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Academics:
International Studies
Allison in London
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Posted Sept. 22, 2003:
London smells like body odor. Seriously, I'm not kidding. Every once
in awhile you get a whiff of something that really is not pretty. On
the upside, you do get used to it.
I'm sitting in the garden in the back of our house. Everyone here in
London has a garden. It's like a spare living room, and I'm wondering
what I should talk about. I could tell you about Hampton Court,
which was Henry VIII's pad. He's got a maze and a rose garden that
smells heavenly. Or I could mention a day trip to Cambridge,
where I saw the world's largest spider that happens to be three
million years old. Or there's Greenwich where Queen Elizabeth I
was born that is as pretty as a picture.
Then there are the plays I've seen. The Taming of the Shrew at the
Globe. It had an all-female cast. I have to admit that it took a
little getting used to on my part. Then there was Le Costume
directed by world-renowned Peter Brook. I was not really impressed. It
romanticized adultery, but that's a whole other story. The
Illustrious Corpse was a political satire. I think it played on
deaf ears because I was not up on my political history of Britain.
My absolute favorite play was one that was not even in my theatre
class. It was called "Dragula." No, I did not misspell it. It's
Dracula in Drag, and I had a blast at it. It was so funny, my face
hurt from laughing so much.
The cuisine is another aspect worth mentioning. Yes, fish and chips
are a main staple here. They are quite good even if they are a tad
greasy. Bangers and Mash, which is mashed potatoes with a sausage that
has been marinated in grease, is not a favorite of mine. What I would
eat every day if I could is Shepherd's Pie. Yummm. It makes my
mouth water just thinking about it.
I cannot, in good conscience, go any further with this article without
mentioning the tube, which is what the natives call the subway.
It's hot, crowded, and not surprisingly, also smells like body odor -
really - but its one redeeming quality is that it is a massive time
saver. It keeps you from fighting off the masses while trying to walk
the streets. I'm probably being unfair, and truth be told, I've only
had one weird experience on the tube. It was an announcement over the
intercom saying that we would not be stopping at the next station due
to a suspect package, which I have to say was a little creepy, but you
just have to bite the bullet and go with it or you can take the bus,
which I prefer because you can sit on the top deck and see the city.
Another past time of mine is going to all the museums here. Most of
them are free, or if they aren't, they usually have student
concessions. One of my favorites is the "Art of Chess" exhibit
at the Stuart House. Its got a lot of different chess sets by
various notables. The sets show a game between Napoleon and one of his
generals. Yes, Napoleon wins, but only by one move. I also like the
British Museum, which is two blocks from our house. You can just walk
in and roam for hours. It's great.
Well, I need to run. I've got to do a portrait of one of my classmates
for my Art History class and read for my Politics class. We are going
to the opening of the Houses of Parliament tomorrow. Cool, huh?!!
Cheers!! |
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check here for journals & photos from our students traveling abroad this
semester:
Tina - Semester at Sea
Scott - London
Allison - London
Garrett - Spain |
majors & degrees:
