Snow days, snow days, and more snow days

Hello there (in my very best British accent):

Since I'm hardly ever near a computer, there's so much to update! We got here Sunday, had orientation at the schools on Monday, and I haven't been back at school since then due to "severe" weather. We also just found out today that we're not going to be able to get to Paris tomorrow because the Eurostar isn't running (also due to severe weather). It's crazy, really, since I know you've all been hit with a lot more snow than there is here. It's more icy than anything, but the weather isn't terrible at all.

I'd have to run back upstairs to get my journal to tell you everything I've done on each day, so I'll just sum it all up. We went to the Natural History Museum, Science Museum, British Museum, Tower of London, and the National Portrait Gallery. The last was my favorite because they had an awesome Beatles to Bowie exhibit. Everything here is free (museums, exhibits, and most tours). Since we haven't been in school, it's basically been a sightseeing trip--which I'm definitely not complaining about.

We're staying at the Citadines Apartments, but there was a power surge yesterday and we got moved (get ready for this one!) to a FIVE-star hotel in another area of town. Compared to the couch bed I'm sleeping on now, this place was a palace. We had two bedrooms, a kitchen (with a stocked fridge and the nicest knives I've ever seen--which is a serious blessing since we have to use butterknives to cut anything here), a living room, and two bathrooms. We even got robes...so talk about being pampered! We're back at Citadines now, but the temporary upgrade was fabulous and a special little treat.

We go to pubs EVERY night...very English of us ;-) Princess of Wales is still the favorite. We had dinner there the other night and our waiter was comically ridiculous. They ran out of almost everything, so any time one of us ordered he would come back and say (you must read this with a British accent): "It appears that we don't have any chicken, can I interest you in..." He also got yelled at by the manager for drinking the last glass of milk in the kitchen. It's an inside joke so you all probably think it's not funny, but if I tell you the story back at home you'll be laughing to the point of tears. Never gets old.

Today we had our full walking/bus tour of London and I came back and took a 4-hour nap. Who knows how I'm ever going to fall asleep tonight...that was probably a mistake. Tomorrow we're waking up early to see the changing of the guards, and then we're all going to walk through some little markets. I'm spending money like crazy; it's a serious, awful problem ;-) My professor has already offered to store some of my things in her suitcase on the way home since I'm positive I'll be over the weight limit. It's mostly because of books. We found a small cobblestone side street with second-hand bookstores all along it and I found AWESOME copies of Milton's poetical works and Pope's Essay on Criticism. I'm still searching for Shelley's Frankenstein, so cross your fingers and wish me luck.

I've kept another girl on the trip waiting while I blog away, so I GUESS I should let her on the computer now ;-) I figured I owed you all a long post since I've been so terrible at updating.

Keep checking back,

C

P.S. If we DO get a chance to teach next week, you can also send me e-mail at my work account and I'll probably respond quicker: ccanham@all-saints.bardaglea.uk.org