Preparing for Padua

Thursday, March 11, 2009
London

I spent most of the morning working on my lecture entitled "Separating Nations: The Migration of Cracking India from Page to Screen". By 2 pm, I was all done and ready to have some lunch. I then showered and went outdoors (on a beautiful spring afternoon) to Kings of Sheffield at All Soul's Lapham Church at the end of Regent's Street to look at buying some silverware (as the dollar exchange rates now finally make it possible for me to buy the eight dessert forks I have been wanting to add to our set for a long time). I was sorry to hear that the lady we have dealt with for years retired a year ago. She knew Llew and me well as we have purchased regularly from her over the years. However, the salesman who has taken her place, Andreas, was equally nice. He told me that silver and gold prices have soared over the years and that the discounts that were available a few years ago are now a thing of the past. In fact, he suggested I order the sterling dessert forks now as prices are expected to go up again 10 to 15% in the next few weeks. On his advice, I left the store, deciding to mull over the purchase and talk to Llew first.

Then, I was out on the busy sidewalks of Oxford Street joining shoppers everywhere as they bought treasures for Mother's Day. I went to HMV to buy a present for my friend Annalisa and her lovely boys Giovanni and Giacomo with whom I shall be staying in Italy next week. I know exactly what they will love! The salesman told me that if I wanted to play the DVDs in the States that I bought at Christmas , I will need a Multi-regional DVD player which, he said, is probably much cheaper in the States. He suggested I buy it there. I browsed through the store wondering whether or not to buy the Black Adder collection as I do not know that show at all and Alice, my colleague, told me it was simply the best British TV show ever made!!!

A browse in Selfridges where I tried on some new fragrances from Dipytheque and in Waterstones where I looked for a book that Annalisa wanted (but could not find as--being an American scholarly publication, it is nowhere to be found in the UK, the salesgirl said) and I hopped on to the bus, crawled my way through Oxford Street and got home a little after 7 pm.

After looking on the internet for hotels in Rome and Istanbul for Llew and me to stay in at the beginning of next month, I sat to eat my dinner (Salmon Pie) and watch The Crying Game, a really good movie, co-incidentally also about the IRA (I watched Bloody Sunday just before this one). It featured an excellent performance by Forest Whittaker (who went on to win the Oscar for The Last King of Scotland) and a very young Miranda Richardson. The movie definitely had a shock element to it but it was really well made (by Neil Jordan) and superbly thrilling.

I decided to go to bed early after setting my alarm for 6. 30 as I have an early start tomorrow as I am leading my students on a tour of Constable Country in Suffolk. Wish me luck!