Everyone Has a Different Culture

Coming into England was a country and culture shock which I really did not think would happen. Besides the environment being minutely different than New England, USA, the people here are very different. I have never been to a place so genuinely willing to invite you into their home and get to know you.

When talking to one of these friendly people we started discussing bribes and how countries react to bribery. Our professor explained that some economies run on it and as much as this was a surprise it still wasn’t as real as when my friend was telling me how he did successfully get away with bribing officials and that it more common practice then I was led to believe. When he was telling me all the times he has bribed people to get into places, or get a product accepted through customs I was shocked. I could not believe that there were so many corrupt people. Then I began to think, are they corrupt or is it their culture and therefore not ethically questionable? Overall, hearing about cultures and having differences pushed into your face has been a constant occurrence here.

What is even more surprising is that you do not have to be from another country to have a different culture. I was hanging out with one of the other U.S. students that came abroad to study and he talked about his pet parrot. When I mentioned that there are wild parrots in the UK (I had seen one on one of my escapades through Richmond Park), he could not accept this fact, believing colorful parrots like the bright green ones that live here only live in the Amazon. Coincidentally, we started to hear parrot calls outside my top floor window. Then, just as I reiterated my argument that they do exist, we saw four of these birds fly past my window and sit on the tree branches outside. Even with the proof right in front of his face, he could not accept what he was seeing and hearing. He had grown up only seeing these birds when he went on vacations to more tropical countries. He was just as culture shocked about the birds as I was about the fact that he could not believe they existed naturally in the UK.

No matter what you know from reading, or being taught, or seeing in one part of the world, it does not replace personally living in that culture first hand.

KOKO or Bust!

I've been in London for almost a month now, however it feels like at least a year to me. The streets of the area around campus are finally starting to make sense in my head, and I'm learning where the best hot spots and pubs to go are. Living in the same small town of Coventry Connecticut my entire life, and knowing the area like the back of my hand, the experience of accommodating to a place completely unknown can only be paralleled to my first semester at school at Western New England College. However, even there I was a mere 45 minute drive away from home, not across the Atlantic Ocean. Although I have traveled to Central London already and seen great sights such as the Big Ben and the London Eye, the trip I am most anticipating is going to the famous KOKO nightclub and theatre this Wednesday. This venue has been host to numerous famous acts such as Madonna, AC/DC, The Clash, and Prince, and I am going to see the current Top 40 group 3OH!3 play there. I am excited to see on of my favorite American groups play in one of the most famous British venues there is; it is the perfect combination of a taste of home while at the same time exploring new and exciting places in England. Good thing I’ve used the tube enough to feel comfortable to get there and back without any complications. I am certainly not in Coventry anymore.

Tourist or Citizen?

     I’ve been living in London, England for roughly a month now and am completely torn on my thoughts. I feel like I have seen and done many fun and interesting things. However, I know there is so much more to see and do.

     Every week seems to get better than the last. This past week I have toured central London (again), watched a professional rugby match, and toured neighboring towns and cities in search of a good time. All of these activities would fulfill most travelers’ wants. I, on the other hand, insist on focusing on the things I am missing out on. I have yet to visit Stonehenge or Hadrian’s Wall or even the Cliffs of Dover. These are tourist attractions that I have been dreaming about visiting for years and now they are surrounding me.

     But then I am brought back to reality. I am not merely a tourist in this country. As a student, I am living my life as an expatriate but also as a part of my college and community. Do I visit the Grand Canyon or Yellowstone Park just because I live in America? No, those are merely tourist destinations which take planning to visit. Instead, I choose to tour the community around me and the many shops, pubs, and restaurants which envelop my daily life. As much as I would love to tour the entirety of England and mainland Europe, I realize that there will be other times for that. I have found many friends and acquaintances who have been better tour guides for me than any professional could.

The Papel Adventure

On Thursday, September 16, two of my WNEC classmates and I decided to take the last train into London and stay overnight in order to see the Pope. Unfortunately, we misread the Pope’s itinerary on the website and ended up spending a horrible, freezing night in London (we were fairly under-dressed for the cold) only to find out that the Pope was not coming into town on Friday morning. He was showing up on Saturday morning.

     Events of the night included my two friends calling all of their friends back home (I didn’t have a phone at the time), getting McDonald's, wandering around ALL NIGHT (in the 40 degree weather), getting a bit of sleep on the benches outside of the Supreme Court building (see picture), getting McDonald's again, getting coffee at sunrise, hanging around Westminster Abbey, and realizing that the Pope was, in fact, not going to be able to fit us into his very busy schedule. We went home disappointed, but the story ends happily as the three of us and three of our other friends all got up early on Saturday and went to see the Pope at Westminster Abbey.

     This experience, as awful (and fairly hilarious) as it may have been, was an extreme lesson in culture shock for the three of us. We literally learned what it’s like to spend a night as three homeless people in London (I wouldn’t recommend it, by the way). The whole night was a terrific learning experience for me and, while I’m not sure exactly what I’ll be doing with my life, I’m fairly certain that I am not interested in living on the streets of London.

An Amazing Experience

So far this experience has been an amazing one! I can't believe the amount of awesome people I've already met who are from all over the world, yet still have so many common interests. I'm from Jericho, Vermont which is a really small and rural town in northern Vermont and only about an hour from the Canadian border. Although everyone from home is really nice and open-minded, we still don't see much diversity. I've always felt a little bored in Jericho, as if I would feel more content in a busier and MORE exciting area. Richmond is exactly the place for me. I feel so at home here and it is the perfect mix of rural beauty as well as loads of awesome places to go to.

I was a little nervous that Richmond students wouldn't be very friendly because I had heard rumors that the English weren't very outgoing. However, I've found that students here (and other people I've met from Richmond or London) have been really warm and talkative to me. It was really tempting in the beginning in the beginning to just stick to the Western New England College kids I already knew, but I knew I should branch out and that decision has been extremely rewarding. For example, last weekend I went on one of the trips organized by Richmond University to go to Scotland and I didn't know anyone going. It was a new experience for me because I usually try and do things with at least one person I already know, so it was definitely out of my comfort zone. I met so many great people though, a few that I got really close too and I can't imagine how much I would have missed out if I hadn't gone on the trip. There is truly nothing like bonding with people over going to a new place and having new adventures with them. Talking with new people has made me realized how unadventurous I normally am. Many of the people I met on my Scotland trip had already been to many other European countries and were shocked I hadn't done much traveling yet. A common motto seemed to be "We're in London, why wouldn't we go everywhere we could?!" People's spontaneous and adventurous outlooks on life made me start thinking about all of the opportunities I have had while being over here. I'm already much more aware of how many amazing experiences I've had and will have in the next three months. I can't wait to try out my new outlook and see where it takes me, for I know anything that happens will be a memorable experience.

Across the Pond

Coming to Richmond has opened a new chapter in my life. Taking the leap across the pond to a new territory has proven to be one of the most life changing situations I have challenged myself to take on. The first several weeks put me in a situation where I felt it was necessary to put myself outside the box, and take in everything with a more open mind. I felt in order to have the fullest experience of going abroad I would need to be willing to go outside my comfort zone and socialize to make friends.

During the first week of orientation I had to get my laptop hooked up to the schools internet. Sitting in the library I noticed this kid Rakahn helping two other people hook up their internet. It was either wait in line over at the IT Desk or take a step out of my comfort zone and ask a complete stranger for help. Well ,I took the step and asked the complete stranger and made three great friends out of it, who in turn introduced me to more of their friends.

It was like a branching off effect. You know one person and that person knows several other people, who I get introduced to and then I meet those peoples’ friends. I am on a continuous basis meeting a new person each day or learning something new about a person’s culture. It has been so far a rewarding experience. As I have heard some people say from the thirteen of us that had taken the journey across the pond, I have never felt so connected or at home since coming to London. In all it is a great feeling being part of something extraordinary, whether that means trying a new cuisine, or taking a mile hike around London exploring, or even just being with friends all those and more are what counts and makes the journey incredible and life changing.

A Beautiful City

Coming over to London I did not know what to expect. I expected it to be cold, rainy and the people to be not to be as hospitable as other European countries. I was completely wrong. I have been here for a few weeks now and London is simply magnificent. The weather has been great and its people are so friendly. When I got lost in London, everyone was willing to help me. London is a great city. It has nearly everything you could ask for in a city. Great food, great people and lots to do. Walking past the London Eye and Big Ben, it was not hard to find great entertainment. Street performers are around every corner. They attract huge crowds showing off their skills. I saw a football juggler, several performers pretending to be statues scaring random people, a very funny Captain Jack Sparrow impersonator and some really good musicians. London is a great city to take pictures in if you love photography. There are some really old buildings here along with a few modern marvels. London is a mix of the old and the new. It is a city with a mixture of many different cultures. I have met people from all over the world here in London. People from China, Japan, South Africa, France, Spain and even some Americans. Everyone is incredibly friendly and very understanding. London feels like a home away from home with its outstanding hospitality, good food, friendly people and a very rich culture. At the university I have even had the chance to play some street football. I am personally a huge football fan and I am in the right city to be a football fan. I play every evening out in "the cage" at the university. I play with kids who barely speak English. Sometimes you can hear up to five different languages at a time out there. Spanish, French, Russian, Arabic and English. It does not matter what language everyone is speaking because football is our one common language. I know it has only been a couple weeks but London truly feels like my new home. I still have so much to do and yet to experience in London. I am looking forward to the next couple weeks because I know I am going to have a blast.

Taking the Tube, Taking a Journey

The SEA program in London has opened up many opportunities. Being in a different culture with different people has really allowed me to expand my horizons. Each day as I walk outside I see many familiar faces, its mostly of the people I have met here and befriended. I also see faces of those whom I don’t yet know, allowing me to meet someone new every day. Everyone at the American International University is from a different country and there are only a few Brits here, thus letting me get to know not only the British culture but also the cultures, norms and accepted behaviors of people from all over the world. The range is over a dozen different countries, and getting to know other people allows me to shape my communication skills as well as learn about the cultures and be more efficient at my job if I ever had to go to one of those countries for a job. Everyone here is different, and it’s interesting to learn just how different the other people are from you.

All of us new to London got to share the experience of using the “Tube” a British word for what we call the subway. Looking at the map you find where you are and then you find where you’re going and it all seems fairly easy. However it’s really not. While trying to get to Greenwich, another Richmond student and I got lost, and that journey turned into an experience of its own. We went the wrong way, and ended up in the area of London where all the businesses and world’s largest banks are located. I found that interesting, being a business major student and ending up that area of London. The tube map showed one train going in six different directions, it was 8p.m. so in order to get to where we were going we had to ask other people for directions. We met two professional models who helped us out, which made me realize that living in a city like London provides limitless opportunities. You can meet almost anyone in any area of business strike up a conversation and make life lasting connections, and having connections in the business industry is very important.

Experiencing The Unknown

I grew up and went to school in Arlington, Virginia, which is one of the most diverse places in the United States but in the first few days at Richmond I felt like I really got a firm grasp of reality. The kids I went to school with lived in the United States, so already had American traditions and we had common experiences whereas here at Richmond everyone has something new to bring to the table. I felt like I was dropped in one gigantic melting pot that was overflowing with culture. This shows that no matter how diverse your country or town may be, it is nothing like actually being in another country and living it day by day. It has made me aware of how sheltered I am back in the states and how I did not even make the attempt to learn about other cultures. As a business major I think going abroad has opened my view of the world around me and made me more of a risk taker.

Culture Shock, In a Good Way

In my first week at Richmond University I have encountered people from all over the world. Even though the school is in England very few students actually come from the UK. The first thing I usually ask someone upon meeting him or her is where he or she is from. For me, this is a simple answer, 'the States' or 'Boston'. I was surprised one time when somebody thought Boston was near Chicago. My instinct was to become defensive. How dare he not know where such a large, important city was. Then I realized, I probably do not know where a lot of important European cities are either. On the other hand, most people here launch into an explanation of how they lived here and there and studied somewhere else and have spent the past year in another place. It is overwhelming how worldly and cultured these people are. It makes me realize how much of a bubble the United States is. Almost everyone here can speak more than one language yet we insist on making imigrants learn English. They know what is going on politically not only in their home country but throughout the world. I used to feel ok with my ignorance of current events because it didn't affect me anyways. However, with technology, the world is becoming an increasingly small place. Many companies have international locations or do business with other countries. One student here even said that a degree in international business was useless because all business is international business. I have to agree with him to a certain extent. Countries are all interdependent and an increasing number of people from the US need to travel abroad for work-related reasons. I have learned very quickly that keeping up with what is going on in the world is not as useless as I once thought. I have already noticed that people think of Americans as ignorant when somebody insisted that I do not know where Lithuania is even though I do. In my future career, I am sure there will be a time when I have to go to another country. Now I am armed with a determination to prove that I can be just as knowledgeable as the people I have met.

London Calling!

Sophomore Experience Abroad (SEA) is a special program offered by the School of Business at Western New England College in cooperation with Richmond The American International University in London that takes a group of sophomore business students to study and live in London for the fall semester with members of the School of Business faculty. One of the hallmarks of the program is that the cost for the SEA is the same as that for a full-time sophomore student living on campus at Western New England College with a full meal plan, and all awarded financial aid applies. Students travel to and from London as a group and their airfare is included. For more information on the program, point your browser to: http://www1.wnec.edu/business/index.cfm?selection=doc.8546.