Oxford Episode 3

Mom let me borrow her older wind-up alarm clock. It's small and great for traveling, except for one thing. It ticks like a time-bomb. I feel like any minute my room is going to explode. To me, it is one of the most annoying sounds. I'm not sure if it is the knowledge that with every passing tick-tick-tick-tick, my life is slipping away. It's like a very annoying way to remind me that time does in fact pass and there is not one thing I can do about it, except maybe break the clock. Right now it is sitting on my desk, and I'm very tempted to pick it up and throw it across the room. But, I won't because I need it. So I thought I figured out a solution to this pesky menace. I'd set the alarm and put it in the drawer. I tested it to make sure I could hear it, and I could. So I stuffed it in the drawer last night and went and laid down. As I was lying there, I could still hear it. I jumped up, took it out of the shallow top drawer and threw it into the deeper drawer on the side and pulled some paper over it. Mission accomplished. Until I never heard it go off this morning. Luckily, my internal alarm went off around 10:57. Although it could've been nice if it had gone off a little bit before then, since I have class at 11:00. But I threw on some clothes, brushed my teeth, pulled my hair back into a pony-tail and made it to class two minutes late, and he hadn't even started yet. I guess I am just going to have to let the ticking of the clock lull to me sleep from now on.

Yesterday (Saturday) eight of us went into London for the day. As the bus started driving into the city, I couldn't help but become anxious and nervous and excited all at the same time. For as long as I could remember, I have always wanted to go to London. I remember in the first grade, I became obsessed with King Arthur and loved the movie First Knight (I should watch it again). Now, I know I have been in England for a week now, but I think driving into London is when it really hit home for me. As I stopped off the bus, I am pretty sure I started giggling, especially when I saw the post with directions, pointing towards Buckingham Palace. We were all hungry so we went in and ate at some place called the King's Arms. Supposedly it was historical, but I got the feeling it wasn't. I mean the decor looked historical, but other than that... So after lunch we stared to head towards Buckingham Palace. As we were walking along, I was like "guys...this doesn't feel right. I think we are going in the wrong direction. Turns out...we were. My heart was pulling me home. HA...just kidding. Sort of. We made it to Buckingham Palace and took pictures and stuff. The flag was raised on top of the palace, which means the queen was home!





Some cars in the front that could possibly belong to the royal family. Probably not. But you never know.







They had some big guns...they also held some large firearms. HA...bu dum shh

The park right beside the palace... =)





We walked away from the palace and started down the street. We were walking along, and then that's when it happened. I looked up and saw some white of a building peaking out from behind the trees. I started giggling and pointing like crazy and the girls asked what was my problem. I said "It's his house! That's it! That's his house!" haha







So, there were two guards on either side of the driveway. Lots of tourists were there and you can go up and pose with the guards, but of course they can't say or look or move or anything to acknowledge your presence. When it was my turn to go, I went and stood beside him, but at that moment he and his buddy across the driveway decided that they were going to march down the side of the street and come back. Well, I'm getting all ready to pose for the camera and he stomps his foot, yells out something, and marches in the other direction. It scared me so bad. I had no idea what was going on. Then the police officer that was standing there in front of the gate told us to clear the driveway and to get up on the sidewalks. I almost started hyperventilating, because someone was pulling up in a car. The car pulled in and I looked in the windows, but it wasn't anyone I know or recognized. They did look royal though. They kind of looked like they had just come from a wedding or something. So the car pulled into the gate, but the police officer was standing near me and I asked him if Prince William was going to be pulling up anytime soon. He smiled and said "Well, actually he's not here today." And then I said "Urgh! I'm only going to be here for a month! I have to see him some time!" The police officer laughed. So then I tried again to pose with the guards. I went up to him and I said in my best trying-to-be-funny voice "Now, I know you can't answer me, but this must get pretty old." AND THEN HE LAUGHED! I mean, not a HA HA HA, laugh. But he gave a little "humph" chuckle thing. It was pretty much one of the greatest moments of my life...or week. I mean it's a big deal, especially after watching the Mary-Kate and Ashley movie called "Winning London." There was a whole montage of them attempting to get the guards to smile. It never happened. But I made him laugh. This will have to do until I meet Prince William. I kind of think it's fate. I mean, the police smiled at me and found me endearing, the guard laughed at my tourist-depreciating joke. England loves me. They want me as their princess and future queen. haha





Laura trying to dance by the guard....Amanda thinking Laura is an idiot...haha

After the excitement of that, we walked through Trafalgar Square. Near Trafalgar Square was the original Texan embassy from when we were our very own nation. I felt a bit of Texas pride. There was a Texas flag waving. A Texan bought the building and turned it into a Tex-Mex restaurant. I had watched a special about it on the Travel network one time, so that was cool to see it.

A cool arch we passed through before we got to Trafalgar Square. The clouds were really amazing that day and were a nice backdrop for a lot of the pictures I took.






Then we walked made our way to Parliament and Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. I took quite a few pictures there and on the bridge, but I can't decide which ones I like the best so I'll just put most of them up.





Me in front of Westminster Abbey...or as the genius city-planners that named my home neighborhood call it: WestminIster.



I don't mean to be racist...but asian tourists are probably the funniest tourists out there. They crack me up and I usually end up taking a few shots of them. This is one of my favorites I've gotten on the trip so far. He's trying to look like he's holding up Big Ben. It's not that it's a stupid idea, just...well...you'd have to witness it for yourself to truly appreciate how funny it is.





We sat and laid down on the grass of Westminster for about 30 minutes. That was very enjoyable. I took this picture laying down. I could flip it, but I took it upside down so it is going to stay upside down.


There was a little section of grass that was for all the protestors and stuff. I guess we're not the only ones who think the Free-Masons are bad...hahaha




Big Ben behind me



On the bridge over the Thames with the London Eye behind me...it moves really, really slow








We walked by Buckingham Palace on our way back to our bus stop.


There were luxury cars every where you looked. I mean nice one. Bentleys, Ferraris, Aston Martins. At first I would take a picture of a cool car I saw, but it just got to be too much. There were way too many.

We were all very tired and had been walking all day and wanted to find some place to eat and relax before we got back on the bus to go return to Oxford. We were in a more residential area, so it was difficult to find a restaurant...but we finally found one.




THE END.