October 19

       Why is waking up to an alarm so difficult? When Michael Jackson's "The Way You Make Me Feel" is the first thing I hear in the morning and I still don't want to get out of bed, you know it's bad. "I'm bad, I'm bad, I'm really really bad . . ." at getting out of bed on time. I finally hopped out and did about 15 crunches to get my blood flowing. The Greek honey yogurt cereal mix and time of prayer that followed got the day rolling, and I was soon headed to e-music class. That class is really interesting, but it kinda goes over my head. There is so much math involved, it's crazy. (Natalie, you would love it!) It is also crazy how many other people have this awful cough/cold (which has snuck back into my bod, btw, in the form of a cough. How is that fair? I just got over a cold!) Mucus and music just don't mix. As I was talking after class with an American guy who is also in the class, I realized I was losing my voice. I powered through the rest of the day like normal except that I sounded like a grovely man. The worst part of it all is that I have to sing for performance and analysis class on Thursday, and there is no way I can do that in my current condition. WHAT DO I DO?!?!?! I've never had this problem before. Tips, anyone? Bueller . . . Bueller . . . Bueller . . .
       Despite my vocal handicap, I headed to a place called Camden Town with my friend Marta for the afternoon. There were so many little shops, I was blown away! It was kind of like a massive craft fair/market, except not everything was crafts. There was a lot of retail and super nice stuff as well. I have never seen such nice vintage shops in my entire life. Over the course of about 2.5 hours I spent more money than I have spent in the past 2 weeks, but I scored some fantastic stuff. (It was time for me to splurge). One of the things that I definately wanted to get before I left London was a nice leather jacket, and I found one today! The salesman who helped me was such a shmoozer, but he was adorable. "Oh, gorgeous, see how the color matches your skin tone? Look, love, at how the collar, like this, frames your face, darling."  It sounds creepy, but he wasn't a creeper. He was kind of like grandpa material, only from a different country. (Like the Vietnamese people at the nail salons. "They're so nice. They make you think it's all about you. 'Whateh you lie we do fo you.' 'How yo mahm?' Do you know my mom?" - does anyone get this reference?) Anyway, I bought a few other things, but some of them are gifts, so I can't say what they are!
       My feet were killing me by the end of the day because I was a genius and wore heels. Did I mention it was raining too? Well it was, and we were so relieved to be back on campus in our warm and dry rooms! So here I am, on my bed with a "cup uh tayee" beside me, and here I shall stay for the rest of the night.

Prayer Request of the Day: That I would get rid of this cough and get my voice (particularly my A-game singing voice) back!