The pearls in my oyster

Firstly, thanks to everyone who has been looking out for me in the last couple of days. I feel truly blessed. Not to mention my parents whom I will see soon! (there are always cargo freighters, right?)

Today I enjoyed a hearty included breakfast and set off to the Imperial War Museum, as suggested to me by a classmate. Wow. I have at best a passing interest in wars, yet spent an easy four hours in there. Yeah, four. It is massive and strangely fascinating. It starts with World War I and II which of course garnered huge areas of the place. In the WWI area they have a trench experience that was very cool, and in the WWII area they have a 'blitz experience' where they shake the floor and have rubble and other destroyed stuff much to the delight and horror of patrons. I knew it would be good when exiting school groups exclaimed “That was cooool!” and “That was scary!” (boys and girls, respectively). From there they had displays from almost every conflict that occurred after WWII, and also a very moving holocaust exhibit.

I had a packed lunch in the surrounding garden and then went to South Kensington to the Victoria and Albert. This, I always thought was a museum of clothing and textiles, which it is to a point. But that is certainly not all they have to offer. As I was recently told 'they have everything!' Truly from 12th century religious icons, a crazy collection of iron works, altarpieces, ceramics, weapons, and indeed clothing and textiles. At any given moment I couldn't find the room I was in on the map which made it one of the most confusing museums I'd been in and I'm pretty sure that I only saw a fraction of it all. Relieved to find an exit, I took it and briefly visited the natural history museum before they closed. It was with renewed interest that I observed their volcano exhibit.

I do put some effort into not looking like a tourist. Having been to London more than once I feel I've earned the right to not be lumped in the tourist category. They should make a different category: the um, I've been here before so don't hassle me category. Anyway, with my backpack buckled around my waist and my A to Z map book peeking out of my pocket, I pretty much fail at not looking like a tourist. Not to mention the occasional fits of picture taking. Thank goodness I have the elitist headphones to help me fit in, though I'm sure the Cov Uni hoodie isn't fooling anyone. But yesterday I got my very own oyster card which makes me feel like a true Londoner.

One my walk back tonight I noticed something that there had been an obvious lack of until now. Planes. Freaking Planes. One after the other, landing safely and taunting me in my loneliness.