Back in the Saddle
I haven’t been able to post in an age bc i’m back in university trying to make myself slightly more attractive in the job market. I haven’t been a student for a year and a quarter and it feels strange to be back in this world. I got to London on the 20th of September and had registration and all sorts of induction things in the first few days. Utter pain having to queue up and listen to lectures where ppl talk patronizingly about the importance of working consistently from the word go and trying to figure out which classes seem mildly less dull than the next. But uni proper started this week and they’ve been kind enough to give us a test today. Apparently it’s not important and requires no preparation besides suggested background reading sent by mail when we got our offers (which I hastily read this morning). The purpose is supposedly to assess each student’s stregnths and weaknesses so that each superviser can advise us accordingly. I thought the test was at 2.30 but it’s at 4.30 so I have 2 hours to kill in the library.
London is big and slightly intimidating at first. I’m used to living in smaller cities and towns so it takes a bit of time to adjust to this new setting. I guess I’m still in the getting settled in stage since we don’t have internet at home yet, have to sort out an Oyster card and there are still a few teething problems in the house. But once things are all in order (hopefully at the end of this week) there’s a lot I’ve got planned. I want to cover as many of the musicals and theartre as possible, the Museums and galleries and try fit in a few rock concerts. At the same time there’s lots of ecclectic food, culture and music on offer in London which would be brilliant to savour over the course of an year.
Thus far it’s been alrite besides a few mishaps such as discovering that our “3 bedroom house” actually had only 2 bedrooms and having to hastily convert the living room, losing my bag on the tube along with my main course text book and having no hot water for the first week and learning to skip back and forth in and out of the cold water shower. But it’s been fun too, getting back into cooking with my housemates, exploring our neighbourhood and the little restaurants near uni (and discovering a nandos close by!!), shopping on Oxford Street, fumbling with DIY desks and cabinets and having poker and movie nights whenever guests drop in.
So far so good. I should be able to post more regularly once internet is up and running at home, it’s an absolute mission trying to find a free computer in the main library. It would probably be prudent of me to go and do a bit more reading before my test so it’s best I be off.
Greetings and welcome to London. That post had a such a deja vu feel to it cos everyone of those problems were personally experienced by me too. We’ve been in the house for 2 weeks now. Still alternating between hot and cold water (thus having to jog in one place so as to avoid being frostbitten), sufferring w/out net at home, discovering that our 5 bedroom house is in fact 4 bedroom and not having to hastily convert the living room cos one’ve the 5 dropped out of UCL, in summer (convenient), and successfully putting together an Argos DIY desk and rolly chair. Ddm, is was at Chicago at Adelphi Theatre the other day and man, it was fabulous. I have a post coming on that soon…look out for it. And do drag me along when you do hit a west end musical next. I’m highly inclined to see as many as em as possible before work gets tough (Mama Mia, We Will Rock You and Billy Elliot are topmost on that list..) For something different yet slightly weird, check out the Tate if you havent already. More on that on a post soon. And in closing may I inform you that I have nearly perfected SriLankan chicken curry, beans in oyster sauce and basmati rice. I’d like to challenge you on that. Cheers!
Comment by Anush — October 5, 2005 @ 3:56 pm
Hi. I just wanted to thank you for your compliment on my blog article. Also, I hope you have a brilliant year and that none of your housemates spits in your milk. Oh, if you want to hear a song about the London Underground I whole heartedly recommend visiting http://www.union.ic.ac.uk/medic/fitness/home.php?type=listen
it will crack you up! Or your money back!
Comment by Curious Yellow — October 5, 2005 @ 10:06 pm
another bites the dust. have fun ddm, have a good year, and maybe see you the next time around.
you did a fab tour of the paradise island btw, been reading your posts although silently. well done. isnt she beautiful? take care.
Comment by Electra — October 6, 2005 @ 3:56 am
Anush: Ado I haven’t had lunch yet and that sounded very tempting! So far i’ve cooked the following.. Black pork curry with rice and veges, roast chicken, mutton curry with buriyani and my housemate made a stunning kukul mas curry the other night, I think you ought to drop by sometime and indulge
Curious Yellow: hehe you mad bugger. apiwa mathaka nadda yako?
Electra: Thanks lots electra, do enjoy our lovely isle sufficiently to compensate for all of us who are missing it greatly.
Comment by ddm — October 6, 2005 @ 12:24 pm