Hmm... not sure if I agree

My thoughts:
1) As a culture, the British definitely seem to drink more than Americans, at least publicly.
2) I've been in U.S. cities where public display of drunkenness is way worse (i.e. New York City and Las Vegas).
3) It rains so much here that it's hard to notice when people pee/throw up in the street anyway.

One down, Five to go

First exam (media theory) is done. It went pretty well, but I can only speculate on the mark. Next is statistics. Argh.

Here are some photos in the mean time:

I went to the Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall. It was really cool -- they played theme songs from TV shows/movies like James Bond, Harry Potter, Mission Impossible, Star Wars, etc. I promise I wasn't the only guy.

On Mother's Day, I took a break from studying to spend the day with Dave and Vickie Scruby, who could practically be my substitute parents. They are on a cruise around Europe and took the bus into the city, so I showed them around for a few hours. We went on the London Eye:

I didn't know that Vickie was afraid of heights when I bought the tickets, but I think she managed without getting too scared!

Finally, after the exam, a bunch of us from our program went out dancing.

And celebrated Tal's birthday...

A fun way to blow off some steam, but today it's back to the library for me!

Россия

I am going to Russia in the very end of June!

Just booked the flight with two American friends... going to Moscow first, and then taking an overnight train to St. Petersburg. Flying British Airways and staying in American hotels for a combination of cheap and safe.

Just have to make it through exams first...

Quick update from LDN

It's been ages since I've updated, but at least I have an excuse. On May 1 I turned in three papers, and I have my first exam next Wednesday. So I've been incredibly busy writing and studying and having some fun in between.

Some random recent updates:

-- The man who works at a cookie shop in Charing Cross has started to recognize me because I've been coming there 2-3 times to week to buy cookies on my way home from class. I always get 6 raspberry & vanilla. This week they were all out of that flavour, so the guy offered to bake me some more of if I returned in half an hour. When I got back, he gave me 12 cookies for the price of six and packaged them in a nice box. It was the nicest customer service gesture that I've seen since I came to England. He gave me more 2 for 1 certificates, so I'm sure I'll be back soon. I just need to practice some moderation (or find some friends to share the cookies with?) :)

-- I've been sitting on a committee since the beginning of the year with LSE administrators to discuss issues of student affairs (hence the name, the Student Affairs Committee). I like to be involved, but I'm practically the only one there who isn't British. This may not sound like a big deal, but considering that 50% of people here are from outside the UK (even more in the postgrad) I feel like I'm hardly ever around groups of British people (except in situations like transport where we're not talking). Anyway, my point is that about 60% of the time I can't understand what is going on because I can't understand British speech (yes, still). I was telling my (British) friend today that I don't realize that people are arguing until it's been going on for about 5 minutes because their insults are so subtle and they don't raise their voices like awkward Americans. I am slowly beginning to learn the language here.

-- I am working on some exciting stuff at my internship that actually involves real-life, strategic, applied political campaigning! I can't really discuss it because it's a controversial campaign and we've already been trashed in the national media. But today I spent a couple hours researching education and social mobility in a district outside of London. I'm submitting the information tomorrow and it's been printed on campaign literature. Thus, I'm trying very hard not to make mistakes and choose information from reliable sources.

-- I finally no longer feel nostalgic for UCLA. Maybe it's the weather improving here, or my educational internal clock knows that this is about the time that I was supposed to be finished originally. I was reading the Daily Bruin yesterday and just couldn't image myself in that context anymore (student elections, etc). It feels weird.

-- I am very excited to for friends and family to come visit: Fallon (high school), Michele and Alicia (cousins), Maher & Lynn (UCLA), Alex (high school & college) and hopefully more. Looking forward to showing them around London and balancing it with exams.

-- Hair is back!

-- The weather is getting better. The trees on my street have fresh green leaves:

My California tan is fading, but the days are getting longer. Perfect for spending hours in the library!

That's it for now!