London: Day 1

So I finally made it to London today! My orientation for IFSA-Butler was actually in Feltham, which is a suburb of London (and not the most exciting suburb either, might I add). After a 2.5 hour flight to Newark and a 6 hour flight to London (after waiting forever in Newark because we were late boarding), I finally arrived. Going through Immigration was a breeze, it took about 2 minutes. After we got our bags, we went straight to the hotel and just hung out for the day. A bunch of people bought pay-as-you-go cellphones (which turned out to be quite a hassle for all of them--so thanks Daddy for getting me a UK simcard), and I bought a straightener at ASDA. We learned during orientation that Londoners are suppressed, repressed, and depressed, and that's why they all wear black. We also learned that England is the nation of thieves, and we were pretty much assured that we would, at some point, get mugged or pickpocketed. I'm trying my best to cling to my purse as much as possible.

We finally arrived in London today around 2pm. UCL and Butler didn't work everything out too well and we were late for the Welcome Assembly at UCL. There are only 2 other Butler girls living in my house, but I'm good friends with one of them already and it was nice to be able to walk with someone else to and from the house. I have a great single room with a big desk, big closet, plenty of draws and shelves, and a sink with a mirror above it. It's better than any room I've had at Conn, of course! The bathrooms also look brand new, which is nice. The walk to UCL's main campus is about 5-7 minutes. We attended a Welcome Reception tonight from 5:30-7:30, where we thought we would be served dinner; however, the reception was just lots of free wine and small appetizers. Afterwards, me and about 7 other kids went to a pub around Astor (conveniently, Tottenham Court Road is a hopping street--lots of pubs, bars, and stores) and got some food and I bought alcohol for the first time. It was a lot of fun but I went back early with Adrian (the girl who lives in Astor with me) because I really need to catch up on some sleep. Fortunately, Butler provided bedding for us, but the bedding is quite insufficient (the pillow is hardly a pillow at all, and we weren't given a top sheet, just a duvet. Considering how chilly it is in my room right now, and the fact that it doesn't look like I can control the heat, I'll need something more. On a similar note, I'm kicking myself for not bringing my winter coat here, and it looks like I'll have to buy one at some point... my fleece jacket isn't enough for this weather!

That's about all I have to update for now. Tomorrow we have a few orientation things, including meeting with our departments in the afternoon. I made friends with a girl named Claire and a boy named... well I forget his name but they are both in the Econ department, which is good. Until then... cheers!