I'm Really Excited

The reason for my excitement is that I am in the beginning stages of planning my trip to London!!! A city I've dreamed of seeing since I was 16. I've been reading articles and taking notes on where to stay, what to do, how to stay safe, how to dress and more. I'm still planning everything out, as I stated above I am in the beginning stages of planning. I recently read an article about restaurants worth trying in and around the various boroughs of London. I'll be honest; some of them sound very good. Like, for example, there was one restaurant mentioned on Travel Lemming, which the link is provided below, called Imad's Syrian Kitchen. I've never had Syrian food before, but the woman who wrote the post raves about it. I might need to try it. She described some of the food there and it sounded very good. There are certainly no restaurants such as that around where I live. It's mostly Chinese, Indian, Mexican and fast food. If I am in London, I think I might try Indian food. I've never had it, never gotten a chance too. I feel like trying Indian food while on vacation (holiday) might heighten my memories and experience. And it's probably good. Again, I've never had a chance to try it

As a complete and random side note, I do have to say that I am happy that a lot of places in London do take cards. I will definitely have to let my bank know way ahead of time that I am going out of the country, when I'm leaving, where I'm going and when I'm returning so they know it's legitimately me and not fraudulent activity. Sorry about that. My mom worked in card fraud for 10 years at a local bank. I have heard the horror stories she experienced at work, of people not alerting their bank ahead of time and then calling in angry because she or someone else blocked their card. I am very cautious like that. If I wasn't, my mom would give me a piece of her mind to feast upon!

I'm happy to read that a lot of places do accept cards, and that the only places that typically take cash only are small businesses and some of the smaller markets. That means I won't have to bring as much cash as I thought. That's certainly comforting to know; I'd rather not run into any trouble carrying too much cash on me

I often use my 15 minute breaks at work to read articles about going to the UK and taking notes. It relaxes me and takes my mind off of work for 15 minutes, reducing my stress. I just started reading an article yesterday about 15 foods in England that simply must be tried. They all sounded good. And it even stated where to find them. I've also been reading articles about things like etiquette on The Tube, buses and taxis, which Jack the Ripper tour to take, walking / bus tours that are worthwhile for any interest and more

I'm really excited that Formula 1 gear is considered acceptable wear there! Yay!! I have two Formula 1 jerseys, one for the Aston Martin Aramco team and another for the Mercedes AMG Petronas team because my favorite driver is Sebastian Vettel, who was on the Aston Martin team and George Russell, who is on the Mercedes team. Also, I read that it's also acceptable to wear music t-shirts. As long as there is no offensive imagery or anything offensive on it, you should be fine. If anything, I'll probably get a lot of looks for my music t-shirts, considering they would be for bands I listen to, such as Iron Maiden (have quite a few of those t-shirts), Judas Priest, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Def Leppard, Deep Purple. The only graphic print t-shirt I would wear (and I know that will mark me out as being from the US) is a black t-shirt that has two crossed Gibson Flying V's and two bony hands doing the Metal Horns gesture while saying "Yes I'm a girl and Yes I speak fluent metal". Ironically, the wording is done in the same type as Iron Maiden's logo.

And soccer (football) shirts are acceptable as long as you don't wear them in a rival team's territory (wearing Manchester United gear in Manchester City territory or the other way around. Or wearing Arsenal in Tottenham territory or the other way around). Some pubs have even posted signs saying "No football colors" because of fights breaking out. I would love to see at least one football game. Just to experience the excitement of game day, see everyone excited about the upcoming game

As for clothing for going out in the evening, I read that jeans are acceptable, along with dressy t-shirts, skirts, leather boots, etc. I have nice skirts (which, thankfully come to the knees or about an inch or two above) and leather boots. If I did go out in the evening, I wouldn't go anywhere super fancy; I'm simply not like that. I'm more of a corner pub to eat and watch whatever sport is on TV type of person. Just sitting amongst the locals and seeing what their lives are like, seeing how they go through day to day. 

Of course, if I go during the summer, I will have to try and cover my tattoos. I have nine of them and am contemplating at least three more. I'll have to cover them up so as to avoid offending anyone. I am unsure how people in England would react to seeing tattoos on a young woman. So I feel it would probably be best for all intents and purposes to try and cover them up as much as possible. Luckily sweaters are acceptable all year round, which is good for me, as I have at least two sweaters, both are able to be put on and removed like jackets. I have to wear a sweater at work when I wear a short sleeved / sleeveless shirt because of the aforementioned tattoos, so I can look professional and decent at work

The bottom two links are sites that I found by complete accident and I've been taking extensive notes on. The people who write the articles on those sites seem to really know a lot about traveling. I feel like I can trust their expertise. The bottom two sites seem to have a lot of really incredible information. I've been taking extensive notes because I know for a fact that, even if I dress like the locals, they will know I am from the US the second I open my mouth. I count my blessings that I am street smart. I NEVER wear headphones when out and about in a foreign city or in a big city in general. I like keeping my wits and senses about me. I'm always vigilant about my surroundings

That Travel

Travel Lemming

The Second Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (2015)

This is a sequel to the highly popular film The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel

Summary

-Sonny Kapoor (Dev Patel) dreams of opening a second location for his Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. And not a moment too soon as well. Two fresh arrivals have come, creating a problem for his original hotel, which only has one room vacant

Cast

-Dev Patel: Sonny Kapoor

-Maggie Smith: Muriel Donnelly

-Danny Mahoney: Car Valet

-David Strathairn: Ty Burley

-Judi Dench: Evelyn Greenslade

-Bill Nighy: Douglas Ainslie

-Celia Imrie: Madge Hardcastle

-Ronald Pickup: Norman Cousins

-Diana Hardcastle: Carol Parr

-Fiona Mollison: Susan

-Richard Gere: Guy Chambers

Did You Know?

-The character Ronald Pickup tells a joke revolving around the Archbishop of Canterbury at the expats club. Ironically, he plays the archbishop on The Crown

-Rumor has it that Colin Firth and Helen Mirren were supposed to join the cast

-Douglas Ainslie (Bill Nighy) is seen reading the poem "Ulysses". This is the same poem that Evelyn Greenslade (Dame Judi Dench) was seen reading in the 2012 film Skyfall, where she played M

-Dev Patel is of Indian heritage, but he was born and raised in Britain. His parents are of Indian heritage, but they were born in Kenya

-Evelyn Greenslade (Dame Judi Dench) makes a claim that she is only nineteen days younger than Muriel Donnelly (Dame Maggie Smith). In real life, Maggie Smith, who was born on Dec. 28, 1934, is nineteen days younger than Dame Judi Dench, who was born on Dec. 9, 1934

Rambo III (1988)

This is the third film in the highly successful Rambo series, starring Sylvester Stallone

Summary

-Former Vietnam vet John Rambo leaves a peaceful Buddhist monastery in southeast Asia to rescue his former mentor from Russian commandos in Afghanistan

Cast

-Sylvester Stallone: Rambo

-Richard Crenna: Col. Sam Trautman

-Marc de Jonge: Zaysen

-Kurtwood Smith: Griggs

-Spyros Fokas: Masoud

-Sasson Gabay: Mousa

-Doudi Shoua: Hamid

-Marcus Gilbert: Tomask

-Alon Aboutboul: Nissem

Did You Know?

-Throughout the movie, if you look closely, you can see scars on Rambo's body. Such as the scar on his right arm from 1982's First Blood, which was caused by falling through the trees. Or the small scar on his right cheek, caused by a heated knife scraping his face in 1985's Rambo: First Blood Pt. II

-The last film in the Rambo series to star Richard Crenna as Col. Sam Trautman. He died on 1/17/2003 before a fourth film could be made. The 2008 film Rambo is dedicated to him in memory

-One scene shows Rambo playing a sort of polo-like game on horseback. In real life, Sylvester Stallone has experience riding horses. He's been riding horses since he was a child and even competed in polo matches starting at age 11. The game he plays is a popular game all across southern Asia called buzkashi

-Masoud (Spyros Fokas) is a reference to a real life figure named Ahmad Shah Masoud, a leader in the Afghan resistance against Russia, the minister of defense in Afghanistan and a leader in the resistance against the Taliban regime

-At the monks temple in Thailand, where Col. Trautman finds Rambo, it was a real temple in Thailand undergoing renovations. Director Peter McDonald stated that many of the monks there were not actors in costume, but actual monks from that temple. They were paid to appear as extras. He went on to say that he was delighted to give money to people who really needed it, as opposed to people who had too much of it

-Rambo is seen wearing the green charm necklace Co Bao from Rambo: First Blood Pt. II was wearing, that he put on after she died. In this film, he gives the necklace to Hamid before leaving Afghanistan

10 Facts You May Not Have Known About Marilyn Monroe

This actress was often described as a blonde bombshell. But, there are some things that people may or may not know about this bubbly, blonde actress.

-For one thing, she was the definition of 1950s glamor. Her tragic death at the age of 36 is surrounded by mystery and intrigue

1. She had a tough childhood

-Her real name was Norma Jean Mortenson. Born in 1926, her early life was a hard one. Her mother Gladys suffered and struggled with mental illness while her father was out of the picture. She bounced around foster homes and orphanages as a child. This unstable life created lifelong problems for Marilyn. Despite showing a high degree of glamor and confidence on screen, in real life she suffered with anxiety and low self-esteem 

2. She adopted her breathy voice to beat her stutter

-Her iconic raspy, breathy voice was immediately recognizable. It was also designed to help her overcome a stutter from childhood. As a child, Marilyn suffered from stuttering. This could have been a hindrance to her dream of acting. With the assistance of speech therapy, she learned to talk in a lower, breathier tone of voice. It helped control and minimize any stuttering. And, of course, this tone of voice became her trademark

3. She was actually a natural brunette

-It might be hard to believe, but Marilyn Monroe was not always a blonde. She had brunette hair in her younger years. She dyed it platinum blonde when she first started acting. Maintaining the look was not easy. She was said to touch up her roots every couple of weeks and bleached her hair every six weeks. It was a high maintenance thing to do, but it became something iconic for her

4. She studied Method Acting

-This type of intense acting style was created by Lee Strasberg at The Actors Studio in New York City. She worked hard to develop her skills in acting, and, as such, she studied under the famous Lee Strasberg to help shape and mold her acting skills

5. She loved literature

-She was an avid reader. It surprised many who thought she was just a pretty face with no intelligence. She had a massive collection of books, numbering at least over 400. Her library included classics, poetry, philosophy, art and photography books

-She also included authors as friends. She loved reading books by authors such as Dostoyevsky, Joyce, Milton, Whitman and Rilke. She was actually working on a book of poetry at the time of her death. She was definitely a bookworm at heart

6. She converted to Judaism

-Prior to marrying her husband Arthur Miller, she converted to Judaism in 1956. She was raised Christian Scientist, she openly and willingly embraced Judaism. Even after she got divorced, she still followed the Jewish faith. She found comfort in embracing her third husband's faith during times that were challenging

7. She had her eye on Einstein

-Actress Shelly Winters was a roommate of Marilyn's. They both made a list of men they fantasized about intimately. After Marilyn's death, Winters revealed one of the men from Marilyn's list included Albert Einstein. While it's unclear if she ever met the Nobel prize winner, a photo of him could be spotted on her piano

8. She suffered from stage fright

-It's hard to believe that someone like Marilyn Monroe, who made a living in front of the screen, could suffer from stage fright. She did. Prior to live performances, she suffered from shaking hands, a nervous stomach and even vomiting. Unfortunately, she turned to alcohol and sedatives to calm herself, leading to an addiction. Her anxiety led to the reputation of her being late and unprofessional on set

9. She worked in a WWII munitions factory

-Prior to hitting the big screen, Norma Jean Mortenson worked in a munitions factory, specifically the Radioplane munitions factory in Los Angeles during the years of WWII. The factory made military drones used during the war. This job had the unexpected benefit of starting her modeling and acting career. Photographer David Conover was sent by Ronald Reagan to take pictures of female war workers to help boost the public morale in 1944. When Conover saw her, he was struck immediately by her immense beauty. He convinced the shy 19 year old to pose for him on her lunch break. Those photos led to more photos, including the "sweater girl" photos outside of the factory

-He convinced her to leave the factory and start a career in modeling. She soon signed with the Blue Book Modeling Agency and quick to find success. Ironically, her humble beginnings and working in a WWII munitions factory helped give her a kickstart to her career on the silver screen

10. She left a quarter of her fortune to her psychiatrist

-In 1957, she stated seeing a prominent New York psychiatrist named Dr. Marianne Kris. They developed a close relationship during their sessions. Marilyn spent more time with Dr. Kris than any other health professional. This devotion even popped up in her will. When Marilyn died suddenly in 1962, it was discovered she had left 25% of her estate to Dr. Kris. The requirement was that the money should support Dr. Kris' work. When Kris passed away, the money was donated to a London psychiatric center called the Anna Freud Center as per her wishes

Rock and Roll Name Change

A lot of musicians will go by a different name because they think their birth name just doesn't sound like a "rock star." They might go by a combination of a nickname and their last name, a nickname or a completely different name altogether. According to the people at Ultimate Classic Rock, here are some rockers who go by different names rather than the one given to them at birth

Alice Cooper

-Real name: Vincent Damon Furnier

Benjamin Orr

-The Cars

-Real name: Benjamin Orzechowski

Bill Wyman

-The Rolling Stones

-Real name: William George Perks Jr.

Billy Idol

-Real name: William Michael Albert Broad

Bob Dylan

-Real name: Robert Allen Zimmerman

Bono

-U2

-Real name: Paul David Hewson

Bret Michaels

-Poison

-Real name: Bret Michael Sychak

Brian Jones

-The Rolling Stones

-Real name: Lewis Brian Hopkins-Jones

C.C. Deville

-Poison

-Real name: Bruce Anthony Johannesson

Cass Elliott

-The Mamas and the Papas

-Real name: Ellen Naomi Cohen

Cat Stevens

-Real name: Steven Demetre Georgiou. He later changed his name to Yusaf Islam

Christopher Cross

-Real name: Christopher Charles Geppert

Charlie T "Muddy" Wilbury Jr.

-Traveling Wilburys

-Real name: Tom Petty (birth name: Thomas Earl Petty)

Courtney Love

-Hole

-Real name: Courtney Michelle Harrison

David Bowie

-Real name: David Robert Hayward Jones

David Clayton Thomas

-Blood, Sweat and Tears

-Real name: David Henry Thomsett

Dee Dee Ramone

-The Ramones

-Real name: Douglas Colvin

Denny Laine

-The Moody Blues, Wings

-Real name: Brian Frederick Hines

Devadip

-Real name: Carlos Santana (birth name: Carlos Augusto Alves Santana)

Dick Dale

-Real name: Richard Anthony Mansour

Eddie Vedder

-Pearl Jam

-Real name: Edward Louis Stevenson III

The Edge

-U2

-Real name: David Howell Evans

Elliot Easton

-The Cars

-Real name: Elliot Steinberg

Elton John

-Real name: Reginald Kenneth Dwight

Elvis Costello

-The Imposters

-Real name: Declan Patrick McManus

Eric Carr

-Kiss

-Real name: Paul Charles Caravello

Eric Clapton

-Derek and the Dominoes, Cream

-Real name: Eric Patrick Clapton

Eric Singer

-Kiss, Black Sabbath, Lita Ford

-Real name: Eric Doyle Mensinger

Freddie Mercury

-Queen

-Real name: Faroukh Bulsara

Gene Simmons

-Kiss

-Real name: Chaim Witz

Huey Lewis

-The News

-Real name: Hugh Anthony Cregg III

Iggy Pop

-The Stooges

-Real name: James Newell Osterburg Jr

Joan Jett

-The Blackhearts, The Runaways

-Real name: Joan Marie Larkin

Joe Strummer

-The Clash

-Real name: John Graham Mellor

Joey Ramone

-The Ramones

-Real name: Jeffrey Ross Hyman

John Cougar

-Real name: John Mellencamp. He now goes by John Cougar Mellencamp

John Kay

-Steppenwolf

-Real name: Joachim Fritz Krauledat

Johnny Marr

-The Smiths

-Real name: John Martin Maher

Johnny Ramone

-The Ramones

-Real name: John William Cummings

Johnny Rotten

-The Sex Pistols

-Real name: John Lydon

Jon Bon Jovi

-Real name: John Francis Bongiovi Jr.

Joni Mitchell

-Real name: Roberta Joan Anderson

Lefty Wilbury

-The Travelling Wilburys

-Real name: Roy Orbison (birth name: Roy Kelton Orbison)

Lucky "Boo" Wilbury

-The Traveling Wilburys

-Real name: Robert Zimmerman aka Bob Dylan

Manfred Mann

-Real name: Manfred Sepse Lubowitz

Marilyn Manson

-Real name: Brian Hugh Warner

Mark St. John

-Kiss

-Real name: Mark Norton

Marky Ramone

-The Ramones

-Real name: Marc Steven Bell

Meat Loaf

-Real name: Marvin Lee Aday

Mick Mars

-Motley Crue

-Real name: Robert Alan Deal

Nelson "Spike" Wilbury

-The Traveling Wilburys

-Real name: George Harrison (birth name: George Harold Harrison)

Nikki Sixx

-Motley Crue, Sixx A.M.

-Real name: Frank Carlton Serafino Feranna Jr.

Otis "Clayton" Wilbury

-The Traveling Wilburys

-Real name: Jeff Lynne (birth name: Jeffrey Lynne)

Pat Benatar

-Real name: Patricia Mae Andrzejwski

Paul Stanley

-Kiss

-Birth name: Stanley Bert Eisen

Peter Criss

-Kiss

-Real name: Peter George John Criscoula

Peter Tork

-The Monkees

-Real name: Peter Halsten Thorkelson

Prince

-Real name: Prince Rogers Nelson

Ric Ocasek

-The Cars

-Real name: Richard Otcasek

Rick Springfield

-Real name: Richard Lewis Springthorpe

Rikki Rockett

-Poison

-Real name: Richard Allan Ream

Ringo Starr

-Rory Storm and The Hurricanes, The Beatles

-Real name: Richard Starkey

Ritchie Valens

-Real name: Richard Steven Valenzuela

Sebastian Bach

-Skid Row

-Real name: Sebastian Philip Bierk

Sid Vicious

-The Sex Pistols

-Real name: John Simon Ritchie

Slash

Guns N' Roses

-Real name: Saul Hudson

Steven Tyler

-Aerosmith

-Real name: Steven Victor Tallarico

Stevie Wonder

-Real name: Stevland Hardaway Judkins

Sting

-The Police

-Real name: Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner

Tommy Lee

-Motley Crue

-Real name: Thomas Lee Bass

Vince Neil

-Motley Crue

-Real name: Vince Neil Wharton

Vinnie Vincent

-Kiss

-Real name: Vincent John Cusano