My way to school

One of the highlights of the trip I did last year to England, was that afternoon in which I visited the Tate Modern. After digesting as much art as it was possible to do in just a couple of hours in that huge building that once served as a power station, me and a group of friends (and friends’ friends) went upstairs to have a drink in a bar, at the Tate Modern, which just happens to have the best view of London you could ever imagine. Saint Paul-s Cathedral at dusk, the Thames in front of it, and the appealing Millenium Bridge pointing towards the Cathedral’s shining dome in an increasingly darkened sky.

Later that evening, after the bar closed, we went out of the Tate Modern and found ourselves having a last pint from a pub located in the river walk facing the massive Art Gallery. We drank them outside, seating in the benches that face the Thames, Saint Paul-s dome still shining. A picture taken that night would later become the Desktop’s wallpaper of the computer at my office, as a constant reminder of the innumerable tasks that I had to do during almost one year in order to secure a place in LSE (and be able to afford the whole experience)

Little did I know that almost one year and a half after that memorable evening, I would find myself living just beside the corner of that place. Every single time I walk to school (yes, I walk) I pass through the Tate Modern and the pub. Saint Paul’s and the ultra modern Gherkin I can never miss. Further west, as I keep walk and after crossing the Thames (yes, I get to cross the Thames everyday), I get a glimpse of the London Eye, whose circular form eventually shows in its entirety when I walk besides the river at Victoria Embankment. By that time, the Houses of Parliament and the Big Ben can also be spotted.

…….

Yesterday and today I have had two of the most intellectually encouraging days so far. Classes are demanding, seminars are no piece of cake (they’re not that hard either). After discussing on Latin American Politics during a seminar, I followed up the conversation with a rather good looking guy I seem to be developing a crush on (damn! He seems to be straight). Afterwards I just walked through Houghton Street, that narrow strip surrounded by LSE buildings, always lively, always full of people. A cheerful crowd was dancing to some Iranian beats coming from a set of drums played by a group of people, very Capoeira-style. Chants, applauses, dancing girls, Muslim icons… student life.