Due to a Person Under a Train....

Equus was absolutely amazing! It is one of the best plays I have seen! Having read the play many times, I knew what to expect and the production still left me with goosebumps! Daniel Radcliff is a fantastic actor and after 5 minutes or so, you completely forgot that he was Harry Potter. He became Alan Strang. The set design was incredible - stark and effective. And the dancers who portrayed the horses were unbelievable. It was a powerful, moving production and was worth every last pence, plus some! Wow.... I am quite sure that I will be talking about this show for a while, so I'll fill you in on all the details when I get back! I think I was the only American in the Orchestra... perhaps the theatre. I suppose they were all off seeing Mary Poppins or the Lion King or some other equally vapid happy musical. Not to diminish musicals. They have their place and I enjoy them once in awhile, but plays offer so much more. I love theatre! And I love London's Theatre Land! I can honestly see myself living here quite happily!

Anyway, the evening was completely ruined by news that my mother shared with me via telephone. If you read the blog this morning, before I deleted it, then you know what I am speaking of. If not, email me and I'll fill you in. Suffice to say that I am not a happy camper. But I've been told no bitter diatribes or venomous spitting allowed. Not on my blog anyway. So, I spent the evening pouting and chatting with this guy about ceramics and the evolution of nanotechnology with particular emphasis on energy application. Good times....

I woke this morning to heavy rain. Seemed appropriate, given my mood. So, I pulled out my jacket and rain gear. No rain was going to keep me from the markets! By god, this is England! They don't stop for rain! So, my first stop was Petticoat Lane! I spend a couple of hours wandering the stalls and found some great jewellry! I bargained with this round Cockney gent and walked away with 4 new necklaces that I love! They are very typically me...

Soaking wet and in dire need of a Loo, I popped into a little place near the Tube station and had an early lunch. Then I hopped on the train headed for Camden Town! Unfortunately, someone had thrown themselves in front of the train at the Camden Town tube station and they were drug under the train. So, while on board the Northern Line train headed straight for that stop, we were informed that we would not be stopping at that particular station. Damn. So, after an intersting bus adventure and a good walk in the rain, I finally found myself in the heart of Camden! I love Camden! It is a bit grungey - but in a good way! It is full of funky shops and cheap eats!! Colorful people and TONS of great shopping, including a bunch of market all within a few blocks of each other!!! Oh, it was great!! I bought some fabulous toe socks and some rainbow trainers! I had a blast just wandering through the tightly packed stalls, enjoying the sights, sounds, and smells of Camden on the Weekend. On the way back to the the distant tube station (Camden Town station was still closed), I popped into the 99p Store and came across a bunch of tack from Little Britain which is a fabulously sick and twisted sketch comedy show on BBC! I highly recommend it - it's shown in the US on BBC AMerica!! So, I bought a few things, then headed into the tube. A dull British voice greeted me with: "Due to a person under a train in Camden Town, please expect severe delays." Blunt and very polite. It was amusing. By the time I made my back to South Kensinton, the rain has eased up a bit. So I think I will visit Nando again.... I love his pitas!!

I'm not sure what I'll be doing tomorrow... I'll let you know when I know....