Sussex - Week 7
Eek, I only have a week!
The time has been short, but well spent. I am definitely looking forward to seeing my mama and lovah as soon as I hop off that blasted plane in the States. But let me not jump ahead.
No more international trips for me. I have simply been soaking up as much Sussex, Brighton, and London as I can get. In the past week I have visited London with a school group, visited London on my own, been reunited with my pub quiz and Quiz Master (not that my added presence won my team victory), and spent a couple of nights at Brighton's clubs (one of which was called Ponana *giggle*).
When I visited London with the group it was to tour the insides of both Kensington Palace (former home of Princess Diana) and Buckingham Palace. Although the palaces were gorgeous and worthwhile, my main reason for signing up for the trip was to see the guards. At that point I still had not seen any stone-faced men in red uniforms and furry black hats. And after this Royal London visit, I still hadn't! Grr. So Thursday I took it upon myself to go to London specifically to view the Changing of the Guards and have my furry hat dreams fulfilled. Aww, bliss. Of course, after paying 18.50 in pounds for train tickets, I was going to do more than just spend an hour watching a parade. For the first time I visited the sites of Parliament and Big Ben and the awful Piccadilly Circus. I say awful because I got lost inside that maze. In case you did not know, it is a simple standard of mine to hate a place forever more if I become lost within it. After stopping to eat, I knew not the direction from which I entered and I could only walk aimlessly, too proud to ask for directions. I walked right into a long dark alley way lined with adult book stores, sex shops, prostitutes, and XXX shows. How was I supposed to know?! I followed two old Asian ladies through there! I am mature enough to accept that there are sex shops and I can say I have been in one before, but certainly not a dozen at once. After being caught off guard like that, I have to say that was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. Moving on...
Last Sunday I wish to make particular mention of as well because it was that day I was whisked back to my childhood as I was reminded of Medieval Times. While visiting a castle in Arundel, there happened to be an outdoor medieval festival going on - knights in armor battling in tournaments, jousting on horses and all. It is odd that I was all of a sudden viewing this spectacle because Medieval Times had entered my head recently and I concluded that the whole thing was ridiculously corny, becomming ashamed I had ever stepped foot in there. Surely, if the place will still be in exisitence in few years' time, I would not take my child to such a humiliating entertainment function. But after Sunday, oh yes, my child will spend a birthday or two there just as I had done. Wearing paper crowns, swinging wooden swords and shouting "Wa-zaa!" at an assigned knight is more fun than I ever knew it to be.
Now with the combination of last week's and this week's musings, I am surprised I still have feet. Alas, the shape they are in is both disgusting and embarassing. It will be many days, possibly weeks, before I will allow them to ever see the sun again. Not only do I have the remnants of two-month old nail polish still clinging for dear life, but the bottoms of my feet are unbelievably blistered. Thankfully, my feet are in the process of shedding and the hard, paw-pad-like skin is slowly peeling away. Beneath all the dead skin is softness, I just know it. Until then, concelead they shall be.
By the time I write the next update, I will be only a few hours from coming home. Toodles.
The time has been short, but well spent. I am definitely looking forward to seeing my mama and lovah as soon as I hop off that blasted plane in the States. But let me not jump ahead.
No more international trips for me. I have simply been soaking up as much Sussex, Brighton, and London as I can get. In the past week I have visited London with a school group, visited London on my own, been reunited with my pub quiz and Quiz Master (not that my added presence won my team victory), and spent a couple of nights at Brighton's clubs (one of which was called Ponana *giggle*).
When I visited London with the group it was to tour the insides of both Kensington Palace (former home of Princess Diana) and Buckingham Palace. Although the palaces were gorgeous and worthwhile, my main reason for signing up for the trip was to see the guards. At that point I still had not seen any stone-faced men in red uniforms and furry black hats. And after this Royal London visit, I still hadn't! Grr. So Thursday I took it upon myself to go to London specifically to view the Changing of the Guards and have my furry hat dreams fulfilled. Aww, bliss. Of course, after paying 18.50 in pounds for train tickets, I was going to do more than just spend an hour watching a parade. For the first time I visited the sites of Parliament and Big Ben and the awful Piccadilly Circus. I say awful because I got lost inside that maze. In case you did not know, it is a simple standard of mine to hate a place forever more if I become lost within it. After stopping to eat, I knew not the direction from which I entered and I could only walk aimlessly, too proud to ask for directions. I walked right into a long dark alley way lined with adult book stores, sex shops, prostitutes, and XXX shows. How was I supposed to know?! I followed two old Asian ladies through there! I am mature enough to accept that there are sex shops and I can say I have been in one before, but certainly not a dozen at once. After being caught off guard like that, I have to say that was one of the most uncomfortable experiences of my life. Moving on...
Last Sunday I wish to make particular mention of as well because it was that day I was whisked back to my childhood as I was reminded of Medieval Times. While visiting a castle in Arundel, there happened to be an outdoor medieval festival going on - knights in armor battling in tournaments, jousting on horses and all. It is odd that I was all of a sudden viewing this spectacle because Medieval Times had entered my head recently and I concluded that the whole thing was ridiculously corny, becomming ashamed I had ever stepped foot in there. Surely, if the place will still be in exisitence in few years' time, I would not take my child to such a humiliating entertainment function. But after Sunday, oh yes, my child will spend a birthday or two there just as I had done. Wearing paper crowns, swinging wooden swords and shouting "Wa-zaa!" at an assigned knight is more fun than I ever knew it to be.
Now with the combination of last week's and this week's musings, I am surprised I still have feet. Alas, the shape they are in is both disgusting and embarassing. It will be many days, possibly weeks, before I will allow them to ever see the sun again. Not only do I have the remnants of two-month old nail polish still clinging for dear life, but the bottoms of my feet are unbelievably blistered. Thankfully, my feet are in the process of shedding and the hard, paw-pad-like skin is slowly peeling away. Beneath all the dead skin is softness, I just know it. Until then, concelead they shall be.
By the time I write the next update, I will be only a few hours from coming home. Toodles.