Finally "Fitting In"

We have only been here for approximately one month and the experience has already been mind blowing. We started our first class and it caused a lot of stress for the sixteen of us. It is as if we are starting college all over again, and on top of it we are dealing with the adjustments of being in another country. We have to learn how to manage our studies and our explorations, all over again. Although it has been tough, it has been fabulous. Not only are we able to travel and experience the theater life with our professors but we are able to experience the life of everyday Londoners. We recently went to the Sea Life aquarium in central London and it was a great experience. Yes, we have aquariums in the United States but it is still felt great to go. It was not just about the aquarium itself, but the self pride in our ability to get ourselves there on our own. We made a plan to go as the study abroad group, or the “STABS” as they call us here. We all walked to the tube and found our way there. I was struck with such a feeling of accomplishment being able to get to Central London on our own. It is almost as if we fit in here, except for our difference of speech and dress.

The aquarium was wonderful, not only did it have the normal tanks of fish but it had fish that were more native to England and the area that we are currently living. It was cool to get a little bit of knowledge of what kind of fish are in this area while still having a social outing. Pretty much the exact reason we are here, something I definitely thing out professors would like to hear about. Not only are we having fun touring and experiencing all the famous monuments but we are learning so much at the same time; not only about the country and their customs but also about ourselves. It has been such a blast to be here and I cannot wait to see what interesting and amazing things we stumble upon as we spend our semester in the city of London.

One Man, Two Guvnors

I have now been in London now for almost a month. In these past few weeks I have had a huge reality check. What started off feeling like a semester long vacation, has now changed greatly. With classes in full swing I have been having less free time and more homework and studying time. But class does not always have to be a bad thing. On Thursday, September 15^th, all the SEA students attended a play at the National Theater in London as a part of our Management class. The play we saw was called One Man, Two Guvnors and it greatly changed my view of theatre. I was always under the impression that plays were boring, but this play changed my opinion. The play began slowly and in the back of my mind all I could keep thinking was “here we go again, another boring play.” But once the story started picking up I could not stop laughing. The main character, Francis Henshall, was driving himself crazy trying to be a personal assistant for two different bosses, or “guvnors.” At the same time he was trying make sure that neither guvnor found out he was working for the other. I found it hilarious the mess that Francis was getting himself into trying to do errands for both guvnors, while trying to keep his secret. With Francis going nuts and the other comical events popping up throughout the play, I was very entertained. I was so mesmerized by the play that it felt like it was only an hour long, but in reality it was two and a half hours. If not for class then I would never have found the world of comical theatre, and my opinion of plays would have remained negative. Though most people view class as always being a negative thing, I was happy that this class gave me the opportunity to see such a funny and entertaining play.

My Crazy Adventure

No one could have prepared me for this journey. London, England is one of the most amazing cities i have ever seen. Though, people can only really tell stories or where to visit and try to describe it. Describing is not seeing, but experiencing this foreign country is one of the best things that i have been able to do. When i landed, i knew that i was no longer in the United States. Seeing so many different people all at once is something I've never experienced before. Driving through London and looking out the window, i could really start to see where i will be for the next 3 months. There was so much to see, even just looking at how these houses were built and how they stood was just so different than what i was used to. Even driving was extremely foreign, driving on the left side of the road still baffles me. My friends and i are still shocked when we see a child in the passenger seat, we always say "Oh my, was that little kid driving" but in actuality, they are in the passenger seat whereas we are used to the passenger seat being on the other side of the car. Arriving at our college, it reminded me somewhat of what Hogwarts looks like, especially the weeping willow in front of the beautiful building that will be my home while I'm here. Every day i go into town, i find out something completely new and it makes me feel as if i am a tourist. Just last week, my friends and i made it a task to really explore the area, restaurants that look interesting and just really understand where we are. The food though is surprisingly better than what i thought it would be, experiencing different types of food is so awesome because it really gives me a chance to understand the culture a lot more. Culture, one of the things that is so important to our understanding of England and the rest of Europe, is so interesting and i found out new information every day. My adventure here is crazy because when you start to really open your eyes up to the different cultures and where you are, it is an amazing journey of finding out new information and seeing some of the most interesting and beautiful places in the world.

Life in London and Richmond

It's been nearly three weeks since I've stepped off the plane at Heathrow Airport, and bgan my three month journery here in London. I have seen some very cool and interesting things since I've been in and around Richmond. A few of these things are all the neat little shops that line the street of downtown Richmond. I've stopped in a few restaurants as well, and discovered a great Italian restaurant, where the food is always good and the prices are low! I've been twice now and the owner recognizes who I am, and I know I'll be back for more. I've also ventured into central London and have gotten the chance to see how busy it can get on a saturday night. I went mostly into souvenir stores, but also went into see M&M's world, and we went to an English McDonalds as well. the next week, a few of us went into central London again to go on the London eye, a little after it got dark, and the views from the top were amazing! You could see all of London and a little beyond, and it was neat to see everything lit up at night. The following day we went to Kingston, a local shopping district only about twenty minutes away, and did some shopping in some local department stores, as well as a music/DVD store similar to Best Buy, and went to a "99 pence" store to buy some food and other goods before taking the bus back to campus. Classes have also begun and everyone seems to be settling in well, and getting used to the big adjustment. We are getting ready to start debates in our Business and Society class, so most of usare doing lots of preparations to get underway. That's all thats going on for now, but stay tuned for more updates!

No Longer a Tourist

It’s going on the third week studying abroad here in London and I have already noticed a huge change from the first day compared to now. On arrival day, we went on a 4-hour Bus Tour around the city and got to see several famous landmarks in London including Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, Westminster Abbey, and the London Eye, along with other well known aspects such as the red telephone booths, the Tube, the taxis, and big red double-decker buses. We clearly proved ourselves as typical tourists snapping photos of everything in sight and excitedly whispering about what we were experiencing. However, I felt lost and out of place and it seemed so unreal that I was actually seeing the sights that I had only seen in pictures before. Unfortunately none of us got any sleep on the plane ride the night before so we were beyond exhausted walking around and most of us ended up sleeping for the last hour of the bus tour.
Now fast forward three weeks. I have spent hours upon hours with my friends touring around the city of Richmond where our college is located, taking the Tube into different parts of London and mostly becoming familiar with everything around us. Going from not knowing how to get into the city to knowing several different routes, and going from not knowing how to use the Tube to discussing which way would be the quickest and easiest stop to take. We have gone back to see the famous sights on our own, we have shopped, and we have done a lot of aimless walking. I feel I have a good general sense of the city now just because I have spent so much time in it and learning it. I take my camera everywhere so I never miss an opportunity to get a great photo that will help me remember this trip for a lifetime. I am sure I will continue to become more familiar and educated about the city, and hopefully even get a little familiar with traveling to other countries as well. But all I have to say is that it’s certainly nice to finally feel like I fit in and belong here more than I did the first day. I feel less like a tourist and more like a citizen of London.

Language Barrier?

I have now been in London for almost two weeks and I have seen and learned many new things. The first day that I got here I saw several things that I did not expect I would be seeing on the first day, such as Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, and even the red telephone booths. After being here for this short amount of time, I have realized that many things are different than I first thought they were going to be. Coming to a country that speaks English I thought that there would be no language barrier, but I have learned different. Last week I went to a mobile phone store with a couple friends to get someone’s phone fixed. The employee helping us was put on hold while calling the phone company and he started talking to us, asking what we were in London for, so we told him that we were studying abroad for the semester at Richmond University. He then asked what year we were and when we said that we were sophomores he had no idea what that meant, we had to tell him second years for him to understand what year we were, and he said that we used different vocabulary that he has never heard. He also didn’t know what studying abroad meant, we tried to explain to him what it meant, but in the end he thought that it meant that we were here on “holiday” and instead of relaxing, we were taking courses at school, which he also said didn’t sound very fun. From this experience, I realized that even though in the United States and here in England, we both speak the same language, there are still differences in the way that we speak it and the words that we use. I have learned so much in the short amount of time that I have been here and I can’t wait to continue this incredible journey.

“You Just Woke Up the Queen!”

Being here less than a week, and enjoying Central London with all it has to offer, definitely got more than I wanted in one night. A couple of friends that I have made decided that we would go enjoy a club one night during the weekend. One who was a local could get us in for free to the club, and all we had to do was get there on the Tube. That was just the easy part of the night; it took a turn after the club.
                As we were enjoying ourselves dancing and having a good time, it was all cut short when the club decided to close earlier than usual that night. All twenty something of us started filing out to the front and gathering everyone to decide what next. After a while of walking and realizing we were following a guy who lied to us about another club that we could go to, we decided to try and head back to campus. In London, the tube system stops running after midnight, and it was well after that time, and do not open until 5 am. Fortunately night busses were offered; we just had to find the right one to get us back to Richmond. Easier said than done! Walking aimlessly around London, we could not find the correct night bus, and the girls that were wearing heels were dying from all the walking. Thinking we are going the right way, we stumble into Chinatown, with its lanterns hanging from buildings and a whole other world, still bustling with people at 1 am. All the lights and noises, finally we find a cab to but a majority of us in back to school. I stayed behind, thinking I am able to complete this journey. With a very late meal at McDonald’s and witnessing a fight, with ketchup flying in the air, we finally ask for directions to a cop with our watches reading around 2:30 in the morning by now.

With these new directions, we headed off into the brisk late night weather, with people growing tired and impatient at getting home. Not knowing where the directions are taking us, we stop in a center with Ripley’s Believe it or Not building, and marvel at how the city is still teeming with people at this hour. Deciding to ask another person, we all ask people around a statue where to go, while making new acquaintances and taking a picture or two with each other, just to remember the night, and not think it was a dream. All I kept thinking was, “Wow, this is a memory that I have made rather quickly, at least I am with some friends.”  Fast forwarding an hour, it is just now, I and three friends, after we got the rest on taxis home. At this point we are sensing we are willing to wait for the tube to open in the morning, being fit, as it is around quarter to 4 in the morning. Also realizing we are right around the corner of Trafalgar Square, and down the street from Buckingham Palace. Forget the taxis for now and let’s enjoy the sites London has to offer.

           Walking down The Mall, with it being completely quiet with only us and the police officers we saw real quickly, it was a gorgeous site, albeit it was lit by street lights. Our local friend brought us to the spot where he stood near the palace on William and Kate’s wedding day. Walking up right to the gates, we took pictures and were just relaxing by the fountain. I tripped over a curb and made a loud thud, and us seeing the lights on in the staircase within the palace, my friend said “You just woke up the Queen, way to go!” After peacefully enjoying the palace we find a taxi quickly and head on back to Richmond and our home. Thinking back at that night, I enjoyed the experience of getting lost and learned a lot about the social aspect of London, with it being a major city in the world, and enjoying myself as I went gallivanting around. I would do it all over again if I had the chance, with the chance of seeing more

Enjoy the Ride

Instead of going out and experiencing the London nightlife on Saturday September 10, 2011, a few of my Western New England friends and I decided to enrich our knowledge of London by going to explore the Tower of London. However, we learned more than we bargained for along the way. After waking up at an ungodly early hour we made our way to the Tube Station, which we thought was going to be an easy, but long, 22-stop ride, but when we got there we learned that the Tube was being worked on by engineers…in other words we had to figure out another way to make it to the Tower. After much discussion we got onto the above ground train. Once on the train a friendly angel sent from above saw that we were a group of young adults who were very confused and offered to help us out. He told us that we had to get off at the Victoria stop and switch to another train, then get off at another stop to switch to the underground where we would finally be on the direct route to the Tower. After finally arriving stress levels were lowered and everyone seemed ready to explore and enjoy the day. We had the option to take a guided tour or to explore on our own and being the curious American tourists we are we decided to explore on our own. This turned out to be a great decision because we enjoyed taking our time to read all the signs that were available, try on the various hats worn during the 18^th and 19^th centuries, and take pictures of everything. My favorite fact that I learned was that the Tower held many royal beasts, from snakes to a polar bear. The snakes were kept warm by living in a pot above the stove covered in a blanket and the polar bear was on a long leash in the Thames River where it could fish. Another interesting fact I learned was that a Priest escaped from the Tower by writing to his friend in secret messages only seen if lifted up to the light because they were written in orange juice! This trip was a huge learning experience in many ways, not only did we learn a lot about the Tower, but we learned a lot about ourselves too. I know I learned to appreciate this experience for how amazing it is, because it is definitely a once in a lifetime experience, and that we are much more independent than I thought previously. I am truly enjoying this ride, no matter how many times I have to switch stops along the way.

SEA 2011 Begins!

Sixteen business students from Western New England University arrived in London on August 31st to begin their 2011 Sophomore Experience Abroad program. The students will be blogging about their semester at Richmond The American International University in London, so "stay tuned" to this blog spot for updates on their experiences!