Submitted by Anne Grae Martin on the 2015 fall semester study abroad program in London, England…
Classes this week were great because we were barely in the classrooms. Monday, we had a (rainy) walking tour of “Legal London” which included where lawyers work, the history of the legal system in London and other pretty sights. In the afternoon, we went to the Museum of London. This was a museum chock full of artifacts from 18th century London to present day. We were encouraged to view the museum with an analytical eye; looking for who was represented in the museum (age, race, class, etc.), which eras got the most attention, and what has been left out. I went in thinking the rich and the white would have the most representation, but I did not find this was the case. The museum did a good job (in my opinion) of representing a lot of different groups of people’s experience in London over the years.
Tuesday, we went to the Victoria and Albert Museum of Childhood. This was another interesting experience. At the museum, I got to see toys I had played with as a child behind glass with an explanatory paragraph next to them. I felt very old. After this exercise in ageism, we went on a walking tour of Shoreditch to look at street art by Banksy and others. A lot of the buildings in the area have been decorated by street artists. Some have political messages, but some are just to make buildings more beautiful. Banksy is a very divisive figure who has always been a very intriguing figure to me, so it was neat to get to see his work in real life. This tour showed us such a colorful, vibrant part of the city.
On Friday, we took a quick trip to the “American Food Store” to look for American peanut butter and boxed mac and cheese. It was so weird seeing what British people classified as “American”. There was the much sought after mac and cheese, but they also had Shoprite brand pretzel rods, a myriad of marshmallows, tons of American cereals (the breakfast dish, not grains), and a ton of baking supplies. We concluded it was an overpriced convenience store. I didn’t realize I was living without these items, but I think I’m okay without them. Being abroad means going without life’s necessities like Lucky Charms and Shoprite pretzels.
Saturday, we had a trip to Brighton, a lovely little beach town in the South of England. Famous for their beaches and pier with carnival rides, Brighton proved to be a very fun day. We happened to be visiting on the day that Brighton was celebrating the Rugby World Cup (a VERY big deal here). There was a whole “fan zone” with fun games for kids, free giveaways, and screenings of the game on a giant screen on the beach. In addition to the rugby party, beaches and pier we got to see the gorgeous royal palace that Queen Victoria initially disapproved of, but grew to like. We found some of the best fudge in England (in my opinion at least) and other little shops in town. By the end of the day we were exhausted, but content.
Today was the open house in London, meaning that many famous buildings and nice houses in the area were open to the public. We went to two houses (both worth about £5 million each) and were completely in shock. They were so beautiful.