September 29, 2008

Today I visited Dali Universe near the South Bank. Dali is one of my favorite artists. I think he is a genius and has one of the most creative minds of all time. He once said, "Everything alters me, but nothing changes me." I think this quote illustrates the way I feel about my life right now if that makes any sense. Anyways, the exhibit was really enjoyable and I saw a lot of his work, particularly sculptures, that I have never seen before. There was an exhibit in Paris that I saw a few years ago that had more paintings than sculptures. There was also a small section on Picasso's work. All in all it was a great day!

September 28, 2008

Today I went to St. Paul's for an afternoon church service. It was so beautiful and it made me feel better after I left. I did some homework and food shopping and that was pretty much it. Relaxed Sundays are the best.

September 26, 2008

London Fashion Weekend is the best place on earth. My friends and I went to tonights session and had a great time. It was filled with designer clothing booths, shoes, bags, jewelry and you could get your makeup done, hair cut, and nails polished all in the same location. Elle magazine hosted the event outside the National History museum. They also had free champagne! The night ended with a fashion show. It was a great event to say the least.

It was difficult to take photos inside the event with security, etc. but I did take a photograph outside of the building! (Not a very good one though).

September 25, 2008

Long day...I'm tired. Six hours of class is no fun but at least it's the weekend now! My friends and I just booked our fall break trip. We're going to Venice, Florence, Rome, and Paris. I'm so excited! Living in hostels should be interesting but I've done it before so I'm not too worried. I'm going out in a little with some friends to Crazy Larry's in Chelsea. I don't know what it is but hopefully it will be a good night.

September 24, 2008

Today was a dreary day. It was cloudy, dark, and rained a little throughout the day. Class was pretty boring but he let us out early which was nice. Yesterday I received a package from my mom and dad filled with all my favorite things! It reminded me of home and I got a little home sick. Hopefully, the sun will come out tomorrow. Can't wait for the weekend!

September 22, 2008

Today was a museum day. The weather wasn't particularly nice so I headed inside the Victoria and Albert Museum. I was there all day and saw a wide range of art including sculptures, fashion design, photography, drawings, paintings, stain glass art, Raphael's cartoons, and my personal favorite, jewelry! They had jewelry from almost every time period and country. The royal tiaras and rings were insane. The photography exhibit wasn't too impressive but they did have Talbott's photo book called, "The Pencil of Nature." The museum itself is quite beautiful and it even has a library which reminded me of the one in Disney's, Beauty and the Beast.

I don't really like the images I took today but I didn't really have much else since I was inside most of the day.

September 21, 2008

Ahh yet another wonderful day in London. First stop was Harvey Nichols, one of London's greatest department stores. I walked around each floor gazing and yes drooling over the beautiful clothing that I do not have the funds to buy. The shoe department was like heaven. I decided to leave before making any rash decisions and met my friends at the Festival of Food at Southbank Centre Square. It's a four day festival celebrating local foods and produce as well as demonstrations by chefs and tastings. There was everything from ice cream to cheese to a hog roast! (no thank you). We then wandered around the Southbank area and came across many street performers including a headless man! Well, not really but he was pretty entertaining.

September 19/20, 2008

Yesterday's trip to Lacock and Bath was really nice. Both towns are so beautiful and the great weather and light made the trip that much more enjoyable. We didn't spend as much time as I would have liked in Lacock but maybe I'll go back at some point. I took the photo of the kid of a leash because I cannot stand that parents do that! Leashes are meant for dogs, not children. Anyways, we then went to Bath which is also a great town. Will forced me to walk to the top of the town on a road that was at about a 45 degree angle. I was sweating by the time we got up there but the views were definitely worth it.

Today I visited Regent's Park. I went to the Queen's Gardens and sat there for most of the day. It was so nice out and I enjoyed every minute of it. There were people everywhere and a wedding reception too! I wish I could have my wedding there. I ended up sitting fairly close to this old woman reading the newspaper. I started taking pictures of her and she quickly hid her face behind paper. I thought it was pretty funny. I will definitely be heading back to Regent's Park in the near future. I suggest everyone goes.

September 18, 2008

Today was too long. I woke up at 7, went to class at 9, had class again at 2 and then went to the gym afterwards. I'm very tired but I might still go out. Tomorrow were going to Bath which I'm looking forward to. I'm not, however, looking forward to leaving at 8:15. Maybe I shouldn't go out.

September 17, 2008

Yesterday was my 21st birthday. I am so old. I had such a good day and night thanks to my friends. We had a great dinner in Soho and then went to this club called Punk. I had such a fun time and wished it would never end. Thanks for all the birthday wishes everyone!

September 15, 2008

Today was filled with homework, birthday planning, and Hyde Park exploration. I stupidly wore shorts today and was freezing walking around! It looked like it was nice from my window but I guess not. I walked around Hyde Park for an hour or two and then came home to do some more homework. I love my roommates. After I ate dinner they surprised me with cupcakes from Hummingbird Bakery and champagne! I was so surprised and the cupcake I ate was delicious. I might have one for breakfast tomorrow. I'm so lucky to have such great friends.

Also, I liked the motion blur in the image of the guitarist I took. It is heavy on the blur side but I thought I'd post it anyways.

September 14, 2008

I had a nice time walking around Camden Town today. We wandered around the shops and did a lot of people watching. The style in Camden is great. We somehow ended up in Kentish Town which isn't the nicest town. The weekends weather has been so nice...I hope the sun sticks around for my birthday on Tuesday!

September 13, 2008

Today I walked around Hyde Park and documented Proms in the Park. The sun was out and the atmosphere there was great. I had a nice afternoon and then went out to dinner with my roommates. We discovered a great outdoor eating area called St. Christopher's Place that I will definitely be going back to. Another great day in London.

September 12, 2008

I would call today a very lazy day for me. I slept in fairly late and then took a nap in the afternoon. I haven't been feeling well lately, I hope I'm not getting sick. I went outside for a while to get some fresh air. I discovered a really cute area about 10 minutes from my flat. Marylebone High Street has tons of shops, cafes, and pubs with a real neighborhood feel. I had a delicious chocolate pastry at a French cafe yum yum! The rest of the afternoon was filled with window shopping which was sadly interrupted with rain. I then headed home to go to the gym and will hopefully catch up on some more sleep tonight.

The first photograph (black and white one) posted is sadly and obviously not one of mine. Hosoe Eikoh is a japanese photographer who my brother introduced me to years ago. Much of Eikoh's work focuses on charged subjects such as death and erotic behavior. Over the summer, I stumbled upon this image in the Japan section of the British Museum. What a wonderful surprise. I just wanted to post this on my blog because it is one of my favorite images I have been exposed to. Go see it at the British Museum!

September 10, 2008

Since I didn't have class today until 3:40, I woke up and decided to walk around the St. Paul's area. I have been to the cathedral before and think that it might be the prettiest one I've seen while traveling. They didn't open the cathedral until 2 pm because there was a private ceremony being held in the morning. There was a line of people that seemed to go on forever waiting to go inside. It was rather cold outside so I didn't stay very long but I did get a few pictures I liked. I then decided to get a coffee at Starbucks to warm up. There was a man inside with his laptop open and the biggest camera lenses I have ever seen! I walked behind him and saw pictures of Prince Charles and Camilla on his computer! It turned out that he was a member of the press and the event that was held this morning involved the royalty! I secretly took a few pictures of his laptop. On my walk back I came across a small shoe repair store with two men working. They allowed me to take pictures of them and were quite friendly about it. I'm thinking of going back there seeing as I was pressed for time today with getting to class on time. Class was pretty boring today. World Economy is a complex topic that right now doesn't seem very interesting to me. Hopefully it will get better as the semester goes on!

September 9, 2008

Today I had a fairly routine day. I went to the gym in the morning, ate lunch, and headed off to class. I walked about halfway down Oxford Street taking pictures along the way. That street is always so busy. I was a little overwhelmed by the crowds surrounding me. As I was walking, I kept on coming across characters who I so desperately wanted to photograph yet felt too nervous about their reaction to my camera to actually do so. That is something that I must work on while here in London. I also took note of the amount of street and city cleaners I've seen so far in London. They seem to be everywhere! I enjoyed class today and the guest lecturer we had who spoke about wire services; a field I don't know much about. I am looking forward to staying with a British host family for a weekend. I just filled out the application and can't wait to find out where I will be placed! I'm about to make dinner now, more to come tomorrow!

FYI:
The first picture of the British man in the suit was taken yesterday. I wanted to take more pictures of him as this one isn't that great but he walked away too quickly. I only took three images of him. I just liked the way he was dressed and the addition of the telephone booth behind him. I thought it represented London quite well.

September 8, 2008

Today I decided to do some more research on Hyde Park. I walked around, took a lot of pictures of people, nature, etc. and then headed over to Kensington Gardens. It was a nice afternoon filled with tons of walking! I am now very exhausted and will definitely not being going anywhere this evening. Hope everyone had a great day!

September 7, 2008

I really enjoyed the day I just had. My friends and I went to the East End Markets and toured around the entire area. Our first stop was the flower market; I have never seen such gorgeous flowers. We then went to Brick Lane which I will definitely be going back to. I loved everyones style and the vintage shops were so good! Lastly, we went to Petticoat Lane which was a bit overwhelming with all the people around. On our way back home we stopped at Regent Street Fair which was full of performers, food, and more shops. It was a very enjoyable day.

September 6, 2008

The rain today affected my plans to walk around Hyde Park for a few hours. I did manage to get there but only stayed for a short period of time. I came across a mary-go-round near the entrance of the park. It was small and charming. Hopefully it won't rain tomorrow!

September 5, 2008

Today I decided to visit The National Gallery in Trafalgar Square. I looked at numerous paintings from 1250 to the 1900s. A few favorites included, Van Gogh's "Sunflowers", Cezanne's "Bathers", and "The Arnolfini Portrait" by Van Eyck. Before I entered the Gallery I walked around the square and came across some interesting subjects. I documented stone washers, tourists, children, and the surrounding architecture. It was a great day!