2 Days of Snow

Well the past two days have taught me a very important lesson. Hats keep your head warm.

Yes yes, I know, it's obvious. But as a girl who doesn't look good in hats, it took a lot of looking around, feeling silly, and finally--having SUCH cold ears--buying the first one when i walked in a store. It doesn't look too bad, I suppose. And my headaches have gone down tremendously now.

(after first big snowfall)

On Wed (?) night we had a full in of snow stick. Also...it has been very icy out. In central London the snow doesn't really stick, due to the foot traffic, traffic, etc. But out in the residential areas, where I live, the snows been sticking, getting trampled to a thick mush all over the ground, and refreezing overnight. Therefore, the entire street and sidewalk is covered in...an ice skating rink of sorts. It's pretty treacherous when you are in a hurry or walking home at night (or after 4:30, because its pitch black by then here!).

(2 days later, still treacherous!)

I am sure I sound like a baby to those of you who live in heavily snow laden areas, but this is still pretty new to me to live with.

Anyway, I braved the cold and snow with Angela 2 nights ago. We went to Regent Street and saw all of the Christmas lights up on the busiest shopping street (well, with Oxford St). We went to River Island, where they were handing out free drinks (anyone want to come to a drink making masterclass with me?!), giving makeovers and manicures. And after that, she and I hopped over to Liberty where I met...

Manolo Blahnik!

I should explain...on Wed I popped in to Liberty to do some Christmas shopping, and I went through the Manolo Blahnik pop-up store inside. I swear, this place looks like a museum. Not only did they have his shoes, special edition Liberty print shoes, and scarves, but also a canvas bag, and a book of his illustrations. So I bought one (reasearch, of course!) and then I noticed a sign--"Meet Manolo Blahnik" complimentary tickets. Dec 2nd. only 50 people. get them now.

I thought, well, those must be sold out. But the signs still up. So I went to the counter--and they had some left, so I got 2!

(picture not from reception--from internet)

So fast forward to Thurs night--it's a private reception, Angela and I are sitting in a shoe boutique, being waited on by dapper waiters holding mince pies, mulled wine, and elderflower wine. Press people from the Liberty blog keep asking to take our photo. And Manolo is there, in his adorable blue suit. Of course he pronounces my name right, as he is Spanish, and says "you're quite young!" I still have no idea what that means, but it was a great night.

Yesterday = mellow day, finishing up most Christmas shopping, listening to carols on Spotify and lighting these amazing smelling candles from Ikea--perfect for the holidays.

Tonight I am going to see A Flea in Her Ear at the Old Vic with Francesca, and tomorrow I am going to Vision on Brick Lane (trendy East London) for my first haircut abroad.

**Also, I have modified my previous Theatre Review posts to include designer names and links, where appropriate. Thanks, Kate, for the suggestion!**

A Short Review: The Rivals

Last night I attended "The Rivals," directed by Peter Hall, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

The show was amazing. First off, it was written by Richard Brinsley Sheridan in the 18th Century. It is high comedy, and the writing is really quite clever. Having seen a production directed by Hall before, I've realized his manner of comedy is letting the words do the work. There are no hams in the productions I've seen, and Hall never goes for the obvious laugh; the audience chuckles only when they can decipher the joke for themselves. Like Danny Scheie always said "Comedy makes you think."

While again, I won't get too deep into the plot, I will say that it is a comedy along the lines of Shakespeare. Secret identities, love "triangles," clever asides that let the audience in on the joke. Mrs. Malaprop is one of those iconic characters; no matter what she does or how silly she is, you end up feeling for her.

The scenic design, by Simon Higlett, was both luxurious and simple. It was a unit set, with furniture, sound cues, and lighting (Jason Taylor) to differentiate between outdoors and indoors. The set itself worked well for both--the top was a forced perspective piece that echoed the Royal Crescent of Bath (where the play takes place). The placement of doors makes the set a little more abstract, but it is a very clever design that works.

The costumes, by Christopher Woods, were divine--the color palette told a lot of the story and pairings. The brighter colors belonged to the clowns, and the pastels belonged to the leads and ingenues. The only thing that bothered me were the hats--they looked as if they could be bought at a halloween superstore. Surprisingly, for this production there was a separate costume and scenic designer.

This production was originally produced in 1775 at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden--just a short walk from where I saw it. Fun fact of the day. I am very glad I saw the production--the next is "A Flea in Her Ear" at the Old Vic." I think after that, I'll be ready for something a bit edgier--I'm going to research fringe theatre here for the next few weeks.

Besides that...some exciting news! Most of the fun things that happen to me in London are things I just stumble on to--it's really all about being in the right place at the right time. Today I went to Liberty to do a little Christmas shopping, and I got something pretty cool....

Looks like I have my plans set for tomorrow night!

Natural History Museum & Narnia World Premiere

And overnight, London is transformed.

You can't actually tell from my photos today, but it was actually snowing at the time.

Maybe I should wish for things on the blog more often! I woke up this morning and, lo and behold, I found snow falling from the sky. It was quite beautiful. I was eager to go out and start my day. It was freezing. I need to buy a hat. Like, yesterday.

But out I went anyway. I started at the Natural History Museum. My favorite galleries there are the Dinosaurs, and all of the geological stuff (the rock collections, the volcano exhibit, the giant escalator.

Yes, I've been there before (hello, Dinosaurs!) but I had never stopped and admired the architecture of the place. The Earth Galleries have always been fascinating, I admit, but I really stopped this time to look at the production value of the exhibits. And the grand entrance hall? Yes, It looks amazing at first glance (and has a giant apatosaurus in the center)

but the detail is really quite remarkable. If you look closely at the arches, there are small monkeys climbing on them. The painting on the ceilings depict different plants and label with their scientific names.

Truly quite amazing. After NHM, I confess I bought a book about the history of shoes from the V&A bookstore. Next stop: Leicester Square to get a discount ticket to see The Rivals at the Theatre Royal Haymarket.

As I passed the square, in possession of my 1/2 price ticket for the 7:30 showing, it looked like they were setting up for a big event. The Odeon Theatre chain (ugh) has a huge complex there, and it turns out that is where all the movie premieres happen. Turns out tonight was the Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn Treader World Premiere. I got some great shots of them setting up--I tell you, I did not envy the crew climbing truss in the snow to focus lights, nor the crew setting up the platforms and rolling out the red carpet.

Pretty cool, but I went home to warm myself up before going out again in the evening for the show. So I go back to Picadilly Circus at 6:30, and fortunately I am early for the play. So I decided to hop on over to the premiere in Leicester Square, thinking with security, crowds, and everything I wasn't going to get anywhere near it. Well, the security guys were really nice. And there was no one there. I mean, only a few hundred people...and did I mention the Queen was supposed to be going to the show? It was really that cold.

So I walked around for a little while, kicking myself for, once again, not bringing my camera. The lighting inside the event area was amazing--it reminded me of the Disneyland fireworks show/Christmas parade, especially where they have all the fake snow come down on main street. Except this time, the snow was real. It looked gorgeous in the light. If only I could feel my ears.

I made it close to the red carpet and that's when the nice guard told me the queen was due within 20 minutes. I had 1/2 hour before the show started. Yikes. So I waited around, thinking maybe I could catch a glimpse (2 royals in 2 weeks? Would be epic...) but as time wore on, more people pushed in front of me, and I worried about not making curtain, and would not miss the first act again.

I was about to leave. But just before I did, I caught a glimpse of the guys who plays Edmond,  X Factor contestants One Direction and Rebecca Ferguson, and best of all...Simon Pegg! He looks quite dapper in a tux (I really do want to see Burke and Hare, ps)

After that, I ran over to the theatre, made it in time, and saw Peter Hall's damn fine production. Expect a review tomorrow.

Stay warm, everyone.
xoxo
Antonia

Portobello Road and Hummingbird Bakery

The first thing I do when I wake up each morning is check outside for snow. Every day thus far I have been disappointed.

I've grown quite cross with igoogle weather. First it said definite snow last Thursday. Then definitely last Saturday (moving day). Then 9pm tonight. Frankly, I don't believe we'll get snow Tomorrow, Wednesday, and Thursday. I have lost my faith in the weatherman.

Nevertheless, it is freeeeezing outside! And with the Tube strike this weekend, it's not been very easy getting around London. After my disastrous experience on the bus from ikea, I only have faith in the 31. So yesterday, along with Fran and Angela, I went to the Westfield shopping center (yes, like in America). Sure it was like a regular mall, but sometimes you just need a shopping day with the girls. And we found quite a lot.

Today I was up and out earlier than usual. I found out I could take the 31 to the Portobello Market. Like the Camden Markets, the markets and stores up along Portobello Road are a great tourist attraction in London. Of course, I realize that more stalls are set up on the weekend, and that the summer would be much more pleasant than the freezing cold of winter. Nevertheless, it was more fun for me to check out the shops on the antiques side of the road than the other, newer areas.

There were some great little vintage-y shops, a few nicer looking antique places, and some fine menswear stores, like the newly opened Stumper & Fielding. Really nice wool and angora scarves for 29 pounds.

Finally I went to the Hummingbird Bakery to see what all the fuss was about. Let me tell you--its a damn good cupcake. It's very moist and the frosting, though super sweet, is delicious. I think it's all the rage over here because it's best made American cupcake. The frosting tastes like something you might get at any bakery over here. But there really hasn't been anything else like it so far in Britain. At least, that I've tasted. Apparently if I go there on a weekend the line'll be out the door.

But overall, for two strike days (and post move-in), I think the past two days have been productive. Also, I've had a chance to relax and settle in to my new room. More to come soon.

xoxo,
antonia

Thanksgiving, Thanksgiving, New Home!

This past week has been crazy! I am as exhausted as I usually get after tech/dress. So the past couple of days have been less about seeing London, and more about living in London.

Wednesday I spent prepping for Thanksgiving dinner--I also visited Argos and got bedding for my new place. Thursday felt like a real Thanksgiving. Of course, I missed my family back in California so much, but this year everyone was all over the world. I was up early, went to the shops for fresh ingredients, and started going about hosting my first ever Thanksgiving dinner. I even made place cards with construction paper turkeys. Here was my menu:

Starters: 

Chips and Salsa (like at Lana's)

Roasted Walnuts w/ Cinnamon Sugar (thanks Amy)

Fresh Veggies (like at Mack's)

Main Course:

Green Beans

Cornbread from Scratch (Fran's recipe)

Vegetarian Stuffing

Mashed Potatoes

Turkey Breast (I admit--Marks and Spencer)

Gravy

Dessert/Wine:

Chianti

Homemade Sweet Potato Pie

Vanilla Ice Cream

It was such a wonderful night, good food, family, and afterwards we watched "Elf"--a favorite holiday film for all of us.

The next day I went to...IKEA!

Let me tell you--besides the crazy traffic on the buses and the tube (which were a nightmare!) my experience at ikea was great fun. Mostly because...

ikea is pretty much the same in every country. And that is something I am really happy about. When you travel to new places, it is always nice the local things, do something you wouldn't normally do, go somewhere you wouldn't normally go. But that's short term. 

When you are living in a new city, having familiar things can make all the difference in the world--especially if you are feeling homesick. Walking into ikea was such a familiar escape for me--and fun--and i knew all of the products. Also...I paid 50 pence for a coffee and cinnamon roll! It's amazing how cheap it was; you could never get that at a US ikea, even with the exchange rate. Best deal ever.

So then I went home and made my cornbread again to take over to my new apartment! My new roommates were so welcoming and nice, they invited me over for their first thanksgiving ever. It was really great getting to know them, and Angela made such a lovely meal. Yes I couldn't eat the turkey (it looked pretty, though!) but the roast vegetables, homemade pumpkin pie, and Claire's Banoffee pie were a big hit. 

So today I moved in. I love having my own room again, and it's been fun to decorate. I've been able to get my basic supplies, bedding, and kitchen utensils for just about 50 pounds. That was something I was quite proud of. Oh, just to clarify: in London (as in many other European cities) apartments that you rent come furnished for the most part. So it's been one less thing to worry about (and makes moving much easier). I think my room is quite cute, take a look:

And now that I am done I can get back to enjoying myself in London! Get ready holidays, here I come!

xoxo,

Antonia

Camden and Harry Potter

Today was a busy day of running errands--I ran around town trying to get ingredients for a traditional American Thanksgiving! I am really excited to cook my first Thanksgiving dinner tomorrow (as a special thank you to Fran and Justin for all of their hospitality)--with hopefully not too many changes on the classic. Holiday post with pictures to come!

The weather has gotten really darn cold--we expect snow any day now (I am just dreaming of waking up to a snow day...). On top of that, I'm shopping for the move into my new place! I am moving this weekend, and I couldn't be more excited. Today I visited the famous Argos to buy a duvet and pillows, and on Friday I am planning my IKEA trip (cinnamon rolls.....). With so many errands to run and stuff to plan for, I haven't had a lot of time to go out and explore the city. I had a great trip to Cambridge this weekend, and yesterday I finally got out and back in London.

I visited Camden, home of the Roundhouse Theatre and the famous Camden Markets. Camden has been home to London's alternative scene for decades, and it does not disappoint. It does cater more to the tourist scene, in my opinion, but if you look close enough you can still spot the locals. I remember visiting 3 years ago with my dad and being blown away by the scope of the marketplace. Let me clarify: there isn't just one market in Camden, there are many.

While the high street and the "official" camden market are home to the kitschy shops--the ones that cater to the hipsters, the posers, and the douches, there are a number of other markets that are quite interesting. My personal favorite is the Stables Market, which has a large array of vintage shops and delicious food stalls. When you step inside, its kind of like stepping back in time. Everything is a little off-kilter, a little alternative, a little strange. But they don't live in the past--its still a current and vibrant place. It could be a parody of itself, but it's just cool enough to not be.

For those who love the look of Urban Outfitters, or Stripe downtown, you can find the looks here for a 1/3 of the price. When shopping for dresses, though, beware. Most of them are "one size fits all" and therefore they don't fit anyone exactly right. You need to visit a stall or store with a changing room and try it on. 10 pounds may seem like a good deal, until you realize it looks like crap on.

Do visit the Chin-Chin Laboratorists: "Europe's 1st liquid-nitrogen Ice Cream Parlour." Science? Ice Cream? Count me in! It's really fun to watch them work, even if you don't want to shell out 4 pounds for a tiny cup of ice cream. It was so cold, I just got a coffee. Perk: instead of sitting on a bench or chair, you can sit on a swing at this establishment.

To sum up: Camden Market (Stables, particularly) are a great stop on your London tour. Oh, yeah, there's also an Odeon Cinema there, where I saw Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1. Let me tell you...it was the best HP movie in my opinion. Way better than any of the others. Although I am not a fan of the Odeon Cinema chain. For one, if you want a seat where you don't crane your neck to look at the screen, you have to pay for a "premiere" seat instead of a regular. And they enforce it too. Second, instead of playing the local ads and commercials while we waited, when the movie 'started' we got 15 minutes of ads before 15 minutes of previews. the movie started a 1/2 hour later than listed. Ridiculous.

But Harry Potter? Awesome. Walking down Shaftesbury Avenue myself today? Double Awesome.

Hope you all have a very Happy Thanksgiving tomorrow. I know a lot of you are scattered across the country, or globe, at the moment, but I hope you can keep in touch with your family. Personally, I am loving Skype.

xoxo,

Antonia

Celebrity Sighting!

So I wasn't planning on posting today, because I didn't really have a plan. I'm off to Cambridge this weekend to spend time with my family, and I leave tonight on the train. My non-plan for the day was to stay indoors and have a lazy day reading, watching movies, and maybe napping.

But this morning it was TOO nice out! It's been overcast and raining the past couple of days, and I looked at the weather report for the weekend--rain in Cambridge too. Today was one of those rare days where it was clear, sunny, and almost double digits in Celsius.

So I hopped on the tube and decided to take a walk through St. Jame's Park. I got off and walked around past Buckingham Palace (the guards wear grey overcoats that cover their red during the cold days) and through the park by the lake.

From there I through St. Jame's, down Horse Guards Road and through the archway near the horseguard's parade.

As I come out the other end, I am bombarded with tourists and cameras. At first I think they are taking pictures of the guards on horseback, stationed outside this building. But then I turn around, and there is a HUGE crowd gathered around the banqueting house at the corner of Whitehall Place.

We stand here for a while, and I wonder what's going on. I don't ask anyone, but I go a bit closer. "Hmm..." I think, "We're quite close to Downing Street, maybe I'll see the Prime Minister. Or maybe It'll just be some cabinet official who I don't know at all."


And the, from out of the building and into the crowd steps...

Prince Charles!

It was sooooo strange, I was actually shocked! He waved politely at all of us, got in his car (just a fancy sedan, no police escort, no limo treatment) and drives away. He even does the little "royal wave" from the car. It was soooooooo funny!

I guess it was just one of those "right place, right time" kind of things. Never have I seen a member of the royal family before...or anyone of that importance and magnitude. 

All in all, good afternoon out. Went afterwards to South Bank, had a coffee, read my book. Found out there's a chocolate festival there in december. Sooo...yeah. 

Good day.

xoxo,

Antonia