Geology, Show, and Boat Race

I know I'm a bit backed up on posting (explanation in next post for those who forgot why). This post is dedicated to information from March 27 to 29th.

Classes ended for me on March 25th with my architecture final. I spent Friday morning at the Natural History Museum looking at the geological exhibits that I missed during my first trip there. Having not taken a geology class in a year (I'm minoring in the subject), I found myself growing very nostalgic over the displays-- a sad but true fact. One display was on a trivia fact that combined both movie and geology interests for me. Apparently, in the last Superman movie, the writers created a fictitious formula for the infamous rock kryptonite. A few years later, geologists discovered a new mineral in Siberia that matched the formula exactly, a sample of which is now on display at the Museum. For more shots of Caitlin getting giddy over rocks (as well as shots of the amazing carvings inside and outside the museum), turn to this album.

Saturday was an end-of-term celebration for the Group with a trip to Leicester Square for dinner and a show. First we had to survive a hail storm:


We went to a Mexican restaurant, the on to see Spring Awakening, an adult-content rock musical. It was a very abstract production--think Chicago with teenagers. While not my cup of tea, the dancing and vocals were pretty good. After the show, we ended up wandering around Central London and looking at the sights at night before heading home.

Sunday was the day of the big Oxford vs. Cambridge Boat Race. We headed out a few hours beforehand to secure a good viewing spot, grabbing fish and chips from a local eatery as we waited for the race to begin. Some of the squares we passed were impressively packed with people, music, and jumbo trons from which the revelers could watch the entire race. We settled for a slightly less populated area from which we could see a good stretch of the river. Oxford won this year (yay!). Trivia fact: there have been three races where the race has concluded with a boat sinking. The last time it happened was in the '70s, when the Cambridge boat crashed into a stationary barge and sank--before the race even started.

The crowds line up for the race....


Oxford is the boat that is ahead. Go Oxford!



Final exciting news of the weekend: Mom and Dad are coming to visit me in May! They will be arriving on May 9, and their stay will include a three day trip to Disneyland Paris! *squeal* I'm soooo excited to see them.

Stay tuned for posts about my trips over the last week and a half.