London: Second chance to steal, Unexpected twilight (poor Bella), and Fetal Pig taste proves British are inadequate when it comes to cooking

1/9/10
Started this morning I sat with Kyle B and ate the usual breakfast, with the slight exception of ordering a grilled tomato as well. I regret this decision. That said, it wasn't the worse decision for the day. I am not sure what I was thinking. The texture of the tomato was acceptable at first with the firm skin and outer layer but then I hit the soft, squishy, and yes, the best word for this fruit, awkward center. Not so pleasing. Really the turn off was the taste. It loses a lot of its tomato taste because of the grilling. I quickly realized I should've been expecting this, as this happens in the club pasta at the UC with the mini tomatoes when they cook them too much. Lesson learned - avoid even larger overcooked tomatoes. After that we had to be quickly back downstairs and ready to go.

We said good bye the Gonsville Place Cambridge and piled into the bus. Piled isn't quite the right word considering we each had two seats to ourselves. Once we were all present Greg asked us if we wanted to go straight to the British History Museum when we arrived. No one ever willingly speaks first in huge groups - a lesson I learned in most of my communication classes, something that has developed into a pet peeve for me. Wanting to get the process in motion I spoke and said I would like to go the museum, as doing so would free up another time for ourselves. It was Kyle B who I felt spoke the smartest words. He asked what the opinion was of the two individuals who were going to a football game (soccer) at three: did they want to come with the group or did they care if we just left them? When asking our opinion Greg had told us that they were going to the game but that would be fine as they would be able to do the museum at a different time. I immediately felt stupid - not because I had done something wrong but because Kyle was using and thinking in a language that I wasn't - 'we'. When thinking about this decision I simply had based it on Greg saying the boys would be fine, but I hadn't considered how they felt. I didn't ask to hear from the true source to get information that would change how I put input into the group. Instead I just spoke. I did the same thing with punting. I really wanted to go, I was really warm, and we had just been offered 9 pounds each instead of 12, a savings of 27 pounds for the group. I was more than willing to go that second. I didn't consider that others were already cold and that we would be sitting for nearly 45 minutes. We didn't end up going right then because our boat was already given away, which allowed people to get extra layers. I state my opinion hoping to sway people and to hear other opinions in order to be swayed - but that requires someone else who is willing to take a chance to speak. It starts a process, but at the core I only vaguely consider what I know of the whole group and base most of the start off of my personal influences. I need to think more about the 'we' so that I can be a better group member. In the end, wherever I work this is the language I will need to be thinking in. 

Sprawling out, I took out my first book: Sailing the Wine-Dark Sea - Why the Greeks Matter by Thomas Cahill. Outside the country side looked like it could use a name relating to the cold and dreary tittle of the book. The frost coated the edges of the unused farmland, the sky clear allowed for a cold bitter air, and the dead brush and leafless trees on the road side spoke of warmer time. Maybe it was just the descriptions of the destruction of Troy and the tales of the death of all the heroes that made it seem like such a unpleasant land. It spoke of potential growth, but did nothing to warm the soul. We entered London next to a car crash and an advertisement "Get laid, Get WOOD!" by some construction company. Everyone rose from their naps or reading to look at all the buildings and the statues that we passed in Hyde Park. There is nothing like a giant angle and chariot to bring a little life to a person. The next great monument/statue was one to a prince or king - I forget now...we made our way past shops, restaurants, and other businesses before coming to our hotel, which was conveniently right next to another hotel.

On the curbside we waited for the bus driver to get our bags. When he didn't, lighting a smoke, we helped ourselves. It was odd because he had helped to get the bags out earlier and had removed the bags from the back seats. I wonder if he thought he was under tipped, or if he was just taking advantage of us being leaderless or the fact he was already paid stopped all motivation...either way we decided to get our stuff and get inside where it wasn't so cold. Unable to check in, we piled our stuff down stairs to the club lounge where it was locked and went outside. Walking outside we ran into rent-a-bikes. Bikes are everywhere in England and almost as crazy as the bus drivers, only the riders are slightly suicidal as the buses don't break when they come up on bikes. Because of the nice weather we came to the decision to explore Trafalgar Square. We were given Oyster Cards, all London transport passes for the week and we jumped on bus number 9 to get to Trafalgar Square. I ended up giving a seat to a woman who was clearly between three or four times my age. Would Mill say this was a decision for the greatest good? I am not sure it was, but she definitely didn't fall and break a hip because she didn't have somewhere to sit - which would've led to a very different ethical line of thought. A man also jumped on the bus to check that all our bus passes worked and that we weren't trying to cheat the system. The implication immediately made it clear that people were cheating the system and skipping out on paying. Makes you wonder what drives people to save a buck, 'scuse me, pound. Once there and after a few pictures with the lions we started looking for food - of course a pub, what else? Unable to find it, there was a place under construction where it should've been, we ended up at Pizza Express. Margarita. Soft crust thin crust with just the perfect amount of cheese and oregano. Kira, Karissa, and Meg ended up being my dinner partners.

Outside we moved on to see Big Ben and Buckingham Palace...People called for a break and we went and the search for another pub began. We ended up stopping for a drink at The Red Lion. I got a cup of Mulled Cider, which can only be described as heavily spiced apple juice with an apple wedge studded with cloves. STRONGLY SPICED. It was delicious, but it had a flavor that made it hard to keep drinking because it was so overpowering. I passed it around trying to make it so I would have less to drink. When I came back Carrieanna had joined our group and the discussion was now on a professor. That quickly changed into a discussion about using political correct words, words as fillers, and how other words have changed from being politically correct to being used as vulgar slang. 

Leaving there we headed back to the square, where Greg saw a kid drop a hat. Unwilling to fall victim to the bystander effect I ran after the lit'il chap. I said hey kid twice which he didn't hear. Instead I tapped him as he came to a walk after getting separated from his friends and asked if it was his hat. He said no and said it wasn't his friend either. Unsure of what to do and thinking I may have just got a free hat, Greg told me to put it on a store sign. Not fifty feet further did we run into the location where the hat had probably been stolen from, as there was a ton of identical hats sitting in an open bin. I don't know if the kid had been pressured into taking it but I was glad that the kid hadn't owned the hat - but now his intentions must be questioned. Was it fear or a good values that said stealing was wrong that motivated him? I guess I will never know, all I know is that someone else probably got a free hat. Ironically, if I had kept the hat I would've had a chance to return it. Would it have been wrong to keep it before finding out the root of the situation? Honestly I don't know, but the irony is great, as the hat is now given free to someone else and wasn't returned to the store, I presume.

We took the Tube back to the hotel. It was such an easy system to follow! Simply swiping our cards the gates opened for us. We would walk down a tunnel and follow the directions to the track and then the way we wanted it to travel. We got off the train after one stop and switched train tracks. This clearly was the train for PDA. One couple clearly were about to split for the night. The guy was just trying to get one more kiss at every opportunity and took one every time she would lean close enough. That said, they were still showing some self control. The two guys, one with a rather big hickey on his neck. It had me laughing to myself as it made me think of another friend who just happened to have one during a rather funny photo shoot (I <3 my body). I was thinking that the sharp looking guy probably had a rather good looking girlfriend or one who lacked self-control and loved twilight when he started cuddling on his baggily and ill dressed counterpart who had little in the way of looks. I wouldn't say they lacked self-control per se on the train, but they were definitely making the gothic guy standing next to them, who was pounding music so loud I could hear it, shift uncomfortably around several times. Philosophy time. Are ethics innate or are they learned? Assuming these guys didn't see anything wrong with their behavior, based off of western values, you can't say that we aren't born with ethics, or if we are we aren't born with the same ones. If they are born with those ethics, it becomes a question of morality and why they chose to go against the ethics they were born with. If ethics are learned though, why would these men value this type of love more than the traditional love between a man and woman? I want to say that we are all born with ethics (humans are innately good), or at least some base to be built on, but the world environment and social enforcement has to have some impact. We then count everything together in our own head and make decisions based on that original base and what we have learned. Based on the experiences we have we revise what we think and eventually develop our full formed thoughts and feelings about what is right and wrong.

Back at the hotel I was pushing for people to leave. We did - but only to find internet (WE HAD NO INTERNET!!! AH! I think my life fell apart slightly...explains the late blog right?) and then to go to MacDonalds to use it. After an hour everyone went back and Justin decided to join me. We wondered down the street - stopping at a desert store. I got a strawberry Gateua (Ghetto), a strawberry cake with really thin layers of cake and frosting - yes half and half - producing the lightest and softest cake I have ever had. We also saw a kid riding on this little seat with four wheels. By jerking the handles right and left the kid propelled the thing forward. I just missed taking his picture. So disappointed in myself....but the cake made me happy. We returned before running off to dinner. 

I learned I don't like Kidney. At all. In fact I can place exactly what the taste reminds me off. Fetal pig labs that I had to do for bio. Yeah you know the smell...ugh. Steak and Kidney Pie. Wasn't bad I just wish I hadn't brought all those memories back. Definitely the most expensive meal I have had for the size, 16.50 pounds, but a great cultural experience. I now know why they say that the British can't cook. We almost went to Kings Cross, but then decided that we wanted to find some glow sticks to make magic with using some long exposure cameras (Mom I think I know what I want for my birthday, and no, its not a wand). Now sitting alone in the bar I realize how long of a day it was. Yesterday. Happy Midnight! All I know is that this football game is over and that the Greenbay Packers are going to win - maybe everyone else saw this coming or just wanted their sleep. All I know is my bed calls.