boyfriend in london, part I

Cameron came to visit me in London! He got in last night at midnight after eleven hours of traveling via bus, taxi and plane. Today we woke up and made some breakfast, and then walked down the street to the Natural History Museum - all national museums in the UK are free admission. It was great - the building was huge and impressive, and air conditioned (it was 85 degrees F here today and humid). The museum itself was interesting: there were tons of animals that had been stuffed and preserved (something you would not see in the US these days). The Sexual Nature exhibit was informative and uncomfortable and hilarious all at once. It's true what they say - Americans are obsessed with violence and the English are obsessed with sex. Our society is much more sexually repressed but we will show gory bloody movies, while the English don't dwell on violence very much at all but sex pops up everywhere - from museum exhibits to pornographic spreadsheets in red phonebooths.

Anyway! After the museum I showed Cam around Kensington and we stopped in a pub for a couple of pints and some fish and chips, which turned out to be the best I've had since I've been here. It is so nice to be able to show my best friend around, introduce him to new friends and explore the city with him. More blog posts to follow as our weekend continues!

Playing the tourist outside the Natural History Museum.

Oh the hilarity of British humour. This was illustrating the sun's
UV rays on the Earth...

Oh you know - just a tiger cleaning up after killing a deer.
That's the sort of thing British school children come to the
museum to see. 

An awesome exhibit about the Earth's forces and solar system.

Kid with toy dino vs. Lion

Elephants for Katy!

Yep. Apparently birth is relaxing.  

Giant fetus in circular dark room that feels like a womb.
The fetus looked like an old man. The English present their
information in interesting ways...

Darwin presiding over the great hall in the museum.

Monkeys in the archways

And monkeys on the archway!

Yes I made him take a picture in front of the Union Jack.

Cam's first pint in a pub at Gloucester Arms - with fish and
chips and "mushy peas" (literally mashed green peas -
not appetizing)