Day 15-16 [pt. 1] (Jan. 27-28): A lazy man's Fight Club

ANSWER: This Ocean current outdoes any river; at maximum flow off the Carolinas, its flow is 3,500 times the Mississippi's.

-Day Fifteen-

What do I mean by part one? As mentioned in the previous entry, I pulled an all nighter. I decided that instead of murking up the line and not knowing when the all nighter ends and the flight begins, I will go until the break of dawn and finish off the series with an entry just about the bittersweet departure (I am probably going to do a retrospective as well, but not until the weekend possibly). As a result, you also will not see the Question for January 28 until then.

Because I went to bed late, I wake up around noon and hang out by myself for awhile. I have grown to appreciate the free time to myself and I cannot just jump into situations. I need to get psyched up for the day. On this day, I was pretty much in a cheerful mood, if just because I picked the right music. When I finally got up, I walked by the living room, where I have been meaning to mention that someone in that family owns a plush version of the dragon from Pete's Dragon. I kind of admired that because "Brazzle Dazzle Day" has been a go to song for cheering me up.

Bambi and Violet were the only two performers left. About six stayed at the house and most left before noon. I had some breakfast and ended up talking to Natalie's mom for a decent amount of time about the origin of our cats. Where did they come from, and what they mean to us. I have been trying to get her cats attention during my brief stay there, and it was unsuccessful. I really derailed conversations quickly whenever a cat entered the room because, well, I wanted their attention. 

Bambi, Alex, and I just began talking about the differences between London and Los Angeles as well as just about life in general. Alex was counting money from the night before and we also got on a little rant on different currency as well. Alex was impressed that I was involved so much with the conversation, but truthfully, things have been odd and I just cannot jump into conversations that feel exclusive, like I needed to be somewhere in order to get something. That tends to be what most conversations were with Alex's friends. Not this one. We were just talking about random things, and yes, I had things to say.

We were eventually all set to go and the four of us headed for the train, and later the boat back to the mainland. Alex spent a good portion of the ride talking about his PR days and how This Is It is not a Michael Jackson scam. Sometimes you have to wonder if Alex was still in the PR gig, what stories he would have to share. I cannot see how anyone would fire him. He really does have charisma and dedication. When we arrived, we said goodbye to Bambi and Violet and took our long trains back to Rye. I have nothing but positive words to say about those two, as I felt like we got along just great. 

During the train ride, I ended up listening to Jay and Silent Bob Get Old. A whole two hour episode, which was very much an endurance test. If these shows were 70 minutes tops, this would be a really solid addition to my weekly listening. I was laughing and just enjoying the stories. However, the longer it got, the more I wanted to turn it off and just move on with my life. However, because the ride was so long, I stuck it out and kind of am back to being opposed to listening weekly as I initially planned. Still, I think that they're more entertaining than I initially gave them credit for last year.

I forget what the rest of the train ride featured. Knowing me, it was probably another Lena Dunham interview. I remember listening to quite a few. Either that, or the Auteurcast. I really forget what it was exactly. We eventually got to Hastings, which was the last stop because there was work being done on the rails between that point and Rye. To compensate, the train company hired a bus to take us the rest of the way.

Alex and I took to the back row, which lead to a lively discussion about where the cool kids sat on the bus. I honestly didn't know because I had a father who loved me enough to drive me to school. After that died down, we started what felt like a lazy man's Fight Club. Basically, we spent the remainder of the trip punching each other in the shoulder. Usually I give up rather quickly, but this time, I stuck it out and part of me regrets it, but I couldn't let Alex win. In the end, I felt that we both lost. My shoulder still hurts like hell.

Once in Rye, we got snacks and began to prepare for the ultimate all nighter. We figured that a few hours of sleep would do us good. We headed to our rooms and I tried to get sleep. However, around 11, I realized that I wasn't quite to that point yet. I caught up on Sundance coverage and watched my favorite Ellen Page compilation Youtube video, which is one set to KT Tunstall's "Suddenly I See." It got blocked in the states for some reason, so I abused the privilege. I was at peace.

However, my suitcase was empty. All of my clean clothes were stacked on the floor and nothing had the look of leaving. It became a dilemma of getting everything in its proper place. However, after catching up on all of the Sundance news, it was time to just sit back and enjoy podcasts. That happened until about 2:30 AM, when I finally got up and about and sloppily threw everything together. When I closed everything up, I was listening to By the Way, which had Lena Dunham on.

Let me just say up front that I do not hate Jeff Garlin on Curb Your Enthusiasm. However, I do not like him as an addition to podcasts. His voice just gets to me and he is somewhat of a blowhard. However, his show has had two great guests on, and they have been fascinating subjects. First was Larry David (which is well worth listening to) and Lena Dunham. Somehow, they produce great subjects, but Jeff Garlin just bugs me. It almost makes me wish that it was reverse and that these guests were interviewing him. Larry David is so great, he needs a show. 

I passed out sometime in that period. Where was Alex in all of this? Here is the reality. We were supposed to meet up at 1 AM. I was up doing stuff at that time. When it didn't happen, I began listening to podcasts. Suddenly, I turn off the lights because I don't need it. He's knocking on the door while I am listening to stuff. I don't hear it. Note, I have gone to the bathroom at least two times that night, and neither signified a crossing of paths. I passed out at 6 AM and saw him at 8 AM saying that I had 90 minutes to get ready. Luckily I did actually pack before I passed out.

Sundance coverage isn't much, but some noteworthy things. Fruitvale is the big prize winner there. It may arguably be one of the possible Oscar contenders for next year. I don't know what it is about, but I know that I probably will see it now. Also, keep an eye out for Escape From Tomorrow, which is a guerrilla style film shot at Disney World and has been described as very David Lynchian. I don't know why, but as Girl Walk // All Day will prove, I just enjoy something about guerrilla style fictional narratives.

It has been a great trip, but it isn't over yet. Got a little bit more time to go before I wish you all adieu. Check out what happened after 8 AM in the next entry.

QUESTION: What is the Gulf Stream?

Day 8 (Jan. 20): Pub Crawling

ANSWER: This president's second inaugural address was 135 words long; he had us at "Fellow citizens."

-Day Eight-

Today's entry will open with an honest question. What do YOU know about snow? As a person who has spent most of his life in California, that is a very mythic question. I have travelled to mountains and even back east, but what significant exposure to snow have I really had? The answer is an abysmal, empty number. I have no idea what snow is outside of the Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, both films and even the books (though the books are more responsible for why I believe all of Europe is made out of IKEA furniture). 

The day started off like most of them. I woke up, got ready, and was ready to seize the day. Another cooked breakfast and everything was ready for another fun day. However, what is great is knowing how the world stops for snow in England. The country is notoriously unprepared for snow, and thus the trains come to a halt and schools are cancelled, all because of a little bit of whiteness. It seems odd, as I live in the land where the only thing that will shut down a school is a busted pipe that floods classrooms. That is rare, so I am pretty used to only missing school when the teacher is depressed (really, that is my English 60 teacher in a nutshell). 

But it was also a lesson in proper wear. I don't have the clothes necessary for snow. Okay, I have the pants and jacket combo, but how long was I going to last outside of that? My puny shoes could hardly soak in all of the wet, cold ground. I had to layer socks, and even that seemed oddly ill prepared. I ended up having to wear boots, including one that featured a pinch towards my calf.

I was wearing enough clothes to be a small tank. Eventually, Alex and I walked outside and started heading to the park. The green was now converted to white and for someone who hasn't seen snow in person, it was amazing to see an endless mile of snow in all directions. One of the first things that happened was that Alex taught me how to roll a ball of snow. However, I argue that my gloves immediately made my product so poor that I made an oval more than a ball. Yet, this lead to a snow fight that saw just how a mix of physicality and weather can exhaust me. I am trying to figure out if it is the snow or my figure that is really being worn out by this visit.

He even recorded some footage of me. I made a snow angel that looked more like the hazard signs that you see on chemical barrels. No head at all. Still, the feeling is amazing to be surrounded by that much snow. I think that I expressed genuine joy when we just started having a war over who had better aim. Oddly, I am better at hand eye coordination than I give myself credit for. In most shots, I hit where Alex told me to. Other times, I just hit his crotch. However, he was aggressive and always managed to kick me when I was down. Those balls came at my face so frequently that I couldn't even see. I even rolled a few yards after Alex started an assault. Snow is amazing, and it makes violence into a Rated G game that just melts away in seconds. It is so addictive and while I still don't like getting hit in the face, it is just so much fun. I wish that I had more exposure to it. I eventually took my gloves off to try my hand at a real ball, and those proved that my gloves were shit for rolling a proper ball.

It is also something to walk in snow. it is like walking on bubble wrap. Every step is another crack towards the ground. You see the remnants of your footstep and the clicking noise is just as fun. It is like destroying a white carpet at times. So beautiful and while it really disables the amount of steps that you can take at a stride, it has a nice cadence to it.I almost didn't mind walking slower just to enjoy walking in the snow.

After a quick stop back at the house, we met up with Viv and Chris, who were adamant on taking me to the Mermaid. Instead of talking about a boring walk, I will just go into the basics. It is a really old pub that predates a rebuilding in the 1400's. People ranging from Shakespeare to Michael Caine have stayed there. The houses across the way all have odd names, including "The house with two doors." There is an endearing novelty to those names, and it almost makes you realize that the houses were THAT old that they could afford to be the generic names because, well, there wasn't anything else that could be called "The house with two doors."

So, what do I get? A coke. In an odd turn of events, I am in a city that has a large bar per capita for England (from what I know, Halifax, Canada owns the highest bar per capita in the world (thanks, Ellen Page)) and I have been slowly being introduced to what seems like every single one of them. What is odd is that even away from the restrictive environment where drinking will not affect my day at.all, I still order a soda at every single place. It is crazy to think that I am not taking this opportunity to try liquors, but you know what... I am breaking every stereotype imaginable. What are YOU doing by ordering beers?

I mostly say this not as a running gag, but as the truth. Everyone has wondered why I have not been fascinated by the architecture. Why am I fascinated by the dumb, subtle stuff? Here's the thing. You go to art galleries expecting the classics. They are just as good as you expect. Sometimes the efforts and cultural significance are ignored because they all are high quality art pieces. Do you know Donatello? Michaelangelo? Leonardo? Can you tell them apart after staring at them for 20 minutes? Only enthusiasts can. Read my life story. I like beautiful things, but at no points am I necessarily the building enthusiast. This isn't to say that I don't enjoy these layouts, but seeing them in rapid succession is just impossible to stop and say "yes, this is a brilliant piece of craftsmanship." Only when you throw yourself into something does that really become more than a survey of British culture. As for the mundane things. It is like picking up the tidbits about the exhibition hall and understanding how it is different from your house.

Still, if one place yells of luxurious looking stuff, it is the Mermaid. There's rooms dedicated to popular English figures like Dr. Syn. The place looks really nice, old school, and runs on gas powered fires.It also has the most authentic fireplaces that I have seen of the pubs. Most of the other ones seemed to be boxed up holes in the wall compared to an entire wall that was reserved for burning wood.

I continued to get a tour of Rye, via Viv and Chris. We went down an alley where they had a barber called... Alley Barber. Easily the height of puns. Almost all puns in comparison are shit. Dumb statement, but it is funny because it is true. Also, I finally got everyone to point out that they wish that I could stay longer so that they could convert me to a fine British man with manners and Alex's favorite word: cynicism. I am not entirely sure why that word has been at the height of conversation as of late (almost as much as the Invisible Man references, which has only missed one day so far). I also saw a player piano at the Standard that featured a roll sheet for the "Paint Your Wagon" song. They said that it will probably be the thing that I remember most from that trip. Well, at least I'll remember them saying that. I also enjoy that I derailed a conversation about Lincoln unintentionally into talking about family. I still don't know if Viv knows my thoughts on the film.

We had dinner at the table, which is odd, considering that I was beginning to think that Americans and British people were similar to their irregular familiarity with eating on a piece of wood. I have been eating off of a tray-like pillow for most of my stay. Add in some candles and Alex throwing out migraine-inducing, cheesy jokes, and you kind of get the height of the dinner conversation. We even got conversation in about my dinner life as well as school. In a way, it is funny for Viv to think that I gave up on school, though if you knew me a year ago, you might as well assume so. 

The rest of the night was spent in Alex's room watching the height of British TV. I apologize ahead of time that I will be jumping to earlier in the day for part of this. There is just some odd, fascinating differences about the sitcoms. In fact, shows that I never have heard about are now quickly entering my recommendations list for when I get back to the states. Before you accuse me of being a pro-everything, do know that I have some complaints to follow.

First up is Fresh Meat, which I guess is an hour-long comedy (I say that because I felt odd when the episode began getting into 35-minute territory). It is about a bunch of house mates living together, and it felt very much like "their" Community. You had the oddball collective interacting together in a college setting. Part of my viewing was obstructed by me writing, but I noticed that Jez from Peep Show was in an episode, which immediately made me excited (I love that Alex didn't think I would get Peep Show when I consider it to be one of the best shows that I've seen in recent years). 

Okay... too much sidetracking. Here's the thing about Fresh Meat. I don't hate it, but besides the hour-long format (which feels odd for a comedy, even though that is MY problem) makes it feel like there is some filler. However, I did enjoy moments from the two episodes that I saw. Then there was the distinctly British aspects. A lot of characters talking in rhyme and doing rather peculiar things all felt very British. Not enough to say "this is bad," but in my brief time here, watching a lot of Fresh Meat is probably not going to be high on my priorities. It is enjoyable, but I feel like some cultural aspects are lost on me. I may revisit it eventually just to see if the obligatory introduction episode was just a little bit... off for me.

Pete Vs. Life was next in line, and I felt like this was the most gimmicky thing that I have seen so far. It wasn't even because it was British. This show reminds me of an episode of the Drew Carey Show in which two guys pine for a woman in a faux sports show format with two announcers commenting the whole time. In fact, I argue that the Sklar Brothers would make a stock, yet interesting American replacement of the announcers characters. 

However, it felt too much like "Pete had an encounter like THIS with this girl, and it did not go well," "Indeed you're right. Let's show some playback!" I don't even know if it could work for sports fans, but it felt like they had to stretch the premise in order for the humor to be derived. It wasn't terrible, and in fact had an episode full or quirky ideas, but still felt like it was too reliant on certain devices for the humor to really come from a place of fun.

Then there was Friday Night Dinner, which may be my second favorite show discovery on this trip. The premise is in the title. A family gets together for dinner on Fridays, and wacky stuff happens. Hilarity ensues. Yadda, yadda, yadda. However, as obvious as the format is and as often as the show features certain comedy points every time, I think that it is brilliant. I don't see it lasting very long, but the simplicity and the show's brief seasons will probably keep it from every running out of breath. I'd say that there needs to be more shows like this, but then I would immediately regret that. However, I just love how ridiculous things get. This show knows what it is going for, and succeeds. 

From what I know, there is an American remake in the works with Allison Janney, and I am not enthused now. First off, this show is great at 7 episode seasons. American seasons are three times as long and I cannot see it lasting more than a season it if plans to withstand quality. So no, I am not digging that idea. However, if it gets BBC America to play reruns of it, I will be more than on that.

The night ended with Alex rocking out to music. I honestly forgot what it sounded like to live with music enthusiasts. Loud tunes that made me fear that someone would come in and say "shut up!" Also, Alex's enthusiasm and constant rocking out just make me believe that he rocks in his sleep. I am such the party pooper. I was just watching him from the bed and thinking that I was not contributing much to the party. He even filled up time with stories and dancing, which make me believe that he is at very least passionate enough to win any air guitar competition that comes his way (mind you, he plays a decent guitar guitar, too).

I pretty much called it a night not too long after. I started the recent WTF with Marc Maron, but sleep wasn't too long after. The interview with Dave Grohl had to wait until morning. No real Sundance coverage procured. However, I did find that James Ponsoldt was doing his next film with Mary Elizabeth Winstead. They worked together on last year's brilliant Smashed and even though I don't know anything about it, I believe that they could work together until Winstead gets an Oscar nomination. I still argue that Smashed deserved her a nomination.

Still putting it out there, any leads to Sundance coverage, let me know. Otherwise, another excellent day and the simple sight of snow is enough to make this one of the better in-house days that we have had. You sometimes forget that you rode a train while in England, because I hadn't been on one since Thursday. I found it quaint that the trains were cancelled for the weekend, as if weather works on the same schedule as the working commuters do.

Tomorrow should be fun. I talk about Django Unchained and other fun stuff, like the Presidential Inauguration that I missed. However, it only reminds me that January 20th was America's  birthday. She is a girl I used to know and kind of wish that I still did. I know her birthday well because it correlates with the inauguration very well. To sum it up, she was a light of optimistic conversation during a rather cynical period of my life. I don't feel like I fully acknowledged it until after we faded apart, but I still often wonder what she is up to and think that she is doing very well. She always seemed like she would be a succeeder. 

I don't do it often, but she is one of those people I think back fondly on and wish that I still talked to. Most people from high school, I am fortunately glad to be rid of. They seemed like they were fine people, but inessential to my life. America was not quite that. She was a prominent part of Alex's last trip to Long Beach, which I feel clings this together and keeps it from being a total tangent. I am sure that I could attempt to contact her with some success, as we never had bad blood between us, but at the same time, I feel like maybe she could perceive me as inessential as I do some of my high school friends. Then again, that is my fear kicking in.

She is an excellent person, and I want to wish her a happy birthday, even if she doesn't read this. I miss you and I sometimes feel like you were one of the best friends I had, if just because you gave me hope as well as reason to see Sex and the City 2 at midnight (shut up, it is a good show, but those movies sucked). I'll stop now, but hope you are doing well. Adios.

QUESTION: Who is George Washington?

Day 7 (Jan. 19): "Snow is falling all around. 7 o'clock and the roads are blocked."

ANSWER: In order to cut wind resistance, a cyclist may use this air pocket to draft on another rider, saving about 30% of his energy.

-Day Seven-

After unceremoniously falling asleep after loading a bunch of videos to watch on my iPod, I noticed that it was about 6:40 AM. Quite an improvement over yesterday's 5 AM, which began kicking in early in the afternoon. Still, too early to assume that anyone was up. I connected my iPod to the charger, sat on the floor, and killed a morning with plenty of Sundance coverage from Matt Patches and Katey Rich, the next Stargrove Vlog, and Operation Kino. After a shower, I had another one of those bland realizations that I was up well before the world was. Instead of worrying people with the possibility of waking up in the six o'clock hour, I just called it seven, which sounds better on the resume.

For those that skipped out on yesterday's blog, I figured that I would inform you that it snowed. In reality, according to the natives, it isn't an impressive blanket of snow, but enough to make me excited. However, Alex lusted for a heavier blanket of snow just to show me how much more beautiful it was. Also, Viv is getting concerned that I am not staying warm. For anyone that sympathizes with her cause, do know that I wear layers and am staying fairly warm.

However, because of the snow, today was just going to be a simple day. Get up, walk around town, and hopefully find something nice to look at. After a very uneventful morning in which we watched a documentary about the IRA invading England (which lead to a history of modern English bombings as told by Viv), we set out to see what Rye covered in white snow looks like. As of this writing, I will say that today's weather makes it look wimpy, but I did like the idea that snow covered the grass out on Pedo Point. Alex, being the tourist, took pictures of EVERYTHING covered in snow. Reminder, today's blanket of snow is going to look much more gorgeous.

We stopped along the way to look at shops, including a place where I discovered what Bath Bombs are. I still am not entirely sure what they are, but after a morning of IRA conversations, I could only think it was a literal bomb in your bath. I am assuming it involves an explosion of aroma. We also met Viv's friend Jack. Alex messed with merchandise in her store, claiming that the signs said that they were available to try out. It was a fun day, though the amount of time spent looking at haberdashery was a little gratuitous. Oh, the lengths that you go to impress family.

We stopped by the church as well. This time, we walked around the ground level, in which I discovered one considerable culture difference. Signs are in English, German, and French. Quite odd to walk everywhere and not see something in Spanish, but this dynamic makes much more sense. Besides the Germans at the airport, I haven't had too much experience with foreign languages over here. I must admit that after being surrounded by a Spanish speaking public in Long Beach, I do kind of mix that culture shock, even though the British culture is already "shock" enough. The first few days were quite an adjustment and I feel like I am finally getting to that point where I can enjoy everything. Not to say that I haven't already, but it takes awhile to accept that you are even in a different country when you are staying in a village that may have a novelty version back at home.

The church was nice and Alex went about taking pictures. After awhile, we took to sitting around just taking it in. A brief chat about religion later, we had to leave to meet up with Viv at the Apothecary. Oddly, I forgot that Apothecary and phrenology were related, so I was wondering why diagrams were on display. Also, it was a trip to see the ceiling covered in comics. At this point, it is hard to really judge architecture, as most pubs here look too similar to really say specificity. I mostly judge by employee service, and even that is expectedly pleasant.

We just sat around talking. We discovered that Viv doesn't know how to take pictures on a touch screen phone. There briefly existed pictures of me in a very candid manner. I even got to hear Alex's entire story about how he fainted on a plane. Not quite what I was expecting, but it did eat up a lot of time and was rather amusing to hear the new facts arise. We planned the next few days and eventually said adios to head back to the house.

On the way back, we stopped by this art gallery that had a pretty odd picture. It featured a shot of Tintin from the waist up without a shirt on. I felt it sexualized the boy reporter and therefore was a little on the pedophile side. We eventually talked to the employee about it, and we discussed what his age could be. We agreed that it was homoerotic, but until we figured out what Tintin's age was, I was convinced it was just wrong. I cannot find the picture online, and I don't care to share what the search results were. They are just sicker than this artist's intent on making the subject romanticized in a naked fashion.

Back at the house, it was a pretty lazy rest of the day. Besides a trip back out to get guitar and bass strings, I cannot really think of too much else that we did. I sat around with Alex while he cleaned and restrung a guitar discussing why I got into playing bass. The reality is that I began playing it because I perceived bass players as shy. Correlation was quickly realized. Also, guitar just feels overdone. 

It is amazing how much sensory skills came back to me immediately following my hands landing on the bass. I was playing every riff that I could. It was one of the odd few things that I missed having around. Alex promises that we'll jam eventually, so I am excited to see what happens with that. 

The night ended with Alex and I going up to his room to Skype with family. The only problem is that his connection to his TV resulted in a misfire. We could see ourselves on the TV and the family on the smaller screen. It was somewhat of a nuisance, as I didn't want to look at myself for the duration of the conversation.

Still, Alex took the grunt work, acting very silly and presenting jokes after jokes. Somehow that conversation lasted three hours. In some ways, it was great seeing the family again, even though it got to the point where it felt like it was a game of "No, you hang up first" with Anna. I got to see the cats and even find out more about the Golden Globes and how repair to my car was going. It is weird, but my dad has been more successful in actually doing things when I'm not around. I'll give him the benefit of free reign of the car, but still, it is funny that he finally found time when I am not there. 

The one surprise was that I wasn't hounded with questions. I expected "how was this?" It was odd that more effort was put into me finding out how the Golden Globes went than me discussing my trip at any great length of detail. I tried to, but it just felt like nobody cared to know. That didn't bother me, but you expect that in the precious time that you have in direct contact with people that they would be somewhat overbearing about some things. In bluntest terms, everyone is doing great, and apparently I am going to be in top shape when I get back.

I killed the night in my room listening to the Auteurcast on Alien 3 and trying not to fall asleep. However, I succeeded on one front. I was finally going to bed at a normal hour. Yes, midnight feels more appropriate than 9:30 PM. Here's to hoping that I have officially found the short cut to the sleeping problems and will be on easy street from here on out.

And now, for my obligatory Sundance from Britain report. Ellen Page is there promoting Touchy Feely and I dislike myself for missing it. I have seen pictures on Tumblr, and I am thinking that she is looking better than she has in a few years. Not saying anything, but she did look a little sick last year. Still.. you cannot help but feel like you could have been in the same room as Page, thus meeting one of my dreams. I'll probably see more when the East starts getting covered. However, good reviews so far, so I am excited for that film. Also, if anyone has any hook ups to more Sundance coverage, please share. I am too fascinated and want to discover more, more, more.

Also, from what I have heard, Joseph Gordon Levitt's Don Jon's Addiction is a little bit of a disappointment. I was excited to see it succeed, but I am finding that misogyny is ruining a fair share of interesting projects. Besides JGL's film, it ruined A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III (which has been posted on CinemaBeach). It bums me out that JGL's directorial debut isn't quite up to snuff, but Katey Rich assures me that the direction is pretty good, so I think we're looking at a talented young fellow, like, say, Ben Affleck.

So, it is snowing here and we're about to walk around town and look at everything. Also, I PROMISE you that pictures will be posted within an hour after this post. No lies. I will attempt to publish them by dates, but train stations sometimes blur together. So yeah, another snow day to enjoy a nice lazy weekend with Viv, Chris, and Alex. I do fear about next week, as the BBC News revealed that over 115 flights were delayed because of conditions. In a sense, I am contempt with the weather fucking with the program, as it is something you don't get in busy Los Angeles. Slowing down is a nice change of pace. 

QUESTION: What is a slip stream?

Day 6 (Jan. 18): Supermarket Fantasy

ANSWER: Often called the race of truth, it can be for the whole team or just one cyclist against the clock.

-Day Six-

As it has been established, I fell asleep very hard at 8 pm last night. I  have  no idea what happened in the last conscious 10 minutes of my night, but when I woke up, I had an odd daze where I looked around the room, almost forgetting that I had taken up space in Alex's. It was only made more trippy because he had on a red lava lamp that seemed to accentuate the room in an eerie, humdrum fashion that almost made me feel like his room was exotic. Since I didn't care to figure out where the light switch was, I just accepted that the light would be this way for the remainder of my stay.

However, an 8-5 sleep is pretty impressive, and I got enough sleep. Enough to the point where I realized that getting back to sleep was impossible. Of course, things were only made more interesting by the fact that my iPod was charging in the other room, which was currently procured by the other guest, Bill. It would make no sense to go down there and grab the music player without seeming somewhat voyeuristic. 

I was left with my phone, and since it got connection to the internet, I tried to use it diligently, but ended up going overboard. Reading was no longer satisfying me, so I decided to start watching videos. Of course, the most enjoyable part was when I discovered that the Hives did a video for "Abra Cadaver." It was an old school throwback to horror films, and for all the ingenuity that was put into it, my favorite part was when the guitarist just slid across the floor as if on a moving device. Millions of videos do that, but as usual, I seem to admire the little things.

After a little Girl Walk // All Day and catching up with everyone back home, I noticed that my phone was wiped. I was also going mad, as I was now up in the room for two hours with very little to do. It was getting closer to a reasonable hour, so I decided to take a shower. It oddly featured a couple turns of the door knob from outside, but even that wasn't enough. When I got out and downstairs, it was almost 8 and everyone was still asleep. I didn't feel like going back up the stairs, so I just walked around looking at stuff in their house. I didn't fondle anything, but with an indefinite amount of free time, I could justify looking at every picture with a fine eye.

I eventually gave up and sat on the couch where I petted the cat and waited for the world to wake up. Chris was the first one up and about, and after mistaking me for Alex through a conversation in the dark, he revealed that we were having a cooked breakfast. Sausage, eggs, beans, and pancakes. It was quite good and also kind of a relief to have the world waking up. I don't understand how people can have problems sleeping if there is nothing to do at 5 AM. It was a trip that I had been up four hours before everyone came down complaining about sleep. In fact, this trip is odd solely because I rarely go to bed before midnight and now I have seemed to make a routine out of it.

We started the day off simple by watching some videos that Chris found online. I think it was from the Annex or something. He first showed me a video of this Australian group called Axis of Awesome that took every song written on four chords and made a medley out of it. It was pretty impressive. We also watched a video of this guy miming to Natalie Imbruglia's "Torn," which was only made better by the man's facial expressions throughout the entire event. It also got to discussion of other comedians that I will be introduced over the remainder of my stay. I  have no idea what they're called, so I apologize.

I also discovered that through the back door of the house, a cat came in. Not the two that live here, but just one with a bushy tail that was intensely adorable. It was almost heartbreaking to part with it as the snow came down and we had to get a move on. It also got me thinking about how different cats are in the states. I am not saying that all are like this, but animals tend to be very defensive where I am from. They won't let just anyone near them unless they sense that you are harmless. So far, I haven't met a cat that just walked up to me and wanted attention. I first noticed it last time when pigeons refused to fly away when I got close. No matter how much I chased them, they were more contempt with walking near me than flying off from yards away.

We were eventually on our way to Kent to do some grocery shopping. Being from Long Beach, I still am finding it revolutionizing that people can drive great distances without a stop light. It was the same in Arizona. Sure, you had stop signs, but for an extensive drive, there was only one light. I know that it was the country side essentially, but it was weird that it was just a long, winding road that seemed to be fortressed with trees. I also discovered that Paul McCartney and Johnny Depp have homes in the general vicinity and Rod Stewart used to own one a long time ago. 

Also, just to contrast cultures, I have heard a story about Depp a few times. For Halloween, he went incognito as a postal worker. The next day, everyone commented about how the new postman looks an awful lot like Johnny Depp. That is way more entertaining than hearing that people stopped him and questioned who he was. which feels very American, or just Californian.

Once we got to Kent, more interesting things came up. They have limited parking in their supermarket parking lot. This is made noticeable by security cameras that record the moment you arrive and then it is up to you to get out of there within two hours. Maybe it is the extensive amount of time in grocery stores, but it made me think that we basically were going to go straight there and spend 40+ minutes looking at stuff. I am not that way, but I feel like stereotyping customers, especially since we were buying a lot of stuff.

But we went to the nearby shopping area where Alex and I split up from the group, which also featured Chris, Viv, and our driver for the day, Bill. It was pretty much a day to try and catch up on the loose ends of my presents list to family. I won't spoil if anything was bought, but I did see a lot of interesting stuff that could possibly be coming home with me. Also, we stopped in at a local book store where I learned a few things. Alex is way into choose your own adventure books, he thinks that there will be another Scott Pilgrim series (as a consistent follower of Bryan Lee O'Malley, I am still challenging him to prove it), that there is a novel adaptation of Dawn of the Dead, and I have not read any Kurt Vonnegut. In a way, I felt like a bad person with that last one. 

Plenty of interesting shops were visited and I even got a picture inside a phone booth for good measure. However, by this point, I was finally introduced to snow. I haven't seen snow since I was a young kid, so this was quite a treat. Also, the only places that I really get cold are in the cheeks, nose, and hands. A hood combated most of it, but the hands were still an issue. I brought it up with Viv when I next ran into her. She oddly had a pair on her, so she gave them to me. Somehow, all of this weather gear feels strange, as in California, it feels excessive. But here, I cannot imagine time with out it.

After Alex finished a really flat strawberry soda that he called a liquor, we headed over to the supermarket, which was called Tesco. I was excited to see what the interior looked like. Outside, it was practically the same layout, save for an elaborate area to put carts that featured a large overhead. I get that it probably has to do with the weather, but it still blew my mind how inconspicuous it tried to look.

Inside, it immediately reminded me of Wal Mart. it  had a very warehouse feel to it. However, that is just because the ceiling and lighting have this aura that makes it feel like everything was shoved in there as opposed to properly placed. The layout isn't too impressively different and not worth going into detail about. The aisles are longer and don't split down the center, which is the only significant difference. Alex even showed me the area where they had DVDs on discount, which wasn't all that impressive, though makes you wonder about his sanity when he calls the Paul Verhoven Total Recall really bad and Wrath of the Titans anything but unnecessary. I am not even calling that cultural differences. I am just saying that the 90's Total Recall in his algorithm is improperly placed and should never be below Wrath of the Titans in any spectrum.

The checkout lines were the more impressive. I let Viv take care of the grunt work and I just stood and looked over the entire store's layout. For starters, I hadn't heard an intercom request assistance for anything. People bagged their own groceries in plastic bags (though they were being advertised as reusable), and most impressively, the cashiers actually had chairs to sit on.

If you want to hear people bitch about the grocery business, just talk about the chairs at the check stand. That is a very personal subject. We don't have it in the states no matter where I go. However, 100's of hours of being a bagger has given me time to listen to people complain about their feet/back hurting. Yet they cannot have chairs because the customers would find that they are lazy and other complex reasons like that. I am not saying that chairs for the entire duration is the goal, but as a bagger, who has had to be on his feet for eight hour shifts, I am aware that the human body isn't always prone to being pristine after moving around in very limited quarters. The checkers more-so, as they are not allowed to leave their check stand lest they are doing floor work, and in most cases, nobody is allowed to do that before five.

So the chairs is a revolutionary idea. I get where the complexity would come from, speaking as the baggers would be heavily handicapped by not having chairs, but the checkers are a different story. I sympathize with the desire for them to just rest their feet once in awhile, and sometimes breaks are not enough. I am not about to start a revolution, but for those that really want to know, chairs are the most ground breaking aspect of my visit.

Also, as I left, I noticed that the Tesco sign had open hours posted by the entrance. That is also quite something, as it is Monday through Saturday 8 AM to 10 PM and on Sundays 10 PM to 4 PM. I admit that convenience for us would be sacrificed in that, but being open 6 AM to 11 PM just really, really, really makes you jealous. I am not saying that the overall service of the trip is superior, but it felt like they were somewhat successful in creating an apt working environment. I suppose the only issue is that employees would be complaining about the need for more hours. 

Back at the house, I finally got to see what a ground covered in snow looked like. If the place wasn't very rural and had cars going every which way, I would be happy to just get down and snow angel everything. As it stands, I am so tempted just to spend the snowed in time walking around Rye to see what a city covered in white looks like. For a boy from Southern California, this is somehow also revolutionary.

It is odd that in my stay, I have found the simple things more exciting than the buildings and landscapes. The stone beaches, the chairs, the snow. You don't get those where I'm from. It almost feels novelty. I also talked to Viv, who was concerned that the trip wasn't meeting my standards. I pretty much have stated many times, many ways that I just got on the plane and that was the end of my plans. I just wanted to see Alex and do something fun with him. So far, I would say that it is going great. I also find it weird that when we do go touristy, I end up being overwhelmed and tired. However, when I see snow outside my window, I am thrilled. Go figure. Hopefully it doesn't hold up seeing Django Unchained in the next week somehow.

The night wasn't that much more exciting. We finished off season one of Threesome, and I found one episode exceptionally hilarious. Also, this is mostly in terms of sitcom filming, I was rather impressed with the way one sequence with a merry-go-round was shot that almost seemed to be more artistic than the scene needed to be. Overall, I am just really digging this show and I want to see where it goes.

The night wasn't eventful, as I ended up having dinner and almost crashed immediately. I tried to hold up until 10 PM in order to fix my sleeping routine. However, I made it to 9:30 before I was told by Alex to just go to bed. I decided that it was a great time to catch up on Sundance coverage, which was officially starting that day. I was about to watch Katey Rich and Matt Patches' video log on day one. I had it already to go. Somehow, I ended up falling asleep right as the page was loading. It drained my battery, but gave me plenty to watch this morning. So far, I am now convinced that Crystal Fairy is one of my anticipated films of the year. Michael Cera doing drugs in Chile? Yes please. Also, I have seen shots of Ellen Page there with the Touchy Feely crew and now I am kicking myself because she actually is there. 

Though don't get me wrong, I would regret if I chose that over seeing Alex. True, it does little to forward my career, but I think the time away has done me good. Just finding new things to appreciate is enough to make this trip successful. I think I just needed contrast in my life. I still have no idea what happened when I went to Brighton that made me overwhelmed, but having a slow day after that really put me in my place. 

Side note, expect a review on CinemaBeach from me on A Glimpse Inside the Mind of Charles Swan III. I was expecting to write that up before I left, but I ended up doing it last night all here. Now the question is, did I like the idea of that movie better than Gangster Squad? I am really having trouble determining which of the two is the best film of 2013 so far. I would say that John Dies at the End would be it, but I still consider that a 2012 released based solely on VOD release. Of course, that review may not pop up for awhile, depending on how much more important Sundance coverage is, which I am sure will be more significant for the next week or two. It will be up eventually.

Another slow day, and I promise to try and get the pictures up soon. I am also going to be calling family back home today. We have some interesting developments in the process, so I will be excited to hear about those. Also, I hope to hear from Tiger. I miss that cat. Anyways, I hear breakfast calling my name, and hopefully this is a start to a day where I am not out of sync after a few days of early to rise and early to bed. In fact, I'll leave you with a quote:

"Early to rise and early to bed leaves a man physically rested, but socially dead."

-Yakko (Rob Paulsen) in Animaniacs

QUESTION: What is a time trial?

Day 5 (Jan 17): Falkland Island soldiers, Legos and Jack White at McDonald's:: A Day in Brighton

ANSWER: The mos coveted prize in the Tour de France is the Mallot Jaune, a jersey of this color.

-Day Five-

I woke up at seven and I feel like my sleeping schedule is back in order. After an hour of just sitting around, I take a bath and prepare for the day. It was a big day, if just because we are going to be heading out to Brighton. I have no idea what there is to do there, but after quick research, I discovered that the film the Damned United was filmed out there and Fatboy Slim gained prominence there. Too bad I have no idea what either of them are like. I am aware of their existence, but not enough to say "Brighton sounds great now!"

But according to Alex, it is a very artsy town and we can do a lot of fun stuff down there. After breakfast and preparation, we headed out to the train station. Since we caught Viv on the way to work, she covered the expense and all we had to do now was wait. Alex decided to play tourist again and immediately began snapping pictures. We hopped on the train for what he assured me was an hour long ride to Brighton.

Besides his decision to listen to One Direction a few times (he claims that he is getting harmonies down for a cover), we just began chatting about life. He wanted to know what my career trajectory was, and he explained how he overcomplicated (as per usual) the launch of his Interwebzicast stuff. It also featured quite a bit of talk about family and just to let everyone know, Alex knows what you're up to. You better behave now. We have a sacred bond and no amount of compensation will convince him that what I told him isn't the truth.

I must admit that the odd things about taking the train was being able to see the vast architecture of the country. Alex talked about wanting to live on a farm, and I was worried that a horse had been murdered. Turns out he only had a sheet over him to keep warm. I also saw a few foxes, which probably remains one of the higher points on that journey. Yes, I live in an area where we can hear coyotes now and again, but foxes have this scrappy adorable stuff going on that I enjoy seeing them, even if I worry that it would bite me. 

We saw the ocean and I will admit that as novelty as seeing the Atlantic is for me, it still was enjoyable. I feel like it was a good view, but in the end, water often looks like water. However, the cities had this beautiful layout where house after house stacked on a hill seemed to be organized like an OCD man's record collection. You had a few sore thumbs, but there was a flow to it that I felt was like dominoes. I could only imagine that in a disaster, they would just fall over. Not fall apart, just tip over and everyone would be fine in their domino-solid fortress.

When we finally got to Brighton, it was the end of the line and we pretty much exited into the public. Upon first glance, I felt like I was in New York. Then I remembered, I never have been to New York. How would I know what New York looks like from the ground view? Okay, that isn't totally abstract, but still, a photo-to-photo comparison would quickly debunk my rumour. 

However, the odd thing is that I almost immediately wanted to stop somewhere. I don't know that I could stand walking long, pointless distances. I felt like we were tourists and therefore needed to take it in. Eventually, we stopped in at a shop that sold models and I began putting on my tourist hat. They had a whole section on the Falkland Islands, and I find that adorable. Okay, I am not a history buff, but I know what it is and I just find it peculiar. Okay, I mostly was familiar with it from the Iron Lady, with the cringe-worthy, award (I'm not making this up) winning performance that gave us the dumb line "The Falkland Islands have been invaded, and I want them back."

How did Meryl Streep win that Oscar? As much as I didn't like it, that actress from the Help was robbed. Okay, now I am bleeding into the next paragraph. Where was I? Okay, I am just easily amused by the portrayal of culture via consumerism like dolls. After the green beret trailer the night before, I am just impressed that there is a set of Falkland Island dolls. I know this country has pride and all, but I guess I underestimated the Falkland Islands. 

We then went to the Lego Store. Now, I haven't been into one in seven plus years. I haven't even been to Legoland, which possibly a place I have outgrown by the time it existed. Still, with Threesome having a subplot about a character's obsession with Legos, I felt like it was a nice reminder of my childhood. Also, it would give me and Alex a chance to bond without talking to each other. That should only be taken as the power of Legos.

The selection was piss poor, and I was sad that I didn't invest in a box, but we did find a table where you could construct things from random bricks. Alex and I each have some OCDs in our system that caused symmetry to overpower design. I went in improvising and I consistently had to go back and structure the base. The amount of censored cursing that I did, the panic and even my intimate conversation with the hole full of Legos was probably as refreshing as the day got for me. I wanted to make things perfect, and I was sad to leave. You'll see what I made eventually.

We then decided to get some lunch from the foot court's McDonalds. Nothing new to say except for one factor that I still don't understand how it happened. Between generic pop music, there was this squeal and guitar line that I recognized. First off, the guitar sounded out of place after a synth-heavy pop song. It was Jack White's "I'm Shakin," which surprised me for numerous reasons. For starters, it was in between generic pop music. I really dig that record and felt it was more blues than commercial. And finally, at least in America, it was never close to being the lead single off of the album. I'm listening to that solo and kind of smiling inside, but also not entirely sure if I was actually alive any more. I felt like immediately telling the world that I heard Jack White at a McDonalds, but my phone doesn't have the wi-fi roaming capacity. Mind you, with exception to a very brief exposure to the internet in the morning, I was absent yesterday. Also, I plan to upload the photos soon. Yesterday was just a weird day, so the pictures never came around.

After that weird experience, we continued our journey down to the beach, which itself was a culture shock.  I am used to beaches, but the first big surprise was that everything was made out of rocks. Alex seemed overly defensive that not all beaches had sand, but it just weirded me out. I always felt like beaches was where sand met dirt. Alex got the reference as being Bill Hicks, and we moved on down the pier. Also, the sound of the water going out over the rocks still sounds bizarre to me. 

But the place reminded me rather much of Coney Island. Of course, the question then is why I would even know what Coney Island felt like. The closest that I got to Coney Island was in the last episode of Girls (okay, now technically season one finale). In fact, it reminded me of a quote from Girls first episode in which Alex Karpovsky praised McDonalds as being a great place, if just because you can order a burger anywhere and it tastes like home. The chicken nuggets are a little dry, but yes, I actually felt like he was right.

But anyways, he showed me these arcade rooms on the pier and they were rather loud and vibrant. He showed me the penny pusher games, which were like the coin games where you aim and shoot a coin and try to get the highest number of tickets. I got to try it out, but like all games like this, they don't like me and I lost. There was even Guitar Hero games set up along with my ultimate "How is this still around?" winner with the original The Fast and the Furious racing game (and yet the Simpsons one got wiped off the planet. Life is unfair). 

Unfortunately, all of the rides were shut down and we ended up having to watch people repair stuff the entire time. Alex kind of apologized, but that is what weirds me out about this trip. Everyone is being modest for things not being up to high standards in January. Nowhere is up to snuff in January. It is just a common known fact. However, I do admire the lengths they go to to make me aware that they wanted better for me.

We then began wandering around until we got to the Pavilion, which has some long history and basically, all I can think of was Marie Antoinette if she was fat, male and built stuff. We stopped in at an art museum and we started at the gift shop. They had a whole section on Banksy, including coffee mugs and magnets. I wanted to get them. However, the further I looked at them, the more I felt like I was now becoming THAT tourist who buys souvenirs of home to compensate. I ended up going against it, but it did start something.

For most of the rest of the time in Brighton, I felt overwhelmed. I felt existential. I wondered what I was doing. Was I wasting my time by worrying? There is a deep, layered, pattern of paranoia that I went through and none of it really resulted in fear, but just me wondering what I was doing looking at Banksy stuff that I could buy in the states. Then I had fear that I would never get my mom a good mug and that suddenly I was doomed to be the tourist on this trip. It was so confusing and I just told Alex that I was either confused or homesick. I don't know where the answer is, but it feels like it is somewhere towards the middle. 

I shouldn't feel this bad because, how often am I in Brighton? However, my lack of planning should result in me indulging in the culture without the concerns of if I am doing it right. As it stands, Alex kept pressuring me to suggest things. I wish I was a more confident decider, but I really just wanted to walk around and look at stuff. The museum was nice in retrospect, but at the time, I think I was too wrapped up in my head and trying to find ideas to appease Alex that I ended up disliking myself.

On a side note, we did check out some British art that easily qualifies as surreal. Even more surreal than David Lynch, even. It felt like it was Monty Python shoved through dementia and slap a few downers into the mix. I try to appreciate art, but I have never quite respected outsider art. I felt like art needs to serve a purpose, and random images just do not make me feel like the artist put effort into it. I like Lynch because he is unorthodox and weird, but there actually feels like a craft in there (and he did a great stint on Louie). What I saw was definitely weird, but essentially it felt like an embrace of noise and nonsense, though I assume it was supposed to be political. 

We even got a shot on the way out of Mr. Willett's pottery sign, which amused me. I do regret going out without showing any real interest in any of it. In a better mindset (and probably with glasses), I would be reading it all. However, I do admire anywhere that features a small reference to James Whale's the Invisible Man. That is a masterpiece of early horror. Also, I am impressed that I feel like I have seen a reference to that movie every day since I arrived, whether it is in a shop window or a shout out to Claude Raines (I may be wrong, but isn't he the lead?).

We finished off our visit by walking up and down the laines. Alex wanted to show me something cool. However, he couldn't find it, so we ended up going up and down the same laine for most of our stay. He also showed me a great wall of graffiti, which I am proud to say is more in line with the artistic side that I admire than the gang signs that plague Los Angeles. I even swear that I saw a Banksy slot on our walk, but I could be wrong. 

In an odd turn of events, we went into a thrift shop and it wasn't too world changing. However, the one thing that blew my mind was that they had a book for £8.99 on Takashi Miike. I only noticed it because a scene from Audition (the only film of his that I saw) was on the cover. I found it odd notably because I didn't think he was prominent enough. However, it made me feel good to know England was aware of world cinema (dumb to say, but in America, I guess England's filmography is the second most accessible form of cinema). However, upon browsing the book, I realize that this guy has been around forever. I didn't buy it, but I did buy two old school glasses featuring the Simpsons, including my new tea mug. Washing that up and will be walking around showing it off. Side note, I still have no idea what the money accounts to outside of the obvious "This is £20" symbolism. Also, Alex really wants a typewriter. To all you Brits, get him one from this thrift shop. It is only £50. 

We caught the train to Eastbourne and met up with his father and girlfriend. This is the famous burger that Alex called so bad it's brilliant. I wish that I could remember the name. Sadly, I can only think of Westboro, but that is not even close. However, I must agree with Viv's choice to call it bad. As a burger enthusiast, I have learned that attaching gourmet in front of burger is like saying "it's not that great, but hey, we sell burgers that you'd otherwise ignore if the word gourmet was not in front of it." It is tragic when the familiar Big Mac left a better impression on me.

However, the conversation with his father was a little odd. I let Alex handle the grunt work, but I also tried to be just as jokey and informative. They were going bluer than I cared for. However, the part that surprised me was how my somewhat modest attempt to be entertaining failed to really feel like it left an impression. I am sure he enjoyed talking to me, and I cannot argue really about sensing any hostility, but I do feel like I was perceived as Alex's friend. Mind you, I also don't know English customs enough and I ended up shaking his hand six times before he waved us goodbye.

The one odd thing and I am not proud that I do it, but I have an awkward line I specifically use to avoid conversation about sports. His dad asked me which team would watch the Super Bowl. I use this line in hopes of saying "I don't care about sports." I basically say "whatever team has the most blacks." That practically killed the conversation with me, but Alex kept going. It isn't even a cultural thing. I just don't like sports. We also talked about the Hobbit, but what I admired most was this is the first time that I ever heard someone say that the lead was Tim from the Office. I found that charming and more interesting than hearing people say Martin Freeman, if just because I love Morgan Freeman too much and always imagine Morgan when Martin is referenced. The Hobbit would have been more interesting with Morgan, but that's besides the point.

It was great seeing them and I feel like I wasn't the strongest impression, but solid enough to not make him brush me off. After a ride home on the train that resulted in me almost falling asleep, we actually got home and it wasn't long until I fell asleep. However, as I said, we had a guest, so I ended up sleeping in Alex's room. It took some effort to get me up those steps, but we finally were home and I passed out at eight. 

To let everyone know, I have no idea what happened, but Brighton wiped me out. Maybe it was the walking, which really didn't affect me physically, but I sure was tired. Hours of walking weren't felt until I had to stop and ride a train. I think that this is really was the reason that I felt overwhelmed and essentially told Alex that I may be homesick. Maybe it was the pressure to do a lot of things and Alex keep hounding me for "what do you want to do?" I am easily amused and Alex can find the quickest way to make me laugh. It isn't looking at buildings, which I actually did enjoy, but just experiencing modern England culture. I find the small differences more fascinating than the sights, though with Alex, I rarely have a dull time.

It is finally snowing here, so maybe a few pictures of that will arise. However, I am hoping to take it easy today and get everything up to date. As it stands, I just remembered that I have a CinemaBeach review to get submitted. Also, hopefully with the down time, I will get the pictures also uploaded, so keep an eye out for those. 

Anyways, got a day ahead of me, so that's it for now. 

QUESTION: What is yellow?

Day 4 (Jan. 16): Hastings Gonna Haste

ANSWER: This name was shared by English pirates Dampier and Kidd.

-Day Four-

I am just letting you know that I probably will be posting pictures in an additional post today, as I do not have them readily available upon writing this post.

I was about to say that today was the most uneventful one in the stay so far. That is saying something when you consider that yesterday peaked at 2 PM and never quite picked up after that. It was a lot of television after 2 PM, and somehow, I was still willing to call it more eventful than today for the sole reason that it almost seemed like nothing happened. That is, until the sun went down.

Trying to catch up on sleep, I was up late until 4 AM. Tonight's soundtrack seemed to feature a heavy rotation of Pete's Dragon song "Happiest Home in These Hills." Somehow, the black humor and irony of contrasting love with brutality was so adorable at 4 AM. I listened to that song at least six times before I admitted that I was probably tired. Also. I checked out the latest installments of Anne Marsen's video blog called Stargroves Vlog, including the episode about IKEA that made me love her so much more. I am almost convinced that I will psychologically pick a girl who is brunette and adores tabbies. It may not be more than unintentionally subliminal, but I get the impression that it may happen.

Also, I forgot to talk about something that I teased on Facebook. How will I end up on Operation Kino this Friday? They have a lightning round section where they ask for Twitter submitted answers to questions vaguely associated with that week's news. This week was all about what foreign director should make a big Hollywood blockbuster. My main fear is that I posted an hour or two after the post, but I still have that joy in me that I'll be referenced on something eventually, especially since I feel like I have been sneaking onto their radar in the last two months. My answer? Gaspar Noe. I mostly just want to hear if David Ehrlich can do something with that. Of course, Noe is a ridiculous selection just because he has a film called Irreversible, which deals with... ahem, rape.

That was actually from Tuesday, but I felt like I was being mean not to bring it up. Otherwise, the rest of the sleep was uneventful and I woke up around 11. I admit that even in America, I want to be up early so that I at least feel psychologically productive. Good news, that just happened today. Been up since 7 and was listening to the next Analyze Phish episode while getting the room in order (Alex insists that there's a guest that will be using the room for the night).

Alex wasn't too far after. We basically sat around playing an acoustic guitar for awhile. Of course, being in the same room as someone who can play guitar makes me feel inferior. I like what they're playing, but then you pick up the guitar and all you can do is play a really beginner's version of Devo's "Mongoloid." Of course, that song is awesome no matter where you play it. I snuck in some "Freedom of Choice," but that was more because I remember the bass line. Truthfully, I don't know if it is time away from playing, but I cannot play too much bass on a guitar, even if it is just note-note-note.

Alex and Chris got my rail pass stuff taken care of and we were ready to roll by 1 PM. Alex and I went down to the train station to get everything in order. For the most part, no complaints. Just like the DMV in that you get in pay a price, and you're set. Change two weeks to two minutes and you have how I got my rail pass in a nutshell.

Looking at times, we decided to hold off on going to Hastings at that moment. We were going into town to see Gangster Squad, which I jokingly claimed was an odd way of reminding me of what Los Angeles looked like. There wasn't any showing that matched the train and our arrival, so we held off until the evening.

Instead, Alex bitched about wearing shorts in freezing cold weather that also featured a slick patch of ice. He admired the way that I recovered after my foot caught the edge of one. I think my limber nature from bagging all of these years is the one thing that I will take when I quit my job (Side note - don't take this as anything more than "you know I want to quit, so don't look shocked. I won't leave until I find a decent paying writing gig"). But still, that guy wore shorts for the entire time, bitched about it, and then claimed to be too proud to change. Mind you, he had two hours when we got back to the house to fix this, but no... he was too proud to even take advantage of free time to change his pants. He decided that "Abed's Uncontrollable Christmas" was a better call. Hope the irony isn't lost on you.

We caught the trail around five to go to Hastings. See? I told you that the day was uneventful. We practically wasted time in those two hours, and I caught up on some much needed writing. At the train station, we finally got going and Alex assures me that he likes to be incapsulated with much when he is on moving transportation. I sat next to a guy that was playing Against Me! for the entire 20 minute journey. Hope the irony isn't lost on you.

We swiped our cards to leave and suddenly we were in Hastings. Dark outside, and Alex occasinally bitched about wearing shorts and no underwear. I will admit that I felt some odd juxtaposition from the stereotypical England that I felt like Rye was. This place actually felt modern. Alex assures me the place sucks, but I was still in an odd appreciation and suddenly I wanted to see if he'd take me to where Attack the Block was filmed. Of course, I can't stand the risk of mugging, so I never brought it up.

But the place looked decent. However, we didn't even cross the street before Alex decided to take advantage of photo ops (I am officially convinced that me bringing a camera isn't too eventful). He took a photo of a truck that he claims looks like Optimus Prime. Maybe you'll see the photo later, but I still have no idea what he is talking about. He left me at the corner just so he could get a better shot.

When he finally returned, we bought our tickets from the movies and went to have a snack. I am still confused on why my stomach has been oddly empty, full, or congested at odd hours, but I am sure that it is just adjustment. We went into a McDonalds, and it almost felt like going into a familiar place. The crowd had that typical vibe and it was loud as hell. Of course, in an odd fashion, the first thing that I cracked out European money for on this trip was a chicken nugget meal. Truthfully, it was a little dryer than I am used to, but I felt like I needed food.

Alex assures me that the portions are smaller. In fact, I can easily say that the American equivalence to a large is a medium. In a sense, I have tried to eat better/less anyways, so I wasn't too offended. I got a large meal and pretty much was fine after that. However, the one thing that bothered me more than anything is that there are no refills. I have almost curbed bad food habits, but I am a heavy drinker (which may contribute to why I try to steer clear of alcohol on top of other personal reasons) and I tend to overdo it. If you gave me a 2 liter of soda, I'd probably would have drank half in the short time that we were there (though do acknowledge that I am trying to cut down on soda, but this is just for comparison in terms of my thirst).

An odd thing about the McDonalds is that Alex doesn't like it, but not for the reasons that I assumed. In our time there, he noticed two lesbian school girls, but my eye was more fixed on the amount of preppies that came in. It really felt like I was back home, in an odd way because, well, McDonalds was always full of school kids when I was there.

We finally went back to the theaters and walked right in. I was honestly confused because the place felt like a hole in the wall. You enter, and it was flight of stairs after flight of stairs. I want to note that I am fine taking stairs and that my choice to call yesterday as a struggle was more because the stairs were ancient and at odd angles. These just ridiculously went on forever and even after getting to the ticket taker, we had stairs to go. The theater was also rather small, and about three times smaller than the ones that I am used to. However, I do admire any theater that features a gimmicky curtain that rises when the film starts.

The trailers were interesting, if just because I saw an ad for the green berets. Not exactly world shattering, but the subtle different in foreign trailers really impressed me. Even split cuts in some to slightly more provocative images seemed like an interesting call. Of course, this was a Rated R movie. Don't get me wrong, we get that treatment in the states. It is just that I felt like everything was more openly accepted. Of course, I just want to say that the Place Beyond the Pines trailer looks even more gorgeous on the biggish screen. If you haven't seen Blue Valentine, you are missing out on a masterpiece that justifies why I think that this will be one of the best of the year.

The one thing that is not exactly different, but initially annoyed me was people talking. True, it was a hole in the wall cinema to begin with, but I still am that cinephile who respects the right of silence during a film, no matter how hole in the wall the cinema is. There was a group behind us that I feared was going to bother me more than they did. It was two chicks that were talking loud for the first five minutes of the movie and then continued in a more hushed tone. Also, random parties were talking, admittedly brief, during the picture. In America, or at least in classier picture houses (yes, let's see how many synonyms I can shove in this mother), they would have been yelled at by now. Alex assures me that this is not a fair representation of English theaters, but we'll see when we finally get around to Django Unchained, which is the next on our roster.

The film itself was an odd choice that I wonder how it would have played in summer. As the guy who was anticipating it when it was initially supposed to be released, I tried to see it with the same hype and not the January shit-pile that usually bestows the cineplexes. Really, the psychology that has been instilled in me with that mindset is still rather established, though I argue that it has gotten more lenient in recent times. I am just wondering if it would have played better in September when it was initially supposed to be out.

I am also wondering where the infamous scene had to be removed. It honestly made no sense where a theater shooting fit into that film. Also, I am convinced that remaining footage from that unfortunate footage made it into the final trailers, as you can see glimpses of gun shots in front of movie posters. I am convinced that those are relics of the original footage. However, I do not know how much of a difference the edits were. I mean, they do shoot up a night club and Chinatown. If it wasn't for James Holmes, I would argue why the edit needed to be made. As it stands, I felt like they could have easily been fucked if someone shot up a night club, Chinatown, or hotel.

I will try not to derail with talk of censorship, but I wondered a few things. Gangster Squad received shit for having a theater shooting scene. Django Unchained, being an alternative western, was somehow accused of promoting violence in relation to the Sandy Hook story. However, I haven't heard anyone make any accusations about Inglourious Basterds, which saw a cinema burn to the ground at the end. As I was talking to Alex, blaming the media is dumb. I mean, nobody became a capitalist because of Monopoly.

Of course, Gangster Squad was smart to be moved. It was nonstop action, punching, and shooting. It is violent and while not gorey, it would seem problematic to release it after the James Holmes affair. It really is one of those movies that promotes violence to a ridiculous degree. The question after that is how you like your violence. If it is over the top, you'll at least find something to admire about this story.

However, the reason that I was excited was because of two reasons. Besides my lust to see anything that Ryan Gosling is in, it is also another film by Ruben Fleischer, whose filmography includes 30 Minutes or Less and Zombieland. Technically both should clue you into the graphic nature of Gangster Squad, but as a casual fan of both of those films, it only made me more excited.

So, now that I have bored you with preamble, what did I think of the movie? It was definitely ridiculous and had a formula that seemed to feature almost every conversation ending with someone getting punched in the face. It really was a straight forward excuse for people to get hurt. It also felt subtly cartoony and Sean Penn looked just that way. It was quite peculiar how dark and over the top it chose to be.

But without going into too much, I felt like it was solid. Not amazing, but it definitely was nonstop violence and felt like a Quentin Tarantino-inspired excuse for excess. Ryan Gosling was a little bit odd. He talked in a sweet tone, but his dialogue at times felt a little clunky and weird. However, kudos on Michael Pena at least trying to stop playing those dumb gangster roles. So basically, the film isn't exceptionally great, but good enough for an afternoon flick. Has enough fun stuff going for it and I ponder if it would have been better received in a world isolated from James Holmes, violence, shootings, etc.

On the train ride home, we had another interesting adventure. We got on the train after talking about Beavis and Butthead and why it only came back for one season. We also made a lame Schindler's List riff. Alex also found my soft spot, which is somehow doing riffs in which Jason Statham is his typical self, but as James Bond. It isn't very elaborate, but it is so amazingly fun to listen to.

But on the train, we're sitting towards the back and this guy asks me for a bottle of water. He claims that he wants it so that he can wipe cocaine off of his credit card to pay for a ticket. The bathroom is tied up with someone also hiding from the ticket taker. After telling the guy that I didn't have any water, I pretty much stopped talking to him. I was confused, and as it stands, I only understand 90% of what people are saying on this trip anyways.

I heard shout outs to grass and other stuff, like maybe he was drunk or something. I stayed quiet and let Alex take care of all of the interaction. From what I piece together, when the ticket taker came around, the druggie accused us of putting cocaine on his credit card. Smart man, the ticket taker didn't believe him. Later on, the guy even suggested that he pay to get us a drink at the pub in Rye. Great, this guy is getting off in Rye.

So from there, I continued to keep myself free of discussion. However, conversation soon got on Pulp Fiction and that one scene involving a gimp and some sex. Nothing more. He claimed that it was the only part that he remembered. He felt like pulling out money in the middle of the night would feel like getting raped by a man. He later claimed that he wasn't into gay sex, but somehow still defended the scene. It was pretty odd. I tried to politely excuse myself when the train docked and to hopefully keep him from following us, we went to the nearby market to buy soda and chips. However, I saw him get in a car with a guy named Jethro (at least that is the name I collect from asides), so I felt like 10 minutes in a market would put us in the clear.

Back at the house, we watched some Threesome and contemplated the day ahead. We have found that the nights are the most problematic aspect of the trip. We have nothing to do. I suggested games, but that was misconstrued as video games. Either way, we're trying to get that straightened out. I have no idea what will come of it.

We also briefly chatted with Natalie over the internet. I saw Alex play her a song and somehow Alex doesn't have to try hard to make me laugh. He can play guitar and sing in a wonky register, and that will get me every time. I didn't really get to know Natalie, but continuing my theory that I will marry a cat person, I did see her cat and that was far more interesting than anything else I saw in her room. I actually did that dumb swooning thing.

Eventually Viv got home and we just stayed up chatting about the future. We got to the point that we changed the plans for the next day from London to Brighton, which Alex assures me is a better choice. I mean, anywhere that produces Fatboy Slim can be better than London? Yeah, if you're jamming inside a large octopus.

It was overall an odd night of me just noticing subtle differences. For some reason, I was fascinated by how long everyone talked about the things that they disagreed on. The burgers were oddly the tip off that I needed to say something. All that did was make Viv address it as being normal. Of course, she used my whole name, which always makes me feel weird. As much as I am fine with people calling me Thomas, Willett has always been an odd place that made me feel like I was about to be punished. It felt like the family being disowned in some way.

Don't get me wrong, the conversations were fun and I am getting a lot to enjoy about the evenings. However, I guess just that they talk about the good and bad of burgers for more than 20 seconds seems weird to me. Of course, I blame my father for that. He and my sister are very much uninspired when it comes to having an extended conversation on defense against their dark arts. It actually feels good. Usually I only have these rants with my mother, and I find it more cathartic than a brief "we like homemade soup, deal with it."

I went to bed and fell asleep a half hour later. However, something that has become an obsession with me is reading reviews for movies that I just saw. I decided that /Filmcast was a good call. I tried to listen to it, but I passed out at some point. Also, I want to take this moment to promote the Downcast app. Katey Rich tipped me off to it months ago, and I bought it just for this trip. It updates my shows every hour and it is so efficient. I cannot see me going back to the dumb Podcasts app. There is just so much more efficiency in this whole brouhaha. The searching is also easier.

So yeah, not much else to report on. It wasn't really an eventful day besides getting to see how Alex recommends violent movies to the women in his life. I don't know Viv's tastes all that well, but I feel like the motherly types in my life are not quite into shoot 'em ups. That was probably the most interesting thing. Alex recommending Gangster Squad to Viv. My mom would have shut it down quickly. Also, I need to see the Untouchables now. I like Brian De Palma films, but I haven't seen that one. I just feel like there are similarities. I did see L.A. Confidential, before you wonder why I don't say the more obvious similar one.

Anyways, that's probably it for right now. Pictures will be resurrected eventually. Keep an eye out for that stuff. Otherwise, today should be a lot of fun. I'll be talking at you later.

QUESTION: What is William?

Day 3 (Jan. 15): "I'm not used to stairs in general."

ANSWER: This name, like that of a girl in Harry Potter, is derived from the name of Hermes, Messenger of the Gods.

 

 

-Day Three-

 

I went to bed around 6 PM on Monday. Tired, exhausted, I was ready for that long sleep that would put me up at maybe 10 PM the next morning. Really, when I am up for over 20+ hours, I usually end up sleeping super long. No expectations on being up any earlier. I don't even remember the time it took to get comfortable in the bed and fall asleep. It seemed to happen almost momentarily after walking up the stairs and closing the door.

When I woke up, I had this odd sense of refreshment. I felt good. I looked at the time and when I saw that it was 10, I knew that it had to be 10 AM. I wouldn't be awake four hours later and feeling great. I took to the internet and began just writing about my first day there. I was just too enthused to do it.

Never mind that the sun wasn't out. I was just under the assumption that English weather is really, really messed up. Dark until noon, or something like that. However, the further that I looked into things, I began to realize that it was indeed 10 PM, and I was confused. After a quick trip to the bathroom, I met Alex in the hall, who told me that he would be downstairs for awhile to talk. After a bath, we did just that. Everyone was down there, and Viv was watching her "who done it?" show, which if I gather properly, it was called Lewis. In many ways, I just began to correlate that my guardians for the time are no different than my parents. They have familiar passions and concerns.

Then after an hour, I went back to my room, and Alex insisted that I fight my internal clock and get some sleep. I wasn't exactly tired, but I wanted to believe him. However, my iPod was mere inches from grasp, so I put on my headphones and that made up the next four hours.

I'm sitting around in the room, in the dark just blaring music for awhile. It began with a little OutKast's "Stankonia," with notable play on "B.O.B." which lead to me doing a light show with my iPod. It was a rather poor show, but I felt like I needed to keep myself entertained. I eventually segued into West Side Story and the Mulan soundtrack. I even got bored enough to search the internet, where I found a video detailing the Top 10 Worst Songs of 2011. It was by chance that I found it, and it was not an exceptional video. The guy was royally cynical and hated on obvious songs. God, were there some bad songs on that list. I decided to actually check out one of them for the hell of it. I have heard comedian Howard Kremer talking about this artist and well... why not? I think it was Kreyashawn or something really uninspired. It almost made me depressed to realize that people actually went through with writing this music and putting their face to the music.

On a better note, Anne Marsen is working on a music video and will be touring around the globe. She's also do a video blog a day, which almost coincides with my stay here. I'll try to get the name for you tomorrow. However, I do admit that it at times feels inessential, though it only makes me love her more. She has a cat that she calls Garfield incarnate. I have a cat that I call the same thing. She is so adorable and I loved her more after I found out she had a tabby. I don't think watching any of these will convince you why I love her (speaking her boyfriend is in almost all of the videos), but the IKEA video should be a nice, cohesive view into why I think she's cool. Such a free spirit. However, because of the time difference, I don't see these until 3 AM on a typical schedule.

I went to bed around four. I woke up around 10, and I feel like maybe I was going to be fixed. However, step one of jetlag was over. Step two, which haunted me for most of the day, was about to begin. I didn't expect it, but for the entire day, my digestion system was acting all wonky. I would have meals, but feel queasy for the next hour, often needing to go to the bathroom repeatedly. Also, I did have a lot of drinks, including a ton of soda, some juice, and a couple glasses of hot tea. I don't know why, but the fluids have been on tap most of the time since I arrived. Kind of thankful, for sure.

Chris was down listening to his blues show and doing stuff. I had some cereal, and sat around watching Alex make fun of the music. After taking some time to wake up, we decided to start me off with a simple trip around Rye, where we would get to see the town and I would get to take in all of the culture. Truthfully, another issue with the first two days was disbelief that I was in England. I still had yet to grasp that I was actually overseas. As of writing this, I feel like maybe I am finally accepting everything.

For starters, the town looks very much what I imagine the definition of traditionalist. The architecture rose to the sky, it looked really old. There was a cobbled street. Even Shakespeare's cowriter has a memorial plaque. Also, there is a church here that I am seriously wondering if it is bigger or on par with the Crystal Cathedral. I don't know, but that was a big building.

I also saw a banner for the National Lottery, which has been my favorite thing to spot in movies. I want a shirt with that logo so badly. It is just so silly and fun. But it is a gorgeous sight. We looked around and the fact that the town ends shortly out of eyeline and the rivers and marsh are all almost aesthetically pleasing. I called it a classy version of Wyoming.

One of our first stops was a place that I am sure that we'll visit again and again. It is a pub called the Standard, which for starters has TWO fireplaces and a million underground tunnels. It also blew my mind that the bricks were real and that what I take for novelty turns out to be real, genuine stuff. The wall designs, the furnishing. It all was honest and authentic. I felt like I was in an odd paradox where the novelty was now inverted to genuine.

 

The Standard's standard glasses filled with Coke

The Standard's standard salt and pepper shakers

 

After that, we decided to head over to the church and take a look inside. It was big, gaping, and the architecture looked nice. Alex really admired the arches and would like to buy some. After paying the information teller, we got access to go up to the room. Apparently the view from the top is excellent.

Of course, that is after 84 steps. The information teller warned us about that. It wasn't so much a problem going up, though being vertically inclined, I did have trouble making it all the way without running out of breath. Luckily there was a resting room halfway through and we took that moment to indulge on everything. There's also a nice view of the church along the way up those first flights of stairs. I must admit that for some reason, I have come to admire aerial views in recent years, and being able to see the church from different angles was rather nice.

We also passed the room where the bells were kept. That was the last trek of space before we made it to the roof. A lot of bells in the room:

 



 

 

 

 

 

 It was quite a sight to look at the bells. However, it was time for the main attraction. Onto the roof we went. Once we opened the door, Alex went into tourist mode, admiring the view and taking a whole lot of pictures. I asked what buildings were and he usually answered. He also told me that the aenemic windmills that I was talking about were wind turbines. Growing up near Simi Valley, I always called them windmills. However, he pointed out a very gorgeous, old school windmill in the distance that I felt was very Dutch.

It really was a gorgeous sight and as I said, I have really gotten into aerial views. I don't have vertigo, but I was cautious of the edges because I didn't want to jump off. It isn't an impulse, but I do have that thought. Alex, for the most part, is the photographer for most of this trip. You may see some when I return home, but I am an uninspired photographer in comparison. I just charged batteries last night and took a go at photographing stuff. You'll see some dull cat pictures, for sure.

Want to know how great he is at the pictures? I'd say that I shouldn't be allowed near a camera when I have to compare to these:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I tell ya, he's really good at the pictures. It was a great view and we somehow lost track of time. We were up there for awhile, enjoying ourselves. Alex apologized for being the tourist, but I was just taking it all in. We eventually went back downstairs to the waiting room in between the stairs in order to just get warm. It was edging along two o'clock at the time, and we decided to wait in the bell room to watch them go off. Somehow, at two, they went off three times, and they were pretty damn loud. Alex complained about ringing, but it didn't bother me as much.

The trouble with the stairs is that I didn't really know how to go down them properly. It took a few flights to finally get it right. This place has so many stairs that I probably will get fit just walking up and down so many. We talked to the information lady before leaving and soon we were on our way.

Other misc. pictures from the church:

 

 

 

Those are the gears for the clock. I saw the pendulum, but I cannot justify where the clock actually was. We went to the roof, and that was the extent to our searching.

After leaving, we went to Grammar School Records, which I thought was a school records hall, but Alex assured me was a record shop. I found a vinyl print of the most influential comedy bit in my life in that store: Bob Newhart's "Driving Instructor." I didn't know that they had a single version of that. I was so impressed and if I didn't own "Buttoned Down Mind," I would be so tempted to buy it, even if I don't listen to vinyl with regularity. The place was small, but we got the point across. Nothing that grabbed me, but it felt good to see some culture. Also, upon returning to the house Chris informed me that HMV, which is their big music outlet chain, just got sold. Yep, things are tough all over.

Alex even showed me Pedo Point, which is where a telescope outlooks over a playground. Quite a sight.

 

I really should stop saying quite a sight. I just feel like this country looks good. At very least, different from what I am used to.

He was a busy photographer. Here's the remaining batch from our walk around town. He assures me that there is more to see in Rye and that we won't all blow it at once:

 

 

 

 

 

The remaining portion of the day was uneventful. We didn't go anywhere or do anything. However, we did watch Kung Fu Friday on a copy that I made for Alex. It unfortunately gets out of sync in the last 15 minutes, but we still love it. It is so odd to think that it is six years old and Marrs is an award winning filmmaker now. We admit that the quality is bad, but it is still one of our favorites. I am sure that this won't be the last time that we watch that DVD. I promised Alex that we will listen to the commentary. Rewatching the movie, I admit that there are subtle things that I remember from the commentary that make that film so much better.

We also watched Threesome, which is part of "Operation: Represent English Culture" that is somehow of prominent focus on this trip. The plot is rather bizarre, in that a couple and their gay friend have sex together, and the woman is pregnant with the gay man's baby. I really don't know how you make a series out of that, but I am so intrigued to find out. I am not wanting to say that it has the same plot as the New Normal, but both are equally progressively weird. However, I feel like Threesome at least tackles the subject of pregnancy with some oddity and fun without being blasphemous ot segregations outside of the initial cast. I mean, the second episode involves giving up drugs, then digging up those drugs and snorting them and then crashing through a Lego Taj Mahal. It has the human side necessary to make it work. I feel like the New Normal is an attempt at capturing that in your face humor, but done so poorly. I mean, I watched 8 episodes of the New Normal, so I am not even lying when I say this.

Alex then ran into a kurfufle and had to handle things in his room. He was busy for a big majority of the day. Chris took over as MC and we bonded over a Top Gear special on James Bond. Not caring for the series, I at least figured that it was a good time to see what British people felt about what is one of their most familiar exports. Chris was really into it, and while I cannot get into the films, the ingenuity that went into their cars was exceptionally at least ingenious. Movie magic and non-special effects things tend to impress me sometimes.

We also got around to watching It Might Get Loud, which was inspired by Chris' conversation about guitars. He thought that I might enjoy it. Initially, I found genuine humor in him calling Jack White as Jack Black. However, I cannot remember most of the movie, but I remember really enjoying the Jack White bits a lot. He really is an old school musician and one that I enjoy. Also, getting all of the British people together was fun, especially when it came to making fun of the Edge. Yeah, I get the feeling like Brits in general dislike U2. That was so charming.

I spent the remained of the night discussing plans for the next day, talking to Viv, and listening to WTF with Marc Maron in my room. Maron's conversation with Elizabeth Banks was interesting, if just because I feel like she is a more likeable, intelligent version of Jenny McCarthy on some issues. I disagree that Pitch Perfect is at all a good movie, but I will let her have her opinion. Another late night, but I feel like more than the previous night, I was adjusted. I just need to figure out how to break my recent curse of using technology to go to bed really late. That, my friends, is the downfall of society.

So, watching out for ice on the ground will be fun. I almost tripped on the way back today. No injuries yet. Still, surprised that the weather is as good as it has been. Been expecting it to be miserable. However, we're off to Hastings for the day to go see Gangster Squad and remind me what Los Angeles looks like. Of course, any excuse to see Ryan Gosling (or as Alex puts it: Ronny Rosley) is good enough for me.

 

No more teasers for tomorrow. I am trying to not become that guy. However, with this post, I hopefully will be back on track to the one-a-day turnout that I have wanted to maintain. Hope that you have enjoyed things, and I hope that I will also share more stories on the cuisine and culture, as I feel like you now know what the buildings look like.

 

 

QUESTION: What is Hermione?