Responsibility

My time left in London is really running out. At this point I have about a week and a half left, and that thought is slightly terrifying. I really don’t have too much to share, actually. It seems like I have had a never-ending cascade of work and papers to do for a few weeks, and I still have one more giant of an essay to get through before I’m finished and can worry about finals. So this past weekend was one of poor academic decisions, but correct life ones. On Friday, I had committed myself to writing papers for Communications and Political Science, but got a call to go shopping in Covent Garden , so I went. The way I wrote that makes it sound like I’m Batman. "Whenever I get the call to shop, I will be there. I am… H&M Girl." But what I thought would be a short jaunt to a couple stores turned into half a day of dress shopping, but it was worth it because I found a prom dress (kind of). Because my program here is throwing a prom. Because we are a cliché. And I have no problems with this, because I am a person who loves herself some clichés. So yeah. Found a dress, hung around the Apple store while my friend had her Mac get looked at (gross. Why am I spending so much time in the Apple store lately? Do not like.) I eventually arrived back at my flat and finished my poli sci paper… pretty much. On Saturday, I still had about 2700 words due Monday, but I went on a walk through another part of London called Dalston with some people from my program anyway. It was a gorgeous day, and I got some antique postcards, so the day was a success. We also had lunch in a Turkish café, so that was something different and delicious. Our walk in Dalston finished in this sort of famous cemetery, which was actually completely interesting. Now, I’m a person who… “enjoys” is the wrong word, isn’t it?... you know what I mean… cemeteries normally, and this one was just fascinating. There was no organization at all, you can find a headstone from 1970 next to one from 1880 and that happens all over the place. Also, some of the older stones were very well preserved, and you could easily read ever word, where some of the other ones were far too weathered or even completely destroyed. The entire place was also extremely overgrown, because it is actually preserved due to it being a haven for small wildlife, and not the graves on its land. But it was obviously a popular place, and the footpaths were very clear. So I’m mulling all of this over, then I actually say out loud, “This cemetery is full of contradiction.” Really? Who says stuff like that? I’ll tell you who: pretentious people. SO ASHAMED. Anyway, after the past two days of excursions, I was determined for Sunday to be dedicated to getting my work done. Then I got a call from my friend saying there was a Harry Potter event on Oxford Street to celebrate the dvd release of Deathly Hallows Part 1. I don’t think I’ve ever gone from looking unacceptable-for-public-viewing to cute so quickly in my entire life. I booked it down to Oxford Street , only falling once on the way, and even that was almost a float, and I ended up on the ground in a very prim and ladylike pose. So I met up with my friend in a giant line, and we waited for about 45 minutes behind two adolescent boys with too much gel in their hair for wristbands. We got them, then left feeling awesome to waste time before we had to get back for the actual event. Shopping happened. Again. We came back for the event, and then came more waiting, this time in the actual store. Which doesn’t have great ventilation/air conditioning. So waiting in line with 250 screaming Harry Potter fans was not such fun times for me. But after our turn of waiting was finished, we got to the front and the covers of our blue rays/dvd’s (by the way, I don’t have a blue ray player and the dvd won’t work in America… but whatever) were signed by Griphook/Flitwick (who tried to have a mini-conversation with my friend, but she was not having it), Tonks, Mr. Weasley, Luna (who my friend actually did have a conversation with, and the actress is so fabulously Irish), and Neville (who is SO ADORABLE OMGOMGOMG). Will never stop being worth it. But just so you all continue to believe in my academic capabilities, I did go home and finish my papers. Or I finished them in the morning before class. WHATEVER THEY GOT DONE.