It's been a few days, and some things have happened. I've had a few meetings on campus, I've played some floorball, I've done some shopping for essentials, I've been very close to witnessing the fire alarm go off and I bumped into a bloke who's 7 second joke once went around the world thanks to the internet. As the legendary Borat would say; you'll find more, chenquieh.
It all started off with an orientation meeting for students from abroad. I was part of one of several groups that day, and the instagam-post below should give some indication of the scale of just how many people we're talking about. There was at least one group before mine that day.
Later that same evening I attended my first floorball practice session with the London Sharks, held at Royal Oak on Mondays. Had I known what sight would be greeting me as I entered Old Street underground station I'd have had my camera handy, because it was extremely congested with commuters on their way home. One stop on the Northern Line down to Moorgate to catch a Circle/Hammersmith & City Line train proved to be even more crowded, and I was really glad I'd set off with plenty of time to spare.
Actual practice was fantastic. I was there nice and early before it began to make a good impression, but the relaxed atmosphere for the first fifteen minutes put my mind at ease that any future commuter-related delays wouldn't be too much of a problem. I didn't do a headcount but we were somewhere around 20 people of various skill levels, something I found quite impressive and very positive. Some of the guys (Czechs, Finns, Swedes, another Norwegian...) were really bloody good, which was a bit intimidating but also very exciting.
We soon split into two groups using one half each; the A-team and the B-team, and the high-octane stuff began. I definitely need to maintain my running if the A-team operates on this level and against similar opposition. Later on we divided into two equal teams and played on both halves. I was already pretty knackered, but really enjoyed myself. Even managed to score a trademark goal from the midfield which was nice. I'm looking forward to the next session on Saturday!
Self portrait after practice. This is quite the team I've found, here.
On Tuesday I bought the cheapest football I could find, which I need to
do some core strength exercises. I've been struggling with pains in my
inner thigh and lower abdomen for a few months, and got a rehabilitation
training program after consulting a professional before coming to
London. I won't bore you with the details, save for the fact that it
seems to be working so far. After getting back to my hall I paid a visit to the closest (large=cheaper) supermarket, Sainsbury's in Angel, and got myself kitted up to now make my own breakfast every day. I then went for a short run around the local area where I got a little bit lost when deviating from my planned path, but quickly found my way again.
On Wednesday morning I had an individual registration appointment with my designated Education Abroad Officer (and top bloke) Steve Hepworth. My four modules that I had been allocated were all four of my top choices, and my enrolment was officially complete. I then had a look around the Regent campus to orientate myself as to where my classes/lectures are going to be before heading back to Hoxton.
Got my student ID as well.
I noticed a little mistake in my budget for the semester (always double-check the totals and sub-totals in your spreadsheets, kids) and suddenly didn't seem as well-off as I initially thought I'd be. Measures have been taken to ensure that I don't end up living in a cardboard box come May.
There was a study abroad and exchange student boat party later that evening. By this point I was actually starting to feel a little overwhelmed with the big city life, and almost didn't go. I come from a University College of 2,000 students and 5,000 local population, my hometown in Norway has a little over 70,000 people, and now I'm smack in the middle of a solid 8 million (source). That's three million more than the total population of Norway! But how else am I supposed to get to know people if I don't take opportunities like this when they arise? I'm really glad I did, because I met quite a few cool people and got a nice view of the city from the Thames.
Tower Bridge from middle distance.
Tower Bridge up close.
Tower Bridge from afar.
Met this legend on the boat. Don't recognise him? Check out the video below.
Other people include an outgoing trio of Pakistani guys, a mild-mannered Wisconsin native and Arsenal fan, a keen swimmer from Oklahoma and the most Canadian Canadian ever from Toronto. I think it's safe to say that I'm in good company so far.
I entered the kitchen today to find it a little more opaque than usual; someone didn't find the switch to the extractor fan. Luckily the alarm didn't go off after the switch had been located, and life continued as normal. The rest of the day was spent walking around the local area and snooping around Poundland and Iceland on Hoxton Street. I then watched Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, following news of Alan Rickman's death...
That's three British legends (including Lemmy and Bowie) that have succumbed to cancer in a very short timespan, which is a bit of a surreal start to the new year. I can't claim to be an enormous fan of either of them, but one certainty is that each of them have left behind a wonderful legacy in the form of song and/or film that the rest of humanity can enjoy for ages to come.
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