Day 78: The Magical World of Harry Potter

Not Quite a Review

You know what's sad? The entire theater was EMPTY when we went to see Harry Potter. Opening Day. What the--? We went to the Odeon at Whiteley's, super early too, so as to procure Ben and Jerrys and other goodies. There were 12 of us and like 8 other people. I guess the cinema isn't a big thing in the UK. Embarassing. The show was really fun to see (mostly because we got to see London a lot and squeal about how we'd been somewhere or other). I had to pee, not once, but THREE times during the movie. The only concern I had was coming back and seeing Harry and Hermione slowdancing...? Confusion. But it was so fun to see everyone from Leicester on the big screen, giving their all to the last Harry installment probably EVER. Hooray for smart lines and awesome camera and for not sprinting through the plot like crazy people! Bellatrix Lestrange is really, really scary--Emma Watson said acting like she was scared and tortured was not difficult. Helena really looks unhinged in that scene. Also Dobby is boss. Snape was only there for two seconds. Sadness. Secretly not excited to see the next movie because it's all over after that...I sure hope the next big thing is lying in wait.

After some pad thai, it's off to do more homework. I feel so awesome getting everything in on time! I guess the best part of today was realizing that we've been to Tottenham Court Road and Diagon Alley for REALSIES. And saw Rupert and everything. It's so enchanting to look at the pavement in the scenes and know exactly what those stones feel like under your feet, or imagine the smell of the streets, or wonder what road they just stood on and what bus that was that just raced by. So marvelous! In Paris, I was sad a lot of girls hadn't seen Ratatouille and did not indulge my reasonable search for Gusteau's. I think the things that aren't real are as exciting to us as people who really lived; going to Fleet Street and wondering which of the barbershops Sweeney Todd worked in is a chilling experience, or seeing a dark alley on Baker Street and wondering if Holmes is on the trail, or visiting Bloomsbury and checking all the windows to see if Peter is listening in at Wendy's stories, or going to Portsmouth and wondering whether Captain Wentworth is out at sea, or seeing a large estate out on the moors and wondering whether there isn't a secret garden locked behind those monstrous walls--it's the fairyland I hoped it would be. It might have taken a while to get here, but London is some sort of fairyland and living here feels like I'm living someone else's life.

I'm pleased to announce that the Shulers have invited me to Thanksgiving dinner with them, so I'll be well looked after. Bit different food, I can only imagine, but still--there might be real football on the television. That would be marvelous. Gotta write some essays tomorrow, blech. Hopefully I'll go hit up Regents Street and see the lights. That would be a fun outing for sure :)