Shakespearean Slips!

October 3, 2010

Thinking we were leaving at ten this morning, I woke up at 8:30, showered and got ready. We then got a text saying that Alicja and Tony, Alicja's husband, would not be able to pick us up until 11 because they needed gas and the gas stations don't open until 11.

Got picked up and headed out to Stratford to see Shakespeare's house. Getting there, the parking meter wasn't working, but we were informed it was okay to park without a ticket since the machine was down. Went and paid 11.50 pounds (the student discounted price) to walk through William Shakespeare's house. I got to see a lot of the original furnishings in his house, walk on the same floor he walked on centuries ago, see the bed where he was born, etc. 

Having seen the house, we then headed to the gift store where I found the most hilarious thing to buy Darrick for a Christmas present. Cannot wait to see his face! ha ha From there, we jumped in the car on an hour-long drive to find a McDonald's. Starving, all of the girls ordered a kid's meal and ice cream as an after-meal treat, and then we got dropped off at base.

Finished swapping music with Erin and then I headed down and talked through Skype with Darrick while he got ready for work. :) 

Came home, made rice and teriyaki sauce for dinner and am going to watch an episode of Grey's Anatomy and How I Met Your Mother before another 5-day week begins. Blgh. Happy thoughts!!

Things I learned today:

1. Shakespeare was born in his parents room and slept in the cradle for the first year and then him and all of his siblings shared one small cot until they reached the age of 5 when they moved up to the next room.

2. Shakespeare and Anne Hathaway lived in the tiny adjoining room off Shakespeare's parent's house after they got married.

3. Shakespeare had twins (Hamlet and Judith). One of the twins died when he/she was only 11 years old. 

4. The book of Shakespeare's plays only cost 1 pound in his time, but is now one of the most valuable books in the world.

5. In the part of the Shakespeare house, there were often up to 18 people living in there by the time you figured in the apprentices, servants and family members.

6. Shakespeare's dad was a master glover (it took 7 years to be a master glover, which is why he had up to 7 apprentices under him, living in his attic), but he did illegal things on the side for extra money. As a result of his dealings (in wool, etc.), Shakespeare's dad began being heavily fined and, for that reason, Shakespeare could not afford to go to college. 

7. Two bedrooms and a tavern were added on to the original house, which Shakespeare later rented out (after he received the house upon his father's death). The person who rented it ran the tavern (called Maidenhead) and used the two rooms as places for drunk people to stay.