Day Ten: Home

Happy Saint Patrick's Day! Michelle and I spent it together in Newark. We had several hours to reflect on our trip while waiting for our connection (which, of course, was delayed.)

London was a great trip. It was so good to see Chris, Tara and Jess. Michelle and Noelle were perfect travel partners. There was a pretty good balance of relaxation and true Spring Break action. There were some things we missed out on that I would have liked to see (Ice Bar, Fabrik, Vanity Fair Exhibit, sun) but it was great to revisit places I didn't appreciate enough in high school and visit places that were completely new to me. It's weird that we hardly interacted with actual British people. There is so much to see and do in a city like London. It's hard to establish a perfect itinerary for such a short period of time. Next time I will definitely bring an alarm clock. I will also leave time for random wandering. We only wandered the last day we were there, at which point I realized there was a lot we were unaware of that I would have liked to spend more time seeing (especially in and around Trafalgar Square.)

It is so difficult to experience all a culture has to offer. Tourist destinations like the Eye and the bridges are must-see places, but I feel like I experienced more of London walking along the river watching people walk by and kids skateboard and old people sit and read. The beer festival wasn't at all what we expected but I feel like we gained a pretty accurate perspective of British life. Those old guys really care about their beer and their main concern is "protecting the pint" so they are never jipped in a pub. That's culture.

There's no perfect way to experience a city in one week. It's important to think about goals and objectives. Mine were to catch up with friends I miss, explore the city, drink legally in pubs, relax, see tourist sites during the day and a variety of entertainment at night. I accomplished my goals. And some bonuses. Like Chris' wrestling matches and nipple salads, Noelle's fake accent, Michelle's weird phrases, Jess' delicious home cooking and knack for showing people a million tourist destinations in a few hours and so much more. We met new people, had some fun and made it back to Boston in one piece )even though I did miss a flight for the first time in my life.)

Spring break two-thousand-GREAT!



Now back to school.

Day Nine: Departure

Michelle's alarm clock screamed for several minutes at 6:30 this morning. I hate alarm clocks. We got our bags, said goodbye to Jess and went to the tube station.

First bad sign of the day: We got lost trying to find the right line. My arms were already sore from carrying Rugged Gear all over the tube station. We got to Victoria Station.

Second bad sign of the day: The Gatwick Express sat on the tracks for twenty minutes. Time is running out. We have a plane to catch here. I fell asleep for the half hour commute to the airport. We ran off the train and headed to our terminal. We'll be fine. I've made it to my gate in less than an hour before. Plus, we checked in online last night. They won't leave without us.

Third bad sign of the day: Why are there no signs in this damn airport? We rode an escalator to check-in. Because there were no signs telling everyone where to go, there was a pile-up at the top of the escalator. People and suitcases jammed together forming one mass of confusion. I clawed my way out and Michelle and I headed to the gate.

Now the shit hit the fan. An hour early, we joined the line at Continental. Two girls, who were also on our flight to Newark, were asking a petite British woman with tightly wound hair where to go at which point she screamed across the room, "We got four more here!" She then snobbily informed us in a nasally voice that we would have to rebook our flight. WHAAAAAAAATTTTTT. That can't be right. Eyes widened and expletives flowing freely, we tried to figure out how to get on that plane. Short of rushing the security booth (which would have only resulted in tasering and a beat-down) there was nothing we could do. I hate Gatwick.

We stood in line seething with anger. We were told we'd have to fly standby to Newark and standby from Newark to Boston. Cursing loudly we gripped our new standby tickets and re-entered the check in line. I wanted to punch the overly peppy British woman who thumbed through my passport making sure I didn't accept any bombs along the way. We had to be rushed to the front of the check in line because the next flight to Newark was being closed. What is wrong with Continental? They should really notify travelers of this policy. We were two of six people forced to fly standby because we just missed the line.

After checking in, we hustled to security and briskly walked through a maze of Duty Free shops to our gate. Gatwick is the dumbest airport I've ever been in. It took us fifteen minutes just to get from check-in to our gate. The designer must have been on Valium when he drew up the blueprints.

Airport employees methodically boarded rows based on row numbers as we sat on the floor outside our gate silently hoping we'd be on the flight. A stern voice came over the loudspeaker informing all standbys to make themselves known. We got up to make ourselves know when we heard a woman calling out names. After three names we heard it. "Jordan. Franceschelli."

YESSSSSSSSS.

Our name was on the loudspeaker again! This time they did a much better job of pronouncing my last name. Michelle and I were very excited. We stood behind other standbys in line for tickets. Michelle told the woman her name. I told the woman my name. She handed me my ticket. I told her I loved her but she didn't respond. That's life. We boarded and I decided I don't hate Continental. I just hate Gatwick.

It is definitely time to go home. Michelle switched seats with some Asian man and is now sitting next to me. We are in an exit row so we have a lot of leg room. Sweet. It's been a rollercoaster of emotions with Continental. My nerves are shot. I'm going to sleep. I hope I don't wake up until Newark.

Day Eight: March 15

I woke up relatively early this morning. There was a lot of commotion in the flat. Noelle was preparing for her flight, Jess' mom arrived and people kept stepping on me as they tried to maneuver around the room. Michelle and I decided to get up and be productive.

Our first event of the day was visiting the Imperial War Museum. I remembered loving this in high school so I wanted to visit it again. It is located in a suburby area a little outside of the city. We followed signs under an overcast sky for about ten minutes after exiting the tube station. This was probably my favorite museum in London. There was so much to see. There were different exhibits for WWI, WWII, Weapons of Mass Communication, secret services stories and many other things. Here are some pictures.

(this used to be part of the Berlin Wall...)



(these are places hanging from the ceiling of the museum and one of the many tanks displayed...)




(these are figures in a simulation of life in the trenches...)



(this is one of the many interesting posters created as propaganda...)



We left the Imperial War Museum wishing we had more time there but hoping to get to the Vanity Fair Exhibit in the National Portrait Gallery. Unfortunately, by the time we arrived the exhibit was "sold out." How does an exhibit sell out? Don't people just walk in and out? I was irritated because this was one thing we tried to do every day but always got distracted. Maybe it will come to Boston.

We walked around for a while trying to figure out what to do. This city has no public trash barrels. I don't understand this. It is pretty clean too. I wonder if people just hold on to their trash?

Michelle and I took a breather at a cafe by the museum. Michelle bought an $8 croissant and I tried to find something interesting to go see. It was already 5:30 so most things were either closed or closing. We walked around the Trafalgar area for a couple of hours. We stopped to get some souvenirs. I got Joe a "Mind The Gap" t-shirt and Steve some shot glasses. I also got myself a shot glass with a picture of the Queen and some text saying, "To Commemorate the 80th Birthday of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II."

So here's the dilemma that took us forever to resolve. We sat in Jess' kitchen debating what to do that night. On one hand, we have an early flight, still haven't packed, we didn't feel like trekking out in the rain and Michelle only has 8 pounds left. On the other hand, it's our last night here. We can't just waste a night because we have to get up early. As if we were even seriously considering staying in. We decided to join Jess' roommates for one last night on the town.

We ended up going to a club called Metro. Our decision was based on the fact that this club was cheaper and closer than the legendary club Ministry of Sound that was also an option. We got to the club and had to go down a set of narrow stairs, just like in a metro station. There were red lights, red walls and pop art. The ceiling was low and the actual club was small. There was one bar and a small stage to the side. The oldest person in the club was finally younger than fifty. A DJ booth against a wall was sectioned off and housed an older man playing a mix of oldies, motown, and alternative music. We heard Diana Ross, Amy Winehouse, The Beatles, Kaiser Chiefs, the Clash and much more. This club was definitely different than anything we'd been in so far and I loved it. James pointed out "Mods. Dancing. Weird." There were mods, punks, a couple of older men, kids, people in leather jackets and flannel and all jeans and all black. It was wonderful. I hope there is a place like this in Boston waiting for me to discover it.

Metro was open until four but we left at about two, thoroughly satisfied with our last evening in London. We didn't get harassed by old men like in On Anon, which was wonderful. The worst I got was some guy grabbing my butt but after I firmly removed his hand from my right cheek, everything was fine.

When we got back to Jess', we found a pile of pillow cushions, blankets and pillows Jess stashed for us. I'm exhausted. Waking up for our flight is going to be painful.

Day Seven: March 14

This morning Chris woke us up to say goodbye. He had his internship all day and will be leaving from there to Dublin for the weekend. Chris was an awesome host. Michelle and I each had a couch every night, he cooked us pasta, brought us fun places at night, gave us his key so we could go off gallivanting while he was at work and even had pillow talk with us. In fact, a couple days into the trip he gave himself a new nickname after tossing us his keys and saying, "daddy will be home at 6 or 7. You girls have fun today." Naturally, since Chris was daddy Jess became our mommy. They have both taken very good care of us so far.

After Chris left, Michelle and I packed all our belongings back into our over-sized suitcases and hauled them several blocks to Jess' flat. Life is so difficult without cell phones. It's nice to be without my phone and cut off from everyone except the people I'm with, but it's extremely difficult to contact people here. When we got to Jess' flat, no one answered the buzzer and we couldn't call anyone. Michelle sat with the suitcases and I went down to the sandwich place to get us some lunch. (I wish we had sandwich shops in America.) By the time I got back to Jess', Noelle had let Michelle into the building and helped her carry our luggage up five flights of stairs. Sweet deal.

Jess brought Michelle, Noelle and I to meet up with some of her friends who were riding the Eye. We walked along the water for at least 20 minutes observing life on our way to high tea. We saw all different kinds of street performers, book sellers under a bridge, skateboarders and bikers doing tricks against graffiti cement, Shakespeare's Globe and a bunch of famous bridges.



High tea was at a pub we reached after walking across London. You ordered in groups of two and were given a pot of tea, tuna sandwiches, pickle and cheese sandwiches, scones and cakes to share. Our table was covered with food. The sandwiches were my favorite of the food items. Pickle and cheese sandwiches are surprisingly delicious. That was also my first tuna sandwich ever. It was amazing. The cakes, not so good. My mom's carrot cake has tainted me and I will not eat or enjoy any others. An awkward, Eastern European waitress kept coming to our table, asking us if we were finished and refusing to take away more than one item at a time. We had a table full of plates and glasses but she would only take one tea cup at a time. She yelled at us for not finishing all the food. I thought she was going to hit us.

After tea we headed to the Tate Modern. My favorite floor was five. This floor had Cubist, futurist, minimalist, pop art and conceptual art exhibits. I was really excited to find out there were Lichtensteins on that floor. Turns out there was only one piece of his work. It was still amazing to see in person. The Andy Warhol pieces were also pretty great. An artist I had never heard of became the creator of some of my favorite pieces in the Tate Modern. Cheri Samba, an artist born in the Congo but living in Paris had amazing pieces full of political and cultural commentary that sucked me in immediately through bright colors and chaotic figures. (This was not my favorite but one of the few I could find that was at that exhibit.)



The Tate Modern also had a fair amount of ridiculous videos and simple images a Kindergartener could have created. It is hard to take seriously pieces of art encompassed by a single red line down a canvas. One room had a bizarre video of people in their underwear lying on a canvas in paint with raw chicken and dead fish being thrown at them as they rolled around all over each other. It was intriguing and bizarre.

After this two hour mind warp, we crossed the Millennium Bridge and got on the tube back to Jess'. Tonight is Noelle's last night so we decided to go to a club called On Anon. We weren't really sure what to expect. It was a very interesting experience. Not only do people harass you in the streets of London trying to lure you to whatever club they're working for, but once you get inside your club of choice you are further harassed by girls trying to con you into buying overpriced shots of Sambuca. Noelle, Michelle and I went to use the bathroom and there was a lady sitting in a chair next to the sink waiting to take your money after you innocently take a stick of gum she laid out on the sink. There was gum, makeup, toothbrushes, hair brushes, lighters, mints, even shaving cream and razors. It was ridiculous.



The club was full of sweaty people who, for some reason, decided deodorant would not be necessary this evening. There were many young girls and many old men. This seems to be a trend in London clubs. I wonder where all the young guys go? One guy decided to break our dance circle and tear me away as he tried to dance with my resisting body. He was very goofy. In a heavy British accent, he told me his name was Adam. He tried talking to me but my responses were sparse. When his friend walked over, Adam shouted, "I found the shiest American girl!" He continued trying to get me to dance. When I refused, he screamed in my ear "YOU ARE SO CUTE! I just want to put you in my pocket and bring you around and take you out and say 'look Maria! There's Big Ben!' I could just eat you up!" I rolled my eyes and took a sip of my drink at which point he shouted, "Aww look at the little sip she took! The glass is half the size of her!" Noelle and the girls were very amused. She tried to convince Adam that the shocker is an American dance move. He didn't buy it. After talking about bringing me around London in his pocket some more, I decided it was time to tell Adam to bugger off. Michelle, Jess and Noelle pulled me away and danced around me. Adam got the point. Another random guy decided to corner Noelle for the remainder of our time at On Anon. About an hour later, overwhelmed by the weird guys and raging body odor, we escaped back to Jess'.

Jess and her roommates had three or four extra guests aside from Noelle, Michelle and I. Sleeping space was prime real estate. Jess gave us some rafters to sleep on. Noelle blew them up and we tried to get comfortable in silence since everyone was asleep. This, however, was impossible. The rafters were really beach floats and made a high pitched screeching noise the second we made contact with them. This screeching went on for about three minutes as we tried to get comfortable without A) waking anyone up and B) peeing our pants. After a long fit of laughter, I stealthily rolled off the side of my flotation devices, defeated by the noises. Tonight, I sleep on the floor.

Day Six: March 13

Damn it. We slept in again.

I'm pretty sure the alarm clock rang without any response on our behalf. We met Noelle and Jess around 4ish and went to the Queen's Arms, a local pub, for some fish and chips and beer. Noelle and I got the fish and chips, which came with a side of mushy peas. Noelle enjoyed them. The consistency freaked me out so I gave mine to Noelle. She is on her way to becoming a true Brit. Not only does she eat fish and chips and mushy peas, she has also adopted a sporadic (yet not-so-convincing) British accent. For some reason, she can not respond to strangers without donning a British accent. Yesterday at the beer festival, some guy asked her if she wanted to try his pint of "Hop Over To Paris." In response, Noelle grabbed his arm making grand gestures toward his pint and shouted in a high pitched British accent, "Is that whatchu got theeehhh?" I peed my pants a little and she tasted a stranger's beer, ultimately deciding on another.

After the pub we went to Chris' where we made plans to meet other BUers at a bar called Kavanagh's. I was told by my boss to visit this bar before leaving London, so I was very excited. When we arrived, a large bouncer checked our IDs to make sure we were all above 18. We followed a stairwell to the basement where a cover band played in the corner and students crowded by a wrap-around bar. Kavanagh's was a lot of fun. We ran into many people from BU there. There were different seating areas and a small dance floor in front of the band. We spent most of our time on or near the dance floor. The cover band played a lot of good songs, old and new. This was the first time we heard our London theme song, I Predict A Riot by Kaiser Chiefs. The band played fun classics like Brown Eyed Girl. We enjoyed it even though they completely messed up the lyrics. At one point, Noelle dragged Michelle and I into the middle of the packed dance floor. We were completely surrounded and could hardly move at which point Noelle screamed to us, "THIS is bangers and mash!.... Bangers and MOSH!" One weird thing tonight was the amount of older people there. Older meaning above 40. Some guy who must have been at least 60 was right in the middle of the dance floor asking BU girls to dance with him. This was kind of strange. I feel like there is a greater separation of age ranges at bars and evening venues in America. At least strict enough where, on your typical night, a 60 year old would not be at the same venue as 20 year olds.

Tonight is our last night staying at Chris'. He and two of his roommates are leaving for Dublin tomorrow so Michelle and I are going to join Noelle at Jess' for our last two nights in London. I can't believe how fast this trip is going by.












I Predict A Riot

Day Five: March 12

Today was the best day so far. We were determined to be productive so Michelle and I woke up early and collected Noelle from Jess' place. First order of business: London Beer and Cider Fest.



We saw this advertised in a paper and decided it would be the perfect way to start our day. Admission was free during lunch (12-3) so we figured we'd head over at about 11:30. I was so excited. I figured we'd find a lot of other Spring breakers since it is a huge beer festival. We took the tube to Camden, located the Centre and were greeted by a man with thin, stringy hair, a gigantic beer belly and only three teeth. He chuckled a little when he saw us and handed us fliers listing which beers were where. He told us we could get our glasses inside and to the left so we headed there eagerly.

We entered a massive theater-type hall and froze in our tracks. The Camden Centre was full of old people. Blinded by the gray, we surveyed the room trying to comprehend the situation we just walked into. Was this a senior citizens event? We looked at each other and laughed hysterically. As it turned out, we were the youngest people by at least thirty years at the 24th annual Beer and Cider festival. We were three of about ten or eleven girls. Most of the people were so old it was difficult to figure out their sex.



Following the toothless man's instructions, we located glasses at the left of the hall. We each purchased pint glasses and opened our pamphlets to figure out what we wanted to drink. My first meal of the day consisted of a pint of Valiant. A brew from the Bateman's Brewery in Lincolnshire, it was described as "golden beer, clean, crisp and zesty." We each got different beers and shared while observing the Camden natives as though we were documenting life in the jungle for Discovery Channel. Most of the people were missing at least three teeth. Several had not showered in days. Dare I guess, weeks? We saw an array of loose cardigans and unique spectacles. Most people had red and purple tints to their faces indicating extreme alcohol consumption over the years. There were some very unique individuals including one man with a button on his cardigan that read, "Lip reader. Speak slowly." One bartender (although I use the term loosely as they were not actual bartenders but old people serving beer) donned a shirt that read, "98% drinker. 2% twat." The Camden Centre even recruited some security forces for this event. Our favorite security guard was a 5'5'' 85 year old man with a hunch back and an ear piece, presumably connected to some sort of communication system in case anyone got out of hand. Our friend walked around the hall squinting at beer drinkers while keeping a finger to his ear piece and firmly stating in a strong British accent, "Roger that," and other random command phrases. He may or may not have been speaking to another human being.

A couple beers later, we decided it was time for some actual food. The beer festival started us off well and provided a fairly representative sampling of London's pub culture. Satisfied with our experience in Camden, we ate sausages and Doner Kebabs and hopped on the tube to go meet Jess. Next stop: London Eye.

We decided to do the London Eye on one of the only days it didn't rain. The weather was perfect. There were clouds but the sun shone through lighting the eye, Big Ben, Parliament and other landmarks perfectly. While waiting for Jess to arrive after a day at her internship, we took pictures and sat in the sun enjoying the area.



Our ride on the Eye was great. There were only four other people with us so we could move around freely. The view was amazing even though I got a little scared and had to sit down. Noelle took that opportunity to make fun of my by resting on the window and pretending she was falling out. Just like on big rollercoasters, they took a picture at the end of our ride. We all made ridiculous poses and Noelle, in true Asian tourist form, purchased the picture after stepping off the Eye. On our way to the tube we got Nutella Crepes. Delicious.

Michelle and I went back to Chris' where one study abroader's birthday was taking place. Michelle and I discussed several important things in the kitchen including my 21st birthday. We decided that instead of buying the typical "cute birthday outfit" I will get some crazy costume. Specifically, I will dress up as Little Bo Peep and my roommates will dress up as sheep (lots of cotton balls) and I will have one of those long curved canes that I can use to drag them around all night. I'm looking into the details.

A group of at least fifteen of us left Chris' and headed to Imperial College, which apparently has several bars, a DJ and a dance floor on Wednesdays. Chris brought us to a gated area where we each paid one pound and walked into a large courtyard with picnic tables and people smoking Hookah outside. We went inside to find the bar. It was in a huge room past the dance floor and DJ. The bar was fully stocked and students were waiting to be served liquor in the comfort of their own campus.

"Can you imagine this being the GSU?" Michelle asked. No. There is nothing even close to it at BU. Student were able to drink freely and have a good time on their own campus.

After walking around a little more, we discovered that many students were dressed up as bizarre characters. There were Bananas in Pajamas (pajama pants and huge, cardboard bananas on their heads), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Legends of the Hidden Temple players and many others. Apparently every night has a theme. Michelle and I danced with some bananas and students took turns joining their friends on a large stage to dance under the lasers and colored lights.

The bar closed down and groups of people started leaving. On our way home, Michelle and I decided we were hungry and wanted to stop at Sainsburys for some chips. Finding a bag of chips in London is not as easy as one would imagine. For some reason, the chips are packaged as six, eight or twelve snack sized bags in one massive bag. We scanned the aisle for fifteen minutes trying to locate a normal bag of chips but settled for a variety pack of eight. Michelle grabbed some strange dip and we dove in the second we got to Chris', methodically tearing through each individual sized bag until we were sufficiently full. After our snack, Chris, James and I got into a wrestling match. I put up a good fight.

What a superb day. Bed time.

Day Four: March 11

Ooooops. Traveling without an alarm clock was an awful idea. Michelle and I woke up at three in the afternoon. We were supposed to meet Noelle at Jess' at eleven. In a feeble attempt to redeem ourselves, we brought over some Burger King for lunch. (We are on a tight budget. Fast food is cheap.) We ate, showered and napped for twenty minutes in Jess' top bunk. Jess came home from her internship and brought us to Hyde Park. It was so windy out we had to stop walking at certain points. The park is huge. We tried to go see the Princess Diana Memorial but it closes at six and we got there at about five past so we missed it.

We left the park and met Chris and James for Thai food. By the time we got there they'd already had appetizers. They were hungry after their long days of internships. James is a clerk in court and Chris writes at a climate magazine. The Thai food was delicious but the portions were tiny. We went straight to Sainsbury's, the grocery store, after dinner. Chris and the boys needed to do a "family shop."

Back at Chris', Michelle, Noelle and I stayed up late talking about nothing while the boys rested for the next day. The three of us got hungry and went to Sainsbury's at three in the morning after talking about food for half an hour. After eating, we brought Noelle back to Jess' and went to bed.

This was by far the worst waste of a day. We needed rest but we only have a week here. It's so hard to get things done without cell phones and alarm clocks. Life in the 20s must have been rough. This is probably the first time in my life I wish my dad was here to wake me up and make me be productive.

Day Three: March 10

Noelle is here!!!

Michelle and I met Noelle, Jess and Tara at a sandwich place by the tube station. The sandwiches were so good. I got a salami with basil, tomato and lettuce. After lunch we went to Jess' flat and said our goodbyes to Tara, who was heading back to Madrid where she is studying this semester. Noelle, Michelle and I were the only ones in the flat so we all decided to squeeze into Jess' top bunk and spoon each other. We fell asleep like this and were woken later by a laughing Jess.

The four of us took a double decker bus to Trafalgar Square. This is one of my favorite places in London. I climbed on top of the lions in the square. We took a lot of touristy pictures then went into the National Gallery taking turns picking which rooms to go through. It was weird being in there again. It brought back memories of my high school trip to London. I had to give a presentation in the National Gallery. I found the painting and told Jess what I remembered. I enjoyed the museum much more this time around.

Hungry and tired after absorbing so much culture, we stopped at a "Pret a Manger" for some snacks. I had the best chocolate croissant I've ever consumed and enjoyed the sugar rush that hit me after drinking a hot chocolate and a coke.

We went back to Chris' and Michelle and I got in pajamas and cooked the boys pasta in a large trough. After dinner we relaxed with some drinks and waited for Jess and Noelle to meet us. They finally rang the doorbell and Noelle came in mocking me by screaming "woo" repeatedly in a high pitched voice. James later commented: "Yea... That was kinda weird. You guys talked so much about Noelle and then the first time I meet her she comes running into our place barking." Good times.

The boys took us to a bar called Archangel that night. Out of nowhere on the walk over, Michelle exclaimed in a loud and unusually deep voice, "Mmmmmmmm. Haaaaaaaaaayuuuuuuummmm." That quote became a frequently used phrase of the trip.

We were the only people in the bar but the atmosphere was awesome. We sat on the second level which was small with big couches and square leather chairs. White Christmas lights were strung at the ceiling and there were several different shaped mirrors along the walls.



We're back at Chris' now. Michelle and I are going to go talk late into the night about life and nothing.

Day Two: March 9

I woke up on the floor this morning. Chris was sitting next to me with his computer on his lap poking my arm and commanding me to watch a video. I reached for my glasses and put his computer on my lap. As I picked the sleepy seeds out of my eyes, I focused in on what appeared to be called the "poop button." When clicked, the graphic made a farting noise. After two or three repetitions, the graphic changed to that of one person pooping on another person. I've missed Chris this semester.

We all woke up slowly, got dressed and headed out for breakfast. The boys took us to the Gloucester Arms, a pub about five minutes away. We got there at about 1 pm but still ordered breakfast foods. The guys got "traditional" English breakfasts. Michelle and I were a bit put off by the beans element of the meal so she got a BLT and I got ham, eggs and giant peas. We sat for a couple hours eating and watching rugby while the guys finished their beers. One would assume rugby players would have busted faces but Michelle and I thoroughly enjoyed the scenery during the Italy vs. France match.

After the pub we all headed to the Natural History Museum. We were greeted by massive dinosaur skeleton reproductions and other exhibits including one of unidentifiable footprints that Chris lovingly determined to be footprints of "the Maria" crawling on the bathroom floor at 3 am. I assure you this has never happened. We continued on our journey enjoying the dinosaur exhibit including the "twowangosaurus" and other interesting spectacles. We moved on to the human body area of the museum and ducked under an Italian man videotaping a video exhibit of sperm penetrating an egg. The best exhibit in the entire museum was the giant baby, which appeared to be huddled in a massive pod. The baby was extremely creepy and much larger than any human I know. The room holding it was all black symbolizing the inside of a uterus. There was a sound machine playing what sounded like the bleeping of a submarine radar system alerting the crew to an approaching bomb. Apparently this was meant to simulate the experience of being in the womb. Utterly creeped out, we moved on to the animals exhibits but couldn't stay there long either. (Michelle loves cute animals and often looks at pictures of them online so she gave up this routine for Lent. Upon seeing the rodents and other small animals in the museum she whispered, "I shouldn't be here" and we soon left.)



After the museum we went to McDonalds for some Cadbury Egg McFlurries, which didn't really taste like Cadbury Eggs. Michelle and I went to Jess' to shower. That was the best shower I've taken in a very long time. The actual showers were about three feet by three feet. This made moving around rather difficult. Nevertheless, we were very happy to have a nice warm shower in a girl's bathroom.

We went to dinner at a Japanese restaurant with Tara and Jess then we met Chris and he took us to a hotel bar down the street. Since it was a Sunday, all the pubs closed early. We had one drink then left. It was a school night for Chris so we tried to get him back early. Chris slept on the floor of the family room and we had very interesting pillow talk while falling asleep.

Noelle is coming tomorrow!!! Hopefully Air India gets her here safely.

Day One: March 8

March 8. 10 AM

We land ready for London. The first British voice we hear is that of the customs officer who is demanding Chris' address. We give it to him and head to baggage claim hoping our luggage will greet us there.

I LOVE CONTINENTAL!!!! I can't believe they managed to get our luggage on our flight. We had less than 20 minutes to connect to a different terminal and they got our bags over too! London, here we are.

We don't really know what we're doing at all. Michelle brought her phone, which will work in London. We have Chris' number and we know we have to get to Victoria Station. We have no money, American or British. We are supposed to call Chris when we get on the express train to London.

We find the train, get on and turn on Michelle's phone. She takes out her notebook, locates and dials his number and hands the phone to me. All I hear is a deafening buzz indicating that the number doesn't work. I keep listening hoping that's just the dial tone but a polite British woman tells me I have the wrong number.

Shit.

The train moves closer to Victoria and we realize we may have the wrong number for Chris. We are supposed to be staying with him for the majority of the trip but all I know is he lives in Lexham Gardens. I have no idea what number or where that is. We try every variation of the number we can think of. Nothing. We don't have Jess' number. We try Tara's but it doesn't work. I know no one else. What are we going to do? We are so screwed. This wasn't planned out very well....


March 8. 12 PM

When we finally arrived at Victoria Station, we walked around trying to come up with a plan to locate Chris or his flat. We walked around aimlessly, strangely calm considering we were stranded in the middle of London completely lost with no money. Michelle and I, luggage in hand, stood in the middle of the station looking at each other helplessly.

CHRISTOPHER!!!!!

I see Chris standing five feet away in his prized Wailers sweatshirt eating a Cadbury Egg McFlurry. Thank the Lord! I ran over and gave him a huge hug. I can always count on Chris.

We took out money and headed for the tube. Chris carried our luggage up and down stairs leading us closer to his flat. You need your ticket to exit the tube station. I was a little frazzled and got my luggage stuck in the doors. Once again, Chris came to my rescue and pulled my huge Rugged Gear bag over the doors. A beam of light broke through the station ceiling illuminating this chivalrous deed. We exited the Gloucester station and walked to Chris' flat.

Not only do the Brits drive on the opposite side of the street, they also walk on the opposite side of the sidewalk and ride escalators on the opposite side. This caused several collisions near-fatal collisions between myself and the British.

Right now we're sitting in Chris' kitchen. He is located on the ground floor of the Lexham Gardens building. It is a beautiful flat. We were greeted by a sea of sleeping, half-naked boys when we arrived. Chris and his four roommates have other visitors this week.

Sitting in the kitchen, we can see the family room action through an open partition. The ceilings are extremely high and the huge windows that face the street let in a sea of light through the curtains. There are two couches, a long table, a TV and a fireplace in the family room. There are two bedrooms. One is a single and the other has two sets of bunk beds. Michelle and I will be sleeping in the family room. This is going to be awesome.


March 8. 5 PM

I just woke up from the best nap of my life.

Soon after arriving at Chris' flat, he brought us back to the station to meet Tara and Jess. It was sooooo good to see them. This is the longest I've gone without seeing Tara since college started. We all went to Portobello Market. The market looked interesting but it was cold and raining and Michelle and I were exhausted so we didn't take advantage of the sights. Instead of looking at the wares people were selling, we made fun of a lady dressed in bright green velvet with long, blonde dreads that probably hadn't been washed in years. She was the tree nymph. Chris bought ten apples for one pound (two dollars) and insisted I take a bite out of every one.

Tara and Jess wandered into a Lush store. The smell of those make me nauseous but we went in for the heat anyways. Chris and I exfoliated our hands and made fun of the weird products in the store. I spotted one called "Caca." There were many different kinds including "caca rouge," "caca noir" and "caca brun." We were laughing uncontrollably. Partly because we were delirious. Mostly because poop is funny. One of the employees noticed our interest in the product and cornered me to tell me all about it.

Girl: This is an all natural hemp product. You just pick one of them, for example caca noir. Heat it up and then rub it in your hair and it will dye the hair a dark black/blue colour. You can even mix caca rouge and caca noir and get a beautiful tint.

Chris giggled like a five year old while I tried to keep a straight face listening to this British woman tell me to rub caca in my hair.

We walked around the market some more and ran into Emily and Caroline. This was our first, but definitely not last, random BU encounter. Half the campus was there for spring break.

Michelle and I wanted to nap so we had Chris bring us home. On the way there, he decided to narrate everything I did in a British voice.

Chris: The Maria takes a massive bite out of the apple. She stalks her prey and tears into it with her killer teeth. The Maria is a dangerous animal. The Maria tells the Chris to shut up in an angry voice. Marrriiaaaaaaa!!

We arrived back at the flat, got into our PJs and passed out on the couches. We woke up smiling and found Chris, James and Kevin snuggling on couch cushions on the floor. Love permeated the air and all were euphoric.

March 9. 6 AM

Tonight we went to a club called Sirocco. Jess and Tara met us at Chris' flat. They had already consumed at least one bottle of wine. We caught up on the drama of semester two thus far. Tara drunk dialled my mother, telling her how much she loved her, my father and me. We walked to the tube in a group of at least ten.

As we tried to locate the club, several promoters approached us asking where we were going trying to lure us to the club they were sponsoring. After the fifth promoter, this became extremely irritating. It was almost as bad as trying to deposit a check and having the Bank of America people try to con you into a checking account and signing away your soul.

We found the club and stayed for a little while. Michelle and I had Mojitos and danced with the London abroad kids while trying to avoid creepy strangers attempting to join our dance circle. We took a night bus back and rode on the top level tired and excited to get in pajamas. We played caps (a game the boys made up to adjust to the lack of solo cups and the difficulty of playing beer pong in London). Michelle fell asleep on the couch. The boys were sitting on the second couch so I moved to the floor and eventually fell asleep as our hosts argued about basketball and politics.

I was woken at about six by James slamming a pillow into my face. Apparently everyone had engaged in a pillow fight that they thought I should be a part of. I woke up and tried to hold my own but fell victim to Chris and James. They wrestled me to the ground and my glasses nearly broke on my face. The fight ended. I am falling asleep laughing.

Getting there

I'm back from a week in London and still recovering from the amazing experience. I didn't have time to update while there, but I wrote down what happened and will add now as if I typed when things happened. My traveling partner for the duration was Michelle.

Here goes.....





Friday March 7. 8:50 PM

"Jordan and Fresh... Frank... Fr... Frances. Last call for Jordan and Fraces to gate C96 immediately!"

That was the fastest I've run since the Turkey Trot in ninth grade.

It was another fantastic journey with an American airline. Continental to be precise. Our first flight was delayed almost an hour but according to our calculations, we'd still have time to make our connection. Who knew. An hour later we were still circling around Newark, no ground in sight. Apparently there was a storm preventing a safe landing. Bladders full and delirious from the overwhelming need to pee, we made small talk with a six-foot-something Canadian high schooler with intolerably bad breath. He was a nice young man despite his poor hygiene.

We finally landed after circling the airport at least five times. Everyone was ready to battle to the exit and rush for their connections.

"Elbows up," Michelle encouraged me.

We had a flight to make too, damn it! I almost bowled over some bitchy-looking lady until I noticed she was eight-and-a-half months pregnant. Even I'm not that heartless. We scurried off the plane frantically searching for a departure screen. We found the shuttle bus area, walked on to the tar mack and jumped onto the bus. The driver was talking to someone on his walkie talkie.

Driver: We ready to go?
Michelle: YES!!! GO!!!
Me: ... I don't think he was asking you.

As the bus approached gate C, our large Canadian friend told us to enjoy our run. We bolted up the stairs and started a brisk jog trying to follow signs to gate C96. We were at C73. Finally we found C90, which was when we heard our names echo through the terminal. Michelle championed ahead and I brought up the (far) rear. People stared as we laughed at the sound of the stern employee firmly warning Jordan and Frances that this was their last chance to board the flight to London.

We sprinted forward and finally got on the plane. The doors slammed behind us. Since the flight is about half empty, we got to choose our own seats. We sat down in the middle of the plane, sweating and winded. Michelle and I stared at each other for a few second.

Michelle: You sounded like a horse with those boots.

After taxiing for twenty minutes, we're finally taking off. I hope our luggage joined us on this journey to London Gatwick. Aaaaaaand we're off.



March 8. 6:30 AM

I slept with 200 people last night. Overnight flights are so intimate. I walked to the bathroom at one point while most people were asleep and laughed seeing all their gaping mouths and closed eyes. It's amazing feeling comfortable enough to sleep with a bunch of strangers when you think about it. Thank God the flight was half empty. Some people in the last row built huge forts with their blankets. Michelle and I each took our own rows. I slept with a seatbelt buckle up my butt. It was no Myles Standish extra-long mattress but it was comfortable considering the circumstances.

They are about to give us some breakfast. The flight attendant is an old lady with stringy hair tied back into a long braid that falls to the middle of her butt-crack.

Long hair creeps me out.

LONDON!

Ryan: it's what... almost five o'clock there?

me: hah no its almost 4

no daylight savings here

durrrrrr

it was a long night

i need rest

jeez

Ryan: durrrr? wow. you're just as lovely and charming four hours ahead as you are normally. what a shocker.

Catching up with Maria...

Food: Ham and cheese sandwich with mayo, lettuce and one slice of tomato.
Snack: Cheddar Crackers
Music: J Dilla (The Shining CD), Outkast (Stankonia CD)
Viewing Pleasure: Next Best Dance Crew
Reading Material During Stats: Vanity Fair
Website: Craigslist Missed Connections
News Story: Primary Results
Last Thing Wikipediad: Hamas
Quote: "People see the world as it appears through their windows and sidewalks." -Lieutenant Governor Tim Murray
Class Notes and Nonsense: "This class is pointless and annoying to me right now. I could be sleeping or better yet eating something delicious. I would follow that up by dancing, listening to music, checking Facebook incessantly and searching for new blogs to love." (Created today)
Bane of my existence: Stats
Project: Create playlists for the travel to London.
Thought: Why do people always change their hair when they're trying to change something in their lives? You're still the same person, stupid!
Can't stop thinking about: Estate, Cosmo the Venezuelan and trekking through a snow storm with Christina.
Goal: Make study guides and finish my taxes before London.
Best E-Mail: Luke trying to warn everyone that knows me to stay away.
I'd rather be: In London.