Check out this video about the course and see what you think! I'll be posting updates about my classes, workshops I attend, theatre I see, and more at my other blog, "Jacq of All Trades, Master of Theatre for Young Audiences."
I thought you all might be interested to know a little bit more about the Masters program I am attending while here in England! I'm now a postgraduate student at Bath Spa University and will be studying "Theatre for Young Audiences." I officially start this Friday. Check out this video about the course and see what you think! I'll be posting updates about my classes, workshops I attend, theatre I see, and more at my other blog, "Jacq of All Trades, Master of Theatre for Young Audiences." It's nice to find little things that make you feel at home... though nothing beats the Founders Brewing Co. beer garden. REALLY happy they have Rübæus, as that's the only one I like!We found our Sunday Night Football spot! I mentioned before that Dayne and I are both American Football fans and it's one of the reasons we talked so much at the start of our friendship. He helped me with my first Fantasy Football team and now we are playing in the same league with my college roommates. Go Yankee Rebels!
American Football games are often broadcasted late at night here in England, because we are five hours ahead, but last night a few started at 6pm that we were hoping to see. Since American Football is not one of the top sports to be broadcasted in England, there were few places we could go to watch them. Enter Walkabout Bristol, an Australian sports bar/pub in Bristol City Centre that promoted online it could show the American Football games. We headed that direction. Immediately upon entering I managed to make friends with one of the workers, Cameron, who is actually from Australia. Not only did he get the American Football game on for us, but he hooked me up with a "Mates Rates" card for student discounts. Dayne and I each got a "pie of the day" (chicken and ham) with mash potatoes, peas, and gravy. We also somehow rearranged our seats three times to get the best seat for all of the football they could show on the ONE channel that covers American Football. Walkabout itself just finished a 500,000 pound renovation and was quiet as could be for us to watch our game. Of course, England had just lost to Wales the night before so it was understandable not many people were out. Cameron explained to us that the entire establishment was packed the night before, and it took hours to clean up. You would have never noticed walking in for Sunday Night Football. I'm sure when we go back there will be another rugby or football game on and we won't have as good of luck getting the best seats and service, but we'll try for it every Sunday before Dayne heads back to London! Saturday night, I went with Dayne, Adam, & Ben to have dinner and watch rugby at Will & Kate's house*. England was playing Wales for the Rugby World Cup, and all of the games are being held in London. Rugby is a big deal over here, but even more so in this situation, and when considering how close Bristol is to Wales.
It was my first attempt at watching a rugby match, so I asked a lot of questions prior to and during the game. I also had a few audible "oooh's" and "AHH's" while covering my face after a big hit. Unfortunately, England lost. but I am pleased to say that I now somewhat understand the game. It is very similar to American Football, and I now understand why American Football is often considered to be a far less aggressive/dangerous sport than Rugby. They both look rough to me. For those interested, I found a great infographic from the Miami Dolphins that explain some of the differences between American Football and Rugby. Check it out. Infographic: American Football Vs. Rugby *Will and Kate's house... yes, the Royals. I'm sorry I couldn't take pictures. ;-) Will makes a great pizza and I had a great conversation with Kate and her friend Lauren. Let's be honest, us girls just chatted and got to know each other during the first half of the rugby match. I hope to get to see them soon. **This is a unfortunately a joke. Will & Kate were definitely in London and attended the rugby match. It took me until we saw them on TV to realize we were at "Will and Kate's" house. I'll probably still refer to them as the Royals. On today's "Tour of Bristol" by Dayne, we stopped for a snack and coffee at one of his favorite spots to meet his friend, Tank. Coffee #1 is a popular chain although I don't think you'd tell at first as it looks like a really unique coffee shop with it's own flair and theme. It reminds me a little bit like Biggby, because it's coffee and cake was SO SWEET!
I actually opted for a more sugary drink than my standard hazelnut latte, but that's because they were promoting their Fall... Autumn drinks, and as I was hastily running to the loo, I told Dayne I'd have the cleverly named 'nutty' hot drink (who's name I can't remember) thinking it was a hazelnut coffee. Turns out it was a peanut butter flavored hot chocolate. I didn't drink the whole thing, but the cheesecake was good. Again, very sugary. Dayne and I split it and didn't eat all of the crumbs. I should also mention that Dayne deterred from his standard 'mocha' order and got a mocha with mint to shake things up. Again, it was too sweet for him to finish. I really liked being able to sit in there. Although there were patrons in and out and a family with kids sitting close, I never felt like I was distracted. They also had outdoor seating in the back garden and front patio. I'll have to head back there the next time Dayne is in town so we can get our hazelnut latte and mocha. Today, Dayne and I practiced getting from Bristol to Bath Spa University via public transportation. That way I knew I could do it on my own. None of the students had arrived yet, so we had a really quiet walk around looking at all of the buildings and sights from the main campus, Newton Park.
Afterwards, we headed into Bath City Centre, as the main campus is in more of a rural town between the two cities. We found the theater I would be working at throughout the year, and walked around checking out the shops, restaurants, and sights we could visit on another day. Both Bath Spa University and Bath are beautiful, and I can't wait to spend more time in them. As we were waiting in Bath for our bus back to Bristol, we heard a big BOOM outside the bus station. Everyone ran to the window and we saw that a bus driver forgot to put the parking break on his bus. It ran into the back of a parked bus about to leave. Thankfully, nobody was on either bus and there were no injuries. It did manage to delay the buses a bit though. If you don't already know, I'm compiling two blogs about my time here in England. While this one, "Stars in Stripes Living in Blighty" is more about my travels and daily experiences, the other is about my Masters program, Theatre for Young Audiences. There I will post full articles about my classes, productions I see, workshops I attend, etc.
Right now, you can find more information about my MA program, as well as what I thought of seeing "Phantom of the Opera" at Her Majesty's Theatre this past week. You can visit my TYA blog by scrolling up and clicking the "Masters of Theatre for Young Audiences" link under "Jacq-Of-All Trades." Or click here. Love, Jacqui I am so glad I never visited Harrods before I worked at Disney World. Harrods is home to Disney's Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique in London, and having just finished my 1,000 years of training at Disney World's Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique, the experience was rightfully 1,000x more exciting.
This post will be short as I haven't yet been able to come down from the high you get when visiting a magical place. Harrods itself is massive and magical, and I'll have to cover it in an entirely different blog entry. It took me a good hour of looking around before I finally found the DISNEY STORE and Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique. Each FGIT and Disney Store cast member I spoke to were SO accommodating and wonderful, I felt like I was right back at the happiest place in the world. When I asked if I could sneak a peek of what the Boutique was like, they arranged a special "Fellow Fairy Godmother" time for me to come back and tour it privately. The experience itself, even without a princess or knight being involved, was incredible. There are so many differences between the Florida Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutiques and the one here in Harrods. I won't go into details about the magic Fairy Godmother has bestowed upon the London based FGITs, as that is not the Fairy Godmother way, but I'd be happy to relive the experience for anyone interested in chatting about it. I will say, I was totally impressed with all of the different activities they had for the hour long transformation, and I definitely teared up once or twice. To get an idea of some of what I saw, you can check out the pictures below. If they ever see this, the three Fairy Godmothers who I spoke to were all kind and lovely. I cannot thank them enough for taking the time to speak to me and tell me all about the Bibbidi Bobbidi Boutique at Harrods. Thank you for making a wish come true for this former FGIT. -XOXO Jacqui I am going to try to go to as many coffee shops as possible while I'm here. I think you can tell a lot about a place based on the type of coffee shop or cafe it has. I always love the energy of the baristas, the focus of the students working, babble of the friends chatting, and how each coffee shop has a different theme and feeling.
Earlier this week, I was brought to Bermondsey Street Coffee (also known as fuckoffee) by a local who claims it is his favorite spot on his commute to work. While this Brick Lane Coffee spot is a bit more eclectic in theme than my usual tastes, (did you see that name!?) they have a fantastic food menu that is difficult to pass up. Their slogan, "Come Happy, Leave Edgy" totally fits the attitude projected by the design of this establishment, as well as the music that is played over the speakers. However, that doesn't seem to have an effect on the amount of people who visit each day. Not only was I shocked by the numbers that came through in the few hours I spent working on my writing, I noticed a big range in the ages of those who came in for their cuppa or their lunch break. In the few times I've been there, I've thoroughly enjoyed my standard hazelnut latte. One day, I went for a healthier option, being a 2 berry smoothie, that I thought was the perfect balance of sweet and sour. On a colder rainy day, I also tried one of their stews (and I hope I remember the name of it in the future) with bread and butter. It was delightfully filled with thick chunks of meat and vegetables, so I was very pleased and very full after eating it. I also have tried a generous bite of their carrot cake with lemon icing. I surprisingly enjoyed that, too... I don't usually enjoy carrot cake. All of the chairs, tables, and couches are arranged so, at times, you might be sitting knee to knee with the person next to you. That doesn't stop it from being a cozy spot to read, write, listen to music, or chat with your friends. I tried out one of the couches and would have been content taking a nap there, despite all the hustle and bustle around me. Bar-tops line the windows with chairs or stools available for patrons to sit at and work or eat. The interior walls are lined with couches and love seats creating a "U" formation towards the middle of the room, and additional tables are pushed up against the backs of the couches. Basically everyone inside is really close together in proximity, but I had plenty of space to my self where I was situated. I could write an entire article on all of the details the encompass Bermondsey Street Coffee (fuckoffee), and I likely will in the future after I visit again. Everything from the light fixtures to the graffiti art and the government notice in the bathroom is unique to Bermondsey Street Coffee and will keep me coming back for more... I'm intrigued. Before starting my "life admin" day, consisting of picking up my residence card, getting a UK phone number, bank account, rain gear, etc., we got a good start by visiting The Attendent for brunch. My oh my, was it tasty! From the moment I walked in, I felt a really welcoming atmosphere. I appreciated how the owner, Ryan, welcomed us and gave us suggestions on what we should order. We found a seat at the wooden bar along the window and, although it was raining, there was still plenty of light coming in. It was fun to watch everyone walking by, getting their week started. I adore being in the city. All of the table tops are made of wood and pulls the interior design together really well. The colors, materials, and details all match to make the large room feel more cozy. The wall is covered with happy notes from patrons written in various colors of sharpies; I was sure to leave my own note before leaving. I had a hazelnut latte, which I have decided will be my drink of choice each time I try a new coffee shops, and Smashed Avocado & Bacon on Toast. It was topped with fresh cilantro, which is called coriander here. I thought Mama B would have really liked it. The hazelnut latte was also very good. I had to add a spoonful of sugar, but I'm still getting used to everything not being as sugary as it is in America. The next time I am in London, I hope to go to the original "The Attendent" location. It was originally an old Victorian toilet from the 1890s, and has been restored to the espresso and food bar it is today. I know, it sounds mental but the pictures look incredible, and it has been a huge topic in plenty of media outlets around the world. Check it out for yourself, here.
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Hiya!Jacq is a "Made in the Mitten" gal experiencing life & love across the pond. She enjoys the theatre, both onstage and off, traveling, & taking pictures. You might spot her on her way to class or enjoying a hazelnut latte. She hopes to soon find a good spot to do yoga in the city. Follow her adventures as she discovers her favorite places & spaces in Bristol, Bath & beyond! Topics
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