Submitted by Megan Garner on the 2016 fall semester study abroad program in London, England…
My first few days in London, England have been exciting to say the least. I arrived just a week ago today after a seven hour plane ride accompanied by a screaming toddler kicking the seat behind me for the duration of the flight. After making my way to my flat, checking in, meeting my flat mates, and unpacking, it didn’t really feel like I had just traveled half way across the world to England. Instead, my flat mates and I agreed that it was as though we had just started a new life in a big city. After a few more days of experiencing London though, the foreignness of the city became much more apparent.
Oddly, one of the most notable differences I’ve noticed is the lack of public trash cans, or “bins” as they call them here, despite how clean the city appears to be. The few bins that are dispersed throughout the city don’t have a plastic container around them, instead they just hang in clear, plastic bags. The reason for this I discovered is that it is a safety measure, but it is amazing to me that despite this there is no trash on the streets. Also on the streets, despite the obvious fact the cars drive on the opposite side of the road, I have discovered that cars rarely honk! The city is quiet except for the occasional sound of a passing emergency vehicle, and that’s with me living in a fairly high traffic area.
These are just two of many subtle differences I’ve found in London. These differences are small, but together they have added together to make England exactly what it is: a foreign country!