week one first days
Flight was fine and my arrival was bizarre. I had taken Dj Flack's advice and booked a car to meet me at the airport. Gatwick is 40 miles from London. With my turntables+mixer in a 98-pound coffin, plus a huge suitcase and my records, I wasn't taking the train not nohow. After itchy-eyed wait under wavering flourescents, queues and queues of all kinds, forms and a mighty attempt to wrap my dreads back up in the green cloth, we find our heroine in charge of two luggage carts piled high and wide, manhandling them round corners, towards customs. And then I waltz on through customs with nary a word from anyone. weird. Cases were too large to look suspicious, maybe? Hair-wrap made me look safe and feminine? The nice man from the car company takes one cart and we negotiate them round corners and down ramps, and then queue for TEN minutes for an elevator to the carpark level we need. It's hot. I remove my new thriftstore jacket, it's kungfustyle mandarin collar and frog closures, black cotton with white cuffs and four pockets. hang it over the handle of my luggage cart. waiting waiting.. step around the cart to see what's going on in front.. step back. Finally get in the elevator. our floor. wheel towards the car. where's my jacket? It's really not on the cart. And did it have my passport in it? it did. unbefuckinglievable. modified panic.
head back up to the waiting floor. no sign. Ask around, nobody has seen it. it must have been lifted in the 40 SECOND moment i stepped away. call lost&found. not there. So we decide to head to the dorm I'm crashing in, and I'll call again. I figure my passport's gone, an american passport is worth a lot in many countries. and i'm sad about the coat as well because it was cool as anything.

Over the weekend, the american embassy is closed. so I can't report the missing passport. of course, it being labor day (not celebrated anywhere here but at the american embassy), monday they are closed as well. Gatwick airport lost property dept. phones are permanently engaged. I finally get through to them on monday: they have my coat and the passport. glory be! for a mere fifteen-pound, 45-min eachway train trip to scenic gatwick, plus a fivepound retrieval fee (?) I have it all again.

 later days
Things are not too busy yet. waiting to hear the final yes (which i didn't get, sez trouble from the future) on an apartment in Brixton, which is in the South of London, kinda like Central Square in vibe, lots of West Indian and African people, and lots of artists. Boomin nightlife, bars, clubs etc., and (better than Central) a decent movie theater. And the street the apartment block is on is pretty quiet, but right behind the movie theater and near to everything. Rents are insane here --much worse than Boston, and a supertight housing market too. But I think I got a good deal, considering teh location and the condition of the place (which is great), I think I'm doing pretty well.

The person I know the best here is a german man who I'd been corresponding with via email in the past 6months or so, he read my website, then it turned out he was accepted into the program that I didn't get into, so he's here at LSE. He's insanely focused in a way I never will be, and very hip. He's also a nice guy, his manner appears a little distant/sarcastic in a very german way, very unlike my typical american talktalk sharing endless personal details..

I also know this guy from when I was here before a couple years ago. i'd lost his number but i ran into him in Brixton where he lives. he's 31 or something, Nigerian, and I guess he's a really famous playwright and author. He's pretty quiet in person, but he knows a lot of my favorite authors personally, which is always an odd moment in our conversation. he loves the movies, as do many of the folks I've met. I think it may be a british thing, being into the movies (my girlpal filmbuff would be in heaven here).

Another person whom i'd been corresponding with via email is heyoka (my lovely webhost) who lives in Soho (the theater/gay/tourist/cafe area inn central london). She also loves the movies, is a writer, and does computer stuff for a living. plus, she has the same name as my two best friends in boston, which can only be a good sign.

on to the more days of sept99
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