Londonward

Out of the blue I get an email in my school mailbox, according to which due to them not having received any fee payments for this academic year, my library rights have been withdrawn and, should I not pay the outstanding £1900 in the next few days, I will be de-registered and kicked out of the school. I was under the impression that the Student Loans Company had arranged payment of my tuition fees for this year and hadn’t even looked at my fees status until now. I was able to pull up a letter they had sent me sometime in November, and I’m taking that to the Fees Office to ask them what’s up. Not being able to check out books would suck, considering I have several thousand words to write.

I’ll keep all two of you posted.

Update: As usual, a royal fuckup by the Student Loans Company is the culprit. Apparently, they sent out loan payment notifications out late, meaning the LSE didn’t actually apply them to student records or something. I’ve been given a few days to look at my statements (and if necessary contact the SLC) and confirm I should be paid. What I don’t understand is why I have to be the one doing the legwork when it’s an issue between the policies of two public institutions.

March 12 Update: My LSE For You account now shows that they have billed the Student Loans Company. I assume that means I can concentrate on stressing out about essays only for the remainder of the week. Thanks for your comments, everyone.

Now here’s something to maybe get concerned about. I don’t know it’s the stress or what, but I’ve been terribly absent-minded lately. A few days ago I forgot my library PIN when checking out books. I had to hammer it in a few times before I got it - luckily the system doesn’t lock you out after too many wrong tries.

This morning while shopping I handed the guy my card to pay and when it came time to punch in my PIN I realized I didn’t remember it. I recollected various numbers but not in which order they went. I’ve had mnemonics to remember combinations ever since I was a kid, and none of those seemed to fit either. By the last chance I was pretty sure I had the right one.

I didn’t. The guy at the counter seemed sorry for me, but luckily I had another card to pay with. On my way out of the shop, precisely the moment I stepped onto the street, I remembered the right PIN again - 25 seconds too late. I didn’t know how hard it would be to unlock the card, but luckily my bank is close to Uni. Once I made it there, the guy informed me that if I do remember the PIN now, I could just unlock it at the ATM myself. Great news, I thought - but what’s causing these weird lapses of memory?

The Hare and Tortoise is decently priced and, should you be willing to queue to get in and eat in noisy but pleasant surroundings, a nice enough place to grab dinner with some friends. It isn’t a place to sit down and enjoy the conversation with friends, but that’s what the pub is for anyway. The food is tasty east Asian in the vein of Wagamama, another often-recommended chain of restaurants. In Hare & Tortoise, the service isn’t as personal and well-honed, but that shows in the price. For a student at least, that’s the clincher, so I’ve been to the H&T far more than to Wagamama. Because of its proximity to my University, I’ve only tried the Brunswick restaurant in Bloomsbury. I know there are others.

When neither the person behind the bar at the pub nor the customer can make themselves understood in English, it makes you question why the hell you are trying to queue to be served in the place at all.

Dark sides of multiculturalism, or something.