There's no place like home...

Cliched but true!

The night before I left London I viewed my final musical in the city that never sleeps--Wicked. What a way to end a wonderful visit! The musical exceeded my expectations; the powerful relationship between Glinda and the Wicked Witch of the West moved me to tears. I was also surprised to discover that I enjoyed the dialogue more than the songs (and I am particularly fond of "No One Mourns the Wicked," "Popular," and "Defying Gravity"). Erika: I agree with you one hundred percent!

After three weeks in London though, I have to admit that I was more than ready to return home. Immersing myself in the English culture was an enriching experience, and one that I won't forget! However, as Dorothy states in "The Wizard of Oz," 'there's no place like home.'

It's funny how quickly the human body can adapt to new circumstances. Stepping off the plane in Orlando, I felt a jolt of shock at the hot and humid atmosphere. I miss the cool summer weather of England already!

Time really seemed to retard to a painfully slow crawl on the flight home, and the drive from Orlando to Largo felt like four hours rather than two. Yet here I am, readjusting to U.S. time and spending quality time with my friends, family, and pets. I am so, so happy to finally be home. Yet all the same...

I am already planning my next trip to England!

There is no question of whether or not I will return to England. I can't see myself NOT making the trip back to this exciting country. I definitely want to re-visit some of the places where I felt rushed (e.g. Stonehenge, Salisbury, Bath, etc.). And I most definitely will make another stop at the British Museum--what a fabulous place! With the costs associated with travel, however, I don't know how soon I'll be able to make that excursion. In the mean time, I will simply reflect on my experiences with fondness... and remember how exciting it was to embrace the differences!

In perspective

Having spent three weeks in London, I've visited many places, seen several sites, and tasted various foods (with heavy emphasis on the goat cheese). Yet despite the fact that I've been here three weeks, I feel as though there is still so much left to do.

As an outsider, I have a great appreciation for the rich cultural life of the city. How could one ever get bored here? But at the same time, I wonder if Englanders take this situation for granted. The first few days I spent in London, for instance, I felt an intense awareness of the architectural diversity throughout the city. I felt particularly drawn towards the older structures with their ancient brick walls and ornamented facades. Yet as I became accustomed to the antiquity, and the days wore on, I found myself noticing it less and less. So I wonder... Do the natives realize how good they have it? If I lived here, would I appreciate having a musical theatre right down the street? I'd like to think that I would. But who knows?

Walking down the street...

I've gotten so used to navigating my way through the London streets that I think I will actually miss them when I get home. I know that I will certainly miss the pedestrian lifestyle.

It took me a while to adapt to the fact that streets are not identified by street signs. Rather steet names are posted on buildings. Now I walk along and instantly glance upwards to see where I am and where I am going. I found myself doing this automatically in France; I hadn't even stopped to wonder if the French labeled their streets the same way, I just naturally continued this process.

It's funny how you find yourself adapting to a new culture without even realizing that you are doing so. I wonder how I will feel upon returning to the U.S. Will I miss not seeing street signs posted along building walls? Will I feel a pinch of disorientation? Will I go through a brief period of time where I have to readjust? It will be interesting to find out!

Money Matters

Why do Europeans use so many coins?

Before coming abroad, I was somewhat apprehensive of using the local currency. I no previous experience outside of the country and I was concerned that I would not understand how to count the money. Thankfully my fears were completely unfounded.

What I don't understand though, is why the Europeans use so many coins.

For the most part, we stick to just four coins in the U.S. : the penny, nickel, dime, and quarter. Yet I have seen nearly twice as many coins in use in England. There is the 1 cent coin, 2 cent coin, 5 cent coin, 10 cent coin, 20 cent coin, 50 cent coin, 1 pound coin, and 2 pound coin. (Did I miss any? If so, I do apologize!) I wonder at the multitude of coins. The 2 cent and 2 pound coins seem superfluous to me. By implementing a 1 pound bill and eradicating the 2 pound coin, one's change purse would feel much lighter. I just don't get it. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining here. I just don't understand the point behind using so many coins. Any thoughts?

The Paris Metro

One thing that I've really come to appreciate about London is the ease of transportation. For someone who doesn't own a vehicle, getting around is still relatively easy--whether one hails a cab, rides the tube, or gets on the bus. Public transportation might slow one down a bit, but at least it's convenient.

To be honest, I only rode the bus once in Paris--so I don't really have a firm grasp on that mode of transportation. Using the taxi, however, was cetainly a learing experience. After some difficulty in finding ourselves a taxi on Friday afternoon, my flatmates and I discovered that taxis keep stationed along the side of streets. One merely has to look for a blue sign with the word "Taxi" on it, to find transportation. (Though if all the cabs are in use, a novice might not understand what is going on.) We also learned that one does not stop at any taxi in line, but must request the services of the first taxi in line.

I found the public transportation via the metro (Paris' version of the tube and American's version of the subway) less palatable. Whereas the London tube stations are relatively clean, the Paris metro stations are filthy and often omit noxious odors such as urine and vomit. Furthermore, the metro system reminded me of ancient catacombs with secret passageways and corridors. We often found ourself walking upwards and downwards and upwards again just to get from one line to the next. The seemingly poor planning often left us doubting our location. The signs were often just as confusing so that, at one point, we actually exited the station (rather than catch our train) because the signs (which we followed to the tee) directed us outside! In retrospect this seems rather comical, however, at the time we found this quite frustrating. Unable to get back into the station with our tickets, we had to kill some time before we were able to re-enter.

I also couldn't help but observe that the tube stations in London are much closer together than the metros in Paris. What happens if you are in a hurry to get somewhere and the metro station that you needed to use is unavailable? How far would you have to go to get to another one? I realize that I only spent 3 days in Paris, but I'm much more impressed by the transportation system in London. I was very happy to return and experienced a new appreciation for the tube system. How clean, how efficient, how uncomplicated to use!

Browsing at the British Library

Today our class visited the British Library.

During our guided tour we learned many interesting facts:

• The British Library aims to collect one copy of each item published in the U.K.


• The British Library does not censor items that it collects, nor does it ever weed its collection. In other words, the library collection continually grows.


• The British Library focuses primarily on print materials. Our tour guide informed us that just one section of the library could take up to 1,000 years to digitize!
  
• Just how massive is the British Library collection? If one person viewed just 5 items a day, it would take 80,000 years to view the entire collection!

These represent just a few of the informational highlights regarding the library. The libary itself is a public library where anyone with proper identification can register for a "reader's pass." Those who become registered then have access to the entire collection.

I was most intrigued, however, by their viewing policy. Library users who wish to access library material cannot just walk into the library and pull books off the shelves. As our guide informed us, the books are not organized in a fashion that promotes browsing. Furthermore, different collections may utilize different forms of organization (i.e. some collections may adopt Pannizi's method of arrangement via size). In order to view materials, therefore, library users must request items ahead of time. Upon entering the library, the librarians will then hand them their requested items.

This no browsing policy employed by the British Library represents a stark contrast the average public library one finds in the United States. While I completely understand the reasoning behind this policy (and I really don't imagine how they could have things any other way), I can't help but wonder how this impacts the types of users that they receive. Where I work, for instance, browsing represents an essential form of activity for library users. Walking through the stacks often results in serendipitous finds that the user might not discover via the computer catalog. There is also a sense of magic in being able to hold a book and to leaf through its pages to see if it suits one's tastes. I would imagine that the British Library's no browsing policy is probably the most likely reason that 68% of their users are utilizing the facility for academic research, whereas those on the premises for personal research number about 15%.

Kermit's story in five pictures

The Lion and the Unicorn

In Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Alice comes upon the lion and the unicorn. The two creatures are in the midst of fighting for the crown. As the White King explains, they are actually fighting for his crown.

I've recalled this scene several times during my stay in London, as it seems as though I've viewed at least one sculptural repesentation of the Lion and the Unicorn every day that I've been here. I could not remember the signifance of these two animals, however, so I decided to do a little digging.

According to "Project Britain: British Life & Culture" by Mandy Barrow (http://woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/motto.html), the Lion and the Unicorn represent the official coat of arms for the United Kingdom of Great Britain. The lion stands for England while the Unicorn signifies Scotland.

As an interesting side note, the Unicorn wears a chain because people during the medieval era believed that unfettered unicorns were dangerous (Barrow).

This combination of the two animals on the coat of arms dates back to 1603, when James VI of Scotland became king of England ("The lion and the unicorn").

Barrow, M. (2010). The official coat of arms of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. Project Britain: British Life & Culture. Accessed 27 July 2010, from http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/customs/questions/motto.html

The lion and the unicorn. (2010). Accessed 27 July 2010 from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/the_Lion_and_the_Unicorn

*Click on the image below to view a digital story that I created about the lions seen in and about London*


Credits:

All material in this digital story is original, except for the music track which was provided courtesy of Microsoft's Photo Story 3.

How's the weather?

Today our class visited Hampton Court. As the nature girl that I am, I found myself much more enthralled with the gardens than with the palace itself. The sky was overcast, however, and we did catch a little rain while walking among the flowers.

I've noticed that the weather here is difficult to predict. In Florida when the skies are cloudy, chances are pretty high that it's going to rain. Here though, gray clouds merely signify gray clouds. Unless one conults weather.com, it's difficult to guess with any precision whether or not one is going to get caught in a drizzle while strolling along the garden paths. To top it off, the weather forecasts appear finicky. So although the weather station might state 70% chance of rain for the morning, one might awaken to find that this has dropped to 0%.

Overall, it takes some getting used to the different climate. I'm used to bright sunshine when I get up in the morning. But it seems as though each morning here has revealded an overcast sky. Now don't get me wrong, I'm not complaining about this! I quite like the cooler air and the capricious nature of the climate. Yet it certainly takes some adjusting to get used to it. And I do experience moments where I miss the warm Florida sunshine...

Check out the video below that I recorded in Bath; this should give you good idea of what a typical day in England is like. (Typical for what I've experienced so far!). What do you think about those clouds?

Cheers!

Our stay in England has exceeded my expectations. Though I anticipated finding myself enamored with the surrounding antinquity (the statues on the streets, the reliefs on the buildings, the museums with their ancient artifacts), I had no idea how lovely--on a social level--that this trip would be.

With a rare exception, everyone here has been so friendly! During our first weekend in London (when Darla, Cythia, Erika, and I) were trying to find our way to Leicester, pedestrians went out of their way to help us when they noticed our confusion. When I purchased souvenirs at the British Museum, the clerk at the counter smiled and said that she'd give me the student discount for my entire purchase--even though technically I should only have received the 10% for my books. Yesterday while walking through Bath, a gentleman walking past stopped to offer information about a building that I was looking at--just because! Today I accompanied Darla to visit her family in Watford, and I was absolutely touched by how they treated me (a complete stranger) like part of the family!

I wish we encountered such friendliness on a regular basis back home. I wonder at the differences in personality between the two countries. Is this contrat perhaps because England is so small and crowded whereas the U.S. is so expansive? I admit I have experienced a limited amount of England in a short amount of time... but I really feel at home here.

The city of flowers

Today our class visited Regent's Park and Primrose Hill. The atmosphere of the parks here are so picturesque that it really takes my breath away. It seems as though the only expressions in my vocabulary when I step into these places are "ohh" and "ahh."

The Brits just love their flowers... and I love that they love their flowers. Walking through town one sees flowers everywhere: in pots on windowsills, hanging in pots in posts, and popping up in sections along the sidewalks.

What is this preoccupation with flowers? I'm really not sure what this is all about, but I love it! Did I say that already? I love it!

Please click on the button below if you'd like to hear more about the beautiful parks in which these floral arrangements can be found.

Credits:

Patroux. (n.d). Chante la nature. Accessed 23 July, 2010, from http:www.creativecommons.org.

Getting Around

Today our class visited Greenwich, where each of us took turns standing over the Prime Meridian. Afterwards we traveled back to Trafalgar Square on a mission to take photos of moving vehicles.

Something that's struck me from day one in London is the various modes of transportation. Back in the states, I drive everywhere. It's just faster and more convenient to get in the car and go! In London, however, driving can be a nuisance. Where does one park? How long will it take to get from point A to point B? Having to stop for pedestrians multiple times can lengthen a 5 minute drive by five times as much. (Or so it seems.)

Most places in London are a short walk away; for those places that take longer, one can choose from several modes of transportation. For instance, today our class rode the tube to the Thames. From there, we hopped onto a catamaran and sailed to Greenwich. On our way home from Trafalgar Square we used the coach. We used all of these mode of transportation in one day. Just thinking about it boggles my mind! Traveling around here really is an art; one must learn the routes of the tubes and coaches. Yet for the everyday traveler, relying on any of these methods can be really convenient. The tubes, for example, seem to run every few minutes. Instead of scheduling one's day around public transport, the transportation systems cater to the varied needs of the individual person. I love this concept!

New and Old

Traveling through London is like taking a step back into the past. In some respects, London (as well as other parts of Europe and England) represent living history. Rather than tear down and re-build, architects build upon existing structures. Thus, one might espy an extremely modern building attached to something constructed in the seventeenth or eighteenth or nineteenth century. Elsewhere, massive structures that were constructed centuries ago--like museums and cathedrals--still stand today.

I think that seeing these structures are significant for reminding people that history is not something abstract that exists only in text books. Rather history is alive, and significant, and a continuing presence on our lives. History is not a dead thing, but something that continually shapes the future. Walking amongst these ancient places tucked along contemporary shops and houses emphasizes, to me, that London is a living and breathing example of things that have been... and things that can be.

High Tea at the British Museum

Today I enjoyed an afternoon tea with my classmates at the British Musuem. Not only was the event a delight to experience, but it was also educational. I have often heard of the smaller portions served in European countries--smaller, that is, compared to the healthy sized plates served in many American restaurants. This is also something that our professor has pointed out, and something that I have noticed at the food store. Sitting down to a proper high tea simply re-emphasized this notion. Each individual received their own three tier tray of goods. Though the selection as a whole proved filling, I couldn't help but notice the small portions of each food. For instance, the finger sandwiches probably equal less than a single sandwich back home. The treats, though varied and numerous, were bite-sized.

I wonder how effectively these smaller sized portions are in curbing the general population's inclination to ingest surplus food. Back home, it is so easy to consume more food than is necessary. I can see myself, for instance, sitting on the couch with a bag of potato chips in my hand. Though the first five chips might easily satisfy my craving, I grab 10-15 more without even realizing it. Because everything is so much smaller here, the individual has to stop and think about whether or not they want to spend those few extra pounds for another portion. Not only that, they think about whether or not they are actually hungry.

The really interesting part is that, while I find myself sometimes a little irritated at the smaller amounts that I'm receiving, I'm also somewhat relieved. Smaller portions encourage me to reflect and then act, rather than act compulsively. Does this make sense?

London Parks

Yesterday Darla and I spent an hour in Gordon Square; today our class lunched for 90 minutes in St. James Park. Visiting these parks, I couldn't help but notice how different these places are from the United States. For one thing, there are several squares within the city that most people cannot enter. These "private" parks require a key for entrance. Despite the exclusiveness of these areas, there are benches along the fence for passersby to rest upon. Yet why private parks?

In Gordon Square--the first public park Darla and I happened upon--I felt overawed by the tranquil surroundings. At home in Florida, parks usually bustle with activity. One might see kids playing soccer in a field or adults fishing. Frisbee golf is another popular activity. Primarily, however, one sees children running around on playground equipment with the parents nearby watching over them. Here, however, I noted mostly adults. Rather than engage in physical activity, these individuals seem to visit the park to relax. I saw many adults reclining on towels, with one or two reading books. Other adults I perceived sitting with their books on park benches.

These parks seem to be a place of refuge for Londoners, whereas Floridians seek them out for recreational activity. While we encountered a somewhat bustling atmosphere at St. James Park, I still found myself amazed at the number of people sprawled over the fields of grass. It's quite fascinating how the park can function as such an important place in both countries, but for such varying reasons.

Chicago!

London seems like a chaotic maze of converging roads and numerous side streets; the amount of people walking through the city on a Saturday can feel overwhelming. Our tour guide today mentioned that approximately 7.7 million people live in London. Walking about yesterday, I couldn't help but note how many different languages that I've heard spoken since I arrived. On one day I passed an individual speaking French; I believe that I have also heard some Italian. Chinese represents yet another language that I've heard spoken. Though I am used to a certain amount of cultural diversity in the Tampa area, I have never encountered so much of it in such a short amount of time. I absolutely love it! This also leads me to wonder how many people are actually in London on any given day.

My flat mates and I experienced this incredible volume of people while attempting to find Leicester Square yesterday. It is taking us several days to acclimate to our surroundings--which means that it takes us at least twice as long to reach any destination since we constantly second guess our decisions and have to consult maps. Thankfully nobody (except myself) minds asking questions. And everybody here is so nice! Most people are more than willing to help, and a few individuals have even noticed our confusion and proffered their services without our asking.

Why the need to find Leicester Square? Darla, Erika, Cynthia, and I wanted to buy tickets to a musical. Wicked sold out, so we wound up going to the Cambridge Theatre o view Chicago instead.

What a blast!

Here are just a few notes from the experience:

• The Cambridge Theatre was much smaller than I had imagined. Really, I felt as though I was back in my high school auditorium.


• The smaller size of the Cambridge Theatre made the experience all of the more comfortable; it has a homey atmosphere that larger buildings just can't achieve.


• Because the theatre was smallish (compared to larger American buildings), the audience has a fabulous view of the stage--even from twenty rows back!


• I found the lack of props rather charming. I was surprised to see the musicians on the stage, but enjoyed seeing them as performers.


• The stage itself was rather constrained with regards to space. Yet the actors were so engaging that I forgot that I was viewing a play without much in the way of background or props.

Darla, Erika, Me, and Cynthia gathering for a group shot after our night out on the town.

Shopping, Trafalgar Square, and the Marlborough Arms

Today was my first full day in London. I woke up around 8:15am slightly refreshed, but wishing I had slept a little longer. Though we turned off the lights at a reasonable hour last night, Darla and I couldn't fall asleep right away because of the outside noise. So this is something new that I've discovered: the walls of these ancient buildings are not very well insulated!

After our practical tour today, we stopped at the grocery store. There I encountered another "difference" between our societies. The individual paying for the items also bags them. I find this quite interesting, and I'd like to find out the rationale behind this.

Late in the afternoon Darla and I decided to visit the Thames. A detour for pedestrians left us walking in the wrong direction, and after much meandering and many wrong turns, we ended up in Trafalgar Square. We spent a few minutes here just taking in the array of architecture and snapping shots of our surroundings.

During the evening, we dined with our class in the Marlborough Arms. I had fish and chips (again) and also tried two new drinks: Pimm's Classic and Pimm's Pim Pom. Yum!

Electrical currents

Who knew that electronics could be so difficult? (Well, I guess everybody knows that!)

Darla and I are sharing a flat with Cynthia and Erika. Between the four of us experimenting with converters and adapters, we had to request assistance for re-setting the circuits three times!

This comical adventure concluded with Elvis, a wonderfully kind school employee, making a personal trip to our flat to show us how to use our appliances properly :0)

We decided afterwards that a night out on the town was exactly what we needed to unwind.

For our first night out we visited Rising Sun. Their prices were reasonable, the music was upbeat, and the atmosphere was congenial. Though I cowered away from trying any spirits, I believe I will suck it up and buy a real British drink tomorrow.

Here's to trying new things!

Kermit, the mascot

Here is my mascot for the trip.

I chose Kermit primarily because he is small and easy to tote around. The fact that he is green (my favorite color) doesn't hurt either!

From the beginning...

Greetings from England! Traveling to Europe has been a wish of mine for several years now. Beginning today -- July 15, 2010 -- I am participating in a study abroad program through the Florida State University.

My educational background is in literature, with a Master's degree in British literature. Some favorite authors of mine include Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, and the Brontes. I am also fond of British music and television / film. I am looking forward to sightseeing in London, visiting the areas that (until now) I have only read about in novels, and experiencing the culture in general.

I arrived in London at approximately 9:30 this morning along with my classmate Darla. Together, we managed to find our way from the Gatwick Airport to the flats where we are staying. The Gatwick Express cost about 17 pounds and lasted approximately 30 minutes. I enoyed this part of our journey, as we were able to relax and view the rolling landscape. The second part of our journey, however, kept me on my toes. I had expected mayhem with tens of people attempting to hail cabs simultaneously. Instead, I discovered an organized system with individuals lined up, politely waiting for the next available taxi. What else did I learn from this experience? I don't ever want to drive in London! I found myself simultaneoulsy terrified and awed by how many near misses our vehicle seemed to encounter. Whereas in America drivers typically remain several feet behind the car in front of them (as it is perceived rude to tailgate), it seems as though driving bumper to bumper is the norm here in the city.

In fact, London life in general seems to run on a much faster pace.

Well, that is a subject for another time...