Refreshing my desk

Over the last weekend, I refreshed my desk at the School. Not surprisingly for a PhD student (?), my desk was completely covered with piles and piles of paper, showing how disorganized I was. I came to think that this was depressing, disorganizing my thought as well.

But how did I refresh this? It took a while to figure out. All these piles of paper must be stored in a cabinet at the back while those academic papers neatly organized in magazine file boxes inside the cabinet right now must be brought onto desk. Actually, I more often open the cabinet to pick up some academic papers than I search for something amid piles of paper on the desk.

The problem was that most of these magazine files were coloured in red - I used to love red, but not anymore because it makes me feel uncomfortable, especially with my brain exhausted.

What colour will work instead? I thought lime green with grey would be nice. Lime green is now kind of popular in my mind. It goes well with black, the colour of most of my clothes. But black and lime green is a bit too much. The contrast is too strong. Grey instead of black would be more soothing.

I went to the Bureau stationary store. They didn't have any grey magazine files. I'm not a compromising type. I went on to other stylish stationary stores such as Paperchase on Tottenham Court Road and Ordning and Reda on the ground floor of the Selfridges, while English people on streets were all glued to any television screen (at pubs or at electronics stores) to watch the devastating England's defeat against Portugal in the World Cup quarter final. But these stores didn't have grey ones either. Plus their magazine files are more expensive than Bureau's. I need to buy at least 12 magazine files.

That was last Saturday. I went home, rethinking about my desk-refreshing plan. I came to conclude that white magazine files would work. During this process, I also realized that lime green looks nice only if it is used as an accessory. This colour must play a role of spice, not of the main dish. Nine white, three lime green, and four black that I already have will be randomly mixed. Yes, this is it.

I went to Bureau again last Sunday, buying 12 magazine files for 18.90 pounds (10 percent student discount inclusive). Then I went to the School and refreshing my desk. Here's the result:

Bureau is a nice shop, just a couple of minute walk from Leicester Square tube. On the same street (Great Newport Street) stands the Photographer's Gallery (free to enter). Opposite sits a Japanese pizza place Abeno Too (a branch of the one near the British Museum).