But a readership is a readership, no matter how small.

This upcoming week is both incredibly stressful and incredibly exciting. I am actually going to see Midori, one of the most famous violinists (and that's not saying much), and Yuri Bashmet, one of the most famous violists (and that's saying a lot), this week. All kidding aside, seeing one of these performers would be a huge event in my life, let alone two of them. And the repertoire they'll be performing is in a (terribly inarticulate) word, awesome. Tuesday is Yuri Bashmet performing Grieg's "Holberg Suite," Bach's "Brandenburg Concerto No. 3," and Tchaikowsky's "Serenade for Strings." Wednesday is Midori performing the Mendelssohn violin concerto, followed by a performance of Berlioz's "Symphonie Fantastique" by the famed London Symphony Orchestra.

If you haven't heard any of the aforementioned pieces, please, for the love of all things beautiful, go on youtube and listen to them. There must be at least one piece that intrigues you. (I'd recommend the Berlioz, movement V, for you classical novices, as it is so deliciously evil and demented.)

Meanwhile, I've discovered that there is something inherently (dare I say it again?) awesome about buying completely mundane things in not-so-mundane places. Well, I'm sure London is mundane for some people who live here, but for me, it's still rather exotic. I have collected a small amount of DVDs, books, and, more recently, some clothes. To me, it's the most intriguing form of souvenir. Whenever I wash my new jacket from Marks and Spencer, I will see the "UK" on the tag. Whenever I pick up "Run Fat Boy Run" to pop in to the DVD player, I will see the "15" enclosed in a circle on the cover (indicating age in the UK rating system). Whenever I compare my copy of "Midnight's Children" with someone else's American copy (which is, granted, not something I'm apt to do, really), I will know that mine is from Waterstones in London. The feigned exoticism is the entire reason that I don't absolutely hate "Transformers 2" (which I saw with some Londubs in Dublin this summer). I just dont feel the need to cart around "I Heart London" shirts or iron-cast Eiffel Towers back home with me. The french copies of H2G2 and Guy de Maupassant will work nicely for me.