Carmen and the Random Things

I am feeling very cultured tonight- this afternoon, Adrienne and I went to Sadler's Well Theatre to see Carmen. But the version we saw was a little different than the opera one might expect- we saw it done with only flamenco- no words, just dancing! It was part of London's flamenco festival, and it was an awesome experience.

I was actually a little worried about seeing it. Besides the fact that I had never seen any production of Carmen, didn't even know any of the story except that she dies tragically, I had never seen flamenco before. I knew it would be at least an interesting show because of this, but I was concerned that I wouldn't understand the story.

I shouldn't have been worried; I got the story no problem, and the dancing was really cool. It's amazing how much the performers could tell with just a flick of their skirts. The lighting beatifully complimented the gorgeous costumes throughout the entire show, and it was also nice not to have to take notes like that while watching the show! It was a really great first experience with flamenco and I would gladly see some again.

Now for some micellany, a few things that I've noticed or have done but was never been able to fit into my stories:

-There are betting places all over London. EVERYWHERE. The biggest company is called William Hill. I think we have at least four of these on my street alone, and the rest of London is similar. Coming from a place where it's illegal to gamble, it's still a bit shocking to me to see these everywhere.

-Last week, when I went grocery shopping with Adrienne and Megan, we took the bus and I excitedly suggested that we ride on the second level. Even though I've taken double-decker buses while I've been here, I've never ridden on the top. I'm not going to lie- I was excited and it was awesome. It was a beautiful day and it was a very nice ride :)

-When people pack lunches (usually for children), they don't put them in lunch boxes or bags like we do in America. Instead they put everything in a bigger Tupperware container.

-It is a lot more common for people who have difficulty walking to use forearm crutches. You don't see them much at home- I think people will use a walker or a wheelchair before they'll use forearm crutches. Here, however, those who need them- from young kids to the elderly- do, and unself-consciously, too.

-I met with my Adaptations instructor to talk about the big paper we have to turn in next month. We had a few prompt options, and I knew which one I wanted to do, but I had two very different ideas as to a topic. After talking it over with her, it was decided that I would write the paper on my favorite play, Proof, and its film adaptation. I am very excited- I have a good deal to say on the subject, as well as a general passion for the story.

-My friend from home, Megan, and I have been planning our reading week adventure. We were originally planning to go to Dublin for the day, but the price is literally climbing by the hour and we would need to get up around three a.m. to make our plane. This would be a problem, as the tubes don't start until six-thirty (which I couldn't believe), the night buses aren't the safest, and a cab would be expensive. It got more and more impossible as we tried and tried to plan it.

Today we admitted Dublin defeat and planned other things within England like Canterbury, Warwick Castle, Stonehenge, Windsor Castle, a Harry Potter walk, seeing Billy Elliot, and two full days to explore London. I can't wait for reading week!