In all honesty, before coming to England, I didn't forsee much of a culture shock. I figured that given that we speak the same language, and that our country's roots can be traced back to Britain, how different could our customs be?! Needless to say, though we may use the same alphabet, our ways of life are far from equivalent. For one thing, Europeans put Americans to shame when it comes to the concept of efficiency. Everything from the smaller yet perfectly organized living quarters, to the pre-ripped toilet paper in every bathroom, has shown me that Europeans place a heavy emphasize on maximizing the resources around them to reduce their level of waste. I could probably go on for a few more paragraphs about all the nuances of British Culture, but I'd rather tell you about my past two days. I'll leave you with one more difference: People in London (and I'm guessing all of Europe, though I'll let you know) dont tip! Its just not a thing here. You can imagine how happy our cab driver from the airport was when he received 90 pounds from what should have been a 76 pound fare. I have no doubt that he laughed himself all the way to the pub.
In the future, I'm hoping my posts will be a little shorter and focused on a specific activity, but since I've been working on settling in the past few days, I have a lot of activities to report! To make it easier, I'll just touch upon my weekend. Saturday morning, my roommate Amy and I hopped on the tube to Hyde Park, and decided to go for a long run. Though it was a little colder than I would have liked, the run was a perfect way to see some of the incredible buildings around the city. What I find so fascinating about London is the juxtaposition of the old and modern. Some of the most gorgeous newly built skyscrapers sit adjacent to buildings that are twice as old as America itself. Take a look at some of the buildings and sights that we passed on our run. Not surprisingly, I did need to take the occasional break in my exercise to snap these photos. We spent the night exploring the Oxford Circus area, and of course somehow ended up in the basement of Top Shop surrounded by the SALE sign.
Earlier today, Amy and I met up with our friend Pam and we headed toward Westminster Abbey area to check out the classic London attractions such as the House of Parliament, Big Ben and the London Eye. I'd say my level of excitement was comparable to Chevy Chase in European Vacation when he gets stuck in the roundabout for about 12 hours. If you don't know the reference, see below:
After we satisfied the American tourist within us all, we decided to take a break from the cold weather and partake in the British tradition invented in 1840 by Anna Maria, known as "afternoon tea". We headed to the Marriott hidden on the left side of County Hall, and were directed by a wonderful and well-informed concierge man to a room known as "The Library". Officially opened in 1922 by King George V and Queen Mary, we found ourself in a room filled with oak bookcases and marble statues of Caesar, Plato and Shakespeare.We were seated by a round table with a view overlooking the water and a straight shot of Parliament. Our server brought us a box of twelve different tea leaves to choose from, and once we made our decision...the feast began. 5 different types of finger sandwiches (all of which were spectacular), 2 different kinds of scones with three spreads, and 4 different desserts. Thank god British people eat such small portions, otherwise things do not look so promising for me in the months to come. Check out some of the pictures below to see what Pam, Amy, and I experienced!
I think its pretty clear that we're doing a good job of hitting all the must do and see points of London. I think I could go on for days about everything I've done in this past week alone, but I'd honestly be impressed if you've even made it this far. My first day of classes starts tomorrow, and I actually could not be more excited to get the chance to learn more about British culture. In the morning I have my "Media and UK Politics" class, and then I'll be spending the afternoon in my "Architecture in London" course. Both stuff I'm pretty pumped about learning, so I'll let you know how those turn out. I just booked my first trip for the end of January as well! I'll be heading to Paris, and I honestly can't wait!
While I think I've done enough talking for the night, I've decided to add a feature to my blog known as the "Best British Saying of the Day". Each post ill end with some ridiculous expression that I've heard in the past few days, and try and give my interpretation.
Today's Best British Saying of the Day:
"Please forgive me if I'm teaching my grandmother to suck eggs by telling you this..."
Spoken by one of the leaders at our program orientation, the phrase is meant to be used when a person is giving advice to someone else about a subject they already know.
Thats all for now folks, and I commend you if you made it this far. Hope you've enjoyed my first real post!
-Sam in Buckingham
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