i guess i haven’t said much about london so far. here are my thoughts thus far:
- great city. and ohmygawd accents. so great. which is funny ‘cause everyone here thinks american accents are so cool (ha. hahaha.)
- so expensive. the exchange rate is rough and everything costs. a lot.
- so many beautiful gay boys (at my school)! its like reverse smith. i love it. i think the gay boy/lesbian dynamic is really interesting as well as special.
- i haven’t met another queer girl yet. it’s lonely.
- the school/studios are BEAUTIFUL! there are 12 studios, the building is bright and colorful and super modern. there is also a space with mats and pillows by a wall of floor to ceiling windows, where i cannot wait to nap between classes.
- exploring london a bit has been fun so far. camden is sososo cool! it reminds me of a massive, less cheap version of saint marks in nyc. also the area around pineapple (drop in dance studio) was really great—i can’t wait ‘til i have money to go back and take classes!
- it’s weird being around mostly men, especially as a dancer. career options are much greater for them because of the male to female ration in dance. they can dream for their future in a way that i cant. and most guys don’t understand that aspect of male privilege.
- its been kind of a wake-up/reminder that gay isn’t always queer. there have been a couple things said that were misogynistic or transphobic that would never fly in my home communities, at smith or in madison. pretty much the stereotype of gay white cisboys “eww-ing” the female body or trans bodies. not okay.
- i love being of legal drinking age. even though i’m hardly drinking. its so nice to get to go out and hang out wherever you want. i’m not much of a drinker, but its a) nice not being told no all the time, b) its nice to not have to worry about hiding bottles, and c) it’s nice sharing a bottle of wine at “family dinner”
