My numbering system might be off, but I’m too tired to think about it right now. If it is I’ll fix it later. Also, no pictures today.
This morning our law class met early and took our first test. We have two law professors for this excursion, one teaching the first two weeks and the other teaching the next. Our first class was “Comparative Criminal Justice”, which basically took us through the judicial process from “what is a crime?” to “theories of punishment”. We started with the premise that we were legal advisors for a new country, and as we learned about each step we had to hash out our recommendations amongst each other. There weren’t any right or wrong answers in said recommendations, only that we knew what we were talking about and could justify our stance properly in our arguments. Very different from what I’m used to, but I have to say it was a lot of fun. The two hour/two question test wasn’t even bad at all.
This afternoon I tried to book a one day bus tour to Bath and Stonehenge, but was told that the last spots were being reserved until 1400hrs when a group was supposed to come in and pay for them, but I could come back after that and see if they had bothered to show. I had to be about fifteen minutes away not long after then, so I went to that off-site lecture first.
The off-site lecture was at a place called the Lauterpacht Centre for International Law, which is in a modest building sort of tucked on a nondescript side street. According to our host lecturer, the treaty between Israel and Jordan was hashed out over breakfast in their kitchen, if that gives you any idea of what sort of place it is. It was a terribly interesting talk and there was an informative Q&A session afterward. After that we retired to another room with the fellow who hosted us, whose name I regrettably do not remember, and had orange juice and cookies and talked about rugby.
After that I dashed back to the tourist center and enquired about the bus tour to Bath and Stonehenge. “Very sorry, but they did come in and buy the tickets. Would you like to book the next tour on the 31st?” Of course the next one isn’t the next weekend, but the one after that, the day I’ll be in Kansas…
But still, here is still very cool, so there is that. I need to just hang out and do some reading and maybe a little writing anyway. Cambridge isn’t where I thought it would be, the trains are more expensive than I thought they’d be and the buses are unreasonably confusing to schedule and don’t seem to go to the places I really want to visit. The easy places to visit all cost boatload of US dollars to visit. Stupid exchange rate.
So I walked around city center for a while and then met up with a couple friends coming back to the Hall. The three of us explored some of the parts of the college we hadn’t been yet, and found our way into the student bar. Of course the bar isn’t staffed right now, but there is a lounge there so we sat down and started playing “Chinese checkers”. Before the game could be finished, however, a porter knocked on the outside door and told us we weren’t supposed to be in there. Which is totally why the door was open and the light was on, I guess, but whatever.
So we’re going to London tomorrow, the big class field trip. We’re taking the train into London and getting an all day “Zone 1 & 2” tube pass. Our destination is The Old Bailey, where we will meet with a judge and then witness a criminal trial. It should be very fascinating and all that, but we are also being released for our “long weekend” immediately following, and most of the class is dispersing throughout the Britain and the continent for some tourism and fun. A couple of us are either staying at the Hall or only taking limited excursion. Due to lack of foresight and money I am staying at the Hall, as previously mentioned. What I hope to visit tomorrow is the British Museum, and maybe find my mysterious bridge, which I will explain more later. Maybe.
Anyway, it’s late and I’m tired, and I’ve got a big day tomorrow with some very exciting stuff to do and see.
Reviresco!
Romantic Antihero™ 