Yesterday was the IES trip to Brighton. This time though,
rather than the blasting wind we encountered last time, our class was met with
bright sunshine, clear blue sky, calm waters and almost 55 degree weather. The group
that Abi and I were in consisted of all the members of the British Youth
Culture class and the other classes that the trip was required for, so it was
guided by our professor who tied in the tour with the material we have been
looking at in class. We walked through the streets and he pointed out to us the
various filming locations for the movie Quadrophenia, the apartment where cinematography
was invented, various theaters and even the venue where Dark Side of the Moon was
first performed. After the walking tour, we were allowed to go into the Royal Pavilion
and take a walk through there. The dining hall, the music room and the kitchen
were absolutely breathtaking; decorated with gigantic chandeliers, vast open
rooms with ceilings that tucked up into the onion-top domes, and everything
cast in the style of an elegant Indian palace. The remaining rooms however,
seemed not to be quite up to par with these extravagant central rooms, so we
did not spend long in each. Along the way, we met up with Alyssa who had been
stuck in the other group, and after we finished, the three of us set off for
the Student Center – a large collaboration of markets and shops. We wandered
there for quite some time, and Alyssa was determined to find a Bubble Tea shop
that she had passed by on the earlier walking tour. Eventually we did find it,
and then headed back in the direction of the beach while looking for a place to
eat lunch. Ultimately, we ended up eating at the same fish and chips place that
we had gone to on our first visit. Running out of time, we then only had time
for a quick turn on the pier before having to return to the bus and head back
to London.
To my frustration, on the way back, one of my earphones cut
out on me, so I decided to head to Primark upon arriving to go get a new pair.
People who listen to music all the time like I do will understand that when
your earphones stop working it’s one of those things that shouldn’t be a
priority – but it is. So Abi, Hannah and I hopped the bus over to Tottenham and
crossed the street only to discover that Primark was closed (we had forgotten
that they close early on Sundays). Giving up for the night, we then took the
Tube all the way over to Earl’s Court where Abi said there was a really good Pilipino
restaurant. It was a small place, and quite loud, but we followed Abi’s lead as
she explained the various dishes to us and taught us how to pronounce the names
of each. The food was excellent, and we left full and feeling that the long
trip had been worthwhile. Before leaving, I bought one of the dessert pastries
to-go that Abi had recommended, saying that it was one of her favorite foods. It
was called Sapin-Sapin, and was a layered glutinous rice and coconut dessert
made from rice flour, coconut milk, sugar, water, and had roasted coconut
sprinkled on top. The texture was weird, but it was good and rather fun to eat
just because it was so different than any other dessert I’ve ever had before.
We returned to NIDO for the night and I ended up skyping with my sister for a
bit before getting some things done and then calling it a night.
Today was fairly plain. I had Shakespeare today and
thoroughly enjoyed the discussion on Hamlet. Because it had been so long ago when
I first read it, I feel as though now I am getting an entirely different and
far more in depth take on it which has only solidified in my mind that Hamlet
is my favorite work of literature and drama. Afterward, a quick trip to Primark
satisfied my need for new headphones and since I have been working on homework,
watching a movie and chatting with people online, as always.
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