Midterms, Unfortunately, are International

I gotta tell you, I'm really not feeling this whole "midterm" thing.

See, it's not as bad in the US when I have to write them because I have the class more than once a week, and therefore feel like I've learned enough about what to write about (and enough about the teacher to know how they would like it written so as to ensure me a good grade).

Here you meet the teacher once a week. So after 6 classes with these people, they're like "Right, so. Paper."

Hey, I Live There!

I got really excited that Peter's Friends mentions Gloucester Road in "The Underground Song."

"There Are A Lot of Cocks in Southend"

I cannot tell you how difficult it is to keep a straight face when canvassing sometimes.

We were out and about in Kursaal yesterday door knocking and talking to everyone who was even thinking about voting, and we found a family house with about 4 people in it with the last name "Cock."

And it wasn't pronounced any weird way or whatever, it was just Cock.

Which is funny to anyone over the age of 12, including my boss (as well as he hides it).

Even funnier when we were in a different ward of Southend today (Milton) and there was another house of 4 with the last name "Cock." One of the houses that I was responsible for talking to. So I went up to the door and knocked, and as I waited for Mr. Cock to answer, I noticed that there were a bunch of roosters around the front. A key hanger, a name plate, all with roosters. Or cocks, if you will.

So as we were walking away and we noticed that there were 8 people with the last name Cock living in Southend, it was Kevin who remarked "Wow, there are a lot of cocks in Southend."

I love my job.

Tuesday: The Best Day Ever?

So I haven't actually been through Tuesday yet, but I'm thinking it's in the running for Best Day Ever.

Parliament in the morning, then Imperial War Musem at night. Wonderful!

I Found My Stamps (!!!!)

My day was made by the postal service.

I took a field trip over to the Museum of Everything, which was the strangest thing I've seen in a while. Part of it was like the Magic Garden, and the rest of it was just weird. It was up near the Chalk Fields tube stop, which really, I want to live in this city and that would be a great place. Cute neighborhood, really nice, not terribly far from everything.

I decided on an impulse to check in the tiny-ass post office up that way, in the back of the convenience mart. I asked the little Indian man behind the counter if they had the Coldplay stamps. Two of them were confused, just like everyone else I've asked about them, and then the third pulled out exactly the ones I wanted.

FULLY worth the month long search and the money I paid for them.

Stephen Fry Thinks My State is Lame

Sort of a bummer, but at least he knows where it is.

Dress for Success

Last night was the big fundraising dinner for Kevin and his Labour crew. It was at a fish and chips restaurant down in Southend, right on the water, really pretty (well, I'm sure it would be if it were warm out rather than freezing in February), and as Kevin was adjusting his tie, he mentioned he was wearing the "Labour uniform."

Meaning a navy suit, shirt, then red tie. And then I noticed that he really wasn't kidding. Lord Adonis, the head of transportation for the UK, was wearing the same thing. And then I thought back to the Progress talks where people were wearing the same thing there. And then I found this picture of Tony Blair.

It's like a school uniform!

The Jubilee Line is Out. TFL.

Last night was Sarah's birthday, and we decided to celebrate by forcing Stephanie to cook. Actually, she volunteered to make mac & cheese, which was delicious, and we brought salad and wine/schnapps/soda/juice. After we finished up, it was karaoke time.

We headed over to Belushi's by Borough, but not before finding out that the Jubilee line was out right when we needed it.

"You know like FML? It's TFL [Transport for London, for all non-London dwellers]," Carrie said. "Like, the Jubilee line is out and I'm late for work, TFL."

Edited to add: See? Even the Mayor of London is pissed.