I'm the train they call the City of New Orleans, I'll be gone 500 miles when the day is done

I discovered Canary Wharf today. Usually I get on the Jubilee line headed west into central London, but today I went east. Mostly because the Starbucks website told me I could find a latte there. In truth, there are three Starbucks at Canary Wharf. I didn't even get above ground from the tube until about an hour and a half after I'd actually gotten off the train. You step off the tube, swipe your pass, and immediately you're ushered into this extensive maze of an underground mall with unnaturally low ceilings. I arrived around 12 and the hallways were jammed with bushiness men in snappy suits with their modern retry-gelled and spiky haircuts, all standing in line to get cash from the HSBC, standing in line at various food stands, or milling about in front of the small art gallery pretending to browse but really sneaking glances at the video game stores on either side. Amusing to watch. Nerds in suits.

I also sat in Starbucks for awhile and opened the packages I received from Mum and Dad. Mum's had pictures of everyone. Ted biting me, Peter mid-sandwich, the wedding party and a few others. They are now up on the wall above my bed. Dad's package had THE funniest children's book I've ever read. Ever. It's called The Boy Who Looked like Lincoln, but to describe it to would be absolutely useless (useless, I tell you!) without the illustrations. In reading it I laughed out loud so hard all the way through it that I basically peed the couch on which I was sitting. The Starbucks employees weren't thrilled. Quite honestly though, that book was the high point of my day. Anyone who comes within a five mile radius of a decent book store must pop in and do a quick scan for this book. It's wonderful.

After Canary Wharf I returned to campus, had choir rehearsal, read some of The Eyre Affair back in the flat, played a crappy practice soccer match with the team (the high point of which was when Jess who is very posh and very British called someone "dude"...clearly I'm rubbing off on them *smile*) and then returned for the flat for a shower and what was supposed to be a night of laundry but has quickly deteriorated into a night of poking around online. Well done, Molliegirl. But I've managed to drink six cups (count 'em, six) of green tea and take out the trash.