I'm in Hong Kong no longer

I’m in London. I was supposed to move into Northumberland House on 26 September, but they had overbooked, and hence I am staying at High Holborn until 29. It’s a hole. The single room is an acceptable size, but the bed and furnishings are old and creaky. The chair I am sitting on at the moment is torn in a way I didn’t know was possible. I have to share a toilet and shower (which are located in different rooms halfway across the hall) with approximately 15 other people. The shower is so small there’s no room to swing a kneazle. I remember writing the same about the bus traveling to Pine Bluff when I was 14. I suppose most literature is self-referential.

I have met many new people, none of whose names I remember. I must congratulate myself on how friendly a guy I seem to be, but then again freshers’ is a time to be overly friendly no matter one’s real personality. I intended to go to the Prince Charles Cinema yesterday, but I was unlucky enough not to be allocated a free ticket. It was just as well though, for I fell asleep at about nine o’ clock.

Today, 27 September, was the parents’ orientation. I attended a lecture by Martin Lewis, a money-saving guru. Although the lecture itself was rather boring (it was an hour long – I’m beginning to think I’m not suited for lectures, and better suited for smaller classes) it was pretty informative. The key ideas were: that companies’ only aim is to make money from you (the consumer); and that one should budget according to the amount of money available, as opposed to one’s wants and desires. Next was a panel discussion on globalization and how it affects students. Danny Quah, who hopefully will be my teacher at some point of my career at the LSE, was very interesting. I am unfortunately unable to recollect what exactly it was that he said that was interesting; that shows the toll that my 5-month summer has taken on my brain. I must get up to scratch for my first classes, which start on 8 October.

Before that, however, is freshers’ fortnight, which begins officially on 1 October. I will not be going to the first event because on the evening of 1 October, Alan Greenspan will be giving a lecture about his new book called The Age of Turbulence. I have always been slightly uncomfortable about choosing to attend the LSE over the other American universities I could have gone to, but seeing the number of famous people coming to give public lectures here I think I have made the correct choice.

That is not to say, however, that the UK is without faults. Being the critic that I am, here are the few things that I’ve noticed in the past 24 hours that are not to my satisfaction: the trolleys in the airport were unstrollable; the taxi driver knew English and thus kept up a steady stream of nonsensical babble for over 20 minutes; the sandwich shop I wanted to eat at last night was shut at 7 o’ clock; the trains are unreliable; and the weather is, although I hate to say it, terrible.

Now I must away to make some friends.