First Day of School in London

Well, we've had a busy past few days. Since I last updated, I think the majority of our agenda comprised of day-long tours around London: Westminster, Covent Garden, East End (creepy and slummy), and of course, the parks - Green, St. James and Hyde. Those were beautiful. There are two stories behind Green Park being named Green Park. I'll say more about each when it's not so late; our classes are at 9am and go until 1pm...I need bed. To say the least, we all have blisters on our feet, and our legs feel too heavy to lift higher than one step at a time.

Today was my first day of class as a student of London. This morning was British Media and Politics. The first hour was rough to get through. Professor Bradshaw (who is the hugest English nerd I've met thus far) talked about the importance of media, specifically news, for the first hour of class. For the last portion, we took the tube to the London City Courthouse to watch a murder trial. It was awesome! We all filed in the courtroom quietly (the hearing had already begun) as the suspect was admitting to stabbing some guy two times, with one punch to the chin in between stabs. So, I'm assuming he was guilty. He was pleading innocent, though, under the circumstances that he stabbed this other guy in self-defense. I felt bad for him at first because the questioning lawyer was treating him like an idiot, manipulating everything he said to make it sound like this guy was already proved guilty (lawyers are so smart), but then the guy said, "I stabbed him because he insulted my mother." Really? 'Your Momma' jokes are taken that seriously here? He was really drunk when he stabbed the guy, and as soon as he stabbed him the second time and realized the guy was a goner, he ran. I won't judge and say whether he is guilty or not because I haven't heard the whole of the trials, and I'm not as informed as the jury, but.......he guilty. Oh, and the lawyers and judge wore white wigs! I didn't even know those things existed beyond Colonial Williamsburg's reenactments! One of the judges was black and even he was wearing a bright white wig. Awkwaaarrrd.

After the trial, I walked home and took a nap for a couple of hours before Tessa got home (she is my roommate). Tessa, Michelle, Elizabeth and I ate dinner in my flat, then we took the Tube to Covent Garden to get a drink at some of the pubs we'd heard about. It was really nice. We met a man selling roses and he told us about a bunch of cool, cheap, gotta-see type places around southern England. I don't remember most of them, but hopefully the other girls are better with names.

It's been raining all day. Drag. We got really lucky our first week, I suppose, with the sun and warm weather. This seems to be more of what London is usually like. I get depressed when the sun is gone for a good while. I hope it shows itself every now and then. Regardless, this city is too pretty to ever feel let down. God, some of the architecture is amazing. Looking at St. Paul's Cathedral at night made me want to cry. The fact that there was a kilted man playing his bagpipes on the front steps probably didn't help. Also, I vowed to get married in Westminster Abbey...that's probably going to fall through.

St. Paul's: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_GSspXzovugjZMaP8R4124O-9wltkHGECY84MsU4rN3KHP1dSN3Z7G0eb4yTrRY3MOxVuutU29Bu7MmGCKB7PxOT1iseBplQ8zXynBbLHGgia6V8LDzZFcP0tUuMmdus7BYqfhg82j24i/s1600/stpauls.jpg

the Abbey: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/37/Westminster_Abbey_West_Door.jpg

I hope my photos will make up for where my words lack as far as describing my trip. My battery charger is packed up in a box somewhere in Virginia, so I haven't been able to take pictures the past couple of days, but I'm starving until I can afford a new charger here (it costs 40 pounds!). Here's to toast and tomato soup.