New Discoveries About London
My perception of London has transformed a lot in ways I had never imagined. I didn’t realize how much I could learn about a city in just two weeks by spending all of my time there. One important discovery I have made is that London is incredibly diverse. I had always expected to hear British accents everywhere I went, but in fact a lot of the time I don’t even hear people speaking English. I thought I would stand out with my American accent, but the diversity of London makes me feel like I fit in more with those around me. I also didn’t realize how drastically different London was from the rest of the country. I thought the United Kingdom was full of other cities that were maybe not quite as bustling, but still large and full of people like London. Driving through the countryside to get to Edinburgh made me realize this was not the case. Seeing all of the other train stops, I realized no cities are remotely like London, and the rest of the country is rolling fields and small houses that all look alike.
Another aspect that is really interesting is the amount of history in the city, and how important it is to understanding the city and country itself. Being from the United States, our history only goes back a couple hundred years. It’s incredible in London to be surrounded by buildings that date back to the 1200’s and even earlier. It’s also so fascinating to see all of the museums dedicated to London’s immense history, beyond anything we can fathom in the United States. One example that really stood out to me was Westminster Abbey. The history of that building was unreal to me, especially the fact that it was originally built in the 900’s. I was also fascinated by the fact that so many important figures in British history were buried there that the building can no longer hold any more bodies.
I have also learned on this trip that London is indeed a lot like New York, and there are tons and tons of people around no matter what hour of the day. Riding the Tube every day has really given me a good grasp at just how many people live in this city, and how many different backgrounds people come from. Each morning, the Tube is packed beyond what I can even imagine. Even leaving London Heathrow late at night, the Tube still manages to be packed. That has really been my favorite time to people watch, and it’s really interesting to see how used to the Tube people are. Even in these past two weeks, I feel like I look more like a local on the Tube, and finally understand the stops and etiquette. For example, the first few days on the trip I kept standing on the left side of the escalator, but I soon caught on to the concept of standing on the right and walking on the left. I also got much quicker with swiping my Oyster card and learning which lines I needed to be on.Beyond the Tube, people are constantly walking, driving, bussing, biking, and so on. I also see so many people in parks at all times of the day. A couple of us have been eating our lunch in a small park near class, and loads of people are always there for a quick lunch break.
Another important aspect about London I have learned a lot about is food. Especially last night during the curry dinner, I had no idea that was an important part of London’s culture. I also found out that I really enjoy curry! The variety of food here is unlike what I ever imagined. I assumed everyone ate fish and chips and drank tea every day, but there are foods from tons of different cultures. One thing I find hilarious, is the American themed burgers at McDonald’s and how it is described as the “delicious tastes of America.” It’s interesting to see their interpretation of our food, as well as popularity of it. There are also a lot of Italian, French, and Mexican restaurants I have noticed as well. While fish and chips definitely are very popular, pubs have so many options I feel like I can try something new every time I go. Along with the prevalence of fish and chips, it seems as if the name can easily be changed to fries. I noticed the flexibility with the name at several pubs, which made me feel as if the American ways were shining through. The prevalence of alcohol at pubs is very similar to what I expected, but I had no idea about how many choices were available. Going to pubs has been one of my favorite parts of this trip, and I really enjoy it is as a location for relaxation and socializing for the end of the day.
With the prevalence of American food at restaurants, American slang, and advertisements of America, it is clear that are culture has somewhat of a presence in English society. While this is the case, I do feel that there is still some extent of judgment towards us in their culture. For example, every tourist shop had something mocking Trump, and I was personally asked if I like him by someone one time. I also feel like we get funny looks on the tube sometimes with our naturally loud voices and our funny accents. I do believe though that we are still admired to some extent by England, and I think that America is playing quite a bit of a role in their day-to-day lives.
