Yes, I am still alive!

Sorry it has taken me so very long to update. I have been accumulating stories for you slowly.

This past weekend I stayed in town to address the final projects that were piling up. I am happy to say that even in my studiousness, I was able to have some adventures. On Friday night, for instance, I went with a group of friends to see the new Christmas lights on Marylebone High Street. Since that was the night they were lit, there was a small outdoor festival on the street. AND, we ran into Helena Bonham Carter on the street. This was my first and only (so far) encounter with the rich and famous in London. She has been in both Big Fish and Fight Club. Cool, huh?

To do research for our projects, Maike and I went to the British Library on Saturday. One would think that with miles and miles of bookshelves we would have had some success. Oh no. In order to even get into the rooms where the books are stored, you have to provide a list of the books you intend to look at, proof that you could not get them at any of the other (horrible) libraries in London, and two forms of id. Of course we had none of those so we left, defeated. What kind of library doesn't let you look at its books??? (On one positive note, it is a really pretty building).

Yesterday I went to Hyde Park for the first time, which is absolutely beautiful, but there was some crazy stuff going on there. Police were all over the place and there were explosions in the distance. It was unreal. I wonder what happened, but haven't seen anything about it in the papers. I ended up sitting next to this man on a park bench who works for the UN in Liberia as a part of their peacekeeping mission. We talked for a good half hour about his work, about politics, about being tourists, etc. I had a really good time with him. Sometimes you meet such great people in such unusual places.

There's more, of course, but the computer labs are closing once again, and you all won't read this until next week, anyway.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!!