I’ve been in the UK for almost two weeks now, and while culture shock is minimal, there are definitely some minor differences that no one probably thinks to mention, that I think are worth noting. Comparing the US to the UK is like one of those picture puzzles in a Highlights magazine from my childhood, where the pictures are mostly the same, but you have to pick out the minor detail differences.
Tag: london
Spelunking Through London
I’ve spent the past few days bouncing back and forth from museum to gallery to museum/gallery duo. London has some pretty incredible museums and galleries, and I’ve been lucky enough to explore quite a few of them for school (meaning I get in free!) during my first week of classes. First up was the Cartoon Museum, which is more of a gallery, and is not your typical museum. It’s on a row with little cafes, and looks almost like a town house, except for the sign hanging out front proclaiming that you have arrived at the Cartoon Museum. I would describe it as a hole-in-the-wall museum, definitely oriented to a niche market of cartoon lovers. I am not particularly a cartoon lover, but it was still interesting. The inside was set up much like a high-school art show, with everything from political cartoons to Batman to comics framed and displayed on the walls. The entire feel was laid back, and the entry was only £3, a steal.
Monopoly is Code for Pub Crawl
When I first arrived in London, I met this awesome lady Rebecca who helps run the Fordham in London program, and she told me that my favorite part of orientation would be “Monopoly,” which she elaborated further to say was really more of a scavenger hunt, but then wouldn’t give me any more details. I was definitely intrigued, but also skeptical, because in my experience orientation is code for a few days of excessively long and dull talks filled with common sense information. While there was one day chock full of the usual mind-numbing boring information, I was pleasantly surprised that the next two days actually were not the usual orientation horror. I enjoyed a pizza party (complete with gluten-free pizza option, potato pizza, and a new tasting crust because in the UK, you can’t put sugar in bread), an entertaining talk from the local police (complete with a slideshow set to Greenday’s “Time of Your Life” and British speak such as “tea leaves” and “chopstick fingers” meaning thieves), and yesterday, finally, the monopoly scavenger hunt.
No one seemed to know what to expect from this Monopoly orientation, and all we received was an email telling us to meet at Walkabout, an Australian pub, and requesting that everyone dress up to the theme “British.” I’m not a big fan of looking ridiculous in public, and their costume suggestions included Queen of England and the Union Jack:
(I am not kidding, these are the exact images attached to the email invite and labeled “costume suggestions”)
My New Stomping Grounds
I have finally arrived at my destination! The Stay Club in Camden, a cute and trendy little borough of London that reminds me a bit of Chelsea and a bit of Canal Street back in New York. The area is artsy and young, a great neighborhood to be in. There’s a quaint bridge nearby with a lovely view over the river that I cross on the way to the tube. The architecture is literally full of works of art; their are sculptures covering the front of shops and murals on the sides. I’m living next to a guitar shop that features a huge guitar on its side.
