20/2/09

We went to the Tate Britain for Art and Society (ironically) and went through the Van Dyck portrait exhibit. I enjoyed this trip there much more than my first one. The exhibition was pretty well done, and the subjects in the exhibition were also interesting, including a good amount of Charles I. Our professor showed us around some of the rest of the gallery, and he was far more interesting guide than the actual guide we had from the museum before. I like seeing painting of old London, especially if the area/buildings are still around and there were a good amount of paintings of that.

I came back and went to my Theater class. The first half of class I was dozing off, particularly bad because I sit right up front and I'm usually one of the only people that talks/knows things in that class. Not good. I went to Starbucks during the break and I felt a lot better. For the rest of the class we got into a good discussion about the recreated Globe Theater we all saw the week before. I brought up that I felt more chills going to the basement above the ground where Shakespeare used to perform as opposed to what it would have looked like. This all sort of goes back to my preservation debates. The professor liked that the recreation was made using only the ways that it would have been possible during the 1600s, but to me, it doesn't change the fact that it's still fake. I respect that, but I don't feel anything special because of it. Interesting.

After class I wanted to go down to the National Gallery in Trafalgar Square but it was closed, so I went around the corner to the National Portrait Gallery and went through again. I liked it. There was a lot I didn't see before that I got to now. I love visiting museums at night like that.

Since it was warm out, and so clear that I felt like I was wearing glasses, I decided to walk down the Thames for a ways. I ended up by the Southwark Cathedral, which claims to be from 600, but I'm sure it's one of those rebuilt ones, it looks like it's in way too good of shape. Either way, it's another place I want to go now.

It was a great walk, getting to London Bridge until I went with the Americans to an Indian place for dinner. I was nervous, having never had Indian food before. I didn't know what I'd order and since I'm not a big spice/hot eater, I thought I could be in trouble. The place was packed and we eventually got a table and they have us crispy bread stuff and dips. I found one brownish dip that I loved, so that was good. Many of the foods had meat (I was surprised) but I ordered a rice and vegetable dish. It ended up being awesome. I ate the whole thing. I would definitely go back to an Indian restaurant. I'm growing up.