14 Feb
Valentine’s Day in London was so much fun! When I opened my door to go to breakfast, there was a line of Valentine’s cards on the floor to all the girls in my room. A young man in our group, Ramzi, had made a V-day card for each of the 33 girls in the Centre! It was sooo cute. Then a huge bouquet of roses showed up in our dining room addressed to “The Beautiful Women of the London Centre.” We later found out they were from two other men in our group, Mike and Colin. And then a Valentine’s package from my Mom arrived right on time! Really, couls that day get any better?? But wait… To top it all off, we got to go see Swan Lake Ballet at the Royal Opera House that night. The ballet was simply gorgeous. The ballerinas were just fantastic and being in a family of dancers, I understand a bit of the skill and dedication that takes. Now, just the ballet would have been worth the ticket, but add on the majestic Royal Opera House Orchestra and you have a resounding success. I still remember one moment when the evil Rothbart sets a spell on Odette and it seems as if he takes over her body. The ballerina couldn’t even see him behind her and their arms were moving in perfect sync. It seemed absolutely magical. I was also struck by the strength of the dancer who played the prince. I was amazed at his leaps and how easy he made it seem. The ballet lasted for 3 hours and I have to admit I was drifting off by the end. But it really was a magical night.
