I've really been slacking in my attempts to update this blog - I've started to write posts on several occasions and then either my realization that I have a mile-long list of assignments due in just 5 days, coupled with the fact that my computer caught some obnoxious trojan (thank you, big jerks) has led me to never quite get myself to write on here... plus, in my attempts to clean mass portions of my harddrive, I somehow erased my flickr account login information and I have no idea how to access my photos. Wah, wah..
Anyway, in the course of a week, I've traveled to a Sikh temple in Southall, discovered a (semi-delicious) 17pence swiss cake roll at Sainsbury's, landed the internship with City A.M., bought a dress at Camden markets (AHH and wanted to buy about 12), FINALLY met up with Zach and reunited with Ethan. Oh, and I've grown nocturnal by remaining dedicated to the Yankee games, despite the godawful time difference. (I'm currently watching the Yanks en route to making it 5 wins in a row- HECK YES)...
The Sikh temple was pretty enjoyable, despite the long journey to get there and the fact that my professor is quite certainly either a Sikh or a Hindu who is blatantly prejudiced against other faiths. I'm just saying. It's kind of hilarious because she denies it but then she makes little snide remarks that reveal she's lying through her teeth. Hey, even the educated can still be ignorant to their prejudice, I suppose. Regardless, the Sikhs were incredibly nice and I really enjoyed walking inside and witnessing all of the devouted Sikhs (and many individuals who I'm assuming weren't Sikhs) pay their respects on just a random Monday afternoon.
On Wednesday, I (while shaking in my shoes) went to Cannon Street in the cold, dismal weather, starving and with too little money to buy anything but an old Belgium chocolate brownie at Starbucks to hold me over, and finally made it over to my interview with City A.M. - a daily financial paper with a circulation of approximately 350,000. I realize now, what I had already suspected then, and that is (lucky me) I'm one of the chosen few who gets to be faced with an incredibly challenging internship... however, if I can tackle it appropriately, I truly am fortunate because the rewards could be FANTASTIC... Keep your fingers crossed :)
So, to back-track to the main story of the week thus far that I'd like to mention (as I'm getting lazier and my writing is getting poorer due to the fact that it's 3:30am and I'm rushing to get back to solely focusing on the ALCS) that Zach and I met up at Fortnum & Mason - a famous ice cream parlour /restaurant / center for shopping. We ordered Caprese salad which, oh my goodness, my stomach is growling just thinking about it... and the Knickerbocker sundae was AMAZING (which it should have been for 12 pounds). I'm pretty sure I've never tasted such an incredible combination of fruit, whipped cream and ice cream.. Delicious!
Afterwards, however, we decided to go exploring.. the first floor above us had so many beautiful Christmas displays... I waltzed in there and immediately I wanted to go home to NJ and bake cookies and blast some Johnny Mathis. As I craved a meager, homely Christmas, we walked past their plasma screen-TV yule log to check out a fairly decent (yet not elaboate) looking Santa Claus.. and as Zach walked ahead of me, I was about to follow until my eyes caught a glimpse of the pricetag.
636 pounds.
636?!?! That's over $1,000. How the HELL could this Santa, which neither sang nor danced nor did it dispense candy, how the HELL could it have cost A THOUSAND DOLLARS. And here it was just chilling on an unbalanced stack of Christmas ornaments and other overpriced yet cheaply crafted decorations.
Seeing the pricetag on our beloved Father Christmas, we explored the next floor. And the ridiculous only got more nauseating. There were hats that cost nearly $1,000 that I'm pretty sure I've seen sold by the dozen for a five and some change at Walmart. Honestly - disgusting material and even more atrocious patterns. I'd understand if you were so filthy rich that you had to buy only products that further flaunt your need to display just how materialistic you really are. But why on God's earth anyone would pay A THOUSAND DOLLARS for a polka-dotted hat with mismatching peacock feathers protruding from the top, I HAVE NO IDEA.
While the glam and the delicious food and the atmosphere made me fall in love even more-so with London, the absolute snobbiness of the other floors reminded me of what I loathe. Trust me, I even fall victim to the love for shopping and fine dining despite my incessant bragging about Ramen noodles and half-priced coleslaw, but COME ON. Travel the world, donate to a charity, provide a financial bailout to a small country, or just exchange your pounds for US dollars and roll around in a pool of your own cash but BY GOD... please don't buy the thousand-dollar peacock hats..
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