Archive for July, 2011

Big Ben!

On one of our free weekends I decided to go visit some family in London. Now as a student who has never been out of the country prior to this study abroad experience, I was extremely fearful of traveling by myself but decided to take a chance. I decided to take the bus to my destination in London, and was surprisingly pleased by the beautiful landscape of England. The sudden change of landscape to busy streets and what seemed like a million people woke me up to the fact that I was not in the quiet city of Leeds anymore. Arriving at the bus station it was my job to make it to the “tube” (train) station by myself. From my first encounter with someone who actually did not speak English, I learned quickly to read signs until I found my way. When I finally found my cousin in the mist of the herds of people, our adventures in London began!

Camera ready, jacket handy, umbrella secured in my backpack, and sunglasses on, we embarked on our journey. ” Make sure you follow close,” my cousin said to me as we entered into the underground tube station. I had no idea how seriously he meant this statement until i was jammed between strangers on the train. The quick movement of people and the fast pace of London reaffirmed my notion that  I was not in Leeds anymore!

Underground Train Station

Both cities differed so much in their cultural dynamics. While Leeds is more of a working class post-industrial town, London had a upper class feel about it. Most of the areas we entered, from the beautiful homes to the expensive cars lining the streets, showed the class differences between the two cities.

I really enjoyed my time in London! The “New York City” of England, as one the London natives  said, I grew to like the fast pace of the city. Soon I grew from a lost tourist to an expert tourist. From our adventures at Buckingham palace to photo shoots around Big Ben, I had a hard time saying goodbye to the fun city!

The "Queen"

Cheers,

Lola

I MISS ENGLAND! I never expected England to have such an impact on my life! Coming back to the states I assumed I could go back into my normal daily routine, but I was mistaken. England has really taught me how to appreciate other cultures.  Originally I believed the English culture would be very similar to the culture of the United States. I had to step out of my own ethnocentric viewpoint to understand the English culture for what it is. Though everything seemed “backwards” to me at first, such as driving on the opposite side of the street, I grew accustomed to the culture and was able to embrace it.

I will truly miss the environment of England, especially Leeds. The feel of a small post-industrial city moving toward a more urban feel. I will never forget our adventures on the double-decker buses ( missing our stop a few times) and learning our way around town.

I will NEVER forget the infamous delicious fish and chips and my memories in the hospital later.

Bryan's Fish and Chips

I will miss our field trips to sporting complexes such as Manchester United’s football stadium.

Manchester United

Most of all I will miss the wonderful group I got to share this experience with.

Leeds, England Maymester Group 2011

Our professor always encouraged us to “try new things” and from this study abroad experience I can definitely say I have no regrets. From adventures in pubs to the infamous fish and chips fiasco to adventures in London Town, I can say I enjoyed every part of m y trip. I have every intention of visiting England again in the near future.

Cheers!
Lola

Now that I’m over my jet lag and acquainting myself back with the infamous Texas heat I reflect back on my time abroad and think “How in the heck did I cram all that into 4 weeks!”

Fond memories/moments/things I wish could fit in my luggage include:

• Riding on the top level of double decker buses
• Primark (the only store that could make me empty my bank account instantly)
• Hamleys Toy Store (6 floors of awesome!)
• The food! (meat pies, curry, and lamb oh my)
• Sweets
• The beaches of Olhao, Portugal
• All the friendly people I met
• Touring stadiums such as Man U and Lords Cricket Grounds
• OYE! My new way of getting somebody’s attention

My time spent was one for the books and it was full of adventure and appreciation of other cultures. Thanks to my new best friend RyanAir I also got to experience Dublin and Portugal in addition to some of the prime spots in the UK.

Check out some of my adventures featured in my vlog in the links below (with more videos to come).

Jen in England

Leeds Young Authors

Tea Time!

I must admit I had a slight case of the blues on my way to the airport, then on the plane, and they followed me for a few days after I touched down in Dallas. However, Dorothy had it right “There’s no place like home.”

Cheers!

As I dwell in my Texas living room thinking about the last month, I am reminded of my many misconceptions of English culture before I arrived.  I assumed that terms British and English could be intertwined; however, just because you are British that does not make you entirely English. You could also be from Scotland or Wales since those inhabit Great Britain as well.  I also thought that most people in England generally had the same kind of accent. It’s interesting how “mates” who are south of Leeds, such as London, have a whole different dialect.

Tea at the famous Harvey Nichols

Scones, a type of quick bread normally served with tea, can also be pronounced two different ways depending on your location and what type of class you are. Tea is also made a certain way just like scones are said in a certain way. If milk is poured first into a cup of tea before the water, then that means you are upper class. If you pour the water first before the milk you are probably lower class.  I also had no idea that there was a method on how to apply butter, cream and jam to a scone. First you place the butter, jam, then cream (according to Professor Carrington). Who knew there was a particular technique to eating it either? (For the reference do not pick it up like a big mac from McDonalds).

Lola with a scone! With a demonstration on the incorrect way to cut it...

On my way home, surprisingly I did not have any mishaps such as losing bags, running to terminals winded, or missing flights. Although I did fall out of the train when I arrived to Manchester and I slept through my meal on the seven-hour flight back to America.  For the most part, I had an enjoyable trip that challenged my ethnocentric mindset and for now I’m glad to be back in the “slow” paced scene in the good old Lone Star State.

Flying over England

My last set of English words to leave you with:

-Biscuits: in the UK this refers to what Americans call crackers or cookies.

-People in the North normally say “love” at the end of a phrase to show friendly emotion. They might say something like “here ya go love” when handing you your groceries (this example happened to me haha).

-Also everyone says the word “cheers” at all times possible. It means thanks but its used way too often-a bunch of thank you circulate around England through the word “cheers.”

London is an exciting, thriving, and modernized city that continues to be the center location for many tourists in England. With this in mind the Lord’s Cricket Ground is an exceptional way to justify London’s growth and social statuses of its people. First of all, of the cricket grounds in the British Isles used today for first-class cricket, Lord’s ground is the oldest (Arnold and Wynn-Thomas, 1997; p.170). Lord’s Cricket Ground is located in St. John’s Wood in the city of Westminster, London. As discussed in the lecture, St. John’s Wood is an extremely affluent area of Westminster. The Lord’s cricket ground is used by the Marylone Cricket Club and for set piece matches as had traditionally been staged there.

Since Lord’s Cricket Ground holds many strings of history and economic capital, the matches that are played there are usually for county cricket clubs, private schools, or international games such as- Eton v. Harrow, Oxford v. Cambridge, Gentlemen v. Players and North v. South. I was grateful for the trip we took to London. It was a great way to end the program.

However, this cannot be the end but the beginning of something new. The lessons I learned about sports and English society will forever be a part of my life. This experience did allow me to understand the UT motto  “what starts here changes the world” because if I didn’t study abroad, I wouldn’t have the opportunity to see or immerse myself in another’s culture.

Thank you to all who have taken the time to read my blogs. I really appreciate it.

Old Trafford, Manchester United

Arnold, P. and Wynee-Thomas, P. (1997) The Ultimate Encyclopedia of Cricket. London, Hodder & Stoughton.