I'm a little bit country...

So, as we mentioned in our last post, this weekend we took a trip over to the English countryside to clear our minds from coursework deadlines, dissertation drafts, and the steady stream of rejections that goes hand in hand with the daunting application process. It was really nice to escape the hustle and bustle of London life, to the tranquil and quaint settings of British suburbia.

So what did we get up to in our mini get-away to the Cotswolds? Well, we experienced a "lantern parade"  (yes it's as wild as it sounds!) where the townsfolk design paper lanterns in all different shapes and sizes and walk down the cobble-stoned streets showing off their creations. We also enjoyed some fine mulled wine, "saucisson" (because the word "sausage" simply isn't sophisticated enough for the French), and chunky potato wedges all bought at the German Christmas market set up to coincide with the parade. Generally, we just took in the scenery that was particularly beautiful blanketed in a thin layer of snow, and relaxed, taking advantage of the rare comfort of a heated house and plenty of home cooked meals!

All in all, it was a great weekend away, but we're glad we're back in the City, and looking forward to heading home to the family in a few weeks for Christmas hols!

Our Movie Of The Weekend

It was so chilly towards the end of last week, and what with our weekend break to the Cotswold’s organised, Val and I decided to stay in last night Friday night. Not happy with the choices available on the small screen, and after already catching up on Desperate Housewives, Gossip Girl, etc.  in the week, we decided to check out new releases on DVD.  After the success of UK dance flick, Streetdance UK, we thought we would give the US their turn with the third instalment of the hugely successful dance series: Step Up. Now, based on the previous blogs we’ve posted about our choice in movies, you will probably not be too shocked to hear that we absolutely loved it!

However, we loved it in a different way to Streetdance.  America’s Step Up 3 did, if we are being totally honest with you, have a lot of gimmicks and some moments that were cringier than the birds and bees talk with your dad (our flatmates who are less enthusiastic about dance flicks left us after only 15 minutes!). But then that’s because you have to look through and beyond the cheese (which they couldn’t!), and take it on the chin, in order to enjoy the breath-taking dance routines that occur for the full 2 hours. Yes, we know the script could never be described as particularly original and, no, the acting most certainly won’t be winning an Oscar any time soon (a Rotten Tomato perhaps!), yet none of this seems to matter as soon as you become mesmerised by the outstandingly talented cast of young dancers.

Like all good dance movies, the music is as amazing as the moves showcased. The generous array of genres, including: rap, hip hop and funky house, means that you’ll be heading to Itunes to download the soundtrack almost instantaneously! The tracks however, although being well-known in America, don’t get the considerable air play they deserve here.  Step Up 3, isn’t simply a film about “dance”, but rather the different ways in which the body can move, stringing one movement from another in a unique stream of slick choreography. A wide range of fantastic body-art is featured in the film, such as: parkour, martial arts, popping, locking, and crunking.  It also has a much cooler vibe than any dance film we’ve seen before it, as despite the rather lame-sounding “world battles” (like club dance-offs, only on steroids!), it is the best one we’ve seen.  And just so you know, we have seen EVERY dance flick there is…. at least twice!

Sorry Streetdance but as much as we loved you it’s time for you to move over for the real McCoy. Yes, the cowboys across the pond have trumped us again!  We advise you to grab a copy of Step Up 3 now in time to earn some moves for New Year’s Eve!

Oh, and perhaps even more excitingly - a work out/teach yourself DVD is due out at the end of December, also perfectly in time for New Year’s.  We have already ordered ours in tune with our New Year’s resolutions to get amazing abs, so watch out for news of amazing dancers hitting London on the 31st!  Wahoo!

Brrrrr It’s Cold In Here……

To quote the cheerleaders in Bring It On, yes it is definitely getting very very “cold in here”. But aside from the fact that we can barely afford to heat the house and we have spent most nights in our freezing rooms coughing and spluttering our way through our sleep we have kind of enjoyed this snowy time in London. Yes it may be Baltic out there but we see that as no excuse not to come out and play. So during our morning off yesterday- due to the horrendous transport crisis!- we decided to wrap up warm (and we mean warm, we managed to pull on 4 jumpers each, 3 pairs of socks, and of course 2 pairs leggings underneath our fluffy trackies, not to mention Val’s phenomenal maxi puffa jacket) and venture from our duvet cocoons to the great white outdoors. Snow ball fights and making a snowman (who became a snowwoman due to her bountiful curves!) are definitely a must when you’re snowed in and braving this chilly weather. *As is drinking hot chocolate by the bucket load, having extra-long extra-hot showers and getting out the thermals Granny brought you in first year. Our advice is simple; in the day; you may play and at night; wrap up tight! 

Here are a few snaps of us enjoying the London snow yesterday morning:

Apologies for our interesting attire!

Also we are heading to the Cotswolds for the weekend so check back on Sunday to see what we got up to away from London, and whether we survived being outside our beloved capital...…

Our Movie Of The Weekend

Now it’s very rare that we have a major disagreement. Sure we don’t see eye to eye on everything but mostly the disagreement is so minor that no arguments arise. This week’s movie choice however is a completely different story. Never before in the history of the planet have two people disagreed about something more and fought their cases with such force and precision. What’s this subject matter that has caused us to question our friendship we hear you ask; it’s the release of Harry Potter 7, part 1. Val sees this as the high point of the year, a true wonder, Keli however would rather cut out her eyeballs than have to sit through that movie ever again. Here we will explain our rationing and although we can’t come to a decision maybe you can help us out…..

Val's View:

Well let’s just face it; the first part of the seventh instalment in the Harry Potter series was amazing! Now, anyone who knows me well enough will know that I am nothing short of a Harry Potter fanatic, and may therefore argue that my opinion is somewhat biased. However, there are several reasons to account for my even-higher-than-usual levels of enthusiasm. Unlike its predecessors, this film, being divided into two parts, meant that the script almost directly followed the storyline from its novel counterpart. The previous films have had to miss out several key aspects from the novels due to time constraints, but this 2hr40mins addition gave David Yates the freedom to include all the rich details we know and love from the books! I recall leaving the cinema after watching the 6^th film, and feeling thoroughly disappointed that some of my favourite parts from the book had been overlooked, whilst other scenes (i.e. the destruction of The Burrow!) were simply made-up and added in! This time when I left the cinema, I felt nothing but a strong urge to go back and watch it all over again! Additionally, this meant there was more freedom to really watch the relationships between the main characters grow, which is what will make the final instalment that much better! All in all, it was a solid 10 out of 10, and anyone who thinks differently (a.k.a Keli!) should just read the books or shhh!

Keli’s Case:

That is all very well Valarie but what if you don’t have your extensive knowledge of all things wizardly and just wanted to enjoy a good film on a Saturday afternoon? I will say that honestly I wanted to love it. I truly and utterly went in there with all so much hope and expectation- similar I suppose to when you venture from the classic vanilla and try a new flavour ice-cream on holiday- but sadly, and I mean sadly, instead of the delight you get after indulging in a mango and passion fruit sorbet for the very first time, I was left with a sour taste combination of boredom and frustration. If I wanted to watch three teenagers camping, awkwardly dealing with their crushes and trying to find ‘magical things’ in the forest I would just watch my camp trip video from sixth form instead of sitting through over two and a half hours of the latest Potter tale to hit our screens.  Not reading the book meant that with this film even more than the others I did not understand the little jokes, the tensions and the suspense that I have later been told is “all part of the first section of the dramatic finale”. But dramatic the first part ain’t, and who really wants to go to the cinema to wait for something to happen when consequently nothing will in Harry’s world until summer 2011. Sorry Val we will have to agree to disagree on this one………

Hyde Park Winter Wonderland*!

As that magical time of the year draws nearer (yes, Christmas is only 1 month away people!), Londoners fall victim to all the Christmassy sights and sounds the city has to offer. One of our personal favs and a must for all students and non-students alike is the Hyde Park Winter Wonderland!



The fair that just opened last weekend and will remain open until the 4th of January offers several unique and exciting attractions, including: London's largest open-air ice-skating rink, a giant ferris wheel, and a German food market. 


Tokens for the rides are a reasonable £2, but are only valid on the day of purchase, so make sure you don't buy more than you'll use! The giant ferris wheel, though it offered some fab views over London, really wasn't worth the price of £8!

The food at the fair was, as always - delicious! Treats ranged from typical German bratwurst and hotdogs, to waffles covered in cream, and gingerbread men. And of course, a trip to Winter Wonderland wouldn't be complete without some mulled wine and a sweet crêpe to keep you warm!


Enjoy!


* For more info, please visit: http://www.hydeparkwinterwonderland.com/

Our Movie Of The Weekend

We don’t know about the rest of you but with all the Christmas shopping, splurging on decorations and indulging in yummy festive food we haven’t had much cash to splash on a night out on London’s tiles. So last weekend we decided to have a movie marathon Friday night. Despite Valentina already having a pretty impressive DVD collection under her belt (6 shelves worth!) we thought we would try something new. We chose Ashton Kutcher and Katherine Heigl’s summer ‘rom-action’ Killers and British dance flick Street Dance UK.

Both were surprisingly better than our expectations (which let’s face are not that high). Killers was actually really funny, a little bit far-fetched- but in a good Mr and Mrs Smith way- and cute without the cringing. But despite the fun we had watching Ashton Kutcher fight off baddies in a suitably tight tank top we must say that the winner goes to Street Dance UK. And here’s why……

It has all of the elements you expect for a dance film; the love twist,a series of battles, dodgey looking apartments, backstreet “cool” nightclubs, tough auditions and that classic combination of street dance and ballet entwined into one routine. But importantly all it hits all of these crucial elements actually really well in addition to featuring more outstanding dances than we have ever seen in a dance movie and not just at the end; one by Britain’s Got Talent Winner’s Diversity is partially memorable. Oh and the music is amazing too, we’ve already got the soundtrack and spent at least half a hour afterwards trying to learn the routines!

So yes it might be kinda lame to stay in on a Friday night, and yes it might be even lamer to watch a British dance film but you’ll be sorry if you miss this one- Trust us!

Our First Hello

Hey there,


This is the start of our blog. We are third year students in London. We enjoy the amazing experiences you can have whilst studying in this city, as well as the not so great. And we plan to share it all with you.


Look out for posts on everything you think a day in a London student's life could entail. From sprees in M&S reduced range to Halloween House Parties, oh and some pretty horrific public transport experiences!