Beefeaters are my fav

I arose to the glorious morning before my alarm even rang today! Unfortunately, it was more because it is completely light in London by 5am (and my bed is pushed against the window) and that I have a cold with a clogged up nose. Nonetheless, the extra 50 minutes of sleep that I did get (class was an hour later today) were invigorating. The difference in the number of daylight hours that we get here is really amazing - light from about 5am until 11 pm. It's wonderful in the summer to be out late and still have light outside; in the winter however I would imagine that it would be incredibly dreary.

I also booked a trip to Edinburgh with Amy (a girl whom I've met through the program) for the weekend of the 29th-1st. I'm super-excited about it and will be doing a bunch of reseach on Edinburgh in the next couple of days to ensure that I fit in all the sightseeing I want to do!

Since we had a big free chunck of time in the afternoon today, I persuaded JP and Whit to come to the Tower of London with me (although, to be fair, I didn't have to do that much persuading). It's one of the more expensive attractions in London (at £13 with the Student discount in place) and it is absolutely infested with tourists, but it was well worth it. In the canonized words of Rodger Bowdler, "It's touristy because it's important." We got there in perfect time for the start of one of the tours given every 30 minutes by the Beefeaters. Our tourguide was particularly witty and clever and, of course, gave an interesting informational tour of the Tower area. All of the Beefeaters are military men who have comitted a minimum 22 years of service to the crown. It is considered a privelege and an honor to become a Beefeater at the Tower of London (hrmmm... reminiscent of UVA lawnies). We got to see the tower where many an important historical figure was imprisoned, as well as the courtyard where many - including Henry VIII's second wife, Anne Boleyn - were beheaded. We took a walk through the armory and, of course, saw the crown jewels and oggled at their brilliance.

The evening was topped off by Rafta Rafta, a play about relationships within an Indian family in London. A few parts made me feel awkward, but after Cabaret I feel like I can conquer anything the theater world wants to throw at me.