This week I finally got my wish to play soccer with the Brits! I went to Coram's Fields, which is just two blocks away from my dorm, and jumped into a "kick-about" (pick-up) game. I played "keeper" (goalie) and was picked fourth when we picked teams (sorry, I had to brag). Everyone was very nice to me, if a little over-caring, always asking if I was all right after I went down for a rough save. We lost 4-2, but in our defense, we were down a man. I still had fun and it was a great game. I look forward to playing with them again next Tuesday. Here is a picture of the astro-turf "pitch" (field) where I played.
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| There are three fields: two with large goals and one with smaller goals. The fields are well lit and the astro-turf is soft, not like the kind with little black rubber pellets mixed in that we have. |
Wednesday night my Theatre in London class went to see another show at the National Theatre: Traveling Light, starring the famous South African actor Antony Sher. It told the story of a small Jewish village in Eastern Europe that discovers cinema through the work of a young boy who unearths his father's Cinématographe. The play's narrative goes back and forth between the young boy's story of the village coming together to make a film and the boy as an old man after a long career making films in Hollywood. Antony Sher was impressive and the ensemble was cohesive and told their story well. The stage was beautiful and every aspect of the production was highly professional. I am so happy to be in a class that allows me to see such exciting works of theatre every week!
On Friday night I went to London's hottest night club, Fabric. From the moment we stepped inside, my friends and I could tell that this was one of the more upscale clubs. For one thing, there was so much space. In other clubs we had been to, you barely had room to move, but here we could dance freely. The people there were very classy and everyone was having a good time. There were three rooms to dance in: the place was huge! Staircases took you underground, so it didn't get too hot. There was a stage that you could climb on and dance while taking in the main room of the club. There were light shows going on that gave the club a retro feel. And there was a nice courtyard where one could step outside to take a break from dancing. The music was nonstop, and my friends and I danced until dawn having the time of our lives. I would definitely recommend Fabric to anyone in London: the high cover fee is worth it!
The main event of my week was my trip to Oxford this morning. I had to get up bright and early to catch the bus and once we got there it was a slippery trek around the city in the snow that had fallen last night, but it was worth it. Oxford is one of the most beautiful cities I have ever seen. I discovered this when I was in England last summer with my family, but with an intimate guided tour by a woman who had lived in Oxford for fifty years and clearly loved the city, I came to appreciate it even more. She took us to all the famous places in Oxford and even shared a few of the cities' secrets: she showed us a door with two gilded wooden satyrs on either side of it and told us that that was where C. S. Lewis got his idea for Mr. Tumnus in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe. She pointed out a tree where a Dean's cat liked to sit, giving Lewis Carroll the idea for the Cheshire Cat. It was details like this that made the Oxford experience unforgettable for me. Here is a picture of my friends and me under the famous Hertford Bridge, popularly known as the Bridge of Sighs because of its resemblance to the bridge of the same name in Venice.
Our guided walking tour ended at the Beer Gardens, so we decided to look no farther for a place to eat and went into the nearby Turf Tavern to have lunch. My friends and I were joined by three new friends, Jane, Anna, and Katrina and we all ate in a big group at a large table by a window. Since I'd already tried Fish and Chips and Shepherd's Pie, I did not feel guilty getting a Cheeseburger (with mayonnaise, not ketchup!) to satisfy my yearning for American food. We then finished off our meal by sharing a Dark Chocolate Brownie with Walnuts and Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream, and when we found out the waiter had never tried it, we let him have a bite too!
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| The cozy Tavern where Katie, Stacy, Emily and I had lunch. We had a lovely view of the garden through the windows behind us. And you have a delicious view of the food in front of us! |
We still had an hour of free time left before the buses were to take us home, so we decided to go to the Ashmolean museum and take in some of the artifacts and paintings there. Stacy loves the pre-Raphaelites, so we headed there first, taking in some Monet, Toulouse-Lautrec, and Pissarro paintings along the way. The pre-Raphaelites were breathtaking, and I found one I particularly liked representing the scene from The Taming of the Shrew where Petruchio first meets Katherine. It was very funny! Then we set out to see some of the famous artifacts that the museum boasted. We saw the robes that T. E. Lawrence was given upon his arrival in Arabia. We also saw the lantern that Guy Fawkes carried with him on his mission to blow up Parliament. I was only sad that we did not have more time to explore the museum in depth, as I'm sure it would have revealed even more treasures.
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| The Ashmolean Museum |
Look forward to my post next week when I write about seeing One Man, Two Guv'nors at the Adelphi Theatre, a performance of The Maids at RADA, and my trip to the Tower of London!
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