I’ve never realized just how good it is to live in Hong Kong!

Not to be a whiner (even though I am), but London is definitely:

• Chillier, and rainy-er than Hong Kong – it rained lightly at my arrival
• Less convenient transportation-wise: everything is walkable, but takes around 4x the time from Hong Kong! To the MTR, my house is 10 minutes away. From the tube to the LBS campus, it takes another 15-20 minutes — far for Hong Kong standards!
• More expensive: Gone are the days you can enjoy cheap sushi.
• Less food options: Only teeny-tiny bags of rice and bottles of soy sauce available in grocery. How can I cook?!
• Less convenient food-wise: It’s too expensive that you really have to cook your own breakfast and lunch. Say goodbye to days where you can just go downstairs and eat from hawker stalls

In short, it’s a time of taghirap (hardship). Boo hoo hoo!

Just for today for example, I had successfully cooked my own cinnamon and raisin bagel which I bought from the grocery yesterday, and topped generously with strawberry jam. Then, made my own coffee – not with a coffee machine but with a simpler glass set.

Then I took the tube to two stops to Regent’s Park — where I was informed that LBS is closer to Baker Street station than Regent’s Park.

So one more stop back allowed me to go to Baker Street.

I got the wrong directions, and then ended up at the wrong school — Regent’s College to be exact which is right in the middle of Regent’s Park. LBS is outside the Park, and is by Park Road.

So because of this boo-boo, I walked a big circle till I gott off the Park, and then back to the tube where I originally came from and tried to find Park Road… again.

That was another 20 minutes. Grumble grumble.

Then I finally arrived at LBS — ooooh joy! 🙂

So I got my ID card, and then proceeded to find the nearest HSBC branch, which btw, is right by the Baker Street tube!!!

So off I walk back again, 15 minutes this time because I know the way.

They asked me to go to another HSBC branch which does these things, so walk 5 more minutes.

Then the HSBC branch asked me to go back to LBS because I didn’t have one documentation they needed!

So, walk walk walk walk walk back again to LBS!!! Mind you, this is beyond the tube, and by Park Road. Back where I came from.

LBS staff was kind enough to let me know we can request for the documentation online (!) but it takes 2 working days. Damn.

Then, I wanted to walk back to St. John’s Wood, where I’m currently residing. My landlord told me it was a 20 minute walk. Easy, right?

Grumble grumble – it wasn’t 20 minutes. I took the wrong turn, had to walk back 600 yards… so it was 30 minutes plus plus.

Grumble grumble.

Dropped by Tesco for some minor groceries. Got lost again before finding my way back home.

Only 2pm and I’ve already done so much walking.

So in short, I think I’ll grow fat in London with all the potatoes, but hopefully, all my blissful (NOT!) walking could reverse it.

Aaargh, going nuts. Thinking of going out again but don’t have the money to spend. Maybe I can recuperate back home with some tea and just relax. Enough adventures for the day!