Submitted by Melody Taylor on the 2013 fall semester program in London, England…
I have less than three weeks left in London! Only 17 days left! Looking towards the rest of my time here, I am packed with activities that I have not completed yet.
I have done a good job with time management in London. I have completed all my homework, gone on fabulous adventures abroad, and explored various parts of London. The problem – if you could consider it a problem – is that there is too much to do here. At the beginning of my journey, I created a London bucket list filled with every imaginable activity I could think of that is special for this giant city. I’ve gone through quite a few of the items on the list, but there are still plenty more to complete.
Because I realized I would not have enough time to complete everything on my list, especially not with the start of finals approaching, I created a new bucket list that includes the activities that I am determined to complete before going home. Three of the items on the list are to go to Harrods, see the Tower of London, and eat at Nando’s (a popular British and South African peri-peri chicken restaurant). Magically, on Monday, I was able to complete all three of these activities.
It case you didn’t know, all three of the activities have tourist connotations related to them. It is assumed that most people go to the Tower of London to see the jewels, Harrods to get a green, plastic bag, and Nando’s because it is delicious. While I have spent most of my time here trying to engage in the less touristy sides of British culture, I was given the impression that tourist parts of London combine with “real” London. At the Tower, there were many schoolchildren there to learn about their history.
At Harrods, many locals were getting an early start on Christmas shopping.
Nando’s was filled with young Londoners wanting a cheap, but scrumptious meal.
I found it is important to experience some of the tourist culture when living in a city. It gives a different perspective of how a tourist would view the city, and how the city views tourism and incorporates it into their daily lives.
Hopefully, in the next 17 days, the rest of the items on my bucket list are ticked off!