Up at 8 in the morning, had breakfast while watching Regular Show. A cartoon about a racoon and a blue jay that work as groundskeepers at a park and their boss is a gumball machine. Each episode starts off pretty normal, what you’d expect working at a park, but halfway through it turns towards the weird (zombies, robots, aliens, etc.). After a few episodes I went and got ready for my day. Left at 10 to go check Big Ben.
Getting to the Westminster Station, the first thing I see upon getting to street level was Big Ben. It’s…something. What I have seen in movies, on TV, and in pictures, all of it doesn’t do it justice. Walking around it, around the area, taking pictures, I come across the Supreme Court. It was open for visitors and you could walk in and watch a hearing. None were going on today for some reason. I think it’s because of this thing called ‘Christmas’ that I keep hearing about. Going inside, I had to go through a security checkpoint. I had to take all metal off of me and walk through a metal detector. After putting my belt back on, I ask them to wave the wand over my wrist because there’s metal in me. They wave it and nothing comes up. Darn. After, they ask me what happened. I tell them my story of the incident. They were dumbfounded that I was still alive. I just laughed it off and told them that bike helmets save lives, and I’m not going to let a thing like a car take me out while there was still lots of food and beer to try in this world. They had a good laugh at that.
Touring around the three courtrooms, I come across a security guard that asks me if I’m excited for the new movie. Confused, he points at my shirt. I had forgotten that I was wearing my Star Wars shirt. We talked for a good fifteen-minutes about Star Wars and about Marvel comic books. Who knew I was going to find a geeky security guard in England’s Supreme Court!
After that I left and went down to the riverside. Eventually I came across dozens of wooden shack-shops that were selling festive foods, drinks, ales and wines, and goods. This was so cool! I would have stayed to look at them all but I really had to go to the washroom. I come across the Millennium Bridge, a pedestrian bridge across the river, and I knew of a cafe on the other side. Crossed over, went to the washroom, and got myself a coffee.
3:00 was rolling around and my knee was starting to hurt. I make my way towards the subway, but first I pop into a pub. I tell the bartender that I need to use the washroom first (fluids are flying through me today!) but I’ll be back and get a pint. Running there and back, I order a pint. He asks me where I’m from and I respond with Canada, near Toronto.
‘Toronto?’ He says. ‘In that case, the pint’s on the house. I love Toronto!’ We talk for a while about Toronto and London, and where I’m from. Once finished my pint, I say my goodbyes and thank-yous, I jump onto the subway and head back to the apartment.
Getting in, I sit down in front of my laptop and Skype with Lindy and Emma, my older sister and niece from Texas. Then with my mom afterwards. A few hours go by while talking with them, and after I’m done I go out for pizza. Coming back with some ‘za, I watch some more Regular Show then head to bed for 11.