Thursday, April 2, 2009

1/4/09

I woke up today, finished off my bagels and ice cream, and got ready to go to the G20 protests. I didn't really know what to expect. I've been to a lot of major events in the last couple years, but I figured this was probably the most volatile.

I met up with Heidi and we walked down to the City of London along the River because it was so nice out. After nearly two hours of walking (with some stops for photos and whatnot) we reached the site of the protests. I could tell we were in the right place because a completely naked man walked past us on the street like it was a completely normal thing.

The way the protests were set up was interesting. They had a barricade of police around the main protest areas, not letting anyone in or out of it. We were stuck on the outside and couldn't see all that much. There were definitely some characters around, people dressed up, climbing buildings and trees, blowing horns, hippies, anarchists. It was an interesting atmosphere.


Better than the financial protests were the climate change village where in the middle of the street they had a camp of people for climate change, with tents all one after the other in the street. It looked pretty cool actually, all very peaceful. It seemed like it would be fun to do, I sorta wish I had a tent.

We went by Trafalgar Square, where an anti-war and Palestine stuff going on. Nearly every speaker said something about Obama, ranging from things like, 'we need more than a change of style, we need change of substance,' 'Obama must do what no American president has done before and relate to the common man,' and 'Obama needs to hear us because Gordon Brown doesn't.' It's frightening how much faith and expectations they've piled on Obama. I don't know if he can be the savior that everyone wants him to be. I'm worried there are going to be a lot of disappointed and angry people.

We had enough of the protests and not much was going on so we just went to get tea at this Indian place she saw in Convent Garden. It was really cool inside, dark and lit by candles on the tables, all very Indian. We were the only people inside when we got there, so that was awkward. I had an iced mint tea, thinking it would be like a frappacino for some reason. Not quite. Just cold tea, in a very girly glass. But it was alright.

After that we walked for a little and stopped in the Italian place I tried to go to a while ago just around the corner from me. I had a mushroom ravioli, good as usual, not as good as the other Italian place across the street (and hopefully not as good as real Italian food).

I put the blog together and started trying to figure out travel plans for this month. I'm considering going to Romania next week, and then Geneva, Switzerland to see Dylan on the 20th. There will also be an Oslo trip in there somewhere. I'm also trying to figure out the best way to get back from Paris, if I should go back to London (which is expensive, or if I should wait until Geneva and fly right there, which would be about the same with the hostel and flight prices). I'm looking at going somewhere in between. I'm thinking I just might spend an extended time in Paris and then fly to Geneva, and then come to London. No matter what it'll be good.

Tomorrow I need to get my paper going as well as get my column redone since Ryan said it needed a lot of work. I just might scrap it since I was never super sold on the idea anyways.

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