In which Helen explains what she does at 4:00 am

[a tree still in bloom]

I've been waking at 4:00 am a lot lately. I suppose this is an improvement on going to bed at 4:00 am, which I was doing a lot last semester. The problem is, that the sun doesn't come up until 8:00, so that I have four hours stuck in my room. I could read for clarse but that becomes a bit boring eventually. And right now I don't have much to read.

This morning I ate a pre-packaged bag of sliced apples and grapes that I bought at Tesco's yesterday. I watched a few episodes of Jon and Kate Plus Eight, an American show that follows around a family that has two twins and six other children. What will happen when the kids realize that it is not normal to have a film crew follow you around; when they realize that a camera crew has visually documented all their silly childhood habits. You think showing your future wife or husband a photo of yourself as a kid is bad...

Then watched some behind-the-scenes stuff on the fourth season of Doctor Who. David Tennant has a video diary that he does throughout the season. It's all rather post-modern. The actor taping (becoming the director) of his own life as an actor; while on set and off. He was in a car with Julie Gardner being driven to Blackpool to turn on the town's Christmas lights in the one I watched and of course there was traffic, so police cars showed up to escort them with flashing lights and their sirens on, and it was all very hilarious, with Tennant's always silly, witty, remarks and Julie pulling out her mini-video camera and calling people to tell them what was happening.

And then watched Doctor Who Confidential, a documentary that shows you how they prepare the sets, costumes and best of all shows you the filming of scenes. I always love when they use green screen and the actor has to emote to nothing. Today they showed Tennant having to conduct a rather long emotional scene with Kylie Minogue with only a light to represent her ghostly image. There are also interviews with cast and the production teams. I love these things because it makes you realize what really goes into creating shows that otherwise seem so simple.

But I've gone on too long about that. By this time it was 8:00, the sun was up (or rather the overcast skies were visible) and I went out to take a walk. Last semester I was keen on taking walks at night, about 6:00-ish, across Westminster Bridge, up Whitehall, passed Number Ten, to Trafalgar Square and through to the Strand; now in the morning, I take the directly opposite route across Waterloo Bridge, down the Strand on to Fleet Street. At the latter, I stopped at St. Paul's Cafe today. They sell fancy croissants and drinks. I picked up a small hot chocolate, which cost me about 3.70 dollars. And it is in a small cup. Smaller than a tall drink at Starbucks. Their hot chocolate is the best -- they put real chocolate bars in them.

Back home I walked along the embankment. Saw the man who cleans up the trash every morning. He stopped me to deposit my empty cut of hot chocolate. I was carelessly holding it upside down. I think he may have thought that I would drop it; I would suppose I have a dreamy look on my face when I walk in London. At least, I'm sometimes (well, usually) not really paying attention to what is going on around me.

Now I'm going to read Rousseau and then off to clarse at 11:00; laundry afterward.

Ah, the thrilling life I lead.

Signing off,

Helen.