2005-01-28 - 12:14 p.m.

wow is london weird. it's far colder than i expected. the exchange rate is killing me. i'm staying with a close friend from san francisco and it's been amazing to catch up with her. we've stayed up until 4a almost every night talking about how weird english people are and gossipping about people we both know in california. the englishman i hosted so expertly on my own shore treated me so shabbily i don't have the heart to go into it here. the beer is excellent even at room temperature. the tube is clean and pretty but only slightly faster than a horse-drawn carriage. met some fellow artists who took s and i out for turkish food. there's a real possibility of a london human scale chess game in september. this afternoon, s and i are travelling to the east midlands for our first performance away from home. i think it's gonna feel really good to play music. i bought a few records last night and mailed them home. i had to show uncharacteristic restraint since my american money is worth only very slightly more than the paper its printed on.