1 Jan

Woke up, showered and finally washed my hair (I couldn't help how long it took to do so)! Breakfast, then out to catch a bus to King’s. Took a while to find the right station, but finally we were headed to my new home. Bambi was fortunately at the desk and directed me how to get to my room. No lift in the hall which was rather annoying considering the bulk of our luggage, but thanks to Sachi I got all my stuff upstairs. The folks at King’s are obsessed with fire doors (lockable swinging doors in passageways) and I have to pass through easily over half a dozen just to get to my room. Opened the door to room 673 of Danehurst hall to find the place surprisingly well furnished. The room is equipped with a large bureau with shelves, pull out tiny bins, and hanger space (no hangers but I brought some), desk, sink, sink mirror, mirror light, tack board, desk chair, sitting chair, tiny bed with two pillows and full linens (which I must change every two weeks or else!), extra blanket, desk lamp, many nails on a strip on one side of the room for hanging things, small wooden cabinet with three big drawers, curtained window, controllable radiator, two long wooden bookshelves above the bed, and a small trashcan. Not too shabby… Showers and toilets are just down the hall and in pretty nice shape (better than any I’ve used at UNC). I have a nice view of the dorm complex from my window though I cannot close the window completely: there is a tiny slit in the bottom which is letting some cold air in but the radiator will hopefully compensate for that. The floor looks like linoleum and is a little cool so I might put down the extra blanket as a sort of carpet. That will also help separate the shoe and no-shoe zones (London streets are a bit dirty, especially when wet and slightly muddy). We are also spoiled here in that we do not have to wash our linens (we just pick up a new set every fortnight) and our rooms are cleaned for us once a week. It took me about 2 hours to unpack everything and arrange it exactly how I wanted it. For the first five or more minutes, I just sat on the bed, closed my eyes, and meditated. I was just so relieved everything had gone right to this point that I couldn’t move for a while. When I finally roused myself from my stupor I opened up my big bag and just started arranging the room. When I was done, we both realized how hungry we were and so we left in search of food and groceries. The internet I'm using right now is through a wireless network in the dorm (hooray!) but unfortunately I need a username and password to logon. Bambi kindly let me borrow his info until I get my own during orientation which will take place on the 5^th and 6^th. I still need to purchase a phone and hair dryer which I will try to do tomorrow. Also, I’m planning on getting a monthly tube+bus pass which will give me unlimited rides on both; the Tube only for Zone 1 and the bus for all of London. The price is about £50 per month with 30% reduced student fare but makes sense because the normal price would be much higher. Buses cost £1.20 for each single ride, and I’ll be riding the bus at least twice a day five days a week = £48 per month, and that’s just for the bus and not including the Tube! They also have this “Oyster” program which lets you add money to a travelcard whenever you’d like. You swipe it every time you board a bus or ride the Tube and it deducts accordingly. I’ve looked a bit into the specifics but it seems like a sort of tricky system with peak/non-peak hours and some tedious rules and regulations. Before buying the metro/bus travelcard I will ask the staff here which method they think is best.

Sachi and I had lunch/dinner today at a falafel place (again!!) which cost us £9.50 for two falafels, two sodas, and a plate of chips (fries). We also bought some pasta and sauce for tonight so we don’t have to go out again. Unfortunately, the dining hall doesn’t open until the 8^th for dinner but it will open on the 3^rd for breakfast. There’s a slightly pricey supermarket about 2 minutes from the dorm which I will check out tomorrow. There is a cheaper one I can get to by bus but that was closed today. I have a strong feeling I will be making frequent use of the buses here which makes a monthly unlimited pass very attractive…

Laundry is rather pricey here at the dorm but I guess you pay for convenience. Washers cost £1.20 per cycle and dryers cost £0.20 per cycle. There is also only ONE of each machine per floor from what I gathered when I went exploring a bit…The machines also only accept exact change using specific coins so I need to wait before I wash my clothes. I will inquire tomorrow as to exactly how that works. The kitchen is rather small with a small fridge, microwave, range, oven, and one table. I think someone burned something in there because it smells kind of smoky. I have only seen three other people here in the entire hall but I can see a lot of lights on in rooms from my window, so I know more are around. Bambi said most people return to the dorms during the last weekend before classes start, so I expect it’ll be rather quiet around here until then. Because JYA (that’s me; junior year abroad) and new student orientation begins on the 5^th, I also expect all the spring-semester-only to arrive by then. Several of then are apparently on my side of the hall and I’m looking forward to meeting them. Tomorrow I will explore the building and grounds more. I’m rather tired right now and would rather just plan out the next several days and get everything in order before I explore more. I’ve also only seen one outlet in my room which will make things a little troublesome unless I buy and extension cord with US+GB sockets (I’ve seen sockets like that in hotels and such so I know they exist!). I’ll ask if they are allowed and if I have to, I might buy another adapter or too. But we’ll see. If it’s just a little inconvenient I won’t spend the money but if I find I really need an extra outlet I’ll do so.

There is a park really close to the dorm, which will be a nice study place in the spring. This area seems pretty quiet right now but it is just New Year’s Day after all, so things might change in a week or so, especially after all the students return. I’ve spotted a few banks nearby and I will ask them within the next few days if I can open an account. They “require” a minimum of 6 months stay but hopefully they’ll be flexible. Being able to withdraw sterling from sterling will let me avoid exchange fluctuations and avoid nasty ATM fees.

There’s no built-in way to prop open the door but I will manage something. I will also visit the campus tomorrow or Tuesday to get the feel of it before orientation. I saw some cell phone shops a short bus ride from the dorm and I will inquire as to what phone will be best for my needs. I saw some at an Eckerd’s like store we went into that were selling for £20-£30 but I do not believe those included minutes. Hopefully I’ll get a student discount or something. I’ve been writing this entry for over 30 minutes now and I think it’s gone on long enough. I’ll write again tomorrow or soon and download Skype as soon as I’m done with this. Happy New Year everyone and take care!