The GLOBE

We went to the Globe Theatre today. The tour guide made fun of my lack of an umbrella...but when he asked me where I was from and I told him Seattle, he said "oh, I understand you actually like this kind of weather." YUUP!! i am loving it!

The theatre was built to be as similar as possible to the original (or the 2nd one, because the 1st burnt down due to a special effects malfunction involving a cannon). There was still no celeing to keep the weather out, all open. They still put on plays when it is raining, the stage a covered a little and most of the sudience also. There is no roof so the light can come in, since there is no stage lighting at all. It was really cool. They were settnig up for a play ans there were these girls whos job was to sweep the water off the front of the stage. very interesting.

after that we took the tube back to school and went to class after a quick bite to eat. Happiness class, we basically talk about being happy, and what really makes people happy. Its a fun class and also the biggest class. No real plans for this afternoon, its been raining so a lot of people wasnt to go back and get warm before we do anything. Also trying to get ready for amsterdam. We are going to share bags and bring the absolute minimum in case we have to share a hostel room with a stranger for some reason, and to get through everything quicker. Not excited for another plane tomorrow though, ugh. At least its only and hour!

Peace
MalMil

Lunch in the park

We had a great weekend spending most of it eating baguettes  in Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens or roaming the streets of Kensington.  The parks here are amazing...Seattle times 10000.  So big and pretty.  The weather has been so beautiful, everyone goes to the park and sits in the grass and just eats lunch.  There were mad amounts of people at Kensington Gardens on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The thing that really surprises me, and that I LOVE to death, is all of the loose dogs romping around.  The people here just let their dog off the leash and they run around the park and play with kids and other dogs.  They dont have a care in the world and their owners dont even watch the, they dont worry at all.  Prada would so love this place.  I just want to live here and get a dog and be a nanny and play with these really cute kids with british accents in the park all day long!  There was a little boy, maybe 3 or 4 years old, he was telling us jokes and collecting trash and filling all of the bottles with mud, he was having the best day of his life, i swear.  So cute.

We still have not been to any museums yet but we plan to go after classes from not on because all of the museums in the UK are free.  I could believe it.  Hopefully we can make it to the zoo or the aquarium also, because we all want to go.  

We have been waling everywhere in this really nice neighborhood and its really funny because they dont have street garbage cans here,  they leave their trash bags on the sides of the streets and the garbage men pick it up every couple of days.  People who walk their dog pick up the poop on a bag but then leave it on the street.  Its so weird to see, especially in Kensington which is soooo fancy and nice.

We saw our first play tonight.  It was a straight play called "woman in black" about a ghost.  It got really creepy/scary at the end.  It was about a woman who had died and a guy had to go look through all of the papers in her haunted house.  The ghost was her sister who was wanting her son back, who had also died...it was confusing.  But basically at the end we found out that when a person saw the ghost (the woman in black) a child dies, because her child died.  So the story was about the guy who went to the house and he saw her and his son died, he wanted to do a play about his story and the guy who was helping him saw the woman and it ended...so we assume that his son also dies.  It was crazy!  Some people fell asleep because they said there was no music to keep them entertained (Olivia, haha) I love that stuff though so I liked it but it was a little scary.  Ghost stories scare me. ahhh.

We finally got rain for the 1st time this morning, I walked to class at 8:40am and it was raining.  it felt so good.  It was like Seattle summer rain, a little warmer outside and it wasnt pouring rain, it was good rain...not like Arizona.  It smelled so good walking in the rain.  I loved it.  I was the only one without an umbrella too.  It was funny.

Going to the Globe theatre tomorrow morning early.  We are going to learn about shakespeare and how he started and everything, so excited but need my sleep, up at 8am!!  Hopefully after class we will go to a museum!

Peace 

MalMil

Nightlife in London town

This weekend is our long weekend because Monday is a holiday.  We have been going out to some pubs and clubs in the area.  Being very adventurous and taking the tube out and the bus home.  So far we have not been lost completely.  People here are very helpful if you ask for directions and they are friendly when you strike up a conversation for the most part.  We went to a club called Sketch and that it was.  It was very cool, almost gothic style inside and the bathrooms were these egg pods that talked to you when you shut the door.  The art work was also strange there was a statue of 2 greyhounds humping in the hallway and a colorful porch swing.  There was also a resturaunt attached.  The place was really cool but definitely Sketch, they names it right.  Then we went to a club called Strawberry Moons, it was a dance club right down the street from Ice Bar, where we want to go too.  The clubs here are nice but pretty pricey.  Around 8 pounds which is about $12 per drink.  Crazy expensive, but good music and we had a lot of fun.

We are going to amsterdam next weekend so we are helping some other people on our trip book the same flight as us tomorrow.  A big group of us are going it will be so much fun,  I am also looking into going to Liverpool (duh) on our last weekend in London or maybe even when we get to Scottland, not sure yet.  I am so so so excited for that! (yay beatles).  After all that we are going to a pub that a local recommended to watch a football match that is going to be huge here, so we are going early to get good seats to watch it on TV.  Its going to be so much fun real football in England, even though its on TV.

Peace 

MalMil

finally a working computer

I got my computer up and running finally!!  The computer lab (and all of school) is about a 20 minute walk from our dorms so its been hard to get to a computer for the past couple of days. 

So the tour that we took with Nigel was really great.  We went all over London through the different districts and over the (new) London Bridge and Tower Bridge.  Saw the London Eye, West Minster Abbey, a bunch of really old church towers and buildings that had been bombed in WWII, it was amazing.  We went to Buckingham Palace and the Queen was in residence so we saw her flag flying.  The guards were marching back and forth in front, it was Beautiful.  THere are big green parks all over London, it reminds me a lot of a combination of Seattle and a mini New York City.  

I have my own bed room in the dorms here in London.  Its pretty nice but at the same time I wish I was in the corner that everyone else is in except for me!!  But Ill make new friends in my corner I guess!  

I am already having such a great time and Ive only been here for 3 days.  I already decided that I am going to live here.  But I think once I get to Ireland that I will love it even more than England if thats possible!!  I for sure need to live over here though.  It is amazing!  I am so glad I got to come on this trip and Im actually getting college credit for it!!

Peace 

MalMil

I made it!

So after a couple glasses of (FREE) wine, and a tylenol PM I slept on the 10 hour fight for...a good 3 hours. SOOOOOOO tired. I dont remember the orientation because I was falling asleep! went to bed at around 7 and woke up at 4am! my body is soooo sonfused.

I had my 1st class today, we got lost trying to find the building but we finally got there only a half an hour late. The class is going to be interesting. we then went and ate pizza and took a bus tour with our tour guide Nigel. He was really fun. London in so pretty! I decided I am going to live here already. the weather is like home so I already love it!!!!!!!!!!!

I need to go get a beer and some fish and chips!#

Peace
MalMil

airport time

So Olivia, Jew, Amy, Victoria and I have been sitting in the airport for a couple hours and we are ready to get on this plane!!!!!!! ahhhhhh. 11 hours from now we will be in London and I am ready!!!!!

AAHHHH

bored.......

Peace
MalMil

...and the adventure starts

I guess its about time for me to start using this blog thing.  Ive only had it for a good 5 months without posting anything...go me!!!

Michelle gave this idea to me because she started a blog for her trip to Africa.  I thought I would do the same thing for my trip to London, Dublin and Edinburgh...secretly, deep down inside I just wanted to be one of those people who blogged...yes I want to be a blogger.  Ms. Lauren Salgado convinced me that I could do it too (she is a really good blogger) so I am now admitting my dreams to all of you (thanks Lauren).

But really before I start with my trip, since I dont leave for another 4 days or so, I am going to update everyone on my life! If you didnt know that I have been in AZ for the past 3 years than you probably dont know me and therefor should not be reading my blog...but Ill let it slide, at least you will be entertained.  I finally moved out of the dorms/sorority and got an apartment with my big sis/bff Asia Viloria.  We are pretty much the same person only she is from so cal and Im from the Emerald City (sam dif).  I love this girl, we click!  BUT, she is too smart for me, because she is graduating on time (which is now) and she is moving back to so cal this summer.  I am going to her graduation tomorrow morning with her entire family and watching her get her diploma and leave me!  Obviously I am a little upset about this, I thought life was supposed to be like peter pan, never grow up.  Asia grew up! dang it.  

This would be a little bit more upsetting for me if I was not going to be living with another so cal twin (that makes us triplets...almost) Lauren Kira Salgado!  Yes Lauren is my future roommate, and even though it wont be the same without Asia, Lauren is pretty much the same person.  We are also going to devise a plan to kidnap Asia and bring her back to AZ where she belongs...until we are done here of corse.  No one really wants to live in Arizona.

I am leaving on Monday for London.  I am so not prepared for that 10 hour flight, oh man.  I dont do so well on planes.  Good thing I know 5 other people on my flight!! I also am not prepared for packing, I might have to convince my mom and mimi to take me shopping when they get here tomorrow :)  I am really excited to go on my trip though.  There is going to be so much to do and see.  I have never really been out of the country, unless Canada counts.  Plus I will already be used to the weather because its almost the same as Seattle.  Im ready to get out of this 100 degree weather.  I cant stand it anymore.  

I will be bringing my laptop and will have access to the internet everywhere I go, so believe me I will be updating you every 5 minutes or so.  I am really excited for this trip, and I get college credit for it so why not!!!  I am sad that I have to miss Hattie's graduation, I wish I could be there, and dont worry Seattle I will be back for a bit when I am done traveling!  Promise to read my blog because I promise to write it!

peace,

Mal Mil