Things So Far, So Far

Of course, I had to open with this picture! It neatly sums up what I've been doing since I got here, the tourist thing. After a day of aches, pains and jet lag, I went out and had a full English breakfast, which has eggs, baked beans, bacon, sausage and chips. When it comes to the English breakfast, it's heart attack or money back. 

I headed onward, the sights unfurling like on a screen: Piccadilly Square, Trafalgar Square, Buckingham Palace, Westminster Cathedral, Big Ben. One particular stop I enjoyed was the Imperial War Museum; they had preserved the bunkers from which the british ran their campaign in the second world war. Definitely not for the claustrophobic, but it goes to show the resilience of the British in the face of near defeat. Partly, it was thanks to Churchill, they try to hammer that in with a personal museum about the man, also in the bunkers under London. That last visit essentially wrapped up the day, the sun had set and it was getting dark. I headed south, over the Thames, towards the London Eye, which shone like a beacon against the south side skyline. I thought it best to save the ride for another, brighter, sunnier moment.

The next day, I had an orientation at BUNAC, the British Universities North America Club. Just a small class on the dos and do not dos of british employment, the services they offered, the things we had to do prior to applying for the job. They also had numerous job listings, as well as sample resumés and cover letters. I got to work on those straight away and started sending them out, mostly for positions in administration, office work and linguistics. After a fruitful day of work and also meeting some new people, I headed out. That day, I had to find another hostel. Luckily, while using the computers at BUNAC, someone had left a page for a hostel on the screen, luckily it still had room and wasn't too far from where I was or where I was staying. Frankly, I was glad to have to move! The room I had at the other place was directly under the bar, you could hardly sleep at night.

The place I had moved to was called Clink, which is because it used to be a courthouse. The computer and TV room look like they could still hold trial. Apparently, The Clash were prosecuted there, but I'm not one to believe advertising. 

On saturday, more touring, more visiting, more walking. I got to the Tower of London just in time for the guided tour. Bloody tales of gruesome executions, death sentences, murderous conspiracies and mass graves somehow became very entertaining, I had laughed through most of it. After a few hours of touring, looking at the crown jewels, old relics, medieval weaponry and armour, I headed south, across the Thames on the Tower Bridge.

Somewhere, a pimp weeps...

The rest of the afternoon went by quickly, stopping in at the HMS Belfast, a world war 2 battleship that had seen action in the high arctic. They had received a reindeer as a gift from a Russian commander who had benefited from their help. Sadly, the battle that ensued shortly afterwards, the noise from the guns and torpedoes, drove her mad. The ship's butcher made steak out of her. Which, in the end, isn't that bad. I mean, you would have to feed it and the crew, but doesn't it make sense to feed it to the crew?

So I kept going, following the shoreline, passing by Shakespeare's Dome and the Tate Modern Art museum, finally crossing the river once more on the millenium bridge, heading to St. Paul's Cathedral. I had arrived just in time for the grande finale of the church's resident organist. As his fingers hit the notes, the notes hit the walls and echoed right through the centuries old building, sounding just as it did all those years ago. The piece ended with a triumphant, resounding finale that shook foundations and stirred hearts. People there just to visit, moved as if the sound waves passed right through them.

After being warmed by the concert, I headed out into the night, walking down a main street, counting the Starbucks' as they went past. There were at least 11. Eventually crossing the Thames again, I took the Tube from Waterloo train station on home.

With that last day, I had essentially finished the tourist part of my trip. Sure, there were still many museums and sights, but the fact is, I could always come back and do it, I have months ahead of me, after all. The priorities were set; I could just tour and tour and spend money on a short trip, or make an effort, find work, and have a much longer one.