London!

Here's some of my favourite photos/places from London. I have over 120 photos, and those are just the good ones. I love digital cameras...

Camden Town! From along the market street. The hotel I stayed in was very near, maybe a mile and a half away. I went to the market three or four times, and found myself a hat, a cool jacket and kickass shoes. They kill my feet.


A sign in St. James's park. I was disappointed when I didn't see any pelicans, but like my brother said... why would there be pelicans there when no-one feeds them?


If I'm not completely wrong, this is a monument to Queen Victoria. It's right outside Buckingham Palace anyway. See that blue sky? That's how the weather was when I was in London. Only one rainy morning...


London from above! Visited St. Paul's cathedral, and climbed from its bottom (the crypt! Oooh, spooky!) all the way to the top. 257 steps to the Whispering Gallery inside the cathedral, 119 steps up to the Stone Gallery, on the outside, and 152 more steps to the top, the Golden Gallery. This is taken from the top. Needless to say, the view is marvelous. I think it's about as high, or higher, than the London Eye, which you can see almost on the center of the picture, a bit to the left.


And St. Paul's cathedral itself. The Golden Gallery is a little below the cross at the top, on top of the dome. Well worth the ten pound entrance fee.


King's Cross station. ^^

Maaaan, I want to go back. And see the Phantom of the Opera again. *whine*

Motherphucker! XO

I start work tomorrow. >:L

Ehh, all right, it's just part time, and most likely not even every day. But still. I had promised myself I would not go back there. Not England, no, but the job I had before going to England.

Damn it. NO is such a small word, why is it so hard to say?

Home again.

For good this time!

Ah, hard to believe it's been a week already since I left. Stayed in London for a few days again, and loved it. Even though I walked so much I thought my feet would kill me in my sleep. They still might: I bought new shoes that are very nice, but murder to wear. At least until they, or my feet, adjust a little.

Should I post some pictures from my adventures in London? I'll have a look through them, if there are any good ones.

London made me write! I got so many ideas for Sun-kissed at one part of London... won't say which, don't want to give anything away. And also... on Saturday, as I was walking on Oxford Street, trying to find a nice T-shirt, I was asked at one department store if I would like to get a free make-up. The lady managed to eventually talk me into it by saying that I would notice the difference... no doubt about that, lady. I'm not so good with make-upping...

Anyhoo, once she was done (I actually looked healthy!), she showed me the things she had used on me. And the lip gloss she had chosen for me from a few dozen colours... can you guess what that was called?

I kid you not: Sun kissed.

I had to buy it. It was clearly a sign that I have to get off my lazy ass and write. So I did. I FINALLY have Wednesday's chapter almost done. Over half of it. Close to 3/4 done. Next Wednesday, as promised, it will be uploaded. ^^

What else... went to see a Finnish version of Jesus Christ Superstar with N on Tuesday. It was very good, despite that it was shown at an outdoors theater... cold!

More or less settled in Finland, although I don't think my head has yet wrapped around the fact that I am really here.

Bought the Phantom of the Opera -movie. Liked it, but of course it can't compare with the stage version. ^^ Especially the Phantom's make-up... come on, I see scarier sights in the mirror most mornings!

Quoted Hill Street Blues last time... or the time before that, I forget. Funnily enough, it's starting as a rerun right about... now.

Let's be careful out there.

The phaaaaaaaaantom of the opera is heeeeere... in my miiiiiind.

Today I got to see -and meet- the Phantom of the Opera in London, at Her Majesty's Theatre. And it was quite magical. Thanks to connections I had a pretty good seat at the Royal Circle, with a good view of the stage. The Phantom was played by the first understudy, Mr. Nic Greenshields, who is quite tall and has a great, strong voice.

I've never seen the movie or the show, so I didn't really know what to expect when it started with an auction, years after the events of the play. But once they plugged in the great chandelier and hoisted it up, and the music started (you know the one, quoted in the subject line), my face went something like 8O and stayed that way. Especially when it came down again, and when the candles in the cave came up from the floor. During the masquerade scene, when the Phantom reveals himself, he looked just like the dead pirate guy from the Monkey Island games. Heh.

The stage, the dresses, the songs, all wonderful. I'm still a bit high on the experience so don't know what else to really say except wow. X) There was a lady from New Zealand sitting next to me, and during intermission we talked a little, and she said she had just been in Paris to see the opera house the theatre and the stage were made to look like, and apparently they look exactly the same.

Bought the soundtrack. As soon as I transfer it to my computer, that song is going on my phone as a ringtone. ^^

The show started at 2:30 and ended just after five, but the time just flew by. Like I said, I got to meet the Phantom himself, and the lady who does the makeup for the show. He was already without his wig and in a dressing gown, so not so ... intimidating as I would have thought. Would have been cool to see him up close in all the makeup. It looked very good from where I was sitting, but it was too far to see details. They were quite busy so I was ushered to the back door of the theatre after about five minutes, and I made my way through the throng of fans out to Haymarket, with a silly smile on my face.

Had a big scare, though, once I got into the tube and towards Paddington station to head back here, since I couldn't find my wallet in my bag. Paskahalvaus, as we'd say in Finnish. So I got out at the next stop and rushed to the train heading back towards Piccadilly circus, fearing that all my money, my driver's license and credit card were all gone for good.

Then I checked the inside pocket of my bag, where I ALWAYS keep my wallet. And there it was now, as well, of course. Feeling very, very stupid, I headed back to the other side of the station and traveled to Paddington.

About 38 and half hours to go before I leave here, so it's most likely my next transmission will be from Finland. ^^ I realized on my way back here that I will miss my bosses. I won't miss the 10-14 hour long days, but I imagine it will be odd to be back home again. With no real plan on what to do next. Quite exciting as well.

Ta ta for now! =)

It's the final countdown! ...again.

All day long I've had a Finnish song playing in my head. It's about how the last five kilometers before reaching a loved one's door are the longest ones. The last five days before leaving a rough job are also pretty damn long. Today has seemed to go on and on and on and on and on, despite that we've had a lot of work to do. In the morning me and the other girl relocated a ton of sand from place A to place B. It was surprisingly easy. And yes, there really was a ton of it.

After that we've been stacking wood and treating it with woodworm killer. Again. I tell you, if I never have to see (or smell!) woodworm killer (and wet-or-dry sandpaper) ever again as long as I live, I will be a happy hamster. Oh yes.

So the big, urgent thing I came back for was yesterday. Was I a lot of help? No, I basically stood there. I got to pick up a bowl, and to hold a post still for a while. And clean up after it was all done. Wahey. Yeah, really worth coming back for a month.

Ooh, I did finish a good, albeit quite confusing book yesterday. 'Rant' by Chuck Palahniuk (the guy who wrote Fight Club). N, I will make you read this book. 8D Then we'll go driving, even if you're obeying traffic laws now. ^^ I recommend Rant to all who like strange humour, quite unique characters (that's quite an understatement there...), creepy fairytales and thumb-tacks in their food.

I think that's all for today. Let's be careful out there. ^^

It's raining, it's pouring... again!

It's been raining on and off for several days now, and the air is cooling. I likes. Feels like autumn. I was under the impression that summers last longer here, until September at least, and I've been told that it's uncommonly cool now.

So, tomorrow the urgent work is finally starting. Only a week before I leave here. Heh. We do masks here for a theatre show, and a new understudy is starting in a few weeks, and needs some masks that fit him. Luckily he is only the second understudy, and therefore won't need so many masks, and we won't have to make as many moulds (to make masks) as with the main actor or the first understudy. Tomorrow we'll make a plaster cast of his head when he gets here, and then get cracking. So my last week here should be quite busy. Busier than it's been so far. Which means I might just have time to sleep...

But ehh. Just a week to go! Counting days, and even hours already.

Watched the opening ceremony of the Olympics last week. The most common comment was "How did they do THAT?" Really cool stunts and effects. But what was Sarah Brightman doing there? Besides the obvious, of course.

Can't really remember if I had anything else to write about... nothing much happens here beside work. There was a third girl here for a week, but she left this morning to go back to her boyfriend. Why come here at all then?

Now, gotta take a dog out. Tooduloo!

Still alive.

Almost halfway through this gig, only 16 more days to go! I think I should mention to my bosses that I'll be going home soon, don't you think? =p Not looking forward to it, since I know at least one of them is going to put up a fight. Also, because there's still no sign of that urgent job I came here to do, it might well be I'll be home before it gets here. Can't be helped, I guess. I'm not gonna change my schedule anyway. Sounds selfish and is selfish, but I've worked my ass off here and I need to get out for good.

Umm, nothing special happening here... besides the above. Last week I learned what happens when you drop a walkie talkie into the toilet bowl. It stops working. Oops. So used to carrying one, when I was in Finland my hand kept creeping to my backside, where I keep it.

Ooh, gotta dash to the village! Yay, good long walk. ^^