tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-73185034622951268842024-02-18T21:34:26.199-08:00Mnemosyne LabPeople, Places, Things. mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-28875148459947926672016-11-07T13:33:00.001-08:002016-11-07T13:33:17.902-08:00CursesYou know those chain messages that tell you that if you don't do X within Y amounts of time to Z number of people you have bad luck? My child received one this morning. I was proud to observe that she had the good sense to think that it's stupid, and chose not to participate. I recall reading those when I was little and my heart was struck with some inexplicable fear - and then I realized that I couldn't possibly pass on bad luck to my friends. Or anyone, really. So I didn't play, either. Because she's right; it's stupid.mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-78646513651904103502016-07-09T16:43:00.000-07:002016-07-11T11:20:31.799-07:00Grasping at ZeitgeistI didn't get to see Eliot Smith live, and it's one of my greatest regrets in missed music experience opportunities. But I got to go see <a href="https://mitski.bandcamp.com/">Mitski</a>, in the summer of 2016, and somehow I feel absolved.<br />
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My friend introduced me to her music less than a month ago, and I spent the days since then feverishly falling for her clean, intelligent, emotional, multi-layered songs. And instead of songs from her latest album (<i>Puberty 2</i>), she mostly played songs from <i>Bury Me At Makeout Creek</i>, which is, IMHO, a masterpiece. In between soft voiced vignettes of being sick and eating "ox bone soup" at a Korean restaurant in Oakland (and unwittingly murmuring "mmm...yumyum" after each bite), and how to validate if the food at a Chinese restaurant's going to be good (lukewarm water being brought to the table), she played and sang her songs (and wiped her forehead with her elbow in between. I hope <i>she</i> wasn't feverish).<br />
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She fills me with all sorts of emotions and thoughts: being an Asian female with an all-American boy. Willingness to absorb the pain. Her youth (she's 25). I could almost be her mother (it's biologically possible to have had a child her age! EEK). And her songs resonate. I wondered what songs she'll sing when she's my age, from my dark corner seat in the way back (hands-down, couldn't have asked for a more appropriate spot).<br />
<br />
I was tickled when Marceline covered Francis Forever in a recent episode of Adventure Time, find myself turning her lyrics in my head over and over and over. In a year filled with despair against violence and death and sorrow and bad decisions of a grand scale, I can't seem to muster any enthusiasm over anything. I am getting by. And her songs accompany me through the days like a compassionate shadow. Just don't ask us to smile.<br />
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<br />
Fireworks<br />
One morning this sadness will fossilize<br />
And I will forget how to cry<br />
I'll keep going to work and he won't see a change<br />
Save perhaps a slight gray in my eye<br />
<br />
I will go jogging routinely<br />
Calmly and rhythmically run<br />
And when I find that knife sticking out of my side<br />
I'll pull it out without questioning why<br />
And then one warm summer night
I'll hear fireworks outside<br />
And I'll listen to the memories as they cry, cry, cry<br />
<br />
I will be married to silence<br />
The gentleman won't say a word<br />
But you know, oh you know in the quiet he holds<br />
Runs a river that'll never find home<br />
And then one warm summer night
I'll hear fireworks outside<br />
And I'll listen to the memories as they cry, cry, cry<br />
Oh, one warm summer
I'll hear fireworks outside<br />
And I'll listen to the memories as they cry, cry, cry<br />
Cry, cry, cry<br />
Cry, cry, cry<br />
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<br />mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-27515925551568549692016-03-14T18:02:00.000-07:002016-03-14T18:07:18.610-07:00# 9 Dream Ever since I had the good fortune of running into David Mitchell at his book signing in London last fall, I've been on a bender. I started with <i>Slade House</i> (his latest, which he was publicising), then <i>The Bone Clocks</i> (absorbing - the book completely sucked my mind), and finally (for now), finished <i>Number9Dream</i>. <i>Number9Dream</i> won't get the glowing reviews I'd readily give for <i>Slade House</i> and <i>The Bone Clocks </i>(seriously, if you haven't read either, you are in for a treat. Start in the order I did, and I don't think you'd regret it). <br />
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I find it tricky to read a non-native writer writing in the voice of a native (something about it always rings false, or maybe puts the native reader on edge to note/find anomalies even more, or maybe I'm just a mean reader. Perhaps all of the above), and for the first 3 chapters in, I wasn't even sure I like the protagonist. The names of people were also a bit awkward (Uncle Tarmac. A man named "Yuzu", an idol with a name that's almost impossible for native Japanese people to pronounce : Zizzi), but the overcrowded sense of Tokyo seemed real to me, and it was a pleasure to go back and pretend I was in Tokyo, 15 years ago (wow, what *was* I doing then?). I'm sure it's odd for non-Japanese folks to read Japanese comics set in their version of England (some of the naming conventions there also bother me, too). <br />
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I had a huge Lennon obsession phase right around the age of the protagonist. I remember 19 being difficult. I'd sit upstairs on the part of the the roof used to hang up laundry, and open the door to let some sea breeze in (we lived 9 minutes away on foot from the Pacific), and listen to John Lennon on repeat. My "grandmother" whom we all thought were my grandfather's second wife, had passed away recently. She was getting ready to leave for a trip with him, and I heard the thud of her body hitting the tatami mat in her room, and instantly knew something was wrong. I called my mother before I even dashed out of my room. She was hospitalized for a few days, and then passed away quietly without ever regaining consciousness. My younger brother was very close to her - he was her pride and joy - and to this day, he still visits her grave regularly. I've been a horrid granddaughter. I should add gravesite visits on my next visit. Listening to Lennon's solo songs remind me of that period in my life, the suffocating salty air tangling my hair.<br />
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-77948737601399747352016-02-22T15:57:00.003-08:002016-02-22T21:09:50.649-08:00Ophelia, or In Death, Let Me Have My WayI came across this newspaper advert for a Japanese <a href="http://tkj.jp/">publishing company </a> by chance this morning, and couldn't stop thinking about it all day. It's a very obvious photographic homage to <a href="http://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/millais-ophelia-n01506">Millais</a>' creation (aka "the painting-that's-always-away-on-tour-when-I-visit-the-Tate"), with a few twists. In place of the young maiden driven to madness via heartbreak, a mature woman is floating, with an ethereal, dreaming expression. Instead of a robin redbreast, a bluebird is perched on a branch. The woman seems to be floating on a cape lined with crimson. The text of the ad says "At least, in death, let me do what I please". The smaller print says, "All people die, but oh, how the technology to grant longer life keep evolving, making it really difficult for us to do so. Instead of avoiding death or stressing over dying. I simply want to let go of each and every greed, and prepare for my finale. When people die, they become space dust. At the very least, I'd like to be dust that sparkles beautifully. That is my final greed." The model is actress Kirin Kiki, who has been openly battling cancer.<br />
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<span id="goog_676534859"></span><span id="goog_676534860"></span><br />mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-76758113486544849822016-01-06T16:23:00.002-08:002016-01-06T17:50:50.551-08:00New Year <div class="verse" style="box-sizing: border-box;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: Helvetica Neue, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"<i>So this is the new year / </i></span><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><i>And I don't feel any different"</i> Death Cab For Cutie - "New Year" </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: helvetica, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 1.38;">Happy New Sixteen! I hope this year will be kind of like how it's depicted in John Hughes movies: funny, wry, somewhat sentimental, sweet, filled with youthful yearning, a sense of not quite fitting in that you share with everyone, a killer soundtrack for every scene, and somehow leaving it a tiny bit more mature than you were at the opening sequence. </span><br />
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-50375785358669860472015-08-24T13:34:00.005-07:002015-08-24T13:36:34.072-07:00Soda. Pop. Seltzer I went to see "Sleeping Beauty" (by the Canadian National Ballet) a few months ago.<br />
It was quite...trippy. Here are my takeaways.<br />
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<li>Carabosse rolls with her own Insane Clown Posse. They have been haunting my dreams. </li>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To the left, to the left!!!</td></tr>
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<ul>
<li>The set design was stunning (moar tassels!) but the costumes need a serious upgrade. Everyone wore a feathered headdress (even the men) and they all looked like Vegas showgirls, and not in a good way. </li>
<li>I'm pretty sure one of the fairies gifted Aurora with ADHD. At least that was the dance interpretation I took away. </li>
<li>The "spindle" was somehow interpreted into gigantic knitting needles. At one point, the evil fairy enlists 3 street urchins who trick innocent townladies to the joy of knitting, causing these ladies to be manacled (uh-huh) when the king finds out that they can't stop knitting and purling. It was bizarre. Very bizarre. And as a knitting fan, I felt for those ladies. </li>
<li>A for technique. The leads were very, very, precise. But I felt no warmth or chemistry between them, which was a shame. </li>
<li>I bought a new ballet bag so I can bring it with me to practice. Woo, jewels! </li>
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Then I went back to the hotel and watched Steph Curry work his magic.<br />
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Over the weekend, I traipsed to NYC and spent a celebrity studded 2 days involving a<a href="http://www.skylightbwy.com/"> play </a>with my <a href="http://www.smallstepsproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/Bill-Nighy.jpg">current crush</a>, Dame Helen Mirren sightings, and consumption of delicious, divine, smokey salmon. It also involved quite a bit of shopping, which I will not list here for fear of admonishment. On Monday, I intended to go to Boston, but my luggage was too big and too late - I ended up waiting in the airport for 9hrs.<br />
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Once I finally got there, Boston welcomed me with misty rain and Dunkin Donuts tea, which was really strong and surprisingly nice (Assam FTW, I daresay). I also learned that there are different ways to refer to carbonated beverages. I tend to say "sparkling water", but in Boston it's "seltzer". I like to say soda for sweetened carbonated beverages (or fountain drinks, etc), but in Toronto it's "pop".<br />
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I also encountered a gigantic furry centipede that dropped from the ceiling of my brick hotel room in Toronto. In NYC I stayed at a very new, very quiet, very spacious room atop Times Square. It was interesting to have a view of rooftops that warrant a visit from Daredevil. Travel always knocks me off kilter a bit, like what I am experiencing isn't really real. Did I really get soaked head to toe in the most bizarre rainfalls? (yes) Did I really see Dame Mirren in the flesh? (yes) Was Bill Nighy staring into my eyes to ensure I realized that every line was directed at me? (yes...I mean, no...I mean, who knows?).<br />
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-92079908065923959682015-08-24T13:32:00.001-07:002015-08-25T11:28:16.598-07:00Lost & Found at Tokyo DisneylandJust returned from a journey of multiple theme parks in humid Florida, and the experience was so jarring that it opened up a memory I've long forgotten. I figured I'd document it here in the lab as the worthy depository for all my RAMs.<br />
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There's a reason rides at these parks are called "attractions" - its mechanisms are designed to remind you of sex (if you're old enough to know). The loss of control, being tossed about in the dark, that moment of exhilaration as things accelerate, squeezing eyes shut at the intense bits...it definitely draws a parallel. Some rides you want to go on again as soon as it's over, and others you regret utterly. Some are just, well, meh. But I digress.<br />
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Once upon a time, I had a summer job working the lost & found at Tokyo Disneyland. I think I was a freshman or sophomore at university at the time. A close childhood friend of mine lived near the area, and she had an interesting living arrangement- she had her own apartment and her parents lived 2 doors down. We thought that a summer job at the "Happiest Place on Earth" might be fun, and since our families were close, it wasn't difficult to get permission for me to crash at her place all summer. We went to cast orientation, and since both of us were bilingual (we met in SF around 5th grade), we were assigned to the Lost & Found so we can accommodate non-Japanese speakers. This was prior to smartphones, so people needed to leave handwritten messages at the Lost & Found (i.e. Meet you at Cinderella's castle at 4pm), and people definitely left behind a lot of stuff. Wallets full of cash, keys, camera cases, purses, tags, hats, passes, etc. I was a bit disappointed to be in this position, because I really wanted to wear the outfit of the<a href="http://www.matterhorn1959.com/blog1/tourguide8e.jpg"> Disney Tour Guide </a>. I mean, you get to wear a cape, riding cap, a kilt skirt, and on top of that, carry a little riding crop with a bell on it to point out the sights! Sadly, this was limited to full-time employees, and was also a much coveted position. So instead I wore the cardboard-colored floor length skirt and unsexy matching suit jacket and catalogued all the lost (and found) items daily. My favorite part was writing letters to children. Tokyo Disneyland would ship back any items that had names and addresses on them, and usually, if it's a child's item, we would add a little note along with it, with something along the lines of "Thanks for visiting! Mickey (or Pluto, or Peter Pan, or some princess) found this by the (insert ride or landmark) and wanted to make sure it's sent back to you. Come again soon!" on Disneyland stationary. It was fun to come up with 75 or so different ways to write letters every day (I love letters) and pick out the right stationary and stamps and envelopes. More often than not, the children would write back thank you notes which were pinned on the wall of the staff room. My friend and I would rush out after our shift using Twilight passes and ride the near-empty rides in the dusk, watch the moog enhanced electrical parade, and ogle the fireworks eating ice cream. It was a good (albeit super long and hot!) summer and I have fond memories of hanging out in the backyard of Disneyland with off-duty princes. I once ran into Mickey himself, and he shook my hand. It was soft yet firm, like having your hands enveloped in marshmallow (although probably less sticky). The most difficult thing is keeping the magic alive, every day, every night, and I have to admit they did an amazing job. I'm glad to have been a tiny speck of it for a short while.mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-24569657047363412262015-06-09T19:13:00.000-07:002015-06-09T19:27:59.514-07:00I'm Only Blogging When It RainsI have returned to the land of smoked butter and...surprisingly pleasant weather. Unlike my last visit, I no longer need to check the weather every hour to see how it schemed to torment and (eventually) kill me. It's been overcast and occasionally rainy, but not full-on stormy. People told me a thunderstorm occurred on the night I arrived, but I was dead asleep through my double-glass windows. Thanks to warmer weather, I am much more happier walking around and wandering, and doubly pleased that I somehow remembered how to return to some of my favourites from my last trip (here's looking at you, <a href="http://www.tbto.ca/">Thoroughbred</a> and <a href="http://www.monkeyspaw.com/">Monkey's Paw</a>).<br />
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The team I work with doubled in size. It's a proper team now, but with sadly, the worst chairs in the biz to work from. Every single person (new/old) told me about how much they want a decent chair to work in, to the point where I feel like starting a fund for them.<br />
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Most people are surprised that a lumpy old lady like yours truly enjoy watching sports. This week's been an embarrassment of riches (FIFA Women's World Cup, NBA Finals, Giants regular season), and I find myself glued to the bar counter of my hotel almost every night. Thankfully, the hotel is rooting for the right team, and we found ourselves commiserating over the tight game on Sunday.<br />
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I've had to change my habits a lot lately. This seems to be the theme for 2015. I'm a little shaken by the recent hospitalization of two of my colleagues, not to mention my own demon to battle now with my recent diagnosis. It's sobering, and frankly, a fucking pain, to not be able to live like you want to, but I'm lucky I'm at a point where things are manageable. It makes me conscious, more alert, and I guess, more deliberate and less flip about things. </div>
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I'm sitting next to a Cavs fan. This is going to be a long night.<br />
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-65566467719527350072015-04-06T13:55:00.002-07:002015-04-06T13:56:17.465-07:00Things I Learned During Common Congested Cold Week<br />
<ul>
<li>Pineapple juice is a better tasting cough suppressant </li>
<li>If you are a child born and raised in 'merica, you prefer hamburgers to udon even when you're ill </li>
<li>Personally, I'd choose high fever for 2 days over 5 days of persistent low grade fevers </li>
<li>Pharmacies are depressing. Even their card section has "Loss of sister" "Loss of husband" and other sad, sad sections I wouldn't wish to ever have to buy for. </li>
<li>Health is wealth. </li>
<li>You do get bored of TeeVee. You even get bored of the interwebs! </li>
</ul>
mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-48677506487807560262015-02-09T21:00:00.001-08:002015-02-09T21:01:22.313-08:00O'Canada! Canada has one of the most satisfying anthem to sing (even though it seems to not care if their daughters have patriotism). There's that dramatic rise from the get go (starting with an <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_e24kdjdbtw">interjection</a> is always a great idea), and then a proclamation at the end ("O Canada we stand on guard for thee!"), and you can sing it in French if you so desire. Awesome.<br />
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It's also really empty as a destination on a weeknight in the dead of February. I was the only non-Canadian on the flight and got through customs far before my luggage made it. When I arrived at my small hotel, the receptionist greeted me by name, and was the friendliest ex-New Yorker I've ever met. He even gave me a free carbonated water from the bar and did not accept payment! He told me he hates the snow, though, and parted with a great bagel store recommendation (yes).<br />
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It's almost midnight here, so I am typing this to burn off some excess Californian jet lag. I've noticed that the city looks generally the same (last visit was about...5..6...years ago?). The currency has definitely been upgraded with the new plastic transparent ones, which is really neat. I love how some countries print non-politicians or rulers on their currency (Swiss Francs has Le Corbusier and I will forever keep that bill), oh wait...I'm checking out my bills and it's prime minister, prime minister, Elizabeth II, prime minister, prime minister...nevermind they're just colourful politicians. I initially thought they were burnt until I realized that the transparent part is high tech cellophane (or polymer). The back of the bills are far more interesting - space, trains, and medical innovations like insulin.<br />
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swiss francs</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQBJcVltQbrYUEmQ0-lUhBM58leP2QV_hX3U2supmEsWyxtZevO" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://encrypted-tbn3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQBJcVltQbrYUEmQ0-lUhBM58leP2QV_hX3U2supmEsWyxtZevO" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Queen is green</td></tr>
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I haven't been outside in the below freezing weather for more than a minute yet but I did step on slush. Mr. Ex-New Yorker hates the cold and the snow, but for Californians, Adventure awaits! I must walk like a penguin to survive the long 1/2 block walk to my work tomorrow! mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-82964796769510347962014-12-08T22:58:00.000-08:002014-12-08T23:06:46.498-08:00The London Chronicles: Here is London, "Home of the Brash, Outrageous, and Free"/You are repressed but you're remarkably dressed...Is it real?I'm not sure if anyone is even reading this still, but if you are, thank you! I've been back in rainy California, enjoyed a late Thanksgiving dinner (crustaceans instead of turkey at my house), and being generally disoriented. I just took a lick of whiskey I brought back and am even more disoriented. I think I lost a few tastebuds along the way.<br />
<br />
My last week in London was time-off week, so I spent a good amount of time staying away from<br />
computers (wifi in my apartment refused to work until the very last day). When the plane landed, and I returned to a place with cell service and not have to multiply the price tag by 1.7 anywhere, I was flooded with relief, yet disoriented. But wait, I'm jumping ahead.<br />
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On Friday night, I beelined to the <a href="http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/london-wall/">Museum of London</a>, spent 20 minutes trying to figure out where the entrance was, then straight into their <a href="http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/london-wall/whats-on/exhibitions-displays/sherlock-holmes/">Sherlock Holmes: the Man Who Never Lived and Will Never Die </a>exhibit. I guess, calling it "Sherlock Holmes: Fictional Character" was way too dry, even for British taste? I love it when things get DRAMATIC anyway. You also get to enter the exhibit through a door disguised as a bookshelf! The exhibit was very thorough, with gobs and gobs of "actor" Sherlocks, costumes, but what really got my attention was how neat and tidy Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's handwriting was. Also, he was such a brilliant writer. If I lived back then, and was British, I would've worn mourning bands on my shirt (assuming I was male), too. One of the things I did was to participate in "<a href="http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/files/5914/1174/8223/Invitation_to_Fall.pdf">Invitation to a Fall</a>", which turned out to be falling off a very unassuming 25 cm or so, off a block, onto those padded things you see in stunt scenes of a gymnasium when you're doing something that involves landing full-body. This was set up in an auditorium, with audiences (they ask at the entrance if you would like to fall, or if you'd like to watch). What I wasn't expecting was to be assigned a "Fall companion", who would talk to you before and after the fall. My companion was a young man with platinum blonde hair, who looked like a much more socially adjusted Draco Malfoy. He asked me several questions about why I wanted to fall, about calculated risks, about release and letting go, and he assured me none of this would ever be published and that nobody would see me falling forever (it's live, so the people sitting in the audience would, but only for a second). When my turn came, I wanted to fall like they do in Laputa, but obviously I didn't have my flying stone with me, so I ended up landing, with a thud, on to the mattress worrying that I'll flash everyone in the wake (I don't think I did). It was fun. Not exactly exhilarating, but fun.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJcZgOf8HdDjGtSdeGlZACXUFW9i8KUcB8lHTvtGKcnyFtW4fW3S6p7nBVcV7f6On8gCu69Aemfw0Cbie0Qb-ZaR58EUEzKgcwwMiKujQElL5YUr9pXIUQwhzJJgRnEKCvUde3toTBgJZ/s1600/IMG_1373.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsJcZgOf8HdDjGtSdeGlZACXUFW9i8KUcB8lHTvtGKcnyFtW4fW3S6p7nBVcV7f6On8gCu69Aemfw0Cbie0Qb-ZaR58EUEzKgcwwMiKujQElL5YUr9pXIUQwhzJJgRnEKCvUde3toTBgJZ/s1600/IMG_1373.JPG" height="320" title="The bells of St.Paul's" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">St.Paul's, from my bus window </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OfhkepXrhZMdJHjKsr2kkxkfXgkZbunFmhOcNQqzmC8HXUcm3ydcXyguUN2Z6AbBXDQ6_BX5rtByakdDtPIGrC_tpmEVj_r9PgWQdL1IqvzNLCJkb_3_ota758iN29UYohD8CRd0oeOv/s1600/IMG_1492.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5OfhkepXrhZMdJHjKsr2kkxkfXgkZbunFmhOcNQqzmC8HXUcm3ydcXyguUN2Z6AbBXDQ6_BX5rtByakdDtPIGrC_tpmEVj_r9PgWQdL1IqvzNLCJkb_3_ota758iN29UYohD8CRd0oeOv/s1600/IMG_1492.JPG" height="240" title="Londoners love their wallpaper" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My friend, and fabulous wallpaper at the pub</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtrFoz3-yJK92AyShyMXwCYO7ntz3ZOhyphenhyphen6w9ZlcofVGyKoPZVo_bKSU9reol4Y1sne2uRdhlv3HrCm2PkPWXbLdxPZHZkhx1xF0yz9-UI1w_e2SsuNAI8T344WUaX2gFGB1VgeRJfuJ4L/s1600/IMG_1494.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJtrFoz3-yJK92AyShyMXwCYO7ntz3ZOhyphenhyphen6w9ZlcofVGyKoPZVo_bKSU9reol4Y1sne2uRdhlv3HrCm2PkPWXbLdxPZHZkhx1xF0yz9-UI1w_e2SsuNAI8T344WUaX2gFGB1VgeRJfuJ4L/s1600/IMG_1494.JPG" height="320" title="tea with the Queen" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thanksgiving@Fortum & Mason</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQPfM9pZTaJSzeZOC7paAbMsvFGrUjqDWpYiGHRvQd4D4A2zj8Ehal4w5UMeTS9Cz6N8GTgeV7bxo7Vu-sDbUL0vHe5ihGDKjOc3LFWfLnYZurW07wKyexQP-XpkMjItpfT7wH5z6Fx5t/s1600/IMG_1413.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidQPfM9pZTaJSzeZOC7paAbMsvFGrUjqDWpYiGHRvQd4D4A2zj8Ehal4w5UMeTS9Cz6N8GTgeV7bxo7Vu-sDbUL0vHe5ihGDKjOc3LFWfLnYZurW07wKyexQP-XpkMjItpfT7wH5z6Fx5t/s1600/IMG_1413.JPG" height="320" title="Enter through the gift shop!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Sherlock Holmes Exhibit</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoh-T7SJhRAJBhIkA17p13sWE1nq_UqqgIcJDmnkbOFlzgihGboDr_nZNg-4T4KKJhbjPvXY3RAcEp6VE23gtH5GXrh1Ik_VHnk1mdxrRsfYBPBvuSu57kI6FJVjWCC4qQpsO0waDg0Ysd/s1600/IMG_1416.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; font-size: 12.8000001907349px; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoh-T7SJhRAJBhIkA17p13sWE1nq_UqqgIcJDmnkbOFlzgihGboDr_nZNg-4T4KKJhbjPvXY3RAcEp6VE23gtH5GXrh1Ik_VHnk1mdxrRsfYBPBvuSu57kI6FJVjWCC4qQpsO0waDg0Ysd/s1600/IMG_1416.JPG" height="320" title="Jeremy Brett <3 <3 <3" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All you can watch Sherlocks!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2Cyoy0dhvYM9iC-v1fwPxkVQFdCHi3XJq_jCC_ovqVcSpDQilsVrmFf3fYTeJWds1cG_SDHKZkqCk4233uOfFyCyK33TmrFLmVJ_DxkC6HOy5y7FUnhuaWX9ofh1UH5_YBXEwx-7cGBW/s1600/IMG_1419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd2Cyoy0dhvYM9iC-v1fwPxkVQFdCHi3XJq_jCC_ovqVcSpDQilsVrmFf3fYTeJWds1cG_SDHKZkqCk4233uOfFyCyK33TmrFLmVJ_DxkC6HOy5y7FUnhuaWX9ofh1UH5_YBXEwx-7cGBW/s1600/IMG_1419.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his moustache</td></tr>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTX0AXTXK5qeKtTn2kN-DwRw7Ma5COyQju9GmeWb-vFOXwR_NFM4YPdBux2ULCqSBpU9oTMY3UoiA8b4seuROwB576MZGQt5VbSXw6A7GZ4yA72yA62O8OCMY6XRSBNMuYKYgXaIvfL3b/s1600/IMG_1421.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQTX0AXTXK5qeKtTn2kN-DwRw7Ma5COyQju9GmeWb-vFOXwR_NFM4YPdBux2ULCqSBpU9oTMY3UoiA8b4seuROwB576MZGQt5VbSXw6A7GZ4yA72yA62O8OCMY6XRSBNMuYKYgXaIvfL3b/s1600/IMG_1421.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
I think I mostly ran errands over the weekend until my friend arrived on Monday. I went to catch the Jesus and Mary Chain play Psychocandy in its entirety at the Troxy (way way way out east), caught up with a new friend I made in SF in February (another gorgeous archaeologist....I swear all archaeologists are gorgeous, and good peoples so far!). The show was perfect. I felt floaty for days afterwards, but it could have been my loss of hearing. On Tuesday, my friend and I hung out mainly around town, walked to Selfridges and Harvey Nicks, as I had tea with the girls in the office. On Wednesday, we had an early morning start to go to the Dr.Who Experience in Wales, which started off with an adventure - my friend woke up when I texted him from the lobby. We had train tickets so we had to scramble to hit Paddington Station before it left - a nailbiting 45 minutes or so and a mad dash to the platform. We made it, and enjoyed some complimentary sweets and tea along the way.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-5V1lyEOkRWIb-F4lmEAvHLPFJyNGZwFKSmcn7PWTRo-cRk8A4l0D0DQRK2_GMsiq0BIZgpwYV2PAXHqM-Q3Ja-Tk7ZuXq1L8lHoczo19X6BxBm6Kqw9vk2inn8yogA6JaShegL82hZK/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhW-5V1lyEOkRWIb-F4lmEAvHLPFJyNGZwFKSmcn7PWTRo-cRk8A4l0D0DQRK2_GMsiq0BIZgpwYV2PAXHqM-Q3Ja-Tk7ZuXq1L8lHoczo19X6BxBm6Kqw9vk2inn8yogA6JaShegL82hZK/s1600/IMG_1422.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poverty Map (Booth's)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahOkk9XdgDWo15AkCCaXvq38k9axbXPEfeoeRNBUS2Z3Nvwy6MpapLIi1FPUwFW9BSk8tXT-xPBCb4zmezDNfZi59gfRGYmlGm-Zk5yv6Gwxcr6HamtW9t56s5dadDCmSy-9fPainBXfZ/s1600/IMG_1425.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiahOkk9XdgDWo15AkCCaXvq38k9axbXPEfeoeRNBUS2Z3Nvwy6MpapLIi1FPUwFW9BSk8tXT-xPBCb4zmezDNfZi59gfRGYmlGm-Zk5yv6Gwxcr6HamtW9t56s5dadDCmSy-9fPainBXfZ/s1600/IMG_1425.JPG" height="300" title="NO USAGE OF OXFORD COMMAAAAAAAARRRRGHs!" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">West Minster Bridge, House of Parliament and Westminster Abbey seen from the River </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQaAcQOhIis4uSFeXp4lxcCXtwQdrdT05iQvVLs-qMkGQpUQHAHt-tDL7dyATD_lK_UvMJ9KRlCxbpobzxenwp6Qjq5bkLDP29mUJFpQi0a1kSfQvSbhPIRoQYsK2RbvqJEObfHjVlEs7I/s1600/IMG_1433.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQaAcQOhIis4uSFeXp4lxcCXtwQdrdT05iQvVLs-qMkGQpUQHAHt-tDL7dyATD_lK_UvMJ9KRlCxbpobzxenwp6Qjq5bkLDP29mUJFpQi0a1kSfQvSbhPIRoQYsK2RbvqJEObfHjVlEs7I/s1600/IMG_1433.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Benedict wore this</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQZjZ5et12ND3Ak8DqUJliNCSkuuL4zLyhDq0yS13VTYACFzktnOJiTPcTw6KYXZxHu5D0PWo3MzzVyIXqj88SyLnGpgrEaG1p_7Rz66D3BB1q8L-pFTJXagA8ENTp5bSiUSb4lYODWlh/s1600/IMG_1435.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpQZjZ5et12ND3Ak8DqUJliNCSkuuL4zLyhDq0yS13VTYACFzktnOJiTPcTw6KYXZxHu5D0PWo3MzzVyIXqj88SyLnGpgrEaG1p_7Rz66D3BB1q8L-pFTJXagA8ENTp5bSiUSb4lYODWlh/s1600/IMG_1435.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iconic </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCFFE4kMXTFi9eqxblEzZcOBoTUoQhhK816vMHdCP-V2toRtc3JT-PyxqEFSR1ZiWs4T3mA0WoKvVicpZf-wNv0zWX_tRCxyJrlINVuv1PeMwtF5_PErJtUrLDXvj0J5dbUAwet0Esh6x/s1600/IMG_1437.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmCFFE4kMXTFi9eqxblEzZcOBoTUoQhhK816vMHdCP-V2toRtc3JT-PyxqEFSR1ZiWs4T3mA0WoKvVicpZf-wNv0zWX_tRCxyJrlINVuv1PeMwtF5_PErJtUrLDXvj0J5dbUAwet0Esh6x/s1600/IMG_1437.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">X-Rayed Boots! So many hidden tales</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9AdDy67XUfhJilr93vTemh8Gz6A7wZusXGChBwcWDHrxlIhwNjFOkzU6Ya9tLk9ckYZnGHl00ZEvfQZg5cLlRDSiaHTGupdX2qHeeFNmqWj42bdcj5DE7GPUGz_5nQW93Uvgq6O7YUk0/s1600/IMG_1438.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS9AdDy67XUfhJilr93vTemh8Gz6A7wZusXGChBwcWDHrxlIhwNjFOkzU6Ya9tLk9ckYZnGHl00ZEvfQZg5cLlRDSiaHTGupdX2qHeeFNmqWj42bdcj5DE7GPUGz_5nQW93Uvgq6O7YUk0/s1600/IMG_1438.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'd buy these, but probably wouldn't be able to walk without spraining my ankles </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qi2GMpK0o1ozt9V8CBw4E6MVj6wot9nGxq4e0xkPdGmZeUh6MoUDb85cwWlQohaJszPpQXVR_geCpzzgM1nxKwhWvbJQ6goYb1sp83MAPp0__L_OwKIdAWplO9cFj1r7CIFlOv69x7pk/s1600/IMG_1451.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0qi2GMpK0o1ozt9V8CBw4E6MVj6wot9nGxq4e0xkPdGmZeUh6MoUDb85cwWlQohaJszPpQXVR_geCpzzgM1nxKwhWvbJQ6goYb1sp83MAPp0__L_OwKIdAWplO9cFj1r7CIFlOv69x7pk/s1600/IMG_1451.JPG" height="240" title="window to your soul" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table of Variations in the Human Iris</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuPoPkS2wFSKl2SPfU3GBtpLbsxWcPwbJJlrpOwCUmKx5P7YqnhjwlyQhoqgexz9fn0cz7x7B5O5Tm7VMd54PPbS-vS31X5QBfujr5US19Q-G3dXH9WV6tgvGccBlOvDO8P6C2kQ61p4u/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUuPoPkS2wFSKl2SPfU3GBtpLbsxWcPwbJJlrpOwCUmKx5P7YqnhjwlyQhoqgexz9fn0cz7x7B5O5Tm7VMd54PPbS-vS31X5QBfujr5US19Q-G3dXH9WV6tgvGccBlOvDO8P6C2kQ61p4u/s1600/IMG_1464.JPG" height="200" title="Channelling my inner Fashion Editor" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New Specs, Old Face</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-mmBN_mu8Wjz2QAT2i3SiyqSxKeBuQz1Cm2O_abwvmy3iYz5Zexoh84bu18YFkO7pUkA_gaEgRjHO5-lz9gIAnBd_8ZPzFPN3d9_TZh2txjEjdc-P118oUU7BqI1bVVfL_gXfC-phu4q/s1600/IMG_1513.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE-mmBN_mu8Wjz2QAT2i3SiyqSxKeBuQz1Cm2O_abwvmy3iYz5Zexoh84bu18YFkO7pUkA_gaEgRjHO5-lz9gIAnBd_8ZPzFPN3d9_TZh2txjEjdc-P118oUU7BqI1bVVfL_gXfC-phu4q/s1600/IMG_1513.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view home</td></tr>
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We basically nerded out in cloudy Wales all day, which was completely off-season and empty. After closing down the gift shoppe with our combined buying power, we jealously watched the people going to the BBC tour in addition to the Dr.Who Experience but it was booked up months ago. Next time!<br />
Thursday was Thanksgiving in the US. My friend (who was listening to Christmas songs in his room already) tried in vain to find us a place that has Thanksgiving foods, but I had a previous engagement to go see Sylvie Guillem and Akram Khan. Turns out that gig got cancelled due to injury, and we went to F&M to have proper Thanksgiving Tea. I was very grateful I had a friend with whom to spend Thanksgiving with, having Queen's Tea. I also spent 2.5hrs that morning packing what my friend referred to as "All of London". I had 4 suitcases...(small ones!) by the time I left, which involved me with a bunch of bags running into Primark (on Oxford), and scoring a bright red suitcase that I wheeled around all day. On the bright side, I have 40% of my Christmas shopping done! (Dark side, my wallet is quite empty).<br />
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<div>
So...28 days after landing in Heathrow:<br />
<br />
Things I really liked about London</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Arts and culture. So much arts. Once you managed to reach your destination, you can absorb all the arts you can manage to your hearts' content. And all they ask for is a donation most of the time. So many museums, plays, theatre, arts, libraries!|</li>
<li>You walk everywhere. I lost 15+lbs in less than 4 weeks. I really should stay for a year and see what happens.</li>
<li>CCTV everywhere keeps streets relatively safe and public transports clean. Buses ran all the time, and they apologize when they're 5 minutes late.</li>
<li>All the accents. Truly a world city.</li>
<li>Tea was always tasty anywhere. Food was actually way way better than I'd experienced on my last trip there.</li>
<li>Table manners. Everyone put down their mobiles during their meals, sat up (relatively straight), and used their knives and forks really well.</li>
<li>The parks, at dusk, walking to the palace on soft ground surrounded by tall tall trees with humongous leaves twirling in the air.</li>
<li>The announcements on public transit. "Chilton Spaaarrrrrr" ,"Alight here"</li>
<li>People were polite, and usually very nice. </li>
</ul>
</div>
<div>
<div>
Things I didn't really like about London</div>
<div>
<ul>
<li>Air quality. It felt Dickensian at times, with second hand cigarette smoke instead of coal filling my lungs at all times.</li>
<li>It was always under construction everywhere. Sort of destroys the landscape and snarls traffic, which was always bad. Always.</li>
<li>Being the most expensive city in the world. The exchange rate was killer, along with all the hits in charges from financial institutions (these are greedy US financial institutions, so London is spared from this rage). However, the VAT officer who refused to return my VAT because my work visa is good until April 2015 can rot in her power-trip. She refused to give me a refund unless I can prove that I won't return to the UK (which is ridiculous....if I were here on a tourist visa, apparently that would've been OK. So you do the right thing and get a work permit to be safe (short-term, btw), and then they decide to steal from you because you MIGHT come back and wear that necklace you bought while in the UK. I never even got to use NHS or anything for this, so I feel robbed).</li>
<li>Witnessing the class system being very much a part of life there. I also got some guy doing a Bruce Lee like kungfu move at me on Regent Street. Serves me right for being on Regent St.</li>
<li>Transportation. It was out to get you, and confuse you daily. </li>
</ul>
<div>
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<div>
Oh, London. Despite my grumblings, I miss you already. Thank you for a lovely 28 days, and hopefully see you next October for Cumberhamlet! </div>
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Bonus Nerdery Photos </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28YujFr1pMFRqyx_X1m2EXaLQ1RffWsdazCwWpHilGu5cAYz6qwZTWdfcKMZrDl0mG9Nsy0gLj61k15bEAEsnrfqMfZlW6S-tIAJ2d7VVdJSkBBTxuOgLgpLl7Jy5wXKT-EnBuTgVknv-/s1600/20141126_150310.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj28YujFr1pMFRqyx_X1m2EXaLQ1RffWsdazCwWpHilGu5cAYz6qwZTWdfcKMZrDl0mG9Nsy0gLj61k15bEAEsnrfqMfZlW6S-tIAJ2d7VVdJSkBBTxuOgLgpLl7Jy5wXKT-EnBuTgVknv-/s1600/20141126_150310.jpg" height="223" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Dr.Who scarf in its shining moment </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJWrefADhQMYM1MxpvEFJJFpbnINmXhKJnvlNOZrCBgt7e2sB0XW-TsqxekHsQn9Sws2yMmAqv7C_DyGmOkHLS5JFZbdco6CwEftNu-bmbATFZry0uaSVRu4kB3cK_UugwcgzymrgHJHe/s1600/20141126_150830.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEJWrefADhQMYM1MxpvEFJJFpbnINmXhKJnvlNOZrCBgt7e2sB0XW-TsqxekHsQn9Sws2yMmAqv7C_DyGmOkHLS5JFZbdco6CwEftNu-bmbATFZry0uaSVRu4kB3cK_UugwcgzymrgHJHe/s1600/20141126_150830.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of my favorites</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymXJvN6_zsddd6Q6EMTVydjk4IflvmENy-dyzn6VySWTMJhyphenhyphen99g4WQzKtq4gRE_Tw9rQii8zRdJpjJak0Wozi5On9Hx2NRFagZ90vXi5q_dtxB1lEFnLAXoCdb7jcCwMlRW2KfgL2oPpO/s1600/20141126_150927.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiymXJvN6_zsddd6Q6EMTVydjk4IflvmENy-dyzn6VySWTMJhyphenhyphen99g4WQzKtq4gRE_Tw9rQii8zRdJpjJak0Wozi5On9Hx2NRFagZ90vXi5q_dtxB1lEFnLAXoCdb7jcCwMlRW2KfgL2oPpO/s1600/20141126_150927.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Silence will Fall</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6IYj5tJ_ZZTL-nzavbYY819REHTIOa8Fn-Jsa2vwCislB4LNmcRP4yr3a49QIvtXbSLdCxLqzWYl49r235Q7MoeYCy_2LyeizhIhp-bCNVtVXNtcIufpEMIznTF-Cg6iSP4TyCTzlwBr/s1600/20141126_151201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6IYj5tJ_ZZTL-nzavbYY819REHTIOa8Fn-Jsa2vwCislB4LNmcRP4yr3a49QIvtXbSLdCxLqzWYl49r235Q7MoeYCy_2LyeizhIhp-bCNVtVXNtcIufpEMIznTF-Cg6iSP4TyCTzlwBr/s1600/20141126_151201.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Latest Doctor, cool coat, shoes are Docs (brogues)</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtNB3CDyN-rpnBOZqQU2gSLwFgJe3ajtoizMwqTzXBiXfrGAxsadB65W8sRL1SmW0j4_4PtoVRNnkwflwb-E-j-BYFrFmh_fMHIPK6iPYnAbu1rPhebSGVrQ_Re55YTqehXGMLRe0ThQU/s1600/20141126_151323.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTtNB3CDyN-rpnBOZqQU2gSLwFgJe3ajtoizMwqTzXBiXfrGAxsadB65W8sRL1SmW0j4_4PtoVRNnkwflwb-E-j-BYFrFmh_fMHIPK6iPYnAbu1rPhebSGVrQ_Re55YTqehXGMLRe0ThQU/s1600/20141126_151323.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Doctor, I loved this shirt</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjo0nVxPYljwtI2r2Pfupn3-trUaHvIJd9piI6pum0SzhIcIKZtUxzboskJcLIVmn0UXmtLLbdrjbZi2qBXnsaPy1DJEiRMh-T0AhFMwLOJJFPF333kJMvrsMwbkpg_xXIObQsKrU1sL_r/s1600/20141126_151357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjo0nVxPYljwtI2r2Pfupn3-trUaHvIJd9piI6pum0SzhIcIKZtUxzboskJcLIVmn0UXmtLLbdrjbZi2qBXnsaPy1DJEiRMh-T0AhFMwLOJJFPF333kJMvrsMwbkpg_xXIObQsKrU1sL_r/s1600/20141126_151357.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Scottish Doctor, nicely worn </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmVc5lIYMediV44WtyZrunPf74tvud7vu7nLwWjwgnX6bwlVykp2hKFEk2pIsOeE7lGdipP6o7PDnCWaiQKOwsQuhemHwHuW1BJ-EVPZUMr1A1Tj0fXiBSKcCihN3mnXt5pCdiNysERVS/s1600/20141126_151519.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmVc5lIYMediV44WtyZrunPf74tvud7vu7nLwWjwgnX6bwlVykp2hKFEk2pIsOeE7lGdipP6o7PDnCWaiQKOwsQuhemHwHuW1BJ-EVPZUMr1A1Tj0fXiBSKcCihN3mnXt5pCdiNysERVS/s1600/20141126_151519.jpg" height="180" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sonic Screwdriver!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjXhaKiIYCPmM9t_DfzbBPGCVBE9JGZ1Y6Y1erGqvLtSq0rf-gkna9CsHZw76X82hIWleeVSFaNbqniV3dNPuc8NFWmpT0SOPvLlt4aZDD0efMist63z_NM3jtdV1mtGqbsHFLgVkwd6z/s1600/20141126_152020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjXhaKiIYCPmM9t_DfzbBPGCVBE9JGZ1Y6Y1erGqvLtSq0rf-gkna9CsHZw76X82hIWleeVSFaNbqniV3dNPuc8NFWmpT0SOPvLlt4aZDD0efMist63z_NM3jtdV1mtGqbsHFLgVkwd6z/s1600/20141126_152020.jpg" height="320" width="180" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Downright realistic</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuie54cBUeHXkyvkIoo75Zk_wH0hnZ6DuzcXybJ_tai7RwE5g-OIpakYT5134CDQxF0oVeuSWS487qRjp6ge_s50ws16HVL6LzY9zDRTUH6iLbWD_MJWkzmhiPOxax6SHLRF-vvxblQU-L/s1600/20141126_153046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuie54cBUeHXkyvkIoo75Zk_wH0hnZ6DuzcXybJ_tai7RwE5g-OIpakYT5134CDQxF0oVeuSWS487qRjp6ge_s50ws16HVL6LzY9zDRTUH6iLbWD_MJWkzmhiPOxax6SHLRF-vvxblQU-L/s1600/20141126_153046.jpg" height="200" width="112" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My scarf died happy in the UK</td></tr>
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-78685448709744435722014-11-21T07:37:00.000-08:002014-11-21T08:16:25.315-08:00The London Chronicles: MiscellanyI have 1 more week left in delightful London. While I've done my best to cram all sorts of activities afterhours here, I still have this nagging feeling that I shoulda done something and I'm forgetting to. Tonight I'm going to yet another <a href="http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/london-wall/whats-on/adult-events/late-events/">museum</a> to experience the Reinbach Fall. I have no idea how, but I wore a floaty skirt so it can look something like this, instead of falling to my death with zero flair.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uWCFzxtludMmsDqMujPRa4mQo2QqIy4-u4pmKuF1a59WNLsZFfSP6BqikixdvQtWpDTamagiWUDCoK66le23wMd1loRhfl7kZUwyzyp3o1LZ-837ugWM898tYW4-WkytPWqBBvtrHK6t/s1600/rapyuta.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5uWCFzxtludMmsDqMujPRa4mQo2QqIy4-u4pmKuF1a59WNLsZFfSP6BqikixdvQtWpDTamagiWUDCoK66le23wMd1loRhfl7kZUwyzyp3o1LZ-837ugWM898tYW4-WkytPWqBBvtrHK6t/s1600/rapyuta.png" height="320" title="Lapyuta! " width="226" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Castle in the Sky</td></tr>
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As this entry is conveniently titled "Miscellany", I'm going to go in random order. I have very loose plans this weekend, mainly around sourcing some good booze to bring back, and then checking football scores on Monday morning. How tight are yours? Either way, have a lovely weekend!<br />
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<li><span style="color: #6aa84f;">I put on an accy! </span><br />Today during lunchtime (London is tasty, people. I don't know why we were so unlucky on our last visit), my Brit colleague took me to a betting shop so I can put on an accy. What the hell are you talking about, you say? Accy stands for accumulator. London lets you bet legally! So I went to a betting shop (not even a chain like ladbrokes, man, some real, scary looking little place) and randomly scribbled lines on a piece of paper (the people in the shop scoffed when they saw that my odds are 1/6000 or something awesome like that) which <strike>socc </strike>football teams would win the match this weekend. We then placed a bet on a horse race that was being broadcast live. Once again, I didn't know what the hell I was doing, but I picked a horse whose name I liked (<a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2014/nov/21/live-racing-friday-21-november-2014">"Jolly's Cracked It"</a>), and after a nail-biting 2-3 minutes or so, my horse won! I won 1.25 gbp. With all this side money I'm earning at pubs and betting shops, I may have some extra paperwork to do when I return! "Welcome to London!" said the old man behind the bulletproof glass when I told him I'd won. The race at Ascot was also interesting, because they jump hurdles along the way, and my horse stumbled on the second to last one but still made it to the finish by a good margin. Good show! Jolly good show! It's also really distracting because they split screen and show another race starting (greyhounds), and man they are fast and gorgeous to watch. When I return I'm inclined to teach <a href="http://www.twitter.com/Ivy_Mayhem">my dog</a> how to run and jump hurdles like that. </li>
<li><span style="color: #93c47d;">Random Celebrity Sighting </span><br />In addition to seeing <a href="http://www.twitter.com/TheTrevorLock">Trevor Lock</a> live (and getting a selfie with him to ensure <a href="http://www.emilong.com/">@OngEmil </a>gets jelly), I saw <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=timothy+spall&es_sm=91&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=OVZvVP7DIoGtogTUuIKgBQ&ved=0CAgQ_AUoAQ&biw=1991&bih=758">Mr. Timothy Spall</a> who kindly stood by the door to chat with two eagle-eyed ladies who were obvious fans. He was very gracious, despite being in a rush. He looked just like he does in the movies.</li>
<li><span style="color: #93c47d;">West End Musical, Check </span><br />I went to the <a href="http://www.bookofmormonlondon.com/home.php">American musical</a> in London and had so many "OHGOD" moments, but I quickly learned to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JjCfE1n6nW4">turn it off</a>, like a light switch. I'm glad my friend made me go, because I wasn't feeling like musicals this trip, and I would've regretted not catching this. Tickets sold out in SF so quickly, I remember it was lottery towards the end. The young actor who played <a href="https://twitter.com/ajholmesmusic">Elder Cunningham</a> was amazing (and convincing), as was <a href="https://twitter.com/stephenashfield">Elder McKinley</a>. </li>
<li><span style="color: #93c47d;">Buckaroo & Tas</span><br />At the comedy show, I learned about a game called "Buckaroo", where someone pretends to be a donkey, and then players put tons of stuff on him/her and then tries to make them buck (by using all sorts of things, like dirty socks, etc). Apparently Drunk Buckaroo is something you do at University, to passed out people as well, as evidenced here. My French colleague got excited at this, and said that in France, they have something called "Tas", where people randomly fall on the floor at parties and people basically dog pile over him/her. I'm learning SO much every day. </li>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKwFlc2x_ScftRxbTE2mUmjITthUZ5ZqPOXK19BQZ4_zaBuLqspECQir5ka-MYGT2OV6i1Gier504utPua0Zq8f72EjTRVf8654ron6V2AI181acaDlEFpl1dLHYKbbcdoR9pfUPKb-1B/s1600/215705_106889176063868_771548_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOKwFlc2x_ScftRxbTE2mUmjITthUZ5ZqPOXK19BQZ4_zaBuLqspECQir5ka-MYGT2OV6i1Gier504utPua0Zq8f72EjTRVf8654ron6V2AI181acaDlEFpl1dLHYKbbcdoR9pfUPKb-1B/s1600/215705_106889176063868_771548_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drunk Buckaroo - Exhibit A </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBVl4VvID54WoVBFawr1HyiHAYo1uaE0Jw7STDMvA0680zxrZgkrE56cj73UilKtkV-FM8DZ8mPNnUk5VdgOLzwDVycSUWFHcZqkdv4LBIEJrgCvYfuNYonLSqMiWjczleaoq_Zm2M71d/s1600/10042009705.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilBVl4VvID54WoVBFawr1HyiHAYo1uaE0Jw7STDMvA0680zxrZgkrE56cj73UilKtkV-FM8DZ8mPNnUk5VdgOLzwDVycSUWFHcZqkdv4LBIEJrgCvYfuNYonLSqMiWjczleaoq_Zm2M71d/s1600/10042009705.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drunk Buckaroo -Exhibit B</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqxC5-jeSbdvrW6e66PIPpwbVKnuaqDONoniysPAXK1-6rJlgm_tr-i7fGd5ZbgVYYqkApE9crMo8UoBvgSp74bYmyd7MIFIjMBLjAs32FylKxRQo3h3Q5C1whDyIsMB95cHz28NExeXI/s1600/buckaroo_camping.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQqxC5-jeSbdvrW6e66PIPpwbVKnuaqDONoniysPAXK1-6rJlgm_tr-i7fGd5ZbgVYYqkApE9crMo8UoBvgSp74bYmyd7MIFIjMBLjAs32FylKxRQo3h3Q5C1whDyIsMB95cHz28NExeXI/s1600/buckaroo_camping.jpg" height="320" width="270" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drunk Buckaroo - Exhibit Camping</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcPWFPGbH7l027NDrz072SVix4vHfo6ybh6jnYtCg6FBgnasOHtapoSwj7rl3u68tEkpUOS2x8rNSkl3B94b9dhHtrtpr8k7dNJWt9rY2ZJzse3Wqtu6wTAKXOkxSVzDew5ReDg2DzDF8/s1600/21570044-nettoyage-de-printemps--deux-bouledogues-anglais-pose-sous-un-tas-de-vetements-isoles-sur-fond-blanc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcPWFPGbH7l027NDrz072SVix4vHfo6ybh6jnYtCg6FBgnasOHtapoSwj7rl3u68tEkpUOS2x8rNSkl3B94b9dhHtrtpr8k7dNJWt9rY2ZJzse3Wqtu6wTAKXOkxSVzDew5ReDg2DzDF8/s1600/21570044-nettoyage-de-printemps--deux-bouledogues-anglais-pose-sous-un-tas-de-vetements-isoles-sur-fond-blanc.jpg" height="156" title="21570044-nettoyage-de-printemps--deux-bouledogues-anglais-pose-sous-un-tas-de-vetements-isoles-sur-fond-blanc" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">deux-bouledogues-anglais-pose-sous-un-tas-de-vetements-isoles-sur-fond-blanc</td></tr>
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<br />mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-5983991842128555522014-11-19T08:47:00.001-08:002014-11-19T09:14:46.870-08:00The London Chronicles: Wherein I Experience A Free Haircut After a rollicking (cracking?) day at Bletchley, I wanted to have a less cerebral Sunday and decided to wander around a few neighbourhoods that operates on a Sunday. I went to the London Bridge area to visit<a href="http://whitecube.com/artists/tracey_emin/"> White Cube</a> to catch the last day of <a href="http://www.traceyeminstudio.com/">Tracey Emin</a>'s exhibit. I can't believe how generous London is (so many of them free), until I realize that everything I buy here has to be multiplied by 2, essentially. The exhibit was interesting, the space is gorgeous - so much ceiling height to display large bodies of work. I loved watching the people, too. Just, everyday, local residents walking in casually with their grocery bags. I went through the gift shop (because I love to), and pondered who would buy ornaments like <a href="http://emininternational.myshopify.com/collections/new/products/christmas-bauble-1">this </a>for their tree. I couldn't really picture anyone real, or at least within my (albeit) small circle of friends and acquaintances. If you're one of them, please let me know what your tree looks like, and if you have <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gilbert_%26_George">Gilbert & George</a> ornaments on them, too.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdR4Ndbi4oLrH4BccdXj-CTIK9bd4rgc8HNvAdtEcJQU3tGWawEesHqNQ96I818yiZBZLLSHwARR7KL_6pxRkKPQ_cFtI2K-DH-z2cChLszm7lYxpzmPK2X9PRZEvwsCD7znJ31Dc2aSB/s1600/04_01_ITS-WHAT-I-MUG_grande.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAdR4Ndbi4oLrH4BccdXj-CTIK9bd4rgc8HNvAdtEcJQU3tGWawEesHqNQ96I818yiZBZLLSHwARR7KL_6pxRkKPQ_cFtI2K-DH-z2cChLszm7lYxpzmPK2X9PRZEvwsCD7znJ31Dc2aSB/s1600/04_01_ITS-WHAT-I-MUG_grande.gif" height="320" title="tracey emin mugs" width="214" /></a></div>
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After doing yet another lost/walk (walking while semi-lost), I hopped on the bus and got to actually see the remaining poppies in the Tower of London from my window. They were removing it, and I was glad to have a nice view from behind glass way above the crowds. The last time we came to the Tower, I wanted to stab myself because a) I was really jetlagged, b) it was raining and cold, and c) there were about 1000 x more people than I would have liked per square metre. </div>
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Some of my coworkers suggested I visit Camden Town, which I imagined to be a lot like the Haight (it was), so I made it over there and started walking towards the horse stable markets, when a young lady asked me if I want to be a hair model. I've never modelled anything (aside from that one time, when I did hand modelling for a magazine I was working for, but that was due to everyone else in the office at the time being male, and they needed a female hand. Don't ask). I don't have much hair to cut, but I do have a patch of green in my hair which may have been taken as a sign of a risk taker? I was really taken aback as to why I was asked. I decided this might be something to write home about - so I said yes. She took me to the salon/academy nearby, and I was penciled in for the next day. The next day, I jokingly told my coworkers that I was going to get a free mohawk ("Just don't do anything too crazy", they wryly observed). I show up at the salon, tell them I'm here for the, here for the, uh, (I can't bring myself to ever say "model", I'm like 50lbs overweight for that), and they show me upstairs, in the waiting area, where the other "models" are at. I've always suspected that the Brits have a slightly different aesthetic when it comes to beauty. Just look at British shows as proof. Prime Suspect had the realest cast ever - where every extra policeman in the background looks like they really are weighed down by all that they've seen, then compare it to, oh, I don't know, Prime Suspect US version, or more recently, Broadchurch. They seem to be more forgiving if you're not textbook pretty, which in the US essentially seems to indicate flawlessness. Perhaps this is why I was asked? </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">UK version - oh how I loved Otley</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">US version </td></tr>
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*if you noticed me using British spelling all over the place, do note that I'm not intending on putting on airs; my spellchecker (whom I named Basil) is British. You can read them in your head in faux-English accents and annoy yourself if you like. Flavour. Colour. Splendour. Barbour.<br />
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The point being, there were <i>all kinds </i>of hair models. I wasn't even in the minority here - there was another Asian girl with an even more daring do (and less hair) than I. She had half of her head shaved, and the other side also shorn but with some elaborate bangs. There was an older lady, who was clearly uncomfortable to be there. Then there were the "real" models : Caucasian, Nordic or Eastern European, with intriguing accents, a pixie-like face, and legs like matchsticks. I was even more confused as to why I was here. I also watched someone who was clearly an artiste (he swore like one, had hand gestures like one, and was teasing the hell out of someone's poor marigold coloured afro). Also, as in real life models (I assume), a lot of time was spent waiting. I brought my knitting, and made some good headway, until a dapper male in his early to mid-30s came bounding up, clapping his hands, and saying "So, let's go in to the other room, models!". So we all gathered up our bags and followed him in. He introduced himself as Ian, and filled us in on what was going on. "Thank you all for coming in! You're all here to be hair models for a group that's here from Italy. Don't worry, these are not students in beauty school - these are mainly salon owners and experienced hair cutters. I and my colleague (points to a tall blonde muscular male) here will do a consult, and then we'll do what we call "Salon Creative", which is salon cut with a <i>twist. </i>Ok, now take a seat, pick a mirror!<i>". </i>We all shuffle to a seat. I get Ian. There's about 7 of us, which makes them 2 short, apparently, so there's last minute upstairs wrangling of some other poor souls off the street. Ian eventually makes his rounds and comes to me, and the first thing he asks is "Who cuts your hair? Where do you get it cut?". I answer that I'm not from here, I'm from San Francisco, and I have a haircutter that I go to regularly there (whom I WILL NOT name because I like being able to see her on a regular basis. She is awesome). She did, however, train in London, I say proudly. Without missing a beat, he says "Ah, yes Sassoon. I can tell by the cut, and the curve here. You don't often see lines like these from people on the street". I'm not sure, but I believe that was a compliment against my hairdresser. I smile politely. Fortunately for me, Ian assesses my haircut as "Amazing, I love this whole look you got there", and does not want to veer away from this. But he thinks it'll be good to add some texture, and maybe trim my bangs? "You know, like how you returned from the pub all drunk and took some scissors at your bangs?". Wait, WAT? My bangs already look like Jim Carrey in Dumb and Dumber. You cannot make Dumberer. With that, he walks away. The other instructor seems really stressed for some reason, and all 9 of us "models" eye each other in the mirrors and exchange smiles and nervous expressions. Then the Italian hairdresser team arrives. None of them look like they are in their teens or 20s, in fact, they all look like a group of tourists that just returned from taking a 0.5 day sightseeing trip. They all look at us nervously, too, until Ian asks them to pick a model. I'm hoping the one that looks like Anne Hathaway dressed like a marionette (srsly, she had rouge on her cheeks and everything) might choose me, since I like that she has a Mary Poppins style carpetbag as her work bag, but Anna H. decides to go with the short haired girl next to me. I get a middle-aged lady, who nods, and smiles at me as if to say "I got this, girl. Doncha worry". Ian takes turns explaining the look we want to achieve, and we all take turns getting shampooed. My person, whose name I don't find out until the end, gave a very generous, relaxing shampoo (I loooove getting my hair washed. Perhaps when my time has come, I can die while being shampooed? It would be such a relaxing way to go, not to mention, clean follicles that can be later used for wigs!), and we wait for Ian, as water drips down my shoulders. By the time my hair pretty much dried, Ian is ready for me, and he starts instructing my person how/where to start. I had to get misted again, but all that time, I got to watch with fascination how Ian approaches hair as if it's sculpture, and almost engineers it structurally ("her hair grows this way, so you have to allow it to be weighed down by this, like so"), and I watch a new style emerge like hedges being trimmed from a particularly thick, curly haired girl. </div>
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While we all have such different hairs, different faces, different builds, we all have one thing in common, and that's uneasiness. "It's just hair, it will grow" mumbles the girl next to me, though she spent 5 minutes complaining to Ian earlier that she got a bad cut previously elsewhere, and it really dampened her self-esteem. A blonde girl with very thin hair is looking worried as her Italian trainee looks distractedly at other people while sort of drying her hair with one hand. I'm listening to Italian all over, and feeling somewhat hungry. If there's one body part of mine that is guaranteed a compliment (from haircutters), it's mah hair. Every hairstylist I've ever had raves that my hair is healthy, great, amazing, fun to cut (and said nothing about my personality, my eyes, my thick middle, nothing. These parts are so neglected), but I have a very "meh" relationship with my hair. That girl is right, it's hair, it'll grow. And I've grown it out multiple times so I can chop it off and donate it to <a href="http://www.locksoflove.org/">Locks of Love</a>. I've done it 4 times already and it always feels strange to take something that was attached to you an hour ago in an envelope and mail it, but it's very satisfying. If you have hair and have low attachment to it, I highly recommend growing it out and harvesting it for a very good cause. </div>
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It's a 3hr cycle of instruction, attempt, judging and adjusting, and then finally, we get to my bangs. Every time Ian comes by, he says things to my person, like "You have to respect this hair. Treat it with respect, and it will respond. If you don't treat it with respect, I will punch you in the chest". The Italian translator translates this, including the vigorous hand-gesture Ian did of attempting to punch my person in her chest. My person laughs and nods. The only exchange between us so far that was more than "Thank you, grazie" and "Prego" was when she asked me "Is there any...pain?". <br />
There wasn't, thankfully. She had a steady hand and was very very careful. I saw that Anna H. was struggling the most out of all the stylists (she seemed very nervous, and kept getting corrected), so I felt like I somewhat dodged a bullet.</div>
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Ian managed 5 heads, his partner 4, and all the Italians gathered round to watch when someone was being looked at. People poked and pulled at my green hair. "Bella!" said one, and another one gave me the universal thumbs up. Eventually it came to my bangs, and Ian kept talking while snipping. "I love your hair! Your hair is just, amazing! It's one of those hairs that if it gets in your socks in the morning it'll bother you all day!". Once again, I'm really not sure if this is a compliment or not, until at the very end, he looks at me in the mirror and says solemnly "It was a pleasure and an honour to cut your hair. I'd cut hair like this for free." Well, Ian, you just did, and thank...you? </div>
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My person beams at me when I thank her, and when I ask her name, she says "Paola. From Firenze". My favourite Italian city! We smile, hug, and take a blurry selfie which I will not post here. </div>
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My coworkers are disappointed that I didn't get a blue mohawk, but manage to hide it well. "It doesn't look that different!". Well, actually, my bangs have never been shorter and my usual stylist will definitely know that I saw someone else (it's crooked on the left side), but eh, it was an experience.<br />
If any Asian person with thick hair wants to get a short bob with Jim Carrey bangs while in Florence, tell Paola I sent you, and give her my best. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3r2AAplsWDy4OUzZVjxYPh4-fMFGPkvT5m2xUh_03eyYH7YsnglV7BX5FgtORtBLWHdy78FX88IcaMbqfdaCPZLnse5pJpQaof5y8nsZxsoXaB_xVvBo0NbYqsbfQzDY5GRCExrZodSy/s1600/20141116_114046.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjj3r2AAplsWDy4OUzZVjxYPh4-fMFGPkvT5m2xUh_03eyYH7YsnglV7BX5FgtORtBLWHdy78FX88IcaMbqfdaCPZLnse5pJpQaof5y8nsZxsoXaB_xVvBo0NbYqsbfQzDY5GRCExrZodSy/s1600/20141116_114046.jpg" height="320" title="FOUND IT!" width="177" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">No Simon Pegg. Sigh. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXraGJpLjbF5tLlKd4hwxKi5MppiASHZLnDNBGCMAItNBwS5AcbNCVVmYzWI1qoHgrt0ftK7-9AySEhzrRxtr0ElHkfGJuQStbgj-KbE8KhX4nvNX-PFixgpI5uxVbtY5Sc6slMHBu7Ga/s1600/20141116_112630.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbXraGJpLjbF5tLlKd4hwxKi5MppiASHZLnDNBGCMAItNBwS5AcbNCVVmYzWI1qoHgrt0ftK7-9AySEhzrRxtr0ElHkfGJuQStbgj-KbE8KhX4nvNX-PFixgpI5uxVbtY5Sc6slMHBu7Ga/s1600/20141116_112630.jpg" height="180" title="Speaking of which, looking fwd to Jesus & Mary Chain next week!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just Like Haight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBP8yFPoZh86Ucm4yJqh6ichYYM7lphCnQJNoeBniynjwJug_yiA3M4xtKCv7DnVdf4lHQvox5u6-z3Rf_GR9gWNXwQXAfWrJLHS1Pfomu-Q_o_iVU0XlQ5yEtPvhVgqBeXgVsLQPpYbe/s1600/20141116_133500.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuBP8yFPoZh86Ucm4yJqh6ichYYM7lphCnQJNoeBniynjwJug_yiA3M4xtKCv7DnVdf4lHQvox5u6-z3Rf_GR9gWNXwQXAfWrJLHS1Pfomu-Q_o_iVU0XlQ5yEtPvhVgqBeXgVsLQPpYbe/s1600/20141116_133500.jpg" height="112" title="foggy bus window" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Poppies! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrc3C1SOep6lwCYN4mucLqzDTzg4-pRqVR9GzfsZ_0qHE1278G9gUiFLaDGg8kM5GrgHym2U2OQ7LU2PkWHv63Nv5vd1SnxZVFKvKfRSonWcJvgpASlJIGFvHJWY0XdWS10tTNeLaPIEtK/s1600/20141116_130409-EFFECTS.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrc3C1SOep6lwCYN4mucLqzDTzg4-pRqVR9GzfsZ_0qHE1278G9gUiFLaDGg8kM5GrgHym2U2OQ7LU2PkWHv63Nv5vd1SnxZVFKvKfRSonWcJvgpASlJIGFvHJWY0XdWS10tTNeLaPIEtK/s1600/20141116_130409-EFFECTS.jpg" height="180" title="and I miss my cooper" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">London, you are so photogenic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJVcQ08bbUg6_1EdNerm3cUWw0E_Bh_l7n3U0K7vw8-yvQK63YpJL63DhwaOhN_nmktfM4fw0mlZL4qd_4nGkhxk7dUyGklI3bvtdCbJEBQNWNCs3TUXZoX8gBGj2OtJdPJ1WhQxlZMPW/s1600/20141116_122527.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtJVcQ08bbUg6_1EdNerm3cUWw0E_Bh_l7n3U0K7vw8-yvQK63YpJL63DhwaOhN_nmktfM4fw0mlZL4qd_4nGkhxk7dUyGklI3bvtdCbJEBQNWNCs3TUXZoX8gBGj2OtJdPJ1WhQxlZMPW/s1600/20141116_122527.jpg" height="360" title="oh tracey" width="640" /></a></div>
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-49641389139580819612014-11-17T11:00:00.004-08:002014-11-17T12:00:29.606-08:00The London Chronicles Weekend Edition: Field Trip to Bletchley Park or 158 Million Million Million Sometimes, the planets align really nicely, to make you experience things that are extraordinary. As someone who works in security and tech, <a href="http://www.bletchleypark.org.uk/">Bletchley Park </a> was the first thing I penciled in as a "must-do" over the weekend. In anticipation, I went to <a href="https://www.barbican.org.uk/">the Barbican </a>and watched <a href="http://theimitationgamemovie.com/">the movie</a> on Friday night. I already had a membership to the Barbican and was curious about its Brutalist architecture. I am looking forward to coming back next year for <a href="http://hamlet.barbican.org.uk/">CumberHamlet</a> (it should be amazing, or it better be, as I stayed up until 4am to score those tickets, but I digress). I had a few minutes to kill before the movie, so after having some pre-film dinner, I wandered around, and came across the London branch of my alma mater having some sort of social.<br />
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The movie was really good. It felt a bit rushed towards the end, but all the actors did a fine job of portraying their characters (although, I'm sorry but Samwise will always be Samwise, until he learns other facial expressions). </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQpJ4RyoAhi_vRl7DlSDCM1EMX7-UN0ndkWbDNA7m2qKTnD4lz8hr7CJ3LTM3ZG5eEieqxoVLwnD4T5x3la5T-ZhVoRKu20UBKfVX-YxmySv5VXstnWJdPfdIn5vIrvu6wGX57o_Wn4Kt/s1600/benedict-cumberbenedict-the-imitation-game-movie-poster.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRQpJ4RyoAhi_vRl7DlSDCM1EMX7-UN0ndkWbDNA7m2qKTnD4lz8hr7CJ3LTM3ZG5eEieqxoVLwnD4T5x3la5T-ZhVoRKu20UBKfVX-YxmySv5VXstnWJdPfdIn5vIrvu6wGX57o_Wn4Kt/s1600/benedict-cumberbenedict-the-imitation-game-movie-poster.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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The script was well written, 4 stars, would see it again. After the movie, I went back to my temporary home as I had an early train to catch with a coworker. Side note: Londoners do not knit in public. A few curious people came by to ask me what I was knitting (wrap), and if I'm a good knitter (debatable). <br />
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I couldn't sleep after the movie because I was too excited about my excursion. </div>
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We took the train from Euston to Bletchley, and I had a great guide (my coworker who'd visited Bletchley 8 months ago with another friend/colleague). We talked about work on the way for about 45 minutes, then talked about different paths we took that allows us to work together, which is extraordinary in itself - a Romanian soon to be UK citizen and a Japanese American (1st gen). 2014 isn't such a bad time afterall? We talked about slave nations and personalities, and by the time we got to Bletchley I was ready for some fresh air. </div>
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Apparently, the whole park was renovated recently thanks to Google and other sponsors (coughGCHQcough), and it was very well manicured, although the "huts" were tiny and damp. Some of the huts were more colder and draftier than others, and it was amazing to stand where the codebreakers once stood, many of them who took their secrets to the grave, and marvel at the brainpowers they harnessed. They were also running an AI contest based on the Turing test, which looked like a lot of fun.</div>
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I won't spoil too much in case you are planning to visit - but the Colossus (in the<a href="http://www.tnmoc.org/"> National Museum of Computing</a> next door) and the Bombe rebuild is a must-see. The docents and volunteer guides are really dedicated and happy to tell you tidbits of history and answer all sorts of questions. Also note to the gift shop: You need moar (better) T-shrits! Sell those ties and scarves! My colleague and I spent the entire time scheming how to convince one of the workers to give it up. I bought a lot of books here. They also spent time cracking <i>Japanese </i>code, which was very fascinating. It's one of the most difficult languages to master, and these people shortened a 5yr lesson into 11 weeks or so. Seeing their practice notebooks and flashcards and pencil writing of kanji characters really made them feel, well, real. </div>
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Oh, and we also had a celebrity sighting! <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_May">Mr. James May </a>of Top Gear fame. He seemed to be filming a segment for his Science show. I look forward to catching it on BBCAmerica when I return. </div>
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We stayed for 6 hrs yet we ran out of time. I'm definitely going back. <br />
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The trains here run pretty reasonably, but wow the apologies! The transit system actually apologises when it's late. "We are sorry that this train is running approximately 11 minutes late...we are very sorry". DK would feel right at home about this, if only he wasn't Canadian. </div>
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I will now kill you with pictures, because I'm too lazy to type in 1k more words. </div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzThS7yy9EbaVR3GHSbtJzbugvm94kchsR7pghiCmEeeqXZq12Me5rWlOjVQ2PuhUNu43qAnhuW1ftWCuvSNKSHH4hdl9JRzzKEaKPm345SXHOwwbO2RqCVTUv91meSYfV7MNMKhgP91ui/s1600/IMG_1125.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzThS7yy9EbaVR3GHSbtJzbugvm94kchsR7pghiCmEeeqXZq12Me5rWlOjVQ2PuhUNu43qAnhuW1ftWCuvSNKSHH4hdl9JRzzKEaKPm345SXHOwwbO2RqCVTUv91meSYfV7MNMKhgP91ui/s1600/IMG_1125.jpg" height="200" title="Be Mine!" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Still in love with St.Pancras</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjJT4tHIQcTdQHWhMeQgNfpkNqfaqU9VzlqdaW0fV-bhN0VKZkeADL9_ERyQFa-bzdSVJVSvEv5Rtl6vWHajnGcvQJmWqgbldm6blTqooe-Kv-ARWt9eezs3qn3seXFIubqZGRYS4OJ7O/s1600/IMG_1132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbjJT4tHIQcTdQHWhMeQgNfpkNqfaqU9VzlqdaW0fV-bhN0VKZkeADL9_ERyQFa-bzdSVJVSvEv5Rtl6vWHajnGcvQJmWqgbldm6blTqooe-Kv-ARWt9eezs3qn3seXFIubqZGRYS4OJ7O/s1600/IMG_1132.JPG" height="200" title="happy birthday rob & patty!" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Birthday pub lunch!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzXXtU9A5yNyMCr4C9ueRZZEQeIMswonWnC9IFCJhaOs61bkNdlxytjwVN_rta9OcYNKULTgqtYx3jxZTUT2NMrHgWqEK1gNRCZch0sFAsBdbiqpkhaR5d26X8bQZFb4pvR0KtEFe5qWG/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEzXXtU9A5yNyMCr4C9ueRZZEQeIMswonWnC9IFCJhaOs61bkNdlxytjwVN_rta9OcYNKULTgqtYx3jxZTUT2NMrHgWqEK1gNRCZch0sFAsBdbiqpkhaR5d26X8bQZFb4pvR0KtEFe5qWG/s1600/IMG_1135.jpg" height="240" title="gravy, mint & peas, and beeeeeef" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Meat the Pieminister! </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13wGJA4je7-yxk3I_0sYonsEQxZGoEKYfM_66glLHIWfkb0cJjtupaYnaYnhmSiWVC2nZb0qZG08JRltpaRoix_6VhbNBG4znUrw-6N0G1uSzN1ZUbL3RrR-RPrsONvAZp9m7W5Zea-bw/s1600/IMG_1139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi13wGJA4je7-yxk3I_0sYonsEQxZGoEKYfM_66glLHIWfkb0cJjtupaYnaYnhmSiWVC2nZb0qZG08JRltpaRoix_6VhbNBG4znUrw-6N0G1uSzN1ZUbL3RrR-RPrsONvAZp9m7W5Zea-bw/s1600/IMG_1139.JPG" height="240" title="Juliette Binoche, up next. Purple, red, and hot pink are British colors." width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Inside Barbican Centre</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUBv52-TqSvHgHMK9ZqvKdpLUqgM8X3TYofOloTXyhqyNrIQchh9jttQaHtONyvzHIPrYfWO1yzJKTM6Z5wSbrDksKeGf3JQLhT9tUXdYH3tQ1bPq48viUdZUSrMmRCm4cHEFEdkk-uPf/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUUBv52-TqSvHgHMK9ZqvKdpLUqgM8X3TYofOloTXyhqyNrIQchh9jttQaHtONyvzHIPrYfWO1yzJKTM6Z5wSbrDksKeGf3JQLhT9tUXdYH3tQ1bPq48viUdZUSrMmRCm4cHEFEdkk-uPf/s1600/IMG_1144.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Marvelous! </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqmcz_-Ghh8VsQMH-J8gkS11kT0vqvNR2UJCmsILWsq20fWZxixPJIE7bELftPUOCuhDnOe2rzphOhF04N-daH9mumBLT3IiVDPY-IEnzpLbGotipjMlqvO-YcHJcqqBh9DYRe89lZI1Q/s1600/IMG_1151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYqmcz_-Ghh8VsQMH-J8gkS11kT0vqvNR2UJCmsILWsq20fWZxixPJIE7bELftPUOCuhDnOe2rzphOhF04N-daH9mumBLT3IiVDPY-IEnzpLbGotipjMlqvO-YcHJcqqBh9DYRe89lZI1Q/s1600/IMG_1151.JPG" height="150" title="no CAD" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Architects' tools </td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAy0UhqwdWgBWh2E4sNLMCZpTChj07rUx2KzJSRcnkMknDNRE6u60gJASey_aIxUIh5sd3fiyok8o_lVjlA8OcNmZ6xKiydMT4ZJCPXG_jRxeyKGyD89qCRDvcumVZZN4oA27CnCnJlUd/s1600/IMG_1152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsAy0UhqwdWgBWh2E4sNLMCZpTChj07rUx2KzJSRcnkMknDNRE6u60gJASey_aIxUIh5sd3fiyok8o_lVjlA8OcNmZ6xKiydMT4ZJCPXG_jRxeyKGyD89qCRDvcumVZZN4oA27CnCnJlUd/s1600/IMG_1152.JPG" height="150" title="I loved the stabby bit" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">I wonder if kids today use compasses</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61SJ4713cAAnT0ZmocUFd_dy5gW6K9xHAJKGKAJFQ75lfqDR6ez2ag33M2DpvKcHut1p0ZCYtTG8t0ZebSlClR1MrrTjGs2i0gH2YhGIsaEmm3wgFnaTjBcrZZnixoUuZkyndcx2w8m5Y/s1600/IMG_1156.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61SJ4713cAAnT0ZmocUFd_dy5gW6K9xHAJKGKAJFQ75lfqDR6ez2ag33M2DpvKcHut1p0ZCYtTG8t0ZebSlClR1MrrTjGs2i0gH2YhGIsaEmm3wgFnaTjBcrZZnixoUuZkyndcx2w8m5Y/s1600/IMG_1156.jpg" height="320" title="based on personal experience, that is " width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Architects send the BEST holiday greetings IMHO</td></tr>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgre94llWtzZZ6q4qgTkg6IAT9InAJeHbI8v8sEsOhTTdp2CozrVeVgrG-Pcny2dJX3L5XTxr7460mAMW30bLN2UVva1YzNCJyI2vkC86kahio7GsiPqk3dX9L2WDxOJGs2Xukz-7EH-sh9/s1600/IMG_1160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgre94llWtzZZ6q4qgTkg6IAT9InAJeHbI8v8sEsOhTTdp2CozrVeVgrG-Pcny2dJX3L5XTxr7460mAMW30bLN2UVva1YzNCJyI2vkC86kahio7GsiPqk3dX9L2WDxOJGs2Xukz-7EH-sh9/s1600/IMG_1160.jpg" height="150" title="Soup, bread, and tea" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">My glamourous pre-movie dinner</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURxsFYIvcMbrj946Pnu-zMQTXL4X4BuNnO_7U6kyQOchG4vH7SE64wv8YdmKG7NM7yQHLmZvQPXIiVt7RKAYZujesbueutUXay0_pitD-wiBM8lAGaaZ48qlDWljabu_ta_FWkCzNr_MO/s1600/IMG_1163.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjURxsFYIvcMbrj946Pnu-zMQTXL4X4BuNnO_7U6kyQOchG4vH7SE64wv8YdmKG7NM7yQHLmZvQPXIiVt7RKAYZujesbueutUXay0_pitD-wiBM8lAGaaZ48qlDWljabu_ta_FWkCzNr_MO/s1600/IMG_1163.jpg" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">why?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppo6_Z2XY2lDjUyGi4gMrELfJOfef9S0YFBQqLONaIe3drA2IJgRA28nBbOEsixKH6sXZhoTAyTByguWrcgBXZd1JH3rSrnlBwSXnM9KRkcQz6-ST4nDhFp0Ab1x0EEyDzP9tbFMyNVt3/s1600/IMG_1164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppo6_Z2XY2lDjUyGi4gMrELfJOfef9S0YFBQqLONaIe3drA2IJgRA28nBbOEsixKH6sXZhoTAyTByguWrcgBXZd1JH3rSrnlBwSXnM9KRkcQz6-ST4nDhFp0Ab1x0EEyDzP9tbFMyNVt3/s1600/IMG_1164.JPG" height="150" title="or black, but man, Brits love red and neon" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">It's like being inside the white lodge</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhqhSKO3jXJwcDyfoD79KQTZ4z5lYbCiWYSZxf_U3NxHWZMYnsw647G_hEsXvO_5XXL6fI-4nf2874ws-1Vd4PvRGAfWXlN59SDwaVNwSb0xUHz2H7VW3PR8tDxaYDQfRU2JyPaDWiikF/s1600/IMG_1169.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfhqhSKO3jXJwcDyfoD79KQTZ4z5lYbCiWYSZxf_U3NxHWZMYnsw647G_hEsXvO_5XXL6fI-4nf2874ws-1Vd4PvRGAfWXlN59SDwaVNwSb0xUHz2H7VW3PR8tDxaYDQfRU2JyPaDWiikF/s1600/IMG_1169.JPG" height="240" title="women trained to ride them too!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Sweet ride</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhppo6_Z2XY2lDjUyGi4gMrELfJOfef9S0YFBQqLONaIe3drA2IJgRA28nBbOEsixKH6sXZhoTAyTByguWrcgBXZd1JH3rSrnlBwSXnM9KRkcQz6-ST4nDhFp0Ab1x0EEyDzP9tbFMyNVt3/s1600/IMG_1164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGChaLG_ppNQScI69uAx-1_EcPv4cKv3kzpr-koaq7PVGbgahRYTISjuc_cGExAIVbzIV-aJEymO9hM3zFeq6FwrRtcRMBOAMpj8eEkWf4S0ZI-HnIb3C-wgRCN9DEv314P6wd2rDhw_6u/s1600/IMG_1170.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGChaLG_ppNQScI69uAx-1_EcPv4cKv3kzpr-koaq7PVGbgahRYTISjuc_cGExAIVbzIV-aJEymO9hM3zFeq6FwrRtcRMBOAMpj8eEkWf4S0ZI-HnIb3C-wgRCN9DEv314P6wd2rDhw_6u/s1600/IMG_1170.jpg" height="320" title="looks just like a typewriter" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Enigma</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKs01zz1ON7BSLJmJ7pHZx3L8TGpEe2Cz2QglQrProazLzDWV6yL75glMccjBtymrlORihIxE7GMsX5Bt8k6Gk4F3WHFK6JYBzVvaEYMl3M6G5lOPhYU7KgqwFnrADx8aZXFLDQzwNxAn7/s1600/IMG_1174.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKs01zz1ON7BSLJmJ7pHZx3L8TGpEe2Cz2QglQrProazLzDWV6yL75glMccjBtymrlORihIxE7GMsX5Bt8k6Gk4F3WHFK6JYBzVvaEYMl3M6G5lOPhYU7KgqwFnrADx8aZXFLDQzwNxAn7/s1600/IMG_1174.jpg" height="320" title="well worn" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Japanese Dictionary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKgXLAIIfZHuwHW_tdyN2_9qAz30eWERTG_vskOgvq5r8pY00eIvqkDKXhr09rKLZoortxnw9_PAC8mkSsmBhju6yhJ84NbaZMiFZTP0Y62x8N5cYt8w6H3iUiecvvjxYiDHnf2GSEmkf/s1600/IMG_1177.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioKgXLAIIfZHuwHW_tdyN2_9qAz30eWERTG_vskOgvq5r8pY00eIvqkDKXhr09rKLZoortxnw9_PAC8mkSsmBhju6yhJ84NbaZMiFZTP0Y62x8N5cYt8w6H3iUiecvvjxYiDHnf2GSEmkf/s1600/IMG_1177.jpg" height="320" title="and its sassy guardian" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The Turing Bombe Rebuild Project </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSPTXUn5x_A-vqElTPdMjwtccXFuBRDjuWqVXm8QkL8Bb273bd0nMislCwtSykEx2mCkEO0BiK_Oqhio3gMvBUJllFcQ338myRPSGfRoV1SE3B7Wtu4QLFxM6b40gm49aEbcC71CW0XOh/s1600/IMG_1181.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDSPTXUn5x_A-vqElTPdMjwtccXFuBRDjuWqVXm8QkL8Bb273bd0nMislCwtSykEx2mCkEO0BiK_Oqhio3gMvBUJllFcQ338myRPSGfRoV1SE3B7Wtu4QLFxM6b40gm49aEbcC71CW0XOh/s1600/IMG_1181.jpg" height="320" title="Mihai asked for a photo! I didn't want to bother him" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Photographic Evidence </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfWxWbC4hq2eqNyXefDd1xBWu-B9OrJ7skkddf0Ip3yOExBn0mwkRWGy4ODk906l0Uxbc2D_9h3VtO97vNRrUCgK0F9A0wLtct5s3lbQS40YOTpXBrb_aBuErsxCXURvGD4YMTAVbJ69a/s1600/IMG_1183.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLfWxWbC4hq2eqNyXefDd1xBWu-B9OrJ7skkddf0Ip3yOExBn0mwkRWGy4ODk906l0Uxbc2D_9h3VtO97vNRrUCgK0F9A0wLtct5s3lbQS40YOTpXBrb_aBuErsxCXURvGD4YMTAVbJ69a/s1600/IMG_1183.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Geekery</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTDoyAGxxnQaqoR10pNgEy6IZfooSJPo6kHdpsAJ5GW0TLrtdYkPeBWkQofU2kHOQJdu2nh99j_wYc0wePUSwaRls1_5I19XD61y1IhU0GdMG6-v0LieHygDKOG-ZFxCVhyphenhyphenVi0aFczY3r/s1600/IMG_1184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimTDoyAGxxnQaqoR10pNgEy6IZfooSJPo6kHdpsAJ5GW0TLrtdYkPeBWkQofU2kHOQJdu2nh99j_wYc0wePUSwaRls1_5I19XD61y1IhU0GdMG6-v0LieHygDKOG-ZFxCVhyphenhyphenVi0aFczY3r/s1600/IMG_1184.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Almost like a Vegas spinwheel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoXa-50iRhNXyUbCh3-rCzc3-ebDnL-dPX5OInLRQkDwW_pCb9fEMkVMzuG8aSPnl9HhAEwdG3bU-CCCZIgmm40kYC-DpQJ_NastYDrPg7qN1qWaf63VqZ45KwMha8JIjlWo14nlVQizN/s1600/IMG_1185.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoXa-50iRhNXyUbCh3-rCzc3-ebDnL-dPX5OInLRQkDwW_pCb9fEMkVMzuG8aSPnl9HhAEwdG3bU-CCCZIgmm40kYC-DpQJ_NastYDrPg7qN1qWaf63VqZ45KwMha8JIjlWo14nlVQizN/s1600/IMG_1185.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Delicious on the inside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbihnl0_-3vqm7rf5o-7ch84sEjsO9ZpqNGRBTOwVxOQ4LzgeXUf6Ru5kVMo_bf6lOm7vRdZsJv9cAx5s-jXooVCY4o5Acd302gcwEodsBQg3aCOgK88dC1togN79zREVpDngwZJ7-PRUR/s1600/IMG_1189.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbihnl0_-3vqm7rf5o-7ch84sEjsO9ZpqNGRBTOwVxOQ4LzgeXUf6Ru5kVMo_bf6lOm7vRdZsJv9cAx5s-jXooVCY4o5Acd302gcwEodsBQg3aCOgK88dC1togN79zREVpDngwZJ7-PRUR/s1600/IMG_1189.JPG" height="150" title="Booms BEHIND YOU!" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Mihai charms the lady</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53hjY8kt-7W6ZNYMC3ninKy64ZXKMZAieoXI_ntZ6YCirHld75xk_kPq1osOZ6a6T69VfIxdE7-7vv6D_mdob4Yu7gl5FYSqhx6R5ZWxfOsf6XQUEcRxgOZIja2d3qHtml-biotnuYbI3/s1600/IMG_1198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj53hjY8kt-7W6ZNYMC3ninKy64ZXKMZAieoXI_ntZ6YCirHld75xk_kPq1osOZ6a6T69VfIxdE7-7vv6D_mdob4Yu7gl5FYSqhx6R5ZWxfOsf6XQUEcRxgOZIja2d3qHtml-biotnuYbI3/s1600/IMG_1198.JPG" height="240" title="Based on real streets" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">My favorite - a handmade Monopoly board to beat Turing</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfAsqhPUbKT05DEEo61gqBJnpcgbQ1ymwPDxuzJbQGDNctURzVOQQcU3rEM5i8hsU5xN2xGjYWvCUq5A_gUdd1unnwa5f2UAuoxr2mjsdxPRt0coF_yMrk26bPbuTguMlV6ZmtHkcno6R/s1600/IMG_1201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Turing's Bear" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimfAsqhPUbKT05DEEo61gqBJnpcgbQ1ymwPDxuzJbQGDNctURzVOQQcU3rEM5i8hsU5xN2xGjYWvCUq5A_gUdd1unnwa5f2UAuoxr2mjsdxPRt0coF_yMrk26bPbuTguMlV6ZmtHkcno6R/s1600/IMG_1201.jpg" height="200" title="I love how the Brits pronounce "bear" " width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Turing's Bear</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPD4E9wTFnxXchp5c3il3oVg29RGnA8zfwT8ikec6PuqFq6XZjwcb8pVa1hhCTi0dWBR7nYinfgxhBYQCsEffOh0E76MoSf6hZxhh6i9mwus7GG1fKp-_8Ns-cg3BORd7iUrHsMkCyVcp/s1600/IMG_1204.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJPD4E9wTFnxXchp5c3il3oVg29RGnA8zfwT8ikec6PuqFq6XZjwcb8pVa1hhCTi0dWBR7nYinfgxhBYQCsEffOh0E76MoSf6hZxhh6i9mwus7GG1fKp-_8Ns-cg3BORd7iUrHsMkCyVcp/s1600/IMG_1204.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-N-cdE_ivyms9FHHfO3fB2esAZjjcnOCLFEpCuEVMyW5hinqJ4L3I08iAD3OwiAdUq3SCJkAq_2FJ617K0jtBKZnliWr5lL9nd1k-NE8ZNy69T5JBkmUv5QAogY2PXvmNVd6kLJBpBTwI/s1600/IMG_1205.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-N-cdE_ivyms9FHHfO3fB2esAZjjcnOCLFEpCuEVMyW5hinqJ4L3I08iAD3OwiAdUq3SCJkAq_2FJ617K0jtBKZnliWr5lL9nd1k-NE8ZNy69T5JBkmUv5QAogY2PXvmNVd6kLJBpBTwI/s1600/IMG_1205.JPG" height="150" title="Turing was rowed a lot " width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Oars</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4unDFylz2LajE_9zIl6VMJR-Kkjp8vY323gMmAFBuHGtXu2HVoIxaQU9Y0av37zOAqpyPB8vlrAgwrgkaHuEj4I8yupz3_w968JAS0vWLk18ClEVzKDlnp_oX95Dcbg6wJVSV4xVjm16q/s1600/IMG_1216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4unDFylz2LajE_9zIl6VMJR-Kkjp8vY323gMmAFBuHGtXu2HVoIxaQU9Y0av37zOAqpyPB8vlrAgwrgkaHuEj4I8yupz3_w968JAS0vWLk18ClEVzKDlnp_oX95Dcbg6wJVSV4xVjm16q/s1600/IMG_1216.jpg" height="320" title="You had me at butter ration" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The perfect Billetee</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5OI6u_BgCBtlyPony0Xzn_jmt1RVu17FeLAcM3ca-uD3kIDgrac8VURTxKNdQ_7ahKJpOZUMjft3lM1-XjDgQ72cycjjCKWyZTBvfqvRbA0FNwZ91nJ1mNHPn-GrSmQ0laHJKvsd0KBF/s1600/IMG_1222.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx5OI6u_BgCBtlyPony0Xzn_jmt1RVu17FeLAcM3ca-uD3kIDgrac8VURTxKNdQ_7ahKJpOZUMjft3lM1-XjDgQ72cycjjCKWyZTBvfqvRbA0FNwZ91nJ1mNHPn-GrSmQ0laHJKvsd0KBF/s1600/IMG_1222.jpg" height="320" title="Excite!" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Step Inside</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg507nyXG57W5kWwy7yezIvZXg9gVkcQQWKTI4z8544Oxosi9gJk2RlTb_Gqjpfbv_F21aq8GbqI98DpwmJqX8twixR_ucSENxYW4bra_UuCdCM30PlVZ_If06g0WgrT45O0RHqFMN7umsG/s1600/IMG_1223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg507nyXG57W5kWwy7yezIvZXg9gVkcQQWKTI4z8544Oxosi9gJk2RlTb_Gqjpfbv_F21aq8GbqI98DpwmJqX8twixR_ucSENxYW4bra_UuCdCM30PlVZ_If06g0WgrT45O0RHqFMN7umsG/s1600/IMG_1223.JPG" height="240" title="I can work here. " width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">He chained his tea mug to the radiator so nobody would use it</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1RLItAt4mhKtSAAO8rh2bs9h-glKo2tosPVL9hchjqisbicICso6QIKVNrs2VlVnWDxglZL2DIz_rOr4OhRQaBchkg5HG_quSvVIbNzahyphenhyphentG80JpDbmHxzPNgVRDhbyL8PwF0LQQeDaC/s1600/IMG_1229.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjV1RLItAt4mhKtSAAO8rh2bs9h-glKo2tosPVL9hchjqisbicICso6QIKVNrs2VlVnWDxglZL2DIz_rOr4OhRQaBchkg5HG_quSvVIbNzahyphenhyphentG80JpDbmHxzPNgVRDhbyL8PwF0LQQeDaC/s1600/IMG_1229.jpg" height="320" title="i kinda want this bag" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">they have a room dedicated to carrier pigeons! </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_6XqZEamtUjpLpdOUHND_E4ELc6zWTwZPe1E3AeojSWtPqIOZUdFz5hDgg6_dSNealRN13apbeZ_0ASz_QyNsU-03Gs0Gxs3mFrhb0KQHWzjRCeY0RDZxYmkIOpyIwWNqih1VZFRjO3-/s1600/IMG_1230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB_6XqZEamtUjpLpdOUHND_E4ELc6zWTwZPe1E3AeojSWtPqIOZUdFz5hDgg6_dSNealRN13apbeZ_0ASz_QyNsU-03Gs0Gxs3mFrhb0KQHWzjRCeY0RDZxYmkIOpyIwWNqih1VZFRjO3-/s1600/IMG_1230.JPG" height="150" title="she looks so proud, i can't call her pigeon "plague death w/wings"" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Proud Pigeon Champion </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkf-RjowOY7zekAY9lsxZYCi9N3DDHP-5k8FPkLaEcuftFyLkQUt5_Cw7Of2ComVtbnH0o1pf-TyvUETfZ_lXXcyzFgIRwXWAsPaBukpwECwMAJRY0S6SD-pfarbON9Yi8srTmm9BKR-B/s1600/IMG_1233.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQkf-RjowOY7zekAY9lsxZYCi9N3DDHP-5k8FPkLaEcuftFyLkQUt5_Cw7Of2ComVtbnH0o1pf-TyvUETfZ_lXXcyzFgIRwXWAsPaBukpwECwMAJRY0S6SD-pfarbON9Yi8srTmm9BKR-B/s1600/IMG_1233.JPG" height="240" title="Let it snow, Let is snow, Keep it dark" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Sorry, What am I Supposed to Do Again? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmRL6y_oLokrw1ZWwz-OkrzgX8YnwJQfQ3-hh0pvquvx2oCsHvOv4wIL8f6ek_ROJYTRZKHTZWbjFpTU_BqJV2zol2xQ3H8YFc2BaZ7_e8Q6v4I46lw6ORdJNMbKGNOhPMd6V9lbGkS1G/s1600/IMG_1234.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWmRL6y_oLokrw1ZWwz-OkrzgX8YnwJQfQ3-hh0pvquvx2oCsHvOv4wIL8f6ek_ROJYTRZKHTZWbjFpTU_BqJV2zol2xQ3H8YFc2BaZ7_e8Q6v4I46lw6ORdJNMbKGNOhPMd6V9lbGkS1G/s1600/IMG_1234.jpg" height="200" title="People told others they worked at a radio factory" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Solitary</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AY35RMV26zn81uwSTzPJGaeYfezOITkFWVqrPN6HIwRKPcFmPUvx8s8-_9tt3jWRI5E1VJF4ff8p6nD15rLJYWI6KezFl3D4YOkgb-bQ9z6sqkvb82GKBC0n_972NsB_wTPmSFALCeqe/s1600/IMG_1237.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2AY35RMV26zn81uwSTzPJGaeYfezOITkFWVqrPN6HIwRKPcFmPUvx8s8-_9tt3jWRI5E1VJF4ff8p6nD15rLJYWI6KezFl3D4YOkgb-bQ9z6sqkvb82GKBC0n_972NsB_wTPmSFALCeqe/s1600/IMG_1237.JPG" height="150" title="Always has the best view" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The Boss' chair</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14VhV5M_cMa3jNzGx7rWvMkhOGE-sjFLgB_KlFL36XD5p9dnfY0CRkk3ACsRj64g6GcCvcHzbo0QGMYcTUaAmHa497AmavXALY6mCbp_NiYmt_rdgMw9-7u163lsWZzW5LxDJPGtXU2J3/s1600/IMG_1239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14VhV5M_cMa3jNzGx7rWvMkhOGE-sjFLgB_KlFL36XD5p9dnfY0CRkk3ACsRj64g6GcCvcHzbo0QGMYcTUaAmHa497AmavXALY6mCbp_NiYmt_rdgMw9-7u163lsWZzW5LxDJPGtXU2J3/s1600/IMG_1239.jpg" height="240" title="the Library at the mansion" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">When Can I Move In? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXWQdUd1IHmndOpKorZrb2nfjrOJQFIx1V0v4AeiFg8UU-6uOvi_BjMg0h0de6K0U3qskxirOWHZpJwtZ-ENGCp7R1bT2vZyLx4-ssd3BiBq3whn3DER5o5miRASg6To_pgYXq23t1E89/s1600/IMG_1242.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWXWQdUd1IHmndOpKorZrb2nfjrOJQFIx1V0v4AeiFg8UU-6uOvi_BjMg0h0de6K0U3qskxirOWHZpJwtZ-ENGCp7R1bT2vZyLx4-ssd3BiBq3whn3DER5o5miRASg6To_pgYXq23t1E89/s1600/IMG_1242.jpg" height="240" title="although they'd probably hang me, I am from the wrong side" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">I could totally do this </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9wHzse4nh3IyX1KRs8I-SucpaVYTPlUb4xDvDMGLj5AcAISVwhevFs_Q0c472YVOXbR__LF8nj9lbYLk9s7AujqRh1gbxj589G0gcL8SJXcPAJXrlNZVqta3BgHTddg9GX9J5eM8yzxJ/s1600/IMG_1244.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-9wHzse4nh3IyX1KRs8I-SucpaVYTPlUb4xDvDMGLj5AcAISVwhevFs_Q0c472YVOXbR__LF8nj9lbYLk9s7AujqRh1gbxj589G0gcL8SJXcPAJXrlNZVqta3BgHTddg9GX9J5eM8yzxJ/s1600/IMG_1244.jpg" height="240" title="current title held by British actor who descended from the original owners" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The Mansion</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EQBUuklfekmiHzNJOFOE7dPAd6JtbZc84Vd4HGVEhUcEECQ2FIX1FtT1qjAK0mxJ9xEPYOUS6JI07yF_eP7F90i_KAePR5QygCxoCOFL42zfAFnPdtsxEqt-0rEyriA4xWqM_T0pMNcI/s1600/IMG_1251.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6EQBUuklfekmiHzNJOFOE7dPAd6JtbZc84Vd4HGVEhUcEECQ2FIX1FtT1qjAK0mxJ9xEPYOUS6JI07yF_eP7F90i_KAePR5QygCxoCOFL42zfAFnPdtsxEqt-0rEyriA4xWqM_T0pMNcI/s1600/IMG_1251.jpg" height="200" title="why were people comfortable with having paws of a dead animal wrapped around your neck?" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">That "object" is a dead animal </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0PDoJZ8rhheW_50NJ2gvQBuO1KwfvX3739jkoP8dXjDuJx19X4ExR86Wiyze0z-D74npU4j_QOLO39X6CaOBOpQJ_FiiBV-_8GO_v_wJ0NcWClLiqa-Rj_4S4VU9P4mRaXf_kEaaD9TV/s1600/IMG_1258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK0PDoJZ8rhheW_50NJ2gvQBuO1KwfvX3739jkoP8dXjDuJx19X4ExR86Wiyze0z-D74npU4j_QOLO39X6CaOBOpQJ_FiiBV-_8GO_v_wJ0NcWClLiqa-Rj_4S4VU9P4mRaXf_kEaaD9TV/s1600/IMG_1258.JPG" height="240" title="Benedict wore these" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Costumes and props from the Imitation Game </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6EiiMcVMi7vMgZiUe8CUUd2FoU2Qy-9nARgI32XhA_iWadvrvFwvo-ESJYXLlMfTIDqWJ_uKfJF9W48wrEjZtsGrNl-vFmZxNHNkdpISCSIiDhGBGjG9zNxx7XYlzqc2lo8q5hVeiA8G/s1600/IMG_1259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz6EiiMcVMi7vMgZiUe8CUUd2FoU2Qy-9nARgI32XhA_iWadvrvFwvo-ESJYXLlMfTIDqWJ_uKfJF9W48wrEjZtsGrNl-vFmZxNHNkdpISCSIiDhGBGjG9zNxx7XYlzqc2lo8q5hVeiA8G/s1600/IMG_1259.JPG" height="240" title="sweet bicycle" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Keira Knightley and Benedict Cumberbatch's costumes </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMk9PCGIb-XqZ4eW_lo444gxszY21mVIbC9_YCJktdAx8vBO5njEvnP4q2hkk19AXhndcs2DDjLh1GOO9SCjHuNRIc-fiOcYuPO9F8Zq8-8zCXMGMEjpKOrCj7uYx5EvXQp_pTjngpH6ir/s1600/IMG_1272.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMk9PCGIb-XqZ4eW_lo444gxszY21mVIbC9_YCJktdAx8vBO5njEvnP4q2hkk19AXhndcs2DDjLh1GOO9SCjHuNRIc-fiOcYuPO9F8Zq8-8zCXMGMEjpKOrCj7uYx5EvXQp_pTjngpH6ir/s1600/IMG_1272.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The bar set </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVOXtu1MR2ZYcq8mdsR4lFWnGxHWCc-ZbRGuNCAH92qMsmVvSz_Y0WWZW6mIVf1BGELr85JVgq7YN25y442z6Tx8YsxbhMHicT3aDUZKzy1ExWmu1SF1qnAE39T70YKTBwjYFxZzZjuyA/s1600/IMG_1281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVOXtu1MR2ZYcq8mdsR4lFWnGxHWCc-ZbRGuNCAH92qMsmVvSz_Y0WWZW6mIVf1BGELr85JVgq7YN25y442z6Tx8YsxbhMHicT3aDUZKzy1ExWmu1SF1qnAE39T70YKTBwjYFxZzZjuyA/s1600/IMG_1281.jpg" height="200" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Handmade star chart</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCsxtWx92Zy70pO_ThsC4tY_B9KMXdQX7_k6bnIA9z-0JOP2IJfu93jCzxpZDeuUfkv1rbpTI6tL4MucbPM4_OMR0deSm780XnO1wSkAGrAMzHUYPXd8O6aYv39wabbl8McPC9bli8jmQ/s1600/IMG_1283.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeCsxtWx92Zy70pO_ThsC4tY_B9KMXdQX7_k6bnIA9z-0JOP2IJfu93jCzxpZDeuUfkv1rbpTI6tL4MucbPM4_OMR0deSm780XnO1wSkAGrAMzHUYPXd8O6aYv39wabbl8McPC9bli8jmQ/s1600/IMG_1283.jpg" height="200" title="What happened to him was appalling, and terribly sad" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Turing killed himself with an apple laced with cyanide</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8zoIR8L-nQP3-mwyyzoNrDlHuH4txXospaPvzbHs1DYenlmQ6o6JIy-h4_HtYUGymObj2HX33ralmYsQo6efx24NycMfd88pK7J__oqWHjHbCKPwscnSn5W0rnKPhrVjAYiF1sv0Zu4c/s1600/IMG_1291.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho8zoIR8L-nQP3-mwyyzoNrDlHuH4txXospaPvzbHs1DYenlmQ6o6JIy-h4_HtYUGymObj2HX33ralmYsQo6efx24NycMfd88pK7J__oqWHjHbCKPwscnSn5W0rnKPhrVjAYiF1sv0Zu4c/s1600/IMG_1291.jpg" height="320" title="wearily eyeing eachother" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">The Machine Prop and I </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHmh5m_tBPWgpd18xNjdpgqz73XBndmZcjA65y262khJIt0jE7defAA1p2m6ps3aaZ0NJJpXg9EA-zGn-X3pxlkbeyHlB52TAePTLpuZeG2_t2lGS4upC1r1Ty4sdBzB9H7HMHLPl7vRZ/s1600/IMG_1309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmHmh5m_tBPWgpd18xNjdpgqz73XBndmZcjA65y262khJIt0jE7defAA1p2m6ps3aaZ0NJJpXg9EA-zGn-X3pxlkbeyHlB52TAePTLpuZeG2_t2lGS4upC1r1Ty4sdBzB9H7HMHLPl7vRZ/s1600/IMG_1309.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Hardware porn</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxkjaS07uTRhVPt2eUlXHrIg93W30A9mJHmxq5rmbRgNSNEGikcEOR7ADxoV3-bmH62caIMzHP9r-mip3lJ9GungpW2D2UZRQTbueLOcH1I7O6YJJiuT43NQP45ub_WcafCeeZaHWGq2S/s1600/IMG_1317.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilxkjaS07uTRhVPt2eUlXHrIg93W30A9mJHmxq5rmbRgNSNEGikcEOR7ADxoV3-bmH62caIMzHP9r-mip3lJ9GungpW2D2UZRQTbueLOcH1I7O6YJJiuT43NQP45ub_WcafCeeZaHWGq2S/s1600/IMG_1317.JPG" height="240" title="some lucky guy got to remake this with REAL parts" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">Look at this! LOOK! </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMcJXtf51w6DzU7rbbA8zvUlUmoEmKLNW54nWCc3IU2hsuZ0-sQwYxZmvwyZUh6jWfsUyp1dRUn9pWlFU2V4KoMuEs4O4akhvYmNLdjZM4I4L7nUzDpz1J_fAMM8Ro1GmPpNRXpGSJhvZ/s1600/IMG_1320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLMcJXtf51w6DzU7rbbA8zvUlUmoEmKLNW54nWCc3IU2hsuZ0-sQwYxZmvwyZUh6jWfsUyp1dRUn9pWlFU2V4KoMuEs4O4akhvYmNLdjZM4I4L7nUzDpz1J_fAMM8Ro1GmPpNRXpGSJhvZ/s1600/IMG_1320.jpg" height="320" title="The block diagram of the WITCH is amazing" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px; text-align: center;">You called? </td></tr>
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<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1x2AuqNaKD1LfCtHjHyXS128ICqD5z-twfGFuY4jHrvXWGA8X11LeNw2fO3zCvMWWoi1McynyWDq4Z0XvL3nblGf1d3OsyB2jhPs7ZRsLvcRfagFuX_4JBieb83Kyf-Q1ev_neeUlAE8c/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1x2AuqNaKD1LfCtHjHyXS128ICqD5z-twfGFuY4jHrvXWGA8X11LeNw2fO3zCvMWWoi1McynyWDq4Z0XvL3nblGf1d3OsyB2jhPs7ZRsLvcRfagFuX_4JBieb83Kyf-Q1ev_neeUlAE8c/s1600/IMG_1329.JPG" height="320" title="true photo" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;">Let's just hoist this thing over here...yup, easy peasy</td></tr>
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-70988682037092964722014-11-13T10:41:00.001-08:002014-11-13T10:47:26.822-08:00The London Chronicles Day 12 : In Which I Fly on Emirates Air Line Today I went to a conference near the outer banks of London, which involved taking all sorts of transport. Northern --> Jubilee --> Emirates Air. Yup, took a quick detour to Qatar. No, not really. Instead I got to ride the Air Line, remnants of the London Olympic. Readers who know me in real life (RWKMIRL, as I affectionately call them) may be very aware that I am incredibly afraid of heights. In particular, I am terrified of being in confined space with transparent walls and floors that go up really high, and wobbles unexpectedly.<br />
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I used to not be like this. I don't know why, but it just keeps getting worse. I now choose aisle seats on planes, and the sight of ferris wheels makes my palms sweaty. So when my coworker cheerfully suggested that we take Emirates, I was confused, but nodded, because I don't want to be rude. Maybe Emirates is a nickname for the District Line? How would I know? I'm not a real Londoner, and every time I attempt to say anything, the Brit coworker cringes. So there we went, up and down the Tube stairs and escalators, to find out that Emirates Air Line, is this. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kh0j0EIEXwZHhWIlaDMtbfeh6k1qEfm_7QQ4qhm7ycN6a8mvmZoQuvE7tae0CS__4AQuicoiMNBRdjqpW0UMiiMsCB3VULXhfL5BhjFsAEXROxa-Dx1L8heXVEpN0V_NVvN0TgXb04Vt/s1600/4fedcc8a28ba0d6e89000105_emirates-air-line-wilkinson-eyre-architects_120624_380-1000x508.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5kh0j0EIEXwZHhWIlaDMtbfeh6k1qEfm_7QQ4qhm7ycN6a8mvmZoQuvE7tae0CS__4AQuicoiMNBRdjqpW0UMiiMsCB3VULXhfL5BhjFsAEXROxa-Dx1L8heXVEpN0V_NVvN0TgXb04Vt/s400/4fedcc8a28ba0d6e89000105_emirates-air-line-wilkinson-eyre-architects_120624_380-1000x508.jpg" title="NOooooooooooOOOOOOOOooooooooooooo! (inner monologue)" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lovely. So lovely. </td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUulQkMaVq23SDYTklUPZ4Cs_bM3AEA-OwKCgwJDmjAp96zjwHXCemi418LYitrXn1C6XmRLtMdKGYHISHLIojYtO_azVmKrT9xbVbCmGwogCQQ5qCHm6zHzd4ZUZeyRGi81stszXbR_c4/s1600/dezeen_Emirates-Air-Line-by-Wilkinson-Eyre_6.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUulQkMaVq23SDYTklUPZ4Cs_bM3AEA-OwKCgwJDmjAp96zjwHXCemi418LYitrXn1C6XmRLtMdKGYHISHLIojYtO_azVmKrT9xbVbCmGwogCQQ5qCHm6zHzd4ZUZeyRGi81stszXbR_c4/s400/dezeen_Emirates-Air-Line-by-Wilkinson-Eyre_6.jpg" title="I gripped the bench pictured so tight I now have calluses on my palm." width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"Pretend you're going skiing!"</td></tr>
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I confessed my fear of heights as the doors shut on the death grape thingy. She was very kind and stayed very still so as not to freak me out further by vigorously shaking the thing. Had I been less fortunate (i.e. ride with a certain portion of my male coworkers), I probably would have been screaming to kill them mid-way. I tried to relax. I asked her to keep lying to me that it's almost over. She took pictures of me faking it till I make it. It worked. Nobody (=me) died. </div>
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The conference itself was a wash, but one of the booths had a mini golf pad so my coworker and I ended up having ferocious competitive putter fights. I won by a shot.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRSxvwHPR7Yx-Yr1VgInnoYWvH2IHF03RENfkbTnXxu-fVAQOavlHKAPpOATJ1enRWbDYVauOPdw8i1PzADuMUvyOgslrcyJsBwRa7Dk9eXkIYlm4sZf2MrAEbxn4RBMbRpFt0H6bCyDU/s1600/20141112_140723_resized.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKRSxvwHPR7Yx-Yr1VgInnoYWvH2IHF03RENfkbTnXxu-fVAQOavlHKAPpOATJ1enRWbDYVauOPdw8i1PzADuMUvyOgslrcyJsBwRa7Dk9eXkIYlm4sZf2MrAEbxn4RBMbRpFt0H6bCyDU/s320/20141112_140723_resized.jpg" title="Oh it's all the cigarettes, I get it" width="179" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tasty (huge) pizza! <br />
How do you stay so slim, London? </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOXVTzfZoAN1pzTaZyQ8hjNwHGJgEvsZd7dMf-pjqFUElceW7BzupWmtHXtuIVlmbl96mpCpHdQvgv1LfMzj60HjS4wVyvRhjexvBz3ptBoxnpXrIdQ1FQig3Rp5x_5nWj8qp42O82_fY/s1600/20141113_131221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigOXVTzfZoAN1pzTaZyQ8hjNwHGJgEvsZd7dMf-pjqFUElceW7BzupWmtHXtuIVlmbl96mpCpHdQvgv1LfMzj60HjS4wVyvRhjexvBz3ptBoxnpXrIdQ1FQig3Rp5x_5nWj8qp42O82_fY/s200/20141113_131221.jpg" title="I fake it so real, I am beyond fake" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fake it 'til you make it! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-BymvNAN0XUvTZYOMkeITG2Y1ZaHgN-EZBs8eqdbFRvxTl4jJSV9B-UztVjCsdOvZdtVuBvx5miN6234KjvUlRKIpJGfVhZg1D2KhjJHrqBoCu3ioFH0B6zFahP-2fbguCOklQTAW6V7/s1600/perfume_refrain-2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi-BymvNAN0XUvTZYOMkeITG2Y1ZaHgN-EZBs8eqdbFRvxTl4jJSV9B-UztVjCsdOvZdtVuBvx5miN6234KjvUlRKIpJGfVhZg1D2KhjJHrqBoCu3ioFH0B6zFahP-2fbguCOklQTAW6V7/s400/perfume_refrain-2013.jpg" title="Super Kawaii" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So much laser and bass! </td></tr>
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I also went to see <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x0MVv-2h2_k">Perfume </a>at the Hammersmith Apollo yesterday. 4th row, center! Way too close to the hardest working ladies in EDM! They were adorable - like dolls that just sprang to life, although at this range you can see how exhausted they must be from all the touring. It was touching to see many fans from all over the world (lots of Japanese, but lots more Euro-fans, too, all screaming out lyrics and Japanese words they know). All in all, a fun night! <br />
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-10937801094180165612014-11-13T02:23:00.000-08:002014-11-13T02:23:21.213-08:00The London Chronicles: Sandwiches<br />
I'm running off to a conference, brb. In the meantime, enjoy the <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/11/10/daily-mail-sandwich-headline_n_6131696.html">art of British sandwich making.</a> So cool to be in a country of artisans!mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-45841374729897244342014-11-12T08:49:00.001-08:002014-11-12T08:57:18.728-08:00The London Chronicles: British Marketing = Amaze<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
As a fan of British mystery, I've been wondering when I'll get to see people running after villains or discover hidden stairways between bookcases, but so far that hasn't happened yet. Instead, there's a ton of US cop shows (like NCISEIOIO or Law & Order. Come on, US lawyers don't even wear wigs! Boring!). The corpse is greener on the other side? Something like that. </div>
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So, there's not much action to report on a daily basis now that I've figured out the transport (just roll with it) and working in between. I am trying not to eat at the same place twice, but I might have to break that rule already as my coworker took me to the best gelateria in town. Bocca Di Lupo (<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"><span id="goog_90497439"></span>mouth of the wolf<span id="goog_90497440"></span></a>), apparently one of the best Italian places in Soho, has a <a href="http://www.gelupo.com/article.php?a=10">gelato store </a>across the street. I had a mint stracciata and pumpkin cinnamon, and ate it before I took any photographic evidence. It was heaven. I'm pretty sure I'll fill the buy 10, get 1 free card pretty quickly (and how cute is their graphic design!?). <br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuU8qpjGPURYwHMfPhHKVPKIbK088RpEB07AhjyhK6WaB_PQXUlhD1Gu50jYkewGuTf8pQw8-4YGQmvxQX34tIp6rkyK8nGVjB_tftGVPx6zOH-35veTTgNM0JIOObA6Di270yn-QYqBB4/s1600/IMG_2092.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuU8qpjGPURYwHMfPhHKVPKIbK088RpEB07AhjyhK6WaB_PQXUlhD1Gu50jYkewGuTf8pQw8-4YGQmvxQX34tIp6rkyK8nGVjB_tftGVPx6zOH-35veTTgNM0JIOObA6Di270yn-QYqBB4/s1600/IMG_2092.JPG" title="it can be below zero - I'll still eat ice cream!" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Next flavour: Licorice & Salted Caramel </td></tr>
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It seems like there are more coffee places than tea shops. Soho has some great ones. <a href="http://www.nudeespresso.com/cafes/soho-square/">Nude</a>, which is on the same block as my office, is great, and there are gorgeous girls who work there (and in-office crushes to match). <a href="http://www.monmouthcoffee.co.uk/our-shops/covent-garden">Monmouth Coffee</a> is crowded but also really good. I didn't think I'd buy beans in London, but I might have to. I also have my order down (Flat White, 1 sugar). Nude girls make it with sugar, and Monmouth makes you add it later. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfNwcx-QVNWcPFDg5IMBm9mSC6xkeVfTwhGX-8nVpx8t8ixmLUjMLWgvDPiLsjff9nqSfd4RoNLZL5DmhxPHhfuwNO9HpcbEGfNVlCk07L7dc9G5NuMRCW5ETFeuZ7l-j26sckCZyLG5d/s1600/IMG_2088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyfNwcx-QVNWcPFDg5IMBm9mSC6xkeVfTwhGX-8nVpx8t8ixmLUjMLWgvDPiLsjff9nqSfd4RoNLZL5DmhxPHhfuwNO9HpcbEGfNVlCk07L7dc9G5NuMRCW5ETFeuZ7l-j26sckCZyLG5d/s200/IMG_2088.JPG" title="Flowers for a coworker's birthday. Colors here are pale and chic" width="200" /></a>Last night, after wandering the streets with my ever-patient coworker who took me to a pinxos place for dinner, we walked up and down Oxford Street to look at the Christmas windows. Wow. I've never seen so much glitter (glass glitter, I think) in one place. Selfridges had a fairy tale theme, while John Lewis had their <a href="http://www.express.co.uk/life-style/life/532174/John-Lewis-Christmas-advert">famous penguins</a>. I learned about the <a href="http://www.comparethemarket.com/meerkat/history/">meerkats</a>, too. British Marketing = Amazing.<br />
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Side note : My dress code in London is "villain". I studied the<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFqaFu2maDg"> Jaguar ads</a>, so now I'm an expert. My stylish coworker hugged me upon arrival and said "You're assimilated", so I think I blend in. But, wow, people definitely dress differently here. I dress about as sexy as a piece of cardboard compared to the ladies here, who teeter delicately on pinheels and have theatre-ready makeup, leaving a cloud of perfume in their wake. You'd probably really stand out like that at 1st & Market, but on Tottenham Court Road, you'd be part of the scenery. The men here are not afraid to wear color (pink, watermelon, sky blue, duck yellow, are acceptable pants colors here. Not just yacht pants), or mix and match patterns. It's really daunting. I prefer to wear black and work behind the scenes.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumoneq_3xxKLx29xQ9_dwbLRwlkKjgur23NaakyrNZg4ZSAscvBFf6TYLbRoAgzyNYHrQnmXafiFFLV3JOKLgFhrzcdYjbhF0vNQkPLQA8W1WzrSpVVDVmCea-Sf4aWq6_-hk1Bxzo0i1/s1600/MW_WINDOWS_23102014_0186.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgumoneq_3xxKLx29xQ9_dwbLRwlkKjgur23NaakyrNZg4ZSAscvBFf6TYLbRoAgzyNYHrQnmXafiFFLV3JOKLgFhrzcdYjbhF0vNQkPLQA8W1WzrSpVVDVmCea-Sf4aWq6_-hk1Bxzo0i1/s320/MW_WINDOWS_23102014_0186.jpg" title="This one is supposed to be Rapunzel. Rapunzel with Death Star and C3PO dresses. " width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My favorite window, with Rodarte Star Wars dresses! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFjGShVc4eEhKFPNSMsFgqyqszFOOIeSQcVbt9jCWCgOyBlnupfsRVI9e3m-2sF3EgVORub1i6KJ5ixn_byVcDBD6J9hRN7bYwwGV6sSNMb2rUOCmpLwOk-Rb50V40oRoB9iNkjwArKBM/s1600/IMG_2095.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRFjGShVc4eEhKFPNSMsFgqyqszFOOIeSQcVbt9jCWCgOyBlnupfsRVI9e3m-2sF3EgVORub1i6KJ5ixn_byVcDBD6J9hRN7bYwwGV6sSNMb2rUOCmpLwOk-Rb50V40oRoB9iNkjwArKBM/s1600/IMG_2095.JPG" title="iPhone pictured for size" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ridiculously huge meringue</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMruD5vrfWz_6cojIluFgwOyViqrsOxFk7_YceG8en9-w6v0RIWg8cFdX2WXwmWpJig7oV_-NtjkEmwtTBhOEIiLI3dIEnowHpMmqPa_JHA1UmxFKnRHqW0xNuvjU31DlnowjgYKOFEOc/s1600/IMG_2084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUMruD5vrfWz_6cojIluFgwOyViqrsOxFk7_YceG8en9-w6v0RIWg8cFdX2WXwmWpJig7oV_-NtjkEmwtTBhOEIiLI3dIEnowHpMmqPa_JHA1UmxFKnRHqW0xNuvjU31DlnowjgYKOFEOc/s320/IMG_2084.JPG" title="I have yet to see a fire truck here" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Islington Fire Station. A study in symmetry and accordion</td></tr>
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-26073731016260362002014-11-11T11:57:00.002-08:002014-11-12T03:51:21.248-08:00The London Chronicles: Armistice Day The people here wear a poppy to commemorate those who died in the wars. It reminds me of the red feather pins people wear in Japan around this time of year (although that one's for regional charity). Both of my grandfathers were in WWII, and two of my uncles had a military career. I've been watching the installation they have at the Tower of London - glass poppies, 888, 246 of them, to commemorate the allied dead from the WWI. The tower looks like it's bleeding out, and the effect is staggering. You can read more about it <a href="http://www.markpack.org.uk/52954/a-beautiful-moving-poppy-display-at-the-tower-of-london/">here</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjustjGGEYI8d-0-szGDi_pxogW7TpTXJ5m5m-fZSq3826zSTw26j-Jho9lSB5yCiOqekwMFKuASQ7fRIf6rWvzSVSFAq6u6Vs96BzMmsYgTgSoAaZNsWPuaCaZ37GQ3JpewhCO-yQHyWT3/s1600/IMG-20140811-00448-1024x768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjustjGGEYI8d-0-szGDi_pxogW7TpTXJ5m5m-fZSq3826zSTw26j-Jho9lSB5yCiOqekwMFKuASQ7fRIf6rWvzSVSFAq6u6Vs96BzMmsYgTgSoAaZNsWPuaCaZ37GQ3JpewhCO-yQHyWT3/s640/IMG-20140811-00448-1024x768.jpg" title="not the Oz kind of poppies" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's a working Tuesday here (Armistice Day). We went out last night as the CTO of our company was also in town, and had really tasty Peruvian. The pisco sour was also really good - I finished it, and I was able to hold it pretty well, which all points to a good #lushvember, where I'm trying to build up tolerance. If I believe wikipedia, people with an acetaldehyde deficiency are prone to late-onset Alzheimers, so I better start fighting that by getting drunk and then forgetting about it all later. I've also had a few requests from the Motherland to bring back some tasty gin (and fancy tea, like Lapsung Fucking Souchong), so I do need to know where all the bars/gins/cocktail places are. Fortunately, I'm in good hands here. The office is so multinational, I love it. The Brits are outnumbered, and conversation veers towards lining up our differences and laughing over them. It's also bringing me back to a smaller startup feeling, where everyone has to do everything, which has its perks and downsides.<br />
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What I really love though, is that I'm NEVER late for work here. The timezone differences makes it easy for me to be 5-6 hrs ahead (ok, technically 8, but I sleep in) of my friends on the West Coast, so I don't have that dreaded rush in the morning.mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-11574962846428650342014-11-10T11:01:00.002-08:002014-11-10T11:01:33.571-08:00The London Chronicles Week 1.5: Learning the LanguageI'm doing what any alien would do when they're thrown into new surroundings - watching T<strike>V</strike>elly and picking up local customs and languages. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoe0c4AiCyViVgs2cYvODZJkbrSQb-2BSMYMdqE_tyqJyVVLfL8T08a7sS04niFge1ToGjsKvCa75FqYwXKIIOiWgieJpEgj1qGSQf2uMrg7gLA6g3j_svYlw8q_sRGK9JYFOydoORLL4C/s1600/splash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoe0c4AiCyViVgs2cYvODZJkbrSQb-2BSMYMdqE_tyqJyVVLfL8T08a7sS04niFge1ToGjsKvCa75FqYwXKIIOiWgieJpEgj1qGSQf2uMrg7gLA6g3j_svYlw8q_sRGK9JYFOydoORLL4C/s1600/splash.jpg" height="240" title="I suspect Madison as a name became popular after Splash. " width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">t-5 seconds to pronouncing her name </td></tr>
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Here's what I've learned so far. </div>
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<span style="color: #a64d79;">"I'm shattered" </span>- 3 EMT trainees from the Midlands said this after their shifts, so I assume this means they're tired, not devastated. Or both. </div>
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<span style="color: #c27ba0;">"cracking" </span>- The weather forecaster cheerfully announced "It's going to be a cracking day!". I assume this means I need to hurry? Get cracking? Get crack to get cracking? </div>
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Also, there's an onslaught of Christmas commercials on repeat, because there's no 'merican buffer of Thanksgiving in existence here. So we just go straight into the magic and sparkle of Christmas. This M&S ad was cute the first time I saw it, but after viewing it 50 times you wonder where the other faeries are, and why they still use timecards. </div>
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<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuadZHqwwA">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uhuadZHqwwA</a></div>
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-87040911401171234732014-11-09T10:12:00.000-08:002014-11-10T03:51:03.733-08:00The London Chronicles Week 1: Haddocks Are Huge<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiape08PWG2xxkqeBXF-VqfzOU-VBHqwquiY1rnuzl68NlzYKz8Y6GhaHpCPwBVVMVVhN-bFWbIFyHYEYDqKwoclyb-aWyx_khDQ4vN4z7cO1nFrnFt6sN7mELtmdXxr5JLkxqTp2vaipWM/s1600/IMG_1023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Darwin may have also died here" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiape08PWG2xxkqeBXF-VqfzOU-VBHqwquiY1rnuzl68NlzYKz8Y6GhaHpCPwBVVMVVhN-bFWbIFyHYEYDqKwoclyb-aWyx_khDQ4vN4z7cO1nFrnFt6sN7mELtmdXxr5JLkxqTp2vaipWM/s1600/IMG_1023.jpg" height="320" title="" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Darwin Lived Here</td></tr>
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I've been in London for almost a week now, and happy to say that I've managed to survive so far, although I have not yet succeeded in waking up before 9 AM or falling asleep before 1 AM. I've been warned by colleagues that the apartment/hotel I'm staying at will be on the "Ground Floor" which is an elaborate way of saying basement. It reminds me of Laverne & Shirley's joint, but with less interesting foot traffic. <br />
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Most of the week was spent mainly getting used to the new environments (glass and paper are recycled but al-eww-minium is not), realizing I have to pretty much walk everywhere, and coping with all sorts of joint pain (I'm Forever29 but my joints are 59) you enjoy after a 10hr flight in the middle seat with a lovely cha<strike>v</strike> chap laughing at the entertainment out loud every 15 minutes, and an adorable 9 yr old and her Dad from Shropshire who kept flailing her limbs at me while she slept (this was more forgivable, although she nearly stuck her hand in my mouth at one point). I was really tired after the adrenaline from the first few days of survival mode wore off, and it didn't help that the<i> Cumberengagement </i>was announced 2 days after my arrival, making it very clear that I did not arrive in Fairytale London (TM). <br />
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I usually am pretty good at being places on time, especially for work, but London Transport was determined to make a monkey out of me. It doesn't help that the wifi at the apartment is shot. Day 1 saw me clocking in at 90 minutes from apartment to work, but by Day 3-4, I managed to at least figure out the minimum way to get from apartment to work and reliably back using something other than my animal homing instincts and bat signals. I am enjoying the view from the upper deck on the London bus, although getting off at stops means I do a full-hurtle body slam down the narrow stairs and pray I roll out of the door on time. The buses here are way cleaner than good old MUNI. I even tried the Tube and survived, despite claustrophobia (it seems to get worse every year), but I think I'll stick to the bus for regular transport. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Fnh-Thwlu5rneHbb2mZ70uNvJcLZ4670_b3rbWDbOZPN6YUuJjAi4nyvnZO20sT90IXQFCtNj7Qm31i3jTuKmIMzXmRpoDnzt2tnvGC16QHqqN-HoqpuGNGytUqoe_L86OpPNqtCJP2I/s1600/lands.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Fnh-Thwlu5rneHbb2mZ70uNvJcLZ4670_b3rbWDbOZPN6YUuJjAi4nyvnZO20sT90IXQFCtNj7Qm31i3jTuKmIMzXmRpoDnzt2tnvGC16QHqqN-HoqpuGNGytUqoe_L86OpPNqtCJP2I/s1600/lands.jpg" height="150" title="give us any chance we'll take it, give us any rules we'll break it, we're gonna make our dreams come true!!!" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laverne & Shirley's apartment<br />
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The weekend started off well - I went to the<a href="http://www.bl.uk/"> British Library</a> to see the "<a href="http://www.bl.uk/events/terror-and-wonder--the-gothic-imagination">Terror and Wonder: The Gothic Imagination</a>" exhibit, which had a lot of precious books on display, and a good number of goths and non-goths in attendance. The gift shop was a little bland, but I enjoyed looking at Beardsley's illustrations, learning about The Castle of Otranto, and hearing Neil Gaiman (in video) talking about bravery. If memory serves, he said he used to get scared a lot when he was a child and hated it, because he thought he wasn't being brave, that being brave amounted to being not scared. Then, in his mid-30s he realized that being brave wasn't not being scared, but being scared but still doing the right thing anyway, and that is what he wants to teach his children. Amen. I then went on to drool at their floor to ceiling bookshelves and books. </div>
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Afterwards I decided to go on a busing adventure, and hopped on the next bus that took me to Notting Hill Gate. I avoided the busy streets as much as I can (weekends!), and found a little restaurant that looked nice and quiet, facing a row of extremely color coordiated pastel houses (I imagine there'd be murder if new neighbours insisted on painting theirs neon or black). I timidly asked if they seated people at this odd hour (3pm) and a nice guy who looked like a cross between a sweeter version of Gordon Ramsay and David Beckham (complete with that topknot hairstyle) in an apron came to the door and ushered me in, saying "It's Saturday! We seat all day! Anything goes on a Saturday!". I got a nice cozy corner seat with a view out the window, and since it was a seafood restaurant, I ordered fish & chips. They had choices of fish, so I casually ordered the haddock. I hadn't had haddock (say that 5 times, fast) as fish and chips yet. Mr. Ramsay-Beckham asked "The haddock?", and I said yes. A group of women came in shortly after, and 2 of them ordered haddock. I felt smug, thinking that this was the right choice, how can 50% of a group of ladies be wrong? The waiter came by and offered a vegetable side to go with it, and I took him up on it because when you're traveling, you don't refuse vegetables. I always feel like I don't eat enough of those, anyway. So I got a side of spinach, and was ready. Or so I thought.<br />
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The haddock, it turns out, is HUGE. It didn't fit on the plate. I tried, and failed, to make a dent in that thing. Apparently in the kitchen, they were having a jolly good laugh, because every waitstaff that came out after that was trying hard not to giggle at my face. "Enjoy your food then", said a young chef bringing out a small cocotte of spinach. "I heard you couldn't handle the haddock? At least the cappuchino's on the house", smiled the barman. On top of that, it was pouring rain outside. Mr. Ramsay-Beckham came by, and I was worried he might yell at me for wasting a perfectly good fish (and it was delicious, I just couldn't summon up enough appetite between the jet lag and travel fatigue and general alertness from being some place foreign). He instead told me that the next time I come here, the fish will be on the house, and that I might go with the cod, it's smaller (wink-wink). The food was delicious, and the people were really nice, so I may yet return, and yes, lesson learned: Haddock = HUGE. <br />
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Now, back to my apartment to see if I can figure out euro-washers. xo, M. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmAm-6WEE7mnY2yY5IFJPqV6Y9RhaGI6K4v9-WxZNQ_YW5ZyK3SWtZjfWNvRoBUGJ5SPjJskKp9y-fmHwN565qk0YsuGeOE6nvt1GwcplqTt6K9tEuBcIKYnln-FMX-ooMoxpSuNAN5I4/s1600/imgres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimmAm-6WEE7mnY2yY5IFJPqV6Y9RhaGI6K4v9-WxZNQ_YW5ZyK3SWtZjfWNvRoBUGJ5SPjJskKp9y-fmHwN565qk0YsuGeOE6nvt1GwcplqTt6K9tEuBcIKYnln-FMX-ooMoxpSuNAN5I4/s1600/imgres.jpg" title="consider the oyster, it's like multipass" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Lifeline, the bivalve card</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1InVq9H-RSFVnJclUvX8dqFAisqJdIgkFrsvlfabUv0O2MEcswgKMzFigEIE1awwAbR_9q2pSS1bQpXYOtXUWCpZJjgBcNGgNiX5qWy3Z3xSRZgTFrkn4wGLIkUSW74H7nkTVgSbR6rH0/s1600/IMG_1008.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1InVq9H-RSFVnJclUvX8dqFAisqJdIgkFrsvlfabUv0O2MEcswgKMzFigEIE1awwAbR_9q2pSS1bQpXYOtXUWCpZJjgBcNGgNiX5qWy3Z3xSRZgTFrkn4wGLIkUSW74H7nkTVgSbR6rH0/s1600/IMG_1008.jpg" height="150" title="I tried really hard to zoom in the building that has fornasetti wallpaper" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The View from the Office</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-Md9zY-HnZ1U2TkEDSLtDh8dc9eHzxQouCVaTqgrD8qh8-Lb57JqYQ1q-jhdxfagJxBqa0D5YrCUoHfKUPgWHdamYpUlIW_GZdC5JOrp7Qq1LBDUafOLbJjE0FFfeEtZGNInjrJv9fDx/s1600/IMG_1036.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-Md9zY-HnZ1U2TkEDSLtDh8dc9eHzxQouCVaTqgrD8qh8-Lb57JqYQ1q-jhdxfagJxBqa0D5YrCUoHfKUPgWHdamYpUlIW_GZdC5JOrp7Qq1LBDUafOLbJjE0FFfeEtZGNInjrJv9fDx/s1600/IMG_1036.jpg" height="320" title="apparently the hotel is a marriott. well done!" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm in love with St.Pancras Station</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AMIwbuZtZcSf5P7SjIIkuVMtiF7upXeyzKkisIU0cFBVKPRc1amP3mF_SrlXS7rsmQhA_JNaGrrz5qoY_HK_mfXFrspMGbLPqj8Yhgbny_snQNFuTQjwSAqDwDQenWva6dZeiiDTjDsQ/s1600/IMG_1038.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1AMIwbuZtZcSf5P7SjIIkuVMtiF7upXeyzKkisIU0cFBVKPRc1amP3mF_SrlXS7rsmQhA_JNaGrrz5qoY_HK_mfXFrspMGbLPqj8Yhgbny_snQNFuTQjwSAqDwDQenWva6dZeiiDTjDsQ/s1600/IMG_1038.JPG" height="240" title="I'm in you at last!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">British Library</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER9l4IJXFD9GtflwUxcSQCRpaSqq2OaXwU2a3ra-x6iGpLOX0Me3F9OZjUc7xOEboRwaTUW4tmmeaGpPr8kyUAPKNIh8bT0P_so6h-cQ1k2QN1eqgEIJEd4aI3AsrKNUwhm6UxnsSMcsA/s1600/IMG_1040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjER9l4IJXFD9GtflwUxcSQCRpaSqq2OaXwU2a3ra-x6iGpLOX0Me3F9OZjUc7xOEboRwaTUW4tmmeaGpPr8kyUAPKNIh8bT0P_so6h-cQ1k2QN1eqgEIJEd4aI3AsrKNUwhm6UxnsSMcsA/s1600/IMG_1040.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">books as far as the neck will crane</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr4d_hQ0J_I64VykUX6ABkxAbdHL23UAx7G6bNVzuvNum8vAioO230iGc71NZZVlcWmHwYl2NMN_R7hAUgL3px0m8it0pQqvv8IAkL1PZpj8rkWCV3EpeCxtknUXpvKnZAKdfLurF7Bek/s1600/IMG_1043.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPr4d_hQ0J_I64VykUX6ABkxAbdHL23UAx7G6bNVzuvNum8vAioO230iGc71NZZVlcWmHwYl2NMN_R7hAUgL3px0m8it0pQqvv8IAkL1PZpj8rkWCV3EpeCxtknUXpvKnZAKdfLurF7Bek/s1600/IMG_1043.jpg" height="320" title="posh posh water from the poshest of posh springs" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Posh Water</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXlnc3qXs-Pwkujur9wXzgCxpeUeL11Zy-7ivgm1dfxEbrNKEcCrEytJAzPMz5Rs27nmEdJb8XMxWZv0Wt2lSA-A_vZm6OrsbJpokfRYRl-iKMR04xjeIsfLkqDqzcOhcxgFNqbU6MuER/s1600/IMG_1044.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheXlnc3qXs-Pwkujur9wXzgCxpeUeL11Zy-7ivgm1dfxEbrNKEcCrEytJAzPMz5Rs27nmEdJb8XMxWZv0Wt2lSA-A_vZm6OrsbJpokfRYRl-iKMR04xjeIsfLkqDqzcOhcxgFNqbU6MuER/s1600/IMG_1044.jpg" height="320" title="Perhaps you could warn me about my order? " width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So nice of you to join me! </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWY8b_6MuMp7BwR1WSTOfOTF0iUgsZNPWe2X37-muzoaWq_2T03LkiYsTSgqkDTvny8N-alBnomH0Nit0YNtB2MzCFuDLxyBZkAG63Fn8pNSFwCDCKjpsfDocROWlKaB3A81OZeOilLmCQ/s1600/IMG_1045.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWY8b_6MuMp7BwR1WSTOfOTF0iUgsZNPWe2X37-muzoaWq_2T03LkiYsTSgqkDTvny8N-alBnomH0Nit0YNtB2MzCFuDLxyBZkAG63Fn8pNSFwCDCKjpsfDocROWlKaB3A81OZeOilLmCQ/s1600/IMG_1045.JPG" height="240" title="HUGE" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Haddock Before</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdH-PVdW-hzc2OUkSZd0X-NHL4D7pevMJFIQ3dcivW1MbVn_fAwcR4W1qkgNIThgvdGr1sIgAGJI8pLRts97O7MYalxxldB1KXY3-aYbMdIxAfpuPqlFLy5EudQHgeRRUHExzR6-l_5J2/s1600/IMG_1047.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirdH-PVdW-hzc2OUkSZd0X-NHL4D7pevMJFIQ3dcivW1MbVn_fAwcR4W1qkgNIThgvdGr1sIgAGJI8pLRts97O7MYalxxldB1KXY3-aYbMdIxAfpuPqlFLy5EudQHgeRRUHExzR6-l_5J2/s1600/IMG_1047.JPG" height="240" title="I ate all my vegetables!" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Haddock After (I ate another sliver after this, I swear!)</td></tr>
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mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-48044428338818779302014-08-24T21:31:00.001-07:002014-08-24T21:36:28.433-07:00San Francisco, 1995<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Fool enough to walk up from Union St. to Tea & Company on Fillmore. Comme des Garçons parfum. Gray VW Rabbit convertible with the top down, which led to the loss of my blue angora Cynthia Rowley sweater. I can't remember if it was baby blue or dark blue anymore. I remember the nervous eyes, and all the killer poodles in Alta Plaza Park, giggling, evading. Watching the Hale-Bopp from his rooftop. Amazingly bright even in the April twilight. Magical. Places long gone, people long lost, pale shadows waving form the past.</span><br />
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<br />mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7318503462295126884.post-26097500097078516542014-08-24T20:57:00.005-07:002014-08-24T21:36:38.509-07:00Edinburgh, 1995<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Royal Physician's Hall. Scottish-American wedding. First taste of elderflower. Stealing kisses in a broom closet. Wandering alone through the empty halls and 2 story-libraries of medical books. Whirling circles of céilidh, spinning, spinning, faster, and faster. Forth rail bridge in the distance. Flying in to Edinburgh, watching brown rabbits hopping in the tall green grass out my tiny airbus window. </span>mme_Mhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14062813089364579858noreply@blogger.com0