Further attempts at being cultured

This weekend I finally made it to the British Museum, despite its location of about a yard and a half from where I sleep every night, and its admission price of £ZERO. The British Museum is a riot because it has snatched all sorts of things from less commanding countries and proudly displays them as though they epitomize all that is British. One of its most prized exhibits is of the Parthenon sculptures, which Greece really wants back, naturally. But somehow Britain got its hands on them and refuses to give them back. There is even a pamphlet in the middle of the room outlining the argument, as if to say "Oh, those Greeks. Quite silly, really. Actually I'd love another cup of tea, cheers."

All over the museum there are all sorts of ridiculously famous pieces that just casually appear when you turn corners, without any sort of buildup. Oh, there's the Rosetta stone. Discobolus is hanging out on the stairs over there. And much of it you can just walk up to and touch, though I suspect it's not allowed. I even saw a girl posing with her arm around a Roman statue as though they were girlfriends at a party. The pace of museumgoers just adds to the nonchalance. There's a certain slower pace at which you walk while passing through a museum, even if you are not currently looking at anything. The Museum Mosey, if you will. Just walking to the next room takes entire minutes, and nobody seems to think strangely of this until you leave the building. We barely covered a fraction of the museum, so many more trips (all gloriously FREE) will happen in the coming months.

I have discovered a farmers market nearby and it is wonderful. I bought beets despite not knowing how to prepare them, and also some fabulous SMOKED GARLIC from a very attractive garlic-selling boy. He probably could have sold me many things but he didn't even have to look cute to sell me GARLIC THAT SMELLS LIKE CAMPFIRE. We're talking foodgasm here, folks. I also bought fresh butter that tastes like butter should, not like the Tesco Value crap I bought as an unsuspecting British Grocery Store Virgin. I bought challah today and there will soon be a butter-garlic-challah orgy in my kitchen.

Last night we got all dolled up and went to the opera (La Boheme), and it was quite wonderful, despite being in a language I do not speak. I at least could follow the storyline (it helped that there were subtitles and that I had seen Rent) which is an improvement from the ballet in terms of overall enjoyment. Last night was also one of the coldest nights so far this season, and on the way home there was definitely much schadenfreude to be had as we watched drunk Halloween revelers in skimpy costumes slurring variations of "Oh my! It is quite chilly. Perhaps I should have worn more than my bra and panties with my bunny ears."

posted by limeywannabe @ 11:07 PM