“Cheers, mate.” Such a great phase. I wish we could use it here in America, but we just don’t have the accent or the state of mind to pull it off without sounding silly and out-of-place.

It turns out that I have just returned from a 2 week tour with New York City Ballet to London—the land of sticky toffee pudding, pints ‘o’ lager, charming accents, mediocre food, a heavy-duty currency exchange rate (the pound putting our flimsy dollar to shame), ‘trousers’ instead of ‘pants,’ icy rainfall, bright red phone booths, and an overall high quality of living.

This was my first experience traveling overseas, so it will be one to remember. It was a nice way to become introduced to the notion of international touring, being as they speak the same language in London and there are more similarities we share with London than we share with, say, China.

My first impression of London was epic. As we drove into the heart of the city from the airport, there seemed to be a never-ending amount of gorgeous townhouses that appeared to just sprawl on for miles. In New York, we definitely have an equivalent quality of architecture, but the abundance of it present in London feels 10-fold to the quantity of that in New York. I found it wholly captivating to find a city with such a profusion of historic structural design. In addition, interspersed throughout the city was a plethora of statues, monuments, and detailed artistic aesthetics that added a great deal of distinction to the city. Even in the [spotless] tube system (equivalent to our subway system), they seem to even turn their advertisements into magnificent works of art amply displayed on the tube walls.

Ads in a tube station

When it came to food in London, I found that I had to be careful and choosy with where I chose to dine. There are many mediocre places to eat in London. And due to the currency exchange rate, some of us couldn’t help but feeling a bit ripped off when we paid the equivalent of $50 US dollars for a weak meal. But some of us did find some very interesting places to eat in the UK. We found a great local fish and chips joint just a few blocks from the Coliseum Theatre (where we performed) called Rock & Soul. Even better, we found a unique restaurant that specialized in savory Japanese pancakes filled with goodies like lotus roots, Asian mushrooms, and seafood. And of course, there was great Indian food in London, mostly located in the Brick Lane neighborhood.

Japanese Pancake

Dancers enjoying some new tastes

Beyond the food, the pub scene of London is great. Many of us found that it lacked the pretentiousness present in the bar scene of New York. The pubs were simply just comfortable (and again, historic) settings where one could get a local pint and enjoy the company of friends. There were no elements of snoody bartenders, loud obnoxious music, or feelings of entitlement radiating from the others in the pub.

The company had class and rehearsed at the Royal Ballet facilities. The facilities were as beautiful as the royal ballet dancers are. Proportional, vivid, impressive, sleek, and well-maintained. It was a refreshing experience to take class in the habitat of another ballet company.

In the Royal Ballet studios (I’m the one in the orange shirt)

As fun as London was, by the second week I was missing home like whoa. Its good to finally be back in my natural setting, enjoying the splendors New York has to offer.