Doctor Robert

I have Strep Throat.

All weekend, my throat had been bugging me, but I figured it was just one of those annoying colds I often get. But when I woke up this morning, I saw some strange white substance at the back of my my mouth (where the pain was generally stemming from) and decided that I should have it checked out. I went to Gower Street Practice, the medical facility that NYU in London provides for the students. They have walk-in hours from 10-11 am, and I was surprised at the quick service. I saw a doctor in less time than it would have taken me to see one had I actually made an appointment at the NYU health center in New York. The doctor asked me a few questions, listened to my breathing, felt my lymph nodes (or whatever they are called) in my neck, etc. I told him about what I thought was phlegm at the back of my mouth, he checked it out, and in no more than five minutes, he told me what was actually ailing me.

I wasn't really feeling the other symptoms of Strep Throat (such as fever), but I had pretty much spent all weekend in bed because of my throat. I didn't feel too bad this morning, except for the painful swallowing. He prescribed Penicillin and some pain killers for me. He offered me a note to get out of class, but as I said earlier, I wasn't feeling all that bad, so I thanked him and kindly declined. But after spending all day out of my dorm (in a computer lab and at a three-hour class), the symptoms definitely caught up with me. By the end of class, I went back to the doctor to get a note to skip my Monday evening lecture.

I'm apparently at my most contagious right now, so I figured that it wouldn't hurt to miss the lecture of my mandatory class. I had to wait once again for a doctor to give me a note, and that took longer than my first visit because I didn't have an appointment and walk-in hours were over. Then I went straight to NYU's Bedford Square office to give the note to the right official. He and I had a lovely little talk and he told me that, though NYU in London has a strict attendance policy, it was much better for me to skip the class so I could get better. I said I only wanted to miss this Monday evening class, but he said that if I still felt ill tomorrow, that I should skip tomorrow's class too. He told me to just come in again tomorrow so he could excuse me for tomorrow's class as well, if I felt I needed it.

I don't think I'm going to skip because my art class is going on some excursion to another museum. On one hand, walking around a museum is definitely not going to feel great. On the other hand, I don't want to miss one of the semester museum visits. I'll probably go, provided I don't feel like utter crap tomorrow.

After I turned in my note, I went to Boots (which is a drug store here) to get my medicine, went to the grocery store to pick up some food, came home and made dinner. I am actually venturing to cook food these days, instead of buying ready-made-for-the-oven type meals. Tonight I made this:
















I cut up some fresh chicken and fried it with carrots and broccoli. I used very random spices on top, including basil, paprika, ground pepper and a little bit of garlic powder. I also boiled new potatoes, slathered them in butter and sprinkled garlic powder on top. I was impressed at how that strange mix of flavours turned out; I thoroughly enjoyed my dinner. I still eat the unwrap-and-heat type foods (like Chicken Dippers and pizza), but I definitely needed some more vegetables in my diet.

I'll take my second dose of today's Penicillin right before bed. I am supposed to take two pills four times a day, but I'll count this as a half-day. I'll also probably pop another Ibuprofen then too. MMM, chicken, veggies and drugs. Lots and lots of drugs.

This is Not a Love Song (Bossa Nova style)

It has been an interesting past few days.

Valentine's Day, I had planned to go to a burlesque show with Kristen and another girl, Stephanie. I realized, however, that I had to go to the opera for my Reporting the Arts class that night, which interfered with my previous plans. I don't mean that going to the opera is such a pain; I actually really enjoyed what we saw. But it was just disappointing that I had to spend my Valentine's Day evening with a bunch of kids from one of my classes watching an incredibly depressing and tear-jerking opera.

The opera itself, Madame Butterfly, was fantastic. It was beautifully set and performed. The colours were brilliant and bright, the singing was gorgeous (when the orchestra didn't overwhelm the voices), and even though our seats were crap, it was an overall lovely experience. I was also rather happy that the story is so depressing. After the wedding and night of passion in Act I, all of the cutesy couples in the audience stared into their partners' lovey-dovey eyes and exposed their tongues in passionate (and very public) make-out sessions. However, in Acts II and III, happiness and love and passion all go way downhill until, at the end, Butterfly commits an intensely dramatic suicide. After the curtain went down -- ah the looks were priceless. Couples turned to each other awkwardly, no longer in a daze of romantic ecstasy. "Happy Valentine's Day!" I said, suddenly full of an extreme feeling of victory.

Not jealous. Just envious.

After that, I hurried to join Kristen at a club called Volstead. She recently got a job as a party promoter and photographer and, as her roommate, I get the benefits. Volstead is apparently a hip, little club where Kate Moss, Uma Thurman and Josh Hartnett have been spotted partying. It's £15 to get in, which is absolutely ridiculous. BUT I was on the list, thanks to my dear roommate, so, for me, entrance was free. I was happy to find that coat check was also free. This was, however, a horrid club. The music was poor (for the most part) and the people were appallingly shameless. Drinks were expensive (£8.50 for a whiskey coke!) and...and...ugh. I purposely left home without any money so that I wouldn't spend money on exuberantly priced things. I was sober, but at least I didn't pay $17 for a drink! Kristen ended up getting a free drink for us since she was working there. I spent my time there split between excusing myself for a breather in the bathroom, dancing to music I haven't heard since my middle school dances, and sitting in the corner, making sure my lipstick hadn't smeared. At least it was a free night, right?

Friday, I spent reading Bleak House. My friend Jessica from New York is in town, visiting her boyfriend who is also studying abroad here. She wanted to hang out, so I thought I would take her to Kristen's next club, Embassy, and the little Italian bar that I like so much. Remembering the prices of drinks from the previous night, Kristen and I bought a $6 bottle of wine, which we split beforehand. We went to Embassy, dressed in upscale casual attire: jeans, heels, big earrings, etc. We didn't look like street urchins or anything. But when we got to Embassy, where Kristen just had to stop and meet the other photographer for her new employers, we were told that we weren't dressed up enough. How posh! I had to pee with the force of a rainstorm, but they wouldn't let me in because of my jeans (yet they permitted guys wearing jeans). Apparently, I have to wear a short skirt and freeze my ass off on the way to the club just to get in to the club. Kristen said she'd slip in, say hello and slip out again so we could advance to the Italian place. She was quick, and I was thankful. As was my bladder.

The Italian place was very packed and I don't think Jessica liked it. Her boyfriend joined us and soon after, they left. I assume that he was the one who encouraged Jessica to leave because she was having plenty of fun before he came. He's, essentially, a buzz-kill.

Kristen and I stayed at the bar a bit longer. We had a drink or two more, left and stopped for food before catching the bus. Kristen and I also like sporting a southern accent in these going-home adventures, just to see the reactions of locals. Two guys stopped us, asking for a decent bar that would still be open at around 2 am (which is really hard to find in London). We put on our little charade and fooled them with no problem. They were intrigued. They engaged us in conversation and it wasn't until I mentioned my two kids (ages two and eight) that they got turned off by the two southern belles from Ten-eh-say.

We got home and took hilarious videos of us dancing and lip-syncing to some of our favourite hits. We're quite a pair, Kristen and I.

And as for today, I think I should just stay at home. There is a problem, though. Today marks the birthday of not one, but two guys on my floor. I can of course abstain from partying, no problem. But peer pressure and possibly free booze are incredibly convincing! (That was half-sarcastic, though free anything is generally a plus.)

Good news and bad news...
Bad news: Morgan and I were not completely coordinated with our Spring Break plans so, as of now, Sicily is out. Unless of course I can find someone else to come with me. If Kristen makes enough money from her new job, she said she would come.

Good news: Morgan's Spring Break is a week before mine, and she's never been to London. We decided that she could come visit me while I'm still in school. While I'm in class, she can go do her Art History major stuff (such as visiting museums and galleries). And at night, I'll give her a tour of the London nightlife. She needs a bit of the metropolitan lifestyle to remind her of New York. She'll be here March 7-11.

Other news: I get to photograph Nouvelle Vague at Scala this Wednesday. I am not photographing for any publications, nor am I writing about the concert. But I guess my photography repertoire is impressive enough now that bands will just let me photograph them, especially since I provide the band with my photographs. I am so excited, though!




























I went on a tour of Dickens' London. That's me and Charles Dickens' head!



























My photo, my shadow.















Valentine's Day!

Odyssey

I really enjoy what I study. I know there are higher paying jobs in math and science and such, but I am still glad that I chose what I chose. Consider, for example, my "academic" week:

Monday, my Reporting the Arts class went to the British Library to see the exhibit showing Harold Pinter's correspondence letters with friends and colleagues, including Arthur Miller and David Mamet. Since the exhibit wasn't too big, our teacher allowed us to look around the other exhibits, such as the Beatles glass case and works of great English literature from Sir Philip Sidney, Shakespeare, Virginia Woolf and others. We were let out early because we finished early.

Monday night, my roommate and I went to a club where, on Monday nights, there is a party called Durrr. (That is the worst name for a surprisingly good party.)






Kristen and me at Durrr with a new friend.







Tuesday, instead of heading to the classroom, I joined my Contemporary Art in Britain class at the Tate Britain, where we wandered, observed, discussed and admired works of art by such artists as Francis Bacon, David Hockney and more. Our professor is also very interesting and not just an anal-retentive art freak (which I actually expected, at least on a minor scale). She relates anecdotes to subject matter and really takes student opinion into account when discussing an artwork, which I admire. Again, we were let out early.

And while Americans across the pond were "celebrating" Super Tuesday, I spent my evening celebrating Pancake Day. My roommate Kristen brought me along to her friend Frank's place, where we made an array of delicious pancake creations.
















We had pancakes with lemon and sugar, maple syrup, brandy flambéd bananas, brandy flambéd yellow plums, blueberries and cream, kiwis and blueberries, etc. We also made good old fashioned banana pancakes, which we then combined with other flavoured toppings.



We created a friend, Sir James Thomas Wellington III.









After that night, I was too full to function.

In my Wednesday Writing London class, we just discussed Charles Dickens and his transformation of London as a mere city into London as a character. It was quite stimulating, despite the fact that I'm already behind in the reading. (It is a 989-page book, so give me some slack.)

Wednesday night, I went out with a new friend that I made at a Duke Spirit concert I had gone to the week before. (This wasn't the Duke Spirit show that I was planning to attend, but they played the next week and I actually got the chance to see the band live.) His nickname is Jaba (which comes from his four initials), but his name is actually James. (Very British.)

I had no classes on Thursday. I spent the morning walking around in the nice weather (sunny day) but came home because of the cold wind. I then read Bleak House and took a decent nap before heading out to the theatre for my Reporting the Arts class. Last night, we went to see Alan Ayckbourn's Absurd Person Singular, which was very well done. It had Jane Horrocks (who played Bubble in Absolutely Fabulous) as one of the main stars, and she did a fabulous job. I went out for a few drinks with friends after the show.

On my way to the theatre, I ran into Justin, the DJ from New York who came to London for some gigs. This was very strange to me because London is very spread out, and it was such a random encounter. He had only arrived in London that morning and I would not have been in the West End of London were it not for this theatre class. He performs in Manchester tonight and in London tomorrow night, so I get the chance to go see him DJ while here.

And today, I'm waiting for Jaba to get out of work because he and I are going to explore free things to do in London. (We're both very cheap, which works out nicely.) I'm thinking we might go to Hyde Park and visit the Serpentine gallery. Or something of the sort.

Tomorrow, I will head to the Tate Modern with Kristen to do research for my Contemporary Art in Britain essay. And then I will go to Tbar to see Justin perform.

It has been a good week, I think I can say. And it's only Friday!

Morena Tropicana

Morgan and I are plotting, plotting, plotting. One of my best friends at NYU is currently studying abroad in Florence for the semester, meaning we are only a hop, skip and a jump away from each other. We have plans to meet up for Spring Break, and right now, we have our hearts set on Sicily.

I will probably fly to Florence to meet her. From there, we will train to Sicily and just sun-soak and bathe and drink wine for a few relaxing days. Then we're heading back to Florence so she can take me out for a night on the town. That will only be for a few days because her boyfriend (who is sadly back in New York) is flying out to visit her and, well, I don't want our visits to overlap. I'm sure they don't either.

I CAN'T WAIT.

She plans to visit me in London at some point during the semester as well, so she can get some major metropolitan kicks as well.

Who knows what I will do with the rest of my Spring Break? Today, I was looking for cheap ways to get to Paris. The newly advertised two-hour train there is £57, one-way. There are also indirect flights which are supposedly cheap. I also found a bus line that will take me to Paris for £37 round-trip, but I will have to endure eight hours in a bus each way. But cheap is cheap.

I have a few friends to visit in Paris. Or I could visit my friend in Nice. A little French vacation for my last week of Spring Break would be oh-so nice. (Pun expected but not intended.)

I also found out today that my good Swedish friend Jenny, who has been longing to visit me in America for years but can't ever afford it, has made the commitment to visit me here in London! She will be coming in late April to celebrate her 21st birthday with me. She booked her flights yesterday.

Also, my friend Justin (who works for DFA Records in New York) will be coming to London this weekend. He's not coming to visit me specifically; he has a few DJ gigs in Manchester and London. But it's just convenient that I get to see this guy who I didn't think I would see until my return to New York.

So much to look forward to. And so much homework.










The view from my 12th floor dorm room.




My friend Ricky and I took a walk to Regent's Park. The next two photos are ones I took from that trip: