I'm a bad blogger. I have thoughts through out the day, observations about life here, I make mental and/or paper notes and never do anything with them. It's been a week since I last posted but nothing of real significance has happened.

In addition to being a bad blogger, I'm a bad Democracy and Democratisation student. I truly am. Know why? I didn't vote. More importantly, I didn't want to vote. This election cycle has been nothing but a tragic mess. A tragic, unholy mess full of nothing but vitriol and bile spewed from extremists. I made the decision not to file for an absentee ballot before I left home. I honestly felt that in this election that it didn't matter. And in my state, my vote honestly doesn't. I live in a very safe Democratic district who will re-elect our representative in a walk. I knew last year, before the campaign even began, who the new Republican governor would be. I felt for the first time like my vote truly wouldn't have mattered. And it wouldn't have. The returns next Tuesday will be the same. So I don't know if not voting really makes me a bad Democracy and Democratisation student or a bad Democrat. Probably a little bit of both.

Things From Home

It's not the big things I miss. It's the little ones. Grocery shopping feels like an exercise of frustration nearly every time I go. My grandmother was kind enough to send me a care package of stuff I missed and wanted and couldn't find a suitable replacement for here in London. JIF peanut butter. Sour gummi worms. Applesauce. Kraft mac & cheese.

I had the last item for dinner tonight. I'm not sure it's ever tasted so good. Taking into account the shipping, customs charges, and VAT, that box of mac and cheese cost approximately $11. Totally worth it.

Playing Tourist

Before I landed in London, I made a promise to myself that I would behave like a tourist one day of the week. To me this meant walking around with a map and my camera gawking at the things I had only seen on television or in the movies...trying to play it cool when I round a corner and suddenly there's Big Ben or the London Eye or whatever.

So yesterday I kept my promise to myself and went to the National Portrait Gallery.  I would understand that this is place that probably wouldn't be very high on many people list of priorities when coming to London. But I thought "I have a year. What the hell." I like art. I do. I'm not a great lover of it by any stretch of the imagination but I appreciate beautiful and well done things. I spent about an hour and half there lingering over the portraits of people I'd actually heard of and glancing at the rest. The gallery had portraits of everyone from Henry VIII (and his many, many wives) to Elizabeth I and Mary, Queen of Scots, to Charles and Diana and a rather interesting rendering of Elizabeth II by Andy Warhol. The newest addition to the royal family portraits was the portrait of Princes William and Harry unveiled just last year. All in all, an extraordinary place to visit but I wouldn't necessarily go to again.

Thursday's Thought

I like living in a country were Stella Artois is cheaper than Budweiser. Even when it's in a tall boy.

On American Soil Again...

Well, kind of. I had to trek all the way across the city today to visit the US Embassy. Due to a massive delay with the mail, I could not get my fingerprints made for my security clearance application while still at home. So after about three phone calls, I finally get a hold of person in the Regional Security Office at the embassy. God bless the RSO. They kindly squeezed me in this morning at 11. It took me an hour to get there (and I only got lost once – turning the wrong way when coming out the Tube stations is becoming a problem I need to correct). I met with the Assistant RSO, a very nice, chatty guy named Jerry.

Getting fingerprinted is an awkward situation. For one thing, you kind of feel like you’re at Central Booking. It’s a “Now I know how people who get arrested feel” kind of moment. Awkwardness ensues because you only just met the person who now has to man-handle your fingers to get them to bend certain ways so you get a good print. All the while, you either proceed to not look at said person or attempt to make idle chit-chat. Jerry, however, managed to make me laugh and explain some things about the building. Apparently it’s undergoing a lot of renovations ahead of the 2012 Olympics here in London. All I can say is that I’m glad I’ll be gone by then (Maybe. We’ll see. Who knows.) The building is also overcrowded. Not minimal overcrowding. The embassy has a staff of near 1000. The building was meant for 500. I know we have a “special relationship” with Britain but 1000 people in a single embassy? That seems excessive, or maybe we’re having to work at little harder at this relationship than we used to.

The appointment took about fifteen minutes then I was all done and sent on my way with black ink on my fingers that didn’t completely wash off until tonight.

I hope this security clearance comes through and I can manage to work things out with my Visa because after having been in the building, I really want to work there.