Don't Let the Bed Bugs Bite

Cheerio! I am in London and, more specifically, my little office at University College London. This is my first time back since I spent Christmas here in 2002. So far the stay has been a mixed bag. First, the hotel I booked for this week is disgusting. My room is tiny, dark and smelly. The hotel itself has a shower that is missing two doors (they are propped on the wall next to it), won't let you change the temperature of the water, and boasts enough mildew to warrant an army of Mr. Cleans. I am also covered in bites, which I suspect are the fine work of some bored bed bugs. I don't know what to do! Part of me wants to tell the staff and ask for a new bed. I will only be at the place until Saturday morning. Dan is flying in and we are staying at a guest house for the remainder of the time. Second, the people are actually a lot nicer in Paris. Surprise! Yes, they really are. I miss my Parisians. One thing I love is taking the bus to University (in the spirit of the Brits, I am freeing my speech of that pesky article "the"). Another thing is the University itself. I love the first because I sit on the higher level of the double-decker and I eavesdrop. I really feel I learn so much from listening to natives' conversations. I love the latter because it is gorgeous. The school resembles an American university (there is a student's union, a gym, etc.), but on a smaller scale. Moreover, it is unmistakably British. The library is very academic, filled with staircases and frescoes. This contrasts with the library at Sciences Po, which looks like it was designed by the fine people at IKEA. On that note, I joined the gym because (a) I desperately need to work-out and am terrified of being hit while running (luckily for me, at every intersection the words "look right" or "look left" are painted on the pavement) and (b) the showers are far and away much nicer than the ones in my shit-hole, er, I mean hotel. Today I had a marvelous work-out and I am very happy that I found a way to avoid ever stepping into the showers at the Queen's Hotel again. And now, without further ado, I will tackle my work.