I’m just sitting here watching the wheels go round and round, I really love to watch them roll. No longer riding on the merry-go-round, I just had to let it go.

Taking a break from my weekly reading to write you, my dearest loved ones.

Headline News:

Dear US Direct Loans office, department, red tape, etc;  You are the ONLY thing ruining my time in London.  Because you don't know how to do things in a timely manner, I will have been here a month without my promised money and it will have been 3 weeks since my school received my money that I will finally have it in my Barclays account.  Get your act together.

Local News:

On Thursday Anna and I went to the Raindance Film Festival and saw a documentary done with Vice magazine called "The Vice Guide to Liberia".  It was a very well done film in which 3 of the major former War Lords of Liberia were interviewed about how things really haven't changed since the wars in the 1990s.  One former War Lord, General Rambo, said that if Charles Taylor some how gets off without any charges from the Hague and when the UN leaves, that children, yes children, are ready and willing to be child soldiers again.  Liberia is in such dire need of help it's ridiculous.  The UN is due to withdraw sometime this year or next.  I strongly recommend seeing this if you can.  Here's a link to an article about it: The Vice Guide to Liberia

Friday after class we all went to a local pub called The Knights Templar for a couple drinks and some conversation.  Fiona, Katie and I got into a wonderful discussion about world affairs ranging from education, to politics, to country specifics in the US, Ireland, Israel & Palestine, Africa, and Asia.  We talked about religion, beliefs, school topics, everything really.  It was so so refreshing to actually have an academic and intellectual conversation with someone.  I've really missed them.  The three of us went through 2 bottles of wine. :-)  Claire joined in too at one point and I have to admit, she is so amazing.  I love her Irish accent!  I thought we were only going to stay for a couple hours, but we actually ended up staying until almost midnight.

Yesterday, I went to a proper Sunday Roast at a local pub in Snaresbrook with a few people from my program.  Katie and her husband live just up the road from the pub and tube station, so Saya, Radka, Simon, and myself met them for a nice Sunday lunch and a couple of drinks with some wonderful conversation from what we'd like to write our dissertation on to Monty Python.  It was lovely to get out of the hustle and bustle of the city for an afternoon and it made me think long and hard about the fact that once my contract is up in June for this place, I REALLY do not want to live here and to find a place to sublet or something for the 3-4 months I'll still be in country.

I was supposed to go to the Camden Market with a couple of people today, BUT as stated above, I have no money.  Hoping to have it soon, because I really would like to go to market.

Music & Fashion:

Alright gang, if you haven't already, I STRONGLY recommend that you get Mark Ronson & The Business Int'l record "Record Collection".  It is amazing.  A true testament to what an amazing and innovative producer that Mark is.  Mark also did a couple tracks for Wale on "Attention Deficit".

Also worth looking into if you already haven't:
Franz Ferdinand - "Tonight: Franz Ferdinand"
Freelance Whales - "Weathervanes"

Alright, if I had known 8 odd years ago that this trend was going to be the thing, I would have insisted on getting a letterman jacket.  British people have a very funky sense of fashion that I very much welcome, but for some strange reason it's a cool thing to have.  Weird.  Ladies, some of you have been asking me what the fashion is like here.... so here it is.  Wearing stockings/tights with shorts, and then flat dressy sneaker/boot looking things.  It's hard for me to explain what the shoes look like.  Another thing is to wear a sweater and shoes, and that's it.  Nothing underneath (but hopefully knickers!).  It's okay to mix prints and patters here as well.

One last note on fashion.  Check on these shoes!

From Me

I really miss all of you.  And I'm not counting down the days at all, but it's 2 months and a few days until I'm home again.  I cannot wait to see you all again!  Anyway, I better get back to my reading, but I love you all and I hope everything is going swimmingly on the other side of the pond!