Half-Hearted: best vs. perfect

i know i said i would share some thoughts on modern art, but first, i want to show off about how wonderful this week was. it is most urgent.

i thought about entitling this entry 'the best week ever in London.' but after thinking some more for a good five minutes, i found 'perfect' to be a more suitable word. everything about this week was perfect--not because it was full of spontaneous, exciting adventures, but because everyday was so low key, relaxing, and effortless. i think i'll save 'best' for the experiences that are still to come. maybe i'm being ridiculous, but while typing this very moment, i'm fascinated by the contrast of the meanings between 'the best week in London,' compared to 'a perfect week in London.' there's such a difference...

so you might be curious as to what exactly a perfect week in London entails.

a perfect week in London requires every day of the week to be bright and sunny. which...it was :)

(and it will probably never be again...)

the week must also specifically be the last week of classes in the semester. which...IT WAS!

an afternoon must be spent having afternoon tea with a good friend. while sipping tea and munching on amazing deserts (the mango coconut marshmallow below was...interesting/weird), you and your friend should talk about weddings, describe your dream guy, and giggle over other girly things.

cupcakes, mango coconut marshmallows, scones,

fudge, meringues clotted cream, raspberry jam,

vanilla black tea

at Bea's Bloomsbury Tea

the week can reach closer to perfection if you spend a good hour writing postcards and actually sending them! (i finally sent my postcards this week. some of you might receive postcards that are dated since january...yeah. i suck at this. but my excuse is that for a good time, i kept forgetting to buy stamps, and then i couldn't find postboxes...even though they're everywhere, i've discovered)

another afternoon of the week must consist of strolling around aimlessly on a street full of boutiques and cafes. bonus points if you find a really cute bookshop that looks this. it resembles my future library.

isn't it beautiful?

now, if you're a nerd like i am, then you would have become very excited after coming across such an awesome bookstore. as a result, you would spend a lazy hour reading at the park (i'm currently reading Globish by Robert McCrum). and then right after you finish reading, you would go to the campus library and borrow another book (i checked out Orlando, by Virginia Woolf).

i won't leave out the part about stopping by at the market on campus, where you can find Peruvian food for lunch after class. and it's always nice to see an epic game of dodgeball happening on campus.

so many people! don't you love the people in

the back hugging the statues?

a perfect week might end by spending an afternoon at a gallery, such as the Hayward Gallery, where i saw the British Art Show 7. the artwork made me feel very angry. but i won't get into that here. the thing is--i didn't mind that i felt angry with the artwork. in fact, i think it made my week even more perfect. i enjoy discovering new things that make me upset. that way i can avoid them in the future, if possible.

modern art just doesn't appeal to me...

a day trip to Windsor Castle and Oxford University can leave you satisfied with your decision in coming to England. unfortunately, people aren't allowed to take photographs inside the castle. don't let the medieval architecture fool you! i actually think the interior of Windsor is more beautiful that Versailles Palace. Versailles is almost gaudy. sure, Versailles is extravagant, but Windsor is elegant. the castle is the current residence of the Prince of Wales, and it is used for many state events held by the Queen.

behind me is The Round Tower. it's the keep of the castle

guards on guard

i think that was a statue of Queen Victoria

Oxford was so cozy! it's possibly the most quaint place i've been to so far. i got to meet up with my friend Candace, who is currently studying at Oxford. after the tour, i got to see some of the more private areas because she had access to them! here in Oxford, scenes for Harry Potter were shot, Alice in Wonderland was born, and brilliant minds (CS Lewis and JRR Tolkien, just to name a few) were sculpted. i would love to study here...