Changed plans

Hello all!

In the spirit on spontaneity, I changed all of my plans for Thursday. Last you heard I was off to a career consultation session, lecture, then the consulting fair. None of those 3 things occurred (fully).

My sickness caught up to me and I decided to take the extra hour to rest before lecture instead of going to the consultation session. Fair enough. I arrive to the first lecture of my Economics for Management class and end up leaving at the half way break. My coughing and wheezing is disrupting everyone around me, and I was so miserable I left. I couldn't get into the medical clinic until the next morning so I walked to the pharmacy and talked to the chemist there. He recommended a different kind of a cough syrup than the one I'd been taking. It has pseudoephedrine in it, which I haven't had in the states since the meth scares! It's so much better than whatever the new stuff is.

Anyway, it's 3 pm and I decided to relinquish my spot for the consultancy fair in a few hours. I wouldn't make the best impression on McKinsey Bain and BCG if I'm hacking up a lung in their face, let alone I literally could collapse on command. I clear my schedule (except for skyping with the lovely Stephanie Peter later) and decide to have dinner since I'd be sleeping through the night. I treat myself to my first sit down dinner with linens and table service and order Chicken Tikka Masala. The spices and solitude were just what I needed. Then on my way home I walk past a spa that's giving 7 minute chair massages for 5 quid. I decide since my chest is so congested they could work on my back and help me out. It was amazing. I retreat to my dorm, dose up on the robitussin and ibuprohohen (I have a fever) and hit the sack. How amazing!

I slept esentially through the night, minus skyping with Stephanie, and then being drug outside because of the fire alarm going off. I did have a hard time falling back asleep since I'd been already through some sleep cycles. Nevertheless, I slept in on Friday and made my way to the emergency clinic on campus.

I had my first real interaction with public healthcare and overall it was fine. I did have to wait 40 minutes to be seen, and explain lots to my doctor (she didn't ask me any questions) but I got proper diagnosis, prescription, and it was free (with no paperwork)! I don't have bronchitis because it's viral, but just in case I got worse over the weekend she gave me a script of amoxicillin.

I went to 2 new courses' lectures and LOVED them. I am changing my whole schedule. I'm dropping the massive 900 person macro class, and the super technical accounting one, and adding corporate finance and international marketing. I need to get approval for the finance one, but am excited because my 9 am lectures will be eliminated.

Friday night I went to Cat Manning's 23rd birthday party. It was so amazing that she invited me. It was at this posh cocktail bar in Barbican. I got to meet some of her friends and colleagues and reminisced about Knox and sororities. I didn't stay too long since I was still sick and called it an early night. It was fun though!

One of the specialty martinis.

The private room Cat had reserved.

Saturday was an incredible day! I met up with Allie and Rowley, both of whom go to Georgetown, and we went to Notting Hill and Portobello Market. They were amazing!! We were smitten with the various vendors selling all kind of things; silver, sewing machines, crepes, flowers, elephants (wooden), tea kettles, headbands, jewelry, photographs, art, and so much more. The market comes to life each Saturday and stretches for over a mile on Portobello Rd. We took lots of pictures and you can see the album I posted with all my London pictures to date here. Here are some highlights.

Perhaps the storefront in the Hugh Grant film?

Such beautiful things!

Allie and I trying on our headbands. I ended up getting one without feathers, but with shiny beads instead.

The infamous blue door from Notting Hill! It has since been painted black. But we had to stop.

We had lunch at Garden and the Grill, which was a Thai restaurant that had a second story terrace. We requested the corner table, so we literally sat 25 feet above the intersection and watched the fanfare of the market for an hour while we enjoyed Tom Kha soup and Chicken satay. It was amazing.

After returning to the Tube station Rowley parted ways with us at Bond Street, and Allie and I continued to shop at Dorothy Perkins on Tottenham Court Road and Oxford Street. We had fun trying on clothes and shoes! To orient you, LSE (A) to Holborn Station (B) to Notting Hill Gate Station (C/E) to Portobello Market (D) back to tube (C/E) to Dorothy Perkins (F) to Passfield (G/I) to Benito's Hat (H) to Passfield (G/I) to Rocket (J) and back to Passfield. 17 miles.

It was a long day. After returning home I rested for a bit then went to Benito's Hat for dinner with people from Passfield. It was the same concept as Chipotle and very good. Then we bought some wine and retreated to the dorm for a while. Later in the night we decided to check out the Rocket, a pub/ half club 3 minutes away with cheap drinks. It's a fun atmosphere will UCL and LSE kids mixed. I called it an early night again since I'm not 100% better yet.

Today I have literally not left my dorm. It's my last day of rest before tackling the week and endless events. I washed all of my sheets and towels (I want to get the germs out!) and Lysol-ed every surface imaginable. My room has been quite the infirmary. So far today my fever is gone and I've only dosed up on robitussin once. I'm heading to bed in a bit and think will finally be good to go in the morning.

Tomorrow I have my first class-class. It's for environmental economics and I'm really excited. Then it's off to get signatures on forms, one lecture, wine tasting, and public talk. I'm seeing Professor Lord Eatwell explain "Why is macroeconomics such a mess" Looking forward to my my first live Keynesian talk post financial crisis. I will need to share this with Prof Cohn at Knox. Side note, his book, Reintroducing Macroeconomics, is the ONLY book I brought with me to London. Take his ECON 120 course if you have the opportunity. It will change your life.

And with that I'm off to bed.

Cheers!