Boy, do I have a lot of catching-up to do!
But I have good reasons for not writing, really. Two days ago was an orientation day–and it was pretty dry. We walked around campus–and, in doing so, we walked around town, because it’s kind of slapped in amongst the town of Kingston-Upon-Thames. And they gave us a lot of academic information, blah, blah, blah, how to make cheap travel arrangements, the best deals on train and tube passes, how to save money–that kind of thing. So I simply had nothing interesting to write about that day.
Yesterday was the day I purchased my phone (from The Carphone Warhouse for 15 pounds, with a 10 pound top-up) and an alarm clock. My other has bitten the dust, I’m afraid–or maybe the dust bit it. It’s hard to say; but it wasn’t new. I need to get my dad’s permission to throw it away. May I, please, Dad? It’s one less thing to pack for the trip home. 
Oh, and yesterday was the day I got my Young Persons Railcard, which will give me discounts on day passes for the tube and stuff–I think. I’m not sure exactly what it does, really, but I know that it gives worthwhile discounts on something I’ll be using quite frequently. It may be bought at any train station. Oyster cards, on the other hand, may not be. Now, the Oyster card gives a discount of about a pound per trip on the buses–and on the Underground (Tube), too, but if you have the day pass then it’s superfluous. And the Oyster Card is handy because it will never charge you more for your travel than a day pass–so if you use eight pounds’ worth of travel on the Tube, for instance, it will only charge the rate for a day pass, which is seven pounds. Nice. And worthwhile. But I hear that the student Oyster Card offers even better discounts. The catch is that it costs more and takes longer to get (like two weeks as opposed to the two minutes it took to get the regular one). And it requires a picture. But, if you’re coming over here for a semester, check into that. I don’t know where; just Google “London Oyster Card” or something.
But, my reason for not writing yesterday: I was tired. See, I got in at about midnight, I guess, with my housemate. (Oh, yes, I have a housemate. Her name is Adrianna. She’s from UNC Charlotte, but when not at school she lives only twenty minutes from me, in Burlington. And we didn’t meet until Tuesday. It is a small world, after all, isn’t it?) We were out at a pub (and let me hurriedly explain to all my readers that pubs do not require drinking. I was happy to find this out, because it appears that all social events in England revolve around the pub. Unfortunate for one who has decided not to drink–excepting the fact that pubs also serve tea, coffee, soft drinks, and food. So, when I say that I went to the pub, you may rest assured that it does not mean that I drank. In fact, it will never mean that. If I drink, I’ll probably tell you. But don’t expect to hear it.) and those who were drinking took a very long time to finish–and, of course, it is not advisable to walk alone at night, even in lovely little Kingston. So I waited until I had someone to walk home with. Thus the late hour. And thus the lack of a post, even though I did have some stuff to write about by that point.
For one, allow me to introduce to you the Bridgers. They are such wonderful hosts! I couldn’t have asked for better, really. If I remember correctly, they’re both schoolteachers. Mrs. Bridger works in a primary school, but I don’t remember what level Mr. Bridger works with. They have magnificent sense of humour, which pleases me greatly, and they’re very accomodating. They offer directions to places and allow the use of their facilities freely and all–which, from some reports is not always the case, surprisingly. I thank God for blessing me so!
And their house is perfectly charming! I’ll see if I can’t get a picture up. Those airport pictures were bears, but now that I have the hang of it I think this next batch will go smoother. It’s a little cottage-type structure with all sorts of nooks and crannies in the ceilings.
My room is on the second floor, the one with the corner window. Which is, of course, perfect, because I love windows, and a corner window is just top-notch. It’s small, but don’t you know that my stuff fits just perfectly? If it were any bigger, I would feel as if it were empty, really, but as it is it feels just right. I even have some extra shelves for any expansion in my personal belongings. It really is far better than I would have imagined. Not as good as my room at home, of course, but that will still be there when I return. And this is a perfectly suitable substitute.
Oh, dear. I feel as if I’m overloading you with information, but there’s so much to tell! That’s why I was hoping to write yesterday evening, because I knew that today I would have tons more to write with the day trip to London and all. But, I really can’t put it off, because tomorrow we’re going to Brighton, and I’ll have lots to say on that, too. So much to do, so little time…
I’ll break off this post, I guess, and describe London in the following…
