Week 3

Well, another week down. Unfortunately, this one has been full of ups and downs. Let's begin, shall we?

After getting sick two Thursday ago and losing my voice, I finally got it back on Tuesday (thank goodness). However, my cold/flu conditions didn't get any better. I had a midterm/paper due on Thursday which was about 7 pages long on economics. Difficult only because I wasn't well informed on the subject, I spent the rest of the week finding sources and perfecting my paper (which actually isn't worth anything and is more like a test to see what the grading system is like).

On Thursday, after turning in the paper, I was more relaxed and went on a King's College Chapel tour. Our chapel, if you did not know, is absolutely amazing and we studied it as part of my gothic architecture class. It is my favorite so far and I am planning on doing my paper on it, if I haven't told you already. Anyway, this tour was better because we actually got to go on the roof! We walked up the side torrets...towers, whatever they are called...actually, more like climbed. It was so cool! Number one, because it looked just like Harry Potter...! But also because the stairs that we were climbing were stone and you could see the indentures on it from many years of peope climbing up. It was also very narrow and there was nothing to hold onto except a robe that someone had put around the middle column, probably because of a safety regulation. The stairs went up...and up....and up.....my legs DID get tired. Then finally, we got to the top and were able to stand on top of the stone vaulting and touch wooden beams that had been there since the 1500s! It was very dark, very creepy, and very haunting. I loved it. You could barely see anything as you stood up there, balancing on the shallow floors of the rippling fan vaults and ducking your head from bats, spiders, and whatever else might have been up there. There were two small windows on each end, and Father Peter, who was giving the tour, told us that there would have been open windows on the top before they built the wood ceiling on top. Anyway, we continued up...or actually, across. We got to walk aross the stone vaulting on a middle plank and it was quite scary trying to balance in the dark and duck your head under the wooden beams...and take pictures. :) Once you got across, you could go up a couple more circling steps to the roof. You were outside...on top of the chapel....I have no clue how far up we were, but if you had fell, you would most definitely die...unless the chapel is truly blessed and a miracle occurred. We walked up the slanted roof...and stupidly, I had worn flip flops which I must tell you...is NOT the best footwear for walking on an extremely slanted roof with a flat plank, possibly three inches across the top and hundreds of feet in the air. In the end, I took off my shoes as my feet felt much better, and more sturdy, walking around up there. It was an amazing experience and I felt so privileged and happy that I was able to do it.

Later that evening, I met with four other friends of mine to plan our trip to London the next day for the Harry Potter Book Release. Fortunately, I was able to secure tickets to the Biggest Harry Potter Party Ever in Piccadilly Circus at Waterstones. This Waterstones bookstore is 6 stories high and is the largest bookstore in Europe! Out of around 2500 people, I was able to get tickets to a Harry Potter podcast for around 800 people. Anyway, we dicussed our plans and train tickets that night while in the bar and I was able to have my first "British" beer. Seeing that I don't really like the taste of beer, it was an interesting experience and I actually found that it tasted much better than what I was used to (I had the bartender give me the one that, and I quote, "doesn't taste like alcohol," because that was what I requested...hehe).

After the bar, I went to a potluck party held in my common room in my hostel and tried to watch "The Departed," while eating random asian foods and trying not to cough on anybody. The next morning, I woke up early and packed for our adventure to London. I grabbed breakfast at the dining hall, and then we walked about 30 minutes to the train station after meeting at Pembroke. We got on the train from the Cambridge station and got into King's Cross about 50 minutes later. Amazing! Last time...it took about 1.5 hours just to get to Liverpool...I guess the Express train really makes a difference. We got off at King's Cross, took many Harry Potter related pictures (as we were on a HP themed day trip), and set off towards our hostel, only a ways from Piccadilly. We split up and two of us went to Leicester Square to get HP movie tickets to watch at the Odeon-exactly the place where the London premiere was held, and the other three of us went to check-in at the hostel.

After meeting up again, we ate a quick lunch and saw the movie. Unforunately, again, at this time...about 20 minutes into the movie, my left eye got very irritated and started welling up with tears. I made it through the entire movie, but discovered afterward when I went to the toilets, that it was red and infected. I went back to the hostel to take out my contacts. This event has happened before, and at the Odeon, but two Tuesdays ago at the Premiere. On that occasion, after going to sleep that night, I found in the morning it had gone away. I assumed it would be the same this time. We continued to PIccadilly after I returned from the hostel and got dinner. Then we went to the party! And oh man...what a party it was!!

There were already a hundred people who had been sleeping, camping, living outside of that bookstore...dressed up in the finest robes and hats and carrying signs which said that they were from Norway. We took many pictures of the crazy fans inside and continued into the store. We went to check out the floors where the podcast was going to be held and find our seats, that is, if we were able to get in early. I was extremely lucky to get there early enough to find two of the podcasters walking around, arranging things, and got to meet, talk, and take pictures with them. Also, while waiting on the stairs, (the podcast was two levels), I also met another podcaster...but unfortunately, did not take a picture with him (something I seriously regretted after realising my mistake). Anyway, time passed...we went to the podcast and it was so fun and full of laughter, joy, theory, and unity.

Afterwards, I got my pillow signed (they gave us pillows to sit on, on the floor) by all of the podcasters who hosted the show and got pictures. Then we joined the enormous queue outside. There were actually two full queues...four kinda. Each one about two blocks long. There were sooo many people..!! I wasn't surprised, I had expected it...and I was more excited then annoyed or tired. We waited for about 2 hours..enjoying the costumes, entertainment, and meeting other fans from around the world. Finally, the clock struck midnight...and we began moving. Slowly...but moving nevertheless. There were still cars coming through the streets, which was the stupidest thing ever, because every time a car passed, everyone had to get back on the curb, crushing and pushing and shoving those on the curb already...like me. It was a mosh pit! However, I am very good at mosh pits..and so, I didn't mind and I enjoyed the chaos...slightly amused by the fact that this huge queue was for a BOOK. Just....a book. (of course, I am aware it is not JUST a book...but in a way, it is.)

We got our books around 1:30 am...I had expected worse, so we were pretty happy. After finding that we couldn't take a bus..we had no clue where and how and if there was a bus that we could take...and unable to call a taxi...it would have taken 40 minutes anyway...some nice gentleman at the bus stop gave us directions to the street where our hostel is...apparently, we could walk to it as the tube was closed.

We walked...we walked...it was long, we were tired...slightly lost..but asked the policemen everywhere we went for directions..and finally got home. By the way, at night...around that time...London seems to be extremely dangerous. Walking through Leicester Square was a bit frightening and if there hadn't been 5 of us together, we never would have done it. Police were breaking up fights, people were throwing bottles and cigarettes, and it was very very sketchy (dodgy..as the gentleman warned us at the bus stop). However, all of us had our wits about us and we got back to the hostel fine.

The next morning, I found that my eye had not gotten better, but worse. We were going to Leicester Square to look for musical tickets and then to Covent Garden. After realising that I could get tickets to Mary Poppins, the musical of my choice, much cheaper during the weekdays than the weekends, we retreated to Covent Garden while two of the girls saw another musical they wanted to see. 15 pounds...not bad for them! Mary Poppins was over 50...and the seats weren't THAT great anyway...I knew I could get a deal later if I just waited. I had 4 more weeks anyhow.

Covent Garden was nice and I was explicitly looking for the marketplace where they have cheap clothing. Unfortuantely though, they don't hold the marketplace on the weekends and there was an arts and crafts market there instead. My friend and I retreated to a cafe, as it began POURING rain...it had been doing so throughout the day and was flooding the tube stations on top of it...and began reading my Harry Potter. A bit uncomfortable because of my inflammed eye, of which I could barely see out of, I ended up staying in that cafe for 4 hours while my friends came and went, shopping and seeing musicals. Finally, we went to get dinner and got back together.

We went back to Cambridge and got in at 11. I had decided to go the the emergency room and so I went with a friend to the hospital in Cambridge. After waiting for 2-3 hours, I got treated and was giving an antibiotic for my eye.

I stayed inside all day Sunday, even forgetting to eat, while finishing my book (I DID finish!!!) Today, I had class...so I tried to do the rest of my forgotten weekend homework..and prepare for my final exams..one on Wednesday and the other on Friday.

That is my update as of now. My eye has not gotten better, however, the pain has subsided.

I hope all is well in SD and wherever you are!...and the weather of course...it's raining here..DUH!

Laters!!
Sherilyn