Thursday, June 13, 2013

owen attempts to channel the merry wanderer of the night

At some point, Owen will hit the wall. He has to. I heard him scurrying around at 1230 and then again at 630am. He tells me he went back to sleep, but I have my doubts. When I got up around 730, he was having a nice conversation with Puppy, his ever-faithful companion. Owen had finished a bowl of Frosties and run down a full battery in his iPad. He was happy to see me, to have a little company (in addition to Puppy), and asked if I could help find some "sports" on the tele.

Keri and I both went for runs this morning, me in Hyde Park and Keri around the neighborhood. The cool weather really does do wonders for the quality of a run.  I was a little surprised not to find Owen holding court at Speakers' Corner as I finished my loop, given his early jump on the day.

Lauren slept in, resting up for her big day at the Globe Theatre. Thanks to Miss Abrams, Lauren's third-grade class had studied and then performed an abridged version of A Midsummer Night's Dream, and she was thrilled to be seeing an adult production in a theatre that was designed and built to -- we understand -- mimic the very place most of Shakespeare's plays were performed.


I highly recommend the Globe for anyone who enjoys the Bard. There really is something unique about watching a Shakespearean production in that environment -- a round, three-level theater with an open roof and standing room only space for the groundlings in between the seated audience and the stage.


The production itself was fantastic -- capturing well the balance Shakespeare sought in this play between pure farce and a somewhat serious consideration of the complex relationship between love, power and timing. Lauren really enjoyed the performance, in particular the play within the play after the wedding in act V. Owen, to his everlasting credit, sat through all five acts without so much as a single request for my iphone. He identifies as his favorite parts those involving Nick Bottom, the weaver who fancies himself an expert thespian and who is given a donkey's head and tail by Puck during the middle portion of the play.

We walked back over the River Thames via the Millennium Bridge and around St. Paul's Cathedral. Owen observed several times that the dome resembled that of the American "government." As I was about to launch into a lecture regarding the separation of church and state, Owen further explained himself and it became clear he was referring to the Capitol. Dodged that one, for a few days, at least.


A tube ride back home via a stop off at our new best friends at the launderer before we headed out for dinner at Wagamama, Lauren's self-declared favorite restaurant. Owen finished his dinner early and, despite his early wake-up, was still raring to go. A somewhat facetious suggestion that he run a few laps on the plaza in front of the restaurant resulted in Owen doing precisely that.


It is now 930pm London time and Owen is excited to be watching his first episode of Chopped. I'd like to think I am going to be able to outlast him and that I will be able to fall asleep, knowing he is asleep. That is looking pretty precarious at the moment.

7 comments:

  1. My those two little ones have acclimated very well. What a great day. Hopefully one nocturnal grandson will get some sleep tonight!

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  2. I am so impressed with your adventures and that both Owen and Lauren enjoyed their first adult Shakespeare play. Hope very much that Owen will have a reliable sleep schedule soon. Picture it hot here as you enjoy the cool. So happy for you and sending love.

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  3. I'm with Lauren on the assessment of Wagamama. May she enjoy many more meals there. (And don't forget there's one at the Heathrow airport.....)

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  4. This is the best vicarious vacation I have ever been on - and this is only the beginning. Lauren and Owen look wonderful and happy. Stay strong. Love you all. Baba

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  5. Wagamama is awesome! And was the Peruvian chicken place called Nando's, by any chance? Also awesome! It's cool to hear about your adventures...enjoy!

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  6. It is Nando's. I'm sure we will go back to both places, given the growing sophistication of Lauren's tastes!

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  7. I love Owen...if I could bottle that energy and steal some I would! I love that he is on this grand adventure but still keeping up with Puppy as he goes. What a great kid. And Lauren...I can only imagine her excitement over the Globe. I would be pretty stoked myself. Very kewl stuff. Loving the blog.

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