Original Perception of London
I have always found Great Britain to be a fascinating country full of rich history, fancy people, and exciting destinations. I believe that the accent always led me to believe that British people lived a classy lifestyle and could sometimes be snobby, especially in London. I’m honestly unsure why I had this opinion, England just always seemed very proper to me, but also really interesting and fun. I always associated London with Big Ben and the London Eye before arriving here, and those were the two most iconic locations in my eyes.
There are several famous people who have also influenced my perception, especially One Direction. I was a huge fan for several years, and they definitely increased the appeal of British people, both in looks and their accent. Loving them gave me a fascination with the country in general, such as purchasing things with the United Kingdom flag on it. I wanted to travel to England solely to see them, but was still intrigued by the sites nonetheless.
I never knew a lot about the Royal Family before coming on this trip, and I didn’t even watch the royal weddings on TV (which I regret), but I have always found them to be fascinating and have kept up with them and their children a bit. I also am a fan of Harry Potter, and that made me for fascinated in British culture and architecture because of the beauty of Hogwarts.
Whenever I think of England, another thing that comes to mind is tea. In my mind, English people always are drinking tea, and it is something I’ve always wanted to do when coming here to see why it is so exciting in the culture. I also always think of fish and chips, as it is the most popular dish in the country. I didn’t know much about other popular types of food, but I always also knew they enjoyed their beer and often went to pubs for this.
In my mind, London was a very fast-paced city similar to New York, but with fancier buildings and people. I knew that London was just as crazy as New York, but the much longer history allowed for elaborate churches to be included. Despite this perception, I was not aware of the vast amount of skyscrapers in London, and always associated that more with New York, while London was more ancient-looking. I also always pictured everyone speaking in a British accent that all sounded very alike, and never realized how much diversity existed in London, as well as how many variations there are within the accent.
I took a British literature class in high school, which allowed me to learn a lot about some famous poets and writers in England, and learn a lot about the culture as well. I have read some famous works such as Paradise Lost, Canterbury Tales, and about 5 Shakespeare plays. British literature has always been a bit hard for me to understand, but once it is explained, I find it quite interesting, and have learned a lot about the long and exciting history of England.
