Wicked

The Stage for Wicked the Musical.

My week started out pretty rotten with some sort of terrible flu/cold.  I haven't been exposed to any of the UK strains of things so I hear that I am likely to get a few terrible cases.  Kind of like when your little one starts at daycare.  Except I'm not so little!

Thursday I was in The City for a meeting.  Londoners call the fnancial district The City -- you probably think of it as Canary Wharf.  Anyway, Wednesday I was right in the heart of The City for a meeting at a swanky law firm.  I have to admit it was one of those meetings where in the back of your mind you are thinking "How did I end up here?".  I mean, seriously, I spent my summers in the raspberry patch in Ogema and now I go to meetings in London at swanky law offices?  I bet my family never saw this coming when I was eating dirt in the Garden as a toddler.

Thursday night I went for drinks and dinner in the Farringdon area at a restaurant/bar called Smith's.  It is right across from the Smithfield Market which is -- I'm told -- a famous meat market.  I'm not really sure what a meat market is and I have never heard of it before (except in the context of describing a bar where people are looking to hook up with each other) so I don't know how famous it really is?  I'm not much of a foodie so maybe I'm just not in the loop.  It's really close to the new flat so I will have to make it back some day when it is open and see what the famous-ness is all about.  Great spot to have a drink (main floor is a great pub) and dinner in the restaurant upstairs.  The entire place is decorated in modern-ish cow portraiture.  Think Joe Fafard but less traditional.  City folks think this is cool.

Saturday I had a great Birthday (36 years and counting).  Went into London and saw Wicked the Musical which was absolutely brilliant!  I have this nagging feeling that the book didn't end nearly as happily as the musical but it has been a long time since I read the book so it wasn't too distracting.  The woman who played Elphaba was phenomenal.  I have had the pleasure of seeing many musicals over the years but this woman easily has the best voice I have ever heard.  Absolutely spell binding!  After the show it was off to dinner at my friend Elizabeth & Johan's.  And, to round out the night, Elizabeth and I went to a bar where one of her friends was also having a birthday party.  Elizabeth grew up in St Rose Manitoba -- jut a stone's throw from Canora Beach really!  If our hangovers this morning were any indication, we sure had a great time last night! I wonder how old I will have to get before I realize that Tequila shots are never a good idea?

Only one more week left here in PB.  I can't tell you how happy it makes me just to type that!  My next installment will be written from my new Flat in London.  Not too sure on setting up internet services over here so it might take me a bit to get back on-line.  You'll have to be patient with me.  At this moment I couldn't even name any UK Internet providers.  I guess finding out the name of a company is step number one.  You really take things like that for granted until you move to a whole new country.  Every little thing seems like a nightmare to figure out.