Celebrating the End of November

I would have to put this weekend at the top of the list of most productive and most enjoyed weekends in London. Then again, the list is very long.... and most weekends are tied for number one. As I said, there were a bunch of Wake Forest people visiting from all over the world for Thanksgiving. Although it was stressful to attempt to satisfy the group, the company was wonderful and we ended up accomplishing a lot in a short amount of time. (See Thanksgiving pictures at the end of the blog post).

After a great day at work on Friday, where I treated my co-workers to Hummingbird Bakery cupcakes (my favorite), I joined Evan and Caroline for some yummy leftovers then got ready for a night on the town. The whole Thanksgiving crew gathered together and went to Punk, a club in SoHo. It has been a while since we went out to a club so it was really fun to get dressed up and go out together. I also had made a few new friends throughout my travels earlier in the semester, so it was great to continue developing those relationships through the art of dancing to loud techno/pop mixes. By about 3:30 am, we had shed all of our Thanksgiving calories by dancing the night/morning away and retired to our beds. (See some pictures from Punk at the end of the blog post).
On Saturday morning, Louisa and I woke up and grabbed some breakfast at a cafe that I often go to near the Gloucester Road tube station called Cafe Forum. We then strolled around Hyde Park and over to Kensington Palace until the other girls rose from their beds.
A group of us ended up going to a quick lunch in South Kensington then headed over to the Natural History Museum. The museum is actually a five minute walk from where we live, but I hadn't gone yet so it was great to finally see what it looks like inside.
We explored the human biology and mammals sections of the museums and also got to see the new Darwin Centre which houses hundreds of animal/evolution researchers. Afterward, we went downstairs and took the ice at the beautiful seasonal Ice Rink outside of the museum.
As I'm sure very few of my... very few... readers... know, I used to figure skate when I was younger. However, after good old Planet Ice closed in 2000 or 2001, I was forced to quit and stick with dance. I'm pretty positive that I have not iceskated since then, but shockingly enough my muscle memory kicked in and I didn't fall on the ice once the entire time. I was pretty excited about that especially since, as Kendall noticed, everyone else on the ice was 'dropping like flies.'
After we spent an hour iceskating, we grabbed some hot chocolate and headed back to the Crofton for a little relaxation. We ended up bracing the cold rain and going to Wagamama for some Asian noodles for dinner, but after grabbing a quick dessert at Whole Foods, we headed back to the warmth of the Crofton. I ended up taking some time that night to work on the papers that I have due next week and fell asleep quite early.
On Sunday morning, the visitors from America departed. Kendall, Louisa, Rebecca and I went to the Brick Lane area and walked around the Spittlefield Market, which is a covered market just down the street from Liverpool Street. We braved the rain for a bit, grabbed some crepes for lunch at Crepe Affair, then headed back to South Kensington where we showed the girls our favorite cookie place, Ben's Cookies, then brought them back to the Crofton to relax before heading back to Florence. Although the weekend was not jammed and packed with travels and raging and wandering, I felt completely fulfilled come Sunday evening. It had been a beautiful few days full of new and old friends, new experiences in London and a first look at the 2009 holiday season.
This week will be my last week of work in Parliament, then next week will be my last week in London. I have a lot to accomplish, a lot to see, and a lot of studying/paper-writing to do. Yet, I hope these two weeks do not fly by too quickly. Who knows when I'll be back to this beautiful town? Hopefully sooner than later. Anyway, that is all for now. Be sure to check out some more pictures from the weekend below!

Kendall and I in our Thanksgiving Chic Outfits

Look mom! I can cook! Kind of!

Hard to believe that I didn't know Rebecca before October!

Hanging out with our visitors at Punk!

Thankful

Instead of giving you a generic update of what the past two weeks of my life have been like, I will give you a list of things that I am thankful for through the lens of the last 14 days.

I am thankful for the number of awesome things that have come hand-in-hand with being an intern for a Member of Parliament. Including, but not exclusive to, being able to stand right next to the Queen's carriage as she strolled by on her way to the State Opening of Parliament (see video).

I am thankful for the opportunity to see Kevin Spacey star in Inherit the Wind at the Old Vic Theater... and the opportunity to meet him and take a picture with him after.

(Picture coming soon)

I am thankful for having friends who love just grabbing a few pints of cider at the pub on a Friday night instead of choosing between the extremes of skyping with people from home (laaaame) or raging with sketch-balls in Picadilly Circus or Leicester Square (creeeeepy).
I am thankful for being in a major city where you can run into Taylor Swift at a street market and not have to fight off THAT many people to see her because people in the UK don't actually know who she is. Oh and yes... that is the Cooper family and yes they did get free tickets to the concert complements of Taylor's mom. NBD.
I am thankful for the opportunity to see Oxford University so I can have something to aspire to for the next few years and also earn some major street-cred with my Harry Potter loving friends.
I am thankful for Harrod's and icecream, especially when they combine forces. The picture says it all.
I am thankful for a lot actually. So I should probably stop here. I have been able to meet up with a lot of great friends, young and old(er), this week. Also, I saw more celebrities in person last week (the Queen, Kevin Spacey, Taylor Swift) than I ever have in my life. Tonight we had a major Thanksgiving throwdown complete with visitors from the mainland and a Whole Foods meal. There were a few epic battles titled Me vs. Mashed Potatoes, Caroline vs. Sweet Potatoes, and Evan vs. Turkey all coming together to form "Us vs. Thanksgiving", but in the end, all were fed and content. I can't lie, not being with the fam and picking on my mom, or my sister, or my dad, or my cat... or anyone really, was kind of hard. Yet, I know that in two weeks time I will be wishing I could rewind. So, I am going to embrace the tryptophan and go to bed knowing that tomorrow starts the end of this incredible Wilderness Journey.... Pictures from Thanksgiving to come soon. Just not when I am trying to digest my bodyweight in stuffing, mashed potatoes, and tur....zzzZZZzzzzZZZZzzzzzz....

Oh How I Love Celebrating the Days of November!

We decided a few weeks ago that in order to fulfill the inherent demands of the phrase 'carpe diem' that we will always refer to what we are doing on a particular day as how we are celebrating that day. So how did I celebrate the weekend of November 13-15? With food, friends and ENGLAND!

On Friday (the thirteenth...ah!) I met up with a few friends at Brick Lane, which is the very eclectic area of East London where Kendall has been interning. We wandered down Brick Lane and came upon a restaurant that Kendall has had her eyes on for a while and decided to go in for dinner. When we entered I felt as though I was walking into the tangible equivalent of the abstract paradigms of my mind. It was romantically lit and was wall-to-wall covered in tapestries, photographs and posters from all over the world. The soundtrack playing overhead consisted of everything from Black Eyed Peas and Justin Timberlake to Led Zeppelin and the Beatles. Instead of tables, there were dark wooden coffee tables surrounded by velvet couches and quilted cushioned arm-chairs giving off a very welcoming and comfortable feel. Not only was the atmosphere wonderful, the food and drinks were absolutely life-changing. The menu was some Mediterranean and Middle Eastern hybrid that brought in the best of Greek and Indian cuisine. Four of us opted for the sharing platter, which consisted of everything from fried chicken to feta cheese to be dipped in different sauces like hummus, a spicy red sauce, and a tart Greek yogurt. There was felafel, there was naan, there was eggplant... there was HEAVEN on the large platter of food. I have never been so satisfied by a meal simply because the tastes were so diverse and invigorating and the food filled me up just the right amount. After finishing our food and basking in the glory of our surroundings, we retreated to the Crofton to prepare for the day ahead.

On Saturday morning, a large group of us girls embarked on a journey with Boston University to Bath, a city about two hours or so by bus outside of London. Unfortunately, the weather was not on our side. It rained the entire way to Bath, thus preventing us from truly enjoying our peak at the outskirts of the city. It continued to rain on and off when we arrived at Bath and wandered the Roman Baths that have been there since 76 AD. I found the Roman Baths to be very interesting because they are still in their original form and are functioning in the same manner that they did when they were built almost two thousand years ago.

From the hot springs to the baths themselves, the same drain system and overall structure are all as they were since their beginning. How those people were intelligent and crafty without any technology or research ability is completely beyond me. After exploring the Roman Baths, Kendall, Evan and I decided that we would rather remain in Bath for the day instead of embarking on the rest of the BU journey over to Avebury. So, we parted from the group and headed to an adorable little tea room that we had spotted from the bus on our way into town. Walking to the tea room gave us the opportunity to really look at the Roman and Georgian architecture of the town. Even with rain pouring down from a classic English overcast sky, even the most insignificant of buildings in Bath were beautiful in their own rite. After getting some tomato basil soup, sandwiches and tea, we decided to head up to the top of the hill in Bath to see the Assembly Rooms and Fashion Museum. We literally battled the elements during our trek up the hill, as at one point I actually was blocking horizontal rain from attacking me by hiding behind my umbrella as I held it perpendicular to my body. Unfortunately, Evan's umbrella did not survive the fight up to the Assembly Rooms. However, hers was not the only one... every single rubbish bin that we passed on our hike was overflowing with impaled and injured umbrellas of all shapes, sizes and colors.

The Assembly Rooms and the Fashion Museum were both very interesting and beautiful. The chandeliers in one of the Assembly Rooms were made in the 1700's and have been hanging there since the room was first used around that time. The Fashion Museum was intriguing because it explored the 'look of the year' from the middle of the 20th century into the 21st century. I would have to say that the look for 2007 did not really appear to be too representative of what I wore the year I graduated from high school...

... however I guess it is supposed to be a distorted version of the style of that year? Maybe? Another aspect of the Fashion Museum that we enjoyed was the room where we could try on corsets and hoop skirts like those worn in the 18th and 19th centuries. Let's just say that even though it was fun for ten minutes to suck our tummies in and float around the room like members of the Tudor family, I am quite glad that it is generally socially acceptable to wear nike shorts and Chi O t-shirts in public on a daily basis here in the 21st century. After the Fashion Museum we wandered about Bath a little more, did some shopping in the vintage stores and boutiques, then made a pit-stop at a fudge shop we had seen earlier in the day before catching a train back to London. I really enjoyed seeing Bath because it had a lot of history to it and gave me a better idea of what an area of England looks like other than London. After returning from Bath still slightly damp from our battle with mother nature and exhausted from our day of wandering, Kendall, Evan and I threw together some dinner and relaxed as we attempted to work on our papers that are due this week.

On Sunday morning, Kendall and I awoke quite early and made a dash for another new destination in London named Camden. Camden is in the central, northern area of London and is known for its out of control market scene.

. And as you can see... it absolutely deserves its reputation for being one of the most incredible markets in all of England. From the copious amounts of smoking paraphenalia to the numerous Middle Eastern shops selling wall-hangings and pashminas, Camden Market has to be one of the most eclectic places I have been in London. The variety of stalls and shops we found put Portobello Market to shame and kept us busy for hours on end. One of the most incredible parts of the market is that its main part is built around what used to be a horse hospital!

Many of the shopkeepers and vendors set up their tables in and around the stalls that used to hold horses back in the 19th and early 20th century. So when you walk around, it is quite likely that you will look up to see bronze colored stallions cantering above your head.

Camden was hands-down my favorite place in London so far. I wish I had enough time (and money) to go back, but I have so many more things I want to do before I go home next month. I am glad that I experienced Camden Market on a Sunday at all and will absolutely recommend it to anyone that comes to London even just for a few days. I really feel as though Camden epitomizes the niche that I identify the closest with in London. It was overflowing with diverse and interesting people selling all types of crafts, styles and gizmos. The food was cheap and tasty, the people were kind (though sometimes aggressive when trying to get you to buy their things) and the atmosphere was cozy and crazy all at once. It isn't going to be Big Ben that I dream about when I'm back in Winston-Salem. Nor is it going to be the Crofton. It is going to be the rush of bargaining with a Middle-Eastern man in the middle of a bustling market, it is going to be stuffing my face with Asian noodles and almond, butterscotch and cream crepes knowing that within the hour my stomach will be churning with discontent, it is going to be embarking on journeys to new places only to find that there is so much more to a city than what meets the eye in a picture book or on a website.

I love this town. Please don't make me leave?

Dublin and such...

I have decided that Dublin is so named because it is basically a Double L: Lesser London.

This past weekend I met up with two fellow dance teamers, Kristen and Bridget, in Dublin. Kristen has been studying in London this semester, but I had yet to see her and Bridget is studying in Galway. We all convened at the Dublin Airport late on Friday night and made our way to our hostel. It was absolutely freezing outside! Much colder and windier than London. Our hostel, Litton Lane Hostel, was conveniently located just off of O'Connell Street, which is one of the major streets in the City Centre area of Dublin. The hostel was nothing special, nor were the 5 other snoring non-English speaking young men whom we shared a room with, but it was 25 euros for two nights and had a perfect location. After we dropped our things off, we went to a pub across the river/canal for a drink then headed to bed to prepare for our long day of tourist-ing ahead.

On Saturday we woke up bright and early to a still very windy and chilly Dublin. We wandered over to Trinity College on the other side of the water and checked out its many beautiful buildings.

The campus was gorgeous, but a lot smaller than I would have thought considering how well known it is. After Trinity College, we decided to begin our trek across town to the Guinness Brewery. On our way there, we saw many pretty churches, old government buildings and views of the surrounding areas. The Guinness Brewery was a really interesting experience because of the history behind the brewery. The premises is in a very conspicuous location and has been the location of the Guinness enterprise since the very beginning. Also, the beer has remained in the hands of the same family since it was created. Unfortunately you do not get to go in the actual brewery buildings when you visit the premises. However, we did get to learn a lot about the history of Guinness and how it is made to have such a unique taste. We also had the opportunity to pour our very own 'perfect' glasses of Guinness.

Who knew there could be such a precise method to pouring a beer? There were so many seemingly unnecessary elements to it like the amount of gas used on the tap and the amount of time you let it sit before drinking. Yet, the beers tasted as good as Guinness can taste (as I don't really like the taste all that much). After raiding the Guinness store, we headed back toward the City Centre and went to Rick's Burgers, the burger joint that Grace (who is studying in Dublin) had recommended to us. Though it is kind of embarrassing to admit that we basically had fast food in Ireland, the burger was absolutely amazing. Honestly had to have been one of the best cheeseburgers that I have ever had... and that says a lot because I have had many a cheeseburger in my day. After lunch, we continued to wander and made our way over to the National Gallery. We saw some Irish art, which tended to be more contemporary and realist, and some classic impressionist paintings like those of Monet. Then we continued to meander around the City Centre along some of the shopping streets and eventually made our way to St. Stephen's Green.

The park was absolutely beautiful. It definitely would have been even more gorgeous if it had been sunnier and warmer out, yet we were in Dublin... you can't expect sunshine in Ireland in November! We made our way through St. Stephen's Green, saw some mallard ducks, then headed back to our hostel to give ourselves a little rest. That night we ended up just finding a small Italian place to eat at (me? Italian? nooo...) then went to the same pub that we had been at the night before for a sider and the end of X-Factor. We were quite exhausted at that point and ended up heading back to our hostel to get some rest. It was great to see the girls and just hang out and discuss things that we haven't really had the chance to talk about in our months apart. It was also interesting to hear about how our abroad experiences are similar and different, with Bridget basically alone in Galway, Kristen studying in London through Wake Forest's Worrell House, and me studying in London through Boston University.

By early Saturday morning, we were definitely ready to head back to our respective locales. The weekend was great and I absolutely enjoyed the memories we made. It was wonderful to see some familiar faces, learn about Guinness, and see what Dublin is like. I would have to say, I would not necessarily recommend visiting Dublin simply because it just seems to be like London on a bad day. I know I have been spoiled here in London because this really is one of the most amazing cities in the world. Yet, I just found that Dublin did not really have its own character to it. It reminded me a little of Copenhagen, but then had the British feel to it. Unlike Copenhagen, however, it did not have its own unique architecture. And unlike London, it seemed slightly dull and mundane. Perhaps therein lies the problem I will face in four weeks' time... I surely hope that I can still find places to be beautiful and exciting even though they aren't in Europe.

Since I’ve been back from Dublin, my week has been relatively normal. I mean, not normal in terms of my American life. Yet, normal in terms of my London life like shopping for food in Harrods and working at Parliament. Today I actually got to go to the Prorogation in the House of Lords where the Royal Assent (the Queen’s approval of laws that have gone through the House of Commons and House of Lords took place for various bills like the Health Bill, Autism Bill, and Marine and Coastal Access Bills. As my colleague V said as we left the House of Lords, it was “just a little bit of history.” I had another one of those moments as I listened to the Queen’s Deputy give the Queen’s approval for the laws in question. I was looking at the gilded throne upon which the Queen sits during the State Opening of Parliament (which is next Wednesday) and felt a little pang of sadness for my impending return to the states. Where am I going to see golden thrones in the U.S., something that I have become all too accustomed to seeing? Oh… the burdens placed upon those American students who opt to take a walk on the wild side and fall in love with somewhere new. Anyway, this weekend I will be going on a daytrip to Bath and am hopefully going London-hopping on Sunday to different markets. One month left? No thank you.

Family, Friends, London, Copenhagen, AH!

Remember, remember, the fifth of November! Gun powder, treason, and PLOT!

Ok now that I acknowledged that it's Guy Fawkes day... WOW! I cannot believe it has been about two weeks since I wrote to you. Time is flying by over here and I'm starting to fear my inevitable fate... a long flight back to the US of A. I will try my best to recap what I have been doing these past two weeks and to give a little preview of what's to come in my LAST FIVE WEEKS here in London. Insert cries of horror here.

The weekend before last, the weekend of my lovely Alexandra Jane's 21st birthday back in the city of brotherly love (she survived, by the way), my sissy Briel and her male counterpart Jeremy made their way over to Europe for a week-long vacation. I met them on Saturday morning at the Gloucester tube station and welcomed them into beautiful South Kensington. Their nice small hotel was near the South Ken tube station and happened to be right above Janet's Bar... the one where we met Uncle Timmy two months ago... ahhh my life comes full circle. I was able to spend a lot of time with them wandering the city and seeing the more touristy sights in London. On Saturday afternoon we went to the British Museum where I got to see the Rosetta Stone and mummy cats then grabbed some Indian food for dinner at a restaurant right near where I live in South Kensington. On Sunday morning we went to the Tower of London, which was so fascinating because I have read many books about British monarchs and the strange incidents that occurred at the tower like beheadings and the disappearances of the little princes. It was also great place to go because Briel got to see what most think is London bridge, but is in fact the Tower Bridge, as seen below.

We then walked to Tate Modern where we saw a really amazing box/optical illusion exhibit and some Andy Warhol works, which are usually my favorite. We spent some time in a pub on the Thames and meandered quite a bit along the river in spite of the cold. On Monday morning I got to give my first ever exclusive tour of Parliament. I was really impressed with myself at how much I knew about Parliament to share with Briel and Jeremy as I walked around with them. I also felt pretty legit when a security guard told us that we were supposed to stay with our tour group, but immediately corrected herself, apologized and told us to take 'as long as we wished' after seeing my security pass. After Parliament, we went to Westminster Abbey and saw the memorials for kings, queens, playwrights, and scientists including Henry James and Isaac Newton. On Monday afternoon I had class and Tuesday I had work, but in the evening on Tuesday I met Briel and Jeremy at one of Gordon Ramsay's restaurants, Maze, for an incredible dinner. The food was EXTRAORDINARY, the service was AMAZING, the cocktails were DELICIOUS, and the atmosphere was BEAUTIFUL. Let's just say Gordon Ramsay's establishments are not overrated. I won't lie... I kind of got sick from the food... but I enjoyed the taste and the experience too much to blame it on the food itself. I'm instead blaming it on my gluttonous, over-eating. On Wednesday evening we wandered the city a little more, ate tasty oriental food, and took Briel and Jeremy to my favorite frozen yogurt place, Snog, before having to bid them goodbye. It was sad to see them go, but we definitely accomplished a lot in those few days and I know that they were ready for the second leg of their trip in Paris come Thursday morning.

On Friday I made my way over to Copenhagen to spend Halloween with my lovely roommate from Wake, Rock. Like any best friend would, Rock picked me up from the Copenhagen Airport with alcohol in hand and a smile on her face. Note: she was wearing her Saved by the Bell costume under her peacoat as she stood there with her bag of goodies awaiting my arrival. I'm glad I will never have to question why we get along so well. She whisked me away via train (which is based on the honor system like public transportation in Munich) into the center of the city where we met up with some of her friends at a bar that I believe was called Kular Bar? It was a really fun atmosphere and I had great time... mostly because it was very, very refreshing to be dancing around with one of my best friends again. After Kular Bar we made our way out to the suburbs where Rock is staying with family friends for the semester. The house was adorable and the family was so welcoming. Rock's host-mother actually works for the Danish foreign affairs office in Copenhagen and has been spending a lot of her time assisting in the planning and execution of the climate conference that my MP and the rest of the world has been preparing for, which will take place in Copenhagen in December. On Saturday morning, we made our way back to the city where we got some delicious pastries and sat by one of the canals.

It was absolutely FREEZING outside, but the air was crisp, the water was beautiful and I was too distracted by the amazing scones and other delicious treats to notice that my body temperature had dropped at least 10 degrees per minute that we sat there. After we finished our treats, we wandered over to the Round Tower, which is the tallest tower in Denmark (I believe).

After a very long and steep climb, we made it to the top of the tower only to find this incredible view.

Every direction was like dessert for the eyes, from the windmills churning in the breeze just beyond Christiana (the independent city where drugs are legal) to the many gothic-inspired domes and towers of palaces and churches in the distance. I'm not going to lie, I did not expect Copenhagen to be so beautiful. Yet, Copenhagen has its own unique character defined by a juxtaposition between industrial/mod architecture and old baroque and gothic influenced buildings. I especially enjoyed going to Nyhavn, one of the most well-known areas of Copenhagen, and seeing all of the colorful buildings and boats.

We spent quite a bit of time wandering Copenhagen, seeing sights like the opera house and the palace where the royal family lives. Yet, we had to head back to Rock's home-stay early enough to prepare for what lie ahead... Halloween... at Sensation.

Sensation deserves its own paragraph. Actually, let's be real... Sensation should be a global holdiday. Here is a video to help explain why...

Basically Sensation is a white-themed rave in a soccer stadium. The entire stadium is shared by thousands of people and an elaborate set, made specifically to trip you out and react strangely when lights are flashed on its many pieces. Rock and I arrived and met up with her friends at approximately 8:30 p.m. and did not even think about heading home until around 2:00 a.m. There were intense/pulsating beats, crazy Danes, insane outfits and pyrotechnics galore. It was an amazing experience and I am so happy I went because I really felt as though I got a taste of that intense, club-going European culture. I can't say that I would frequent events like Sensation, but I would not trade that night for anything and would absolutely recommend that anyone goes. I also would recommend that you wear a toga or a tutu... clearly that worked out well for the roomster and I.

So on Sunday morning we somehow managed to remove ourselves from bed. Rock packed, as she was preparing to embark on her two week fall break around Europe, and then we headed off to Nyhavn for some breakfast before going to the airport. It worked out really well because Rock and her friend Tara began their two week trip here in London. So I got to spend a little bit of time with them showing them where I live, where I work, and some of the more entertaining attractions that London has to offer. On Monday morning I got to give Rock and Tara a tour of Parliament, then we headed east along the Thames toward St. Pauls cathedral so they could see the Millennium (a.k.a. Harry Potter) Bridge. I then left the girls at Tate Modern after showing them my most recent favorite view of London from the fourth floor terrace overlooking the Thames at Tate Modern.

I love it because you can see St.Pauls (to the left) and the Millennium Bridge all at once, showing a major contrast between one of the most important older structures in London (even Churchill apparently said that as long as St. Pauls remained untarnished, they were still winning WWII) to some of the newer structures like the bridge and Tate Modern itself. Unfortunately I had class on Monday afternoon so I couldn't stay with them, but I was able to meet up with the girls at Covent Garden after they spent the day wandering the city. I took them to Porterhouse, one of my favorite bars in London, before we retired for the evening.

Rock and Tara left on Tuesday morning and the week has flown since. Work has been relatively slow lately because of the postal strike, which inhibits even Parliament from getting copious amounts of unnecessary campaign letters from constituents. Yet, when I was at the gym tonight I noticed a news bulletin that said the postal strike has been suspended until after Christmas so who knows how many letters will be on my desk when I arrive at work tomorrow morning! I still love my internship a lot. The people I work with are great and I truly enjoy being able to have such a hands-on experience in politics. Last week I got to sit in on a meeting with my MP and take notes for his records. Today I began helping R research how diplomatic immunity applies to locally-engaged staff members of British embassies because recently an Iranian national who is also a top political analyst at the British embassy in Iran was sentenced to many years in prison for apparently having a major hand in the post-election Iranian protests over the summer. Of course the man had absolutely nothing to do with the protests, so R and the rest of the shadow foreign affairs team are trying to figure out why nothing has been done by the British government on this man's behalf in order to keep him from having to spend his life in prison for something he didn't do. So I was scouring the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations of 1961 for an hour or two today, hoping to find some clause that says that the British government should be able to act on his behalf. I'm not sure if I have found anything yet, but I did get to write a question that my MP will be asking the Foreign Secretary to answer, which is kind of a big deal?

Anyway, tomorrow I head to Dublin to meet up with Bridget (VOT PRIDEEE!) and Kristen (who is studying in London and I have yet to see!) for the weekend. Can you say dance team reunion? Hopefully the night won't end in doing 8-counts... but hopefully it will end in doing quake. Then when I return to London on Sunday I will only have five weeks left here in London. Last night, Kendall and I were wandering Brick Lane, the Liverpool Station area, and then Oxford Street to see the Christmas lights when suddenly the reality of leaving this place dawned on me. The first half of the semester was rather slow for me and even though I was having an amazing time, I still always had the prospect of going home in a few months at the back of my mind. Now, while I am still excited to go back home to see my family and friends and to eventually go back to Wake Forest, part of me is very, very nervous about the reverse-culture shock and leaving London in general. I have really come to appreciate a lot of what London has to offer from its pub lifestyle to the history that you can find in even the smallest of nooks or crannies. Also, come January, I will have spent seven total months living and working in a city: Three months working for the New York Knicks in New York City and four months living in London, two months of which I will have worked for British Parliament. How am I supposed to go back to a small school in a small city in North Carolina after this? How will I fare not being able to walk or take public transportation everywhere? What will it be like to have to lock myself in ZSR for hours at a time only to make a mere dent in my workload? Maybe it will be refreshing. Maybe I will fall back into place right away. I guess I just never thought I could grow up this quickly. Don't get me wrong, I love and miss Wake Forest, but I guess I just never thought that I would even consider fearing that Wake Forest may just not be enough.

Until next time... which hopefully will be less than two weeks from now because that was just ridiculous... I hope all is well whether you're in South America, Europe, New York City or the good ol' Village of Tequesta! I can't wait to update you on my next adventures!