Submitted by Alex Baker on the 2018 winter session program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Communication…
My first week abroad in London has been incredible. The city is beautiful and there is history at every turn. I have been lucky enough to make friends in my class, and even talk up a few locals in my first few days here. I have also observed some very interesting cultural differences in American culture and British culture.
Most noticeable to me was in how people walk. Everyone knows that in the United Kingdom and much of Europe, people drive on the left side of the road. I often find that similarly, people walk up staircases on the left side, whereas in the U.S. we tend to walk on the right side. Yet, on the street, there seems to be no pattern of movement and people just weave in and out of pedestrian traffic.
My favorite thing that I have done here in London so far is going to a soccer match at Wembley Stadium. I go to a lot of different stadiums and sporting events in the United States, and expected a very similar experience. Yet, upon arrival, I found that fans do not tailgate or anything before the game, instead they hang out in local pubs. There is also no singing of the English national anthem pre-game. The teams just walk out and shake hands. I wonder if this is because of the large range of nationalities of the players, or maybe we just associate sports in the U.S. with patriotic fervor.
Regardless, the differences in culture are interesting yet normal. I have thoroughly enjoyed my stay in London so far, and I can’t wait to experience next week.