Love from the Wild Child

Hello all.

I am in Paris this weekend.

London has been amazing. I am squeezing every last drop out of it, I promise.

(me in Conwy Castle in Wales)

I went to see Hair, which has transferred over here from Broadway, and it totally changed my perspective on life. Normally, I am a pretty conservative person socially, sexually, and morally (although not politically). But when I saw Hair, I wanted nothing more than to do drugs and get naked.

Later that night, I went out dancing. At one point, the people I was with were getting drinks when I headed down to the basement dance floor of a club. It was just me, the DJ, and a bunch of laser lights. I took over the dance floor in a way that you've never seen. For two songs, I was more free than I ever remember being. I mean, I'm always free when I dance, but not like that. It was like I'd entered another state of consciousness. I wasn't fully cognizant of what I was doing, but somehow I melted into the room and became one with it. (And for the record, I was sober.)

You know what? I am free because I'm HERE. When crazy things happen, I just wink and say, "London". It is the best explanation and excuse in the world.

(Hanging out with my classmates the night I saw Hair. A little drinking was involved.)

I am totally boy crazy. And a little girl crazy, too. This might be crazy, but I think I'm bisexual. I've just been lying dormant for a long time. No, I'm not joking.

I think I already mentioned my crushes on the French circus boys. Yeah, I miss them. They were fun. Mmmm...

(hanging out with my French circus friends)

(Me with Julien. I seriously wanted him and we had fun on the dance floor. But he's in a relationship on Facebook... and doesn't speak much English.)

(Me and Flo. Being around him is joy-inducing. Sadly, he also has a girlfriend.)

(Nael and me. He's the one who actually kissed me, and it was completely awkward. Oh well.)

(Guillaume was totally cute too -- and totally trying to flirt with me -- but my roommate/classmate was crushed on him, so I was a good girl and backed down. And yes, my love Julien is totally kissing my head in this picture. *sigh*)

I have occasional crushes on my classmates, but they're usually fleeting. More than anything else, it's just an appreciation of them as people more than an active sexual or romantic desire for them.

(me with my classmate D-Train, wearing my famous pink and purple hat)

During a production of Macbeth at The Globe Theatre, I totally connected with the actor playing Malcolm. He kept making eye contact with me. I swear to you, at one point he gestured toward me and winked at me during a scene (in which he was in the background and had no lines). Luke -- the nice, cute undergrad who was standing next to me -- noticed my Malcolm moments and commented on them. After the show, Luke was going to a talkback with the actors, so I gave him my business card (which has my name, headshot, and e-mail address on it), and he passed it along to Malcolm for me (who is apparently actually named James). Haven't heard from him yet, but that's most definitely the most forward move I've ever made towards a man. Huge deal for me. (Unfortunately, the phone number on my business card in my American phone... I hope he has the sense to facebook me or e-mail me... Because CLEARLY he's going to contact me.)

My classmate Wifey thinks that Luke has a thing for me. He keeps trying to get me to salsa dance with him, and just generally appears to go out of his way to talk with me and be around me. And I think another undergrad named Nic might have a thing for me as well (he's sweet, and he keeps offering to take my picture with various landmarks). And most likely an IT guy who works for the program named Deron who wanted me to watch the finale of LOST with him.

(Me with Deron)

I have a crush on a Blue Badge tour guide, whom is significantly older than my usual self-limited datable age range. (my Google-stalking suggests he's 39, but I'm guessing that information is old). Dude, intelligence is sexy. Also, he has a great sense of humor. And I'm pretty sure he was flirting with me in Westminster Abbey.

(Me and Blue Badge Seán)

People over here love me. I think it's my cute American dialect. I have been hit on by so many people (men and women) that I've lost track. And the guys here keep asking me if they can make out with me, to which I say no. I don't care how cute the guy is. I am not going to make out with any random nameless person. There has to be at least SOME backstory involved. Dancing with me for 3 minutes does not count.



See those two hot chicks? Yeah, they both wanted me. No, I'm not joking. Look at them, and then look at me. Clearly, they are the hotties in that picture. And believe me, it does not do them justice... They had tight mini-dresses on, and legs that went on for days. And they were really great dancers as well. They wanted me to go to another bar with them, but was celebrating a friend's birthday that night and felt like I couldn't ditch her... In retrospect, I regret the decision. They were HOT.

I've been asked on dates by men from at least 4 countries.

The first was Blake, an American who works for the program in an R.A. sort of way. He's actually younger than I am. He started flirting with me about an hour after I landed in this country.

We had a nice long talk one day, and he asked me out for coffee (which has yet to come to fruition). Then last weekend, I spent a good amount of time hanging out with him in Liverpool and Wales. We talked, danced, and flirted. He sent me text messages telling me that I should come hang out with him in various locations. But the last night we were in Wales, he ended up making out with some other chick on the dancefloor at a club (I don't know who she was... either a Welsh chick, or an undergrad). No big deal. I have other men around... But then this morning our trips aligned briefly (mine to Paris, and his to Amsterdam), and he was both flirting with me and actively following me around. And then he sent me a text message from Amsterdam saying that he wishes I were there... So we'll see.

(Blake and me on a hill in Llandudno, Wales)

Actually, at one point I was pretty sure that another guy with Blake's job was flirting with me as well. But he ended up going for my classmate/roommate instead of me (same classmate/roommate that went for circus-boy Guillaume, actually), so that shut the door on him.

A statuesque black man in a suit approached me in a club and wanted to get to know me better. He's a Brit named Nsikan who works for the United Nations. I gave him my e-mail address instead of my British phone number (because I hadn't memorized it yet), and he has been actively pursuing me through that medium. Unfortunately for him, I have a very busy schedule...

A Palestinian man named Wael wants me as well. He's a musician. And tomorrow, in London, he's performing in a show that Will.I.Am. and Cheryl Cole are also scheduled to appear at. I think he's in the opening act or something. He told me he could get me in backstage, but unfortunately, I'm in Paris.

(me and Wael in a Reggae club)

So far, I've only actually gone out with one of them. He's an Italian (who lives in London) named Alessandro, and he's delightful. As Captain Hammer would say, "Not my usual, but nice." He took me to a really terrible Bollywood dance-based show with a pathetic excuse for a plot. And then we went to a bar and got drinks that were called "I Can't Believe It's Not Watermelon". And then we got on a double-decker bus to Trafalgar Square, and I learned that my usual apprehension regarding public displays of affection does not apply in foreign countries. At all. The next day, he took me to the Camden Town market (which was great fun), and was just charming and lovely the whole way through. He really, really wants me. He wants to steal the purple and pink hat that I'm always wearing, and not give it back to me until I come visit him in Italy.

(Alessandro and me in Camden Town.)


But enough about boys.

I bought a great dress. I'm in love with it. I saw a girl wearing it around town, and I stopped her and asked her where she bought it. She told me it was at TopShop for 70 pounds (roughly $105). But when I got to TopShop, it was only 60 pounds (the tax is included) and I get an international student discount there, bringing the total to 54 pounds (roughly $81). Expensive, but it's the first major purchase I've made after being abroad for over 3 weeks. And it's totally worth it to me. Dude, I look hot in it.

Note: That photo makes me look deceptively skinny. I have actually gained weight since getting to London. I don't usually think of myself as being on a diet, but I watch what I eat (which is usually mostly made up of South Beach Diet bars and SmartOnes frozen meals), and I'm not doing that at all here. I have started eating ice cream, french fries, and mayonnaise here (all of which have been on my Forbidden list for awhile back in the USA).

I'm a wild woman.


Anyway. I thought you all deserved an update of my plot.


May you find your wild side.

~A~