I'm not sure if it was the nerves, or the fact that the playwright I'm studying is inherently wordy, but I think I saw the chattiest Katie yesterday and today. Fact: If you only know one person in London, regardless of the fact that she is a billionaire, you're more than eager to make friends.
My billionaire mentor, Nancy, and her nice Colombian cab driver (he drank a cappuccino the entire drive; I guess that's why it takes 3 years of schooling to become a British cabbie) dropped me off at my apartment building in the Notting Hill neighborhood, known for its Portobello Road Saturday markets and flowing canal. It was 10 am British time, and definitely time for sleep in the USA, where I would still be dreaming of this exact adventure if I were not already in London. So needless to say, my brain (still thinking that it should be 5 am) frowned immensely when the receptionist told me I could not check in until 3 pm.
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| The Apartment Lounge |
Sorry, old chap?
Even though I was literally willing to give over my dinosaur egg-sized suitcase for a shower, I tried to hide my disappointment. I figured the smartest thing to do at this point was to change out of my chunky American tennis shoes (instant tourist giveaway) and slip into some more European looking boots. Within 15 minutes in the lobby I was chatting with another girl who happened to be in my acting program, who happened to be an American, and who happened to be named Katie too. How handy! The Twin Katies made their way down the street and set out for a cheap but yummy lunch. After the first two restaurants that we had researched on Google looked as though their doors hadn't been opened in 3 months, we found a pizza restaurant that appeared to be the way classier and British version of Chuck E. Cheese's. These British parents had figured out the secret to keeping a toddler quiet during a meal (they could probably sell it to American parents for $4.50 per child): put an iPad with a movie in front of the child with a plate of pizza and let the magic work. Sure enough, around the restaurant dozens of content children and their parents nommed on THE nommiest pizza I've ever had (ouch, Brooklyn).
Soon after that, Katie and I spent time in another LAMDA's student apartment, Victoria, and then finally at 3pm we met the rest of our counterparts.
I feel like most people in North Carolina would consider me fairly Northern or neutral in my accent, but here I was deemed the adorable Maybelle Southern gal (so maybe the nickname Katie May WILL catch on). Fine by me: everyone thought whatever I said was pretty darn cute. So maybe I'm sounding more Southern than British at this point, but hopefully that'll change. I've also been deemed the "baby" of the group at 18 years old while all my peers (besides another gap year girl) are juniors or seniors in college.
FIRST DAY AT LAMDA!!!
Today we were introduced to the rest of our 20 classmates and some of the other students who are at LAMDA for the 1 year, 2 year, and 3 year courses!
"Real, live actors!"
We've got a pretty hectic schedule (9am to 6pm everyday), filled with trips to Hampton Court Palace and other famous locations, Royal Shakespeare Company performances, and in-house events like Poetry Competitions and "Sleazy Night" (questionable?). All the semester students were welcomed to LAMDA with a Welcome Party held by the older students who are there for longer courses, and the academy boasted of the free alcohol and food that would be served (actors aren't that much different than college students). I've already used the tube five times today, and I can already feel my immune system being exposed to hundreds of germs and diseases (Leggo, Vitamin C!).
Well it's 12:30am here and I've got a trip to Hampton Court Palace tomorrow, so Captain Katie signing out!
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