Back up

I need to back up a little bit. The tube ride on the Picadilly Line to Heathrow takes about an hour or so. Half way there a bunch of 9 or 10 year olds get on with some older children. School uniforms are worn in various styles. But that isn't what dumbfounds me. What dumbfounds me is that 2 of the ten year olds and a bunch of the older children are reading the newspaper. Yes, not just a fun, easy to read newspaper but the Metro news which is world news.

Seriously, think of young boys reading the newspaper on the train in the U.S. -- and not just one but a bunch of them. It really made my day because it gives me hope for the literary future of our world. In L.A. to see boys that age reading period would be great. To see them reading world news in the newspaper.... I'm just speechless.

I would have taken a photo of them, but I didn't want them to feel like they were doing anything out of the ordinary. Plus they're children and it's best to protect children, yes?

Yes. I hope my children (when I have them)take such joy in reading the paper when they grow up. :)

Security

"You can't check your bag yet it's too early. And it's too heavy."

One of my travel companions takes her bag off the scale and the next companion puts hers on. Yours is also too heavy. They go off to a corner to re-pack.

My other two companions have already checked their bags (there was no problem checking them early.) Luckily I get the same guy they had and mine goes through with no problem even though mine is just as heavy as one of the other women I'm traveling with.

Can I just say that the security at Heathrow going to Ireland is tight, tight, tight and you have to jump through so many hoops. It literally took us hours. Worse than LAX except they don't check your shoes.

I'll add more later. Gotta go. The internet cafe is closing. :) Dublin you know.

The Gate

We arrived in Dublin and everyone else is exhausted. I was too, but see that the Gate Theatre is across the street. Yay! The one show "Hedda Gabbler" that I wanted to see is playing right across the street from where I'm staying.

I get a ticket and it's a Brial Friel adaptation that is quite good. The gore at the end leaves me a bit uneasy though and I don't sleep very well. What is it on this trip? Gore and violence and scary things are following me everywhere.

The theatre itself is beautiful though. And I have a nice chat with Wendy (a lecturer at the University) and Edison (I think that's what he said) who is a Psychologist who directs theatre. Since Wendy is a local we talk about what things are good to see while we're here.

St. Michan's (spelling?) Church has a tour of the crypts that is quite good. A friend had also mentioned it so I'm eager to see it. I'm told it's not scary. (Yeah, right.)

Also, it's important to get out of Dublin to see the countryside too. That is also a comment another friend made before I left. I even got my international driver's license so I can drive here if needed. Unfortunately, some of my travel companions have clearly stated that they're scared of me driving. Hmmm. Of all the things to be scared of....

Puppy in Kensington Park

Puppy in Kensington Park
Originally uploaded by AliChen

This little puppy is only a few weeks old. She was so cute and small I had to take a photo. :)

The Looooooong Walk Home

The Orangery High Tea
Originally uploaded by AliChen

Yep, this is the station. Oh, yeah! Forgot about that tunnel. And the street musicians, forgot about the wonderful musicians in this tunnel too.

Oh boy. Forgot how looooong this tunnel is too and my feet are killing me.

I've just spent the morning in Camden Market. Found the bookbag that had been eluding me in the U.S.A. there but I'm meeting up with one of my travel mates for High Tea. We're meeting across from Royal Albert Hall at the gates there...I think.

South Kensington station is the station for all of the students going University for music at the Royal College. It's also the tunnel to Imperial College and the Royal Albert Hall and the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Natural History Museum as well.

The tunnel, the long, long tunnel--that I'm running down because I'm late--has different musicians playing for money all of the time. And they're not your usual street musicians. I've heard quartets as beautiful as I've heard in larger classical venues around the world. It's quite nice.

Did I mention I'm wearing high heels and a skirt?

Oh, and did I mention it's drizzling too? My feet are killing me. Yes, I did mention that, I know.

Leaving the station I come upon another traveling companion. She's on her way to Covent Garden. Her tour of Royal Albert Hall was a no go due to the Remembrance Day celebration they're setting up there. Remembrance Day is similar to the U.S. Veteran's day but for WWI and WWII veterans and also without the mattress sales.

My friend isn't at the gate. Well, Kensington Park has a lot of gates. I go to almost every one of them until I finally find her. I'm out of breath (I ran) and my feet are screaming since I've basically run the distance from South Kensington station to High Street Kensington. (It's longer than a few blocks.)

But, we have a great high tea at The Orangery and it's very nice. Great to sit down for awhile too.

We walk back to our hotel to meet for dinner at a pub and then go see The Quantum of Solace (it opened Oct 31st here in London) - yes it was good. But I have nightmares this night.

Oh, did I tell you I'm not great with violence and scary things. So, I've had nightmares almost every night here. Here's my list:

1. Jack the Ripper Tour - self explanatory
2. The Woman in Black - very scary lady who kept showing up in my dreams. I really didn't sleep at all that night.
3. The Quantum of Solace - I won't explain since most of you are in the U.S. and haven't seen it yet.

Needless to say. I'm tired. But we're off to Ireland! It can't get spookier right?

Celeste with Dark Monday Ball

Celeste with Dark Monday Ball
Originally uploaded by AliChen

Celeste and I used to play softball together. Our softball team hasn't been doing very well but it's fun to play. When she left we all signed a ball and gave her one. She keeps it on her fridge in Geneva so that she can remember the team.

I've been gone and will miss two games. Maybe we'll win some. :)

20 Minutes

United Nations Geneva
Originally uploaded by AliChen

The Swiss newspaper "20 Minutes" announced that it had been discovered that suicide bombers in Zurich had dressed as women. I only got that far on the article. It was in French and I was reading across a train car. Geneva's United Nations building is closed to the public for obvious reasons. It's line of flags is beautiful though and we took a look before moving on.

20 minutes can change your life.

I don't think that needs any explanation. Do you?

On the flight back from Switzerland I met an analytical chemist named Gregory from Cambridge. He had gone on a 9 hour interview and was flying back. We had a nice conversation and we wished each other well at the end of the flight. Those are the best moments of traveling. The random connection with another human being beyond surface "Hello"'s and smiles.

It reminds me to take a little extra time when I'm not harangued by busy schedules to take that time and connect. Travelers aren't as jaded so it's easier to make the connection there. I'll be kinder to tourists. Yes, I will. :)