The Day Thus Far

Well, I made it here! It took some tears, some panicking, some second thoughts and a lot of positive thoughts. Thanks to my new found friend, Sarah B--, I was able to enjoy (or atleast withstand) both the plane journeys that it took to get here. London is...beautiful. If you've ever seen any movie set in modern-day London, you're pretty much aware of what I'm seeing in person. The ride from the airport to campus was pretty fantastic. London is full of old and new. The old is really old, while the new is really new. There is amazing architecture everywhere, whether modern or old. Of course I was struck by the switched sides of the traffic. In spite of being used to it in India, it is still taking me a while to adjust to looking right first, then left.
Hampstead, where our campus of King's College is located, is a really affluent neighborhood. Most of the houses here are in the Victorian style of architecture (complete with turrets and bay windows). The top floors of the houses reflect a more Tudor style of architecture culminating in the perfect English house. Everyone has a little lawn that is amazingly green, blooming with the biggest roses and ferns. All this I observed during our walking tour of the neighborhood. There is an assortment of shops and cafes everywhere. I'm sitting in a hookah bar/cafe right now where the use of a computer is only 1GBP for an hour. My room is excessively cute. I am on the topmost floor of the building ("Maynard") and so the roof slopes above my closet area. The room is equipped with a sink, a floating bookshelf, a desk and a bed. The furniture looks relatively new and my window, against which my desk is placed, overlooks a neighboring field. It is quite picturesque.
Before this, a reception was held in honor of our safe arrival in London. We met with our professors (who seem just as clueless as the students sometimes) and discussed the exciting trips associated with the classes. Socializing, while awkward, was also part of the plan and we were introduced to the other students in our classes.
There has been no real sight-seeing of London done so far. It's all tomorrow, beginning with an orientation at 8.30 in the morning and then proceeding to a city tour of London. I do have pictures of my first impressions of London, but posting them on here will have to wait until I can charge my laptop enough to use it for the same.