Boo finals.

As you may have gathered, today was our first final. LAME. It was actually a really fabulous final, so I can't complain too much. It was for our theatre class, and essentially it was a few short essays (that we were allowed to type rather than handwrite) about our experiences: how I've grown, what I liked, what I think should change about the program, etc. Piece of cake! Unfortunately, tomorrow's final isn't so kind. It's a real final. Matching, short answers, and an essay. Grrrr...Boo on you, Lance Larsen! Finals on Study Abroad is LAMENESS!!

After the final, I had to write one last paper. That took all afternoon, partially because I got frustrated with so I took an hour nap in the middle of writing it. That's how I deal with stress, by the way: sleep! It's the best solution for pretty much anything. Really and truly.

After I finished the paper, I decided to go to the Royal Opera House to see Carmen. Oh my gosh, you guys - it was so amazing!! First: the Royal Opera House is of an entirely different caliber than the English National Opera. I mean, the performers were great in both cases, but I'm talking about above and beyond that. I wore slacks and a nice blouse, and I almost felt under-dressed, because most women were in evening dresses (pearls and diamonds would not have been out of place) and the guys were all in suits. There were other women in slacks though, so I didn't feel awkward. During the interval, there wasn't just a bar with drinks for sale. You could order full-on gourmet looking appetizers. The seats were ridiculously expensive: everything in the stalls and the good seats on the balconies and in the boxes were over 100 pounds each. I got the cheapest ticket I could, and it was 13 pounds. Here's the deal though: I didn't have a seat (I stood) and there was a big pillar right in the way of my view of the stage. Awesome, right? lol. After the first half (90 minutes) I was able to sit down on a bench seat a couple rows in front of me because there was an empty space. The pillar wasn't in my way then either!
So, because this theatre is such a fancy-pants deal, they could afford to do some pretty awesome stuff on stage. Like bring on a real horse, donkey, and chickens. Just because they could, not because they were essential to the plot. Awesome, right? And they used real fire. The costumes, especially the Spanish gypsy dresses and the bullfighter suits, were beautiful. Oh, and by the way, I've had the Toreador song stuck in my head ever since I heard it in the first act...it's a very well-known opera song, and I'm sure you would all recognize it if you heard it. Anyway, after hearing the whole thing live, I can't stop humming it!

I love you all! Cheers!