So I’ve been in London nearly two months now. It is definitely a little damper, a little colder than sunny socal. And, I’m not going to lie, I have dreamt about the beach on a few occasions. But, in general, things in the British capital are going quite well: I finally look in the correct direction when I cross the street. This is a very good development, as the traditional red double-decker buses seem to accelerate into crosswalks (perhaps Stan Shunpike is behind the wheel?). I’ve learned that queuing, standing in line, preferably while making small talk about the miserable weather, truly is a British pastime.
In fact, I can now whole-heartedly attest to the fact that this country is, without a doubt, completely and totally obsessed with the weather. I’ve also learned that there is an art to making the perfect cup of tea, and depending on whom you are having your traditional afternoon tea, scones, and clotted cream with, this can provoke a heated debate (sugar, or no sugar? skim or whole? steep for 3 minutes versus 5?). And, finally, and most importantly perhaps, I’ve picked up some necessary British slang words that might come in handy, if I need to call someone a wanker, for example (slang for jerk). Also, my new favorite expletives: bollocks! blood hell!
Time wise I am slightly over a third of the way through my study abroad experience. Regardless, I am at that point where I feel like I’ve fallen into a routine. I’ve become used to walking to class in the foggy, chilly mornings along a winding path through St. George’s Park. Instead of passing Marston quad and Big Bridges, I walk past tombstones and graves of Londoners who died hundreds of years ago. It’s interesting how many of these seemingly eerie parks have been incorporated into the city, and have become cheerful public spaces where you can always spot dogs romping about in the grass as their chatting owners look on, children playing football (never say soccer!) with their fathers, and on the rare sunny afternoon, people picnicking on the benches. After class and a cheap lunch in the student union on campus, the afternoons are perfect for ambling about London. The British museum, a mere block away from campus, is always a good refuge from the central London traffic. Although, upon my first visit I was mildly surprised…there isn’t much anything British about it! Rather, it appears to be more of a showcase of ‘Look! These are the places we conquered and stole artifacts from!’ 4 p.m. is teatime, and promptly after that the treacherous commute home through a sea of black cabs commences. In the evenings I cook dinner, perhaps with a handful of ingredients bought from one of London’s many famed outdoor markets.
Mondays and Wednesdays are the traditional nights for students to go out. Weird right? But weekends are much too expensive for students in London… so on a Monday night many University College London (UCL) students will head to Moonies, and on Wednesdays, The Roxy, for an altogether trashy, yet enjoyable night of, drinks (cider! snakebite!), ridiculous American music and dancing (no grinding here… apparently that’s a US concept!).
As time passes, and winter morphs into spring, I reflect on the experience and wonder, is this what I imagined study abroad to be like? I realize there is obviously no study abroad formula, but I think it is easy to have preconceived notions of what the experience is suppose to be like. At least I did. I mean flash back to middle school and The Hillary Duff Movie. Within two weeks she found herself having fantastic adventures in Italy and exploring Rome on a moped driven by a hot Italian guy. And what about L’Auberge Espagnol, and their ridiculous adventures? I haven’t had experiences to match those in the aforementioned films.
Yet, so much of what has been enjoyable and enlightening during my time in Europe is in the little things: spending an afternoon looking around a science museum with a newly made British friend, strolling down Oxford street, peering through the fence in front of the Buckingham Palace, people watching in St. James Park. One particularly recent example of this occurred last Tuesday night; I joined a few other sagehens on a trip to the Ministry of Sound, a club quite far away from campus, for a UCL student night. While we enjoyed our time dancing, the club itself was mediocre, filled with fewer students than we had imagined and a lot of wandering hands. But getting home afterwards was the true adventure! At 2 a.m. we found ourselves stuck on the south side of the Thames looking at the firmly closed doors of the Elephant & Castle tube station. What ensued was a two hour adventure, filled with freezing fingers, lots of laughter, groaning about our 10 a.m. Neurobiology lecture the next morning and much running and scaling of fences in an effort to chase down the correct bus. Of course, we all made it home safely… even to class the next morning!
I guess what I’m trying to say in this rambling post is what we have all heard many times, but, at least for me, was hard to believe until I experienced it: study abroad has its ups and downs. There are times when I am lost in London and it’s cold and rainy and I feel so homesick for the California sun (or even San Francisco fog!). And yet, some of the times I’ve spent hanging out with old and new friends exploring a new city, new cultures, watching British TV (Dr. Who!), getting lost on the Tube, watching football matches in the freezing cold, traveling to different parts of Europe, being stopped by the French metro police, I will never forget. So if you, like myself a year ago, are reading zillions of study abroad blogs because you’re on the fence about whether you want to go abroad, my advice is: GO! With an open mind and an understanding that there will be many trials along the way, and in all likelihood you will feel homesick and uncomfortable. However, I promise that everything from the seemingly minute tasks of everyday life, to fantastic travel plans, will all be an adventure, even if its not of the glamorous Hollywood type. But that’s the best kind, right?
Hope life in Claremont is wonderful, and, for the final dose of British culture I will sign off the way many British students end their texts: xx.