Last Day with the MP

My MP Mark and I said our goodbyes and thank yous today. He really kind and gave me a going away present, London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd. The book is nearly 800 pages and is supposed to be fantastic. My friend John is read Thames by Ackroyd and he really enjoys it.

I actually owe John a big thank you. He sent me a text today saying that Rev. Jesse Jackson was being interviewed at the Home Affairs sub-committee meeting. I ran over and saw him answer questions from MPs on violent crime and drugs for a little over an hour. Basically, Jackson believed that in order to limit drug related crimes we need to focus on cutting the supply of the drug and less on halting the demand for it. He also spoke about reforming the prison system so that young convicts can be educated ("We need to raise them up, not lock them up"). At the end of the session the MPs asked a couple questions about Obama, the Civil Rights Movement, and MLK to which he gave the most intriguing answers.

By the way yesterday on my tour of Big Ben. I climbed over 300 steps to the top of the clock tower, walked behind the faces of the clock, saw how the giant mechanical clock works, and witnessed the chimes and Big Ben sing at 10am. It was so freakin' cool.

Last Day of Classes

Today was a sad day. I had to say goodbye to Cameron early, early in the morning. Then I had my last two classes of the semester. Now the real work begins. I have an exam Monday, an exam Tuesday, and my dissertation due at 2pm on Friday the 3rd.

Tomorrow morning I'm getting an exclusive tour of Big Ben and the clock tower, which is not available to the general public. Then after work at my internship I'm going to see an Animal Collective concert. Unfortunately, that may be the last fun thing I do until my program ends on the 4th.

Great Week With Cameron...Extended

So it's been an incredible week with Cameron--Portabello Road, Windsor Castle, various pubs, Indian food on Brick Lane, Girl Talk concert, St. Patty's Day, Jack the Ripper, Harrods, etc, etc.--and luckily/unfortunately Cameron missed his plane because the Tube basically broke down and took 3 times as long to get to Heathrow as it normally would. So Cameron is flying out first thing Monday morning, so we're going to make the most of his bonus time here.

A couple pictures from the last week:

Windsor Castle

Cam in front of the cathedral inside the castle

Girl Talk mixing on his computer right next to us

Kait, Cam, me, and Jill--My Newtown friends reunited in London

Girl Talk Show

Cameron, Jill, and all my friends went to a Girl Talk concert last night. Girl Talk (Gregg Gillis) is a mash-up DJ and one of the most original and fun artists out there. He uses bits from dozens of popular songs (new and old) and melds them together in a single track. So his concerts are just continuous music and a nonstop dance party. Not only that but he lets his audience on stage with him during his shows.

We got to the show a little early so we could be right up next to the stage and once Girl Talk came on we were the first people on stage. The entire show we were literally right behind the Gillis as he was mixing on his computer and dancing around. It was absolutely incredible! My body is still sore from dancing so much. The whole experience is hard to put into words, but pictures should help.

(published a little late)

Happy St. Patty's Day

Went on a Jack the Ripper walk of London with Cameron last night. Walking by the spot of each of his murders, we learned about probably the most infamous serial killer of all time. The tour was rather fascinating and led to us wasting about a half hour reading the Wikipedia entry on Jack the Ripper.

Later today, we'll be celebrating the great Irish holiday, St. Patrick's Day, with some dignified Parliamentarians.

Cameron's Visit

So Cameron arrived Saturday evening and the past 2 days have been a whirlwind. Kaitlin Files was also making a pitstop in London on her way home from spring break in Greece. So Saturday included a trip to Portobello Road with Cameron, Jill, and Kaitlin (three of my best friends from Newtown). It was a little surreal to be in a foreign country with such close friends. 

Today Cam and I visited the Tate Modern then took a river ferry along the Thames. I showed him some of the more touristy spot is London--St. Paul's Cathedral, Tower of London, Tower Bridge, etc. Then we met up with Mr. Piacentino, a good family friend, for dinner on Brick Lane where all the great "curry houses" (Indian restaurants) are. A great time was had by all. 

Football Fotos

The stadium where we saw the Fulham vs. Blackburn game was built around this historic building (pictured below), so there is literally stand surrounding this building. It's rather unique. 

4th row seats

a shot after the fans cleared out