The BAFTAs and some other stuff

So since I last blogged I have been up to a few pretty exciting things. For starters I got to see a production of The Twelfth Night at Wyndham's Theater on the West End. I went because I am taking a class on Shakespeare here and we all went together since we are studying the play. Normally I probably would not have gone to a Shakespeare play but as it was for class I didn't have much of a choice. I can honestly say though, despite my apprehension the play was absolutely fantastic. The actors were amazing and hilarious. All of the jokes and comedic parts we discussed in class were there and it made me really appreciate the study of Shakespeare plays. It ended up being an excellent evening and later on a great discussion in class. Everyone really enjoyed it.

The play was on Thursday of last week and the fun doesn't stop there. This past Saturday I took my first trip to the Portobello Road market. It was so cool! There were antiques and crafts and jewelery and vinyls...you name it! They also had fresh produce and food stands. We ended up having falafels which were amazing! Also, while we were walking to the market we ran into hoards of New Zealanders. They were all yelling and drinking and having a great time. Some of them were dressed really weird, it was nuts! I'm still not quite sure what was going on. At first I thought that they were all around because there was a Rugby match going on featuring their national team. But I've also heard that it was some sort of national holiday for New Zealand. The verdict is still out.

Now for the craziest part of my weekend...drum roll please...I got to stand right next to the red carpet during the arrivals at the BAFTAs!!! Now, if you are wondering what the heck the BAFTAs are have no fear. I will tell you. They are essentially the British Oscars. It was a star-studded event, let me tell you. I was less than an arms length away from huge movie stars and filmmakers. I'll list them off for you...Meryl Streep, Amy Adams, Kate Winslet, The cast of Slumdog Millionaire, Shia LaBeouf, Daniel Craig, Brad Pitt, Angelina Jolie, Goldie Hawn, Sharon Stone, Ron Howard, Danny Boyle, Thandie Newton, Penelope Cruz, Christian Slater, Marion Cotillard, Patrick Stewart, Gemma Arterton, Marisa Tomei, Emma Watson, Micky Rourke, Eddie Redmayne, Dominic Cooper, Emily Mortimer, Jim Sturgess...and probably a few more! It was absolutely insane!! There was flash photography, people screaming names of celebrities, beautiful evening gowns, gorgeous guys in tuxes...one of the coolest days of my life. We woke up super early on a Sunday and stood in line for wristbands. They were numbered so once we got them we could leave and go eat or something as long as we were back by 2:30pm. We left and took a nap back at the dorms and then made our way back around 1:30pm. We had lunch in Covent Garden, where the awards were held. At 2:30 we made our way over to the line and stayed there until they let us near the red carpet. We secured our excellent spots right next to the beginning of the carpet where they arrived and waited for the excitement to start. It was freezing rain the whole time but it was so worth it. You may or may not know that I'm a huge movie buff so it was incredible to see so many actors and actresses and filmmakers I truly admire. I think my favorite sightings were Shia LaBeouf, Kate Winslet, and Ron Howard.

Pretty cool huh?
Until next time,

Kelsey