Back to Reality

Our time here in London is starting to wind down. We suddenly only have a month left and I feel like it completely snuck up on me. A little while ago I felt completely ready to go back to the States but now I'm not so sure. I'm starting to see things a little differently know and I'm realizing all the small things I'm going to miss. I feel that this experience is also much more final because I'm realistically not going to be able to come back to Richmond anytime soon to visit.

After realizing our time here is starting to run out, I began thinking of all the things I still need to see and do before going back. I have a huge list of museums and sights that I haven't gotten to see yet because it seemed like I had tons of time to do everything before we leave in December. I've become so accustomed to living here that I forget I'm still technically a tourist and that I have many touristy things to still cross off my list.

It's so bizarre to think that this place we currently refer to as "home" is only an extremely temporary living situation. I feel that I'm not only speaking for myself when I say that I have made some amazing friends here and have had some incredible adventures. However, in just under a month, all of this will seem so long ago and far away. We need to remember this semester forever and allow it to shape us in whatever way to always have the memories with us.

London Loves It's Football

In America we call the sport soccer but here in London it is known as Football. London is the place to go if you are a football fan. With the top footballing clubs and one of the most popular national teams in the world, England especially London is where many fans dream to be. I am in that dream right now. I had the extraordinary opportunity to see England play their long time rivals, the French, in one of the top footballing venues in the world, Wembley Stadium. 86,000 people watched on as these two nations battled before our eyes for 90 minutes. It's one thing to watch a game on the tele but its a totally different game when you see it for yourself. The fever of the crowd was so intoxicating. The two national anthems started to play. First to play was the French national anthem. It was followed by several boos from the crowd but immediately after the English national anthem came on. When you see and hear 86,000 people sing the English national anthem you get butterflies in your stomach. It was definitely something special. For the entire 90 minutes all I could hear was cheering and swearing. The English take their football very seriously. I heard an Englishmen behind me when France scored call the English goalkeeper "You useless git!" Even the slightest mistake would get ridiculed.

Football is like life or death in London. Millions will tune into their teles and radios every game. I love being here in London because it's so easy to strike up a conversation with anyone. All you have to do is talk about football and you are considered family to them. Several times now I have been to pubs where I started cheering for Manchester United when they were playing Chelsea or another London based team and I have been booed and sworn at. Sometimes I have to be careful because I feel like I might get mugged. They take football that seriously over here.

I used this experience to also further my knowledge about sport management. Since I want to get into the soccer world after college, I thought it might be a good idea to take mental notes of things at Wembley Stadium which I might have to deal with in the future. I noticed all the ad boards, security, media and even how the concessions were priced. I do this every time I go to a sporting venue. I have been to many soccer stadiums but none have been as impressive as Wembley. As a sport management major Wembley Stadium as about as good as it gets. I hope someday I will come back to London to work here. London really does love it's football.

New Perceptions of Food, New Perceptions of the World

One of most common representations of culture is in the form of food. In that respect when I first came to Richmond the American International University while I knew that the cafeteria food would not be the same as going out to a restaurant, I still expected some of the food served to the students to have a basis of English culture. What I did find out however was that the cafeteria tried to serve food from across the world, and based on the opinions of natives from those countries, the food poorly represented the country.

Going out into the restaurants in town has been an experience as well. Unexpectedly, depending on which restaurant one goes into depends on the quality of the food. While McDonalds may have gained more appeal from those in the United States due to its cleaner appearance and fresher meat, other restaurants lack in the satisfying taste. Listening to the other students at the university I began to understand that the reason many students may not like the food is not necessarily because of the quality but because of expectations.

When the German students eat schnitzel they may not like it because the schnitzel they eat back home is such a different quality and made of different minor ingredients that when they expect the home cooked meal and do not get it they are disappointed. I myself have eaten a steak or eggs and bacon and have thought that it did not taste well or I ended up being disappointed. What I eventually ended up realizing was when I ate the eggs at a small café what was different was that instead of using butter to grease the pan, cooks here use oil and that’s what changes the taste. After I realized the difference in taste, while still strange in my mouth, the eggs seemed more different than bad.

This mentality started to spread to other aspects of English culture, and then culture in general, and soon realized that bad became new.

Becoming a Londoner

Perhaps the most important skill I have learned during my time in England is the ability to adapt. Since the UK is an English-speaking region, there was not a huge language barrier which made transitioning a bit easier. However, I still think there is enough of a difference that I have noticed changes in how I speak. Most of us have picked up the phrase “fair enough” and use it exhaustingly in conversation. When I go back home, people will probably give me funny looks when I ask if I can use their toilet rather than bathroom. I have even learned some basic French in preparation for my trip to Paris in a few weeks. People appreciate you making the effort as opposed to adopting the attitude that they should be able to understand you.
I also need to adapt my behavior in such small ways as how I cross the street. Most people learn pretty quickly to look the opposite way before crossing or have almost gotten hit by a car. Another thing that is different is that cars will literally not stop unless you are at a crosswalk. I am used to just strolling across at a corner and expecting cars to stop for me. Here I am left with the option of waiting for all the cars to go by or walking the 50 feet to a crosswalk. Walking on the sidewalk is an interesting experience as well. Sometimes when I am walking to close to the edge, I can feel the buses brushing by me because the street is so narrow. This has happened even recently.
The way to best learn about people is from people. It is one thing to read about a country in a book and another to interact with its people. We are lucky because we are not alone here. It is easy to meet people when you have a buffer friend. When people go overseas for work, it is likely they will not know anyone in that country. I have found that I like Britain the more I change myself to be like the people here. I do not know if I would have been able to do it on my own, but hopefully doing this trial run will make it easier if there is a next time.

Culture Brings More to Business Than Just Crunching Numbers

Travelling around England is one of the best parts of this study abroad experience. England has a log of history and this history needs to be preserved. The National Trust is a charity that looks after historic houses, gardens and ancient monuments. I became a member of the National Trust in early October and since then visited a few of their locations. Petworth House and Ham House were my favorite. These houses capture and represent the life in the England the way you see it in the movies in the 1500-1700's. Ham House was used to film movies such as "The Young Victoria" and "To Kill a King", while "Harry Potter" was filmed in another one of the National Trust locations at the Lacock Abbey, and "Pride and Prejudice" at Basildon Park. We watch movies everyday and the media plays a large part in our lives. Studying abroad in England exposes you to the culture and gets you appreciate things you wouldnt normally notice.

Being a business student it made me realize that business connects to many other professional fields, such as media and film. A student with a business major wont necessarily end up in an office but they could be working as a manager, accountant or financial advisor for a movie or they could be one of the managers of the National Trust. In either case they need to be well rounded in both fields. Business is everywhere and I finally began to recognize how it intervined with history and media because of this experience abroad.

London Town

One of the great things that I have learned from this semester is the value of networking. This trip has given me connections to people in countries across the globe. That is a valuable resource that couldn’t have been obtained anywhere else. Being here in London provides a unique experience for our group as business students. London is a very diverse city. My parents were here last week and one of the first things my dad pointed out was that he barely heard English when he was walking down the street. That is the beauty of London. Not only do you have the British people, who are very friendly, but you have people here from all over the world. Business in the United States is becoming an international affair, and being able to network and have connections with people outside of the U.S. is a resource that cannot be bought. I think another part of this experience that we as a group have benefited from is the cultural aspect. Being in London we’re only a short flight away from mainland Europe, which provides great opportunities to see all of the cultures of Europe. But if we can’t make our ways over to mainland Europe, there is still so much culture here to see. The combination of the laid back European lifestyle and intense concentration of different cultures here puts a lot into perspective for me. I’ve been out of the states before, but this trip has really shown me that there is more to life. You can tell who the Americans are here because they seem to rush around more than anyone else does. When I was giving my parents a tour of Richmond and the city last week, I made sure to take my time so that they could see things they would normally miss if going at their regular pace. I think one of the biggest things that I will take away from this trip is the value of slowing down every now and then. Living in such a big city like London would seem like it would always be busy. But it is because I’ve now been exposed to the busy life here that I can appreciate when things slow down even more. There is much more to see if you take the time to look.

The Maps are Still Confusing

Being in London I felt I would get use to the different modes of transportation and learn to realise driving a car would no longer be an option while I am abroad. Looking at the maps over at the rail station proves to be even more confusing then I would of thought. Though I feel one of the main reasons I get so confused at looking at the map is I don’t know the cities or towns that are around. I would be trying to find a certain town and it would be quite difficult because I don’t know the surrounding area.
To prove how challenging it was for me to use the rail system was when I tried to take the above ground to Kingston. Going on the journey alone I felt it would make sense to ask a worker at the window what platform I should go to and around what time I should be there. Well, even after asking for help from the worker, I still managed to get on the wrong train. A train that took me an hour nowhere close to where I had to be. I felt the reason for me going as far as I did was I kept thinking that the next stop would be Kingston, but that never ended up happening.
I feel the way I could have avoided that situation was to have known neighbouring towns to Kingston so I would have had an idea if I was close or not. But getting lost is all part of the adventure of being abroad. Being in London teaches me that the people in the culture have different ways of transporting themselves. Though back in the states we have the same modes of transportation, but for me growing up in my teenage years I always had a car or someone to drive me where I needed to go. Image from: http://www.emta.com/article.php3?id_article=496

That American Girl..

I've successfully completed the first half of my experience in London. I've grown accustomed to routines such as going into town 3 times a week to top up my phone, quick trips to the pub every now and then, and long exhausting days of traveling with my friends on the tube. In addition to all the excitement that I've enjoyed in London, I decided to further my European experience to really be acknowledged as that "American European Girl".

During my Fall break I went to visit the beautiful Paris and my family. Although I didn't do much because my aunt and uncle had to work,plus there were the "greves" (riots), I made the most out of my experience. I guess that's one thing I've learned throughout the first half of this abroad semester. People don't worry so much when things don't go as planned and are out of the ordinary. For example, Day 1 it took forever to get our ID cards but the school staff was very relaxed about it. In Paris, people are struggling to fill up at least half a tank of gas yet that doesn't stop them from moving and continuing with their day. They choose not to make a fuss and continue to be productive.

Aside from the famous Eiffel Tower and the famous opera theatre, Paris has its little factors that contribute to its uniqueness. The environment is literally like the movies, couples are everywhere showing their love and affection. Also, there is art being drawn and painted anywhere you turn your head. Unlike the "different" caricatures I usually find myself attracted to in the eminent NYC, the "artistes" in Paris have more technique "et une touche plus douce" ( a softer touch). During my stay I also picked up a little French, as well as memories and pictures, just to bring back home with me as a souvenir.

As I said earlier, everywhere I go, I want to leave the memories of that "American European Girl". Coming to a new environment with the noticeable American accent, yet leaving with the learned traditions of the people.

A Very Dutch Fall Break

While eating dinner a few days before fall break, Luke and I were joined by a friend of ours from Richmond and asked if we had any plans for the upcoming break. We did not and she suggested a trip to the Netherlands, as she had not yet found anyone to go with. An hour or so later, we had finished purchasing tickets which would grant us admission to two ten hour bus rides for only fifty-eight pounds each. The rest of the time before the trip was spent in anticipation, setting up people to stay with through a system called Couchsurfing. Couchsurfing is a website run program in which people offer to host others in their area for a pre-determined amount of time. After class on Friday, we packed up a backpack each and began our journey.

After an uncomfortable overnight bus ride, our first hours were spent in a rainy, freezing early morning Amsterdam climate. We had no place to go in Amsterdam and decided to hop a train out to Leiden, a city southwest of Amsterdam itself. There we met our first Couchsurfing hosts, Jordan and Tommy. After one night with them, during which we slept nine people on the floor of a tiny apartment, we headed out to meet our next hosts; a group of college kids also located in Leiden. We made fast friends with them and three of them are actually coming to London in December. We spent much of the trip with these hosts and our Richmond friend taught all of us how to play ‘kung pow,’ a very fun, yet challenging strategy game. (picture included) The rest of the journey included spending two nights with two different hosts in Utrect, hopping trains, eating delicious food (kebabs), and learning various (and often obscene) Dutch phrases.

This trip was an intriguing lesson in Dutch culture and allowed for all three parties involved to both meet and share stories with people who reside in a culture which is inexplicably different from our own. We learned much about Dutch society and imparted knowledge about much of our own society upon them. An example of this is the fact that we spent hours sharing popular Youtube videos with all our hosts. This fall break was immensely fun and I would encourage anyone interested to vacation to the Netherlands.

Halfway There

The halfway point has come and we now begin the ever-shortening final half of our time in London. It’s hard to imagine that I have spent over two months in another country as a foreign student. Whereas the first half of my stay was filled with new experiences and new people, the second has been filled with normality and routine. That is not to say that I have grown bored of London. In fact, there are many benefits to becoming accustomed to this country and its culture. Granted the excitement may have subsided but that is expected when you see the same things on a daily basis.

It is still interesting to see the vast differences between England and the U.S. For example, today is Guy Fawkes Day. Although the English population sees this holiday as any other excuse for celebration, I find it odd that a country would celebrate the day a man tried to kill their king and destroy their Parliament. Then again, the joke of the semester has been how backwards is compared to the rest of the world (i.e. driving on the left side of the road).

However, I feel like these “backwards” tendencies in the English culture are what remind me that I am in another country. It’s easy to forget this when the population speaks your language (albeit with an accent), eats similar food, and drives the same vehicles.

I have roughly met my activity goals which I created before coming here. Even so, I know there is so much more to do in such an amazing city and country. I do not doubt for a second that I’ll be severely disappointed when I return to the states yet it was more than worth it to experience living and studying abroad in such an interesting and diverse place.

Adjusting to City Life

In the two months spent 'across the pond' in London, there are numerous changes that I have seen in myself regarding the surrounding and culture here, that would be extremely difficult to experience in another situation. One of the greatest of these changes is feeling familiar and comfortable with the hustle & bustle of not only Central London, but that of Richmond town.

Growing up in a small town, with not many places within walking distance, the idea of the city often times seemed like an unknown jungle with many unfamiliar factors, including the busy streets and packed sidewalks. If anybody had asked me to take the subway when travelling to Boston or New York City, I would have had a puzzled and confused look on my face, and would have solved the map with much difficulty.

However, at this time, I have noticed that the walks into Richmond which people busily brushing by you to get to their jobs on time or there nearest coffee shop have become part of a daily routine. Crowded streets are no longer something that is unfamiliar and foreign, but something that is part of my everyday life. This is also the case for mastering the underground tube lines. Now i find myself understanding the various patterns of the lines throughout Central London.

These adjustments will prove to pay huge dividends in my personal life. Going to school to be an accountant, there is a strong chance I may get a job in a large, busy, bustling city similar to that of London. Previously, I would have had to not only undergo the adjustment process of a new job, a new city, but also a new culture, that of the metropolitan area. However, now that I have lived in a metropolitan area for a significant period of time, the third adjustment that may be necessary will prove to be much easier, thanks to this trip abroad.