Autumn Festival

So today started out with International Student Information Sessions. Which meant getting up and wandering earlier than usual. But lookit this lovely picture of my building! The facade which infringes on my window there to the leftish is a real charmer.

After a bus which up and decided not to go where it was supposed to and then had to turn around and go another way and still wasn't where it ought to have been for unknown reasons... I made it! A bit of the talks were just introductory things... (thanks, but I've already sorted the talking to other people thing!)... some information was useful. And then it was on to more fun things!

My hall mates all came here to study from China. Today was the Autumn Festival in China, so we all made dinner together and it turned out to be a delicious spread. I'm embarrassed to admit that since I couldn't find the fresh ingredients for my promised pizza, we ended up with a far inferior - but still edible! - alternative.

Yay finished feast!

Moon pies are the special treat eaten during the autumn festival. They were quite tasty and colorful!

After dinner we tried to find a nice view of the full moon, but it proved to be difficult to find anywhere dark enough. It was still a lovely evening, though!

Sunshine

So this day dawned lovely and sunshiney, which was a nice break from the grey clouds and rainy weather of the past couple of days. And... predictably, I went out and about to poke around. (And see about potentially finding a chance of a job!)

I walked through Russell Square on my way, and came across this lovely tree-lined sidewalk.

And I believe this is the Russell Hotel... but whatever it was it looked quite impressive basking in the sun!

Less excitingly I acquired pins so I could start to dress up my bulletin board! Yay things!

I had the chance to meet up with some of my fellow departmental ladies at the V&A, and we had a brief wander through the museum while we chatted.

Afterwards we had a chance to meet up at the department and say hello to everyone else, too. Friday evening I went out with a few new friends. After a comedy show put on at UCL, we wandered through town. This was my favorite pair of bars... Called the Taps, they are located outside Euston Station, one on each side of the road. One serves beer...

... and across the street the other serves cider! They're just big enough for a bar and a bit of standing space, and collect crowds of people outside them as the evening goes on.

Saturday was time for a bit of administration fun. So I trekked off to UCL to get myself officially enrolled. I'm happy to report my student ID picture is almost okay!

Luckily the lovely sunshine had elected to stick around, so after enrolling I took a stroll towards the museum.

Past lovely buildings right near campus.

And sat out to enjoy the sunshine for a bit before heading inside.

The afternoon's tour included some random mosaics...

...Egypt. 

... a brief peek at Mesopotamia and it's surroundings...

... and old Europe!

This window out into the central section of the museum might be one of my favorites.

And then I saw a sunflower on the way home!

This dog was adorable. He was standing up looking around at the people on the street below for a good while before he got bored!

Let's home the sunshine lasts for a few more days!

Wanderings

Since classes haven't started yet, I've been wandering round the city enjoying London, the sites, and the food. I was off to get my phone sorted, when I passed this awesome sushi place and had to come back for lunch.

There's just something fascinating about watching tiny plates of food proceed along a conveyor belt!

I just liked this building. I'm not sure I could find it again without a lot of wandering, though!

Later that evening I wandered around Leicester Square and Chinatown, enjoying the lights and the sights. There are still oodles of people out after dark, but that might have been a result of the numerous theaters around the area.

Found a Bubba Gump in the middle of London!

Chinatown has these big, beautiful lanterns strung up over one of the streets.

And tiny ones everywhere else!

I've spent a good bit of time on the tube lately... but I shall soon have to switch to buses when my travel pass runs out!

The next afternoon I took a wander through Camden Town, which has a bunch of interestingly decorated buildings.

Owls, yay!

It took me up until I walked past it to realize that the Camden Lock Market is called that... because there's an actual lock right next to it. Imagine that!

This dude was sculpted above the entrance to a Shaka Zulu restaurant. 

So these markets are actually -huuuuge-. There must be thousands of vendors with little shops in this tangle of markets. Some of them like those in here are in the actual old stables, with the doors and everything. This complex was originally built way back when in order to facilitate trade through the lock. A railroad was eventually built, too, and it became a bustling hub of goods going in and out of London. At one point there were some 450 horses stabled here, including all the necessary facilities - a farrier, iron-smith to make shoes, veterinarians, and so forth. Horses were the muscle power for dragging ships through the lock and once the railroad arrived there were extensive underground tunnels built to allow them to be moved without being injured or spooked by the trains.

Statues scattered about commemorate the original purposes of different parts of the market.

Except maybe this one. I think this one's just art. ^^

Some of the shops are quite elaborately decorated inside the market area, too.

I saw a post about this cafe - where they literally just serve cereal and milk, but cereals of all sorts of hard to find types - on the internet at one point. And it was exciting to stumble upon it in real life!

And of course food. Tom and I went out to find tasty Korean food one evening, and Bibimbap delivered! This lovely rice dish in a hot stone bowl was beautifully colored and most delicious!

So it's upside down... but I'll fix it!

And after that a bit more exploring the city!

The fanciest barber shop that ever did exist...

St. Pancras Hotel by night!

All in all it's been quite fun, and I am sure the beginning of classes will be a startling introduction back into the land of hard work and schedules that don't involve wandering around (sometimes literally in circles).