not one more word tonight...

*unsubstantiated rumors are good enough for me*

well boys and girls, it is an "against me!" morning. every time i listen to this band, i love them more and more. i really wish i had a few more of their albums. i have heard a few songs off of "reinventing axl rose" and they sound pretty awesome. one of my own personal most underrated bands of all time. they just make me happy, especially at 7:30 on a wednesday (gmt, of course).

*there was cameras bought for pictures to hold all the small details*

*we left them all behind*

so, when i last left you, our hero had just arrived on the streets of london, via a five hour coach bus. he had met up with his friend and was now about to enter the underground towards the college in which jake's friends were staying at.

well, i almost forgot to tell you the purpose of this trip: brand new. yes. brand fucking new. one of my all time favourite bands since, well, junior high. i had discovered a week earlier that they were going to be in london, as well as discovered that vivian was also a huge fan of this band. my spontaneity being what it is, we decided to book the tickets as well as the bus tickets and head down for the show.

we had originally believed that we were going to be able to crash with jake's friends in their dorm room, but upon arriving, it became clear that their college was extremely strict on their visiting rules and that they were only able to have one visitor per person. since there was already three visitors, viv, joe, and i were left without a place to stay. viv and i being in the positive moods that we are always in, just decided to put off figuring out what we would do and instead try to enjoy the trip. i work much better under pressure (more on that later).

so we made it to london, headed off to the grocery store to buy liquor for the night, and then proceeded back to the dorms. jake, joe, viv, and myself were all extremely hungry, so we decided to go out and find a pub to have dinner in. the thing about british pubs is, quite like mpls, they have very good food. i still can't remember the name of the pub, but the bangers and mash that i had were excellent. i think everyone else had the fish and chips, but i'm not entirely sure.

also an interesting note is that the tube system in london is pretty neat. i really haven't had much experience with an underground system other than a few rides in dc when we were on tour, but that is about it. they can really get crowded, and they basically go everywhere. there really isn't a place you can't go (except when it is late and they stop running, and more on THAT later).

so, we found out that the doors for the show opened at 7:30. that meant that the show probably wouldn't start until 8 or so, meaning brand new would go on around 10. perfect. we had to drink most of the booze we bought (except for the two liter of cider viv and i shared on the tubes) and plan out our route to wembley arena. the cool thing was, this concert was right next to wembley stadium, which is a pretty bitchin' stadium. (the english national soccer game plays their home games there).

so, our travel commenced. problem was there were a few lines of tube down and we had to detour. we made it close, then had to take a bus towards the stadium. finally making it around 10 or so. thing was, the show started at 10. doors were at 6. so, brand new was already playing. we rushed in, ran up just im time for jesus. jude law followed, then seventy x 7. then at the bottom, and finishing up with play crack the sky. so, six songs in all. but, mind you, each song was amazing and the crowd was so energetic. i loved every minute of it and can still to this day (and beyond) say that i saw brand new in london. playing pretty much songs that i have loved for years. (jude law and a semester abroad has a very special place in my heart, jp).

well, the way back was much more of an adventure. viv and i lost joe when we went to the bathroom (or toilet as the brits call it). side note: i STILL can't say toilet. it just sounds... naughty. in a non-sexual way.

we then went to meet up with jake and all of the girls at "arch angel," some club in kensington. one cool thing about arch angel: they had real american beer. sierra nevada. which, by my standards, is a quite good brew. i bought some for my foreign friends and toasted away to honor (thanks barrent dahl for that one). if you want to know the toast, comment heavily and maybe i'll post it next time.

now came the real problem. we still had no place to stay. it was almost 2:30. so, shit. i'm in london and may be sleeping in the train station if i have to. now another problem was that my back was way acting up. disc 5-6 did not like traveling that long in one day. it was kicking my ass. and i wasn't nearly liquored up enough to deal with it. (without pain pills or physical therapy that my medical insurance won't cover, i'm a mess). so after a little drama, i ended up sneaking into a dorm in a college a few blocks down and sleeping on the floor. beautiful. but, at least it was a place to sleep.

the ride back was great, and i still give viv crap for the concert, even though i am thoroughly content with what i saw. i love brand new, 2 hours or 2 minutes.

the week was then spent as usual. reading, internship (which i will post more heavily about in the future), and enjoying the company of all of my new friends, american, and european.

in all, i am so happy i came to york. i have met new friends i will have for a long time to come and wouldn't trade them for the world. i do miss a lot of people back home, most of all my family and closest friends. my mom and dad have been the greatest in supporting my trip. they see the good that can come out of it, not only academically, but also personally. i won't be the same when i come back, but, hey, that is in a good way.

and i promise, i will still be the same tj, just added experience. i am learning so much more about myself than i even imagined.

i have now surpassed the time length that i have been away from minnesota. this is new territory. so far, it has felt like a vacation, but i am not going anywhere anytime soon. i am here. i live here. it is weird saying, "i'm heading home" and have it mean langwith block g, room 237. home is a lot of places. but i guess it can mean where you lay your head. my home will always be minnesota. i love that state, and trust me, i talk extremely highly of it over here. maybe the minnesota gov't should be giving me a cut of the future tourism that i am forging for the state. the british invasion will happen. trust me.

*wednesday night dance party, winter 2010*