CaBaReT aT tHe RoYaL ArTs AcAdEmY

Monday, December 1st

First of all, it is December 1st! Where has the time gone!

Anyway, this morning I spent about 2 hours walking down Oxford Street and Regent Street trying to find a book store to buy a book with gold leaf pages for my art class tomorrow. Guest artist, Martin Frost is coming in to do a workshop with our art and paper class and I had to find a book and buy a particular paintbrush for the class. I finally found a small bible for 13 GBP, once I gave up on finding a used book store for a cheaper price on my quickly dwindling pocketbook.

I came back and went to my International Studies class where I received my graded papers back, and then we had a lecture on the European Union. I learned that the European Union was formed as a way to end world wars and catastrophes such as that, because if there is trade between everyone, countries wont want to go to war with their trading partners. The union was also formed to end the ridiculous money exchange system. The European nations are so close and traveled so much that it would be like having to change your money every time you went to a different state in the U.S.

In 2002, the European Union created the universal monetary system, converting everything to the Euro. That is why France no longer uses Francs, Switzerland no longer uses Swiss Francs, and so on. I didn’t realize it was so recent, but I guess it makes sense because I remember my dad going to France and using Francs, and I wondered why I didn’t have to use that currency when I came here this semester.

The U.K. is not yet part of the EU, however may believe that because of the recession, when the British Pound reaches the value of the Euro, Britain will join as well. The problem with joining is that you have to follow all of their laws and abide by their needs, and the U.K. doesn’t want to do that quite yet.

After class I walked with a few friends to a nearby art store to pick up some paintbrushes for class tomorrow. I only had to pay 4 GBP because I split the cost with a friend, so that was nice.

Later that night, Rachael and I met up with Cody her roommate Tzu to go to an event for their other roommate, Justine’s birthday. We walked down by Piccadilly Circus to go to the Royal Academy of Arts to see a cabaret. Defeinitely not what I expected. It was really funny and was a two person act where they kept changing into crazy costumes, singing ridiculous songs. It reminded me of a modern Weird Al kind of deal. They sang one song about how everything costs too much in London, and one entitled ‘Don’t go to Art School.’ I got a chuckle out of that one…

We left after the show after eating cake and wishing Justine one more happy birthday (btw… it is really funny listening to British people sing ‘happy birthday’ in their accent!). Walking home, we were absolutely freezing, but the Christmas lights made it worth it. I think London is turning us all into giant pansies… its gonna be so bad to go home to the EXTREME cold again!