Tower of London + 22nd Birthday

Hiya,

So it's been kinda crazy the last couple of days, so I haven't been able to update as consistently, which I will become consistent, hopefully, by the end of the trip. :)

Well, it has been kinda dreary outside lately, not too much sun as you can see in the photos below. Overall, I really never though much about not having the sun out, but I was wrong. I have noticed that sometimes it can get really easy to get depressed when you are by yourself, but it disappears pretty quickly once I start talking to Jess, Mika, Cat, or Nick. I finally met a couple of the other flatmates, Serdar from Turkey and Max, whose from the UK.

To start out the recap, we have been to the Imperial War Museum, which was cool, kinda sad because of the Holocaust exhibit (which was extremely depressing, I have to say) but otherwise it was worth the tube ride. On saturday, Jess and I went to downtown London to go see the Tower of London and the Royal Jewels. I have to say that I was kinda let down from the exhibit. Several of the buildings were closed, so we didnt get to see much, and yet they still charged the 15quid for students, which is kind pricey, but w/e. Even the Royal Jewels were kinda underwhelming. They put you on a conveyer belt and only have a limited time to look at the jewels and then are ushered onwards, so that was kinda lame. But we did get to see one of the beefeaters keeping guard in his boothy thing while it was downpouring.

But on the otherhand, we did get soo turned around prior to the Tower that we went down the Tower Bridge misnamed London Bridge. Take that! It was really cool walking on the bridge and getting to see everything on the Thames, but the rain put a kinda kabosh on walking to the otherside, but I bet it will be very cool to do later on.

Onto Sunday, my 22nd birthday was nice and chill. Didn't get "schwasted" like Akash wanted me to, but it was good none the less to hang out with people. Shopped around on Oxford St. and then came back and had a kinda potluck dinner with the crew in which they had made a very sinfully delicious cake. My mouth is still watering from it.

On a side note, to wrap this entry up, I just wanted to post a couple of things that I have started to dive into English culture.

They have started baking these Hot Cross Buns (which is supposedly just an Easter treat) but they are being sold almost everywhere now. They are kinda just like a regular sweet wheatbread bun but with raisins and dates inside. When you heat them up and mix it with some jam, they are actually pretty good.

Another cool thing, but something really bad, is the Cadbury Creme Eggs. O.M.G. They are the most delicious things I have eaten so far. You can barely eat more than a couple or you are just sooo sick, but they are definitely something that I will buy again.

After all of this, its been an interesting couple of days and with that I leave you.

Cheers mates!