Homeward Bound

It has taken me just about the same amount of time to settle in at home as it did when I originally arrived abroad. It’s this “reverse culture-shock” I have come to know these past few days.

Despite this, my previous comments on traveling abroad still stand. You really must go. For me, London will always be calling and I will constantly be looking at my hometown in new ways because of this. It isn’t  about which place is better. Rather, it’s about what each place provides you with, what it educates you about and more importantly, what it leaves you with in the end.

Now, for all you undecided study abroaders, I’ve created a list (below) of the many cultural variations I stumbled upon while I was in London. Some are tedious and some are fun, but these little encounters represent the common foundation each and every traveler will face- no matter where they roam. Take them at your disposal.

               

So, should you study abroad? Should you finally make that journey you’ve always wanted to? Well, I’m not sure. I don’t know you, remember? You’ll just have to pass that pond on your own.

               

Kind regards and best wishes for the future,      

Hannah

• Save your oyster card number because if you lose it, you can give that information to Transport for London and the value on the card can be transferred to a new card. 
• Mind the gap (between the train and the platform when taking the tube).
• Pin and chip, not swipe is the more common way to use your debit or credit card in Europe, though swipe is still accepted. Adjust.
• Take away costs less than eating in at many different restaurants!
• Take advantage of cheap travel throughout Europe. National Express is great for cities within the UK and Ryan Air is great for the more adventurous flyers who want to leave the island for less.
• Beware the exchange rate, but always remember you don’t need to tip!
• Boots is similar to Walgreens and is a great place to go if you need a prescription for the common cold and other minor illnesses.
• Primark is a nice store where savage shoppers fight for cheap and cheaply made products. It’s a must-see, but only in small doses.
• Stores don’t stay open very late in England, so if you want a late-night snack, plan ahead.
• You might notice how often Londoners grocery shop. This is due to a lack of preservatives in food. So, if you can’t beat them, join them. That what you can’t eat in a few days should be shared or frozen.
• Check out charity shops like Oxfam throughout London! They offer a nice variety at inexpensive rates.
• Have a pint at your local pub, (if you are 18 or over!) but remember that there is a higher alcohol content in beer served in Britain.
• The night bus system is hard to master, but if you know the direction you need to go, you can determine which side of the street you need to stand on for the bus. It’s really just a matter of trial and error. Hint- bus drivers know which stops are on their route!
• Londoners don’t wait for the “green man” at crosswalks, but be smart before stepping into the street with them.
• Try new things. Visit new places. Google maps helps the process along. Enjoy yourself!

Close Your Eyes & Think of England

As one very talented musical group once said, “Breaking up is never easy, I know, but I have to go.” Well, I might not actually be breaking up with the city of London, but it certainly feels like it.

               

You see, London is a place of exploration. I think I’ve done more here in these mere two months than I have in my entire life. So, I’m going to take my time here and make something of it when I return. This does not mean I will be creating a terrible children’s show (Sorry, Dora!) or bragging about my travel experiences to everyone I possibly can. Instead, I will be bringing the very essence of exploration home with me, which in my opinion, is entirely better than any item I could pack in my suitcase. Don’t you agree?

               

So, shortly after the jet lag and the re-entry to my comfort zone, I think I will begin to seek new opportunities and I will no longer be afraid. For me, living in London has crafted a confidence level I didn’t know I could be obtained. Sure, I have mastered public transportation and entered the British workplace with tremendous strides, but I have also overcome the fear of a clash in culture.

               

I know not everyone can afford to travel, but if you can, I beseech you to go. Go to the places that interest you. But don’t leave clutching your own cultural values or narrowing your level of acceptance and understanding, no. Buy your ticket with an open mind.

And to those who can’t travel, pay attention. Not to me, but instead to all those other individuals across the world. They come in all varieties with all sorts of varied views and milieus. And they will rock your world.

So, friends and followers, I will write to you all again, just as soon as I’ve returned home. Cheers!

Tired of London?

A man by the name of Samuel Johnson once said, “When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford." Well, studying abroad can be stressful, intimidating and yes, even tiresome. Yet, as a student studying abroad, I haven’t found any of these to be true. At least not in London.

               

Originally, I was glad just to have chosen a location where I could understand the language. I think this is important and very helpful when you are many miles away from home and haven’t got a clue about a country’s culture.

Not only this, but I have also found Londoners to be extremely kindhearted, too. Everywhere, there are “mates” and “lovies.” They all say cheers and wish me well habitually here. There really are no limits to British benevolence. One young woman I was talking to who is living in London said she knows other Londoners who write letters to each other and sign them with hugs and kisses. However, she said if the friends don’t enough X’s and O’s, the person receiving the letter might think that person is upset with them or doesn’t think as highly of them. Yes, it’s pretty intense.

               

Thinking of this, I believe there will be a similar sort of gracious atmosphere when it comes time for the London Olympics in 2012. London will become the hosts again for the third time (the only city to do so thus far!) See? You can’t be tired of London. And the athletes and ticketholders will be greeted by that specific brand of Londoner kindness as well.

               

I took a quick video from the tour my class and I took to the Olympic sites, which are still under construction in the East End. (You could say the video is still under construction as well because of my shaky shooting skills on such a rainy day.) It’s very interesting to think that Olympic attendees will soon be standing right where we were, but I hope the weather will be more pleasant for them than it was for us! Until then, cheers!

"Quaint" quarters bring a new understanding

In my last post, I discussed the feeling of home associated with London. Still, I have developed a feeling while at home that doesn’t have such a positive connotation. Quaint has a new meaning when you have three flatmates and about 300 square feet of space. (I could have put that in metric system units, but it wouldn’t have been nearly as poetic.)

Anyway, just as with anything, I always try to make the best of a situation. I analyze it and think of what can be done to make it better. Practical? Yes. Exciting? No. What I’ve concluded is this- tiny space leaves you feeling unsettled. It’s brilliant because you actually want to get out and see the city. And that is exactly what Londoners do, to be quite frank.

In the states, I’m very accustomed to being comfortable. I “settle in,” “hunker down,” and hibernate quite often. My grand, welcoming living room and giant television screen allow for it, encourage it even. Yet, in London I can’t be lazy. Not when there are elephants traipsing about in the parks or football fans spilling out into the streets, like they were last night.

Of course, there will be plenty of critics who comment (and I welcome those comments!) and tell me that I’m in London and of course I’m going to want to go out into such a vibrant city and see all that I can. But really, isn’t that what life is all about?

A Quaint City

This city might be massive, but I have not once been overwhelmed by its size. Unlike other cities I’ve visited, which shall remain unnamed, I feel at home here.

I think this partly has to do with the many boroughs that make up London. Altogether, there are 33. As these areas of the city developed in the past, the suburb became a prominent part of its makeup. London has mastered this notion of “suburb” in my view, as it is has developed into an amalgamated city--a moving organism with a priceless pulse. This is a true feat, considering the tremendous variety of cultures and social class that give this city such esteem.

               

Still, I have not been nearly as homesick as I originally thought I would be and I do believe the community-oriented nature of London has a lot to do with this. Londoners have local libraries, pubs and so on, which they frequent, and this localization is what gives the feeling of home.

A summer evening in Hyde Park, where many Londoners come to relax 

               

Just the other day, I was browsing the surplus of books in a library near the West End and I decided to grab a cup of coffee in the café there. I was low on cash and without thinking, handed the cashier my credit card. “We don’t except cards here.” she said. (This always seems to happen the one time you forget to ask.) She picked up on my somewhat panicked look and told me not to worry because I could pay her back later that day or even the next. So, I excused myself to the nearest ATM, coffee in hand.

               

Londoners might not be known for their customer service skills, but they truly are kind individuals. I honestly don’t think I would have been able to walk away with that coffee at home in the States.

I have said it several times before and I’m positive I will say it again: this city is diverse. The East End is an entirely different world compared to the centre of London. Yet, London is ultimately tied together by many means--through the commuter who frequents these various sectors, through the communicator who reflects and discusses them and through the common citizen who can only do so much as gaze at the greatness of this city. Yes, London is great.

A Multicultural Mecca

It’s hard to miss because it’s everywhere in London. Multiculturalism, I mean. On every street corner, there’s a new language and in every building, there’s a new cultural discovery waiting to be uncovered.

Although London may not be a fair representation of the whole of the UK, the diversity in this city is truly remarkable. I think there is beauty to such an accumulation, where a Portuguese family and an old Japanese couple sit together on a bus, where an Italian man and a South African woman walk with each other in a park, all on a daily basis.

 A typical Thursday view near Spitalfields, East London

Just yesterday, we took a trip to an Islamic mosque called London Jamme Mashid on the east end, which was once a Jewish synagogue, which was once a Methodist chapel, which was originally a Protestant church. I don’t think I could find anything like it in any other city.

London Jamme Mashid depicts the history of immigration in East London

However, paying attention to the differences that come with diversity may lead to legal problems, ethical problems and so many other difficulties that have played the course in history.

Still, I find cultural sensitivity here to be unique and interesting. There is also a great awareness of American and tradition here, too. Independence Day was yesterday and surprisingly, even Londoners celebrated with various events in parks across the city and even a few fireworks. I could hear them from my room.

If nothing else, it is refreshing and enlightening to be in a city where more languages are spoken than any other in the world. It has given me the opportunity to bring out my rusty French and brought me a new understanding of eastern culture as well. When it comes to multiculturalism, London is lovely.

Less Space in London

I have become very used to the concept of space, mostly because I have taken for granted the amount that I have at home in the states. Sure, a little discomfort is to be expected when you aren’t used to living in an area far less massive than the U.S. However, it is the resident’s way of living in cramped conditions that I find most intriguing.

                 

From what I’ve encountered, it seems Londoners like to fit as much as possible into the smallest spaces. I mistake roads for sidewalks constantly here. Scooters and bikes clog the streets. The lifts (elevators) allow for plenty of invasion to my personal space, even by elevator standards. The kitchen door in my flat only closes all the way if I open the fridge door next to it first. It’s all quite a lifestyle adjustment.

               

The tube is an entirely different story. In fact, it’s a whole new blog entry in itself, but let me give you the Reader's Digest version. For some reason, Londoners like to pile onto the tube right near the doors, particularly during rush hour, and somehow neglect to use all the space available on the carriage (train).  Although I find this odd, perhaps they don’t. Londoners are very used to close quarters, as I have discussed. Still, I think there is a bit of tension in the tube these days, especially with the current RMT strike. We’ll only have to wait and see how Londoners adjust in the coming days.

                 

As a final fine example of spatial constraints, I have a video from a cabaret show I saw this weekend because surely you were curious about nightlife in London as well! This was held in an underground venue that is probably the size of an SUV back in the states. Note the table of people sitting directly in front of the “stage” and the others who pass through the tiny hallway just next to it. Enjoy!