So today started with an adventure to Poundland…where everything is 1 pound!! A few of us had to pick up some school supplies and other odds and ends (like dishwasher soap, laundry detergent etc…), and Poundland served us well! We had lunch in and then made the trek to AngloAmerican (remember this is where we take classes). First Dave, a retired police officer, came to talk to us about safety in London. What I learned:
1. 1. “tea leaves” are thieves
2. 2. Popular methods for stealing are: hugging mugging, dragger
3. 3. Mace, pepper spray, etc are illegal weapons in the UK
All very useful information….actually he really was great. Some people started getting paranoid, but he was just trying to help us be smart. Plus he was a character with some clever and corny jokes. If I’ve learned anything about the Brits, from him and our tour guide Rob, it’s that they have no concern with being politically correct. It’s not that they’re racist, they just speak their mind.
After that we got on a Volvo coach bus with our guide Rob for a bus tour through Central London. Finally we really got to see the London basics such as Big Ben, the London Tower Bridge, and Buckingham Palace. We only got out a few times though so really I just made a list of all of the places we have to go back to including: Westminister Abbey, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Westminister Cathedral, Natural History & Science museums, The Queens Gallery, The London Tower, Globe Theater, Tate British, London Eye….it’s a good thing we’re here for 3 months.
We did see some really unique things though so here’s a brief list.
1. `1. Australia House! Where Hagrid brings Harry to get his money in the first Harry Potter
2. 2. We drove on Fleet Street! (like from Sweeney Todd, where his shop would have been located)
3. 3. Occupy London!
4. 4. Millennium Bridge (also from Harry Potter)
5. 5. Lots of lots of Kentucky Fried Chicken..seriously I don’t know why they like fried chicken so much here, but they do.
6. 6. The British equivalency to the CIA, where James Bond would have his office if he really existed
7. 7. A very American strip of T.K. Maxx (yes T.K. not T.J.), Urban Outfitters, and American Apparel
So from this day trip I learned a bit more about London.
1. Modern buildings are often right next to old historical buildings
2. Crosswalks are “Zebra crossings” (pronounced zeh bra)
3. The “Texas Embassy” is a tex-mex restaurant
4. I LOVE THE TAXIS- they look so old fashioned and cute
5. “One for the road” is a saying back when criminals used to have one last drink on Oxford Street before they were executed.
6. “take away” is how they refer to “to go” (actually learned this earlier on but forgot to share)
7. There are so many movie locations here like James Bond, HP, Batman, Sherlock Holmes, and more that I'm not blanking on...
Then my roommates and I ended our very British day with the 2nd favorite food in London: thai food. There is Ben’s Thai very very close to our flat that we tried out- delicious and inexpensive!
Tomorrow is our day trip to Dover & Cantebury! Yay!
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