London

Yesterday, I went to London with my friend Tyler, another MIT student here for the year at Cambridge. The train only took about an hour, and it deposited us right at Kings Cross station.

When we arrived at Kings Cross, I was shocked to discover that Harry Potter is real.

We first took the Underground to Piccadilly Circus and wandered around. I was a bit tired so I walked into the nearest donut shop and ordered a cup of coffee. Now, I know that the UK is expensive, and London is supposed to be especially bad, but £2.50 (that's $5) for a 12 oz. cup of weak-ass coffee from a grungy donut shop is downright ridiculous.

The main square in Piccadilly was kind of a mini-Times Square, but with much older buildings. Also, there was gambling! I won 5 quid on my first pull of a slot machine then cashed out and left. The big neon signs were cool, but I think I would've preferred to look at the fronts of the buildings behind them.

Movies are absurdly expensive in London! (These prices are in pounds, so multiply them by 2.)

From Piccadilly Circus, we walked toward Trafalgar Square, and on the way passed by the National Portrait Gallery. We noticed that admission was free and wandered in. Inside, we found portraits of (and by) a number of British icons.

Andy Warhol's portrait of the Queen:

T.S. Eliot's head:

Ian Flemming:

A really, really scary looking guy:

Dude with glasses:

After leaving the National Portrait Gallery, we continued to Trafalgar Square.

On one side is the National Gallery. Here's Tyler flashing some sort of obscure gang sign in front of it:

On the other side of Trafalgar Square were lots and lots of protesters. We watched this guy rant about Che Guevara for about 10 minutes:

We continued on toward Big Ben and Westminster Abbey. On the way, we saw Admiralty Arch.

And this Jack Daniels taxi cab.

When we arrived, we were greeted instantly by 4 world-famous landmarks: Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, the London Eye, and Mr Rossi's ice cream truck.

More protesters outside Parliament:

Tyler gets in touch with his spiritual side at Westminster Abbey:

Unfortunately, we arrived too late to tour the Abbey, but were just in time for the Evensong services. I'm not religious, but sitting in on a service there was very cool. The choir was quite good, and the 100-food ceilings provided spectacular acoustics. It also happened to be the anniversary of Alfred Lord Tennyson's death, who is buried in the "poet's corner" section of the Abbey.

I took a quick photo while everyone was shuffling out at the end of services.

Next, we wandered through St. James Park toward Buckingham Palace.

Just a man and his birds - Danny K, if you're reading this, this is you in 50 years:

After that picture, my camera ran out of batteries! I think I might invest in a new one with better resolution and a rechargeable battery before my next excursion. Fortunately, it was already beginning to get dark. We walked to Soho and ate possibly the best Indian food I've had in my life, then caught the train back to Cambridge.

All in all, it was a great day. I'd really like to explore London more while I'm here. It's so close and easy to get to. Next time, instead of focusing the touristy stuff, I think I'll go off in search of the city's sordid underbelly. (Brixton is supposed to be a good place to start.) A few of my British friends who know the city well have already offered to show me around.

Well, it's been a nice weekend, but I have a 9am lecture tomorrow and it's time to get some sleep.

Settling In

The Caius College Matriculation ceremony on Monday morning was a somewhat bizarre spectacle, mostly because of the gowns we had to wear. They're these kind of frilly, frock-like things that you wear over your coat. Every college in Cambridge, except for Kings', requires its students to purchase gowns (for the low low price of £50).

Here's a picture of mine:

At Caius, we wear our gowns primarily during "formal" sittings in the dining hall, but also during graduation and just about any ceremonial occasion (Cambridge has loads of them) that might arise. I bought a used one for £25, not bothering to check its quality because of the bargain. When I brought it back to my room and inspected it more closely, I was dismayed to find that it was kind of grungy and frayed. But as it turns out, a few second and third-years told me that worn-out gowns are "cool".

The Matriculation ceremony itself was somewhat uneventful. It consisted of short speeches given by each fellow of the college. Then we all signed documents which made us official members of Caius. It was a bit interesting to sit in the hall with everyone dressed in gowns though. There were four tables set parallel to each other, with the fellows at a separate table on a raised platform in the front of the room. High ceilings, stained glass windows, and crests on the wall... it's really just like Harry Potter.

Anyways, I'm still busy getting things sorted out before lectures start (tomorrow). But I've had more time to wander around Cambridge in the last few days and take some photos.

First of all, this is my room:

It's a bit messy, as always. (Be sure to note the California flag/tablecloth.) I'm living in the brand-new Stephen Hawking Building. The furniture is really nice and I have my own bathroom, but the place is so sterile that it makes me a bit uncomfortable. It kind of reminds me of Simmons at MIT... but I don't think Caius College paid $400 million for this dorm.

Even Simmons dorm rooms don't open with RFID.

Unfortunately, my high-tech door doesn't stay open, and I don't like being anti-social. I didn't bring anything heavy enough to prop it open, so my only choice was to find something thin and jam it underneath.

I knew Ian McEwan would be good for something.

Here's the man himself:

He was actually at our post-Matriculation dinner on Monday! I could only see the back of his wheelchair though. I heard a story that a few years ago someone pennied him during a formal dinner and was banned from the dining hall for 200 years.

Speaking of pennies, I never realized that the Queen's face on British coins actually ages in time with her:

When Caians graduate, they walk through the Gate of Honour. Walking through it before you graduate is supposed to be very bad luck, and that's a shame because it's a very convenient passageway between the Old Courts and the Library.

Here it is:

Here are a few other pictures from around Cambridge in no particular order.

The Fellows Garden at Claire College

Punts on the River Cam

The Kings College Chapel