I'm so relieved - after my two first days of epic class failures, I had two days of great success. This morning I went to Violence and Politics in Modern East and Northeast Africa, followed by the tutorial (discussion section), and then I attended Government and Politics of South Asia. Both classes were very interesting, and I really liked the professors. Plus, they were both on the Vernon Square campus, which was definitely a plus. As I wrote a couple days ago, the main campus of SOAS is about a 20-25 minute walk away. Vernon Square, on the other hand, is barely two minutes away. For the four days I have class, it looks like I will be headed to Vernon Square two days a week, and main campus the other two days. A nice balance, if you ask me.
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| SOAS Vernon Square Campus |
I finished class at noon and had the whole afternoon free. I decided to walk to Chapel Market, an outdoor market near the Sainsbury's grocery store. It's mostly produce, and there's also a fish market, butcher, and stands that sell everything from shampoo to luggage. It's there 7 days a week, and on Sundays, I've heard that it is dedicated almost entirely to produce. Other full-year exchange students have told me that this is where I should buy all of my fruits and vegetables because it's fresh and cheap: a winning combination. I plan to check it out on Sunday to see what all the hype is about!
Tonight was really fun. Eric and I met up with the two other BC SOAS students and headed to the nearest tube station, where we took the subway to the Piccadilly Circus stop, which is sort of like the Times Square of London. It was so great to finally get to more of a central downtown area for the first time since my arrival. We met up with about 30 other BC students at a wonderful Italian restaurant called Little Sicily. It was great to see some familiar faces, but also meet new people that I hadn't encountered at BC before. I am looking forward to seeing everyone again on Saturday, as we have a sightseeing tour and pub lunch!
I didn't realize that it was only about a 20-minute commute to some of the major sites and central areas of the city. Taking the tube was a great - a million times more sophisticated than any public transportation I've experienced in America. The one major setback is the cost; I spent a total of 5 pounds (2.5 each way) for one trip. Not exactly a bargain.
Tomorrow I have to go to the SOAS main campus to turn in my list of course choices and officially register for classes. Just a recap, my four courses for the semester will be:
- The State and Politics in Africa
- Politics of Development
- Violence, Identity, and Politics in Modern East and Northeast Africa
- Government and Politics of South Asia
I'm excited for the semester to really pick up next week. But, I'm even more excited for this weekend, when hopefully I'll really be able to get out and see more of London!
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