London Diaries #4

 It's Wednesday night again and this time we are at the end of my fourth week in London. It's so strange to be writing this, because the time passed by very fast, and I didn't realize almost half of the time I'm going to spend here to do my research has already passed. I feel like this week I stayed at home more than usual (and more than I wanted to), because of the rain and because I really needed to focus on my studies. Nevertheless, I managed to experience new exciting things and explore more of the city.

Last Thursday was just a regular day between the library and the supermarket to get groceries. This time I went to the SOAS Library to keep writing my dissertation; it's probably my favourite, as it has big windows that allow you to see the park while you're studying. I also love that I have to walk around Bloomsbury to get there, which is one of my favourite areas, so full of culture and magic.

Friday was a very exciting day: in the morning I went to the National Portrait Gallery. The museum displays portraits starting from the Tudor dynasty until contemporary artworks. I think the collections are very well organized, because, starting from the last floor, you can see the artworks in chronological order, also exploring the different techniques used by artists in every era. It's a really interesting museum and I recommend it if you ever visit London. Afterward, I had to go to the Royal Ballet, as I had booked a ticket to see a show called Live at lunch. I was a short segment of a ballet lesson, where the teacher explained a sequence to two dancers, and they showed us the process of learning it and the final choreography. It was a very magical experience and it was so interesting to get an insight of what happens in the school. To get there from the National Portrait Gallery I also had a stroll around Covent Garden, which I always find to be a fascinating area, although it's often very crowded.

London Diaries #3

 It's Wednesday night again and another week of my life in London is terminating. I didn't think time would pass by so fast, but I'm always trying to make the most out of it. This week was probably a more balanced one, as my schedule was very busy for some days, but I tried to stay at home and recharge for the others.

Last Thursday was not the best day for me, as some of my plans got ruined. When I came here for the first time, as a tourist, I was 14, and I still had some leftover cash from that trip, so I decided to bring it with me to use during this period of time. When I tried to pay at the supermarket, I found out that, two years ago, paper banknotes were changed to plastic ones and coins are different as well. For the banknotes, it was not a problem, as I managed to exchange them at the post office, but they told me I was supposed to go to the Bank of England to exchange the coins. I checked that it was possible to do it there and I organized a morning in the City of London area in order to go to the bank and also see some attractions nearby. 

The morning was soon ruined, because I was told by the employees of the bank that they no longer offer this service, and I was supposed to find a solution myself. This was very disheartening, as I was left alone to find an alternative, and I'm probably going to lose the value of that money, because it's not possible to know if other banks still offer the service and where they are located. Now that a few days have passed, I have tried to focus on everything else that I have to accomplish these days, and I'm going to try and accept that negative things like this can happen in life, and they are out of my control. But that morning the situation really demoralized me, also because if I had known, I wouldn't have wasted my time going to the bank and I would have organized my morning differently, visiting a museum nearby.

Nevertheless, I still tried to make the most of that trip to the City area and I walked around to see a little bit of it, including the ruins of a church that I really wanted to visit: it's St Dunstan in the East Church Garden. The Church was damaged by bombing during World War II and, instead of being rebuilt, it was transformed in a public garden. I think it's really beautiful, and it has such a magical atmosphere; it was one of the things that I couldn't wait to visit when I moved here.

Tim Walker's Fairyland

 This morning I had the chance to visit Tim Walker's new exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery. The exhibition started a week ago, on October 9th and will run until the 7th of February 2027. 

Tim Walker is a British photographer who works mostly in fashion, collaborating regularly with Vogue, W and Love magazines. He gained popularity in the 1990s thanks to his unique imaginary photography style, which combines whimsical elements inspired by his love for fairytales.

This exhibition is presented as an exploration of queer identity, community, and love. In the presentation at the beginning of the exhibit, he explains how the term "fairyland" is a reference to his childhood, a garden he decorated where he felt he could be himself and dream about adventures and romances. Growing up, he was confronted with society's oppressive response to his queerness, to the point of being ashamed of it. This exhibition is a statement that difference is precious and beautiful, and Walker affirms he can now place himself with confidence in Fairyland, a realm that constitutes a safe space where everyone can be themselves.

London Diaries #2

 It's Wednesday evening, which means that my second week in London has officially ended. This was a very tiring week: I had a lot of work to do for my thesis and I also had some events to attend here in London that I had booked. This was a week that taught me to slow down and try to enjoy the city and carry on with my work while still finding the time to rest. In fact, even if I managed to do things that I was very excited about and that resulted in amazing experiences, having such busy schedules slowly led me to not having the energy to keep up anymore.

On Thursday, I still had some research to do at the Women's library, so I spent the whole day there to study and write a few pages of my dissertation. I felt really tired having to spend so many hours at the library, but I had to stay until the evening, because I had to attend a very magical event close by: a ballet at the Royal Ballet and Opera House! This was a dream of mine and I can't emphasize how much of a magical experience this was. It was the show for the centenary of the school, and it included a series of choreographies made for the event, in addition to some passages from some iconic ballets, like Manon and Swan Lake. This was the most mesmerizing experience I had in London and I will treasure it forever.

London Diaries #1

Today is Saturday morning and two days ago my first week in London officially ended. I came here thanks to my university to conduct thesis research abroad in various libraries in the city, and I am staying here for a total of nine weeks. I want to try and make the most out of this experience, explore everywhere I can in the city and cherish all the time I'm spending here. This is why this morning I thought I might start this series of London Diaries, to document every week what I have visited, enjoyed the most and keep track of my experience here.

This first week was a very busy one, as I had to keep up with administrative documents, organize the house and my academic life. Nevertheless, it was a week full of new experiences and, even though my academic work is often pressuring and tiring, I managed to make the most out of this week, and I am very excited to be here and for the places and activities I am discovering. 

I moved here on Wednesday, so, naturally, on Thursday I had to buy groceries, clean and organize the house, but while doing this I managed to have a very lovely walk around my neighborhood. The weather was unusually sunny, so, going around different stores, I got the chance to visit this area and enjoy all the small corners: the little parks, the typical red brick houses and the street market. I decided to conclude the day by visiting Primrose Hill, which is not far away from where I live. I went there by foot to explore the neighborhood a little more, and I got the chance to see some squirrels and cats around Regent's Canal. When I arrived at Primrose Hill it was sunset time and the view was amazing. I entered into the park and walked until the top of the hill, from where I got a beautiful view of the London skyline while the sky was morphing into pink and purple shades. As it was starting to get dark, I decided to go back home, still by foot, and I managed to see my first red telephone booth. It was a busy day and starting to adapt to a new city is not always easy, but I came back home with a hopeful feeling for this new experience.

What makes you you

Last week I happened to watch a video from a YouTuber that I have been following ever since middle school, and she was talking about the way her life recently felt like going on autopilot and how to get out of that situation she needed to rediscover the things that made her feel good and that made her feel like herself. Her name is Lea and this video is called "Stare bene" and it really made me think about my life too and about how I have found myself in that situation recently. 

This year was full of changes for me as I moved to Paris and dealing with living abroad was as magical as it was terrible. I was soon hit with the realization that life can still be very challenging even when the setting looks like a dream. I feel like life can often become so hectic that we lose ourselves in the process and in the same way I started not recognising myself anymore. So, after watching this video, I started writing in my journal, trying to reflect about the things that brought happiness in my everyday life and those attributes that made me feel me.