Greenwich and the Thames

This morning was spent mostly working on my essay, and it is slow work, let me tell you. I can't remember if I mentioned this before, but, unfortunately, none of the essay topics provided by my tutor appealed to me. So I chose the one that was the least-uninteresting to me. Still not exactly what I want to write about, but not terrible either. It's coming along fairly well now, still have a good ways to go. I would be a bit easier in my mind if I knew what to expect on the grading end, because I have no idea. But, I think it will be alright. I have faith in Jane Austen.

On the more fun and interesting side of things, we had our ISA "Farewell Dinner" today (the title is sad, I just ignore the "farewell" part). We took a boat on the Thames down to Greenwich. The weather was absolutely beautiful.

The Thames is just about the same color as the Mississippi River. Some people were surprised, apparently that's not how most rivers look. But it's pretty typical for me.
In Greenwich, we got the opportunity to see the Royal Navy College, which also happens to be an important filming location for Thor 2, where it kind of gets destroyed.

 Then, we went to a lovely Mediterranean restaurant, where we had, among other things, baklava, which was, of course, delicious:

Afterward, we walked up to the Royal Observatory, where the view is amazing:

And, of course, the Prime Meridian is a thing:

We also saw the Cutty Sark, the famous tea clipper:

And we returned to our flat, and I've been working on my essay ever since. Which is why this whole post may be a bit scattered and incoherent; my brain is threatening to shut down as I type. I think it's because it's summer, and my brain thinks that I shouldn't be doing school work. False. I will be finishing this paper tomorrow morning, whether my brain likes it or not. I actually just bought a ticket to see Jeeves and Wooster: Perfect Nonsense at the Duke of Yorke's theater tomorrow evening, so that will provide a good incentive for the successful termination of this essay.

Also, as today was our final ISA event, I wanted to say a few words about this organization. International Studies Abroad, is what ISA stands for, in case you didn't realize, or in case I already told you and forgot that I told you, and you forgot that that is what I told you. Anyway, they have been incredible. Before I left for London, they had already sent me extensive and complete information on what to expect, what to pack, what the experience will be like, etc. So I felt pretty well prepared for whatever was going to happen. Upon reaching London, they showed us how to function as non-tourists. For example, they told us which side of the escalator to stand on, and which side to walk up, in the Tube. This may seem unimportant, but it can really save a lot of trouble, and having a lot of people angry and impatient at you. Standing on the left side? Big no-no. You leave the left side clear so people who are in a hurry can walk up the escalator. Other students who didn't come through ISA were not so well-prepared, as we saw when we went on excursions for our class. ISA also showed us how to buy and top up our Oyster cards to ride the Tube. Where to get groceries. The quickest way to get to class. And tons of other things. Plus, they took us on incredible adventures in and outside London. Truly invaluable. I am so thankful that I chose to study abroad through them, because they have really contributed towards making it all so memorable.

And that's all I have for today. My contacts are making my eyes angry, so I think I'm going to head to bed. A prayer or two towards the success of my essay wouldn't go amiss. I am determined to finish it tomorrow morning. It shall be done. Night night!!