Grey days

Back in London, rapidly running out of money.

Stayed an extra night in Luton for lack of anywhere else to be. It's a text-book classic example of the ugly English town. No-one does depressing brick quite like the Brits. The hostel was really weird - basically a couple of bunk beds shoved in someone's spare room, but the owner friendly enough. I fell asleep not too long after arriving on my first night (maybe 10.30 pm) and some time later was awoken by the room's only other inhabitant coming home. Drifting in and out of sleep as she got undressed etc., I made the mistake of rolling over at one point, which gave her just the opening she needed to launch in: "Do you snore?"... I had to ask her to repeat the question about three times, seeing that I was, technically speaking, asleep. Then I wanted to say "I WAS sleeping, why don't you tell me" but managed a grunt in reply. "Because there was this boy in here last night, and he snored and I couldn't sleep, and..." YOU couldn't sleep?? God, shut up! I'm also quite disturbed that she was apparently watching me for signs of life, ready to launch her conversation bomb at the first flicker of movement. The next day, spent moping about Luton town centre, was equally grim.

Sunday I was down to London, it was boiling hot (as the runners in the London Marathon could no doubt tell you) so after checking in at my hostel I just retired to the conveniently-located cemetery with the Sunday paper. Faithful readers will note that I've visited cemeteries in Edinburgh and Moscow, and no less than three times in Prague, so it was good times for Gwan. They run cemetery tours, which I was greatly tempted by, but restrained from by budgetary concerns. Dire budgetary concerns.

That night was marked by very little sleep - the 'Luton snorer' appears to have made his way to London - for me and for the unfortunate gentleman in the bunk bed below me, who was (presumably) awoken at one point in the night by my dropping a bottle of water on him (sorry!). Then in the morning, I went and visited the Imperial War Museum - normally the sort of place I'd avoid, as full of guns and planes and boring stuff, but I'd heard good things and I must say it was pretty good. Checked out the Holocaust section, wimp as I am it made me all teary. Gotta toughen up before Auschwitz...

So, still no word on France or anything. Am looking around desperately for temp jobs, but nothing so far. I guess I should go back and book another night in the hostel. If you have a roof over your head and money coming in, be thankful!