End of Michaelmas Term

The end of term time has come and it means nothing except friends going on holiday, as they say, and three weeks of no class. Since LSE is less stressful, the break doesn't feel as imperative for rest as it usually does so the transition isn't a hard one to make. This last week, I've caught up on London exploring. I took a sick day from work because of my sinus infection. And instead of staying in bed, I went on a museum adventure.

It's hard to get tickets to the Terra Cotta soldiers exhibit at the British Museum, so Jared and I showed up bright and early at 9:45AM to queue for it. We got in with no problem and I have to say... I have never wanted to desecrate a tomb more than now. Although the Terra Cotta soldiers have been and continue to be excavated, Emperor Qin's tombs remains untouched! It apparently is as big as an Egyptian pyramid (all underground), has rivers of flowing mercury to mimic China's real rivers, and is rigged with booby traps to prevent intruders. Rivers of flowing mercury? I'm sold. We saw the rest of the museum too and proceeded to the National Gallery afterwards. Friday I went to the Tate Modern with Stefan and although I only got to see a little bit, if the gift shop is any indication of what else it has to offer, I think I'll really like it.

On a more serious note, I learned tonight that my dog Zack has been put to sleep due to cancer. I'm fortunate to be unexperienced in the deaths of loved ones, but this is my first. At the risk of sounding overly emotional on a blog (and just about a dog, for non-dog owners), I won't go too much further besides for saying he was a friend and constant companion for a pseudo-only child.

My First London Cold

There's a first time for everything: smoking a cigar, trying absinthe, and catching a cold in London. It's about time, I suppose. Did I mention in the last post that Jared and I calculated our unit alcohol consumption in a week period and discovered I had consumed 19 units? Let's not mislead anyone here... they've been pretty spread out through the week. Just think 2-3 in a day rather than 10 in a night. I know that seems like a lot, but visitors and trips have created an irregular week. Regardless, my body and liver need a little bit of rest.

I called in sick for work today too and slept until 4PM. It was dark when I woke up, but it felt good to rest. Alright. Back to work for the last week of term.