~ ANNE! ~

And here I thought nothing would be able to stop me from sleeping for about 16 hours. I finally met my roommates, and one of them has a very loud and very obnoxious cellphone (or something) that went off three times last night. After the last one, I couldn't get back to sleep. Can't really blame it all on that,though - I think my body's still a bit confused and trying to get back on schedule.

Anyway, the roommates. The first one is Sharon, this really great PhD student in Archeology from Montana (although she's doing the PhD at Cornell). She's spending two weeks in London because she gets to poke around in the basement of the British museum and study artifacts! AND her grant pays for it all. I am so jealous. She's doing her dissertation on children's grave goods in various societies. Very cool stuff. We went for Chinese food at a little buffet last night (vegetables - thank heavens!) and had some very good conversation. She collects antique jewellery and historical dolls, and seems to love history (especially if it involves the macabre, which explains the poking around in other peoples' graves!) I am thinking about staying an extra day in London to go on a Jack the Ripper walking tour with her and hit the London Dungeon or Madame Tussauds. (London certainly has no shortage of gory historical stuff!)

The other two are random European girls. I don't know who they are or where they're from because they don't talk to us, only each other. I'm trying not to hate them for the cell phone thing...

The sore throat from a few days ago has developed into a very annoying barky cough. (Part of the reason I couldn't fall back asleep last night). I'm hoping it will go away once I get onto a better schedule and start eating properly.

A night at this hostel comes with a free breakfast voucher. You have two choices: the Pile o' Carbs or the Pile o' Grease. I went with carbs today (pastry and toast with orange juice) because it included pain au chocolat, which I developed an addiction to when I was in Paris in high school. For some reason I've never seen that particular pastry in Edmonton. Anyway, yum! Tomorrow maybe I'll go with the grease, though, and get some protein.

So I was thinking about going to Highgate Cemetary today (moody Victorian grave markers) but it seems to be raining pretty heavily. Choice B is the Victoria and Albert museum, my favorite place to hang out in London. Sharon is gone on a bus tour of Stonehenge, so I'm on my own again. Not a big deal, but it was very nice to have someone to talk to, especially someone so full of ideas.