Running Out of Time and Going on a Head Hunt

The British Museum is HUGE.  Dozens of galleries populate the museum, with hundreds of artifacts in each gallery.  The first place I happened to wander into was the clock and watch exhibit, which ended up being a quite appropriate first stop.  "Clocks and watches?" you may ask.  I don't think I found them particularly fascinating before today (as can be noted by this blog post), but after examining the displays, I couldn't have thought of a better way to introduce myself to this absolutely marvelous place. 

If I were able to own any watch my imagination could conjure, it would surely be one that could turn back time.  I wouldn't want a watch that would allow me to alter history or the universe, just something simple that would allow me to relive certain experiences.  I wonder what that says about me, since "clocks and watches tell us as much about their owners as about the time of day"?  

Reading the above sign got me thinking about a few things.  First of all, this song ("Clockwatching") by my favorite singer/songwriter, environmental activist, and awesome blogger, Jason Mraz started up in my head and has yet to leave:

One of my favorite verses goes "Let's keep talking, anything to stop clockwatching/Lately we're running out of time, aren't we/crazy for running all the time?  Well m-m-m-m-maybe/Let's forget we're running out of time". 

My brain automatically applied "Clockwatching" to this awesome experience I am having here.  With six days in London already under our belts, I have a feeling that the next 15 1/2 days will fly by too fast.  While it made me happy to think about how much we're going to see, learn, and do, I experienced a bout of premature sadness thinking about leaving.  I guess that's the kind of person I am.

After my meandering mind got lost in song, I reeled myself back to reality, grounded myself, and looked around me:
     

Time is passing, as it will, and I don't have a magic watch to turn back.  Thus, I'm going to have to appreciate each moment to live, love, learn, and laugh my way through this trip. 

My thoughts came full circle as I returned to myself, and realized that the museum could act as my own living magical watch.  At the British Museum, all of the exhibits allow me to travel through time and experience ways of life for civilizations long passed.  Today, I only got through Greece, Rome, and Mesopotamia - not even a wing of the museum.  You betcha I'll be back soon.

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My funny story for this evening can be told in photos, as it has to do with our photography focus assignment.  We had to recreate a picture taken at the British Museum that was published on Flikr.  Here's what I chose:

                                      

I was going on a head hunt.  I thought it would be simple enough to photograph.  The most challenging part would be to locate the exhibit, it was obviously Greek or Roman (remember that the museum is huge).  After tramping around exhibit after beautiful exhibit, I finally decided it was time to ask directions ... three hours later.  Three volunteers later, I found myself standing in front of gallery 23 and this sight:

 

In an attempt to recreate a picture sort of like my goal, we (my trusty sidekick Eric, and I [though in actuality, I'm more of the sidekick because Eric has all the directions]) set off on another adventure - the British Museum Head Hunt.  Here's what I got:

A horse head.

No heads.

Human head on horse body.

Tiny human heads on tiny human bodies.

Unbearded heads.

And women heads.

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We eventually gave up, and went back to the flat to recover.  I returned to the British Museum for high tea with the awesome FSU people.  After sharing my predicament with classmates, Kaitlin and Erika so generously offered me their unused ideas.  That I would eventually attempt to capture after eating this spread:

Yummm!

Katie and I being "fancy" with our pinkies out.

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After rolling out of tea, with full tummies, I resumed the search with Eric and Heather.  We photographed my new goals, then soon discovered that the elusive gallery 23 was now open.

 

Not the greatest because I'm vertically challenged and I'm not quite sure how to set mom's camera, but it works!  Thanks, Eric.

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Thus ends day six in my awesome summer adventure.  Tomorrow we board the coach and head out to Stonehenge.  However, now it's nene time ... toodles!