London calling

So it's been a while and a month since i've posted. June has been a roller-coaster of a month. My life has never been like this. More about that later, perhaps.

Anyway, surprise... I'm in London. Decided on very short notice last week to come visit my friend Matt before he flies away. I arrived Tuesday morning, and have been dedicatedly meandering through London, and fighting jetlag on alternate days.

Case in point: yesterday I went running in Hyde Park (you could practically see the Regency dandies on horseback), saw Judi Dench in a fantastic play, took a boat along the Thames and wandered for hours on a pubcrawl with Matt & friends. As a consequence, I just woke up (1pm). Time to do some shopping, I think. Hurrah July sales!

I've been here before; and I still think i'm church&museum'ed out (ever since Italy); so I'm bizarrely uninterested in the normal sites. I have however had some typical near-experiences: almost got smoked in Trafalgar Sq, when I looked the wrong way. almost got crushed by a bus. almost witnessed a fight on a tube train when the conductor changed the route and the passengers almost assaulted him; saw some kids get 'pacified' by the police in Trafalgar Sq because they were drinking liquor in public. I can't wait to see what happens after England loses this Saturday!

Oh! and I almost saw the return of the Pet Shop Boys! (I showed up around the Tower twice: wrong night, then right night wrong time).

If anyone wants postcards or knicknacks or whatnot*, drop me a line (*Royals excepted).