal--fish, chips, and a pint of ale--and managed to meet a few of the local Cambridge blokes as well. They were great fun and told me stories about the pranks they had pulled on other colleges. I wish I could have stayed longer, but I was tired and it was getting late. I hopped a train back to London and had absolutely no problem falling asleep that night.

Thwarted!

The wireless is down at school, otherwise I would be posting about the wonderful day I spent in Cambridge yesterday. Rest assured I am alive (but not quite well, as I am nursing a sore throat). I am off to Lewes again tomorrow with my barrister, so a more substantive update will have to wait until Tuesday.

The Circle of Life

Last night, I saw Disney's The Lion King with two students from Georgia.

Before the show, we wandered down into Covent Garden for dinner. We happened upon a small Italian restaurant that looked cozy and affordable. I ordered trout in a white wine sauce, which was delicious, and we all shared a bottle of red wine. The service was wonderful, as well. It was fun to sit down to a quiet dinner and get to know two of my fellow students that much better.

The show was quite the spectacle. The first number, "The Circle of Life," was breathtaking. I have read about and seen pictures of the way they portray all the animals, but it was amazing to see in living color. The giraffes were my favorite. Clearly, no expense was spared on the production and costume design (in true Disney form). The set was very intricate. I haven't been that amazed by a set since Les Miserables' rotating platform and interchangeable set parts. And I was particularly impressed by the performers who played the three hyenas, as the manipulation of their costumes appeared incredibly difficult.

The story line follows the movie exactly, but it has been years since I've seen it so the story packed a few surprises. I had forgotten about the wildebeest stampede, which was probably my favoite set piece. The music is fun (the featured percussion players located in the balcony were exciting to watch just in and of themselves), but unlike The Producers, I didn't go home singing the songs. To me, that's the biggest drawback of the show. I agree with what H told me--it's worth it to see the spectacle and amazing set and costumes, but once you've "been there, done that," you feel little urge to see it again.

Afternoon at the National Gallery

I spent a solid 4 hours at the National Gallery yesterday. Admission is technically free (though I donated a pound to keep it free), and I got the headset for suggested £3. It was a relatively cheap and very enjoyable way to spend the afternoon.

I first explored the "Art from 1200-1500" area, where I came upon famous Arnolfini Portrait by Jan van Eyck:



Not only is it an artistically impressive piece (particularly the reflection in the convex mirror, the bronze chandelier, and the small dog), it full of symbolism. The Disembodied Headset Voice (DHV) told me the dog represents marital fidelity, the discarded shoes indicate the sanctity of marriage, and the single candle shows the presence of God. I laughed at myself when I first saw the work because I automatically associated it with the Desperate Housewives title sequence:



In the 1200-1500 section, I was also quite impressed with the "Painting of the Month," Bermejo's Saint Michael triumphant over the Devil with the Donor Antonio Juan.

A piece that caught my fancy from the 1500-1600 era was Vernonese's The Family of Darius Before Alexander, a massive work which depicts a historical scene. According the the DHV, Darius' family mistook Hephaestion (Alexander's closest friend) for the King because the former is taller. But Alexander nobly smoothed over the potentially embarassing faux pas himself.

From the 1600-1700 era, I was particularly struck by the works of Claude Gellée (aka "Claude Lorrain" or just "Claude"). I'm sure I have seen his work before, but the Gallery has such an impressive collection of his works that I couldn't help but notice his genius. His pastoral and seaport landscapes are simply gorgeous. (Examples here and here). The Embarkation of Saint Ursula was one of my favorites:



The DHV told me the legend of Saint Ursula (depicted above), a British princess who made a pilgrimage to Rome with 11,000 virgin companions. When she returned with them to Cologne, Germany, Ursula refused to marry the local Hun king. As a result of this decision, all 11,000 virgins were martyred.

I would love to drone on at length about the other impressive works I saw, but that would probably take me all day. For posterity, I will mention other particular favorites--Canaletto's Venice scenes, John Constable, Van Gogh's Sunflowers, and Holbein's The Ambassadors.

Now, I really must get some shopping done. Having postponed our plan to see a show until tomorrow, tonight will be a quiet evening. I will probably just work on my externship journal, do a bit of reading, and make a few phone calls. So unless anything exciting happens in the next 24 hours, don't expect an update until Friday, when I tell you all about this week's show.

Bickering Barristers!

Yesterday was my first full day with my barrister. We traveled by train to Lewes, a town in southern England. It was a dreary day, but the town was still quite picturesque. I forgot my camera, but I'm probably going back next week and will take a few pictures for posterity.

During the hour-long trip, E and I spoke about the case and some of the preliminary matters that still needed to be hashed--DNA tests, prior convictions, etc. But the trial was still supposed to start. It didn't exactly turn out that way.

The two main barristers (mine is serving as the junior in this case) spent most of the morning bickering over the preliminary matters. Just when you thought they were getting somewhere, they would tell the other to "shut up" and walk off. Or one would change one word of what they were agreeing to, which would start the argument all over again. What made it all the more hilarious was that they are buddies from way back so they would be bickering one minute and joking around the next.

I got to visit our client a few times down in the "lock" with E. It was interesting to me that he visited us without any restraint. No cuffs, no guard, no pane of glass separating us. I never felt unsafe; he was perfectly nice to us. But I still surprised.

In the afternoon we finally got into the courtroom, where the two lead barristers continued their bickering. I was surprised how often our barrister interrupted the judge. When it was all said and done, the trial was pushed back a few days so that DNA testing could be completed. I did, however, get to see the jury sworn in. The look on their faces was interesting when told they were to hear murder trial.

In the end, I wish I had heard the openings, but after talking to H last night, maybe it's better I didn't. Opening statements are not time-limited in the UK. The Crown (prosecution) in her tax evasion case spoke for over 4 hours and isn't finished yet!

I will likely return to Lewes on Monday and see the Crown put on some of its case. The trial may even go into the next week.

Anyway, I'm off to the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery for the afternoon.

ETA: I saw the Globe results. Go Brokeback Mountain! I'm glad Hugh Laurie and Steve Carell won too.

Trains, Buses, and Markets

Because I know you've never seen a picture of Big Ben...



On Friday, H and I went by Charring Cross to inquire about train tickets for tomorrow and I took the chance to snap this quick pic. I quite like the way it turned out. At CC, I got a "Young Persons" that will apparently save me a bit on rail tickets. Yay for being under 26!

Yesterday morning, I ran back up to Regents Park. Tons of people were out with their dogs. I must remember to take my camera one morning.

We had our tour in the afternoon. At first, I was disappointed that we weren't actually taking a double-decker bus, but it was quite nippy out so it was probably better that is was enclosed. Our guide was quite funny and very opinionated. The tour gave me lots of ideas of places I want to see. We did stop at St. Paul's for a break so I took a few pictures.

The statute of Queen Anne outside St Paul's.

Factoid: She had 17 kids. Crazy!

We also walked across the nearby Millennium Bridge aka the Wobbly Bridge, which they had to close down for a bit because it was unstable. H and I also got a chance to talk to the professor who run our consortium about her husband, who is an English Lord.

I went out in Soho with some people from school. It's awesome to live so close to such a fun area.

Today, I met up with my barrister, in her area. She lives in the City of London area near the "Erotic Gherkin," which you can see in this picture I took yesterday from the bridge:



After some yummy brunch she showed me around the Spitalfields Market, which was great fun. I'll probably go back to next Sunday and do some shopping and have a curry. She also gave me loads of great advice on things to do and see.

Tomorrow, I'm off to the murder trial with Emma. Tell you all about it on Tuesday!

"Keep it light, keep it bright, keep it gay!"

H and I organized a small outing to the theatre last night. It took a bit of trial and error with the tickets, but everything worked out in the end. Obviously, we saw "The Producers," which I found hilarious.

For those of you unfamiliar with the basic plot, two Broadway producers put toegether a sure-fire flop--Springtime for Hitler--as part of money-making scheme. The musical is heavily satirical and includes many hilarious numbers (my personal favorites being "Keep it Gay," "When You Got It, Flaunt It," and "Haben Sie Gehort Das Deutsche Band?"). "Springtime for Hilter" itself is entirely beyond description.

[Note to Mom: You and Dad should keep this one in mind for when you visit.]

I'm planning to see quite a few more muscials--"The Lion King" (I'll probably splurge for better seats), "The Woman in White" (new Andrew Lloyd Webber), "Mamma Mia", "Billy Elliot", "Guys and Dolls", etc. Of course, I plan to see "Phantom" and "Les Miserables" (it's only my favorite ever!) again as well. H is also keen on seeing "Mary Poppins", which we've heard it good. I'm sad "Wicked" won't be here until the fall, but I guess I'll just have to trek to NYC (or back to London) and see it.

Tomorrow we're going on a school-organized, double-decker bus tour of London. I think I did one way back when with the family, but I'm definitely up for it again. Besides, it's free. I plan to take pics to share with you all.

Flat Pics!

Here's the kitchen. It's got everything you'd need.



Here we have the living room as you walk in. We've got a couple comfy couches and a nice TV.

This is our balcony. If you can't tell, it was gorgeous today. I took advantage of the warm weather and went for a run up to Regents Park.

Below is the view from the TV back toward our entry way. Through the portals are the stairs up to the bedrooms.



Finally, here's the room I'm sharing with H.

That's all I've got time for, but I think you get the general idea.

Meeting My Barrister

Yesterday was the first day of classes. Nothing exciting, really, until we toured the Inns of Court and met our barristers for the externship program. I was one of the lucky ones, in that my barrister (a) showed up and (b) is lovely. She's fairly young (my guess is somewhere between 28-32) and very friendly. She's invited me to brunch on Sunday and then a bit of shopping in the markets near her apartment. H might come along too.

For those of you who haven't heard about the program, I'll spend every Monday shadowing my barrister and keep a journal of my experience. The first week or two will be quite interesting, as she's doing a murder trial nearby. V. exciting.

I really am going to upload a pic or two today, followed by a tour of our entire flat tomorrow.

Until then...

ETA: A view from our flat balcony taken on our first day in London. You can click on the image to see a bigger version.



Now that I can use my own computer at school, I'll be posting pictures of our flat ASAP.

Lazy Sunday

No, I didn't have cupcakes and take in a matinee of The Chronicles of Narnia. Instead, I took care of some necessities--got a cell phone, went grocery shopping, and found all the important necessities (read: shopping and shows). I also got to meet H's cool friend from Oxford.

Our place is awesome. I'll post pictures soon. It's nicely furnished, clean, safe, and has some really comfy couches. And I should know. I fell asleep on one last night after a night at the pub (oops). We met up with some other program students and had a grand time.

It's invigorating being in the city. There's so much energy to this place. It's going to be a great semester.

First *real* post

Well, it's really here. I'm leaving in a few hours. This time tomorrow I'll be landing in London. My parents will be here soon to do a real check through, but here's my version...

Computer? No check. It's sort of in use at the moment.

Clean underwear? Check!

Coffee made for parents? Check!

iPod? Check!

Digital Camera? Check!

Emergency chocolate bar? Check! (You never know when a chocolate craving might hit.)

Pride and Prejudice? Check!

Passport? Check!

Money? Check!

Sounds like I'm ready. Catch you all on the flip side...of the pond.