Denzel Washington

Before I get to what has perhaps been the coolest moment of my time here in London so far, I want to quickly recap the past couple of days. My classes this week went well for the most part, though I am still finding my way around, and still learning what exactly is expected of me for each class meeting. It is definitely far less work on a daily basis than I'm used to from BC, which sort of freaks me out (because I always feel like there is something I should be doing), but I know I will probably get used to this in no time. 

Because I had some extra time on my hands this week, I became a little more daring with my cooking. Usually, I just boil water, throw some pasta in, grab a jar of bolognese sauce, and call it a day. But this week I made two home-cooked meals that actually turned out great, if I do say so myself. Sweet and sour chicken, and homemade macaroni and cheese! I'm excited to start expanding my horizons in the kitchen this semester, as cooking is becoming a hobby that I actually really enjoy! 

Sweet and sour chicken

Hey look, I didn't set the kitchen on fire!

Not as good as Kraft, but it's coming along...

Today was a spectacular day. Eric and I went to Piccadilly Circus for dinner, because we really enjoyed seeing the area last week and wanted to do some more exploring. We ended up in Chinatown, which is a really fun place with a ton of cool restaurants. When we couldn't decide on a restaurant (more like I couldn't decide), we accidentally wandered back onto the main road and quickly realized that something big was going on at Empire Cinema, which I guess is the main movie theater in London. We stumbled upon the UK premiere of Flight, and soon realized that it was none other than DENZEL WASHINGTON on the red carpet. Needless to say, I almost passed out. 

Empire Cinema

DENZEL!

Doing an interview

Flight Billboard in the background

Finally there aren't 50 heads blocking him in this picture

He's posing for a picture with someone - I wish it were me!

I mean, what luck, right?! Maybe next time Eric will be more understanding when I'm indecisive about picking a restaurant. Maybe it's because I secretly know that someone awesome is nearby and we're going to see him. 

After Denzel (we're on a first-name basis now, you know) was out of sight, Eric and I headed back to Chinatown and ate dinner at Gerrard's Corner Restaurant. It was a very lively place and had good food. 

Gerrard's Corner Restaurant

Chinatown!

I want one of those in my room...

After dinner we wandered around Piccadilly Circus some more, walking through the massive London M&M Store, and Cool Britannia, basically a two-level gift shop for tourists. We also watched street performers and walked through the Trocadero, a sort of arcade with shops and cafes. 

Les Miserables

Making new friends everywhere I go

London M&M Store!

Such a dream...

Hey, that's not the Beatles... 

Too cute to not take a picture

English Mini Cooper in Cool Britannia

Basically where everything is really cool but way overpriced

Piccadilly Circus!

Piccadilly Circus tube stop, right in the center of it all

Still, the highlight of the night for me was seeing Denzel. Part of the reason I think it was so cool was because we literally had no idea what we were about to see, and then a second later I'm whipping out my camera trying to get a good shot of arguably one of the most famous American actors of all time. I certainly hope that I experience a few more moments like these when I'm in London, because it's definitely something I'll remember for a long time!