Day of Rock 'n Roll

30 Dec

And so, with a paper finished and saved in a PDF file on my brother's jump drive, we set out this morning for a day of rock 'n roll.  First stop: Abby Road.

We attempted to find it around Baker Street Station because that is where I was told it was around.  Instead of finding Abby Road, though, we found a section of Regent's Park where an old woman was feeding the birds.  It was an interesting site so we took pictures of it.  A couple pigeons landed on the woman's arm and ate from her hand.  She hand fed a couple swans.  Several ducks crowded around for their fair share too.  She had a look about her that suggested that she would verbally attack anyone who told her not to feed the birds.  Park rangers beware.

From there, we moved on to the rock shop across from the Sherlock Holmes Museum (which had a big line for it, by the way).  Ryan looked for something cool to possibly give to Reibe, and I looked for something that was cool enough for the money.  We ended up not finding anything in that particular rock shop, so we moved across the street to the shop devoted entirely to Beatles merchandise.  That was a fun store.

The store was filled to the brim with Beatles stuff.  An old TV near the ceiling was playing an old concert of theirs.  This particular concert was in Russia and you even got to see all the talky parts between songs.  There were Beatles patches and stickers and even cheap replicas of John Lennon's glasses.  I showed them to Ryan and he kept those in mind for Reibe because they were pretty awesome.  Still are pretty awesome.  I noticed decks of cards with Beatles pictures and I debated getting the cheap ones that just say Abby Road on the back, but I decided on the ones with a different picture on each card.  This one also did say "Official Playing Cards".  You gotta go official.  Meanwhile, I also looked at tee shirts and thought of Adam.  Sorry, buddy, I wasn't willing to spend the money.  Anyway, Ryan also got a metal poster featuring the Beatles logo with an awesome cityscape background.  The buy was initially for Reibe until Ryan thought more about it.  He still got the metal poster.  We asked the girls who worked at the store what tint John Lennon typically wore, and they both said that it was probably yellow most of the time.  Actually, his glasses weren't tinted most of the time, but if they are, they usually see yellow.  So that's what tint Reibe is getting. 

We also asked where Abby Road was, and they were more than happy to give us a mini-map featuring its location . . . next to the Swiss Cottage tube stop.  I was kinda/sort way off on my assumption.  Yes, it's only a stop away from Baker Street, but it took the train longer than usual to get to the stop.  There was a couple going to the same place on the train and they just followed us to the road.

But before that!  We stopped at the Marlyebone campus for University of Westminster.  And that's where we heard the bad news that the campus was closed between December 24th and January 4th.  I didn't like that because it meants that not only was I unable to print my paper, but I was unable to turn it in while still in London!  The security guard at the desk told us to try the Internet cafe across the road, but we couldn't find the Internet cafe.  It still gave me an idea to use an Internet Cafe, though, which I've never really done before, but they have printers for people who need it.  So I said I would print off my paper later on when we return to the dorm because there's an Internet cafe barely a block away from the dorm.  Before that, though, it was off to Abby Road while it's still daylight.

The crosswalk was crawling with tourists.  I couldn't blame them.  It's pretty cool walking that crosswalk.  A bunch of cars got annoyed at us.  I remember looking at a woman who was throwing her arms up and yelling at the window though we can't hear her.  I gestured them through, but I knew they were angry because it's the kind of crosswalk where cars are legally obligated to allow for pedestrians.  They must have been from out of town.  If I lived in London, I would avoid driving through Abby Road like the plague.  Ryan and I took turns walking across the street and we each got a few awesome pictures.  Even took a few videos of us walking along.  Mine had to be done twice since the first one came out blurry for some reason.  Oh well, I got to walk it more than Ryan.  w00t w00t.  Wait . . . he's a bigger Beatles fan than me . . . hrm.

Took a few pictures of the Abby Road Studio too.  They didn't want any tourist visitors coming in, so the whole thing was fenced.  But that's okay, the fence was still heavily grafittied by people who wanted their names remembered. 

With that done, we made our way to the Hard Rock Cafe Vault Museum, which we didn't get a chance to see yesterday.  On the way, we talked about what show we wanted to see later tonight.  We somehow made the decision to see Tron Legacy, but I think it was mostly Ryan's choice because this was his time.  I wanted Jersey Boys because I've never seen it before but he wanted to see Wicked if we were to see a show.  So I guess Tron Legacy was the default compromise.  Besides, I had been dying to see it since July and noticably dying to see it since it came out.

At the Vault, we joined the group for the next tour, but a woman who worked there said that the tour left early because it was full, the next was in almost thirty minutes.  As the crowd dispersed, she noticed us and apologized.  We explained our story about how we were unable to make it the previous day, and she said "Oh, I'm so sorry!  Let me arrange a private tour for you.  Meanwhile, play with our giant touchscreen featuring every rock item we have from any rock idol you can name."  So that's what we played with until the tour guide approached us and asked if we were the private tour.

I have to say, this private tour thing was really really generous of them.  Yes, tours of the Vault are free and it's probably no trouble at all, but I wasn't expecting it.  A private tour of worshipped items of rock.  It was really nice of them.  Really.

The Vault wasn't very big, actually,  It featured some lyrics typed and annotated by John Lennon, a harpsichord used in a few Beatles concerts, several guitars including ones from David Bowie, a guy from Kiss, Sting's bass guitar, someone's belt, a couple outfits, a mircophone used by the singer of KISS, and various other Rock Items of Cool I can't remember.  Like always, I took pictures of the ones that were either too important not to document and of the items I liked.  There was even a Sargeant Pepper shirt worn by either John Lennon or Paul McCartney, I forget which.  Ryan's probably frowning at this and shaking his head.  I'm not a very good rock fan.  Sorry.

And from there we went back to the dorm to figure out this paper thing and see if we'll have time to catch some dinner.  Meanwhile, Ryan had to finish packing his suitcase to see what can fit where and what has to go somewhere else.  I read over my paper to make sure everything was spelled right, that all my grammar was nice and active, and that my ideas ran smoothly.  While we did so, Mom and Dad called on Skype.  So we talked with them for a bit before I announced we were pressed for time, we gotta get going.  I went to print off the paper and Ryan stayed back for a bit to figure some things out with his luggage and take care of some business. 

My first stop was the Internet Cafe closest to the dorm.  Unfortunately, the printer was broken.  There was one by Waterloo Station I could try.  So I complained the entire time to Waterloo because it's a waste of time we don't have!  When I got there, the Internet Cafe I checked didn't have a working printer either.  Frustrating!  I had a movie to catch!  They did tell me about one around the corner further down Lower Marsh, so that's where I went.  On the way, I saw a small theater showing The Glass Menagerie by Tennessee Williams.  This might sound blasphemous being a writer and former theater geek, but I hate Tennessee Williams with an undying passion.  Apologies to anyone who are giant fans of the guy --- I just can't relate to any of his characters.  But right next to that theatre was an Internet Cafe that was . . . closed.  As far as I'm concerned, the printer worked just fine there, but it was closed so there was nothing I could do.  Darn it all.  What to do?

I wasn't gonna miss that movie, and I wasn't going back to the dorm empty handed, so I went and picked up some Irn Bru and some sweets for the movie.  Yum, Cadbury chocolate buttons and gummy strawberries.  Finally got my gummy fix that night.  Also bought a very large Mars bar so I can pay with a card (5quid minimum.  Those kinds of restrictions are in every shop in London, I swear).  Then I packed it in my messenger bag and got Ryan.  He mentioned asking one of my friends, so I called Alicia because I knew she would be home.

Alicia is the epitamy of awesome.  No, she didn't have a printer, but she did ask Ben across the hallway to see if he had one, and she did look up 24 hour libraries I could possibly use.  There were also Internet Cafes, and she said she would keep her eyes open for a printer tonight.  I love her.  She's always there when you need it, and I only wish I can return the favors.  I really do owe her.  Anyway, Ryan and I took the Tube over to Piccadilly Circus and a Hand of Fate guided us to take the exit out to Haymarket which is the exit that goes through the giant Cool Britannia store at the corner.  Upon exit of the station, we saw an Internet Cafe right there in the store! Bingo!  Alas, the printer was broken at that one.  We talked to the girl at the cafe and she pointed to the woman at the Information desk, who told us about an Internet Cafe in Leicester Square with a working printer that was also 24 hours.  Awesome.  Hand of Fate, you are also awesome.

New Plan:  watch movie and then print off paper.  It was a good plan, and guess what?  It actually WORKED!  Can I get a w00t w00t?  (Put your w00t w00t in the comments!)  We went and saw the movie (successfully sneaking in the sweets as we did it). 

Needless to say, the movie kind of blew us away.  We could only see it in 3D, but that's alright, because the movie makers did some creative things with the 3D bit so that was cool to watch.  The story was quite epic, though I don't think there was very much character development.  A few funny bits ("You're missing with my zen thing, man!" -Jeff Bridges).  Actually, that was the only funny bit I noticed.  There was one character named Zeus that I fell in love with from a combination of his whimisical character and his face.  Of all things, I really liked the sort of things he could do with his facial muscles.  That, it was an interesting face to look at.  An upturned nose, spoke through the front of his mouth.  I was kinda mesmorized in a "it's so FASCINATING" way.  Really.  Ryan was also blown away by the movie.  I told him he had to get the soundtrack because, really, it's an awesome soundtrack written entirely by Daft Punk.  Daft Punk = techno awesome.  The score was filled with awesome beats that can only be fully appreciated with Dad's new surround sound system and subwoffer.  Just saying.

So after the movie, we were off to the Internet Cafe.  I thought we got lost on the way (don't tell Ryan), but we ended up finding the place.  If not, it was A place with Internet and a working printer.  50p for 15 minutes of Internet, which was more than enough time we needed.  We printed the paper, paid the cashier who was actually quite friendly, and we were off. 

Back in the dorm, we did the last minute packing thing.  I researched the registry office for where I'm supposed to post the papers to, addressed an envelope, stapled the papers, and sealed it.  I told Ryan where the post office was (also showed him where it was on the way back to the dorm).  Told him what to do, but post offices were easy.  And the people are friendly at this one, so I was confident he could handle it.  Also went down to Alicia to tell her we got the paper/printer thing sorted out, thanks for everything, by the way, do you have a spare alarm clock?  She had Siri's old alarm clock, so she gave that to Ryan.  We tested it out, deemed it acceptable, thanked Alicia ever so much for her help (and apologized for interrupting her night with her friend, but no one seemed to mind about that, but still, we were sorry we interrupted their watching Glee.  I know what it's like to have your Glee interrupted).  Then it was last minute packing and, before we knew it, I had to leave for the airport.

The only bad thing about this was the fact that I didn't get any sleep before leaving for Denmark.  Gulp.  I was also nervous, as I always am when I visit another country.  But I had Hanne on the other end to look forward to.  So with a final hug and good-bye to my brother, I was off.