world should be run...that answer would look something like Michelle basking in the glory of running the world on her own if she had it her way, in which case all of man kind would retreat to the moon. Anyway, Michelle and her pesky questions aside the conference was great and I got to get the inside on a lot of the developments of the Olympics and met some very influential people, like the Minister of the Olympics and some of the Mayor's appointed cabinet members. Our boss, Paul, took us interns to a pub around the corner after a glass of celebration wine. Josh and I were really only going to stay for 30 minutes or so, honestly. Well, that plan was quickly shattered as Paul rattled off another round of ciders before we could take off. Six ciders & four hours later....it was 9 pm and we had been in there for quite sometime confessing our love for everyone in our office and how fantastic they are as people. It happens.Paul was nice enough to give us Monday and Tuesday off so I took the train down to Lymington to visit my great aunt Anne and great uncle David. David is the manager for a local cricket team so Saturday I got to go watch a game in Salsbury for the day which was a lot of fun. When the players asked if I liked it (knowing it was my first game ever) they snickered in disbelief when I claimed that I had a lot of fun. It makes me wonder if they even like the sport! I had to explain
over and over that it is just like baseball back in the states in the sense that its a slow game and you can sit there all day. Sunday we went to another game except this one was 20/20 so it was much quicker and notably my favorite of the two- much more exciting. Monday's adventures consisted of a trip on the ferry to Isle of Wight which is absolutely gorgeous. I decided that i'm moving down to this area someday and joining the Royal Lymington Yacht Club and will be a yachttie and live happily ever after with all of my friends in polo shirts and big boats and sail away to Aruba. Oh the things I think up. I had a lovely stay with the Heppenstalls as they stuffed me with food for the five days I was there as if I were a starving child from a third world country or something. I'm surprised they didn't have to get a forklift to take me to the train station on Tuesday.Wendnesday morning at 1am I decided that I want to play hooky at work and go to Wimbledon. Best idea of my life. We woke up several hours late at 5am to catch one of the first tubes to the park where we were rounded up like cattle and sent through various lines, all of which were actually quite organized. We didnt really prepare ourselves and didnt bring a picnic/ drinks with us for the hill but I got my Pimms and strawberries & cream so I was quite satisfied. We sat on the hill with the crazy people and watched the big screen as we...Ill speak for myself... I got fried like chicken from the blazing sun. Not prepared. Now my lovely tan is peeling. How dreadful. The best match to watch was Andy Murrays just because everyone got so into it. Every point he earned the crowd erupted in cheers and it made me proud to be half British haha...and then of course I was proud to be half American when Roddick beat him in the semis but I suppose that match was bound to be a win-win situation when it came to my pride!
I went to a comedy club with John, his cousin and some of his cousins friends Wednesday night which was really funny. Comedy clubs are on my list of adored places ever but I have to say it was scary going into one as a foreigner...which came back towards the end of the show and nipped me in the tush. One of the comedians says "So who here is from overseas" and there were about three of us that gave a holler and he goes around asking us where we're from. He gets to me and I say..."uhhm...America?" as if I suffer from memory loss and really can't remember. He laughs and says how brave I am for coming into a British comedy club as an American and I said, "Ya, exactly, that's why I really didn't want to say anything!" He then looks at me and say "Hey! So you must be really excited about Obama, right?" This was one thing I didn't have to hesitate on and quickly shouted "NO!!" as the crowd ooooo's in distaste at my bravery. If I didn't know any better he is more of a superstar than a President. Thats another story..
Saturday I got
to go back to Chessington to visit my aunt at my cousin's house. It was really great to have us all together and I loved listening to her stories about living in Dubai (where they're at now) which, by the way, is a very strange place for many reasons. It would be fun to go visit. We went to the Hampton Courts which is where King Henry viii lived. It was a massive palace! It was nice to have a break from the big city and go down to Surrey for the day and it made me realize just how much I despise living in a big city such as London. Granted i'm not in the best area at Kings Cross (there was a roped off, blood-stained area of walkway outside my building the other day that just screamed "good morning, welcome home!") I certainly would have fancied South Kensington much more than here...Paris tomorrow...Hooray! I wish I could have my 5 years of lost french back :-( Mais je peux parler Francais seulment un peu maintenant. C'est d'accord. The traveling starts this weekend and doesnt stop for a month and then hopefully i'll be able to make my way back down to the Lymington area for some R&R with family friends.
ta-ta,
V
