London calling

Last night I got on a plane at 10pm, and landed in London this morning at 10am. Hey, it’s only a 6 hour time difference, but who’s counting? I made it through the 1-1/2 hour queue at the airport without the dreaded “SSSS” security screening marker and thought I was OK...until the clerk comes after me on my way to drop off my bag tot he x-ray machine. “Wait Mr. Toth! I forgot to put something on your boarding slip!” Blast. Random screening my ass. I don’t know whose list I’m on, but it’s somebody’s, I can tell you that. The screener was nice about it though, he could tell by the way I sat down and put my right foot up that I’d been through this once or twice.

On the plane I got to watch Vera Drake, which I’d been meaning to see. International flights always have better accomodations, even in the crammed economy sections. I couldn’t eat anything and slept my way through after some unremarkable TGIFriday’s fries for dinner (bleah) and landed to have the BBC waiting for me with camera already on. I walk out, look for my sign, and see a camera - oh, that’s for me! Of course everyone’s wondering who I am, and we film me coming out of the doors like, 5 times - geez I was tired. I tried my best to appear fresh after a red-eye and was repsonding to questions about my gender early in the morning for all of Heathrow to hear. Max Toth, International Tranny. I get a good feeling from the director I was working with this morning, but we’ll see. They then film me getting into the cab, film me walking to it twice, interview me in the cab. Cabs in London are cute, I’ll try to include a picture at some point. Then to the hotel, film me getting out, same interview questions times five, my responses getting more cogent and refined as I wake up a bit, up to the room, film me in the room unpacking (which I don’t normally do - I sort of live out of the suitcase) and an extended interview. Lunch is room service, the film crew is off (they’re very nice) and I’m on my own.

On my own! So I’ve no idea how to use the phones or to find internet access, which in a way is a blessing. There’s a small map and I know a good street to walk to. I know I’m centrally located, but that doesn’t mean much to me yet. I get up the oomph to walk down to the street, and it’s pretty cute - there are shops and cafes and internet access places everywhere. I find a tube stop, get a map, figure out where the Tower of London is and to familiarize myself, decide to venture forth. I found it - the tube is really like the NY subway but cleaner, and I guess all subways have pretty similar principles. I wander around, taking pictures like a dorky tourist, decide that the remaining hour isn’t worth the 14.50 (US$27 something - yowza!) and that I’ll come back, and walk a bit around London Bridge. It’s nice to know I can get my way around.

Back near the hotel, I get an adaptor for the power outlet and find a vegetarian restaurant that has a lovely fake chicken satay sandwich. I’d had a pretty hard time staying awake in the tube so I took a nap, and here I am writing. That’s probably way more detail than you needed, but jet lag will do this to a person. I’m off to Oxford for fMRIs tomorrow, and I need to figure out where to get my nosering out beforehand. I’m sure there are piercing shops here? I’m not used to bbeing in places where wireless access is limited and mostly paid - and stuff here ain’t cheap! But so far it’s a good time. Stay posted!