HAHA. A flash mob of girls – rocking out to Britney’s “3″ in Milan this past week.

You may have seen this already, but this is how it SHOULD be done…

…but the real props has to go to this advert…

When you go to London, the best time is during Summer, because there’s no snow and you will not feel chilly. When you land at Heathrow Airport you will have access to hire a taxi from there with a driver and he will get you to the very best places in London.

You can also take a taxi and go to other places that you wish to visit further afield. London is the most exciting city in the world, thanks to its 1000 years old history.

It has many gardens & museums for you to see and the first thing to do is visit Big Ben’s Tower and of course the London Eye by the Thames river which in itself has a really beautiful landscape. It is the longest river in England and measures 415 miles in length.

You can just relax and see the sights or go shopping and buy souvenirs from some of the best shops in the UK. Again London is the best city in the world both for shopping and for amazing tourist sites.

It has some of the nicest parks and gardens e.g. Hyde Park, Green Park, Battersea Park, Greenwich Park, Hampstead Park, Holland Park and many more.

Then you also have many museums to choose from, for example the Guards, Fashion & Textile, Bank of England, Museum of Garden History and plenty of others.

The concept of London is that it’s made up of tiny villages which complete the whole. Well illustrated by the famous North of London suburb of Hampstead Garden Suburbs.

Oxford Circus & Piccadilly Circus are great places to visit & they draw millions of visitors every single year. Piccadilly Circus is a rather an untidy place with lots of traffic. Otherwise it’s definitely the central hub of London’s West End and a very popular meeting place.

One more place where you must go to is The Palace of Westminster which is the crux of English Government (the Houses of Parliament which is it’s other title) is directly accountable to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II.

Many Diplomats & Celebrities live in the St. John’s Wood area which is located on top of the West End and is a most beautiful residential area north of Baker Street.

To have a good look at the City of London try a Duck Tour on the river and the road since you will be conveyed in an amphibious vehicle ! and it is easily the best way to travel by road and also to cruise along the river Thames as well.

London is also famous for it’s very historic buildings such as Whitehall, Admiralty Arch, Queen Victoria Memorial, Wellington Arch, Bunhill Fields, Convent Garden and Duke of York’s Column and many more.

For shopping try Carnaby Street, Charing Cross Road, Knightsbridge, Mayfair, Kensington and Oxford Street.

Now you have your answer as to Why Visit London !

En su 40º Aniversario, Freddo festeja la apertura de una exclusiva heladería en Piccadilly Circus, ubicada en el cruce de regent y piccadilly street. Esta iniciativa forma parte de un plan para abrir durante los próximos dos años al menos seis heladerías en la capital inglesa.

Freddo llega a Londres en asociación con una prestigiosa cadena inglesa de restaurantes, y además de dar a conocer 25 sabores, ofrece café y pastelería típica argentina, desarrollada por el chef argentino Fernando Trocca. Un promedio de 200 personas visitan por día la nueva sucursal, a través de la cual Freddo fideliza cada vez más clientes, que encuentran entre sus favoritos los sabores Dulce de Leche Granizado y Malbec y Frutos Rojos.

En el marco de la celebración de los 40 años de Freddo, es una inmensa satisfacción para todos los que son parte del proyecto, haber abierto puertas también en una de las ciudades más sofisticadas y desarrolladas del mundo. Freddo se constituye así como un emblema de la calidad de los productos argentinos, y su legitimidad para ingresar y ser apreciados en cualquier parte del mundo. En los días que lleva abierto el local, la respuesta del público londinense es realmente exitosa.  Esperando llegar a tener 5 locales en Londres.

Desde el inicio de sus actividades en 1969, Freddo es la marca pionera en elaboración y venta de helados artesanales, con 43 sucursales en la Argentina y 9 en el exterior, siendo la primera en internacionalizarse con su llegada a Uruguay.

Fuente: Gastronomiconet

El Ángel de Piccadilly Circus, originalmente cargada por P.RoSan.

Popularmente se cree que la estatua representa a Eros, pero el propósito original era representar la imagen de su hermano gemelo, Anteros, como confirman los registros contemporáneos del distrito ciudadano de Westminster. Cuando el Monumento se inauguró hubo muchas protestas. Algunos pensaban que estaba situado en una parte vulgar de la ciudad (la zona de los teatros), y otros que era demasiado sensual como un homenaje a un respetable conde popular (7° Conde de Shaftesbury) por su sobriedad. Algunas de las objeciones se atenuaron rebautizando la estatua como el Ángel de la Caridad Cristiana
El escultor Albert Gilbert.

Não pensamos duas vezes. Não importava muito quantas horas estávamos sem um banho ou sem esticar o corpo numa cama de verdade…
Apesar da canseira mortal, ainda dava tempo de ir até o Big Ben.
Bater perna era tudo o que precisávamos naquele momento.

Agradecemos a Brooke na recepção do hostel pelas instruções e refizemos o percursso a pé até a Gloucester Road Station como duas crianças correndo contra o relógio.

Minutos antes, aquele trajeto da estação até o hostel era uma aventura, agora já era familiar.
É muito louca essa sensação de não conhecer nada, de virar uma esquina e descobrir tudo novo…
Mais louca ainda é a sensação que se tem ao começar a criar os primeiros pontos de referência…
É muiiiiiiiiiiiiito louco!

A ausência das pesadas malas nos fazia flutuar.
Estávamos leves, felizes, falantes e cheios de uma energia renovada. “We are in London… Let’s break the law”…
Mergulhamos no underground.

Como havíamos comprado o bilhete do metrô (Zonas 1,2,3,4,5 e 6), pq o aeroporto internacional fica bem distante do centro (Zona 6, creio eu), tínhamos viagens livres pelo transporte de Londres pelo resto do dia.
Rapidamente encontramos no complexo mapa metroviário a estação mais próxima a famosa torre do relógio: Westminster.

Para nossa sorte, a Westminster ficava na mesma linha que nossa estação, a Circle. Passamos pela South Kensington, Sloane Square, Victoria, St. Jame’s Park e finalmente descemos.

Eu comecei a reparar numa frase que a condutora do metrô dizia com frequência, mas ainda não conseguia escrevê-la na minha mente. Ela não fazia sentido ainda.

Milhares de conexões em cada uma dessas estações.
Por mais que se tenha gente nas plataformas embarcando e desembarcando e o metrô não seja lá tão espaçoso (o metrô londrino é muito muito estreito e tem o teto bem baixo) a coisa funciona.

Antes de sair à superfície, percorremos alguns quilômetros de corredor (e isso não é nenhum exagero).
Londres abriga outra cidade no seu underground.
Foi num desses corredores que a Islândia veio me fazer vontade mais uma vez:

Não dá pra explicar com justiça o que é sair dessa estação e dar de cara com o Big Ben.
Vc sai da estação, sobe uma escada cheia de pessoas indo e vindo e dá de cara com o cartão postal mais famoso de Londres.

A gente não tem noção do tamanho da torre do Big Ben até que se está lá ao lado.
É descomunal.
A saída do metrô parece estar propositalmente posicionada bem na lateral do Big Ben, assim, só pra provocar.

Atravessamos a rua com cuidado, pois nessa hora, os londrinos adoram andar de bicicleta a todo vapor.
Atravessamos de volta, pq é impossível fazer fotos ao lado da torre do relógio. Ela simplesmente não se enquadra em qualquer enquadramento que se faça.

Descemos uma escada lateral ao Rio Tamisa.
Foi assim que conseguimos fazer algumas fotos.

Assim como nós, turistas do mundo todo babavam simplesmente pelo fato de estarem ali.
Todo mundo feliz, um frio bacana, aquele tempinho típico de Londres…

Londres foi uma exigência da Jussara para essa viagem, ela fazia questão de conhecer a cidade. Eu mesmo não fazia questão.
Mordi a língua.
Naquele momento eu sentia a grandeza e a magia dessa cidade.

Andamos pelos arredores.
Percorremos a principal ponte, andando um pouquinho, olhando pro Big Ben, andando mais um pouquinho, vendo a London Eye do outro lado.
Atravessar o Tamisa pela primeira vez pela Ponte Westminster além de gelado é estonteante.
As pessoas que passavam por nós…
Muita gente com máquina fotográfica… Impossível definir um idioma…
Parecia que estavam falando grego… Logo mais um grupo de turistas soltava uma frase em alemão, indiano, russo…

Já do outro lado do rio, seguimos até o elefante de Salvador Dali e lembrei muito da minha chefe lá na Criacittá, a Claudinha. Meses antes de eu estar ali, ela tinha feito uma foto fantástica do mesmo elefante que me chamou muito a atenção.
Claro que registrei o pomposo e distorcido animal sob aquele céu nebuloso e fica a foto dedicada à Claudinha.

Confirmamos a grandiosidade da London Eye e decidimos subí-la amanhã (fomos deixando pra amanhã, depois de amanhã, para o último dia e quando vimos, não subimos a London Eye – a Ju foi pra Paris tocando nesse assunto como um disco riscado) pois o tempo poderia abrir.

Andamos sem rumo certo, mesmo com o mapa debaixo do braço.

Íamos aonde nossa curiosidade nos levava.

Percorremos ruas e cantos espetaculares.
A tarde ia caindo e o frio ia aumentando, mas estávamos tão malucos com tanta explosão de acontecimentos que pelo menos eu sentia calor.

Reatravessamos a ponte e encontramos a plaquinha do metrô já acesa.

Era hora de tentar encontrar a Piccadilly Circus.

Meu Deus!
Nem bem chegamos e eu já me apaixonei pelos mosaicos da estação do metrô.
Não tirei foto de tudo, pq senão ia ficar louco e ia deixar vcs mais ainda.

Há alguns anos, eu havia recebido de presente da Inês, em sua passagem pela cidade da rainha, uma bonita ilustração dessa famosa praça.
Desde então, aquela região se tornou familiar pra mim. Eu a apelidei carinhosamente de “A Time Square Londrina”.

Estar ali, de pé, naquela noite linda não podia ser mais especial.
Aqueles letreiros acesos brincavam com nossos olhos. Não sabíamos pra onde ir ou o que fazer.

Eu sabia que a Chinatown era por ali e que deveria existir uma grande loja de eletrônicos.

Acabei encontrando os dois e mais um monte de outras coisas interessantes.

Aproveitamos pra ligar para os que estavam preocupados:

Encontramos o bairro chinês sem muito esforço.

A Liberdade em São Paulo tem a seu charme, mas essa Chinatown é muito mais colorida.

Fora que tem uns restaurantes de comida cantonesa que vale a visita.
Há nas vitrines desses restaurantes, patos assados pendurados e todos os tipos de comida asiática ricamente exibidos para aguçar o apetite do turista mais exigente…
É um desfile de cores e aromas irresistíveis…
E o melhor, o restaurantes não são caros.

Piccadilly Circus é destino pra quem não está a fim de dormir cedo.
A vida noturna acontece ali.

Há várias casas de musicais pela região. Eles são muito famosos por lá.
Há cartazes os anunciando em todas as estações de metrô. Desde o aeroporto já somos influenciados por eles.
Os que mais se destacavam eram o musical do filme Mudança de Hábito e do Billy Elliot.
Juro que era tanta coisa bacana sendo bombardeada na nossa cabeça, que eu esqueci de ver o preço do ingresso pra poder assistir Mudança de Hábito numa dessas noites frias.

Nessa região é completamente normal ser abordado por uma dragqueen, ser cantado por um gay, ser convidado a entrar numa balada pegando fogo ou até mesmo ser confundido com outra pessoa.
As pessoas que por aqui passam são as mais criativas, coloridas, desencanadas e brilhantes.

Foi perambulando bastante que acabamos encontrando uma loja inacreditável.
Fomos descobrir mais tarde, que a Rainforest Cafe, era além de loja, um bar e restaurante.

Quem passa pela fachada da Rainforest, assim como nós passamos e nunca ouviu falar dessa rede, não tem noção do que se esconde lá no subsolo.
Eu não vou nem falar muito pq é perda de tempo tentar explicar esse lugar. Mais fácil deixar o link com vcs.

Gastamos uma boa hora lá.
Pegamos o cartão dos caras, pq como eu ia dizendo pra mocinha que nos atendeu, eu não conseguiria chegar lá de novo sem ajuda e eu com certeza iria querer voltar.
Agradecemos a mocinha, que antes nos ensinou como fazer para chegar ao meu objetivo principal: HMV.

Como foi que não tirei nenhuma foto da HMV Piccadilly? (Essa foto eu peguei no Google).
Compilando as fotos que eu tirei da viagem toda, reparei que não havia nenhuma foto ou vídeo da invejável HMV.
Desculpem as Fnacs e as grandes lojas do gênero, mas o que era aquela HMV?

HMV é o paraíso. Foi dica dos meus amigos da Outerspace.
É a utopia de uma loja de games, cds, dvds, eletrônicos e informática.

Para alguém como eu, que viveu na época em que internet era artigo de luxo de centros culturais e mp3 era coisa de ficção científica, A HMV é definitivamente o paraíso.
Naquela época, um single era algo absurdamente raro. Só era possível comprá-los na loja da Banana Music nos jardins e em dólares. Eu gastava quase o salário inteiro pra comprar um single de 2 músicas do Pizzicato Five ou da Björk.

Por anos fiquei imaginando o tamanho dessas lojas em Londres, pq todos os singles e cds limitados que eu comprava vinham com a famosa etiqueta “MADE IN LONDON”.

Pois é, descobrir a HMV preencheu esse vazio.
Lá é o paraíso dos singles, dos videogames, do blueray, dos dvds, dos computadores, das coisas personalizadas…

Havia notebooks, tvs, câmeras, videogames… Todos os headphones mais legais do mundo, de todas as cores, formas e tamanhos…
Headphones da Sony, como os meus, por £17 e eu não compreiiiiiiiiiiii! Na Fnac um MDR-Z700 como o meu não sai por menos que R$350.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, fiquei maluco, maluco, maluco!
Eu quase surtei na hora que eu encontrei o setor de games… Me acabei por lá…

Mesmo em libras, o preço dos eletrônicos e games era muito bom.
Comprei Katamari Forever, Dead Space, Burnout…

Comprei The Beatles Rockband na HMV de Londressssssssssssssssssss… Comprei outros acessórios pro PS3, comprei Ipod Touch pro meu pai, pra minha irmã, ganhamos desconto pra comprar aquelas caixinhas de som que tem uma batida poderosa pra acoplar o ipod…
A Ju comprou uma edição especial limitadíssima de vinil do Iron Maiden, com pintura e tudo mais, pra dar de presente (Esse disco ficou sendo o nosso anão de Amélie Poulain, levamos ele pelo resto da viagem).

Nos acabamos lá na HMV.
Só não comprei mais pq era o primeiro dia.
Ainda teríamos que ir pra Paris, várias cidades na Suíça, Veneza, Roma…
Pensava no trampo que ia ser ficar carregando tantas aquisições.

Entrei em todas as lojas de eletrônicos ao longo da viagem.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, perdi de comprar os headphones!
Não acredito até hoje. Mesmo no Duty Free de Zurique, Roma ou São Paulo… Nada chegava aos pés dos preços praticados na HMV.

A noite havia nos engolido.

A sensação era de total liberdade, não importava para onde andássemos… Mesmo carregados de sacolas de compras, havia muita gente nas ruas, muitos turistas e um bem estar espalhado na atmosfera.

Ja era muito tarde. Voltamos para o hostel, cansadíssimos. Não sem antes fazer umas paradas obrigatórias no nosso bairro.

Mergulhamos num merecido sono numa cama quentinha, limpinha, quarto ultra silencioso…
Amanhã seria o dia dos museus. E se havia algo que fazia do nosso hostel ser o mais bem localizado, é que ele estava a poucos passos dos museus mais interessantes de Londres. Não precisaríamos nem de bilhete de metrô.

Day 4 in London..
Date: July 4, 2009

Checklist Item Crossed #11 — Buckingham Palace
A Change in Plans…
9.30am – Y woke me up. It’s a good thing she did or I would’ve overslept. I had planned to see the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace that morning. I was already running late. Showered, got dressed, no time for breakfast! 10.10am – Got a bottle of Evian at the shop downstairs, walked to the Underground station….oh, crud. I forgot my Oyster Card. Walked back to the apartment; 10.20am – Arrived at the Underground station, topped up my Oyster Card, then found out that the train wasn’t in service due to railworks on the Piccadilly line (dammit). Took the bus to Hammersmith, chatted with a nice but talkative London-based Sudanese lady who had gotten on at South Ealing with me; 11.20am – Hm…too late to go see the Changing of the Guards now — it was due to start in 10-20 minutes. Decided to mooch around the shops at Hammersmith station for awhile, then took a train to Piccadilly instead.

Checklist Item Crossed #11/12 — Lillywhites @ Piccadilly Circus/ PRIDE London Parade, Regent Street
12.30pm – Looked for the Liverpool home jersey for Rina’s brother at Lillywhites, a sportswear store at Piccadilly Circus (it turned out to be a size too small for him when I took it back to KL…); 1.15pm – Finally finished shopping at Lillywhites, it started to drizzle outside. Saw a small crowd gathering by the roadside just outside the store and realized that I was standing along Regent Street and that the PRIDE London parade (that’s the Gay&Lesbian parade, if you didn’t know..) was going to pass through. Oh, yay! I thought I was going to have to miss the parade, I guess it was a good thing the Buckingham Palace plan didn’t fall through after all! Also, I was lucky to be one of the earlier ones to be there because I got to be right up front at the barricades instead of having to fight for a good view with the crowd that was gradually growing all around. I could feel the nice cool English wind brushing against my bare arms; 1.45pm – Still waiting. It had stopped drizzling and was getting a bit warmer — was still glad that it was still slightly windy. Nice weather today! Crowd growing bigger; 2.15pm – The PRIDE London parade had finally arrived. It was my first live parade of any kind ever; 2.45pm – The parade was AWESOME!!! I saw Boy George too!!! 3.30pm – Parade ended, I’ve managed to exhaust my camera battery, the film rolls of *BOTH* my manual Kodak cameras (that I had purchased at the London Eye a few days earlier) and the space on my SIM card *AND* phone memory, having taken 200+ pics at the parade alone(!). Took a train to South Kensington, then onwards to NottingHill Gate.

Boy George in the middle!!

I met Russell today for a brief and concise tutorial. First thing, I was sharing my concerns about projecting in high-profile public spaces, such as Oxford Street and Piccadilly Circus. The logistic complexity of getting all the equipment together – laptop, projector, generator, and cameras to document the action – in an often-overcrowded place, with policemen all over the place monitoring every little suspect things, seemed quite unfeasible. As I was convinced and truly willing to take it further, I was feeling somewhere in between despair and anguish. An electricity specialist told me the portable generator I found at Maplin wouldn’t work well (something about the electro-waves) and the other ‘simple’ generator I looked at weights 200kg.

As this project deals with everyday feelings, ordinary locations can be as meaningful as the big central spots, Russell said. It makes sense, although the original objective to reach as many people as possible (and watch their reaction to ‘measure’ the efficiency of the experiment) is gradually moving into the background. Trafalgar Square is a very dramatic set, but a more simple, accessible location can be also meaningful.

As this project is not about developing a stunning single design piece as an outcome, the report plays a central role, explaining the methodology, processes, ideas, comments, etc.

So the conclusion is to keep it simple yet consistent, make a simulation as good as possible, delivering a feeling of what the experience is about, and that’s it. As I move towards the end, I’m starting to work on the DVD’s screens and navigation as well as the final video template with a description and documentation of the three ‘final’ experiments.

These words summarize (a lot) the subjects here. I revisited some of the experiments and, looking at the locations considered so far, thought about other possibilities, with different messages and visual languages.

First, the experiment in Bank. To boost the visual impact, and increase the messages’ appeal, I combined the quotes about money and happiness (data collected on the survey) and footage of money flying randomly up in the air. The location is the same (Bank of England), but on a different wall. For the outcome the flying bills would be British pounds instead of American dollars, reasonably.

This is a level 3 experiment, questioning the overestimated importance attributed to money in our society. I just read another article (Metro, 12/09/2009, page 13) on money and happiness. Britons earn more money (more than £10,000 above the European household income average) but have a poorer quality of life than many of their European counterparts (ranking last place in a list of ten countries).

More or less in the same terrain, mass-consumption is the subject for the Piccadilly Circus projection. The location is very interesting in symbolic terms, as an iconic landmark of publicity in London. The logos have been sitting there for so long that we don’t mind their visual yell anymore (and their huge waste of electricity). The challenge here is to come up with an objective, powerful, and incisive message. I was analyzing two different sources and will briefly quote them both:

ADBUSTERS, Commercial Breakers

The average TV ad presents the consumer with a crisis: a crisis of identity, a crisis of hunger, a messy floor, an unsightly blemish or erectile dysfunction. The crisis is always a crisis of choice, but there is only one choice: the product being advertised. (…) And so rather than interpret advertising as a choice between colas or a choice between brands, we seek to reinterpret it as a choice between the real and the artificial.

JOHN BERGER, Ways of Seeing

Publicity is about social relations, not objects. Its promise is not of pleasure, but of happiness: happiness as judged from the outside by others. (…) One could put this another way: the publicity image steals her love of herself as she is, and offers it back to her for the price of the product.

I tried to explore the Adbusters concept of real x artificial in relation to McDonalds. A ‘real’ image of their product in opposition to the manipulated representation of the object. The Big Mac looks disgusting, without any visual appeal. This is one of the possibilities, I guess, and I’m still working on these messages… It should be more thrilling.

This idea was considered responding to this specific location: a scaffolding structure with a kind of white plastic covering three floors of what I guess is a commercial building (possibly a retail store). Human-size pictograms in an animation conveying the sense of mechanical consumption, aiming to draw attention to this pragmatic social ceremony so common in Regent Street. The references for this concept had different origins: ATARI’s Keystone Kapers, Argentinean Leon Ferrari’s work (amazing large-size diagrams of big cities idiosyncrasies), and Romanian Dan Perjovschi sharp criticism (lots of meanings in just a few strokes).

ATARI, Leon Ferrari, and Dan Perjovschi.

This is an initial sketch, still need to think about the narrative and both animation and visual elements.

Later on, based on the information collected on the survey, I made a couple of experiments for the level 1 (joy, pleasure). They were  all based on images of nature. Locations could be Marble Arch (contrast between an imperial, military icon and a simple yet lovely blue sky) or Regent Street (a window to nature in the middle of a heavily urban site). Could consider other locations, enhancing the contrast, playing with multiple layers of meanings, etc.

After a little bit of digging, I found this image that shows a cutaway view of the Piccadilly Circus station. Apparently there is a small version of this poster available for sale through the London Transport Museum, although the large version is out of print.

Originally found here.

Neil Armishaw floats across the dim-lit stage of a basement burlesque club in an ‘80s glam leopard robe and 6-inch plastic pole-dancing heels. At 45, he sports a red 1920’s shingle hair-do, wears seven layers of false eyelashes, and heaps concealing lacquer onto his face to make a living. “Hello gorgeous!” oozes from his over-lined lips, greeting his sparse audience with turquoise eyes and high-arched brows. Tonight is the final show of the residency of his drag queen troupe, The Globe Girls, at the Pigalle Club in Piccadilly Circus. Armishaw welcomes the first act. A clichéd Tropicana tune bursts through the speakers and mannish women enter in silver leotards and Dolly Parton hair.

“How I ended up like this—god knows,” Armishaw says, lounging in full costume at the bar before the show. He moved from Yorkshire to London at 16 and trained in hospitality. In 1998, after working at big-named metropolitan bistros, Le Caprice and The Ivy, Armishaw opened his own eatery, The Globe. His modern Swiss Cottage restaurant quickly became a hub for aspiring actors, whom Armishaw came to call his friends.

For Christmas Eve, 2003, Armishaw decided to hire a cabaret act. But the cost was too much, so he called on his thespian comrades to put on a drag show. Armishaw had never performed before, but willingly became part of the act, The Globe Girls. “I think you can do or be anything when you put on a drag face and a wig,” he says with a cartoonish chuckle. And that was the moment that this restaurateur entered show business.

Drag brings to mind burly men prancing beneath the spotlight as gaudy women. A figure that was once upsetting and marginalized now denotes glamour and glee. Films such as The Rocky Horry Picture Show (1975), which burned our memories with the image of Tim Curry in pleather, and Hairspray (1988), which popularized Harris Glenn Milstead’s drag personal Divine, jumpstarted an international buzz for drag. The late ‘90s heightened the craze with two cross-dressing A-list actors—Robin Williams in The Birdcage (1996) and Johnny Depp in Ed Wood (1995). While Hollywood may have recently caught on to the popularity of drag, cross-dressing is not a new trend.

The professional female impersonator originated in the Elizabethan playhouse of the early 1600s. Back then, prohibitions against women appearing in public led men to dress up in bustles and bonnets as the comic female characters of Shakespearean theatre. London caught on in the 1700s, in gay bars or “Molly Houses,” where drag shows were a hot commodity for the fringe community. It was not until the late-nineteenth century, when female impersonation infiltrated public theatre and drag became a common leisure activity for all.

Even now, in the 21^st-century, drag remains a staple of entertainment in London. Today, Tony Award-winning musicals, Priscilla Queen of the Desert and La Cage aux Follies, dominate the West End. With sequins, Lycra and feather plumage redefining London theatre, drag queens have been able to transform from seedy gay pub variety acts to high-earning stars of the stage. Armishaw’s Globe Girls act has become just another example of mainstream amusement to the regular theatergoer.

Some scantily clad male dancers with washboard abs and bare-butt cross-dressers may be right out of a gay nightclub. And the lip-synching to compilation tapes and the cheesy pantomimed dancing harkens back to the vaudeville era. But The Globe Girls’ elaborate two-hour production, complete with Las Vegas wigs and Parisian couture heels, attests to more sophisticated drag theatrics.

“We are not trying to look or dance or sound like girls,” Armishaw says, pressing his crimson lips together while he adjusts his fake diamond necklace. “Drag should be a celebration of women and of something bigger-than-life.” While other groups have crossed over to a more lewd transvestic performance, Armishaw distinguishes The Globe Girls as an urbane form of entertainment. Drag for Armishaw is not burlesque—striptease being the primary attraction. Instead, of underground bars, Armishaw chooses what he calls “exclusive” and “top-end” venues for the girls, such as the Pigalle. Intensive rehearsals are called on a daily basis. And he ensures that the routines are light and satirical. “We do it for the comedy,” Armishaw says.

Halfway through the first act, Armishaw takes center stage in a frizzy blonde wig and cheetah-print tights. Planted on his stomach is “Wide Load” and across his chest are bold exclamation marks. The soundtrack is a ‘60s Motown medley. And while Armishaw mouths “Devil With The Blue Dress,” waving his black-gloved arms into the air, his sidekicks on each of his side can-can in nothing but booty shorts. “I wish I had their legs!” a young woman in the audience mutters to her friend as she gawks at the ladies’ soaring kicks.

Palatable for general consumption these days, drag queens do not just perform; they also engage in mix-and-mingle or hosting work at nightclubs, private parties, and even red carpet events. Armishaw remembers when the Globe Girls worked a meet-and-greet at the Dream Girls premiere in London in 2007. “We were statuesque and 6-foot. Beyonce swarms past us and says, ‘Oh my god girls, you look gorgeous!’ It was just surreal,” he says with a colossal smile. In addition to Beyonce, the Globe Girls have performed for Sir Elton John, Eric Clapton, and Sharon Osbourne, to name a few.

Back in the ‘50s-inspired Pigalle, The Globe Girls have drawn an eclectic crowd that spans Soho regulars to amateurs from abroad. “I am not gay. I just like drag,” Monica Salawe, 43, says to her date in a thick Jamaican accent. The Brooklyn hairdresser’s curly, jet-black hair is thrown up into a high ponytail, blocking the stage from her neighbor. “The fashion is different. The things they do are extravagant,” she adds, taking a sip of her red wine. “It gives you a chance to come out and feel free.”

After intermission, Armishaw finds his place beneath the spotlight. He is dressed in a translucent gown and his silver hair and glittery white lip-gloss are blinding. With one hand over his heart and another stretching up into the sky, he—well, Barbara Streisand—sings, his solo: “Somewhere” from the musical, West Side Story. “People say I do Barbara Streisand brilliantly,” he says in a kitschy voice following his curtsy. The crowd cheers.

Zach Ferguson—Salawe’s date for this evening, a dark-skinned Italian with a bleached buzz hair-do, is applauding wildly in his opulent leather seat. “I have never seen anything like this,” the self-proclaimed ‘70s pop star says with wide eyes. His reggae CD allegedly sold 3 million copies nearly 40 years ago. He professes to know a great deal about talent. “You can tell how hard they work. They are all very well studied. Very impressive.” Ferguson can barely sit still in his seat.

Two hours and 20 routines later, the show is over. “I am pulling out. The choreography is getting more complicated,” Armishaw says, gliding through the audience and embracing friends as the crowd clears. While he manages the company and will continue to host each performance, Armishaw will no longer be taking the stage with the girls. But partaking in London’s drag scene will forever be his passion. “I know it’s cheesy, but I love seeing the people that just come in and smile.”

‘Publicity is about social relations, not objects. Its promise is not of pleasure, but of happiness: happiness as judged from the outside by others.’ John Berger, Ways of Seeing.

‘The concept of guerrilla marketing was invented as an unconventional system of promotions that relies on time, energy and imagination rather than a big marketing budget. Typically, guerrilla marketing campaigns are unexpected and unconventional.’ Wikipedia.

There are some good examples of guerrilla approaches against advertising itself in order to create a new meaning, usually criticizing the marketing mechanisms widely used to promote products or brands. Or, in some other cases, revealing either an optimistic view of things or a possibility for public interaction.

Both examples above took place in New York. The artist called True printed out his own version of the NY subway signs and the Bubble Project was spread all over the city by designer Ji Lee.

The plan is to interact with an existing platform, using projections to create a new layer of message, bringing up a sort of conceptual comment about the use of representations of happiness in advertising. Ideally large billboards would be the perfect surface. The messages should be concise and critical or analytical, stating a clear position. I wish to draw attention to the fact that the advertising industry very often manipulates the visual senses of happiness (which affects our own perception of it) in service of aggressive marketing agendas.

This is a tricky one for me. For years I worked in that industry, promoting brands and selling products. This was an important stage on my career in terms of learning processes, improving my design skills, meeting colleagues, etc. I’m not against it in absolute terms and I don’t stand for idealistic discourses that invariably condemn all forms of advertising. This project came on as an opportunity to question some of my beliefs, and one of the things I’m realizing is that design can be truly a broader discipline, beyond its usual marketing intention. I aim to make a critical comment more than a moral judgment.

One of the first sketches, a projection over an H&M billboard.

Later on I had a quite long walk in central London and for my surprise there are not as many billboards as I expected. I eventually ended up in the most representative place (considering the subject): Piccadilly Circus. Its intensely illuminated billboards are an emblematic landscape.

The location seems very appropriate to make a projection. The problem is that it’s virtually impossible to compete with the huge amount of light those immense panels spread. Looking around I saw this building (County Fire Alliance Life, it says) that is just next to the billboards and has no illumination at night. This could be the solution: come up with a message and just point an arrow to the target.

The photos: simulations of the projection in Piccadilly Circus, and two other possible locations – scaffolding structure at Regent Street and H&M store at Oxford Street.

Napket（ナプケット）は、キャッチフレーズ「Snob Food（スノッブ・フード）」の通り、高級感を売り物にしたサンドイッチ／カフェ・チェーン。チェルシーのキングス・ロードにある第一号店に、オープンしたての頃行ったことがあるんだけれど、うちから遠いのでその存在をすっかり忘れていた。最近、リージェント・ストリートからVigo Streetを少し入ったところにもできたのを、偶然発見。黒を基調とした家具類、アンティーク調の椅子、シャンデリアと少し暗めの店内、書斎風に古い本を並べた本棚（本は単なる飾りで、まっすぐに並ぶように裏側が裁断されている）と、優雅なインテリアが高級エリアのメイフェアにマッチしている。オーダーメードの高級紳士服店が並ぶサヴィル・ロウや、ショッピングエリアのリージェント・ストリートに近いという場所柄、スーツ姿の紳士やショッピングバッグをさげた買い物客が多い。値段は少々高めだけれど、見た目より良心的。イート・インの場合、厳選された材料を使って作られた、美味しくてボリュームあるサンドイッチ、パスタ、サラダ等が6ポンド以下でいただける。入口近くにあるベーカリー・カウンターでは、パンやクロワッサン、マフィン、クッキー等も売られている。ピカデリー・サーカスやリージェント・ストリートあたりには、ちょっと気が利いた手軽なカフェが意外とないので、重宝しそう。

Napket, as its catchphrase “Snob Food”, is a posh cafe/sandwich chain in London. We went to their first cafe on King’s Road in Chelsea just after it was opened, but it is kind of far from us and we haven’t come back since then. We found its Regent branch the other day by chance, on Vigo Street, just off Regent Street. The chic black interior with black wooden tables, antique (style?) chairs and sofas, chandeliers and bookshelves filled with old books (cut on the back to make them all fit & straight – therefore not for reading), matches the upscale Mayfair area where the cafe is located. With its location, the customers at Napket are mainly ‘gentlemen’ in well-tailored suits from nearby Saville Row – famous for its traditional men’s bespoke tailoring – and people with shopping bags from a shoppers’ mecca Regent Street. The price is a bit higher than other cafes, but it’s not as bad as it looks. For eat-in, you can have fairly large sandwiches, pasta and salads made of high quality ingredients for less than £6.00. The bakery counter near the entrance sells bread, croissants, muffins and cookies etc. Surprisingly there are not many cool & casual cafes around Piccadilly Circus and Regent Street – Napket will be great when you want to have a break while shopping.

Endlich komme ich mal dazu hier etwas über meinen London-Trip zu schreiben.

Nach jahrelanger Planung und Vorbereitung war es am 24.08.2009 dann endlich soweit und ich habe den Flieger nach London bestiegen. Trotz einer gewissen Flugangst habe ich den Flug nach London sehr genossen (Fensterplätze sind schon was feines). In London angekommen ging es dann erstmal mit dem Shuttle vom Flughafen zur Liverpool Street Station und danach direkt weiter zu unserem Hostel im schönen Islington bzw. in  London’s Clerkenwell district.

Natürlich wurde dann erstmal die direkte Umgebung um das Hostel (LSE Rosebery Hall) ausgekundschaftet und im nahe gelegenen Shoppingcenter die ersten Bekanntschaften mit der Londoner Mode und einigen Einheimischen gemacht.

In Deutschland hatten wir bereits für den selben Abend Karten für ein Milow Konzert in einem Club in der Nähe des Hostels gakauft. Also war die Planung für den ersten Abend erledigt und so ging es dann gegen 19 Uhr in Richtung “The Lexington”. Dort angekommen waren wir zuerst etwas überrascht wie klein der Club ist aber nachdem Lee MacDougall, der Support von Milow, gespielt hatte, stellte sich heraus, dass es doch etwas Nettes hat, wenn nicht mehr als 100 Leute anwesend sind. Dementsprechend hatte das Milow Konzert etwas sehr persönliches und ich muss zugeben, dass es definitiv einer der Höhepunkte der Londonreise war.

Shoppingcenter Angelstation

Milow@ The Lexington

Der zweite Tag sollte dann ganz im Zeichen des Shoppings stehen. Es ging direkt um 9 Uhr los Richtung Oxford Street und nach einigen Stunden machten wir uns dann auf in den Hyde Park zu einer wohl verdienten Pause. Natürlich durften an einem Shoppingday wie diesem Harrods und die Regent Street nicht fehlen. Etwas fertig von der ganzen Aufregung und dem durch die Geschäfte laufen, gab es am Abend noch einen Abstecher zum Piccadilly Circus.

Hyde Park

Piccadilly Circus

Den Vorletzten Tag nutzten wir zum typischen Sightseeing und um uns Notting Hill anzuschauen. Im Allgemeinen muss ich sagen, dass ich doch recht begeistert war von Big Ben und all den anderen Sehenswürdigkeiten, aber etwas größer und beeindruckender hätte es schon sein können. Notting Hill war wie ich es erwartet hatte, sehr bunt und lebhaft.

Notting Hill

Portobello Road

Notting Hill

Notting Hill

London City

London City

Big Ben

Westminster Abbey

London Thamse

An unserem letzten Tag in London haben wir uns noch “Changing of the Guards” am Buckingham Palace angeschaut, sowie einen Abstecher zum Tower of London gemacht, bevor es dann wieder mit dem Shuttle zurück zum Flughafen ging.

Changing of the Guards

Buckingham Palace

Tower

The Gherkin

Das Fazit dieser Reise: Der Aufenthalt war definitiv viel zu kurz , London ist eine tolle Stadt und die Menschen sind alle sehr nett und freundlich. Ich hab mich in den Tagen sehr wohl und willkommen gefühlt. Es war also meine erste aber nicht letzte Reise to “the Smoke”.

Despite the lack of recent posts, I’ve had a very active [social] week!

Monday (14-Spet) was the FIE Welcome Reception held at the International Students House.  Highlights: 2 free drink vouchers and realizing London DJs have very shallow expectations for American colleges students when it comes to music.  Afterward, I headed to the local pub Zetland Arms with the Vassar and Marist flatmates, including some other Marist students that live in Manson Place.  It was great spending time together, and it has been happening a lot more lately — the flat is definitely feeling more like home than living with 12 strangers.

Tuesdays mean free entrance for students at the Sports Cafe in Piccadilly Circus, and I finally decided to join the Marist kids for their weekly voyage there (and managed to convince Mike and Avey to join.  I owed them a night out since I played straight 3rd wheel at a gay club on Saturday night).  It was actually really fun (I definitely scratched my dancing itch), but it was overwhelmingly American; I’m pretty sure everyone there and every song was originally from the U.S., but I’m also pretty sure I didn’t care!

Wednesday was a bit more subdued, and we just hung out in the flat for the evening.

Thursday evening I headed home from a long day of working at a Method event with Solar Associates.  It was great seeing the programme in action and meeting the faces that match the voices I’ve been hearing on podcasts for the past week.  Sure, working 11 hours was tough, but the fact that three of those hours were spent socializing with an intriguing group of artists over wine at the venue followed by a beer at a pub definitely made it palatable   Thankfully, I headed home to a flat full of people indulging in the same…just with plastic cups and drinking games instead of pool.  Oh well, whatever works!

Friday and Saturday was spent hitting the town (and hitting up male bar buying charity) with Sarah and Lauren.  Friday was spent on Brick Lane, a conglomeration of pubs, bars, clubs, and people ready to have a good time.  93 Feet East was what drew us there: a popular bar that doesn’t charge a cover on Fridays and features an outdoor bar and picnic table as well as an indoor dance floor.  Upon the recommendation of some Italians, we ended the night at T-Bar…all I’m going to say is fog machines were involved, and I can officially say I’ve experienced a Euro club.  The night ended with sharing a McDonald’s table with South Africans before heading home on a Night Bus.  We stayed a bit more local on Saturday and threw it back to the prohibition area by getting into a speakeasy in Sloane Square.  Bart’s was everything I hoped a speakeasy would be: festively hidden and secretive, but once you’re in you’re down for a good time…and really good drinks.  Like the Friday before at a South Kensington club Diva Beach (very similar to NYC’s Bed), the bartenders were ready and willing to create the best cocktails I’ve ever tasted; as opposed to NYC, London bars seem to appreciate quality over quantity when serving their patrons.

I spent another Sunday out around town.  My first stop was an exciting one: booking a hotel room for Madre!  She is visiting from 7 – 15 November and will be staying at the London Visitor’s Hotel, about a 20 minute walk from Manson Place and off of Kensington High Street.  The best part: we got a double, so I can sleepover!  I’m really excited to have her here; every adventure I go on I can’t help but think “showing and sharing this will be even better.”

Next, I headed up Kensington High Street to the 11:30am mass at Our Lady of Victories.  It is the parish’s Solemn Mass, featuring a beautiful Latin choir and chanted by the priest.  It was an incredibly meditative experience, intensified by the beautiful gothic features of the church.  It just felt so…original, in the sense that it was like experiencing the same ceremony that was the only ceremony hundreds of years ago.  I loved the experience, and I definitely plan on attending the 11:30am more often  (I like flexing my Latin choral muscles, and luckily could thanks to the pamphlets that were distributed with the sheet music!).

After mass, I met up with Sarah, Avey, and Mike at Sloane Square to attend some more Open Houses: Holy Trinity Church and the department store Peter Jones.  Lauren, John and I attended two on Saturday: The Ismaili Center and  The Octagon.  It was a great program; all of the tours were very insightful and yet another reminder of how architecturally diverse and rich London is.  Here are some photos from Sunday’s tours:

The beauty of the Peter Jones merchandise dually inspired and discouraged Sarah, Mike and I, so we embarked on a shopping mission to the cheapest store of all: Primark in Oxford Circus (think of it as Forever 21’s cheaper, chicer, European cousin).  Naturally we needed fuel first, though, so we stopped for some eggs and toast at a cute cafe.  Although deliciously sophisticated, I must admit I’m craving some good old greasy American diner food (and did I mention cheaper?  The plate cost more in pounds without factoring in conversion yet, and although sprinkled with fresh thyme it did not include potatoes or bacon…boo).  Protein power helped Sarah and I plow through the crowds and the mass array of racks and piles of clothing.  I was ready to invest in my London nightlife wardrobe’s future, and thanks to Sarah’s guiding voice and severe price cuts I came out extremely successful.  Everything [I purchased] is cute (it did take some significant fishing through Euro-trash garments), and the majority cost less than brunch.  Now that’s how to shop.

Es ist aber nicht so, dass damit der Tag nichts mehr zu bieten gehabt hätte, nein, nein, wir wurden Zeugen von hochspannenden Vorgängen innerhalb dieser Großstadt. Vorher stand aber noch ein Fotopflichttermin auf dem Programm. Der Big Ben by night entzog sich ja unseres Zugriffes wegen der Misere mit der Circle Line, nicht aber der Piccadilly Circus. Ich habe jetzt in etwa gefühlte 100 Fotos vom Piccadilly Circus by night und bis zum Jahr 2034 werde ich wohl in der Lage gewesen sein, das schönste davon herauszusuchen und selbstverständlich werde ich es dann umgehend und zeitnah hier veröffentlichen .

Auf den vielfachen und dringlich geäußerten Wunsch einer einzelnen Dame (das Kind wollte da UNBEDINGT hin!) sind wir dann noch ins Hard-Rock-Cafe gegangen und haben uns dem Genuss der Atmosphäre hingegeben um anschließend den danebenliegenden Souvenirshop in den Genuss meiner Kreditkarte kommen zu lassen.

Und dann fuhren wir mit der Tube wieder zurück in Richtung Hotel, völlig ahnungslos, welche tiefgreifenden Eindrücke in das Paarungsverhalten des Londoner Großstädters uns offenbart werden würden. Uns gegenüber saßen zwei Damen, so zwischen dreißig und vierzig Jahren alt, fröhlich plaudernd und kichernd und sehr schnell war ganz offensichtlich, dass sich beide schon an einem oder mehreren Feierabendcocktails gelabt hatten. Eine der beiden vertrug entweder weniger oder hatte mehr konsumiert, jedenfalls war sie deutlich angeschickerter als ihre Freundin. Ihre Freundin hingegen musste vor ihr aussteigen und hatte wohl Bedenken, ob es nicht völlig herz- und gefühllos wäre, wenn sie sich nicht um den weiteren Heimweg ihrer Freundin kümmerte. Also sprach sie kurzerhand den neben uns sitzenden Herrn im passenden Alter an, wo denn er aussteigen müsse und ob er sich nicht um ihre Freundin kümmern könnte. Er versprach in allerbester Gentlemanmanier sich dieser ihm übertragenen Aufgabe gewissenhaft und freudig anzunehmen, also stieg die Freundin aus und Mr. Gentleman nahm augenblicklich den freigewordenen Sitzplatz ein. Und dann dauerte es in etwa einen Wimpernschlag, ein kurzes Lächeln, und schon waren die beiden Herrschaften in innigstes Flirten samt körperlicher Nähe vertieft. Beim Aussteigen zwei Stationen weiter gingen sie schon Arm in Arm und wie der Abend endete, konnten wir uns lebhaft vorstellen – und ich war in Gedanken wieder bei der Kleenexpackung auf dem Hotelnachtkästlchen.

Flirt

Und schon endete ein außerordentlich aufregender Tag, an dem nicht mal mehr mein Nachwuchs den Wunsch nach weiteren nächtlichen Exkursionen äußerte, sondern froh und zufrieden und müde ins Bett sank.

Ahora se puede incluso mirar al suelo para ver la firma y las huellas de los famosos delante del restaurado Virgin Record que siempre guarda alguna sorpresa en este mundo casi sin sorpresas de la música. Es un lugar de peregrinación aunque ahora sea difícil encontrar la reliquia única que en otro lado de mundo puede costar una pasta. Me gusta rodearme de gentes mientras busco en los stands e incluso encuentro a una cara conocida o quizás un concierto acústico en sus ventanas a la plaza. No es la primera vez; es una constante que se repite una y otro vez más.  

Otro ángulo de la misma plaza que con anuncios nos hace deslubrarnos para ver ese balcón desde el que nos saluda gente conocida; naturalmente son de cera. Qué impresión nos causó en 2006, cuando la vimos por primera vez. Nada menos que el rey del pop se asomaba para saludarnos con la mano…. un pequeño parón para darnos cuenta que la figura conocida era de cera y es así como entramos en uno de los lugares más entusiastas del mundo de Londres. El edificio se divide en varias plantas donde podemos encontrar en su entrada, muchas tiendas referidas al mundo del arte; música, y músicos sobretodo que tienen su templo en la segunda planta. Es así como puedes conseguir algún recuerdo interesante; algo que sólo se encuentra en estas tiendas y algunos a precios altos pero que tienen la garantía de que son únicos en su género. Si eres aficionado a la música rock y de manera especial a los rockeros puedes encontrar miles de objetos con su imagen sea quien sea; algunos objetos están en vitrinas debidamente protegidos, ni pienses en que serán baratos. La segunda planta está dedicada al mundo ROCK CIRCUS, naturalmente ya hemos hablado en otra opinión sobre él. Aunque siempre nos queda el recuerdo de la primera vez; ahora ha tomado un aroma añejo, antiguo, las figuras están un poco “pasadas”, debe de ser el paso de tanta gente por allí. Aunque su tienda debe de ser visitada para tener un recuerdo especial del lugar.  

En otra esquina nos encontramos con el Planet Hollywood. Naturalmente la comida es la típica americanada de siempre, pero no es el llenarnos el estómago lo que hace que se visite. Tiene cosas interesantes en sus paredes que para la primera vez que se está en ella puede resultar incluso increíble. La guitarra o las ropas de éste o áquel cantante o actor, o el muñeco a tamaño real que nos sorprenderá con su mirada.  

Y más que nada el ambiente; es curioso que en esta plaza el pueblo o público dé vueltas en redondo durante un tiempo; si se tiene la suerte de contemplarse desde los balcones del Hotel Meridien, se sabrá a qué me estoy referiendo. La gente se desplaza en torno a la figura central como si estuviese orando de una manera autómata. Quizás sea propio de la Europa Occidental; aunque el fenómeno se puede ver en algunos lugares santos del Islán. Quizás sea un protocolo de iniciación. Un lugar que confirma al viajero y quizás le da la categoría de cosmopolita que sólo Londres puede dar.  

La fuente con Eros en la parte final es todo un símbolo de la ciudad e incluso figura en uno de sus diarios de mayor tirada. Ya en 1892 tuvo sus más y sus menos al poner al ídolo desnudo en medio de la plaza. Aunque muchos salieron en su defensa diciendo que dejaba la fealdad de la ciudad a un lado dotándola de un poco de arte. El Criterion Theatre que data de 1874 está en su lado sur, dotado de 600 asientos es todo un honor ver una obra en su interior aunque fue diseñado para conciertos de música y no para representaciones teatrales. Al norte, en cambio se encuentra el London Pavilion construído en 1859. En el año 2000, coincidiendo con una de nuestras visitas, se le unió al Trocadero y su sótano quedó conectado a la línea de Metro que lleva el nombre de la plaza y es precisamente esta línea y su boca de salida y entrada uno de los lugares del recinto urbano más visitado por todos ya sean lugareños o visitantes.  

Las tiendas hay que darle la atención debida puesto que aquí está la flor y nata de la moda ya sea en la variante que sea. Por un lado Tower Record ahora en manos de la Virgin y que ocupa su número 1 de la plaza, tiene una salida propia en su sótano al Metro, disco y más discos, vinilos, cultos personales a determinada banda o cantante, se puede encontrar de todo y las cosas más curiosas que hay en el mundo. La HMV le hace la competencia e incluso en su acceso desde el London Trocadero. Y para visitar una tienda de deporte nada más y nada menos que Lillywhites muy cerca de la fuente central.  

Y poco más podemos añadir de la famosa plaza. Es el corazón de Londres de todos los tiempos y de la actualidad. Allí donde encontramos a gentes que conocemos de nuestro país e incluso de otros países. Los saludos se suceden en varios idiomas, Finalmente llegamos a la conclusión de que estamos en el ombligo del mundo.

DAMADENEGRO 

今日、リージェント・ストリートを歩いていると、どこかからたくさんのだみ声がが聞こえてきた。よくみると、赤と白の格子模様のそろいのシャツを着た集団が、ピカデリー・サーカスの噴水前に集まって、気勢を上げている。そう言えば、今日はサッカーのワールド・カップ（W杯）2010予選のイングランド対クロアチア戦があることを、ふと思い出した。クロアチア人のサポーターたちは、皆ビールを飲みながら、歌ったり叫んだり、赤ら顔でだいそう盛り上がり、辺りはスーパーの買い物袋とビールの缶が散乱していた。

クロアチアと言えば、イングランド・チームがEURO2008（UEFA欧州選手権）予選で敗れ、まさかの本戦出場を逃した因縁の相手。だから、サッカー発祥地の自負を持つイングランド・チームの、来年夏のワールドカップ本戦出場にかける意気込みは強く、イタリア人コーチ、ファビオ・カペッロのもと、欧州予選で負けなし8連勝中。今日も、グループ２位のクロアチアと対戦し、5−1で完勝。見事、屈辱のEURO2008予選での雪辱を果たした。あんなに盛り上がっていたクロアチア・ファン、今頃はやけ酒だろうか。

When we were walking down on Regent street, we heard screaming and shouting from somewhere. We looked around, and saw that a large group of people in white and red cross stripes shirts gathering around the fountain in the middle of Piccadilly Circus. Then I realized that there were a World Cup 2010 qualifying match England versus Croatia tonight. Red-faced Croats supporters were singing or shouting in high spirits with beer cans on their hands. There were supermarket plastic bags and beer cans all over the place.

Croatia is the team that ended England’s hopes of reaching Euro 2008, and hurt the pride of England as the birthplace of soccer. Therefore the England team must feel an enormous pressure to go to World Cup 2010. So far England team has been doing great under the Italian coach Fabio Capello. England beat Croatia by 5-1 tonight  and made a record of an eighth successive win of a qualifying campaign. England got their pride back and secured qualification for next summer’s World Cup in South Africa. The Croats supporters we saw today probably get drunk again in disappointment now.

Today, I had two classes, Theology and British Literature. For Brit Lit, we went to the Royal Academy Art Gallery to look at paintings by J.W. Waterhouse.  They coincide with poetry we will be reading, so the teacher wanted us to get an idea of how an artist portrays the pieces through pictures.  Most of his paintings, though, are about Greek myths.  What was coolest about the museum though is that to get there you walk through Piccadilly Circus, a very busy area, walk under an underpass and suddenly it is like you are in a completely different place; the building is separated from the underpass by a huge courtyard and it looks like it belongs somewhere completely removed from the busyness of the city.

After the museum, I did some wondering around a bit. It was unseasonably warm today though, reaching into the upper 70’s, so my roaming was cut short.  I then offiicially found a way to Oktoberfest so I am going October 3 and 4 to Munich, Germany!

At five the London Centre held a talk on cosmopolitan London which was really boring and slightly anti-American.  It was awful. After it finally ended, I went to the BBC Proms Albert Hall (a very famous building) to hear Sir Peter Maxwell Davis’s symphony as a part of my Contemporary Music class.  The music was nice, and the building was amazing.  The place was packed and there were people standing on the floor next to the pit through the whole show.  When the final song began, the lady in front of me had forgotten to turn her phone off and it started ringing.  I swear everyone in the standing section turned and starred at her.  I felt embarrassed by such close association. It was especially bad since everyone in the audience was literally obsessed with the conductor/composer Sir Davis and honestly clapped for 5min straight after his second piece. I would have been mortified in her situation.

I then headed back to the flats to do some homework (very lame) and get ready for the second day of my internship tomorrow!

FIE arranged a coach bus tour of London for us on Saturday (5-Spet) afternoon.  Driven by Paul and narrated by Pamela, I was lucky enough to snag my choice seat in the front so I had front and side window view!  (Being in the front not only served well for soaking it all in, but also for listening to P & P bicker in British, and get my inquiries answered!)

It was a great way to see all of the sights…for a brief, fleeting, glass window/tree obstructed second.  I tried to take the best pictures possible, but a lot of the moments passed and many of the identifications and information went over my head.  Above all, it was overwhelming…but in a good way — I saw how much there is to see and explore, and there is a ton of it!

The route:

The tour’s absolute aim was to see as many of the quintessential landmarks as possible while hitting the least amount of traffic.  The Thames served as our guide as we zig-zagged across it and followed its banks, weaving through the West End and the City of London.

The photos below are being documented as my first glances at the city.  I can guarantee improved images and captions in the future when I return to the areas!

Although the coach bus medium wasn’t ideal for taking pictures of the city, it was for mapping it.  I definitely feel like my conception of London has improved.  It was a prime pace and flow to see how the city is planned.  Many striking similarities emerged with New York, from infrastructure to attractions to tourists, and it definitely got my brain working in the Urban Studies grove.  A native New Yorker and isolated traveler, my only previous first-hand comparisons to draw were between the Big Apple and Walt Disney World; I am thrilled to be able to add London to my repertoire and look forward to exploring it more–for pleasure and for analyzing–throughout the semester.  This grand-scheme approach has been serving me well; I am finding that I like to survey areas at large before diving into their intricacies.