This week has been fairly uneventful. It's sort of crunch time for the semester and I've got two 3000 word papers due in less than two weeks (progress on these has been minimal, unforunately. I'm 1/2 done with one). But, I sort of fulfilled my promise to get up early this past week and go see things. I succeeded in doing so on Wednesday and Thursday.
On Wednesday, Allison and I went to Kensington Palace (which is just down the road from me in Hyde Park). It's not really very Palace-like, but still quite stately. Queen Victoria lived there for pretty much all her life, but nowadays, it's probably most famous as Princess Diana's home (she lived there even after the divorce up until her death). We couldn't see where Diana stayed, but they did have a "Remembering Diana" exhibit. It wasn't exactly what I expected, it was mostly just pictures of her and slideshows and things of that nature. I was expecting to see a lot more on her life in general and the kinds of things she did to make her so popular, I can't say I really learned a lot. There was a lot of stuff about her and the boys, and I came to a conclusion that I had already really had from watching the Queen (the movie with Helen Mirren). The Queen and Charles are bad parents and grandparents. I know that they didn't really like Diana, but I assume that no matter who the mother is, grandmas and dads should love their grandsons/sons pretty much no matter what. I just get the impression that neither of them are really doing a good job raising the boys in a family of love or anything. I know a lot of people grow up without parents, but I have to think it's one thing to have your mother die, it's another to see her in the tabloids called a whore for the next 10 years. As a future Queen Mother, I just would have thought that maybe the stiff upper lip would have been dropped a bit for the boys' sake. I guess not. Unfortunately, you couldn't take pictures in the palace (which seems to be the norm for a lot of places here), but it was interesting. I had no idea Victoria had lived there and grown up there. It was interesting to find out more about her life (which I know hardly nothing about) and her sister's / heir's life. Apparently Queen Anne had something like 15 children, none of which lived past 11 years old. This probably contributed a lot to the fact that she quickly degenerated into an obese invalid unable to rule. Shame. The more I find out about these royals the less and less glamourous they seem. Of course, though, Harry, I still think Princess Catherine sounds pretty amazing, so don't be deterred.
On Thursday, Steve and I went down to Westminster to the War Cabinet Rooms and Churchill Museum. It was kind of expensive, but obviously totally worth it. The War Cabinet Rooms are basically this underground labyrinth of rooms used by the Prime Minister (Churchill) and his cabinet during the war, reinforced to withstand the Blitzkrieg. Everything was set up the way it would have been in 1941. In some instances, when VJ-Day happened, the people working down there walked out and turned the lights off for the first time in more than 6 years and everything was left just the way it was for the next 50 years. Neat. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of battery 1/2 way through and I only got a few pictures. I'll have to steal the rest from Steve. Everything was kind of dimmed and behind glass walls, so the flash was necessary, but then left huge spots on the glass when you took the picture. Oh well. You can still get the general idea.
A new addition to the War Rooms was the Churchill Museum, which, needless to say, was pretty awesome. It was extremely high tech and chock full of information. Unfortunately, we had to get to class, so I didn't have a whole lot of time to look at everything, but it was really well done, I was very impressed. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of batteries half way through the Cabinet War Rooms and so now I will have to steal them from Steve at some point.
My only issue with the play was the obnoxiously sassy service in the gift shop. I went to buy some post cards, as did Steve, and before I had even put the change in my wallet and put my purse away, the DB behind the desk says to us "do they say thank you in America?" I didn't even really know how to respond to this. My usual tactic is to take my purchase and say thank you before I walk away, not while I'm still standing there. I think that's pretty standard fair, right? I mumbled something and walked away indignantly, but got progressively more pissed off as time went on. What the hell does being American have to do with it? What does he say to British people that don't say thank you? Why didn't he even wait like two seconds, I had just been given my receipt. It was so annoying and put such a mar on an otherwise really great museum experience. I mean, we weren't being annoying. Ughhhhhh!
I still love that you really can't go anywhere in this town without being reminded of Churchill. Everything is named after him, there are statues, and as I've already mentioned, there's even an insurance company called Winston. Even one of the halls in the dorm here is called Churchill. So, given all that, you think people would have some idea of the things he said, but I guess not. They don't really talk too much about him being half american, except when they talk about his mother... and they don't really talk about her in the best light. Churchill was insanely patriotic, but he also a big fan of Americans. Clearly, that's a lesson the British have lost. It explicitly says in his "History of the English Speaking People" that Britain has fallen from world power, and yes, that's a shame, but the Brits should be happy that the Americans were taking up that role because the two peoples were so similar. But seriously, I don't think they teach that part about Churchill in schools here. Too bad he didn't drive that point home more... it would make my life a lot easier here.
Friday evening was my moment in the sun. Christy, Steve's friend (and mine) was visiting for the weekend from Paris so we decided to have a little dinner party for the ocassion. I researched recipes and stuff and bought the ingredients and made the BEST DINNER EVER!! It was so good, and everyone there (Steve, Emma, Christy, Dave and Kyle) all thought it was awesome. I was so proud of myself for actually cooking a real big meal that everyone approved of! I made a salad with a dressing I made myself (pear, spinach, grapes, walnut, sweet onions, and romaine lettuce... the dressing was cider vinegar and olive oil with some sugar, etc). The main course was peach baked chicken which was chicken baked with brown sugar, peaches, lemon juice, ginger powder and cloves. The chicken came out sooo juicy and good and delicious :-) I also made green beans and roasted potatoes. I am very proud of myself, and everyone was very pleased with the meal. Christy made nutella and banana crepes for dessert. Steve provided the wine and the bros brought the margaritas afterwards. Now i've got a super cooking boost. I'd say cooking for myself has gone quite well and I think i've been eating decently since I got here, suprisingly enough.
Anyway, afterwards we went to LSE's club called Crush. It was kind of slow at first, but definitely got going. Steve and I decided to leave before everyone else and when Steve went to go ask the bouncer where the nearest bus stop was, he asked him where he was from. When Steve said America, the bouncer promptly replied "i won't help americans." Very nice. I don't really know what to say about this and still be diplomatic. It's becoming more and more evident to me that people who have probably never gone to America, hardly encounter Americans in a normal setting are the most anti-American here. I had walked ahead and luckily didn't hear it, which was probably for the best.
These various things at that moment made me extremely homesick and in general just annoyed at things in England in general. I understand that there are plenty of americans here that are probably obnoxious tourists, or teens here that are just crazy drunk or whatever, but then it's taken out on just two young people that are just politely inquiring or going about their business. It just also pisses me off because people in the US just wouldn't do that. I guess I have a limited view of Americans, but I will always maintain that they would never blatantly ignore someone for being British (and anything else European for that matter). It's hard for me as an IR student to be polite about all this when I really just want to frankly say "fuck you, we're better." Steve and I needless to say had a less than polite conversation about the British and Americans after the bouncer's comment which I guess I don't need to convey here. I know America has done some crappy stuff, but so have the British. I never once thought we were better as a nation or a people. We do things differently, and I would say that I prefer the way we do some things, but of course I would, I've lived there for 20 years. It's just really frustrating to try to be a mini ambassador but face such obnoxious crap from people all the time. I was expecting this to happen though, so I guess I'm not like completely taken aback or completely distraught. I just miss being in a place where I'm not immediately identifiable and then immediately looked down upon. There's really nothing that I can but keep my cool (which I always knew would be extremely hard for me specifically) and just try to put the best American face forward. A taste of life abroad I guess.
Saturday was fairly uneventful. I meant to get my laundry done but by the time I got there, I realized the place closed earlier than I had thought and I didn't have time to finish it. I was gone all day Sunday, so I had to leave it there for them to do again so I could pick it up on Sunday and not run out of underwear. I made them use the detergent that I had bought so at least my clothes smelled better this time. I actually got back from Canterbury and Leeds Castle about 5 minutes before it closed so I was in serious danger of not getting back in time to get it and would have had to go another night without sheets and towels... eep!
I went out with Jon on Saturday night and had a semi fiasco on the Tube. I topped up my Oyster Card (which means putting money on my card that is basically a debit card for the subway) with 20 pounds and finished the transaction at the little machine, as I have done many times before in London, and even more in Boston. When I went to go tap into the subway, the little screen said "seek assistance." To make a very long story short, when I put money in the machine, it somehow did not transfer to the card and they checked multiple times and basically said I had made a mistake and oh that sucks. I was insistent that I hadn't, and after being accused of being a tourist (tourists often get it wrong, I guess), I got really indignant, showed that no tourist would have their picture on their card and insisted repeatedly that I had done it correctly (which, by the way, I know I did.) Basically, what ended up happening was that I went down to the special service and security area (ooo, the inner workings of the London tube) and filled out this form then I got my money back. Woo hoo!! They were actually all really nice about it and I was amazed that there was actually a process where I could just get my money back that easily. It was awesome. I'm annoyed that it happened in the first place, but I am impressed with the the fixings. I will never again top up with the machine though and will always do it with the person at the counter.
On Sunday I took a day trip to Canterbury and Leeds Castle in the South East of England. It was the most beautiful day (this past weekend was the warmest on record in February for 105 years) and I didn't even need my coat!! So sunny and the Castle grounds were just breathtaking. It actually reminded me somewhat of Valley Forge (except for the moat and the castle part). There were black swans there, which was really unusual, as well as albino peacocks. The Castle itself was really nice and had been totally revamped by this really rich lady in the 1970s. I can't imagine living in a place where Kings and Queens presided and you go outside and there's a moat! So amazing. We were so lucky to have such a nice day, it really made everything look so beautiful.
Afterwards we drove to Canterbury and saw Canterbury Cathedral. I asked one of the guides there a question and he did a really great job answering everything and explaining a lot about the Canterbury Pilgrims and the Saint Thomas Beckett and how he died, and why, etc. I was really happy that I asked him because I never would have learned that much about the place just walking around. We were there for a brief time (it was Sunday, so the place had limited hours) but it was still really great to go and see it. We had a bit of time to walk around the town, which for a small town was insanely touristey (I guess not surprisingly) and full of chains and everything. The people there were really nice though, and we asked an antique shop owner where we could find an authentic pub to go eat. He directed us off the beaten path to a place aptly enough named Thomas Becketts. It was really delicious, and I finally had my fish and chips. Also, the rumours about warm beer in the countryside is true. I have to say, it's definitely better cold... very cold. It was a really nice day outside of London and it was great to see the countryside and a different part of England.
It was great on the way out of the city in the morning, I could tell where we were and what neighbourhood we were driving through, which made me feel much more like a local, well a little bit. I'm finally starting to get a feel of where things are, at least in my immediate area. The map of London is coming together in my head. Hopefully it will be there fully by the time I leave.
Sunday night I finally went to a goth club here. It was disappointing to say the least. It was like the size of my bedroom and there were few people there. I did meet some cool people and am not deterred from going to others. I'm glad I went out and did something I wanted to do on my own. I met about 3 British people, an Italian, a Greek, and two Americans. Not very typical for a night out. The Italian guy had been here for like 14 years and was ready to go back. He still had a very thick Italian accent, and I appreciated that he still kept his home connection and accent and everything. One of the American girls I met was, um, interesting. She was from NC and was here studying paganism and nature or something at Oxford, which, um, what? It was hard for me to keep my disbelief and bemusement out of the conversation, I think she noticed. For only having been here for like a year, she had almost completely dropped her American accent and was saying things no self-respecting American would ever say, like "dahnce" instead of "dyance". Duh. I don't really have a whole lot of respect for people who totally abandon where they come from, be it America, Italy, England, wherever. Or if you're studying something not real.
I was having a conversation with a British lady who was telling me how much she liked New York. She made an astute observation about London that I thought was interesting. She said New York was like a real city that was meant to be all together, whereas London was just a collection of neighbourhoods put together. It's pretty accurate. It's interesting, and I think correct. Every city has varying places, but it's crazy that places like Kensington, Westminster, The City, the East End, SoHo, Piccadilly, etc etc all belong to the same city when they're all so different. The neighbourhoodsdefine where you live (ex, you don't put Upper East Side as part of your mailing address, but you would put Chelsea, London, UK on the address here) and are all quite distinct. I kind of like it though. You can go so many different places and see so many different kinds of things and not even leave Zone 1!
I'm not sure if I've mentioned this already, but I just wanted to give a shout out to the cleaning ladies. I was incorrect about what they do. While they do expect us to do a lot of stuff, if we don't, they gladly do it for us. They clean our rooms and kitchen really well and really nicely. I left some dishes in my room this morning and when they came to clean, they had taken the dishes out and took them to the kitchen and washed them for me. So nice! Our kitchen never gets nasty, and I always clean my room up as much as possible before they come, so we try to make it easier for them. It's amazing to live in a dorm with a cleaning service. Rock on BU London!
I also wanted to put here, if you're still reading, which seems unlikely, that I recognize that my last post was perhaps less culturally understanding as I meant to make it. Basically, what this blog is is something for people to read and for me to amuse myself with in later years and to procrastinate with in the here and now. It's much more interesting, I think, to write about the time Emma threatened to punch a guy in the face, or the inescapable dance floor BO than it is to talk about how pretty the cathedral was and how nice in general it was to get out and travel and all that stuff. I just wanted to put it out there that I recognize that it did not put Barcelona in the best light, and definitely didn't portray it as well as I feel I should have. It is a beautiful city and an amazing place. Take everything I write with a grain of salt and don't take it as pure fact. I'm writing to amuse and rant, and all that other random traveller stuff. So please keep that in mind when reading and if you ever want to hear more about the touristy sites and things of a different nature, do tell me.
I met a BU student on Sunday on the day trip who had just spent hte weekend in Prague. She was getting Steve and me all excited because she was talking about how nice it was and, more importantly, how cheap it is. The exchange rate is insane and apparently all the food and stuff is crazy cheap. Very nice! Spring break is going to be awesome :-)
There's some stuff that I keep forgetting to put in here that are mostly for my own benefit later on and here they are.
When I went on that field trip the other day down to Westminster, I learned something interesting about London's history with terrorism. We saw 10 Downing Street (where the PM lives) and the tour guide told us about a time when the IRA (Irish Republican Army) threw a bomb at the place and almost succeeded in blowing it up and just missed the PM. I hadn't really realized it, but the IRA was crazy active in London for a really long time and really did a lot of terrorizing. We freak out now about terrorism and preventing it all the time, but they've been dealing with it for awhile (on a smaller scale). Interestingly, London has no sidewalk trashcans because for too long, they were too easy to put bombs in for the IRA. Even though they aren't a problem any more, they still don't have the trash cans. I had never noticed it, but it is interesting. This makes parades (like the one on Saturday for New Zealand Day) a very very messy affair.
Awhile ago, I was walking around Westminster (seem to go there a lot), and there was a protest amongst two Pakistani groups. One group was supporting Musharaff while the other was supporting Bhutto / blaming the General for her death. I found this interesting because I don't think you would see a political protest regarding other countries in America. It's a testament to how multicultural London is and how many different kinds of people live here. It was definitely intersting to see political activism like that in a seemingly unrelated place.
OK, I think that's definitely enough out of me for tonight. If only I could write so much about British political institutions and I would be golden!
Keep on being uber American for me on the other side of the pond in my absence!
-Kate
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