October 5 — The first thing that
struck me about London was just how big and old it is. While the Tube
make most parts of London accessible, I always get a shock when my
google maps shows me that a place I want to get to can be hours away by
foot. Having subways is also a nice change from my time living in
Portland and California. It was easy for me to map out the city of
Portland in my head when I first arrived to Lewis and Clark. In
contrast, I can’t make heads or tails of the layout of London. There are
no hills, mountains, or rivers that distinguish downtown areas from the
periphery. You can easily walk across the Thames and still find
yourself in a densely urban area.
Out of all the things I have seen in London, what strikes me the most is the old architecture. Structures like Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Parliament building are so massive and beautiful to me. With histories longer than the entirety of the United States, buildings such as Westminster can have pieces ranging from a thousand years. For example, the grave of Stephen Hawking was added in 2018, while the tomb of Edward the Confessor has been in the abbey since 1066.
Aside from the physical differences I’ve experienced in London, there many cultural differences that I am trying to grow accustomed to. For instance, Londoners love chicken. I don’t understand why, but the sheer amount of different chicken restaurants I see on a daily basis convinces me of it. British people also have different tastes than I am used to. In the states, I am used to only seeing a few people put potato chips (or crisps) in their sandwiches. Here, things like potato chip, turkey and cranberry sauce, and pickle and cheese sandwiches are widely accepted as delicious while PB&J’s are less commonly enjoyed. Additionally, after Halloween is a holiday called Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes Day), where people celebrate the failed attack of Guy Fawkes on Parliament in 1605. During this holiday, a straw man (representing Fawkes) is burned and there are fireworks displays. This seems to be the closest patriotic holiday that the United Kingdom has comparable to our 4th of July (but we sadly don’t burn a straw man). Aside from the two cultural differences I have discussed, there are the more obvious ones such as having different and names or pronunciations for certain things, different brands, and single dorm rooms.
I’m eager to spend more time in London and experience as much of the city as I can. Due to its size, there will be lots of parts that I won’t get to see, but I’m excited to enjoy my time here for all it’s worth. I’m excited to join the celebration of Bonfire Night, try the different chicken restaurants, and learn more about its extensive history through David’s class with my Lewis & Clark classmates.
Out of all the things I have seen in London, what strikes me the most is the old architecture. Structures like Westminster Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the Parliament building are so massive and beautiful to me. With histories longer than the entirety of the United States, buildings such as Westminster can have pieces ranging from a thousand years. For example, the grave of Stephen Hawking was added in 2018, while the tomb of Edward the Confessor has been in the abbey since 1066.
Aside from the physical differences I’ve experienced in London, there many cultural differences that I am trying to grow accustomed to. For instance, Londoners love chicken. I don’t understand why, but the sheer amount of different chicken restaurants I see on a daily basis convinces me of it. British people also have different tastes than I am used to. In the states, I am used to only seeing a few people put potato chips (or crisps) in their sandwiches. Here, things like potato chip, turkey and cranberry sauce, and pickle and cheese sandwiches are widely accepted as delicious while PB&J’s are less commonly enjoyed. Additionally, after Halloween is a holiday called Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes Day), where people celebrate the failed attack of Guy Fawkes on Parliament in 1605. During this holiday, a straw man (representing Fawkes) is burned and there are fireworks displays. This seems to be the closest patriotic holiday that the United Kingdom has comparable to our 4th of July (but we sadly don’t burn a straw man). Aside from the two cultural differences I have discussed, there are the more obvious ones such as having different and names or pronunciations for certain things, different brands, and single dorm rooms.
I’m eager to spend more time in London and experience as much of the city as I can. Due to its size, there will be lots of parts that I won’t get to see, but I’m excited to enjoy my time here for all it’s worth. I’m excited to join the celebration of Bonfire Night, try the different chicken restaurants, and learn more about its extensive history through David’s class with my Lewis & Clark classmates.
—Noémie Cloutier