Shake it, Shakespeare!

"He is at once the best known and least known of figures" -Brill Bryson

Who is this author referring to? The one and only: WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE!! Lately, my world has revolved around this man of many words, literally (no pun intended). One of the classes I am taking is a Shakespearian course which requires me to read one of Shakespeare's plays each week. It's Shakespeare all day, everyday.

So far I have read Henry IV Part 1 ("Thou mad mustachio purple-hued malt worms!"), Julius Caesar ("Beware the Ides of March"), and I am beginning Hamlet. There are times when I want to rip my hair out because who the heck knows what "purple-hued malt worms are?!" But oddly enough, I keep craving more...oh what thou done to me, Shakespeare! Curse thou!!

I have a love/ hate relationship with Will. With this being said, I took our relationship to the next level and visited his birthplace. There is very little that critics know about Shakespeare, but this we do know: Shakespeare grew up in a small, quaint town named "Stratford Upon-Avon" (just two hours outside of London).  While I was in Stratford, I was able to see where little Willy attended grammar school, where he once strolled the streets, and his burial ground at Holy Trinity Church. I was overly excited-to the point where my friends were embarrassed to be seen with me. Most girls "fangirl" about their favorite boy band, me on the other hand, I "fangirl" over a dead writer...

Along with reading Shakespeare's plays and visiting his walking grounds, I went to Shakespeare's Globe and watched the tragedy of Julius Caesar! The Globe is an Elizabethan playhouse where Shakespeare’s plays are staged as they were when Will was first beginning his career. My friends and I purchased standing tickets to add to the experience of seeing a Shakespearian play. The performance was phenomenal! The actors would run through the crowds, lead chants, and splash blood on the audience-this play was nothing like I have ever seen! At the end of the play, the cast performed a jig which had the entire audience standing up, clapping, and cheering. It was hands down the best activity I have experienced in London so far.

The short period that Will and I have been together has been unforgettable and hopefully, our relationship will continue to blossom as time goes on. Well, tomorrow I am off to Stonehenge...one of the Wonders of the World. But for now, from the man himself: 

“Good night, good night! Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I say good night till it be morrow.”

Xoxo,

Mon

The Globe!

Hunted the actors of Julius Caesar down so they could sign my book! 

I love thee. 

London Living

Hey, Mates!

I have finally settled into the rhythm of what I like to call “London Living.” Never did I imagine that London was filled with so many kind and diverse people. Throughout this week, there were many highs followed by many lows (adjusting to public transportation). One of my highs this week was meeting and interacting with my home stay family. 

Even though I met my home stay family merely a week ago, I feel like a member of their family. My “parents” aren’t like normal parents-they have really cool jobs! Carroll, my “Mum,” is a musician and has her own recording studio in her backyard. Actually, the entire neighborhood is filled with musicians and sometimes when my roommate (Jay) and I are walking home from school, we can hear our neighbors playing the violin or the piano-we are so lucky! Dotun, my “Dad,” is a book publisher as well as a radio talk show host for BBC. Yesterday night, he took Jay and I to the BBC studio and gave us a tour. The family I am living with is quite big and always on the move. Carroll and Dotun have three children; the oldest is in his late twenties and he lives in the house with his expecting girlfriend, Flo, so in less than a month we will have a baby in the house! Carroll and Dotun also have two daughters Temi 16 and Lewa 13. Temi and Lewa go to an all girls school and are very musically talented. They play the Cello and the piano. The house Jay and I are living is very spacious, so the family has enough room to also host their Great Aunt from Nigeria and their Grandma from Jamaica. The first night that Jay and I arrived, the family took us out for a classic Fish and Chips dinner, was it yummy? Let’s just say I enjoyed the chips more than the fish. The entire family has been so supportive and welcoming. For instance, I bought raw chicken the other day, but didn’t know how to cook it, so Flo showed me how to bake the chicken and make a nice meal for myself. And Mum always asks us how our day was, and to clean our room-just like any mom would. I am so thankful that I don’t feel like a stranger in their home, but a member of their family! Oh! And they have a trampoline!!! Weeeee!

Even though I am so blessed and excited to be in London, I do miss home a lot and have come to appreciate it so much over the past week. Never have I been away for such a long time, but I keeping thinking, “if I feel uncomfortable, I am growing.” That has been my mantra this past week and I hope to continue to learn and step outside my comfort zone. 

Also, when I am homesick, I try to look forward to different activities. For instance, this week I am going to Stratford-Upon Avon (birthplace of William Shakespeare), House of Parliament, and Buckingham Palace (I’ll be sure to keep an eye out for pics with the Queen ;))

Xoxo,

Mon

Made Chicken and veggies with Flo!

View outside my window. 

Walking to school is always an adventure!!

Week 1 PRE-TOUR OF EUROPE (Better late than never)

Hello from London!!

I know this is long overdue, but I have been trying to adjust to my new lifestyle in London and haven’t had time to sit down and write about Week 1, so here it is.

Last week was Week 1 also what I like to call the “Pre-Tour of Europe.” As soon as I arrived in Paris, my first instinct was to buy a Nutella crepe (thank GOD the Crepe stand was across the street from my hotel…or what else would I have had for dinner?) and who would have thought that Nutella crepes would be my staple the two nights I stayed in Paris? Paris was exactly how I pictured it would be-so beautiful and romantic! Each direction I looked there was something new to see.  In one direction, I could see locals catching up with friends while drinking wine along the canal; on the other side, I saw couples riding bikes with Baguettes in their baskets-I know, it sounds cheesy. My eyes were in a trance, but surely my sense of smell was not. Yes, the rumor is true, Paris smells…atrocious…like urine more than anything else. What is the reasoning? Some Parisians think it’s appropriate to pee on the streets. Something even more magical than the liberating feeling of urinating on the streets of Paris is the Eiffel Tower. It was the highlight of my short trip to Paris, the Eiffel Tower is dazzling; every first 5 minutes starting at 8pm the Tower will light up. Along with visiting the Eiffel Tower, some of the other highlights of my time in Paris were: the Notre Dame Cathedral, Love Lock Bridge, a Boat cruise along the River Seine, and the Louvre where I had a chance to take a selfie with the Mona Lisa. 

Dancing in front of the Eiffel Tower

Selfie with the Mona Lisa

After my short stay in Paris, I traveled to a little town in Belgium called Bruges. Bruges was my favorite part of the Pre-Tour, it is a peaceful, quaint medieval city-much different from Paris. Bruges is known for their historical brick buildings, cobblestone roads, delicate lace, and delicate chocolates. While in Bruges, I window shopped, went on a boat tour through the canals, a Brewery tour, and found time to relax. As you all probably already know, I love talking about what I ate, food, fine dining etc.  SO, in Bruges, I sampled Belgium beer, a savory Belgium waffle with chocolate sauce and banana toppings, and a dish called “Frieten met Stoverij.”Frieten met Stoverij reminded me of my mom’s beef stew on top of french fries.  Bruges is a place where I hope to retire someday with my future, Flemish husband. 

I highly recommend Frieten met Stoverij!

Took a picture with a nun riding a bicycle...BEST PHOTO EVER!!

The last stop of the Pre-Tour was Brussels just a hour and half drive from Bruges. Brussels is a cosmopolitan city filled with a wide range of street art. For the day I was in Brussels, I went on a yummy Chocolate tour and a walking tour through the city. While walking through the city, Brussels reminded me of New York-dirty and filled with culture. In my opinion, Brussels isn’t the most comfortable and luxurious place to spend your vacation, but still an adventure!

Belgium chocolate child. 

Street art in Brussels. 

And then, I ARRIVED IN LONDON!! An update on my first week in London will be coming very shortly! I can’t wait to share how my first week of school went, what my home stay family is like, and all about my new home. Love you all!! Also, check out more photos of my trip on Facebook!

Xoxo,

Mon