Day 6- May 24

(watching Wicked with our cool binocs)

          Today was our last full day in London.  We began our day by taking the Tube to Bloomberg, an international company started by Michael Bloomberg, the current mayor of New York City.  Bloomberg’s product is a terminal that helps companies and individuals make investment and financial decisions by providing them with real-time data.  The company visit was extremely interesting.  I really enjoyed the relaxed, modern feel of the office, as well as a ll the high tech and innovative features of the building.  We were able to take a tour of the building, hear from several current employees, and see a demonstration of how the terminal works.

            After our morning at Bloomberg, we had lunch in London’s financial district, then took the Tube to Harrods department store for our official company visit.  Our speaker from Harrods was very lively and engaging and I really enjoyed learning about some of the “behind the scenes” operations of the store.  Our hosts event presented us all with gifts from Harrods so we could remember our visit- a teddy bear stamped all over with the store’s logo.

            After the company visit, some girls and I decided to go back into Harrods one more time before we left London.  We enjoyed walking around their extensive food department (tasting samples whenever possible), and admiring all the diamonds on display at Tiffany’s.

            Then we headed back to the hotel on the Tube.  We quickly changed out of our suits and traveled to the Apollo Victoria Theater to see the musical Wicked!  I had never before seen a production like this, so it was really exciting to see such a popular play in such a great atmosphere.  I really enjoyed the show- it’s about the “other side” of the Wizard of Oz, told from the Wicked Witch of the West’s point of view.  I loved how the play incorporated events from the Wizard of Oz, but cleverly turned them around to show the audience a different side of the story.

            After Wicked, we headed back to the hotel, using the Tube for the last time.  I spent the rest of the night repacking my suitcase and getting ready for our departure for Paris at 7 am tomorrow!