As one little tourist boy so aptly stated, while taking a picture of a man with a fake lobster attached to his head, ...

"There are so many weird people in London." It's true. There are. Probably, in fact, one of the greatest concentrations of weird people that I've ever encountered. And I've lived in Ann Arbor, so that's saying something.

For example, there is a woman who dresses in a shiny silver leotard and, suspended by an enormous balloon, performs acrobatics in the air with Christmas carols as background music. There's a man who paints himself entirely in black and stands as still as a stone on the edge of the sidewalk with crumbs scattered around him, until he is surrounded, and sometimes landed on, by pigeons. There's a jazz band that busks under the Hungerford Bridge, dirty-dancing while playing on the trumpet, saxophone, etc.

But I'll grant you that many of the idiosyncrasies which amuse me are the same freak-shows that tourists come to London for--one of the many side effects of living in the center of the city.

The temperature has seemed to stay relatively steady for the past few weeks, and in the face of Michigan ice-storms, I can no longer complain about the weather. Last night, I was in Trafalgar Square for the lighting of the traditional tree gifted to London by the Norwegians. Following a the lighting, a city band and local choir played/sang, and what had previously been a light mist turned into a cold drizzle. One of the choir girls promptly busted out an umbrella, but most of them just stood there and shivered.

In the words of the inestimable Lord Major of Westminster, "I'm sure we all, Londoners and international visitors alike, feel closer to the Norwegian people as a result of this gift." Harumph. I'm sure we do.

In addition to the expected Christmas trees and lighted streets, Christmas carnivals seem to be popular here. Carousels with reindeer are not uncommon, and a Christmas-themed carnival has taken over a very large segment of Hyde Park. Large groups of tourists walk along the Thames with Santa Claus hats bobbing on their heads.

And as for me, you ask? I went to my last class of the semester this morning. Next week, I have consultations for the exams and essays that I won't have to sit for or turn in until the second week in January. And... I'm tired. I miss my friends. So, other attempted travel plans having fallen through, I'm bringing my books and my essay-writing ass back into the country, and more specifically, to the west side of Michigan, for the holidays. Since most of my fellow students will be home for Christmas, I'll probably spend most of my time with family, but if you have some free time and want to hang out, email me! I'll be in Michigan from 13 December until 3 January.

xoxo.