Runners and Smokers

I just scared the daylights out of a poor young man coming out of the bathroom as he was going in. No single sex restrooms here in the Pickwick. I even went up an extra flight of stairs to avoid the "boys floor" but to no avail. If there is a restroom on your floor, you use it, bloke or bird (boy or girl, in translation). I am just thankful I was finished using the loo before he came in. That would have been awkward, at least on this American girl's end. Brits and Europeans in general are much less modest in terms of sexuality and gender roles. Everyone is equal here. I guess that means we have to use the same bathroom too.
I arose this morning around 7:30 and went running in Russell Square again. This time I added a lap, making that four rounds. It is much busier during a week day than on Sunday morning. Everyone sleeps in on the weekends. Someone told me that there is no reason to be awake before 11 AM on a Sunday. I jogged through a cloud of acrid cigarette smoke making my rounds. One thing is for sure, there are both more smokers and runners here in London than I have ever seen in the states. I can help but feeling the two are mutually exclusive. There are Runners, and there are Smokers. I don't believe that I have yet seen a Smoking Runner. I hope I won't. Most runners understand the health risks of smoking, not to mention those things do nothing good for your lung capacity.
Speaking of lung capacity, no matter how I try to control my breathing going up four flights of stairs to my hostel room, I still end up panting like an Old English bulldog by the time I reach the summit. It is quite ridiculous how out of shape I am. If ever I can reach my room without my breath speeding up, I'll be sure to let you know.
Classes have been good so far. I still have my English class tomorrow morning. As much reading as the class is going to be, I am always excited for a literature class. This one is solely over Charles Dickens and his novels Our Mutual Friend, Bleak House, and Oliver Twist. That is at 9 AM on Thursdays with a British professor. It is the 200th anniversary of Dickens' birth, so the whole of the UK is celebrating it. There is a special exhibit at the London Museum (located in the old City of London!) devoted to Dickens. Pretty cool huh?
I went exploring down to Covent Garden this afternoon to continue getting my bearings on the neighborhood streets. I paid £2.95 for English doughnuts. And they were completely worth it. Best doughnuts ever. Come to London and try some. They are definitely worth the money!
Tonight we are headed to the Lyric Theater on Hammersmith to see "Lovesong." We will be going to the theater at least once a week, and attendance is mandatory for the program participants. That doesn't bother me, of course! I love experiencing the theater. This is a play, not a musical, so it should be more interesting than Shrek was.
I applied for my reader's pass to the British Library yesterday. They only grant you access to their books in special circumstances, and you must order specific books a few days in advance! You can only read them in the reading room; you can't check them out to take with you. Hopefully I get approved for a reader's pass so I can complete my research for my projects at such a prestigious library :)
As much as I am loving London, I do miss home a little. Small aspects like my own bed, my own space, and my hairbows. I really want my hairbows. Oh, and the people of course. It's hard to believe I've already been here almost a week. Time flies when you're having fun!
Cheers,
Faith