Chicago!

London seems like a chaotic maze of converging roads and numerous side streets; the amount of people walking through the city on a Saturday can feel overwhelming. Our tour guide today mentioned that approximately 7.7 million people live in London. Walking about yesterday, I couldn't help but note how many different languages that I've heard spoken since I arrived. On one day I passed an individual speaking French; I believe that I have also heard some Italian. Chinese represents yet another language that I've heard spoken. Though I am used to a certain amount of cultural diversity in the Tampa area, I have never encountered so much of it in such a short amount of time. I absolutely love it! This also leads me to wonder how many people are actually in London on any given day.

My flat mates and I experienced this incredible volume of people while attempting to find Leicester Square yesterday. It is taking us several days to acclimate to our surroundings--which means that it takes us at least twice as long to reach any destination since we constantly second guess our decisions and have to consult maps. Thankfully nobody (except myself) minds asking questions. And everybody here is so nice! Most people are more than willing to help, and a few individuals have even noticed our confusion and proffered their services without our asking.

Why the need to find Leicester Square? Darla, Erika, Cynthia, and I wanted to buy tickets to a musical. Wicked sold out, so we wound up going to the Cambridge Theatre o view Chicago instead.

What a blast!

Here are just a few notes from the experience:

• The Cambridge Theatre was much smaller than I had imagined. Really, I felt as though I was back in my high school auditorium.


• The smaller size of the Cambridge Theatre made the experience all of the more comfortable; it has a homey atmosphere that larger buildings just can't achieve.


• Because the theatre was smallish (compared to larger American buildings), the audience has a fabulous view of the stage--even from twenty rows back!


• I found the lack of props rather charming. I was surprised to see the musicians on the stage, but enjoyed seeing them as performers.


• The stage itself was rather constrained with regards to space. Yet the actors were so engaging that I forgot that I was viewing a play without much in the way of background or props.

Darla, Erika, Me, and Cynthia gathering for a group shot after our night out on the town.