Now I’m feeling a bit sick, I think I caught a flu… Uhm, anyway I’d say I’ve had at least exciting week. You don’t get every day to burn your hand, get into a bar fight or find amazing indie clubs. Not at least in Finland. Hopefully my stay here will be exciting but I’d wish it to be a bit less full of excitement as the last week. And now something completely different…
Studies
Yes, at last the subject for what we all cheer and find the most interesting from every other subject we come up with when we are drinking massive amounts of beer.
Last Friday I got my schedule and studies in order or I hope I did. It took me about five hours to sort it out from which about 30 minutes were the essential part. Again, the Englishmen and their love for the queuing. It’s like they can’t do anything without it.
On Friday I went to North campus where my lectures usually take place. I was trying to reach my study tutor who could have helped me with picking out the modules I would like to complete. He didn’t anwser to his phone nor was he in his room. I tried asking the doorman but he didn’t know way to reach him otherwise. I didn’t panic because I have my towel (not with me in the Campus but still) and it says you shouldnt. I remembered this advice and with that in my mind I went behind my tutors room. I noticed that there were people in the office next to my tutors office. I waited a while and woman came out of the room. Finally, someone to ask advice from! I asked her if there’s someone besides my tutor who could help me with my problem. She adviced me to go to the Undergraduate Center which was in Tower Building. Well, I took her advise very seriously and did following:
- Went to the Tower Building
- Found my way to the Undergraduate Center
- Lingered outside the UC office for a while (I wasn’t the only one)
- One of the helpers asked if I was seen to
- Got some help from him
- Got told to find out the info about the modules I wanted to take from the Uni website
- Went to the sixth floor for the computer
- Logged in the computer
- Were in the login phase for 20 minutes
- Finally got in and didn’t find the info
- Went back to the Undergraduate Center after about an hour of wasted time
- Asked for to see the academic advisor
- Wrote my name in the list
- Waited
- Waited…
- Got something to eat because it was 3pm and I had had only breakfast
- Waited some more
- Tried banging my head to the wall for attention, didn’t help
- Was seen about 4.50pm and I had went to the North Campus around 11.40
- Was in the office for about 10 minutes and got all my studies sorted out but it was more than 2 hours of waiting
- Went to Burger King
- celebrated my success with £1 cheeseburger and £0.99 Fanta
- Walked to my residence still bouncing around like a little child
Later that evening I found the amazing indie music club.
Big Fish
Big Fish was a big freshmen party. There were amazingly awful music which was played with a ear bleeding volume. After a nice walk in the rain we got in quite easily. Of course first we went for the drinks. Believe it or not but there was a queue again! We waited and waited. Time went past and things started to happen: we got one of Alberto’s friends to get us the drinks. The music was getting even more annoying but hail, there was a bar fight. This is only what I’ve heard after but apparantly a guy was trying to get pass everyone in the queue for the bar and somebody had said to him that he doesn’t have any privilidge to walk pass everyone. After this he apprently just started to punch the guy who made the statement. Well, I was standing quite far from them or so I thought. Some struggling went on and they approached me a bit. The bullies were separated and the maniac with the hasty fist fell. Now the guy wasn’t that far of me. Then he tries to get up and takes a hold of my jacket. At this point I thought he was so drunk that he needs help to get up and don’t say anything about grabbing my jacket. Until I notice the guy is up and his already punching me. He really got one free because I had no idea it was coming. Then I covered myself from the other punches and fell. Then the security was already on the guy and taking him out of the building. I got a minor hit on my the left corner of my eye. He was so drunk that the punches weren’t were powerful which was good for me 
The evening went was quite boring but I talked with another Finnish guy who is also living in Tufnell Park Halls of Residence.
Purple Turtle
Purple Turtle is a nice indie bar in Camden which I found on Friday. It’s also near Koko. We were supposed to go the Koko bar at first but the queues were just horrible. So we decided to check out the Purple Turtle and it was really nice and a whole lot cheaper than the Koko would have been. The Purple Turtle had a nice feeling to it. The music was horribly loud but then again they played good music so I forgave them that. It’s really like the poster card for the indie bar. Really dark a bit smoky and decoration had nice attitude on it. I would recommend the bar everyone who enjoys indie pop and rock while still doesn’t mind the certain underground look. The night was awesome although I didn’t drink but one beer 
The first day of lectures
My lectures started third of October at 9 pm. The subject of the lecture was “Programming the Internet“. Although it might sound a bit confusing the actual module description sounded nice. Basically the module is about Java Servlets and Java Servlet Pages combined with JDBC and XML. The rehersal is to program a mini-ebay. The people who know Vesa Lappalainen and his way of lecturing mind find James King quite familiar although a bit younger. His attitude was quite straightforward: “If you don’t like programming, don’t take this module (as in sod off)” I found it very amusing. I’m looking forward the as the module gets further what he might slip out of his mouth. I’m supposed to have a lecture on tuesday also but I have no idea where it’s been kept. Hopefully that’ll clear out in the morning.
I think this is enough for this day, maybe some more whining tomorrow. For the people who have asked about my hand: it’s OK The blisters are almost gone.
PS. I’ll put some photos online on tuesday afternoon.