Today “انا حاكرة” The day started with lining up at the tube station to get a ticket. From the machine, I chose 1-day to Zone 1 and 2. I went straight to the Lyceum Theatre in hopes to find tickets for “The Lion King”.

As soon as I got out of Covent Garden station I asked someone for directions To get to the theatre, out of the station turn to your right and then take the first left and then the first right and straight ahead. I booked a ticket YAY! I had 2 hours to kill, so I grabbed breakfast/lunch and then headed to the transport museum, which was sooo cool, there was a jubilee market, it reminded me of “souq al-mubarakeya” that we have, took a 5 minute spin in it, the museum was so interesting, my ticket cost 5 pounds because I showed my student card It takes you back to the 1800 where all the transport system started, it is so informative.

The musical was amazing beyond words, the engineering behind it is awesome, the stage how it rotates and the colours, the actors, the singing, the music, the costumes, I LOVED absolutely every moment of it I do recommended seeing it. There was an American mother and her son next to me and in the break we started talking and she told me that in Leicester Square you’ll find tickets half price but you have to by them on the same day. But since this show is so popular they don’t need to sell tickets half price but other shows which don’t have that much demand can be found at half price.

Since I had my full one day ticket, I decided to go see a movie I went and booked “Law Abiding Citizen”. It is a nice movie, been a long time since I closed my eyes in anticipation of not knowing what’s going to happen, My GOD am I going soft Yimkin the “Lion King” musical affect

After the movie ended passed by Sainsburys for some chips and chocolate and headed back to my hotel

This caught my attention as I entered Victoria and Albert (V&A) Museum. This exhibition is in Porter Gallery from 08/12/2009 to 11/04/2010. It is not free, 5 pounds for adults and 4 pounds for students My lucky day.

The gallery displays different design/art work that is derived from technology. The artists used different tools to make their pieces interact, whether be it sensors, evolving programs, cameras, Internet and social networks, web applications, etc.

As you enter, these fiber optic are filled on both sides of the entrance and light up and make sound when touched. I made up this name for them, because they remind me of fiber optic cables, but maybe they have motion sensors they light up when moved and depending on speed and direction of movement, sound is formed.

Below are graphics representations which are sensitive to sound, I tried whistling

With this piece you can move around dimensional graphics which ever way you want.

These screen display time from pictures uploaded by Internet users that represent numbers.

This one uses twitter data to form conversations based on a word you type in its search box using a wii console.

I took the shot before realizing what those pictures were, the piece is called Make-out. They are making out scenes from the Internet and they start making out when you move in front of them!

The one below, enables you to paint using your hands, just moving them around.

This piece interacts to your presence, just like a mirror, notice how the pieces change colour to form my head

In this piece, an object moves around, until it bumps into you, your casting shadow and sprinkles rain

Pick up the blow dryer, point and blow away

With the touch screen, choose a location and it’ll start recording and displaying the video.

These are organisms that hide under the sand, once you brush off the sand and expose them, they move to another location and hide under the sand.

There was this one piece, where in an area they’ve installed sound sensors and mapped the data and you can see the live interaction. Also, some kind of crystal cylinder that forms words from what the sensors pick up off one of the streets.

It is really amazing and because it is dark, I couldn’t take that many pictures and I’m not sure if I understood all the pieces but they were magnificent, I really love this. There are so many others that I didn’t mention, if you have the chance to go have a look, don’t miss it.

Woke up 9 AM up and out of the hotel by 10 AM, got my bag and map, asked one of the hotel staff to point me to Hyde park and off I went.

It was beautiful, had my camera in hand, my training shoes on, though I slipped a few times because of the frost on the ground, but it was good, the weather was awesome but cold, yes I said it cold. For those who know me, they know I love cold, I never feel the cold, even in winter, I’m always in my summer clothes, but boy oh boy did I feel it in my bones to the very end of my toes this time I’ll leave that to another post

To the park, I passed by the exhbition street, beautiful painting, but then I realized some had a no camera sign.

Tried to find Diania’s memorial fountain but couldn’t quite get there The park is so huge, people were jogging, skating, walking their dogs, I was walking silently taking it all in snapping away with my camera.

Went to Winter Land.

Got myself a 2-day tour bus ticket and hopped onto one for a spin in the city

Walked to Oxford Street and went in and out a couple of stores.

Around 1 PM, I got so hungry got off and went for coffee and sandwich at Pret Manager, I LOVE this place. Then I stumbled upon Apple store on Regent street and looked up a 17-inch MAC pro for my brother.

My day ended with watching a movie, 3D Avatar The movie plot wasn’t that great but the graphics were amazing especially in 3D, I am truly looking forward to the new Shrek because the preview was in 3D. When booking I asked if it was OK to bring in food I went to Sainsburys and they had this self-checkout that I wanted to try out You scan your item’s barcode and place them in the bag, it senses weight, and then you see the total and choose your payment method, cash, card or vouchers, isn’t that wonderful. I wonder if our Jam3iyat can have that Boots here have self-check out too, but last time I couldn’t do it, because the machine won’t accept 50 notes.

Today was a good day … tomorrow, what am I planning to do hmmmmm, not sure, continue my tour bus and see where my feet take me and perhaps I’ll be lucky to find a ticket for the sold out shows Those were snippets of my day