I'm back and blogging after a month off due to post-thesis relaxation and then moving into new flat and getting Internet access set up. Kicking off the latest post with some big news!
There are good days and then there are days that rankup there as some of the best days of your life. Yesterday was one of those days. I met and spoke briefly with BILL CLINTON! Alas, was not able to get any photos as security measures prevented us from bringing cameras or mobiles (but my friend Candacewill back this story up!..lol)
He came to London to do a book signing for his latest work, Giving – How Each of Us Can Change the World,and my friend Candace and I went. We got to Waterstone’s at Piccadilly Circus around 7:30 for his 11:30 signing and were about 30th or so in line (or rather in the queue). In yet another example of how small the world is, the two people behind us in the queue were American students to whom we had lots of connections! I was standing right in front of an ATM and so of course I had to field lots of questions from cash-withdrawers about what was going on. I joked with one nice older man who talked about having gone all the way to NYC to meet Margaret Thatcher and said that I’d had to come all the way from DC to meet Clinton.
When I said that, the girl behind me said “Oh my God, are you from DC, so am I!” Turns out she graduated from American University two years ago and then worked at EBRI and is now pursuing a Masters at UCL. She knew lots of my old haunts/favorite places such as Two Amys pizza, Amphora Diner, Potomac Yards Target, Channel 4 news, etc. Not only that, through her work she knew some people I worked with at AARP! Then the world got even smaller as the friend with her was from Philadelphia area, which is Candace’s hometown. Bizarre!
Talking with them made the three hours fly by and then we were let into the store where Waterstone’s had it very well organized and even handed out biscuits and sweets to us! Our last hour was spent surrendering our bags, coats, getting wristbanded, etc. and then waiting for Bill by the Biographies section (where I wore my marketing hatand looked for all the books by my friend Neil andmoved them to more prominent positions on theshelves).
Around 11:20 all the lift doors opened up and a slew of (hot!) Secret Service agents came out! Woo hoo! Bill is in the Building!) He first faced a slew of press paparazzi and then us regular people. Tere are no words for how amazing it was. He shook hands and chatted with each person going through the line, so when it was my turn, here’s how it played out:
GP: “Good morning Mr. President, it’s such an honour (or maybe I said pleasure) to meet you. I marched in your inaugural parades”
BC: (big genuine smile): “Why thank you, thank you so much. Who did you march with?”
GP: “With the NAMES Project AIDS Memorial Quilt”
BC: (moves in closer me, very serious, thoughtful expression on face, then PUTS HIS HAND OUT AND GRIPS MY SHOULDER!) “Thank you for that. Bless you.”
GP: “Thanks, hope there’s one for Hilary” (or “GoHilary” or something like that)
BC: (chuckles) “Thank you! Take care.”
I then basically floated out of the room and then did a little Laura Linney happy dance like she did in“Love Actually” when her cute coworker kissed her. Definitely one of the Best Days Ever!
And in a funny footnote, we had a Clinton-related question in our pub quiz last night. “Who was Clinton’s vice president during his tenure?” Umm, I wonder who that couldbe?...lol
Follow my adventures in the City of London and at City University.
