It's all fun and games until someone cuts an ear off.

There is only a month left in London for me! Noooooooooo!

Not that I don't miss home, or that I don't want to come home, but really, real life compared to this? I will take fun fantasy time, thanks.

To be honest, I have been having the most amazing time 50% of the time, and the most boring, study-filled time the other 50%. I had two exams this week, so the last few days have been half touristy stuff, half reading textbooks and taking practice exams.

Tuesday I had my management exam early in the morning, then I walked around Regent Street and Bond Street. I went to Hamley's the giant 5-story toy store. It was a madhouse! I wonder if it's always like that. They had some replicas of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings props that were pretty awesome. I found loads of stuff I wanted to buy for people I know but I a) thought it was over priced, b) wondered if they would actually like it or if I would be the only one playing with the game/toy/arts and crafts. I did, however, buy some pick-n-mix, ALLLL sour gummies thank you very much!

Also checked out Carnaby street, where the mods used to hang out. Not much going on, but pretty cool.

Side of a building off Carnaby Street. Very clever, very clever.

I was really all over town that day. I even ended up in Notting Hill for a bit, where I bought a copy of The World According to Garp by John Irving for just £1. I am very excited by this purchase because it was cheap, is really great so far (Owen Meany, holla!), and is thick enough to last me for a while. I have been reading it at mealtimes and when I'm on the tube.

Wednesday I had to study for my Marketing test, which was today. But I didn't want to do that the entire day, so I went to Islington in the morning, which is a really cute area (kinda suburban...?) and had lunch at a burrito place that is like Chipotle but awesomer. It was called Chilango.

I intended on going to the Victoria and Albert museum for a while in the afternoon, and I did actually end up there, but I was NOT in a museum mood and felt like I was dragging myself all around, so I quit that after about 40 minutes and walked home, where I studied then slept.

Sculpture in the V&A. Most hilarious face I've ever seen on a sculpture.

This morning I had my Marketing exam, which was harder than I expected but I probably got a B. For summer classes I'd say that's completely OK.

I came home, had some lunch, then went to the National Gallery, which is basically a huuuuuge art gallery with paintings from all over the world by all the best painters from like the 12th century onward. They had Van Goghs, Monets, DaVincis, a Picasso, and some Degas (who paints the ballerinas.) All VERY cool. It was a great thing to do today, and it's a great thing to do on your own because you can take as much time as you want, skip what you want, etc.

The National Gallery is in Trafalgar square, which is near Leicester Square, which is near Covent Garden (because everything in London is right next to each other in some respect.) I walked from the gallery northward through Leicester Square to Chinatown, which is only like four blocks, but still fun. Didn't eat Chinese, but did buy a Lotus Moon Cake from a Chinese bakery. Moon Cakes are delicious, dense little cakes that you can make with dried fruit, nuts, beans, loads of different things. Whatever you want, basically. They are extremely awesome. The last time I had one was in 12th grade on the Drama Club fall break trip to New York, where I bought one in the NYC Chinatown.

Yes, that is a full-grown Australian man attempting to pass himself through a tennis racket. Yes, he succeeded.

Then I made it over to Covent Garden Market, which is just shops, but there were tons of street performers so I watched those for a while. I watched an Australian guy fit himself through a tennis racket. It was crazy! I also went to the Jubilee market, which is adjacent to Covent Gardent Market, which was nothing special but they were playing Michael Jackson over the soundsystem so I stuck around.

I just came home for dinner and I'm going to be catching up on homework/blog/RUB stuff tonight. Tomorrow I'm going to Stratford-upon-Avon to see where Shakespeare lived, and Saturday I'm going to Greenwhich on a boat to see the Prime Meridian. Then Sunday my mom gets here! I'm so excited.

I can't believe the summer is coming to a close so fast. Although, I always get excited for a new school year, and this year is going to be crazy, I bet. I can just feel it. But I am just going to enjoy London to the fullest that I can before the summer ends.

Love,
Amy