London, One More Time.doc

To describe the past four days as busy would be an understatement. But to describe them as a brilliant send off from England would be bang on. For all intensive purposes, this past weekend has been the last few days of travel in this fine country. While I am back between Rennes and Edinburgh, the visit from Thursday to Saturday was also my last time spent in London - a city that energizes me more with every visit.

The trip was planned to see Andrew, a friend of the family who lives and works in the city. The last time I had seen Andrew was sometime around 1990 when he accompanied the family on a vacation to Myrtle Beach! It is hard to believe 18 years have past since then. Andrew is the Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth Church near London Bridge and is the Director of the Centre for Spirituality in London. He told me of a visit from Desmond Tutu last year as part of the opening celebration of a new green space for the church where they hope to hold outdoor performances.

Andrew was generous enough to get us tickets for a play at the National called August: Osage County. I found it a bit ironic that I was seeing an American family drama in London, but the production was first rate (it's no wonder it has been exported from Broadway to London). If I had to describe the drama it would be a contemporary 2008 Long Day's Journey into Night - it's bigger, bolder, and peels back the family portrait to reveal the festering wounds hidden beneath. The play also is a long journey into night clocking in at a whopping three and a half hours. Andrew and I both agreed that it was a tour de force. Chelcie Ross and Amy Morton gave particularly strong performances as the drug addicted matriarch and the daughter who must try to unite the family once again. We had a quick dinner at the interval (intermission) that you order in advance and is ready to eat before the start of Act Two. How innovative! Small side note - the English don't give standing ovations (unless something is truly groundshakingly good, I think). I much prefer this convention rather than being coerced to your feet by an over-excited public. The audience was incredibly appreciative of the performance (you could tell by the strength of the clap) but didn't feel the need to rise with enthusiasm.

Andrew lives on the outskirts of London in a suburb called Forest Hill. This meant taking a small train in to the main metro (think Go train from Oakville to Toronto). Friday morning I left Forest Hill and met Andrew at London Bridge Station. During his break from work we wandered through the Borough Street Market where he purchased fish, bread, breakfast specialties, and some really strong cheese! The cheese shop he took me to gave out loads of free samples - strong and rich (I have one friend who would be in cheese heaven). I got the full tour of the three spaces that compose the church where Andrew works. They are surrounded on Lombard Street by a number of insurance companies. We popped into an old English pub and had a hot sandwich and a pint for lunch alongside the business crowd.

With Andrew back at work, I made my way to the Tate Modern - a museum I had been looking to visit since September. Without a doubt it was the most impressive collection of art work I've ever seen. The Turbine Hall is the main space which feels like the inside of a factory (I think it once was) and it holds a rotating installation which changes every six months or so. Because of the enormity of the space, the pieces inside are epic in design. The current exhibit considers a London of the future and the artifacts that may be preserved after a natural disaster. I spent the next two hours on the second floor seeing work from the likes of Matisse, Monet, Pollock, Picasso, Bacon, Dali, and Kandinsky among many others. It's hard to describe the two hour wander but it was as if books featuring these works had come alive. I have to return later in the year to continue up the floors.

It just so happens that a friend from Queen's, Stuart Adrian, was celebrating his birthday on the Friday night. With Andrew at a staff Christmas party, I was free to hit the town and visit a true London flat party. It felt great to be among some Canadians again - there were four of there! Stuart is a business guy so a lot of his friends were from work. The champagne was flowing and great tunes were playing. I felt miles away from the quiet Heronbank flat and at the centre of a bustling metropolis! I unfortunately couldn't accompany the gang to the bar, since the troops began to mobilize around midnight and I needed to get back to Forest Hill, but I found a 24 night bus no problem and managed to make it back safe and sound. 

The next morning I had a traditional English breakfast with Andrew and Martin. Now I've had a few breakfasts in pubs and restaurants since arriving but none as good as the one I was treated to before leaving. Among the staples of breakfast you'd expect was also baked mushrooms and tomatoes as well as sausage and haggis. What a treat! With that I said goodbye with plans to visit upon returning later in the summer. It was the first time I really felt "at home" in London after having visited at various points throughout the term.

I returned to Warwick where I have been travel planning ever since - lots of to do lists and train and plane confirmation numbers. We have 20 transportation connections alone for the next three weeks of travel! Tonight I had a lovely meal with Emily's Aunt Shelia and Uncle Doug in Birmingham. Like the breakfast, it was nice to sit down to a home cooked dinner. I have been so lucky that the Hincks clan, at home and abroad, have welcomed me into their homes. After having visited Birmingham a few times this semester, it was nice to see it with those who know the top spots.

Tomorrow Emily and I leave for Manchester en route to a week in Turkey!

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Big English Breakfasts! Why have we neglected a place for tomatoes, mushrooms, and, yes, even haggis at our breakfast tables? I say the more the merrier.

Blades of Glory.doc

I've been furiously looking to GET THINGS DONE over these past few days with little time to tie up loose ends before heading off and facing disconnection for two weeks. I'll be happy not to be tied to my computer, but there are so many messages I have to write before then. I don't even know where I'm living in Amsterdam in just over three weeks. As always though, it will all work itself out.

The holiday and travel crunch has relegated the essay to second billing. I have managed to get my intro sorted out and two pages on paper, but I look forward to having time this coming Saturday and Sunday morning to try and sort out the rest of the structure. This might mean I'm taking an article or two with me to Turkey but it might prove essential. Since the paper is only 10 pages, and due just under a month from now, like the above paragraph states: it will all work itself out. Well, it might not work itself out, but I'll work it all out one way or another.

Last night, Bec, Lotte, and I took a break from our respective holiday planning and went for a night out in Coventry (a poor man's Leamington Spa). It was, in fact, Lotte's last night on campus so we were giving her a royal send off before heading to the dark land of Finland where in the second term she'll be popping Vitamin tablets due to the lack of sun - I think can expected to get four hours a day. We hopped on the bus to Cov and upon arrival wandered around yet another brightly lit up city. I think I mentioned it in an early post but Coventry is all concrete and lacks old buildings (due to the bombings in WWII). The Christmas displays were nice, but not as picturesque as the ones in the quaint little town of Stratford.

We went to a restaurant called Nandos which is what I think is the UK equivalent to Swiss Chalet! Claire will be able to tell me if I've got this one right. Their signature dish is the quarter or half chicken with chips and another side. The difference in preparation is that instead of a roississerie style with gravy, they spice things up with peri-peri sauce; there is no Festive Special with chocolate to take home. The food was quite good and, like Swiss Chalet, came really quickly. Instead of sitting down and having a server you queue at the front to place your order and the meal is brought to your table when it is ready. The girls got Chicken pitas and I dug into a 1/2 chicken dinner. It made me wish for some Swiss Chalet gravy.

The highlight of the night was the second leg of the night spent at the Skydome! No friends, I did not travel back in time to a pre-2005 Roger's Centre, but instead went to Coventry's sport complex where holiday iceskating was in full swing. Now, skating is something that we talked about doing all the time back home (and friends can attest to my desire to go) so I was more than excited to lace up once again. Two hours in the rink and a pair of skates to "hire" was only 6 quid - what a steal! So I laced up my skates and hit the ice. The first few laps were spent a bit tentatively, since I hadn't had skates on in over two years, but I got my feet under me quite quickly. After 10 minutes I noticed that I had most of the speed I originally had, but was having trouble turning corners and doing the spray stop. It took me a glance down to realize that I was wearing figure skates instead of hockey skates. In the excitement of jumping out onto the ice I didn't even register the style. To give me some credit, I didn't think I'd be handed a size 12 mens figure skates. Apparently they have them in that size!

I negotiated with the guy behind the counter, and after five minutes spent rummaging in the back room, he procured me a pair of real hockey skates. The difference was pronounced. Not only could I perform every little skill I had learned in my thirteen years at the rink, but I felt like I had never taken skates off. If I had to maneouver in another form for the rest of my life, it would be with skates on the ice. I don't mean to puff myself up but I was far and away the best skater at the rink - they may be better football players, but skaters the Brits are not. Bec wanted to shoot a movie with my camera so, like typical performance students, we improvised something fun. Lotte's horrendous skating ability makes me laugh in this clip:

Some other photo documentation:

We've become a great little group of three during first term and it will be sad to see Lotte head to Finland. She has already made plans to come and visit during April. Hopefully we'll find someone just as fun in Amsterdam to join our adventures.

I head to London this afternoon where I'll be staying there for Thursday and Friday night. I'm staying with a dear family friend named Andrew who is the rector at St. Mary Woolnoth Church in London. We are seeing August: Osage County at the National tonight and on Friday night I'm popping by a friend's birthday party in the city. I head back here on Saturday afternoon where I will spent the remainder of the weekend furatively preparing to depart on Monday morning.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: I think it's an obvious one. Strap on those skates and head out to the rink. Nathan Phillips Square, perhaps?

Back to Life, Back to Reality.doc

To backtrack and ensure I don't miss an exciting event, I'm rewinding back to last Thursday night. It was the night before our final presentations and just so happened to be the class field trip to Stratford to see the RSC's production of Romeo and Juliet. Now, my mind was on the execution of the project the next day, but I managed to enjoy the visit to Stratford nonetheless. The theatre atmosphere is different here in the UK. It's hard to explain how exactly, but there's a different feeling in the air - the dress seems more formal, a lot of people check their coats, drinks can be taken into the venue, and the unwrapping of candies during performance is not a sin. Maybe it was that I was excited to be seeing Shakespeare's play performed in the city he once inhabited, but there was an electricity in the air I don't often feel at the theatre.

Obviously, since it's the RSC, the venue was gorgeous and the performance was impressive. When I say impressive I mean it looked and sounded really great. The actors were top calibre which made the dialogue incredibly clear. The set, music, and lighting were all executed well - for the final scenes, the walls raised and a tomb materialized out of no where. It was really cool to watch some money being spent. 

Where the production fell flat was in the placement of the play in an early 20th century gangster type setting . The Caps and the Monts tried to intimidate each other by brandishing small pocket knives. Asides were sometimes accomplished when a character snapped their fingers into a lighting change while everyone froze. Not so impressive. Also, the Juliet was a disappointment - she appeared extremely unqualified next to the RSC veterans. She made Juliet a more mature and thoughtful character. Having had a close friend play the part, she can attest that the 14 year old may be smart, but her choices are not motivated by reason. In summary, while the production may been a bit underwhelming, the atmosphere of Stratford certainly was not. There is a sold-out Hamlet on right now with Patrick Stewart as Claudius, but you have to line up overnight to snag one of the only ten tickets set aside. I plan to catch more productions when I return in the summer.

These past few days have been a bit of a rejuvenation (hence the all important post title). I feel like I've busted out of the school grind and can focus on catching up with people back home and getting ready for a nomadic month of December. I was pulling some late nights here on campus getting material ready for the exhibit, but now have a bit more time to sleep in and focus on the 'to-do' list.

When I say I've gotten out from under the grind it means that I've been able to approach the mountain of emails and messages I've received over the past week and do some justice getting back to people. Speaking of correspondence, I have to thank my friend Jess for sending me such thoughtful holiday items to brighten up the institutional Heronbank room. Don't worry Mom, thanks to Jess, I have my very own Christmas stocking, ornament, and bell. Ima be sure to stuff the stocking full of French baguettes and wine, place the ornament over our Parisian hotel mantle, and ring the bell so French angels can get their wings. Thank you Jess! I'm including a photo of my ever growing bulletin board where I happily display items from Canada. I've gotten more mail from CIBC than I ever did in Canada..and I'm not even a client.

On the subject of getting mail from home, while I always find it funny to get letter addressed with the Dr. prefix, I'm wondering what the repercussions of my nickname might be. The man who handed me the delivery from the post office today matched my name to my student card to that on the outside of the package: Dr. Keith Bennie. I'm sure he wouldn't have called me sir if there hadn't been the Dr. on the front. My hope is that I never actually find myself in a circumstance where I am mistaken for a doctor - I don't want it to seem like I have little appreciation for just how much work it takes to earn the title. Also, because I have no medical training whatsoever. OK, 1 CPR course, but that doesn't count. Love the nickname, but the potential a misunderstandings is very possible.

Yesterday we went out for a few pints to see some of the MAIPR students off for the holidays. Geography has really been the deciding factor in whether or not students are going home - all the Brits, Dev from India, the two Singaporeans, and Courtney from the States are off to their families. The rest of us are either sticking around here (not me) or traveling with friends in other parts of Europe. It appears that Bec, my Australian friend, will be in Paris for Christmas so hopefully she can join us for a coffee or a meal while we're there. With separate mobility periods we've had to say goodbye to half the group that's heading to Finland for six months. This includes Lotte who always makes me laugh - she's probably the one who reminds me of friends back home the most. It will be a shame to part ways, but we've got a really great crew going to Holland.

I spent today in Leamington Spa with a little light shopping and a Starbuck's Christmas Blend. When I say shopping it wasn't for gifts, which I'm ever thankful not to buy this year (because we all have everywhere we really need don't we?), but rather for trip essentials, to pickup some photos I had printed, and for a haircut. It was nice to get off campus and out from the library shackles to be among real people again. The girl that cut my hair had been born in Canada and moved back to England when she was three. Unlike some of the awkward haircut conversations I've had, admit it you've all been there (except you Emily), we had a delightful chat about the differences between our countries. She knew an awful lot about us. I decided to put the start of my essay off until tomorrow and instead I've rid myself of some the paperwork I've amassed this first term. Only six sleeps in Heronbank left between now and moving out - lots to gradually pack up. A bit of a Christmas shot:

Doc's Prescription of the Day: I referenced it two posts ago, but I've decided to make it an actual prescription that's being written as we speak: National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. It's not too early. And it's the funniest holiday movie there is. Anyone challenge?

Term One Comes to a Close.doc

Week ten of the term has come and gone. Yesterday all three MAIPR groups - curation, scholarship, and creative practice - presented their final projects to the cohort of students and faculty. The presentations mark the official end of first term. After handing in an assignment due on Monday, I'll be free to travel around through December and January. I then arrive back in the class room on February 1 in Amsterdam. That's right, just under two months off in Europe.

Yesterday's final presentation went extremely well. My group, who had been slotted into the curation modality, created an exhibit interacting with notions of national identity in the theatre. We sought to question the claim that we are living in an age post-nation in which the search for national identity has become less important in a more globalized world. In light of the constitutional crisis going on back home, the question of identity has never seemed more important in regards to the future direction of the country. As I put together the Canada section of the exhibit (each group member created a station based around a play or playwright from their country), I couldn't help but feel proud of our socially liberal and fiscally conservative country, but also fearful of its future. 

I featured Wajdi Mouawad's Scorched as a play that deals with questions of national identity. My station statement read as follows: Wajdi Mouawad is a Lebanese-born Quebecois artist. He makes little claim to be writing about Canadian identity – in fact, the majority of the action of his plays takes place outside the country’s borders. Yet, it is his exploration of the need, as a nation of immigrants, to revisit our individual origins, that proposes a picture of a globalized Canadian identity. Scorched features a pair of twins who must return to the country of their Mother’s birth to discover who they really are. In addition to a display which contextualized the play and its production history, I performed a looped six minute monologue of text from the play at the centre of my space. Here are some pretty pictures:

My station lingered between exhibit and installation. One of the strengths of our efforts was the diversity of  approaches by the group members in answering the same question - we all displayed our material differently and utilized a variety of performance modes. While I struggled working for four weeks in a group (my A-type personality does not always mesh with collective work), the process, as opposed to the final product, is where I really learned a lot. I think originally I gravitated towards curation because it was something I hadn't done before. I've visited a lot of museums in the past two months and I now know some of the considerations that are made before any material is displayed: contextualization, navigation, selection, collaboration, mediation, interpretation, and synthesis. It's a long process but I find the work quite interesting. I think I may add it to the list of job options to explore upon return.

After the three presentations, the students and staff did a first term debrief - we talked about where we started and how we got to the end of term. The discussion reminded me how special this program is. Where else would I be able to study theatre and performance with students from ten different countries? I'm certain to blog about it in more depth later on, but I know this international opportunity has changed me already. I've never felt more out of my comfort zone, but I've learned so much about communicative and pedagogical methods that attempt to create a bridge between cultures. With this knowledge comes an international awareness which I thought I had, but which was never tested. In Amsterdam, our group will join students coming from the site in Finland - it's yet another opportunity to meet more new international friends. 

As you can guess, we were ecstatic to have the term wrapped up. As rewarding as the ten weeks have been, they've been pretty intense. The group of us got together last night, save for Lotte who had to rush off to London for rehearsals, and had one more hurrah before some of the students leave for home. As so often happens with our group, we met in one of the Heronbank kitchens with some libations and played a variety of "games" before departing for The Spa. The rules of the games have to be explained usually five to eight times just so everyone is on the same page - it's an endearing feature of our group. Dev, the drama teacher from India, makes me laugh like no other when he has a few drinks in him; he's a natural comedian. The running joke is that once Dev + Amsterdam will be too much to handle. 

We jumped on the bus, as one has to do to get off campus for a night out, and made our way to two fine establishments over the course of the evening: The White Horse, which I've been to twice before, and Smack which is a club I had heard a lot about. It was a great night all around. I could sense the group felt liberated after successfully conquering the final projects of term. It was good to let loose and not worry about deadlines, as we had been doing for the past four weeks. I had a late night, post-pub, post-bar, post-club skype chat with Miss Van Dyk last after getting home. Probably a bad idea, but entertaining for her I'm certain. 

 

This weekend I'll be looking to get this assignment done for Monday, which shouldn't prove too taxing, and then I'll start getting my ducks in a row before jumping into the Christmas travel spirit. Emily and I are partners in crime again in just about a week!

Doc's Prescription of the Day: A Saturday off, if you can manage it! I'm taking it easy today after working on all cylinders this past week. Hopefully your Saturday will be somewhat restful; avoid those malls.

I Pronounce thee 'Noteworthy'.doc

I realized this morning that I hadn't christened December with a blog post. It's been (gasp!) almost three days since I said goodbye to November with a recount of the Ale Fest and musing on the political turmoil in Ottawa. The reason for my lack of posting has actually been a lack of action - I've been spending my mornings, afternoons, and evenings working on the final presentation for Friday. Since I'm sure you don't want to hear about the boring nature of during these work sessions, today will be a list of random news items I'm deeming noteworthy.

Note one: I received my first Christmas Card of the season from my Aunt Theresa and Uncle Ed on Monday. It was a subtle reminder how much I'll miss the comforts of Christmas that I've always known - the annual family get together early on in the month, relaxing in the living room with the dog, and having coffee, o.j., and pastries on Christmas morning.

Note two: I received my second Christmas Card of the season from Miss Megan Marie Deeks on Tuesday. It was a subtle reminder how much I'll miss the newer comforts of Christmas that I've come to look forward to - the Bay store windows downtown, spinach dip at a DTD Christmas party for thirty, and a memorable New Years spent with friends (Jess - RIP a camera and a coat).

Note three: I received what I'm calling my Christmas Bonus this morning. Since the money has been earmarked for mobility costs to Amsterdam, which FYI is only costing me 70 quid in trains and a ferry, the rest will go towards the traveling planned for this month as well as mainland Europe jaunts once I settle in my new Dutch digs. I feel like Clark Griswald in that, oh so good, holiday flick. Side note: Emma and I often joked this summer that in our morning jog workout gear, we were the Todd  and Margo of Prescott (Clark's neighbours). Instead of an in ground pool (as if) I'm putting the money into a European vacation - also a National Lampoon's flick. 

Note four: My parents just returned from a ten day Caribbean cruise and had a wonderful time. I don't want to make all you Canadian readers jealous, but they said the temperatures were in the eighties and the visits to the ports along the way were top-rate. I can picture my Mom with a cup of hot tea scrolling through all the posts that were inaccessible while on the boat. I warned them to cancel the trip, for fear of blog withdrawal, but they've managed to return in one piece.

Note five: The temperature where we'll be staying in Turkey is 70 degrees fahrenheit today. Hincks and I won't be basking in eighty degree temps in two weeks, but there is some indication that it could range anywhere from the mid-sixties to the mid-seventies with the possibility for some rain. Regardless of the weather, I know we're going to have a smashing time. A note to travelers who book with Thomas Cook over here in the UK - there is an extra cost to request seats on the plane together! As well, we had to book a return shuttle from the airport to the hotel in advance as it was not included in the all-inclusive price we paid. Since the cost of the trip was so low these extra costs aren't outrageous, but it's a reminder how wonderful the ITRAVEL 2000 group really is. If you're looking for a vacation maybe you should...call 1-866. Wow. Deal. And get away for less (rinse and repeat).

Note six: I've only spent sixty quid on my mobile phone while in the UK - this includes the phone itself and three months of service. Twenty dollars per month for all phone related costs is unheard of in the Canada. Granted, my phone gets a lot less use than it would back home, but there is something really backward about all the cell contracts that lock customers in for three years. When I return, I'm sticking with the European pay-as-you-go. 

Note seven: Jack and potato is my favourite British lunch time meal. At first it sounded to me like a super hero duo - Jack & Potato, fighting crime and taking names. It's actually less glamorous than that; it's a baked potato with jack cheese. You can add a whole bunch of toppings to the potato and thus create a filling lunch time meal. I usually add tuna to get some protein. They're very popular here.

Doc's Prescription of the Day: Consider what exactly we deem of note and what information we ignore or decide not to pass on. This blog, for instance, could be said to be an archive of everything I've deemed worthy to share. What little notes from your day are you deeming worthy to share with others?