Euston Station - A View of Train Stations in London

I thought it would be good today to include a picture of the nearby Euston Station train and tube station.  The station is very big and has many places to eat – I find myself coming here from time to time to grab a bite to eat because it is so close to where I live.  I must say though, that Saturdays and Sundays are very busy at train stations – I went to grab a sandwich but a few of the shops had ran out!

Queues

Three months have now elapsed here in London; it is hard to believe that I still have not blogged about queues!  “Queuing” refers to standing in line.  This is a rather convenient word to use (one word vs. three words for “standing in line”) and you find yourself using this word quite often because, well British people like to stand in line.  It is nice how orderly things are in London; however, it can be annoying sticking to this rigidly when there is hardly anyone around (must be the rebellious American in me).  

Where are the Street Signs?

This has been an issue ever since I arrived in London.  I have gotten more used to it, but I still feel a little uncomfortable navigating areas I don’t know too well due to this annoying fact about London – they do not have street signs at intersections.  Instead, they have the signs on some (not all) buildings near an intersection, so it can be slightly confusing at times…  When we go out and try to find a place, I have been saved many times by my roommate’s GPS on his Blackberry.

Canterbury Cathedral and Leeds Castle

This Saturday, I went on an outing subsidized by LSE to Canterbury Cathedral and Leeds Castle.  Canterbury Cathedral was an impressive work of architecture that has been largely intact since the 13^th century.  It was quite awe-inspiring seeing the stained glass windows and experiencing an atmosphere that seems unchanged since the Middle Ages.  The next site, Leeds Castle was interesting in its own way – it was a very picturesque castle that has been a filming site for a few movies, including Harry Potter.  Since families actually resided in the castle until the 20^th century, they had furniture and decorations from late 19^th century – not quite authentic but still interesting.     

The Comedy Store Revisited

Since we enjoyed going to the Comedy Store so much, we decided to do it again!  This time, the lineup was completely different but it was still a blast.  A good laugh (or many of them) is guaranteed!

Thanksgiving in London

I have found that at certain times during the year, I have missed home much more.  Thanksgiving was one of those days.  I just wanted to be home, have a good meal, and share a relaxing day with my family.  Passfield Hall had a Thanksgiving dinner on Wednesday; I appreciated the effort, but it was still not the same… Apart from the first week, I have not found myself to be too homesick though – I have been constantly stimulated by the experience of studying abroad and making new friends, which has kept my mind off of home.  Oh, and Skype and Facebook are great – you can still feel somewhat in the loop 4000 miles away from home.  

ATP Tennis Tournament at the O2 Arena

This year, London hosted the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals – I was fortunate enough to get tickets to the match through some friends.  They bought the tickets in bulk and for a certain date/time before the match-up was determined, which gave us a good discount on the tickets (I paid about 12 pounds).  Luckily it was a pretty good matchup – Tomas Berdych vs. Andy Roddick.   It was an interesting experience to watch professional tennis live for the first time and soak in the O2 arena, which was a very interesting place.  It is a huge venue that has been home to numerous events/concerts and has many restaurants, small shops, and exhibits.  

First Office Hours Attended

Today I attended the office hours of a class teacher for the first time.  I was slightly worried because I was a little stuck  on my Real Analysis homework so I decided to seek some help at the Columbia House, where LSE’s Math Department is located.  My teacher was nice and willing to help me understand concepts, but since class is generally used to go over problem sets, she could not really help me with the homework problem that I was stuck on.  Which is a little unfortunate since homework grades factor into our class grade at the end of the year…

Clubs and Societies at LSE

There are countless clubs and societies at LSE, so if you want another way to meet people with similar interests/ broaden your horizons, joining club(s) would be a good option.  I would definitely recommend going to the LSE Fresher’s Fayre in the First week of the term – there you can talk to representatives from each club and get a feel for what each club is like and pay the marginal (1-10 pound) registration fee for clubs you are interested in joining.  Don’t sign up for too many though – you may be enthusiastic at first but then you begin to realize it is hard to be an active member in several clubs while balancing other interests!  In the photo above, my two roommates have painted their face blue as part of an activity for the LSE charter of AISEC. 

Is that a bus?

In London, you will sometimes come across a bus that looks like two buses connected together by an accordion.  These buses are yet another distinctive part of London.  I have sometimes wondered how the driver can turn…

London - Always Under Construction

According to one taxi driver, construction has been going on near Russell Square (causing unnecessary traffic) for over 3 years now.  I don’t know if this is the same across all parts of London, but this has been one aspect (or eyesore) that I have encountered everyday walking to and from LSE.  It also seems that they start construction in new places without finishing up the previous place as well…

All-Access: Entry into 6 Different Nightclubs for 7 Pounds

We got a pretty good deal through a UCL student in which we got at ticket that allowed access into 6 different nightclubs as well as free shots at a few of the venues.  The clubs we went to were Penthouse and Tiger Tiger.  Both of these clubs were very good – Penthouse had a very good view of the London skyline and each floor had different types of music while Tiger Tiger was a nice, well spread out place with plenty of places to sit and chill with friends if you want to take a break.  Remember with London nightclubs don’t leave if it’s “too early” – most places don’t allow entry after 2:00 AM!

Planning for a Euro-trip is a lot of Work...

Over Winter break, I want to go to France and Italy, so I have been busy trying to plan out the trip.  There is really a lot you have to consider, including which cities to visit in limited time, where to stay in those cities, how to get to city to city, whether or not certain attractions are closed during certain times of the year, figuring out how much it is going to cost, etc.  If you are planning on traveling during a peak season, I would recommend buying airplane tickets ahead of time, especially if you are flying on a budget airline because the prices are all determined electronically.  Also, if you are a US passport holder, then you do not have to worry about a visa for traveling Europe.  If you are not, however, you have to apply for a Schengen Visa; if you have been in the UK for a short time (most likely the case) it is difficult to get the visa during the winter break.

More on Meal Deals in London

Now that I have been in London for almost 2 months, I have a much better idea of the Meal Deal offers at many of the major stores and can give a rundown of each offer:

Tesco 2 pounds – Cheapest of the Meal Deals, but what is included in the meal deal is limited.  Sandwiches are minimal, but pastas are decently filling if not satisfying.  Decent selection of sides/drinks as long as they do not run out. 

Sainsburys 3 pounds – Better sandwich selection/quality than Tesco; it is kind of the midrange for Meal Deals.  Selection for side, however, is maybe even more limited than Tesco.  Also baguettes and wraps not included in the Deal.

Boots 3.79 pounds – The best value of all the Meal Deals, albeit the most expensive.  Can choose any drink, side, and main from the shelf.  This means that if you get an Innocent fruit smoothie (1.95 lbs), a good sandwich or salad (2.80) lbs and your choice of side (yogurt, carrot sticks, fruit pack, carrot cake, etc.) you save almost 2 pounds with the Meal Deal.  Definitely a quality/quantity issue here – you could almost buy 2 Tesco Meal Deals instead if you are willing to sacrifice your taste buds. 

Subway 2.29 pounds for the Sub of the Day – Sub of the Day is usually a good lunch option as well.  Some of the Sub of the Days aren’t very good so you have to know what day to get it.  I personally prefer Wednesdays (Turkey and Ham) and Thursdays (Italian BMT).  The good thing is you can choose what you want in it.  I usually find myself paying an addition 2 pounds to make it a footlong when I don’t eat breakfast. 

There are countless other options for eating inexpensively in London that aren’t meal deals – Pret a Manger, Eat, Sticklers (actually I think they have a meal deal), Greggs, Wasabi, Food and Wine stores, etc, but meal deals offer good value as they include a drink and a side that would normally cost at least a little more if bought individually.  You may have to indulge once in a while though – after eating a few of these meal deals consecutively, you will most likely get to the point where you NEED something of higher quality.   

Oh oh - Falling Behind?

LSE runs on a fairly intensive schedule in which each course covers a lot of ground each week.  With quantitative courses, there are very few examples that are provided during lectures.  Therefore, if you’re not careful, you could end up falling behind rather quickly and feel a little lost.  That is how I was feeling this week, so I decided to clamp down and try to catch up over the next couple of weeks.   Some students at LSE wait until the breaks to catch up, but I would not recommend this if you are a General Course student.  Unlike them, your performance in your class is a component of your grade, so you do not want to do poorly on homework assignments because you didn't understand the concepts.  There is also too much material to learn just over the breaks (what some LSE students do).  Plus we are here for only a year, so might as well explore Europe/UK during the break instead of studying!

Alright Laundry Machine, You Win

Passfield Hall really needs to get new driers.  I know that energy/rent is expensive in London, but I should not have to spend the equivalent of $16 to do a couple weeks worth of laundry or stay up really late waiting for the 3^rd drying cycle to finish.  I may start going to a Laundromat to get my laundry taken care of…  It is slightly inconvenient though as you would have to walk 2-3 blocks carrying a huge bag of laundry…

The Days are Getting Awfully Short...

Although it is quite obvious that the days get shorter and shorter in the winter (until the winter solstice anyway), the effect is quite prominent in the UK because it is farther north than most of the United States.  In the middle of November, the sun starts to set at about 4:30.  London does not get enough sun as it is due to overcast skies; the shortening of the days makes London even drearier.      

Nice Belated Birthday Dinner

Today, for dinner we went to restaurant called Joy King Lau in Chinatown.  It was huge restaurant – they actually had an elevator that took us to the floor in which we ate.  The food was good and the prices reasonable (for London anyway).  The service for our table was a little spotty – perhaps they misplaced our order?  Afterwards, we went to Leicester Square and got some ice cream from a Haagen-Dazs shop.  All in all a tasty Saturday! 

Birthday in London!

From the moment the clock stuck midnight, my friends made sure that I had a memorable birthday.  I was blindfolded and hauled to the common room, had cake stuffed in my face, tossed into the air 21 times, took 21 birthday punches from 5 people all at once, covered with icing and shaving cream, and forced into a cold shower.  Some of these birthday traditions I was used to, others I was not…  Either way, it was nice to be able to share this experience with some of the friends that I have made in the couple months that I have been here.   

Lunch in Covent Garden

The location of LSE is nice in the sense that it is fairly close to the famous Covent Garden district, well known as place for commerce since the Middle Ages and still home to many shops and restaurants.   Today, one of my roommates and I went to a Mexican restaurant and had a burrito – haven’t had one of those in a long time!  We later walked around the area a little bit and found some very cool open air markets, including the one in the photo here.  

Freeze the Fees Protest

This year, there has been quite a commotion about the newly elected Liberal Democrat/Conservative Coalition’s proposal to raise tuition by £7500.  Here in the UK, people have had free or very inexpensive secondary education for a long time, so there is quite a bit of opposition to the proposed raise in fees.   Many people from my residence hall, including one of my roommates, went on a protest that took place in front of Parliament.  From what I hear, it was peaceful towards the most part until the end, when a group of protesters became quite rowdy and made international news.  

Finally Getting Used to These Coins

Another thing that I didn’t foresee before coming here was the adjustment that I would have to make to a different currency in the UK.  Sure, I was aware of the exchange rate and the difference in coins and bills, but I didn’t think I would be as slow as I was giving change to a cashier because I couldn’t identify the coins quickly enough.  The coins also come in different denominations: 1p,2p,5p,10p, 20p, 50p, £1, and £2.  The £2 coin especially throws me off – for a coin, it has a lot more purchasing power (over $3) than what I am used to in the States.  The denominations for the bills are similar: £5, £10, £20, and £50.  However, they are worth a lot more due to the exchange rate (but somewhat negated by the high price level in central London).

Dinners at Passfield

Passfield Hall is the only LSE residence hall that has dinner included in the fees.  Since everyone in the Hall is usually at dinner at some point or another every day (between 6:30 – 8:00), this is a great time to socialize with other residents.   As a result, Passfield has a reputation for being one of the more sociable halls.  The other residence halls might have a better eqipped common area, they are not utilized as much as the common area here due to a difference in atmosphere.  The food at Passfield is okay – they usually have a wide selection (three different entrees, four different sides) and give you good portions, so if you have a normal metabolism, you are okay.  Unfortunately, my metabolism is very high and they do not offer seconds, so I do not find the dinner here to be enough food.   

Even the Elevators Have British Accents!

When you study abroad, you often take notice of many small but interesting differences between your home country and your study abroad location that you would have never found out by reading a travel guide.  It is quite interesting to hear the elevators say “Lift going down” and “Doors closing” in a British accent.  It starts to grow on you after a while.      

Guy Fawkes Weekend, but Catching up on Studies...

Guy Fawkes Weekend is similar to the Fourth of July in the United States in the sense that it is a national celebration with fireworks displays all over the city.   It is not a celebration of independence however; rather, it is the celebration of a failed assassination of King James I in the 17^th century.  It is quite odd and slightly disturbing that they still burn Guy Fawkes in effigy every year…  I, however, did not have a chance to go see the firework display because I was buried with work.  If you study at LSE, there will be times when you feel like you are missing out on some of the interesting cultural experiences here due to the workload…

Friday Nights at Passfield

Our hall is unusually social for an LSE Residence Hall so residents often go to clubs and parties as one big group.  But on nights where there isn’t a scheduled outing, most people usually sit in the common room or the dining room and hang out.   My friends and I try to make it more exciting as well…  We were wearing plastic bags over our heads because it was raining - not the best umbrella to be sure.  

Textbooks

For the most part, it seems as though textbooks are much cheaper in the UK (perhaps even half price?) .  Although living costs in London are higher than those in most other American cities, these kind of savings make it easier to live within one's means.  In addition, the LSE library has an extensive Course Collection section, so students can check out required texts  for 24 hours, 3 days, or 1 week, depending on book.  These books can be perpetually renewed, so long as other students do not request your copy.  Therefore, it is possible to get through the academic year without buying any textbooks!  You only really need to a buy a textbook if you either plan to keep it as a source of reference or if you are worried that all the library copies will be checked out at certain points in the year (this is unlikely for most classes because the library stocks a large number of textbooks).  

Wednesdays are AU Nights

At LSE, most people have a light schedule on Wednesdays by design – the School encourages students to participate in clubs and societies on these days.  I hear from friends in these clubs that they play a match and usually go out to a bar/club afterwards.   So if you are interested in studying abroad at LSE and want to play a sport here, that is how it works!  They have most sports here (except swimming, American Football, and baseball), and for some of the sports there is no skill requirement, so if you think you have the time, go ahead and try something new!

Soane Museum by Candlelight

Today, we had another Emory outing – this time at the nearby Sir John Soane’s Museum, which is a house that is filled with valuable paintings, sculptures, and accessories collected by an 18^th century British architect.  On the first Tuesday of the month, the museum has special evening hours in which the entire house is lit by candlelight.  There was a ridiculously long queue for this exhibit, so you just knew that the Museum would not disappoint.  And it didn’t – it was rather interesting seeing the various things that Sir John Soane collected from around the world.  Perhaps it would be easier to view everything in sunlight, but the atmosphere was great.  Afterwards, we went to Pizza Express, and I had quite a big meal there as well.

Rise and Shine!

Halloween on a Sunday is awfully strange.  If you go out and stay out late, it will make Monday much more painful than they usually are.  But that is what I did.  And it was quite fun.  Yes, I did go to bed at 5:30 and then attended a 10:00 lecture.  Without coffee.  Just remember, in London, because there are so many nightclubs, you could practically pick any night of the week (except Sunday usually) and find a place that has a reduced entry for students that night.  This is good because clubbing can get expensive – without student deals, you can expect to pay anywhere between 7-20 pounds just for entry (it will be much more expensive if you drink when you arrive).  Just don’t let clubbing midweek interfere with your studies…