Submitted by Spencer Jones on the 2020 winter session study abroad program in London, England sponsored by the Department of Communication…
Since it has now officially been a week since I arrived in London, I have begun to feel much more comfortable with my surroundings and navigating the city. However, at first, I was a little taken aback by the location, people, and the little social cues that one needs to pick up on while being here. As a communication major in a communications abroad program, I find it fascinating to study other cultures and how they interact. For instance, one day this week, I decided to fully immerse myself into British culture as much as possible. I tried to dress like a resident of London and avoid speaking too much because my accent would give me away. I noticed that before this, many of the civilians would be looking at my group and I like we had four heads. After trying to immerse myself into their culture as much as I could, no one batted an eye toward me. I found this the most effective way to observe British culture. I sat in a pub for about an hour and just listened to conversations and observed body language. I gained a better understanding of how Londoners interact versus New Yorkers or Philadelphians. The British people are much quieter and a little more polite from what I saw. This was a pretty fascinating experience. The image I have chosen to include was taken on one of my first days here near Covent Gardens, a popular shopping area where many human interactions occur. The area is one of the more social areas in London.