Letters from the dorm: Time to make tracks in the city

So goes John Bancks' 1738 poem about London, recently mentioned in one of my literature lectures. As much as I love Hong Kong, London is beautiful and full of vitality.

I am happily settled here and now, after successfully submitting three monster-size, essays, I've found more time to explore everything this historic city has to offer.

The freedom of university life is so exciting; there is so much to see and I can go anywhere I want!

I occasionally take a stroll around different parts of the city, observe people, trees and traffic, or have cheap lunches with old school friends who are also studying in London.

Annoying Tube (the London Underground) delays happen frequently, but the London street scene is fascinating. Street musicians, lost tourists, the River Thames, and occasional downpours of rain are among the many things that I encounter walking to class.

I even walked past the red carpet being unrolled in preparation for the latest Twilight film premiere a couple of months ago.

I love wandering around different museums; there are so many free exhibitions going on about art, fashion and history - my favourite is the Victoria & Albert Museum - that open your eyes to different worlds.

I also get student discounts when shopping - and don't even mention the yummy dishes in Chinatown or the gorgeous weekend food markets!

Hall life is equally enjoyable. I stay in one of the biggest university halls in London, so I get to befriend students from different nationalities and different London universities.

Every Friday I meet with some friends to discuss art, music and books, and every Saturday night a group of us Asian students squeeze into one room to watch an episode of the BBC's Sherlock series. (Have you seen it? It is such a good TV series!)

I really feel that I've finally found my place - and living the inspiring university life as I've always imagined it.