SUMMER

(This is where I go, rather WENT, to school, School of Slavonic and East European Studies @ UCL--7th best university in the world!!)

Just tamed my Russian Oral Exam. No cavities, haha!

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Tipsy Gypsy, well, I would be if I were to attend that Russian Film Lecture that 2 of my teachers are putting on today because I have not eaten in 24 hours and almost all SSEES talks have "wine to follow". But here's the gypsy reality that's my life in London:

I'm making about 40 pounds this week participating in psychology experiments for my school.

HOLLER AT THAT DOLLAR

Also, moving to California in a year's time.

Have You Ever, Ever Felt Like This?

Oh, the miracle of globalisation that gave Joe and I a hearty laugh. On completely opposite poles of the globe we both grew up watching this show:

Don't Stop Til You Get Enough

Thursday night was my last night out with my BU compadres and we did it up rotten in Shoreditch, where by coincidence, is the first area we went out together. We hit Plastic People and it was a rager. Basement, grinding, some dude filming the whole thing.

Ended up walking Jack Kalish home. He's from Brooklyn, was lost in Shoreditch, and speaks Russian. So we hopped into and out of a van, went to a bar that was closing, and at some point he made fun of me for eating bacon. It was nice to get acquainted.

Friday was a trip. I called Jeffrey, Dogstar's resident DJ, in the early evening and he remembered me! From 2 months ago. So he said he'd put me on about midnight. I got there way too early, left, came back, then Joe met me out there. There was a serious party on, including failed salsa dancing Aussies, people on...something, lasers, and my baile funk/Peaches break!

It was a blast. We stayed mad late then today did absolutely nothing. I'm being a really bad student, considering I have to write an entire paper tomorrow and practice my Russian presentation for Monday. But it's been fun and it's been worth it. And I'll never have this kind of opportunity again, so I ain't mad at me.

A Toast

Last night was so happy/sad. My fellow Americans are leaving tomorrow.

It was our last Death Disco together at Notting Hill Arts Club and it was somehow as mind-blowing and hyphy as the first time they took me there.

All were in attendance, including this 50-person horde of maybe Australians? I got invited to a barbecue in Queen's Park this weekend, but anyway.

When I think of how we've befriended an entire bar staff and about 10 other rotating cast members at this place, I really have to laugh.

Sebastien turned 29, birthday shots and kisses. We hung around late and I learned that my new friend is friends with my old friend, rather friend's friend from Brazil.

There was a photoshoot with my name on it. Goodbyes, hugs, kisses. I can't believe one day I'm going to leave this place too. I'm going to miss walking into a bar and getting hugged and kissed hello by Frenchy, Asian-y, Julian, Neil, brown guy...I told Neil I'd be coming back with Koko, so those wacky Wednesdays aren't over just yet.

When It Occurred To Me

I went on a 3-hour walkabout yesterday afternoon. It was glorious weather and I wore these:
Needless to say, I was strutting.

Through Tate Modern States of Flux exhibit, down the shore of the river, to the Japanese restaurant where I wined/dined myself, all around Westminster, and back to my home where I fell into my bed until more/less now.

Then it occurs to me,
I had 4 weeks to write 2 papers.
Now I have 4 days. And I'm smiling because it's sunny and 66 degrees outside and I'm gonna run to Hyde Park and lay in it...to brainstorm.

Mind It Races

It took me until 6am to shut off my brain last night. There are so many things I've come to realize recently and I'm stirring! For one, I still cannot grasp the reality that Koko is coming here then to Amsterdam where I will turn 21. I can't imagine a better birthday present.

Tomorrow I register for my last fall semester at Carnegie Mellon. Sad. I need to be back in yinzer land. Stomping the gravel, running across bridges, laughing while horiztonal. Now that there's only 1 week left in Easter Break, time seems to be picking up speed. In 3 weeks I'll be done with exams, packed, ready to go on my vacation. And to the beach! The freaking Cote d'Azur!! And then back to London for what I expect to be a sad week, then to Atlanta for 1.2 seconds then to Pittsburgh--my love! Drew's living at my place for the summer, so that means the roof is on fire.

And I've finally sorted my next year's apartment dilemma. I'm living in a studio in Cathdral Mansions (on the same floor as Rex!!) and Koko and Drew are living across the street in Fairfax. Let the good times roll. We're going to groove out North Oakland!

Below are some works from my sister's leading man, whom I learned of in a life update e-mail that made me smile around the face.
Courtesy of Marlon Sagana Ingram.

As for the near future, going on a picnic with BU friends tomorrow. Writing up my presentation for oral exam today.

I feel alive! I wrote my boss telling him to please give me my job back please, and applied for some freelance writing gigs in Pittsburgh. I seriously feel like the next 4 months are a love song to me. 21, Amsterdam, Koko, France, parents, Pittsburgh, summer! Senior!

So here it is, my trajectory of jetsetting:
London>Oxford>Amsterdam>Paris>Lyon>Avignon>Nice>Atlanta>Pittsburgh>San Francisco?

What's next? BRAZIL!

___

My last dream was about a baby horse (colt?) walking out of the ocean and only 2 other people saw it happen and we all looked at each other in awe. Rebirth is a trip.

???

What the WHAT??

Went to a club named after my best friend. Insulted a Brit about his lack of national cuisine in Subway. Snake eyes. It's 4:20 am and the bus diverted to my doorstep. DJing in a week. Cheers.

I Live Here:

It looks like Pittsburgh outside!

And the building I can see from my window looks exactly like, well:


On the up and up, I'm less freaking out about my Russian Oral Exam because I actually have things to say about student life in Russia compared with that in the United States.

Life's too short to pay lip service to anyone or anything. Ever.

Unwell

I have to keep reminding myself that hugely wonderful things are going to happen in a month:

1. Koko's coming.
2. We're going to Amsterdam for my birthday.
3. I'm going to France for a couple weeks.

And try not think about being:

1. anxious
2. depressed
3. tired
4. hungry
5. unprepared
__

6. homeless after July
7. unemployed until August

1-7 are very difficult to be overseas. I can't relate to people right now, I need to spend more time in the park, curled in a ball, in the dark, I dunno.

I've decided to make a tough, probably stupid decision. And I'm going to drink more coffee. Times like these I wish I smoked ciggs.

Queen Mary

Respect:


Eley Kishimoto Fall/Winter '09
I want to make (really tight) jeans out of this. I'm backpacking to Amsterdam and around France for a few weeks and for my birthday. My lady love is coming to visit and chill. There's always more Russian to be learned.

I live here:

And I dig this:

Cocadisco

Soooo, I ventured out to Shoreditch to Favela Chic to see Gringo da Parada again. That was alright. I ended up jus talking about skiing with a gorgeous businessman named Gary. I very rudely asked him if when he had to go "was his bedtime" when in fact it was his business. Anyway it was nice to have The London Paper as a conversation piece.

So then I went to The Social for CocaDisco, a night which has seen the likes of Aphex Twin and Simian Mobile Disco. Tonight Richard X was on the decks and it was SO MUCH FUN!!! It's funny meeeting the British versions of people I know in Pittsburgh, but it happened. And this one guy, Paul, managed to do an American accent that was both grating and hiariously accurate. It hurt a little. But the dancing was fab. And I made some new friends, always good. And I high-fived my bouncer friend on the way out. Holla.

££££

I got a job!

I'm going to participate in a research focus group by a vodka company with other American girls. And I will be compensated in cash and, you guessed it, vodka.

HA!

Catharsis

Muslim children tried to feed pigeons bread their little beaks could not chew. I looked at two dogs, one sitting on the other, and when they saw me see them they both looked away. I wanted to sit on a bench next to a boy who was rubbing his face but I did not want to surprise him. A shed stood on the shore of the lake. It had no floor, just water where the floor should be. Someone left a hat on the dock but I would have had to walk on the lake to get it. This made me think of Jesus. An Asian boy in a tanktop was dancing by himself. He looked like a cricket. A bird almost flew in my face. Maybe it wanted to teach me a lesson.

_____

From my Skype chat w/ Rex

Rex Garrell
8:34 PM
when do you want to do this again

sassyjones
8:34 PM
i was kinda thinking this was a 1 night stand
8:34 PM

um...ill call you?
8:34 PM

i had fun

Heavy Boots

It's 3:25 a.m.

I have about 20 pages left in Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close.

I've shed a gallon of tears in the last 2 hours, so I have to stop. And this is the sad part of reading books, this point where you know if you keep reading you'll finish it, so you have to put it away to keep it alive and unknown for a bit longer. Maybe that's also why I was crying.