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For those that have been enquiring, I am alive. I'm in Baltimore, which is very very lovely indeed, as you can see from the picture. I left DC yesterday morning and Amtrak-d it to Baltimore. I spent my last day in DC at the Natural History Museum in the morning, which was absolutely fascinating. They had an awesome exhibit on forensic anthropology which took up quite a bit of my time, as well as the Hope Diamond and lots of other pretty gemstones. We had a chili night at the Hostel (free food! that tasted good! can it be true?) and Vijay and I headed out for frozen yogurt afterwards, which was an experience I hadn't had before. Think ice cream dispensers in a dozen different flavours only for yogurt, sold by the ounce, with all the different toppings you could possibly think of (like blueberries, strawberries and maraschino cherries - nom!).
On arrival at Baltimore I headed straight for the Inner Harbour, as I had been hearing great things from everyone about the National Aquarium. I wasn't disappointed - there was a dolphin show (so much win!) and exhibits full of great big turtles, sharks, stingrays and fish, with additional exhibits with birds and primates (although I didn't see any monkey-things). After that I checked into the Hostel, which is just so pretty - it's a really old building off Charles Street, right next to the Basilica, which was the first Catholic Church to be built in the United States. One of my (ten) roommates was Rebecca, a law student from New Mexico on four day leave from the National Guard. She works in transportation and was a really fascinating person talk to. She, one of the employees at the Hostel by the name of Jen and I headed downtown that evening for a meal and to catch a baseball game - Baltimore Orioles vs. Tampa Rays. For my fellow Brits, the rules of baseball are essentially this: it's rounders. In a ma-hu-ssive stadium. And everyone's drunk. And everytime a player steps up to bat, there's a little burst of music - Nickelback or something. And from time to time everyone yells CHARGE! And there's cotton candy. And very little actually happens, but it's still fun to break into the YMCA song at random intervals. We left as the 8th inning began, sensing that being 4-1 down at that point it was unlikely the Orioles would make any kind of comeback. We wandered around the Inner Harbour for a while then headed back to the Hostel to crash.
Today, Rebecca, a French au pair named Elodie and I decided to check out the Basilica next door, which was apparantly a favourite hangout of Mother Theresa and Pope JP2. We went on a tour, which was really interesting, then went to a local sushi bar for lunch. Being the wuss that I am, I didn't have actual sushi, under the excuse of 'vegetarian' (which can actually get you out of a lot of stuff, even though I'm technically a piscetarian). We spent the afternoon at an art museum called the Walters, and then Rebecca and I went grocery shopping before she headed home. The plan for tonight is some kind of ghost walk tour thing in Mt. Vernon. Which if you ask me sounds like a place in a Pokemon game, but maybe I just needed more friends when I was a kid.
In other news, I'm getting through Jeffery Deaver novels at the rate of knots (however fast that is) and now I want some more frozen yogurt. I have a confirmed place to live next year (yay!) and a schedule for Freshers Weeks (double yay!). It's been so fun explaining to all the Americans - who can't drink until they're 21 - that we spend the first two weeks of college getting drunk and staying that way, and that is basically sanctioned by the college. I also like to talk to Americans about driving, so I can feel smug that I know how to drive a stick and none of them do.
Ta ra for now. Here's hoping I don't get attacked by scary ghosts tonight, or that if I do those good lookin' guys from Supernatural are there to save me.
Brewster out.
- comments
David Come back to Blighty at once, Brewster. It's clear you're having far too much fun in the colonies!! Keep safe you.
Mum This is a wonderful story that you are writing. Can't wait to join in NY! Mxx
David Hmm...Jeffery Deaver hey. Move on, Brewster! I suggest James Lee Burke. Louisiana's finest. Start with 'A Stained White Radiance', then work through back catalogue, before going forward http://www.jamesleeburke.com/ Tough crime reading, but no-one paints a finer picture of life in the good old US of A. Powell out