LSO St Luke's

An old church converted into a studio for smaller scale performances and talks. I went to LSO St Luke's for a free piano masterclass. A sweet little place with a small garden... I learnt so much in the masterclass. I would probably have to pay hundreds back in Singapore to hear/watch something of this standard.


How to get there: Ten minutes walk from Old Street station. Look out for the tall clock tower in the first picture above.

You haven't been to London till you have watched a LSO concert...

I went to watch the rehearsal and concert by London Symphony Orchestra today. I was completely blown off. I watched numerous concerts by the SSO and thought they were really really good. But, LSO is top-notch.

On top of that, they have a really interesting resident conductor, Valery Gergiev. Watching him conduct is like putting the music onto a canvas. He transferred so much information with just two arms. I am ashamed to say, but I have to admit, it took me quite a long time during the rehearsal to figure out what he was trying to convey in each micro-action.

However, once I got it, I felt like I am part of the orchestra. It's a really strange feeling. 

I enjoyed myself a lot and I can go on all day with the descriptions, but it is time for some photos~

Barbican centre



I couldn't help but take a photo of the toilet. Each cubicle has its own sink, mirror and paper towels. Turn the tap on and off with a sensor. I must say this is way smarter than Esplanade's hand sensor tap. I am not biased. Plain truth.

How to get there: Barbican Station followed by 5 mins walk

Stupid Circle Line~ I was almost late for the concert because of it. I boarded the train thinking that I will be early but I was so wrong. It kept stopping in between stations and we were told that there was a "jam".

"We should be moving off in a few minutes. There is a Metropolitan line in front of us and we are currently second in the queue." I thought I only hear this when I am in a plane, not in a tube. Ok, I should stop complaining and just get used to it.

When I got off the tube, I ran and ran. My heart was beating so hard, it hurts. Bad idea to run in the freezing cold, especially when the concert started late, which is shocking. All along I thought concerts in London start on time. Oh well...

A long eventful day...

London underground - you need it, yet you hate it...

It's old, it lacks ventilation, it's cramped. Worse yet, engineering works take place every weekend...

Yet it's an absolute necessity.

There you have it, the London underground...

One thing to remember when boarding a very packed tube. Watch out for your head. Looking at the way the doors are cleverly designed, having your body inside the tube, doesnt necessarily mean your head is in...

That said, the newer Overground trains are rather impressive. (think Singapore, Japan, Taiwan trains...)

Tower of London

 As promised, I present to you, Tower of London~

How to get there: Tower Hill underground station

Tower of London should actually be called Towers of London because there are actually many towers inside.

I would presume the highlight for every visitor would be the crown jewels inside the tower on the left (above). I don't know if I had too high expectations, but I was rather disappointed. I was expecting a sea of jewels blinding my eyes. It didn't seem to be the case. We followed round and round watching videos, reading information, looking at swords. It was only towards the end that we finally saw some jewels. Of course, they were marvellous. But too few to feel the 'shiok-ness' or satisfaction, in proper English.

To represent of the pillows which cushioned the falling heads after the sword swifts down...

The toilet - a hole with a slope beneath sending ur waste sliding down and maybe landing on the ground with a loud 'thud' (or 'squish'?) ok, I am getting too explicit. But please don't relieve yourself there; it is really just for show.



 

The armour really does protect important parts as well. Ok, I shan't be describing too much again.

If you have the time and money, I do highly recommend a trip to Tower of London~

More photos on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=560796&id=882325547&l=a266a5f8c6

Victoria and Albert Museum and a whole lot of fun~

How to get there: South Kensington Underground, turn right upon exit and follow the signs in the subway

I went there to visit the exhibition on Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the ballet russes. Entrance to the museum is free, but I believe it costs 6pounds to get into the exhibition. I went there with my school, so it was free.

I found the exhibition really interesting as it really sets the context of the music at that time (eg: Stravinsky's Rite of Spring) and how the other art forms (dance, art, design) were all integrated together. Most importantly, it was a topic I didn't explore before. Now, the exhibition seems to ignite an interest to read up more in this area.

After the exhibition, I went to Leicester Square. It's my fourth time to Chinatown and guess what, I still did not manage to find See Woo. But I insist that I should know and memorise the route. And so I did. I bought 5kg of rice. I am so proud of myself to carry it plus loads of other things back home.

Meanwhile, I passed by a funfair.

Look at all those gigantic bears~ How I wish some guy will win one for me... (:

Me to You bears~ So so so so tempted to get one...


So tired from all that heavy groceries, but it was definitely an enriching day in 'Enrichment Week'.

London Bridge

Previously I was posting about Borough Market and if you have the extra time, do drop by London Bridge.

Getting to London Bridge: London Bridge underground station (why, of course~) Jubilee and Northern Line

There isn't anything special about London Bridge, looks-wise. It looks like any other bridge. However, the current bridge isn't the first to be built at this spot. In fact, it was built in 1973.

Oh well, just get there, shoot a photo with it to show it off to everyone on your facebook you have been there. That's it. *sings nursery rhyme*

When you are standing on London Bridge, you will spot another bridge running parallel to London Bridge. That's Tower Bridge (above), which is way more magnificent and camera-worthy. Do remember not to confuse Tower Bridge with London Bridge.

If you came from London Bridge Station, you should be at the south of the bridge. Walk northwards to the other end of the bridge and you should arrive at the Monument (which should be on your right).

The monument is built to remember the lost lives in the Great Fire of London in 1666. If you have the time, you can get to the top of the Monument to have a good view of Thames river and everything around. You will have to pay though. http://www.themonument.info/

From there, you can walk to the Thames path, which is a path that follows London's Thames river for as long as the river is (though at some points the path is disjointed due to buildings or canals that the river split into).

You should pass by the Tower of London and then get to Tower Bridge. Tower of London is worth a day of stopover and more about Tower of London will be posted soon~

Borough Market

Getting to Borough Market: Take the Northern or Jubilee line and alight at London Bridge Underground Station (Central London Zone One)

Borough Market is really interesting. It sells food of all sorts that you can possible think of. In fact, the area is so large that you might spend lots of time there.

There are stalls selling meat, vege, cheese, fish, seafood (very very cheap, fresh and big oysters, I'm an oyster fan~), cakes and brownies, sausages, flowers, wine, and so much more...

Most of the food there are cheap or reasonably priced, and definitely fresh. If you are dropping by, do remember to go on an empty stomach~

In fact, I do suggest you go onto their website now http://www.boroughmarket.org.uk/ to get your stomach growling. The website is very clear, concise and helpful.

Oh dear, just blogging about it makes me so hungry~~ (: