Day 3 - London and Some New London-speak

Today is the 3rd of January, and a Saturday. I'm settled in my new home for the next few months, a dingy LSE dorm near the Tate Modern that is cheap and convenient, but doesn't have a kitchen which is a PAIN. It's very cozy though, and I think I'll get used to the bed that dips in the middle and has awkward springs that jut out and punch me at night. At least the Aerobed is leaking air, so that was worth it! (Poor Joe who has to sleep on it.)
Complaining aside, it's SUNNY OUT! And gorgeously crisp out. We're taking in a cafe, and then heading to Chinatown in search of a cheap coffee pot, and for a run down the river bank. So far, people here are wonderful, polite, nice, and very cool. I like that Londoners are "chill" and pretty casual which is going to help with my poor student look for a while. The city at night is beautiful, and LSE is right downtown steps from St. Paul's Cathedral.
We tested the Tube (Underground) and found it great, except for the rip-off price, so we've been walking everywhere which is a great way to see the city. Museums are mostly free, and shopping season is a wonderland of sales and posh stuff that I wish I could fit in my overstuffed suitcases home. We're researching the hipster music scene and exploring cheap eats - and learning tons of new vocabulary!

Administrators - the British SEC, we think... when companies go under, the "administrators are called in," says the UK Economist.
Anti-climbing paint - is a petroleum-based paint stuff that doesn't set but looks black and shiney. It's meant to stop you from climbing lamp posts, but if you try, it gunks you all up and makes you slide down.
Pie and Mash Shop - a store that sells meat pies and mashed potatoes... mmm.
Jackets - a stuffed potato skin, very popular apparently!
Yoghurt comes in a "pot."