"You must be somewhere in London; you must be lovin' your life in the rain." -- The National

--Here is a prolix and pleading attempt to offer substantial excuses for being so dilatory in updating this blog, as well as a lamenting farewell to my stipend: It’s to do with perfectionist profundity; I feel that everything I post needs to be some insightful social commentary or themed, perceptive anecdote not made dull by over-sharing the pithy details of my life. But, it’s a blog, right?! If you hungered for profundity, you would pick up some Socrates, and my beard isn’t quite that luxuriant. So trifling incidentals abound! Here’s what I’ve been doing since we last spoke.

I suppose I’ve been kind of spoiled, actually. Sure, there are still nights where I tuck into the traditional collegiate meal of ramen and rice or cheesy beans on toast (which I relish, to be honest,  mealsof the independent), but the pasttwo weeks have had me seeing the posher side of London town.

One of my best friends from Florida, Chase, came to stay last weekend (he can do this as his dad is an airline pilot), and in that short space, I enjoyed gourmet Belgian food, two West End shows(Shrek and The 39 Steps, both immensely enjoyable), art galleries and the like. It was so nice to see a familiar face here, though I’m not sure if it broke or heightened the pervading surreality of this whole experience.

Me and Chase on the tippy-top of St. Paul's Cathedral.

Crème Brûlée!

Two weeks ago, at the invitation of a friend that goes to Cass Business School at City University, I got a true peek at the posh superculture of London. We attended a financial networking event at the Mahiki Lounge in Mayfair (a Hawaiian-themed nightclub frequented by Kate Middleton, Emma Watson, Beyonce and Prince Harry, among others), rubbing shoulders, sharing drinks and trading business cards with people who livein Canary Wharf. There was a Jamaican woman in the bathroom with a tear-stained leather face, there only to help me wash my hands. The neat little labyrinth of ritzy cobbled streets surrounding the Mayfair and Green Park area leading up to Piccadilly Circus was a pleasure to traverse in my clicking black pumps. It was a spectacular side of London I never expected  and am thankful to have seen.

Mahiki is right across from the Ritz. I can barely handle the overabundance of 'Notting Hill' moments.

But now, I’m off to the Malvern Hills for the weekend to rough it no-internet style. I hope traversing the hiking trails of western England in my plodding hiking boots will be as enjoyable in its own way as the posh district of western London.