Tuesday, August 02, 2011

Euro Journal: Day 22 London (Hornchurch, Essex) Sun 31 July 2011

We got up one by one between 3.30 to 4.00am and left for Heathrow around 4.30. It was an over-an-hour drive to the airport. The time was pretty good when we got there. Steve came out 30min after we arrived.

We had breakfast first thing we got home. After staying up a bit, I felt that I needed to take a nap since i was planning on going to see Andrei Tarkovsky's "Solaris" at BFI Southbank in that evening. After the late lunch/early dinner which finished around 3pm, I set off to the first journey to the Central this time around.

I got to Embankment around 4pm and walked across the bridge to the southbank. It was packed as predicted since the weather couldn't be better. I was surprised to know the the screening was sold out but relieved right away since I learned that I could still wait in the stand-by line, and I soon made friends with the two guys who are in front and behind me, a local British fella David and a Canadian Brazilian guy Rod. It was so cool to make friends like that.

After we all got the tickets to our relieves, we continued to chat and got to know each other better. "Solaris" was one of the films I've dreamt to see for a long time and finally got my wish came true. It was another unique cinematic experience from Tarkovsky for sure.

I met also David's friend Duncan who join him to the film afterwards. Rod left for his dinner with friends first, and the rest of us went to get something to eat. We ended up in 'Baozi Inn' in China Town. I got wanting soup and plum juice. They are pretty nice despite of the above-budget price.

It was already around 10pm when I said goodbye to them. I walked back to Embankment from Leicester Square by myself and felt like being a Londoner for the first time.

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