Cannes/London 2013: Bon Voyage, See You in June!

Related Posts: I’m Going To Cannes!!! and Cannes/London 2013: Pre-Travel Planning.

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Dear friends/fans/followers:

I just wanted to tell everyone that I’m leaving for my Cannes/London trip!

I will be away from later today Saturday, May 11th through Friday, May 31st (plus most likely a few days of recovery, etc.).

During my trip, I plan on taking copious notes/photographs in order to share my adventure here with you when I get back.

Unfortunately, I’ll have only sporadic Internet connection while abroad. But please feel free to leave me a message and I’ll get back to you as soon as possible!

Best,

G. E.

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.

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Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Brief Update

★ Don’t forget to check out my graphic novel, The Poet and the Flea!

A new page every Wednesday!

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Here is a brief update on my current creative projects and endeavors…!

Tuesday, April 2nd

1. The Liebster Award: 4th Nomination!
2. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.
3. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
4. Worked on notes for The Man Who Never Smiled.

Wednesday, April 3rd

1. The Liebster Award: 5th Nomination!
2. Zest Books Internship, Day #18: Worked on image research and editing.

Thursday, April 4th

1. Comics I Admire: “A Space Boy Dream”
2. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
3. Worked on notes for The Man Who Never Smiled.

Friday, April 5th

• Zest Books Internship, Day #19: A little bit of editing, a little bit of Facebook-ing, a little bit of photoshopping, and a little bit of mailing.

Saturday, April 6th

• Hanging out with family today. Went to see Oz: The Great and Powerful, which was pretty bad except for the opening credits and the Danny Elfman soundtrack.

Sunday, April 7th

• Did a bunch of scanning today.

Monday, April 8th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Worked on first zine.
3. Worked on notes for The Man Who Never Smiled.

Tuesday, April 9th

1. Keeping an Eye on Expos.
2. Updated the “Links” page — check out Lewis Manalo’s webcomic MetaMorphosis!
   
3. Submissions, submissions, submissions…!
4. Finished working on notes for The Man Who Never Smiled.

Wednesday, April 10th

• Zest Books Internship, Day #20: Worked mostly on mailing today… I think I put together over 60 packages. Wrote a blog post for the Zest Books official blog about upcoming titles Little Fish and Super Pop! with an accompanying illustration — can’t wait to see this go up online!

Thursday, April 11th

1. Ran some errands and worked on some preparation for the Cannes/London trip.
2. Worked on first zine.
3. Made an account with Storenvy and am beginning to set up my own online store.
4. Went with Wes to an event at San Francisco Film Society. Talked with some of Wes’s former employers and met a filmmaker named Joey who will also be at Cannes.

Friday, April 12th

1. Zest Books Internship, Day #21: Worked on some cover designs for an upcoming Zest Books title. Everyone really seems to like what I’ve done!
2. Invited to be an illustrator for an upcoming collaborative project with a small publisher. More details to come!
3. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.
4. Worked on setting up the online store.

Saturday, April 13th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Went to North Beach to eat really tasty Italian food. ( ´◔‿ゝ◔`)

Sunday, April 14th

• Date with Wes! Went to see The Place Beyond the Pines, which was interesting. Ate Vietnamese food afterwards. (・∀・)

Movie Theater on Van Ness!

Bun Mee on Fillmore!

Monday, April 15th

1. Feeling under the weather today.
   
2. Working on Blake Society talk!
3. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.

Tuesday, April 16th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Ran some errands and worked on some preparation for my Cannes/London trip.
3. Thinking of investing in a professionally printed preview zine of The Poet and the Flea to sell online and at expos. Looking into various local printers!
4. Still trying to figure out London.
5. Received through e-mail a sneak peak of what The American Pavilion at Cannes will look like (see below).

Disclaimer: I do not own this image!!

Wednesday, April 17th

• Zest Books Internship, Day #22: Worked on marketing/promotion for 47 Things You Can Do For the Environment.

Exiled to the boss’s office!

Thursday, April 18th

1. Interview today on Treasure Island. 
2. Registered for SF Zine Fest!

Treasure Island is a strange place…

Yep, very strange…

Friday, April 19th

1. Zest Books Internship, Day #23: Sat in on staff meeting. Created a blog post for Earth Day. Worked on WordPress, editing some content.
2. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.

Saturday, April 20th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Helped mom prepare for the art show next weekend.
3. Did some research on local printers.

Sunday, April 21st

• Elias’s 1st birthday party! Bit of a strange day… Wes and I went to Gabe’s house to celebrate his son’s first birthday. Unfortunately, we didn’t actually get to see Gabe since he had to take his father to the hospital for a broken leg. Later, Wes and I went to The Ice Cream Bar since it was so hot outside and we needed to cool off. Then, we ended up eating at Sunflower Vietnamese for dinner and later had dessert with my folks and Nikki the shiba inu.

View from Gabe’s backyard.

The Ice Cream Bar… again!

Monday, April 22nd

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Ran some errands for Cannes/London trip.
3. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.

Tuesday, April 23rd

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Cannes/London 2013: Pre-Travel Planning.
3. Cannes/London Trip Hiatus!
4. Working on Blake Society talk!
5. Jotted some ideas down for a future screenplay.

Wednesday, April 24th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Zest Books Internship, Day #24: Put together some interview questions for Dan. Worked on some button designs in Photoshop.
3. HOLY MOLY MACARONI! I just received the most amazing e-mail. (A secret for now…)

♪(┌・。・)┌

Thursday, April 25th

1. Working on Blake Society talk!

Friday, April 26th

1. Wow, received another awesome piece of news. Can’t really say anything yet, but everything is really coming together it seems!!
2. Zest Books Internship, Day #25: LAST DAY! Finished button designs and ordered them online. The office ladies took us out for lunch, which was very sweet.

Saturday, April 27th

1. (´∩｀。) Watched the first 2 hours of Sundance’s original series Rectify — words cannot describe how incredibly emotional this show is.
2. “On Paper” at Gallerie Citi!

Sunday, April 28th

1. Spring Cleaning: Wanted to clean up my room and get rid of a lot of junk before leaving for Cannes/London trip! Now that most of the junk is gone, it should be easier to pack.

Monday, April 29th

• Feeling under the weather today.

Tuesday, April 30th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Helped mom with some photos I took of her work for various purposes.

Wednesday, May 1st

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Even put together some important snail mail today!
3. Ran some errands for Cannes/London trip.

Thursday, May 2nd

1. Reblogged portrait of me by Matthew Curry. 
2. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
3. Finally got my hair cut! Now I feel like I’m almost ready for my trip. (◕‿◕✿)
4. Correspondence with a recruiter for a potential job.

Friday, May 3rd

1. Ran around EVERYWHERE today to finish up errands for the Cannes/London trip. Utterly exhausted!
2. Jotted some more ideas down for a future screenplay.
   

Saturday, May 4th

1. Today’s motto: 七転び八起き= Nanakorobi yaoki. Fall seven times and stand up eight.
   
2. Family Bonding Day! This is the last weekend before I leave for Cannes/London, so spent time with the folks. Ate lunch at a great Puerto Rican restaurant. Finally got to see Girl with a Pearl Earring and Rembrandt’s Century at the de Young.

Sunday, May 5th

• Date with Wes! Went to see Iron Man 3, which really wasn’t as bad as I was expecting. Ate tasty Japanese dinner at Sanraku. Hopefully will see Wes one more time before I leave!

Monday, May 6th

1. New suitcase arrived in the mail.
2. Finalizing Cannes/London trip plans.
3. Continued correspondence with a recruiter for a potential job.
4. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.
   

Tuesday, May 7th

1. Ran some errands for the Cannes/London trip.
2. Finalizing Cannes/London trip plans.
3. Working on Blake Society talk!

Wednesday, May 8th

1. Ran some errands for the Cannes/London trip.
2. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
3. Finalizing Cannes/London trip plans.
4. Working on Blake Society talk!
5. Jotted down some more ideas for a future screenplay.
6. Dinner with Wes!

Thursday, May 9th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Finishing up odds and ends of Cannes/London travel arrangements.
3. Packing for trip!!
4. Worked on some upcoming blog posts.

Friday, May 10th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Finishing up odds and ends of Cannes/London travel arrangements.
3. PACKING!!!

Saturday, May 11th

1. Finishing up odds and ends of Cannes/London travel arrangements.
2. Flight leaves San Francisco at 7:05 p.m. Will arrive in Nice, France at 6:10 p.m.

Etcetera

• The Poet and the Flea: 63 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-30 completed, and 31-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
• The First Reich: about 1-10 pages of illustrated work in progress.
• First Zine: 8 pages of illustrated work completed. Zine production pending.

To Do:

• Continue to work on The First Reich.
• Finish setting up online store.
• Continue adding blog content to The First Reich.
• Complete script for The Poet and the Flea.

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.

***

Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Planning for Blake’s London: Final(ish) Plan!

Related Posts: Planning for London!, Planning for Blake’s London!, and Trying to Figure Out London!

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Monday

1. Arrive Heathrow at 5:05 p.m.
2. Take the Heathrow Express, and then taxi to hotel.
3. I think I may get to my hotel around 8 p.m. Hotel is near Russell Square. Check into hotel and get situated.
4. Ask the concierge for a dinner recommendation near the hotel. Or…
5. Simon of shipscooksstuff.wordpress.com has kindly offered to “show [me] some of Soho’s pubs and give [me] some background on [his] home city.” So sweet! Hopefully, we’ll meet up either Monday or Thursday.

Tuesday: Special Event Day!

1. Before 10 a.m., explore Russell Square and surrounding neighborhood.
2. 10 a.m.: David Bowie is at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Afterwards, explore the V&A. Ask information desk about the “…four of Blake’s ‘fresco’ paintings on display permanently” as well as Arts & Crafts/William Morris and other must-sees.
3. Lunch: The Queen’s Arms and/or the V&A Cafe.
4. After V&A, Tate Britain: The new Blake room will open on May 6th. Ask information desk about the Pre-Raphaelites. Perhaps take a 45-minutes free collection highlights tour at 11, 12, or 3. 
5. Leave some time to relax and possibly nap in the late afternoon.
6. 7:30 p.m.: G. E. Gallas Invited to Speak to The Blake Society! at 17 South Molton Street.

Wednesday: Touring Around!

1. If exhausted from Tuesday, sleep in a little bit.
2. 10 a.m.: National Gallery, National Portrait Gallery, or return to a museum from the previous day.
3. Lunch: Eat somewhere near/in museums.
4.  1 p.m.: Harrods Vintage Bus Tour of London with Champagne Tea at Harrods – Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column, Hyde Park, the Houses of Parliament, The Royal Albert Hall, a cruise on the River Thames, and tea/scones at Harrods (until 6 p.m.).
   
5. 7/7:30 p.m.: Jack the Ripper Tour (option #1, option #2, or option #3).

Thursday: Blake’s London!

1. My friend Elena may come up from Barcelona for the day to see me! 
2. 10 a.m.: British Museum –  Department of Prints and Drawings, Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece, etc.
3. Lunch: Tea and Tattle (41 Great Russell Street) or London Review Cake Shop (14 Bury Place).
4. Blake historical sites: (a) St. James’s Church, (b) Royal Academy New Somerset House, (c) St. Mary’s Battersea, and (d) Bunhill Fields.
5. Either National Portrait Gallery (open to 9 p.m.) or  pubs with Simon.

Friday

• Depart: Back to San Francisco!

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.

***

Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Cannes/London 2013: Pre-Travel Planning

Related Posts: I’m Going To Cannes!!! and Trying to Figure Out London!

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So far, my pre-travel planning has consisted of trying to buy/prepare/organize everything on an endless checklist of miscellaneous thingamajigs as well as figure out how I’m going to utilize my short stay in London. I have next to zero idea of what I’ll be doing when I actually get to Cannes, but I just have to relax and hope that the American Pavilion has all of that covered.

Admittedly, I am not the most fashionable person in the universe. But I really do try — especially when I know my destination is the Cannes Film Festival, where the chicest of the chic congregate every May.

Here, I thought I’d share some of the fashion items I’ll be taking with me. Also, I’d like a chance to promote some of the awesome Etsy vendors I’ve encountered along the way.

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Nicole Lebreux: Original Apparel/Handmade Womenswear

I bought this amazing maxi dress by Nicole Lebreux a few months ago. I was struggling to find a maxi dress that fit not only my shape but personality, which turned out to be an impossible feat on sites like Macy’s, etc. So I turned to Etsy, and discovered this incredible store. Nicole was extremely helpful, answered all my questions, and even customized the dress to fit my needs. I just can’t wait to wear this at Cannes!!!

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Monday Morning Studios: Purses/Handbags/Totes, made in the USA

For Cannes, I decided I needed a pretty big purse, both stylish and more importantly sturdy in case I need to stuff some screenplays and/or an extra set of clothes into it. Also, I didn’t want to spend too much money, definitely no more than $100. So I decided to try Etsy again, and stumbled across another amazing store. Monday Morning Studios makes an assorment of purses/handbags/totes in all different shapes, colors, patterns, etc. And all for less than $100! I bought a really neat hobo purse in an awesome jewel-tone plaid. Now I just have to figure out how much weight I can carry…

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An assortment of dresses I will hopefully be wearing to parties.

Some accessories to help me along the way.

And some cute warm-weather shoes.

Now I just have to figure out how it’s all going to fit in my suitcase! 

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.

***

Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Trying to Figure Out London!

Related Posts: Planning for London! and Planning for Blake’s London!

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Firstly, I just wanted to thank all the awesome bloggers who have given me very helpful advice for this trip!

• illostrophy.com
• revessurpapier.wordpress.com
• shipscooksstuff.wordpress.com
• hawkgreenfelts.wordpress.com
• betweentheshadowsandthesoul.wordpress.com
• akaconceptart.wordpress.com
• starrybird.wordpress.com, starrybirdsartdiary.wordpress.com
• daltonsart.wordpress.com
• Mike B
• Asha

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Note: This post is really just for me to try to jot down and organize all the information/recommendations/advice I’ve received about London so far. AND MORE ADVICE IS MORE THAN WELCOMED!

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Here, I’ve narrowed down the Blake historical sites to only the ones I want to see most:

1. St. James’s Church: (10) Where Blake was baptized. The font still survives.
2. Westminster Abbey: (10) Where Blake practiced drawing. Monument to Blake in the Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.Will probably end up here on a bus tour!
3. Royal Academy, New Somerset House: (9) Where Blake studied and occasionally exhibited his work. Original building.
4. 13 Hercules Buildings: (7) Where Blake produced the Songs of Experience. House demolished in 1918.
5. 17 South Moulton Street: (10) Will be here on Tuesday!
6. St. Mary’s, Battersea: (10) Where Blake married Kate. Original building.
7. Bunhill Fields: (9) Where Blake is buried.

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Important: Buy an Oyster card!

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Harrods Vintage Bus Tour of London with Champagne Tea at Harrods

Okay, this might be really silly/crazy/touristy, but a tour in a vintage bus plus tea time? That just sounds so ridiculous (in a good way, I think)!

Won’t have time for this on Monday or Tuesday, so will have to do either Wednesday or Thursday.

Location: Starts at Harrods, 87-135 Brompton Road, Knightsbridge.

Time: Starts at 1 p.m, for 5 hours.

Price: £49

Includes: Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, The London Eye, Westminster Abbey, Downing Street, Trafalgar Square, Nelson’s Column, Hyde Park, the Houses of Parliament, The Royal Albert Hall, a cruise on the River Thames, and tea/scones at Harrods. 

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Jack the Ripper Tour

Might have time for this on Monday, or otherwise on Wednesday.

Option #1: Every night at 7 p.m. Outside exit 4 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 2 hours.

Option #2: Every night at 7 p.m. Outside exit 4 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 2 hours.

Option #3: Every night at 7:30 p.m. Outside exit 3 of Aldgate East Station. £9. 1 hour, 45 minutes.

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Tate Britain

At the very top of my list!!!

Tentatively, I think I might go to the Tate and V&A on Tuesday, the bus tour and possibly Jack the Ripper on Wednesday, and then the British Museum and Blake historic sites on Thursday.

Location: Millbank.

Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).

Taking photos not allowed.

• Need to find out more about the renovated Blake rooms!
• Need to figure out what else I’d like to see at the Tate!

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Victoria and Albert Museum

Location: Cromwell Road.

Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 5:45 p.m.

Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).

May take photos, unless otherwise noted.

• Ask information desk about the “…four of Blake’s ‘fresco’ paintings on display permanently.”
• David Bowie is: £14.00 (+£1.40 booking fee per ticket). Already bought my ticket!!

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British Museum

Location: Great Russell Street.

Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Price: Free.

Photography permitted in most galleries.

•  Department of Prints and Drawings, Room 90, upper floor. 10 to 1 p.m. and 2:15 to 4 p.m.
• Briefly run through Ancient Egypt, Ancient Greece.

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National Gallery

Not sure if I’ll have time for this.

Location: Trafalgar Square.

Time: Open daily 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Price: Free.

Taking photos not allowed.

• 30 Highlight Paintings, such as the Arnolfini Portrait, Rembrandt’s Self-Portrait and Van Gogh’s Sunflowers.
  
• Vermeer and Music: The Art of Love and Leisure.

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National Portrait Gallery

Not sure if I’ll have time for this. May go if nothing else to do on Thursday evening.

Location: St.Martin’s Place.

Time: Open Sat.-Wed. 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Thurs.-Fri. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Price: Free (except for special exhibitions).

Taking photos not allowed.

• Hidden: Unseen Paintings Beneath Tudor Portraits. 
• Victorian Masquerade.
  

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The Princess Louise

A restored Victorian pub. Recommended pint: Timothy Landlord’s.

Location: 208 High Holborn, Holborn. Between Covent Garden and the British Museum.

Time: 11:30 a.m. to 11:00 p.m.

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Tea and Tattle

“Fresh leaf tea in a pot and bone china, scones with clotted cream and jam, finger sandwiches and tasty cakes… could anything be more British than afternoon tea in London.”

Location: 41 Great Russell Street (opposite the British Museum).

Time: 9 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

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The London Review Cake Shop

“…the traditional with a twist.”

Location: 14 Bury Place  Bloomsbury (near the British Museum).

Time: 10 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.

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Coach and Horses, Soho

Very shabby, but landmark.

Location: 29 Greek Street, Soho

Time: 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m.

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French House

Location: 49 Dean Street

Time: 12 to 11 p.m. (Food served until 4 p.m.)

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Seven Stars

Something quieter.

Location: 53-54 Carey Street (behind the Royal Courts of Justice, near some of the Blake sites around the Strand/Fleet Street).

Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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The Angel

Something quieter.

Location: 61-62 St Giles High Street (a bit of a no-man’s-land between Covent Garden and Bloomsbury that’s central yet tourist-free).

Time: 12 to 11 p.m.

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The Queen’s Arms

Location: 30 Queen’s Gate Mews (near the V&A).

Time: 12 to 11 p.m.

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The Sherlock Holmes

Has a very authentic English feel. Fish & chips.

Location: 10-11 Northumberland Street

Time: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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The Old Shades

Great fish & chips.

Location: 37 Whitehall (Trafalgar Square).

Time: 10/11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

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Lighthouse Fish Bar

Fish & chips of mammoth proportions.

Location: 8 Tooting Bec Road (1/2 block from Tooting Bec Tube Station).

Time: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m.

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Curry/Indian: Any suggestions?

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The Gay Hussar

Fabulous Hungarian food and a very interesting past illustrated by the political cartoons on its walls.

Location: 2 Greek Street, Soho.

Time: 12:15 to 2:30 p.m., 5:30 to 10:45 p.m.

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on facebook, tumblr and/or twitter.

***

Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Planning for Blake’s London!

Related Posts: Planning for London!

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Disclaimer: I do not own this image!!

As you may know, for the past couple months, I’ve been busy planning for my trip to Cannes and London. I’ll only have 3 full days in London, so I’m trying to figure out the best schedule that will allow me to fit everything in. For my British followers/readers, any advice would be incredibly appreciated.

Monday

1. Arrive: Hello London!!!
2. Take public transportation from Heathrow to hotel; check into hotel and get situated.
3. Since I’ll be exhausted from the film festival (and if I don’t get in too late), I think I might take a bus tour of London. That way, I  can relax and cover all the basics in a short amount of time and hopefully won’t feel like I’ve missed out on anything. If I don’t have time to do a bus tour Monday, then I’ll do one Tuesday morning/afternoon and maybe do a Jack the Ripper tour instead.

Tuesday: Special Event Day!

1. I’m not exactly sure how I’ll spend a good chunk of this day yet. Like I said, I might take a bus tour of London. Or perhaps check out the London Eye, Covent Garden, Sherlock Holmes Museum, Royal Botanic Gardens, etc. on my own. I have to look into the different types of bus tours and schedules!
2. Leave some time to relax and possibly nap in the late afternoon.
3. Special Event: G. E. Gallas Invited to Speak to The Blake Society!

Wednesday: Museums Galore!

1.  ★Tate: I recently contacted the Tate about their William Blake collection and was absolutely delighted to hear that the renovated Blake rooms are scheduled to open May 14th and will very likely include The Ghost of a Flea — talk about perfect timing!
2. British Museum: I would like to visit the British Museum’s Print Room (Department of Prints and Drawings), where one can access Blake works without an appointment. According to the Chair of the Blake Society, Tim Heath: “…you are able to hold in your own hands some of Blake’s original (and now priceless) illuminated books. It is one of the secrets of the city.”
3. Victoria & Albert Museum: According to Naomi, the V&A has “…four of Blake’s ‘fresco’ paintings on display permanently, as well as a good collection of watercolours which you can see in their Print Room (no appointment needed).” Would also love to see upcoming exhibit called  David Bowie is (March – July)!!

Thursday: Blake’s London!

Thursday, I plan on adventuring through London to visit all the Blake historical sites. Naomi recommended this tremendously helpful resource on the Tate’s website: http://www2.tate.org.uk/williamblake/lambeth/london_intro.html.

I need to figure out the easiest way to walk and which sites I would most like to see (on a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 meaning “I absolutely must see this!”).

1. 28 Broad Street: (7) Where Blake was born. Original building no longer survives. Tate: “Old houses that survive… give a good idea of what Blake’s house looked like.” 
2. St. James’s Church: (10) Recommended by Tim. Where Blake was baptized. The font still survives.
3. Mr. Pars’ Drawing School in the Strand: (5) Where Blake was sent to study at age 10. Demolished in Regency times.
4. 31 Queen Street, Lincoln’s Inn: (8) Where Blake at age 14 became apprentice to an engraver. Original building demolished in late 19th century. Tate: “…but the next-door houses (of brick rather than stone) give an idea of its original appearance).
5. Westminster Abbey: (10) Where Blake as an apprentice practiced drawing ancient tombs (such as King Edward I) and monuments. Monument to William Blake in the Abbey’s Poet’s Corner.
6. Royal Society of Arts: (5) Where Blake admired James Barry’s murals The Progress of Human Knowledge and Culture. Original building.
7. Royal Academy, New Somerset House: (9) Where Blake studied and exhibited his work on several occasions. Also important location for the Pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood, if I’m not mistaken. Original building.
8. Green Street, Leicester Square: (5) Where Blake moved after his marriage. Original building no longer exists.
9. 28 Poland Street: (6) Where Blake moved after dissolving his partnership with James Parker. House rebuilt in the late 19th century.
10. 13 Hercules Buildings: (7) Where Blake lived during his most productive years and produced the Songs of Experience. House demolished in 1918.
11. 17 South Moulton Street: (10) Where Blake “…suffer[ed] his bitterest disappointments. Fame and financial success continued to elude him, and he sank into poverty and paranoia.” Will be here on Tuesday!
12. Fountain Court, Strand: (7) Where Blake lived until his death and produced his illustration to Dante’s Divine Comedy. Original building no longer exists.
13. St. Mary’s, Battersea: (10) Recommended by Tim. Where Blake married Kate. Original building.
14. Bunhill Fields: (9) Recommended by Tim. Where Blake is buried (in an unmarked grave). Tate: “A small monument now stands at the approximate site where Blake was buried.”
15. Paolozzi Newton: (6) Where a statue based on Blake’s Newton stands.

Friday

• Depart: Back to San Francisco!

Now that I’ve laid everything out, the next step is to narrow everything down into a manageable plan!

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For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.

***

Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Package from Elena

I met my Barcelonian friend Elena in Tokyo of all places. We were both studying at Sophia University for a year.

We met through a mutual acquaintance and the three of us ended up on a three day trip to Okinawa. Both Elena and I share an enthusiasm for Okinawan culture and were so excited to go. We managed to see everything on our checklist and had an overall wonderful time there.

As it turned out, a few weeks later, Elena ended up moving into the same dorm as me. We ended up spending memorable times together, staying up to the wee hours of the morning chatting and eating candy.

Now, having only recently moved to San Francisco, we live on practically opposite sides of the globe. But we still Facebook and tweet at each other. And, most excitingly, we send packages through snail mail to each other, back and forth from Spain to the States.

While we were friends in Tokyo, Elena had no idea I drew at all. This was during my college phase of not having time to draw. Boy, was she surprised when she learned I was working on my graphic novel The Poet and the Flea. And, quickly, she became my #1 fan!

Elena became smitten by the rose from page 27 of The Flea (as seen on Part 4 of Behind the Scenes). So, for the winter holiday, I sent her the following ink and watercolor rose.

In return, at the end of January, I received a wonderful little New Year’s present from Elena (see photos below)! She sent me a delightfully long handwritten letter, a bag of candy, and a flyer of a favorite Japanese band called exist†trace (which I believe Elena was handed by the lead singer named Jyou after a The GazettE concert).

I would love for Elena to come visit San Francisco one day, or for me to visit her in Barcelona (when I’m not an unpaid intern making absolutely no money). Elena is really the only person I keep in touch with from my year abroad and I’m proud to have such an awesome friend! Maybe someday we’ll even return to Japan and even Okinawa together.

***

For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.

***

Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Planning for London!

by William Blake

As some of you may know, I was originally planning a trip to the UK for February 2013. Circumstances have changed a countless number of times and I thought I wouldn’t be able to go at all. But, thanks to The American Pavilion Cannes Film Program, I think I’ll be able to make my dream of seeing some of William Blake’s work in person come true (among other dreams of screenwriting, filmmaking, etc.). I’ll be in France for about two weeks, and I hope to tack on a few days in London during my journey back to the States!!!

I’m currently in the process of figuring out my travel arrangements. There are so many different routes to Nice, France, it’s difficult to decide the best way to go. Possibly, I could stop over in New York or Amsterdam or even Paris. I’m hoping my dad (Mr. Globetrotting Lawyer himself) will be able to find me the best deal. Or perhaps I’ll try a travel agent.

The wonderful Naomi Billingsley at The Blake Society sent me a fabulous e-mail detailing all the best ways to see Blake’s work and historical sites in person. She suggested that I make a list of what I want to see, so I’ll be making a number of lists on my blog in an attempt to figure out how to schedule everything into two or three days.

1. The Tate possesses an impressive collection of Blake’s works, but I believe many pieces just returned from Madrid and are not currently on display. I’m hoping that by May this will change. My #1 dream is to see The Ghost of a Flea in person — so I guess I’ll try contacting the Tate and ask them for more information. Naomi pointed out that there are a number of “view by appointment” Blake works at the Tate’s Print Room and that I could make an appointment to see them. I’ll have to browse their online catalogue.
2. The British Museum has some Blake works in their Print Room as well and they are accessible without an appointment.
3. According to Naomi, The Victoria and Albert Museum has four of Blake’s “fresco” paintings on permanent display and a collection of Blake’s watercolors in their Print Room, accessible without an appointment.
4. Naomi also recommended a really amazing page on the Tate’s website detailing Blake historical sites (http://www2.tate.org.uk/williamblake/lambeth/london_intro.html). All these sites seem like they’re in a pretty concentrated area, so I think I’ll be able to see a lot of them!!

From here, I’d like to further explore the museum websites/online resources and figure out how much I can see and what I want to see the most in the few days I’m in London!

***

Updates

January 28th

Today, finalized my travel arrangements! On the way from San Francisco to Nice, will be stopping over in Frankfurt. And on the way to London, will be stopping over in Belgium. Will be staying in London for three full days, staying at a decent hotel not far from all the museums and Blake historic sites. Can’t believe this is really happening!!!

***

For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.

***

Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Brief Update

★ Don’t forget to check out my graphic novel, The Poet and the Flea!

A new page every Wednesday!

***

Here is a brief update on my current creative projects and endeavors…!

Wednesday, January 9th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
   
3. Worked on first zine!
4. Received my fourth nomination for The Beautiful Blogger Award!

Thursday, January 10th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
   
3. Continued work on first zine.

Friday, January 11th

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
   
2. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
3. Continued work on first zine.
4. Today, set up an interview for a potential internship at a local publishing company! The interview’s Wednesday afternoon, so I have some time to prepare and de-stress beforehand.

Saturday, January 12th

1. Was going to go see Gangster Squad this weekend with Wes. But I’m definitely coming down with something. Hope I get better before the interview on Wednesday! ヽ(￣д￣;)ノ
2. I’m sure you’ve all heard about and seen the amazing giant squid footage recently captured by Japanese scientists. Well, I made a giant squid discovery of my own (see photograph below)! P. S. I love the Japanese word for giant squid – 大王烏賊 daiouika, which uses the characters for “big,” “king,” “crow/raven” (perhaps because squids have beaks), and “rebel/thief/bandit.” Yes, giant squid are awesome!!

Resident Squid at Woodhouse Fish Co.

Sunday, January 13th

1. Under the weather!
2. I just had to share something amazing with all of you. Recently, I’ve started watching a very strange show called Noel Fielding’s Luxury Comedy. The only way to describe it is Monty Python meets a live-action version of Yellow Submarine plus an unverified amount of crack. You might want to watch the whole episode if you’ve never seen it before to understand the humor. But I wanted to point you all in the direction of a skit about William Blake and The Ghost of a Flea (like The Poet and the Flea, but not)! Watch from 7:50 for The Flea.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fvx4QLHGUCs

Monday, January 14th

1. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
2. Continued work on first zine.
3. Prepared a bit for interview on Wednesday!

Tuesday, January 15th

1. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
2. Continued work on first zine.
3. Worked on preliminary design for  The Flea plush toy!!

Wednesday, January 16th

• Successful interview at Zest Books — will be starting internship at the end of the month!!!

Thursday, January 17th

1. Discovered this amazing review of The Poet and the Flea by Sarah Goode at University College Oxford on the British Society for Eighteenth-Century Studies’s website!
2. Correspondence with The Blake Society.

Friday, January 18th

1. Brief but great meeting with Gabe! He seemed to really love what I’ve done so far on the final illustrations for Elias & the City of Cats. He didn’t make any changes other than adding a handwritten title to the cover and adding a second page for the part we call “cat craziness.” Plus, I sent Gabe a list of children’s book publishers I’ve compiled and he’ll look over it in the coming days. It’s wonderful to think that, once I’ve finished the final illustrations, Gabe will start working on submitting Elias to publishers!!! 
2. Began reading Wes’s screenplay!!

Saturday, January 19th

• Continued reading Wes’s screenplay!!

Sunday, January 20th

1. Received some amazing news — more details to come!
2. Saw Gangster Squad with Wes! Both of us agree that it wasn’t as bad as the 33% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Monday, January 21st

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Finished reading Wes’s screenplay!! Going to meet on Wednesday to go over it with him. (^-^)
3. Nominated for The Liebster Award for a second time!

Tuesday, January 22nd

1. E-mails, e-mails, e-mails…!
2. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
3. Submitted The Poet and the Flea to The Belfry WebComics Index.
4. Nominated for The Versatile Blogger Award!

Wednesday, January 23rd

1. Discussed screenplay with Wes today! I think he has a really strong screenplay (especially for a first draft) and already knows which elements need to be further developed. (︶ω︶)
2. Received Amazon order — William Blake’s Divine Comedy Illustrations and Charles Burns’s Black Hole!

Thursday, January 24th

• Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.

Friday, January 25th

1. Worked on Elias & the City of Cats.
2. Worked on preliminary design for  The Flea plush toy!!

Saturday, January 26th

1. Helped my mom, the abstract artist Irene Zweig, deliver her paintings to Gallerie Citi in Burlingame where she will be featured in a show sometime this Spring. You can visit Gallerie Citi’s homepage to learn more and even visit my mom’s profile on their page.
2. Had dinner with a lovely relative from out of town.

Sunday, January 27th

1. Had brunch with our lovely cousins.
2. Date night with Wes!

Etcetera

• The Poet and the Flea: 63 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-24, 27-30 completed, and 25-26, 31-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
• The First Reich: about 1-10 pages of illustrated work in progress.
• First Zine: about 6-8 pages of illustrated work in progress.

To Do:

• Add more information to my Behance.net profile.
• Add more information to my Coroflot.com profile.
• Continue adding blog content to The First Reich.
• Continue to work on The First Reich.
• Continue to work on Elias & The City of Cats.
• Complete script for The Poet and the Flea.

***

For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.

***

Copyright 2013 by G. E. Gallas

Brief Update

★ Don’t forget to check out my graphic novel, The Poet and the Flea!

A new page every Wednesday!

***

Here is a brief update on my current creative projects and endeavors…!

Friday, December 21st

1. I’m Going To Cannes!!!
2. Started to fill out some paperwork for Cannes.
3. Applied to a few more fellowships/internships.

Saturday, December 22nd

• Family bonding day! Adventure in Chinatown and North Beach.

Sunday, December 23rd

1. Worked on The Flea script.
2. Saw “Royal Treasures From the Louvre: Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette” at the Legion of Honor.
3. Date night with Wes!（*´▽｀*）

Monday, December 24th

1. Filled out some more paperwork for Cannes.
2. Worked on applications for a few more fellowships/internships.

Tuesday, December 25th

1. Brunch/linner with family.
2. Worked on applications for a few more fellowships/internships.
3. Signed up with two illustration communities: IllustrationMundo and The Little Chimp Society.

Wednesday, December 26th

1. Worked on applications for a few more fellowships/internships.
2. Worked on The Flea script.
3. Bought a copy of Professor Risley and the Imperial Japanese Troupe by Frederik L. Schodt.
4. Went to see A Royal Affair, a film I’ve been dying to see for months! I just adore Danish films as well as Mads Mikkelsen, so this was quite the treat. The acting, costumes, and script were just amazing. I hope everyone who likes period pieces has a chance to see this.

Disclaimer: I do not own this image!!

Thursday, December 27th

1. Mailed out paperwork for Cannes.
2. Trip to the de Young Museum. Saw a wonderful Toulouse-Lautrec piece. Looking forward to upcoming exhibits: “Girl with a Pearl Earring” and “Rembrandt’s Century.”
3. Worked on The Flea script.

Friday, December 28th

1. Worked on applications for a few more fellowships/internships.
2. Went to see The Nutcracker with family (“Note on The Nutcracker“).

Etcetera

• The Poet and the Flea: 63 pages of written script (1 page of script = 4-6 illustrated pages), and about 36 pages (1-24, 27-30 completed, and 25-26, 31-36 in progress) of illustrated work.
• The First Reich: about 1-10 pages of illustrated work in progress.

To Do:

• Add more information to my Behance.net profile.
• Add more information to my Coroflot.com profile.
• Continue adding blog content to The First Reich.
• Continue to work on The First Reich.
• Continue to work on Elias & The City of Cats.
• Complete script for The Poet and the Flea.
• Sign up with Top Web Comics: Comic Rankings.
• Sign up with OnlineComics.net.

***

For more updates, don’t forget to follow me on tumblr and/or twitter.

***

Copyright 2012 by G. E. Gallas