Mouth of Tyne

A Concert in a Castle

Tynemouth Castle

On the 13th of July Kirsten and I made our way back up North to see the lovely McFLY boys in concert. This was Kirsten's first time seeing them so it was very exciting. The day was as follows...

Traveling to Tynemouth

Magazine at the station. HARRY AND CAGGIE!

First I would like to start off with how to pronounce this city's name. TYNEMOUTH sounds like "tine...mouth". I still am not positive if this is actually correct. We decided to catch the later train at 10:00 AM rather than 9:00 AM. HINTS: From King's College if you are walking briskly you can make it to the train station in about 30 minutes. I suggest leaving about an hour early so that if you get lost or have any mishaps you can have some time to breath once you get your ticket and are ready to go. I have also seen my student rail card pay for itself from all my traveling and it will only get better as I travel more. HIGHLY SUGGEST if you are even going to an airport twice that you buy one. I know I have mentioned it before, but it really proves to be worth while quickly. We took the train changing at Peterborough to Newcastle where we hopped on the Metro to Tynemouth. The trip in total was approximately 5 hours. On the train I did some reading and napping while Kirsten worked on one of her essays. All in all it was a nice and relaxing trip in my opinion. 

Bronte Room #2

No. 61 & Lui's

We arrived at our bed and breakfast to find that it was ADORABLE and the people who own it are lovely. Barbara was so nice and they remembered my mom calling to tell them we were coming and that it was a last name none of them could pronounce. Ha! We stayed in the Bronte room (great names right!) and had a quaint view of the main street where the festivities were going to take place. We were so lucky that it was clear outside! We had no rain (although some wind) and there was a view of the ocean too. I am so glad that they had a cancellation that we could take. We met some fans and their parents from Missouri at breakfast who also had a cancellation. What a great and inexpensive place to get to stay!

Kirsten and I excited for the show

Before going to dinner we met up with Neil (McFLY's guitar tech) and had a good chat about our lives and plans for McFLY in the future. Here I will share some of these facts in case anyone is interested. McFLY are currently writing for One Direction and the song they are working on in studio currently will most likely be 1D's new single. Also McFLY are considering making another real pass at the US. Who knows...maybe they will be an opening act or maybe they will do a smaller scale tour. Either way I am just happy they are coming back and that my friends who had never heard of them until they met me get to see them. It's weird to think about how long ago I saw McFLY in California (2006) and how much has changed since then. This was my 3rd meeting with Neil in England since then and it's odd to think 6 years have gone by and where we both are now in our lives. I am very curious to see what type of crowd comes out to the shows in America. Who knows, I may even see some of the old fans I saw way back then.

We went to Lui's for dinner and it was really great food. Kirsten and I both had calamari and tomato soup with a lovely cider named OLD ROSIE. I highly recommend it. I was surprised how good it tasted because it had a bit of a high alcohol content for a cider and I expected it to be bitter. It definitely gave us some warmth to keep away the cold during the time before McFLY came on stage.

The Beach

When people think of England they aren't really thinking about the beaches...and even if they were I suggest you don't speak to me about beaches because I am from California and will probably laugh at you if you try. It was really cool to see a beach in England though. I stood there and considered that I am standing on completely different ground. I was touching water from a whole different coast. That this place I am in is entirely different from where I am from. This is what I think is the beauty of studying abroad. You are getting a new experience and seeing a different world. The beach was very cool and it has a view of the castle from its shores.

McFLY!

It is hard to talk about McFLY without sounding like a fan girl (which I suppose you could call me if you really wanted, but I just prefer dedicated fan). This was my 3rd time seeing them live in concert while in the UK and it was fantastic. Compared to the arena tours it wasn't as flashy. It was really cool to see it as more of a festival set up. I always love meeting fans from other countries. We met a girl who is studying abroad in Italy who came over to see them play. She is originally from Ohio and had missed the opportunity to see the boys last time they were in the USA because she didn't know who they were at the time. She and Kirsten both bought different merchandise to take home as souvenirs. 

Bassist for The Struts

The opening act for the boys was THE STRUTS who I saw them play with last Spring. It's not that they are bad at all, I just can't stand the lead singer. He reminds me of a strange cross between Jagger and Steven Tyler. Overall he just has a very weird vibe to him and when you are trying to watch the other band members you get really distracted by his antics on stage. Neil told me that they changed up a few of the band members, but I was not lucky enough for them to have changed the lead singer haha. On a brighter note though they did change the bassist to a very cute guy and I thoroughly approve of that! Is it bad to say that I wouldn't mind seeing them again if it meant that I got to meet the bassist? I am pretty sure the rest of the crowd share my opinion.

Team Flones jammin'

The boys came on stage around 7:30 PM and played until 9:00 PM. It was a proper gig which was unexpected! I loved when they played the new material (RED and TOUCH THE RAIN) and when they did the medley/mash up. It was nice to hear some of the old songs as well because when they do the arena tours they tend to play songs from the album that the tour is named for or trying to promote. Sadly they didn't play No Worries, but I can cross my fingers for future shows. As usual the guys were up to their antics on stage. They were doing Geordie accents and making fun of each other. At one point Dougie took off his over shirt to reveal a t-shirt, but they made a big deal about it as if he was stripping. The showmanship that they have on stage creates a contagious smile in the audience. I think this is one of the reasons I like them so much, because they are true performers who write their own material and love their fans. 

The sun came out about 8:00 PM which was great. As you can see in the videos, you sometimes can't make out their faces because the sun is so bright. What a great backdrop for a show! The sun was brilliant, the beach is in the back ground and you are in a castle. I can honestly say I don't think I will ever have an experience like this again, especially not back in the States. 

The set list was as follows (but not necessarily in order):

• Nowhere Left to Run
• One for the Radio
• Star Girl
• Don't Stop Me Now
• Lies
• Red
• Obviously
• All About You
• Everybody Knows (with Medley)
• Transylvania 
• 5 Colors in Her Hair
• Shine a Light
• Touch the Rain

Things Going on Recently

Happy 27th Birthday, Tom!

• Tayla arrived yesterday from Spain. Sadly her purse got stolen as soon as she got into Heathrow :(
• Today (as in July 17th)is Tom Fletcher's 27th birthday
• Will Robin van Persie stay with Arsenal?! 
• I have learned that there is something called Geordie Shore here that is similar to Jersey Shore back home. Apparently they say "WHY AYE!" which means "yes". Personally I feel that you should just say yes because it is shorter. Haha!

Week 2 at Cambridge

An update from my second week of classes:

It feels like ages since I left home to come to Cambridge when in reality it has only been two weeks. I can already tell that it is going to be hard for me to leave...but let's not talk about that now. I still have 6 weeks to have a blast! It still amazes me every time I walk in and out of Kings that I live here. I always feel so special flashing my purple card to get into the college.

I am getting more used to my living quarters. I have posters for my room, but I am not sure how exactly I can get them up. The cleaning lady gave me a piece of paper that has instructions on what I can and cannot put on my walls. I will have to ask around to see what other people are doing. The bathrooms are still a bit of a mystery. FACT: When taking a shower the bathtub will fill with the excess cold water in order to get the hot water to come out of the spout. You will be standing in COLD water up to at least your ankles, so prepare yourself. Also they shut off the warm water late at night and don't turn it back on until early in the morning so plan accordingly. 

Classes

Some updates from my classes include:

• Started a group project in Business Ethics (I also STILL don't have a course reader...google is becoming my best friend)
• We are in teams to create our own business
• I am in charge of Marketing
• We have chosen La Reine as our brand name and we are selling purses
• Help me out by taking my survey!!! Thanks :)
• https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/viewform?formkey=dEd4eXF4SV9VUHh6MzlHTTNCUFBFOWc6MQ
• Business Innovation and Creativity has been more challenging than expected
• There is a lot more theory than I had imagined
• The seminars are a lot of fun, but have gotten progressively harder
• FACT: Ask your lecturer what readings to do because in this case he only has certain ones that he cares about us reading at all

Day and Night

During the days I have found that my schedule consists of a lot of napping on my part because I wake up for 9 AM class every day and then have some giant gaps in my schedule. This week Kirsten and I watched the Bachelorette. We caught up finally! FACT: If you use your school's VPN network it believes that it is coming from the US, therefore you are able to watch shows from USA only internet sites. We also have started watching the UK Bachelor. (See video on the left.) Oh, Spencer is quite a fitty! Since we have started watching this I have decided I want to also catch up on all three seasons of Made in Chelsea. For those of you reading this back home in the States, think something along the lines of Laguna Beach or The Hills and it's very similar to that (BUT BRITISH!). I have also finally breezed through all three The Hunger Games  books. I liked them a lot because they were entertaining, but I would say that they aren't challenging or very thought provoking. If you want to take an analytical approach to the books I suppose you could view them as having a similar message to books such as "Fahrenheit 451" or "Brave New World" with their futuristic world and hopes of rebellion, etc. I must say that the books are no where near that level of intellect, but you get my point. Despite everyone telling me I would hate the last book, I actually really liked it. Of course I would say that the first book is the best, but I think the second book was my least favorite by far. Anyway,I think I will now move onto Fifty Shades of Grey once I have finished all my other reading for school. 

Megan, Christine, Kirsten and I at Lola Lo

As for the evenings, I haven't really been going out much this past week. I ate at Benets across the street from Kings which was very good if you miss the dining hall and don't want to walk all the way to Sainsbury. I also went out on Thursday to LOLA LO which was a lot of fun! The theme was "Let's Kill Disco". The club is 3 stories and tiki themed. The bottom floor is less crowded and plays decent music. The middle floor is much more crowded and had in my opinion better music. The top floor is an outdoor bar and if it hadn't been raining I think it would have been lovely. Our goal is to try to get to all the different nights at Lola Lo to see which one is the best. Finally, I went to TA BOUCHE (I always laugh because with my limited French I know this to mean "your mouth"). The atmosphere was fun and the bar tenders were friendly, but the drinks are quite expensive. If you are going to go here I would recommend going during happy hour so that they are affordable!

Happenings Around the World

• David Beckham scored two fantastic goals last night to help the Galaxy win, including a free kick and a beautiful strike from 32 M out
• Bruce Springsteen and sir Paul McCarney were cut off at their Hyde Park concert because of the noise curfew. What a bust!

Next will be a piece all about McFLY :) Also, can't wait to pick up my friend Tayla from the bus tomorrow! Going to be fun seeing another familiar face around Cambridge.

Scotland

Scotland Bound

Sorority squats in front of the Scotland sign.

It's funny how quickly you go on holiday after attending only two days of classes. On July 5th all of the PKP students (unless of course you missed the bus!) left for our trip to Scotland. I must say that this was the LONGEST bus ride I have ever been on (and since I have been on many bus rides for sports...including one that got my whole track team stranded in Fresno, I know what long bus rides are). My suggestion for a long bus ride is to bring water and something to eat. Of course we stopped at a few places along the way which made the trip more bearable, but sitting on a bus for so long can take a lot out of you. If you want to make the most of your time once in Scotland, you are going to want to keep your energy up. I sat next to a lovely guy named Neal from Idaho and we had some great talks about football and dating lives. Shout out to Neal for being an awesome bus buddy!

Richmond Castle

Richmond

On the way to Scotland, we stopped in Richmond which houses Richmond Castle. A group of us wandered around the city looking for food until the castle was deemed safe enough to open. Sadly on our way up to Scotland it rained cats and dogs, but luckily whenever we got out of the bus it was dry! We eventually wandered into town far enough to find a fish and chips take away with great prices. Once we all purchased our food, we headed into THE UNICORN to sit down and have our meal. They were kind enough to let us sit in there even if many of us were not going to purchase drinks. After lunch I made a purchase of an adorable American flag scarf that will be perfect for the Olympics (which seem so close! So excited!). Finally we stopped at the castle. It was beautifully covered with flowers on its walls. I must say that I have a soft spot for ruins. There is such a strange beauty to something that is damaged and has so much history behind it. 

Kirsten, Nick, and I at the top of the hill

The Highlands

You are allowed to go on two different excursions while in Scotland. I only chose one because I was so exhausted from the first week of being in England, but choosing to do a hike was THE BEST decision I made. HINT: These are real hikes. I don't think everyone who went on the hikes really understood that this meant you are going to sweat, it will be hard, you might get sore. Oddly enough I think people underestimated my hiking ability because I showed up in jeans and Burberry boots. FUN FACT: Although I often dress a bit posh, I was an Indian Princess (similar to Girl Scouts) and absolutely know how to hike :P 

Judge me by my size do you? I am a kick butt hiker!

Anyway, the hike was brilliant. We stopped beforehand to buy ourselves a lunch to eat half way through the hike. Thank goodness Kirsten brought her backpack so that we could put our food in it and our jackets. It was amazing how the weather went from miserable and raining to sunny and bright once we got to our hiking site. The hike was only about 3.5 miles, but we took 4 hours to do it because of the elevation and to take breaks for people to catch up. It was loads of fun! I haven't been hiking in a few years so this was great to get back into it again. My poor friend, Christine, had her shoe swallowed up by a mud sink pit! One of the other girls waded into it in order to salvage the shoe. Needless to say, that pair of shoes was thrown out immediately when we got back! One of the best parts of the hike was when we were instructed to sit for five minutes in silence to really take in the noises of the Scottish Highlands. These noises included the sheep, the insects, the harsh wind, and the distant water. The view from the top of the giant hill was breathtaking. You could see where the lowlands of Scotland met its awe-inspiring highlands. One of the guides pulled out his iPhone and played some Scottish fiddle jams. 

Edinburgh

We stayed at Pollock Halls in Edinburgh University. On the first night, Kirsten had fallen asleep and missed dinner. We went out hunting for something that was still open at 9 PM and discovered a Chinese take-out place. I must say that it did not look like very appetizing Chinese food. 

On Saturday, Kirsten and I took a break from studying to go take a walk into town. We stopped at Richmond Cafe to eat and it was wonderful. I had my first full English breakfast. We also had some tea and homemade baklava while we waited for the rain to subside. When we got into the city, we stopped by HMV to get some posters for our dorms. While there we talked with a worker about various bands including Westlife, One Direction, and McFLY. I will admit he laughed at us a bit for our liking boybands, but it's always fun to talk with people who actually know about the bands you like best. We continued our walk into the city center where we stopped by Sir Walter Scott's monument. The rain got pretty intense so we headed back towards the college after taking some pictures and purchasing our MADE IN SCOTLAND wool and cashmere scarves. 

I must admit that the evening was a bit disappointing for Kirsten and I as we weren't too keen to drink at this goth, underground bar that everyone went into. We had really wanted to go to the club Espionage but everyone else didn't want to go until later. Since Kirsten and I had no idea how to get there, we ended up headed back to the dorms without experiencing Edinburgh's nightlife. I have heard wonderful things about that club though, so if interested you should definitely check it out! Also, when Kirsten and I were attempting to find the club, we saw lots of bars that had live music and dancing. Edinburgh looks like it had some great pub crawl bars on The Royal Mile (that is a street name). 

Fountains Abbey

The stunning Fountains Abbey

On the way back to Cambridge we stopped at Fountains Abbey. This abbey was one of the richest and most renowned in England until King Henry VIII burned it down and destroyed it when he felt that they were a threat to his reign after naming himself the head of the Church of England. The abbey was huge, even with most of it ruined. It is hard to believe that it could have been much bigger and more grand! As I said before, I am a sucker for ancient ruins. Another fun fact about me though is that I am obsessed with King Henry VIII and Elizabeth I.

We walked around the abbey for two hours and found many interesting views with some of the PAs. One view that really interested me was past the Temple of Fame called "Anne Boleyn's Seat". As advertised in the guide to the abbey, this place had a "surprise view". The view included the whole stream leading up to the abbey as well as the abbey itself. It was worth the steep hike to find it. Aside from the beautiful abbey, there were many other stunning parts of the site including the "floating" statues in the stream. These statues resembled those from ancient Greek and Roman times. 

Glad you're back Teemu!The

Things Happening in the World

• Steve Nash is now officially a Laker. Don't know how I feel about this because I really don't like Nash at all. FACT: He looks like an old man with the body of a child. 
• Teemu Selanne is still a Duck! (At least for one more year)

Up next: another week at Cambridge and my trip to see McFLY at Tynemouth! 

Settling In

Welcome to Cambridge

My new and beautiful home

On Sunday, July 1st, I moved into my new home in Cambridge at King's College. We left Basingstoke around 10 AM and arrived at our destination at 1 PM. Some suggestions when moving into Cambridge...HINTS: most people I know who moved in were not as lucky as I to have family friends who happen to live in England and are eager to help you move in, if you are a normal person there are many easy ways to get to the college that are cost efficient. My suggested route to Cambridge that I took with my mom when we visited last Spring is to take a train and then catch a bus or take a taxi. The public transportation in England, in my humble opinion, is fantastic. The train is fairly close to the college and taking at taxi will get you close enough to move your luggage. 

Housing

View from the stairwell

From the front gates I got my key from the porter and moved into my dorm called 'A' staircase at Kings. Let me just take a moment to describe the marvel that is the Kings campus. I don't think I have seen a campus that is so majestic and picturesque. This is no knock on Pembroke College which I took at tour of last Spring. Pembroke has stunning, peaceful gardens, but the personality of Kings is completely different. Kings has this air of grandeur that is palpable when you enter its grounds. Getting to wake up everyday and see the chapel is something that I am not sure I will ever get used to. Back to my accommodations though, I suppose the only way to describe my initial reaction was a little surprised. I had hoped that I would have a view of the chapel or of the river, but 'A' staircase goes quite far back and has an interesting view of a courtyard instead. Another surprise was that the bathrooms are co-ed which is something I have never experienced. The bathroom is fully equipped with a bathtub, which is hilarious because if you think about the dorms at UC schools at least, taking a bath really isn't an option or something I think anyone would find hygienic. These are a few minor things that I will need to get used to in the same way a freshman has to adjust to dorm living. Some pleasant surprises included my room being quite large, having great closet space for all my clothes, and that a lady comes in once a week or more to clean the rooms. I have also learned that the porters are fantastic at helping with all your needs and inquiries. FACT: Get to know the porters because they are going to be your lifeline if you need help with anything and will start recognizing you. Also meet new people as soon as you move in! It's always better to have friends to eat with. Nobody wants to be alone on their big adventures. :)

Classes

The first day of classes with Julie

On July 3rd we started our real classes. I am taking Business Management and Ethics and Business Innovation and Creativity as my Module 1 (first 4 weeks)classes. Every day I have two lectures and a seminar (a total of three classes per day). This is normal if you choose to take two classes during one module. I have chosen to do my schedule this way because it means I only have one class for Module 2. The Olympics is going on during the second module which means I will be spending a lot of time in London and don't want to stress too much about classes. The other option students have is to take one class in each module and a supervision or a module three class which would be over the entire time here in Cambridge. The classes have about 30 kids in them and the seminars have about 10. If you are not used to participating in class this could be quite a challenge for you because there is virtually no way to avoid participating. HINTS: Get to know your teachers. They are very helpful at explaining what they expect of you with the reading and with the papers, etc. Also get to know your classmates. Some classes have group projects, midterm papers, and other activities. You want to have friends to bounce ideas off of, so it is in your best interests to meet as many people as possible and figure out who you want to study with. In my case, during my seminars there are case studies we work with and pretend to be consultants using our knowledge of different business theories and applying them to real life situations. In my Ethics class I will also be working in a group to create our own trading company. Tomorrow I find out who is in my group and in a matter of weeks we will have to throw together the project. Something to note about the classes is that they are very intensive and there is no room for procrastination. Of course the teachers and program directors are well aware of the fact that we are here to have a good time, but as a Cambridge student it is expected that you will also do your work and do it well. FUN FACT: The term "professor" is only used for very highly esteemed members of the University. You should address your teachers as Mr/Ms/Mrs or Dr depending on their title. 

Food

Celebrating the 4th of July 

Being completely honest, the food in the dorms is not spectacular. There are lots of choices though which makes it nice. I love all the different desserts! Be sure to pay attention to prices because everything is on a money system, not a swipe system. If the cafeteria food isn't your thing, the cafes both at Cambridge Union Society and in the colleges themselves are excellent. I am obsessed with the panini selection. The bagels are also really filling. Kirsten and I also found an awesome restaurant that has a set menu until 7 PM costing only £9.95 for two course and £11.95 for three course. I am blanking on its name, but I am sure we will go again and I will take a picture. I almost cried of happiness when I tasted the fresh fish. 

Nightlife

New friends (Haven and Julie)

There are a lot of pubs in Cambridge. If you don't already know, England is famous for what I would like to call a "pub lifestyle". This means that having a nice beer in the afternoon and drinks with meals is something very normal. Also pubs tend to be family friendly and have a welcoming environment. Each pub has a different personality, so I highly recommend trying them all out. I watched the EuroCup final after move in day at THE COW which was quite good. The bar tenders were very friendly and helpful figuring out which clubs to go to on a Tuesday night after the first day of classes. FACT: I have found that your average drink will cost £5, so be prepared! Also clubs are approximately the same price as well. There is an Irish bar that I want to try out but it was full during the soccer match. Additionally I hear that THE VAULTS is very good. I will report on that once I see how it is. The club we went to on the first night of classes was REVOLUTION which is a restaurant as well and can be found all over England. We went on a Tuesday night, which meant it was international night. Funny thing about international night is that all the songs I heard were songs from about 3-5 years ago in America. It's very strange to think that anybody would consider Americans international, but I suppose I only say that because I am American. FUN FACT: Many people dance differently at these clubs. Some people will dance in the genre I will call "freaky", but most will be bobbing around, jumping, and a lot of swaying. Maybe this is just an observation I have had in my one club experience thus far but I hear it is actually more common to see bobbing. Haha. More to come in the nightlife department including reviews of where I go and what I see. 

Recent Events in the World

• Spain won the EuroCup 2012
• Federer won Wimbledon, but Brits did win doubles at least
• McFLY will finally be coming to America in September! (A personal victory for me :P )

I apologize for being so late with this blog, but the Scotland blog is coming up next! Also excuse my poor grammar, as it is nearly 1 AM and I should get some rest. My brain has turned a bit mushy since I am not used to all this schooling. haha!

Wicked London

Hello, London!

Buckingham Palace

On Saturday morning, Kirsten and I woke up around 5:30 AM to get on the 6:40 AM train to London. On our way we learned a few things that are helpful when traveling by train (as well as changing trains.) Hints: 1) buy your student rail card because it saved us SO much money! 2)have your tickets on hand so that when they come around to check your tickets you aren't fumbling around looking for them 3)OUT means on the way out and RTN means for the return journey (make sure you're using the correct one) 4)When the ticket says "via __insert station name here__" it just means that you're going through a station. This does not mean you need to get off at that station to change trains 5)if you miss a train don't worry, if you purchase an off peak ticket you can ride most other off peak trains as well.

Changing of the guard

When Kirsten and I got off the train we went straight to the Apollo Victoria Theatre to see Wicked! I am a big fan of a band called Busted and was delighted when I found out that Matt Willis would be playing the lead in Wicked. We were 11th and 12th in line for the box office. Every day before the shows at 10:00 AM the box office gives the first row away for only £27.50! What a steal! Kirsten and I got 2 tickets next to each other and only had to wait in line for two hours. HINT: If you want to see a show at the West End but need to squeeze it into your budget, this is a great way to do it.

After the excitement of getting our tickets, we then headed to Buckingham Palace where we were able to watch the changing of the guard as soon as we arrived. I've seen/done many tourist activities in my previous trips to England, but it was great to let Kirsten see all of my favorites and for me to re-experience some of them with new eyes. We later walked through Great Park, by Hyde Park, through Picadilly Circus, into Leicester Square (where all the movies happen), and all over London to become more familiar with the city. If you plan on going to London a number of times it's good to have a map and become familiar with it so that when you come back the other days you have a better feel of where you are going and how to get there. Especially for people who have never been out of the country before, it is important that you have confidence when you are traveling. The way you carry yourself can often make you seem either like an easy target or as someone who really knows where they are going. 

TIPS: Be very careful around the city. By tourist attractions pick pocketing is very common and one of the police men by Buckingham Palace even warned the crowd about people pretending to be police men. If a police officer ever asks to see money or credit cards, as him for his badge...they are required to show it to you if you ask!

 A few fun things to do:

• Walk around all the shopping



Henry from Gilly Hicks

• Just like if you go to New York City, going down some of the key shopping roads can be a great time
• Kirsten and I took some pictures with the models in front of Gilly Hicks and Hollister (Henry from Gilly Hicks was really nice and we had a lovely conversation about how I am from California and therefore I must be used to models everywhere and the concept of them standing half naked in doors to get customers)
• Regent Street, Oxford Street, and New Bond Street have some very high end shopping

• MUST SEE: Go to Harrod's! It is absolutely incredible. Even if you don't like shopping, check out their food section because it is massive. If you haven't heard of Harrod's, it is one of the most famous shopping centers in England.

• Hamley's is a HUGE toy shop. You can test out a lot of the toys and the people love talking to you about what they have. They carry lots of cool Harry Potter souvenirs if you are into that as well as replicas from Superman, Lord of the Rings, and much more. Very cool place to check out!
• Eat somewhere you have never eaten before!
• Kirsten and I tried Nando's and it was VERY yummy Portuguese chicken

Matt Willis

 Finally,we headed back to the theatre and saw Wicked. Just our luck...WE WERE FRONT CENTER! I had a great time watching the show again and getting more of the jokes this time around. The London cast was outstanding. We were so close that you could see all their facial expressions and even when they sometimes spat when pronouncing words. It was a wonderful experience. Afterwards we headed to the stage door and I got to talk to Matt! Finding the stage door is easy and the actors really appreciate your kind words. Every time I have gone to a musical that I really liked, I try to get some autographs and tell the actors what I thought of the show. I highly suggest you do this as well because it will really make your experience memorable.


Tomorrow I will talk about moving into Cambridge and the first few days here. Ta!

Events from Today in the World!

• Katie Holmes and Tom Cruise getting divorced?
• Anderson Cooper officially comes out of the closet.