Time Flies.

Today was my first day of classes back in boring old Glenside. I officially changed my major to Global Media, which means not only a completely different academic plan, but also two more semesters abroad in the not-so-distant future (YAYY!!). But before I get into that, I probably should catch up on my posts about London...or, rather, my last few vacations away from London!

With December came buildings decorated for Christmas, finals, and most strangely, days full of "lasts".  Last study session at Senate House, last excursion, last vacation, last tube card, etc. It was such a strange feeling; I couldn't wait to go home for the holidays, but I could not wrap my mind around the fact that I was actually going to have to say goodbye. I kept saying to Claire, I wish London was in this bubble right next to Ellington...then I could go home to my bubble and come back any time I wished. Of course, the idea that I would probably never see the same buildings or people in those buildings again was not something I wanted to think about!

**My heart belongs to Senate House Library**

That's probably why this moment made my day.  A few weeks after buying this scarf in Hyde Park with Zoe (intended as a gift), I decided to wear it and keep it for myself. On my way out of Sainsbury's, I was met by a girl handing out flyers advertising a local gym. It took us both a second to realize that we were wearing the same scarf! We figured out that we had both visited the same vendor, an alpaca farmer, but at two different years and two separate festivals inLondon. 

I left Sainsbury's and then turned around and came back to take this picture, saying it was just too cool a moment to not put on the blog :)

My final excursion through Arcadia was on December 1st: Ice Skating at Somerset House. It was beautiful, but a bit crowded and a little unsafe...maybe I'm an ice rink snob but the ice wasn't quite the same as the ones at UConnn and Twin Rinks.

We had a blast, though. Here are some pictures of us waiting to get on the ice:

It was especially memorable for us FYSAE girls because one of our flatmates, Kat, tripped and fell, breaking her nose and losing her two front teeth (in the ice. like stuck.). Needless to say, she was rushed to the hospital. Here's a picture before that happened:

Kat, Ally, Anna, Me, Claire, Willie, Abriel, Eli

And here's one of Claire and me. Yes, we have matching outfits from Primark :)

This may or may not have been the moment Kat fell:

One last picture. Willie, one of our Princess Elizabeth housemates from Franklin & Marshall, plays hockey and easily weaves in and out of the stumbling city dwellers who can't skate. He took me for a ride and Claire managed to take a picture :) 

I ended up pulling my last all-nighter of the semeste; our Uber driver, ready to bring us to the airport for Venice, arrived in our driveway before the sun came up the next morning. Next stop: Italy!

To The Future Study Abroad Student

(an assignment for Crucible of London)

To the Future Study Abroad Student,

When you first step off the plane into Heathrow airport, it may not feel different. You may not quite realize you are in one of the most diverse cities in the world. The same thought may resound throughout the first hour. The first day. Perhaps even the first week. But soon you will discover that London is the heart of cross-culturalism, and if you embrace it and immerse yourself in it, you will have the experience of a lifetime.

Before coming to England, I imagined British culture to center around tea, The Royal Family, pubs, and sights like Big Ben and London Bridge. The British people I imagined I would meet were, I am ashamed to admit, predominantly white. This couldn’t be farther from the truth.

The variety of cultures, ethnicities and races in London is vast, but not always obvious. If the only walk you take is the one from your apartment to school and then back, you probably will not see London for what it is. I live with fourteen other Americans, and go to school with dozens more. To meet international people, I must be creative. 

There are several ways to do so. First, I recommend reading. Take a copy of The Evening Standard—a free newspaper distributed at the tube stations every weekday—and look for pamphlets or signs that advertise nearby events. Let the publishers do the work for you—they are always advertising for a variety of free events and festivals. Find one near you and check it out. 

My friend and I visited the Urban Food Fest—an assortment of food vendors in an empty car park. We decided to have Jamaican cuisine for lunch when the Jamaicans at one booth urged us to try a sample of their food. While they cooked our lunch, we chatted. Their accents alone gave proof to the diversity I was witnessing. They were fascinating to listen and talk to.

At another hole-in-the-wall festival, I found out about a local group called The Orchard Project, a charity group working to restore orchards in and around London. I watched with fascination as Lewis, one of the members, gave seven of us a tour of a tiny orchard in a patch of grass hidden behind a garage. Inspired by his passion, I signed up to help at one of their harvesting events. Several weeks later, I found myself on a train to an old orchard in Waltham Abbey, where myself and eight locals spent the day twisting apples off the top of the trees with long poles to reach the branches. I certainly didn’t imagine I would end up with neck pain from picking apples when I first arrived in London!

            Another way to learn about other cultures is to be spontaneous and step out of your comfort zone.  Last week, I had several hours to spare when I arrived at Archway, the station located fifteen minutes from my house. Instead of getting on the bus I normally used—the one I was comfortable with— I decided to take a different bus to see which route it took. I ended up getting very lost. After circling a bit, I decided to head back to Archway, and catch my regular bus there. To find my way back, I approached a middle-aged businessman, who was happy to give me directions. We ended up heading the same way, so we made conversation for the entirety of the ten-minute walk. Originally from Uganda, he was interested in what life was like in America. And he talked about home with a nostalgic smile—said, “There isn’t much there, but it’s home”. Then he pointed out the station building, and went his separate way. If I hadn’t been open to explore the area, if I hadn’t taken a different route, and if I hadn’t been willing to talk to people, I never would’ve met this man and wouldn’t have learned about Uganda—however cursory it may have been. Soak up opportunities like this as much as you can—don’t stick too strictly to a schedule or you may miss them. 

London is much different than the rest of England. This week, I took a weekend trip to Brighton, and then traveled further to Isfield, a town in East Sussex. At the bed and breakfast, I was served tea and scones and talked with the elderly owners. This English town was much more like the England I had imagined. I only saw two non-Caucasian families the entire weekend.

Even so, the ideal is the same. You must make the effort to go beyond the touristy sights, or you won’t notice the culture for what it is. Fill your day with festivals, not familiar fast food. Unplug your headphones and listen to the undertones of the city.  Read the local newspaper. Take detours. Ask around. Observe.

The fact is, like ships passing in the night, there are so many events going on at once and you will never be able to see them all. But that’s the beauty of multiculturalism. As one family is celebrating an Indian wedding, another may be picking apples for a fundraiser. Make the most of where you happen to find yourself, and soon enough, you’ll have similar stories to share.

Safe travels,

Leah Mangold

FYSAE Student, Arcadia University

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"Home is not a place, it is a feeling." (Part Two)

I stayed overnight at the hotel on Friday and then Dad and I met up with Arcadia at Tower of London (literally 2 minutes walking distance from his hotel room). Arcadia staff pre-ordered tickets for us students, but ended up having enough left over to give Dad one. So we both got to tour the castle for free! :)

Two pretty crazy stories that took place here:
-Two little boys (heirs of the throne) were murdered by their uncle so that he could become king in 1483. Their bodies weren't found until 1674 (!) when some workmen in the Tower dug up a box and found the princes' skeletons (in the picture below, I'm standing on the steps up to the room where they were allegedly killed).
-After one particular king was beheaded (I don't remember who or why), the family realized that they had forgotten to have a royal portrait made of him. So they fetched a servant to go retrieve the head, had it sewn back on, and propped him up against a wall. The artist was given 24 hours to paint the portrait. The tour guide said, "if the King's stare seems a bit vacant, now you know why." Yeesh.

This ingenious method of keeping enemies out...utilizing high tide and low tide.

BEST view yet of Tower Bridge

Me attempting to be cool.

We then met up with Ally and the three of us walked around the London Bridge area. It was such a nice day and the view was beautiful:

The rest of the afternoon was made up of Ally laughing, me taking pictures, and Dad spoiling us. And by spoiling us, I mean really spoiling us. It was nice to not have to pay for anything all weekend! ;)

Afternoon Snack :)

Lunch at this really neat Mexican restaurant. The building was made out of storage container thingies (I don't know what they're called) pictured above. We ordered margaritas on ice...I was not exactly a fan (as you can see).

Exploring the park around the London Eye. So many street performers, too!

Then we headed back to the hotel to show Ally the beautiful view from the Sky Garden (and so Dad could change for an evening at the theatre!):

Bottom left: another view of where Dad and I went for appetizers the night before. Bottom right: Tower Bridge.

                        I have no idea what I thought I was posing for in this one (left).

While in Central London waiting for the show to start, we wandered around Piccadilly Circus and bumped into a big Malaysian festival:

And while we were there, I got to meet this brand new guy for the first time over Skype!

 

It was hard to hear Grandma due to the loud Malaysian music, but I'm glad they called!

And then it was time for Kinky Boots!!

It was truly an awesome day :)

The next morning, we had a yummy English breakfast at the hotel and Dad used his IT skills to fix my computer...(sort of):

And then it was off to Paris for him and off to another week for me!