Now mu seum...

Today I decided to do something touristy, so I went to the British Museum. Why yes, now that you mention it, it is free.

Frankly, I think the collection should be classed as one of the wonders of the world. Whether you attribute it to an altruistic attempt to preserve the world's greatest relics, or you consider the British nothing shy of the most audacious thieves in history really doesn't matter once you get there. The fact is, it is a mind-blowing museum.

If it comprised of only the Elgin marbles, it would be an amazing display. If it was just the wing full of ancient Egyptian artifacts, it would impress. But to roam through them, and then the Babylonian, Greek, African, Asian, North American, European, and (my favourite) the Assyrian collection becomes overwhelming. There aren't enough hours in a day to see everything. I never even worked out if there's a Pacific wing. I expect there must be, tucked away somwhere, but I couldn't find it on any maps.

Anyway, cudos to the British for making it free to visit. I'm not sure that would happen anywhere else in the world. I'm not even sure there's another collection in the world to rival this one.

In other news, I have decided to leave my current temporary accomodation at the end of the week. It's not actually all that bad, but the little things are adding up. I haven't had asthma for maybe 15 years, but each time I lie down on the pillow here I lose my breath within seconds. It must be packed with dustmites or asbestos or something. There's something skittering around in my room at night. I was woken up this morning by something gnawing on the bed. Keira Knightley had already gone home, so I guess it was a mouse. The shower is a spray nozzle that is at the end of a long hose from the low taps. The shower head has a pin on it that fits into a small hole in the wall. The problem is that the shower has high pressure. This morning I lathered up in the shower, only for the shower head to launch itself, cobra-like, through the shower curtain onto my pile of clothes for the day. I guess they were extra clean after a jet hosing. My point is, you can only use the expression "Oh for f#!*s sake!" so many times before the novelty wears off.

Wow, this entry started off with abundant opulence and culture and rapidly decended to living in squalor and vermin. It's like a modern day "David Copperfield".