Pudding Race and Asian Food

On Sunday we went for lunch close by in a good asian restaurant. It's reasonably priced and very good! In the photo is Kate, Winnie and Robyn. On Saturday we went to Covent Garden for the 26th annual Pudding Race. People got all dressed up, dance around outside in the cold, and carry a pudding while running an ostable course, all for raising money for charity. Fun times in London!
Last week I also went for sushi close to my place and got 50% off as a student. It was very cool, the food was in little dishes and we picked up what we wanted off a conveyor belt that looped the restaurant. The kitchen is in the middle of the restaurant so there's always something to watch.
This week I have lots of work to do before I head home -- write two essays and do lots of readings. But I will visit Tate Modern to go on the slides and will probably do some skating. Then I'll post those pictures.

More Pudding Race

Here is a guy trying to get over the obstacle course (he should be carrying a pudding), and another person putting pieces into her pudding.

Update

I didn't have any major things due this week so I enjoyed touring around London (went to Westminster Abbey for a special tour and heard the boys/men choir, and went to St Paul's cathedral for a tour). I also started watching The Office and it's so funny! I discoverd the common room in my building which has a tv that I'll use when I'm desperate to watch tv. I also went to a really cheap Indian buffet (only £3) on Thursday night with people from school, and went into a neighbourhood where I've never been. Most neighbourhoods have their own markets and I'd like to check them out sometime.
Last night I went to the East End of London (there's a show made about this area called "east-enders" and it used to make fun of them a lot). We went for really good cheap Indian food and then headed to a bar. There was dancing at the second one, and I was surprised at how badly most people danced! Plus the music was bad, so we didn't stick around for long. Winnie and I took the bus and it was fun to sit on the top at the front. Today I'm doing some work and maybe going to see The DaVinci Code in the cinema room of my building. Depends how much work I get done!

Friday fun

Here's Robyn and I at the Canadian High Commission's home. We went for a reception on Friday night for graduate students studying in the UK. Most were from Cambridge, Oxford (our rivals) and the LSE. It was pretty interesting, the serving people kept filling up our drinks and we stood around and talked. The High Commissioner made a speech to try to inspire us graduate students to 'serve Canada' in an exciting career in the public services. And there were other civil servants to ask questions about job options and how to find them. So I should start job searching soon!
The next photo is of me in front of this famous statue/fountain. I forget it's name so someone please tell me! It's by Piccadilly Circus and we walked by on our way to the Canadian pub (the Maple Leaf) after the reception. While walking to the reception I passed close to Buckingham Palace and through St James' park which was beautiful although it was night and raining. I was looking at my map and didn't realize I was really close to a guard for St James' Palace, so it freaked me out when I looked up and he was staring at me! I'll definitely head back to that neighbourhood on a sunny day! It's the poshiest part of London I've been to so far, lots of expensive stores including Porsche.

View from St Paul's

Here are photos of the river Thames and the London Eye. The parliament buildings are behind it but I don't know if it's clear enough to see. I didn't know if these would turn out because the sun was setting and it was a bit cloudly, but they aren't bad!

St Paul's

I went to this church (it's in the business area and pretty close to my school) on Wednesday for a free tour. It's very pretty inside with lots of gold and paintings and stuff, but I couldn't take photos. We walked up about 300 steps to get good views of London. The first photo is of the city including the new pointy building called "St Mary Axe" and it has a nickname too but I can't remember it. The next photo is the front of St Paul's. I think I posted this before.

View from St Paul's

Here is Tate Modern (modern art gallery that is so cool! Their newest art exhibition is 3 metal slides from different levels. I hope to head there next week so stay-tuned for photos!) To the left is the Globe Theatre and Museum (Shakespeare). There are no plays right now but I'll go to one in the summer. It is a round theatre and there are standing places for only £5. The bridge going to Tate Modern is the Millennium Bridge for pedestrians, it's pretty cool and has good views of the river.

The bottom photo is Tower Bridge, I haven't headed there yet but I will soon. One of my friends lives by there and walks by it when going to school.