Leeds, UK
Today started out pretty rough but I ended up turning my mood around. I think the ‘end of vacation frustration’ is setting in.
I spent the majority of my day on trains without wifi or electric outlets but from London to Leeds I was able to charge my phone. Before leaving Bruxelles I had to go through customs and get my passport stamped again :) In London I had enough time to find the memorial from the fire at Kings Cross Station in 1987 (I had seen an episode of Forensic Files about it and vaguely remember hearing about it somewhere else as well) before catching the train to Leeds. I also bought a potato, cheese, & onion pasty and man was it delicious!
On the train to Leeds I got very upset. A woman was occupying my seat and moved no problem but she, her husband, her father, her son, and another couple were all sitting around me. I learned from their loud conversation that they were quite well off and it just began to irritate me hearing about the lack of care this woman had for anyone’s time but her own. She didn’t book seats together on the train (so they sat in someone elses reserved seats to stay together) is late for everything, didn’t pay attention to times and dates of arrival and departure, they flew to a Caribbean island once and went to the wrong airport in London so they paid a taxi to drive them as fast as possible (told him they’d pay any tickets or fines) to the other airport, and the stories went and on. Fine, whatever- you’re a bunch of stuck up jerks, I can let it go.. But then, just before we got to Leeds, the son says to his father, who is sitting across from me, “There was another mass shooting in America yesterday. They’re getting one a day now.” And the father said, “What a terrible place.” Now I may not be as obvious a tourist as I think I am but I honestly think the son made the comment on purpose. Regardless, what an awful thing to say, especially about a country you just claimed to visit frequently. It just really bothered me. And you couldn’t even at all be sympathetic, just bloody rude.
I got out of the train in a horrible mood and when I noticed I was being kind of a dick to the (foreign) taxi driver I apologized and told him what happened and he made me feel better and then proceeded to rip me off, overcharging me by 5£ (I found out when an English taxi driver dropped me off at the train station this morning and the charge was half of what it was yesterday). However, even though he ripped me off he helped flip my mood around.
My hotel was great, it was right on the field of Headingley Carnegie Stadium where they play cricket and rugby (there was a match today, people were lined up when I was leaving!)
I quickly freshened up and got a great (Pakistani) taxi driver to the Leeds First Direct Arena. We jammed out to Bollywood music and talked about fall out boy. He also told me where I could pick up a cab after the show.
The concert was awesome!!! I was very far away but the guys sounded great. They played Thriller, which I feel like they never play in America. They also ended with Saturday, as they always do. September 30th was the 10 year anniversary of the first time I saw them live in Chicago. The guy next to me at the concert asked me if I was a super fan and I said no.. but I guess I kind of am without all of the crying and dramatics. I have now seen them 12 times in three states and two countries and I love it every time.
After the show I went to a place called Wetherspoons, a very large chain of pubs in the UK. They offer very cheap food and beer.. my bill for a pint of craft beer and a veggie burger with fries (which was delicious) was only £5.37. The place was packed and I didn’t know you were supposed to find a table number before you ordered food so I had to wait for it by the side of the bar. When it came I went outside to look for a seat and that’s when I ran into Alex. She picked up my accent and told me there were more Americans coming so I could totally sit with them. She was AWESOME. Very put together and cool. I met her friends, “the two Claire’s”, a guy who works for fall out boy (specifically for Pete and Patrick) whose name escapes me, a really witty and hilarious guy with long hair and a mustache whose name I also can’t remember (who also said he’s met FOB before and his friend co-wrote one of their singles), Tom who loves FOB and was totally geeked to have gotten to shake their hands at the meet and greet, and Harry who I think is in marketing but was also very cool and funny. I chatted mostly with Harry, he bought me a beer and we talked about England’s loss to Australia (rugby) and also hockey and vegetarian food. Later we all left for a new hipster type pub that just opened yesterday, called Headrow House. I thought the place was really brilliant. It was very industrial, the seating on the main floor was large benched picnic tables and there were pipes, bricks, and wood everywhere. The second floor is a music venue/area and the third is a rooftop terrace with comfortable high top chairs with long wood tables. The witty & hilarious guy bought my beer this time, a non-pasteurized Pilsner Urquell driven in tanks directly from Prague, Czech Republic. They were all very easy to talk to, although sometimes hard to understand (it was loud and some of those English accents are thick!). It was funny because they all thought I worked with the band or something. Nope, just on holidaaaay!
When I realized it was one o'clock in the morning I decided to leave with the two Claire’s. I was exhausted and hadn’t wanted to go out but how can you deny free beer on vacation and some hangout time with really interesting people?! Anyway, the two Claire’s were really nice and walked me across the street directly to a cab. I fell asleep as soon as my head hit the pillow.
A dreadful afternoon turned into an infinitely better evening. You have to find a way to change your mood when you get upset. It’s not worth it! I had a lovely night.