Getting Fancy...With an Airbrush

So the past week of class has been all about using airbrush. Its a really fun technique and I am finally starting to get the hang of it. It has taken me a while but it is slowly becoming easier. I am using it in every makeup I do from now on though because school is where you learn to do things... there are no room for mistakes when you are getting paid. Plus if we need any help Laetitia is really quick to help and show us how to fix problems once they happen. Also how to prevent them from happening in the first place. This is why I am doing something I don't feel I am strong at in every makeup, to force myself to practise in a safe space. 

Tuesday we had our airbrush final because it was only a week long course. We were just learning the basics of how to use, clean and care for our airbrush. It was really just beauty essentials all over again but using a new tool to do it. Everyone did a really great job and I got to do Sakuya's makeup again. She looked great, as per usual. I gave her just an easy, bronzey makeup. This is not my favorite photo but there is always one right. Our final looks had to be a natural looking makeup but we also got to go a little crazy for one makeup. We got to do whatever we wanted as long as we used some airbrush. Of course I went a little crazy and went with a Halloween grey scale makeup with blood and spiders. It's not exactly what I was planning but I am happy with how it turned out in the short time I had. I was really excited to bust out the blood for the first time in a long time. I did blood splatter and glued so many tiny spiders to her face... It was really just a mood for my Halloween makeup.

Laetitia also told us that we will have a free makeup after every exam from now on. I mean the exams are so short that we only spend about half the day to do the short written exam and the applications of our makeups. Each person has an hour and then we spend about 30 minutes taking photos and doing hair after each application. The whole thing takes maybe three hours. The past two times we have been finished by 1:30p so it is just really easy to give us a lunch break and then have us come back with time to do something creative for ourselves. 

I am so excited to come up with looks for our creative rounds. I have no idea what I am going to do for tomorrow's exam but I am really excited to think about it. After I post this I will probably be on Pinterest the rest of the night trying to feed my inspiration and find a mood. I am think it is likely there will be blood in my look tomorrow too... but we'll just have to wait and see, wont we.

*SIDE NOTE* Inspiration pictures can also be called moods. It's the general feeling (or mood) of the makeup you are going for. They are really useful to become inspired or show your client the intention of the makeup.

Wednesday we started bridal makeup. This is only a three day section because it is just applying what we have learned from the past two weeks and using it to please a client on their wedding day.

In this section we are learning a little bit more about the business side of things which is good. we had gotten tips on what to put on an invoice, what contributes to cost, when to get payments, and so on. We haven't gotten many details about these things but we did get the idea of getting out there hammered into us. We need to get pretty business cards which are clear and easy to read, with a personal logo, that stand out from the rest and once we have them we need to pass them out everywhere. I really do mean EVERYWHERE. I man if I were to get into the bridal makeup business I would need to find my niche within in and then go anywhere that deals with brides and talk to them. Bridal shows, wedding planners, cake shops, dress shops, the list goes on and on. There is no work for people who wait for it to find them. We also talked about websites and instagram pages as a professional portfolio of work. So now I have a professional instagram which is where I will be posting most of my makeup related pictures. @MUA.VictoriaStarr

We've been mostly practicing simple makeup looks (Like the one above on Nina) but today we were given a mood to try and replicate, with our own style of course. Then after lunch we were given a client. This client told us what they wanted for their look. Today I had a lovely model named Anna who will be attending in January. She had several facial piercings and no eyebrows. She was convinced I had to do a traditional bridal makeup which she was okay with but it was not what she would have worn at her wedding. She was so happy when I told her she could have whatever she wanted. She said she really liked blue and wanted it to be like a beautiful alien. she also told me to still keep it in my style of makeup. She is like me in that way, if I am having my makeup done I want to have it in the style the makeup artist thinks is best for me because if I was going to tell the makeup artist exactly what I wanted I could just do it myself. We ended up going for this sparkly blue eye makeup and kept it simple everywhere else. But because I am terrified of drawing on brows that are not there Laetitia came over and helped with the brows and they really rounded it out. She left really happy with her look and it was an awesome feeling making her feel good.

Now tomorrow is the bridal makeup final so more pictures coming soon.

Chao

Back Again

I know it has been a while since I've posted but I have been so busy with MUD which is so amazing! I am loving every second of being at school. Every day seems long but it is doing something that I am passionate about and I am learning something new every day. This makes it worth it to me. Sometimes when I get home I lose track of what day it is. Something could happen in the morning and it would feel like yesterday. It's amazing how exhausting doing makeup all day is. We are both applying and sitting for 3-4 makeups a day. But at the end of the day we can go a little outside of the box from natural makeups and we can add some fun eyeshadow or lipstick colors.

*SIDE NOTE* For my birthday I had school all day and then I went out for dinner with my flatmate Betti. It was amazing food and great conversation. Everyone at the restaurant was so nice, they even brought me my dessert with a sparkler in it. I was also able to talk to my parents the morning of my birthday here in Berlin (the night before for them) it was so nice to speak to them.

In my class I really like everyone. I will say I am closest with Sakuya and Nina but everyone is really nice. I love our teacher Laetitia and Johannes (AKA Hungry) our resident sass-master/drag queen. Sakuya and I actually went to Hungry's drag show on Friday night. It was an experience to say the least. Everything was running on Drag Time... so 20 minutes late... We saw the final episode of Ru Paul's Drag Race All Stars. Then we waited. It was so crowded and when the drag show started I had to stand on this bench to the side to be able to see. Then these girls stood in front of me so I couldn't see. It was a bummer but it didn't bother me until it was Hungry's turn and I asked them if they can move in a way so I could see my friend perform... I got a nasty look and was ignored. It also didn't help that Sakuya's friend was being a buzz kill and made her leave literally right before Hungry went on. By the end of the show I was irritated and alone so I wanted to leave. I tried really hard to find Hungry before I left but with the amount of people in the bar it was impossible so I just left and texted him after. Over all I really did like the drag show and how different it was from what I am used to but next time I will be better prepared for the stupid people.

Lets jump back into makeup. I'm going to skip most of the boring beauty essentials talk and get right to it. We had to learn all the basics of makeup again in order to apply a natural looking and corrective beauty makeup. It was like relearning how to do makeup. Especially for me after learning how to do theatrical makeup and "painting for the stage." It was challenging to find a balance too, between what I think looks coon and a true corrective beauty makeup. Yesterday we had our final exam for the first course. It consisted of both a written exam and practical application. I am very happy to say that all 8 of us got full points on both portions of the test. After we applied the makeups we did a mini photo shoot to show off the makeup. It wasn't until I saw all of our pictures that I realized how beautiful our entire class is. Models in the making.

To the left is the makeup I did for my final on Sakuya and below is everyone's looks from the exam. These pictures were all taken by our teacher Laetitia Lemak (http://www.laetitialemak.com/)

First Day of School! First Day of School!

So Sunday I went to the open school day at MUD and I had a blast. There was a makeup demo and mini photoshoot before the look was changed on the model. Then there was a quick hair demo. With the Q & A session I got a lot of information about my teachers and the woman who started this MUD

Studio in Berlin. I am so happy I went because I got familiar with the school itself and I got to know the teachers. It really helped me to come in on my first day less stressed. Of course at the end of the day it started to rain and I had left my umbrella back at the flat. So I went next door and got a waffle and a coffee. Unfortunately since I couldn't read the menu I ordered a sweet waffle because the lady looked at me like I was crazy when I asked for it with butter. I got this thing and it was so good. It tasted like a less sugary churro with some cinnamon flavor and it came covered in powdered sugar. It was so good but I would have loved some jam or something on it.

Monday is a German holiday so I didn't start school until Tuesday. It was so nice walking there with the stress of it being the first day but not having anxiety about who would be my instructor, where the studio was, what the studio was like, and so on. Our first day we got our kits and did a lot of talking. We had to take a ton of notes and spent most of the day learning about makeup, undertone, shade, and basic color theory. We also did a few exercises about shade and undertone in our workbooks but nothing too crazy. It wasn't until the last hour of the day that we applied makeup. We learned to base match. We get an hour break for lunch and I went out to lunch with most of the girls in the class. I had a pasta with pumpkin in it. I thought I was ordering falafel but I was wrong. Instead I got farfalle which is apparently a type of Italian noodle. Other than our food taking forever and the girls at the table were speaking German unless they were engaging me, it was a nice lunch break. I got to know the girls a little bit and we all just got to chat. We were also assigned a lot of homework which took me most of my evening because it meant I had to go to the store. I had to find something to label my kit with. If I was at home I would use nail polish to mark the kit as mine and make distinguishing marks on my pallets. I could only find a MC Paper store which is a REALLY small office supply shop but it did the trick, but I will probably change it when I get back to the states. Who knows really. After I labeled every piece of my kit I had to read three chapters in my text book and answer twenty-five questions about makeup, professionalism, and sanitation. It took me forever. I mean it was 30 pages of dense reading and questions to go along with it. By the time I was done I was so tired I couldn't even sit here to write a paragraph for this blog.

Today was my second day and it was better than the first. We spent the whole day learning about skin care and base matching the rest of the girls in the class. Today there was also a lot more bonding happening. I got into conversations with the girls doing my makeup - and when I was sitting for them, I got to know the instructor better, and I had little conversations with individual girls on breaks or in between applications. I also had lunch with just one other girl today, we went back to the waffle house I went to on Sunday and this time she was my secret weapon... She speaks and reads German. I got a waffle with apple and it was like an apple pie waffle. It was SO GOOD. As a class though we pretty much decided we were going to go to the screening of the finale of Ru Paul's Drag Race and see the drag show after. The one and only guy in our class will be performing. I was looking at pictures of his drag and it is amazing and avant garde. He is not actually in the class fully, he will be taking airbrush with us and has to learn some of the MUD basics and standers before he can take that class. He will be popping in and out when he is not in his university classes. 

Honestly with the girls in this class, I can see myself become good friends with them. I'm glad that is the case because I have to spend three months with these girls and if I didn't like them I wouldn't know what to do! I think what I am going to do though is I am going to try to get the girls from the class to come out with me for my birthday on Monday. It should be fun. These girls are really interesting.

I also had a really nice talk with Betti, my flatmate, today when I got home. We talked about school, Halloween, Christmas time, and all kinds of fun stuff. We have decided we are going to get a small Christmas tree for the flat because she has never done that before. Also, because I like Berlin so much, she is going to help me learn German so I am not floundering anymore. She is going to teach me one phrase and one word a day. This way I have to use it that day and she will ask me about it at the end. Also if I ask the girls in my class and the instructor I could probably learn some of the German names for things, or phrases from them too. By the end I hope to at least have a small amount of German in my back pocket. 

Tschüss!

My Adventure Within an Adventure

After my first day in Edinburgh I honestly got really distracted and fed up with trying to post from my iPad... Without a keyboard. Also the apps I have to use to get it done were just frustrating. So... this post will be about everything else that happened... It's gonna be a long one. Sorry guys.

Buckle up... here goes... I guess... everything.


My second day in Edinburgh I went to the shops around town and for whatever reason I decided to get my eyebrows threaded.... Don't ask me why other than the fact that my eyebrows looked atrocious and I walked right by it... and it was cheap. After I spent my morning just walking around I went back to the hostel and ran into Cole. We decided to grab dinner and we met up with Jenna. Went to this burger place on the Royal Mile and let me tell you, the burger I had was hands down the best thing ever. It was like an Italian sandwich meets burger on a focaccia bun. Amazing! So that night we ended up going on the Edinburgh bar crawl. It was really fun. We met up with someone Cole met while backpacking, Emily, from Australia and her friend Josh. We had a blast going from bar to bar meeting cool people and drinking. This is also where I saw the most beautiful man I had ever seen in my life. I did talk to him by the end of the night but just my luck I completely lost track of him. I guess this will forever by missed connection. ALSO, sadly enough, that night I broke my puzzle ring. I was probably trying to show off to they guy I was talking too and it just snapped. I, of course, had the wherewithal to pick up the broken link so hopefully I can get it fixed but I am so bummed. But I did buy a new ring. Then I realized I have a ring from every country I've been too except Mexico. So I decided to keep the trend going. I bought a new puzzle ring in Edinburgh. 

When I got back to London I decided to go to the theatre district of London and buy myself some tickets to shows. I got my ticket for "The Book of Mormon" because how could I pass up the opportunity to see that amazing piece of genius again. I also went to buy tickets to "The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time" but when I got there the lady in the box office told me that they release 10 £15 tickets for the front row at 10am the day of the show. Of course I was all over that opportunity. So, my plan was to go back on the Thursday, the morning of the show. Since I didn't get theatre tickets for that day I decided to walk myself down over to the National Portrait Museum and the National Gallery. I really loved what I saw in the Portrait Museum. They had the history of their country in portraits. I was so interested the entire time. The National Gallery was in Trafalger Square.

It was a really fun place to hang out while I waited for the rain to stop and to figure out my next destination. There were street performers everywhere. There were chalk artists, musicians, dancers, variety acts, and these weird guys who would dress like Star Wars characters and stand on a platform to make it look like they were floating in the air. I mean it's really just an old parlor trick, crappy magic. I can't tell you how many of them I saw around the city dressed as different things. I loved just standing on the steps of the National Gallery, looking out into the square and people watching. Once I was done there, I decided since I was in London I would have to go to Buckingham Palace and do some touristy things, which is a little out of character for me, when I got there I was so happy I went. The attention to detail on the gate alone in front of the palace was so intricate. It was also interesting that in every movie I have seen where they go to Buckingham Palace, they mess with the guards like they are in front of the gate... WRONG! They are behind the gate in front of the palace so there is no taking pictures with them or trying to distract them or anything. Not that I wanted to bother them of course but I picture next to them would have been really cool, don't you think. Instead I took this selfie in front of the palace. I really hate to admit this but a selfie stick would have been so handy while I was traveling

alone. I have almost no pictures of me in cool places because selfies are shit. Your arms can only reach so far you know. I really loved doing this one touristy thing. I mean you can't go to London, England and not see Buckingham Palace. Right?! It wasn't as crowded as I expected it to be since it is such a London landmark. I guess it would be the same as going to the White House (which I have never done by the way). It is visiting an important building where the leader of the country lives. It's really a powerful experience. I noticed walking around the shops the magnets say things like HRH (his/her royal highness), a thing we don't really know anything about because we live in a democracy and not a monarchy. It was interesting seeing the small cultural differences. I spent a good deal of time just hanging out at the palace and at the memorial out front. I had a snack and then went on my merry little way back to my hostel... but I did stop at a couple of shops on Kingston High Street before really going back.

For breakfast on my second day back in London I went to this bakery, probably a chain, but I was sold when I saw that everything was covered in sesame seeds. I had a lot of time so I got my coffee

and a sandwich to eat there. This bread was so good and everything looked so amazing. It took everything in me not to just buy everything in the case to eat. They had chocolate rolls, potato rolls, steak rolls, cakes, cookies, muffins, pretzels, I could just go on forever about the food in this place. Everything looked so good! Next I went to the matinee of "The Book of Mormon," It was so good. The part of the city that the theatres are in is actually a really nice part of the city. I felt really safe there. I walked around there, by myself, at night and I felt so comfortable.  The production was what I expected it to be but at a smaller theatre and honestly a nicer theatre than the Orpheum in San Fransisco. The three leads

were from The States but the rest, from what I could tell, were from the UK. The American dialects were laughable to me. I'm sure they were great for everyone else but, as someone from the US it was a muddled mess of Southern, Cali surfer, New York, and like super mid-west. I thought this was so funny because all of the Mormons would just slip between them. The guy who played Elder Price was fine but he really just felt like a cardboard cutout of Andrew Rannells who was amazing when he originated the role. This guy, I felt, was committing the two cardinal sins of acting. He was not 100% invested in what was happening on stage and worst of all he was committing the sin of "Bullshit. Bullshit. My line." It felt like he was just waiting for his turn to talk. The guy who played Elder Cunningham was hysterically weird and incredibly awkward. I loved him. He carried the show. He made it feel like his story was being told not Elder Price's story. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. I was lucky enough to be sitting with an Australian couple who had never seen the show before nor had they known anything about it. I explained to them what they were about to see and you could just see their faces light up. We had a lot to talk about both before the show and after because they had just visited San Fransisco in July. We talked about that and I was a little offended that they had clam chowder WITHOUT the sourdough bread bowl. I mean, it is not the same without it! But they really enjoyed their time in San Fransisco and I enjoyed watching this show with them.

After "The Book of Mormon" I got an early dinner at a diner, I had me some chicken strips and a

Baileys malt. It came with fries, onion rings, and the tiniest side of coleslaw I have ever seen. I do have to rave a little about the jalapeño jelly they had to dip the chicken strips in. Seriously, this stuff was amazing, way better than the barbecue sauce I was given. Other than the chicken and the jalapeño jelly the food was really mediocre. I'm noticing a pattern with the British food... it's very bland for the most part. Let me tell you... salt is your friend. After dinner I found myself walking around the West End looking at the city at dusk. It was really pretty cool. This is of course fate took hold and I walked by a theatre. I asked the box office about tickets and I got a £20 ticket for that night. It was a new show written by a group that came out of LAMDA (London Academy of Music & Dramatic Art). This play was

just what I needed. It was "A Play About a Bank Robbery" and it was hilarious! It reminded me of something my friend Katie Ruppert would write. Remember this name guys, she is going to write some serious comedy one day. Anyway, it was a farce complete with mistaken identity, puns, and jokes that were beaten until they were dead. No joke was too little for these guys to make and let me tell you, they took EVERY opportunity to make a joke. It reminded me a lot of the "Who's On First" vaudeville routine. It was set in 1960's Minneapolis. It was really a lot of fun. I was laughing the entire time and I was kept on my toes. As soon as you thought you knew where they were going to take a joke they slapped you with a misdirection. I don't think the people around me laughed as hard as I did. I'm just really sad that in October they open a show called "Peter Pan Goes Wrong" and I would love to see what they do with it. I will be in classes then and it would be hard for me to get there to see it. Actually a lot of the theatre I wanted to see in London was either really expensive or it didn't open until October. But that is okay, what I did experience is what I needed to experience.

The next morning I left my hostel early in the morning to get in line for my £15 ticket to "The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time." I made it just in time to get my seat for the front row. Of

course it started to rain on my way there so I got wet because I didn't have my umbrella. Little did I know... I did have my umbrella in my bag. I walked in the rain for no reason. I'm glad it rained though, I feel like it would be a poor trip to London if I didn't experience the rain at all. After I got my ticket for the matinee I had some time to kill so I headed on over to Camden Town to look for another ring for my collection (I told you, it's a thing now). Its very much the artsy part of London but it felt like every store had the same things. I found a bunch of rings that I liked but almost none of them fit my middle finger (which is the finger I was shopping for). I was about to give up when I found this one. Simple but detailed. 

I also had a coffee and a breakfast sandwich at a small coffee shop in town (probably a chain). It was called Costa Coffee. I got a medium coffee and this thing was huge! It was so good though. There is something so creamy about the coffee in Europe. It is thick and flavorful. you almost need no milk or sugar in it. I personally just like the consistency milk gives it. I don't know if I could go back to coffee in The States after this. I also noticed that every time I get a coffee they ask if I want milk in it and it is more of a latte. You need to experience it, there is nothing like it.

Also, I just have to put this in, there was a first date going on behind me at the cafe. It was so incredibly cute. These two guys were just getting to know each other in the coffee shop and then decided to go out and get food. But they were bonding and sharing things about their lives. It was so cute I couldn't stand it. After my mini trip to Camden Town, which was a bit of a let down, it was back to the West End for more theatre!

When I got back I had some extra time on my hands so I went to M&M Wold. It is this huge four floor store just filled with M&Ms the candy and merchandise for M&Ms. They had everything you could think of to do with the candy. Star Wars, PJs, design your own, school supplies, mugs (my weakness... but I was good), and so much more. I didn't buy anything because I was so overwhelmed with how big the store was, and honestly I went in so I could use the restroom. I waisted so much time in there but it was really fun. The entire place was probably a kid's dream. M&Ms as far as the eye can see. You could also figure out what color M&M you would be... of course I didn't do this

because there was a line... Lame. Also ALL over the store there were the M&M characters dressed or posing. There was a knight, spy, driving a Union Jack car, and my favorite the Abby Road. This one was on the bottom floor next to the restrooms and I was so excited to see this. These figures are as tall as you are. It was really fun turning corners in the store and having no idea which figure you would see next. 

Then it was time to see "The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time." This is hands down the best thing I saw while I was here. It was so creative and engaging. They way they did the production it really took you into the world and headspace of this 15 year-old boy with aspergers. This story follows him while he is trying to figure out who killed his neighbor's dog. The way the stage is set up is just beautifully simple but so

effective. As an audience member you are taken on an intelectual ride. The way all the actors are on stage and engaged the entire time, the way they help the main boy negotiate the space, and the way they slipped in small gags to keep the show light and to keep you on your toes. The blocking was just so intricate there was no room for mistakes. Everyone hit their mark every time. The guy who played the main character was so incredible. He portrayed this boy with aspergers so honestly that as an audience member you believed every second of what he was doing and saying on stage. I couldn't imagine anyone doing a better job than this kid. After the show I find out that he was the understudy. What they probably do is have the understudy go on frequently because his character is incredibly physical and on stage the ENTIRE show. All two and a half hours of it. The main character must be on a schedule where the understudy takes like a show a week or does one of the shows on the days they have two shows. I can imagine doing that role twice in one day. That takes some incredible strength. This play is also a book which is now on my list to read. But seriously if you EVER have the opportunity to see "The Curious Case of the Dog in the Night-Time" DO IT!!!! Oh... and stick around after bows... 

After the show I hopped back on the Tube and I headed over to where The New Globe Theatre is. I
wasn't able to go inside but I got to see the back side. It is this big, beautiful Elizabethan Theatre. It is

on my list of things I HAVE to do when I go back to London... and I will make it back. I'm
determined. Since I went all the way out there I decided to have dinner at the restaurant nextdoor. It was this cute, communal table place. They had a long table in the middle where small groups shared the table with others. For someone eating alone, I was in fact, not alone. I got my self the Globe Ale and a sausage roll. This thing was go good. I also ordered mushy peas but they really sucked. They were nothing like the peas I had at the Princess Victoria Pub. Anyway they brought out my food on a wooden board. It was a really cute place.

On my way back is where the bullshit began. I get to Heathrow airport no problem and then while I am going through security they didn't like my dry shampoo (even though I was allowed to bring it in my carryon while leaving Berlin) which is fine but then instead of taking it out of my suitcase he proceeds to take everything out of my bag. I get that he was doing his job and he has to be thorough but he didn't need to take everything out and unfold it. I was so irritated because the night before I spent a long time trying to tetris my bag just right so I could carry my ten days worth of belongings in a carry on. After he unpacked my bag I couldn't get it packed as tight. Then my flight was delayed so I didn't get home until an almost two hours after I was supposed to. It also was frustrating how rude the flight staff was and that they took my bag from me after I was on the airplane to put it in as a checked bag. This made me so angry because if I knew my bag was "too big" to be a carryon (even though it was no problem on the 4 flights I took previous to this on) I would have checked it and I would have been able to keep my dry shampoo. 

Over all though I loved my mini UK adventure. I met some really awesome people and saw some really awesome things. I really want to make it back to both locations and explore more. I almost want to go back for a longer trip and travel to more countries. The people I met while staying in the hostels really inspired me to embrace my sense of adventure. 

Congratulations! You made it to the end of THE BEAST. 

A Day in the Life of a Hostel Traveler

Today was by far the most interesting day I've had on this trip to Europe thus far. I spent my entire morning at the National Galleries Scotland. I had such a fantastic time looking at a lot of amazing art. I walked through the gallery and saw so many incredible paintings and sculptures from all of the classic periods of art. There was Renaissance, medieval, restoration, Flemish and Dutch paintings. There was this amazing statue of the story of Cain and Able that was so incredibly beautiful. It was probably my favorite piece of the day. (I took a video of it because I could walk around it. I'll post that later when I figure the video things out.)     also saw this bust of Monsignor Carlo Antonio dal Pozzo. It was so incredibly lifelike. I felt like he would start talking to me. In fact all the art work was so stunning I had a smile plastered on my face the whole time. It was really nice going to the gallery by myself because I could linger as long as I wanted at paintings and sculptures. The amount of detail that went into these pieces was incredible, I can't even begin to imagine they time these artists put into creating these pieces.

On the way to the gallery I saw so many amazing buildings and monuments. This city just feels so old. Everything you see is just so stunning it doesn't even feel real. I spent most of my afternoon just walking the streets of Edinburgh before I went back to my hostel. I even did the terrible thing of going into a Doc Martin store and falling in love with these multi-tonal sparkly boots. I need them in my life but they aren't going to fit in my suitcase. Silly me, I tried them on and now I can't stop thinking about them. After that I went back to the hostel. I sat in the lounge drinking a smoothie and doing something email on my phone. Minding my own business. This is where things get interesting...            

 When I came back to the hostel I was just sitting in the lounge when a group of 3 walked up and sat in the same area I was. I somehow got involved in their conversation and we went for a hike to Arthor's Seat. From the top of this hill you could see the entire city of Edinburgh. It was incredible. This group (all North Americans I might add. Vancouver, Arazona, and Seattle, Washington) was pretty much the best, most sassy group I could have come across. The 2 girl, Jenna and Jules, met the day before and were oddly enough on very similar itineraries for their trips. The guy, Cole, they met during a walking tour of the city maybe an hour before they picked me up, he has been backpacking around the entirety of Europe for 3 months already and he goes home in 3 weeks. We had the most incredible time just walking around Edinburgh together. By the end of the night I had eaten, you ready for this, haggis. Well it was haggis stuffed chicken but it was also the best think I have eaten in the UK so far. It's going to be hard to top. It was more spicy than I expected it to be but it was just so good there was nothing left on my plate. Over dinner we talked about life, the universe, and everything in it. We took the questions from an experiment done to make strangers fall in love and answered them together. This experiment was 26 questions posed to 2 strangers who are facing each other and then stare into each other's eyes for 4 minutes after, the test guaranteed the strangers would fall in love. Well... That was not our purpose but it was a ton of fun getting to know 3 complete strangers in this way. We talked about some really deep things which brought us closer as a group I think. It gave us context into each other's lives so we could see why we were all on an adventure around Europe by ourselves. We got to a point where we felt like we knew each other for a long time instead of just a few hours. We were constantly making sassy sarcastic jokes with each other. I really couldn't have asked for a better group to meet up with. 

   

This was by far the bast experience I could have asked for and all I really wanted from the hostel life. Here's hoping I have more adventures like this one on the remaining days of my trip. 

Sorry, this one is going up lat because I had formatting issues there will be more pictures added to this post when I get back to my computer... Or when I can figure it out on my iPad. 

Off to Edinburgh!

Today I left London via the tube and hopped at train to Edinburgh. The international train station at Kings Cross has a 9 and 3/4 platform. It's not where the rest of the platforms are but it is in the main corridor and there is a cute shop next to it filled with Harry Potter stuff. The station itself was easier to find than I would have imagined, as was the tube. Public transportation in Europe is incredibly easy in comparison to the Bay Area.     


 Once on the train I started to watch a movie mindlessly until the gentleman in the seat next to me boarded the train. He was really a really nice older gentleman named Cliff who still had a wicked sense of adventure. We talked the entire train ride about everything. He is from Tennessee (another American, I know) and has been to 49 states, 28 countries, and 3 continents. We talked about traveling and found that we have similar interests and opinions on sightseeing. We like to have a general outline of what we want to see but we give ourselves the liberty to scratch things off if they won't fit into the schedule. We like traveling in smaller groups in order to see what we want to without having to appease the group. We like to see the things that are more off the beaten path and intellectually stimulating rather than getting stuck in the tourist traps. He gave me some advice on places to see while I'm here since he had been to Edinburgh before. We even talked about the taboo topic of politics... US politics and religion. It was amazing to have a frank conversation like this without it being confrontational since we both hate the 2 major party candidates but we have differing opinions on what to do about it. It was a very constructive conversation between a man 2 generations ahead of me who has traveled the world and worked for the government, and me, a girl raised in the liberal Bay Area knowing practically nothing but my own backyard and theatre. He is, by far, the most interesting person I have interacted with on this trips as of yet. We watched the English and Scottish countryside as we ride by and we're pointing out the different sights we were seeing. I have never seen water as blue as the North Sea. It was completely stunning as was all the architecture we passed.       


 Now I am in the bar of the hostel in Edinburgh and it is WAY nicer than the one at Holland Park in London.  They serve beer in this bar, unlike in London, and I am enjoying myself a brew local to Glasgow. The lockers for my belongings are bigger. The beds are bigger. It is just a more comfortable place in general. In the London hostel I had a really messy lady who stayed in the bed under me, a man that would come in to the room at 11:30 at night and be complaining loudly about something while thinking it would be fine to turn the light on, oh and did I mention the simphany of snoring? Here there are only 8 beds in the room and there is a private bathroom. We will see about the location of this hostel tomorrow when I decide to venture out into the wold of Scotland. Hopefully I will meet people who I can venture out with in this hostel. At least for one day before I leave, I am here for 3 full days before I catch the train back to London. I mean because if I don't find anyone to go around Scotland with, I might be tempted to just stay at the hostel bar desperately flirting with the incredibly attractive bartender. If he is the only friend I make in Scotland... I would be completely okay with that. I think I'm just going to ogle him from afar until I'm ready for another beer or bar food... Or whatever...   

 From Scotland, with love. 

Lunch with Pan... Peter Pan

The hostel experience has been treating me well so far. I've made friends with a very nice older gentleman we talk when I am at the locker where I keep my things. We exchanged emails because he is interested in how the rest of my trip is going to go. This hostel is pretty amazing the beds are relatively comfortable and the facility is located in a park. As of right now I would totally stay in this hostel again... But I will be bringing a towel next time. Here they charge you £2 to rent a towel and a £5 deposit. It's a little insane.     


 The first thing I did today was get lunch from Lunch at Whole Foods, which is HUGE by the way, and I walked myself over to Kensington Gardens. I stayed in the park for 5 hours. It was so beautiful.

I sat with Peter Pan to eat my lunch and stayed there for a long time. The Peter Pan statue is right next to a body of water called The Serpentine so I got to see a lot of ducks, geese, and swans. The statue was really interesting there were fairies, bunnies and all kinds of things at his feet. Apparently this statue was erected in the middle of the night in complete secret as a surprise mon May Day in 1912. Like it happened by magic. In the times on May 1 J.M. Barrie placed an announcement that read, "There is a surprise in store for the children who go to Kensington Gardens to feed the ducks this morning. Down by the little bay on the south-western side of the trail of the Serpentine they will find a May-day gift by Mr J.M. Barrie, a figure of Peter Pan blowing his pipe on the stump of a tree..." Kensington Gardens was close to where J.M. Barrie lived and WA s the place of inspiration for Peter Pan which was first published in 1902. (Now we are doen with the history section) While I was at the statue I met a very nice woman from Sacramento who just had to take a picture of herself with the statue for her sister. She said that her sister insists she is Peter Pan and still does at 60 years old. We chatted a bit because, let's be real, her sister and I have this in common. There is even a home video of me somewhere where I am asked about being a princess and my 2 year old self insisted I was Peter Pan.      

The next thing I did was I went to the Italian Gardens which is a beautiful area inside of Hyde Park (same place as Kensington Gardens). The Italian Gardens has 4 small ponds with fountains and lily pads, A traditional fountain in the middle, and a beautiful fountain at the end with statues imbedded in it. Unfortunately I wasn't able to get a good picture if that because of where the sun was positioned. This is there I met a couple from New York. (Funny how everyone I seem to meet and talk to outside of the hostel is an American.) We talked for a while and I ended up taking a pricture for them. They were very nice and we talked about my time in Germany and that kind of thing. The took a picture of me, by myself, in front of the fountain I have put in the picture to the left. The ducks is what started the conversation between the New Yorkers and myself. We though it was funny that they seemed to be posing for us. The amount of birds and ballsey squirrels in Hyde park was amazing. When I would just stop to sit on a bench birds would just fly right up to me. It was very cool. I also saw this amazing bird that flew away before I could get a picture of it. This bird had a black and white body, red on top of its head, and an iridescent green also like the color of an oil spill on its long tail feathers. This bird was just stunning. 

 Next I found my way over to the Diana, Princess of Wales Mamorial fountain. This place was amazing. It is a separate section of the park gated off from the rest. The fountain was quite large and was a big textured circle. The water was clear and it was a great place to sit down and have a quiet moment to myself. But because I took a video I can't post it here (I might add it later if I figure it out).      

I mostly spent my day walking around Kensington and I loved it. I felt so comfortable in this area that I almost don't want to leave... But I get to see Edinburgh tomorrow and I'll come back to London before I leave. I popped into a few shops and caught me a fair amount of Pokemon. Literally Pokemon everywhere, and Pokemon I haven't seen in the states yet. (If you want to know about the Pokemon message me about it). I also stopped by the Science Meuseum which was not as exciting as I thought it was going to be.

 

Then for dinner I walked down the street and went to the Princess Victoria Pub and had myself a local beer and som fish and chips... And mushy peas... The beer was called Theakston and it was a very mellow IPA. The food was pretty good too. The breeding on the cod was crispy and delicious and the mushy peas were a total do again for me.... But I hate to say it... I've had better fish and chips in the states. The mushy peas I just can't get over. It is like peas mushed together with salt, pepper, cream, and sugar until it's the consistency of lumpy mashed potatos. It looked like some sort of baby food but I loved them. It's probably my favored thing I have dated in London. Odd as it is... I found a recipe on line if your interested but I don't know how good this one is. allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/1925/mushy-peas.aspx 

I had such a lovely time today. Learning to rely on myself and not having to worry about what anyone else wanted to do. Well I'm going to turn it because tomorrow I have a train to catch.

Bye bye from London Town.