12 September 2008

It's Friday Night in London Town

This morning I walked into Southwark Cathedral and I encountered a Danish Gospel Choir concert. Let me restate that, I saw an American gospel choir in an ancient church in Britain and they are from Denmark. Made my day.

To earn your right to be a Londoner you have to first, be asked directions by Brit and be able to give the directions correctly and second, you have to get cat-called by a Brit (an accomplishment because it's been said that Brits don't like American girls much). Well, just so you know, I've been here less than a week and have achieved the status of true Londoner.

There was standing room only in the BBC Proms concert tonight. I bought a ticket for five pounds to stand at the very top. And it was worth every pence. Beethoven's Ninth in the Royal Albert Hall standing next to a man with a seven-inch long beard who knew every nuance of the symphony was a once in a lifetime experience. The audience clapped for about 10 minutes after the final note. (Keep in mind, I have been known to exaggerate to make a story better, but it was almost 10 minutes. And I'm being serious.)

As I walked up out of the Tube into the middle of a festival on Regent Street, a man stood on a trash can shouting to the crowd. I listened more closely to hear a Hamlet's soliloquy from Act I. And suddenly, Ophelia stepped out of the gathered crowd, taking her cue to deliver her lines clear above the hustle and bustle. Shakespeare in the street, a new project that's gaining momentum in London. I watched the masterpiece move through the streets of London for a couple hours.

For a long time, I wanted to be Elizabeth Bennett. I got as close to the dream as I ever will in Bath. We stopped for afternoon tea at approximately 2:33 pm. The scones were served with clotted cream. And I ask, where is clotted cream in the states? And I decided, I'm going to be stopping for afternoon tea more often.

1 comment:

Natalie said...

love the post, fun to get a feel for your experiences!