November 19 , 2003

A Return to London



Well, it appears as though November weather is here at last. For the past few weeks England has been experiencing some odd weather, and by “odd” I mean sunny. Actually, it was pleasantly warm as well. In those weeks I found it quite nice to wander around the lake and feed the ducks. Well, this was pleasant until a swarm of Canadian geese decided to chase me away from the lake when I ran out of bread. This weather, however, was not meant to last, and indeed it started to sleet and rain two days ago. From those I’ve talked to, I’ve gathered that this is typical for November, and it will be an absolute miracle if we see the sun again in the next few weeks.

On the upside, though, the fog is incredible. Walking through campus is like wandering though a dense cloud. In some areas, like the bridge over the lake, you can’t see more than a few inches in front of you.

This past weekend I ventured into London to meet up with a friend, but seeing as we were to meet at the British Museum, I got there a few hours early to do some exploring. Just for your information, though, a few hours really isn’t enough for the British Museum. In fact, a few weeks probably isn’t enough. I only had time to go through the Egypt, Greece, Ancient Near East, and Africa exhibits. Really, that saying is true that if it wasn’t nailed down, the British took it. While I was there I heard some woman complaining about how Greece wanted the Parthenon back. She thought it was extremely absurd. I didn’t say anything. In defense of the British, though, if they hadn’t pilfered what they had, the chances are small that these objects would have been so carefully preserved.

That evening we stayed for a fireworks display on the Thames celebrating Guy Fawkes day. Basically, Guy Fawkes was one of the men involved in a plot to blow up the House