How to get around London without dying a horrible, painful death
London is big.
106 items found for your search. If no results were found please broaden your search.
London is big.
I had my first excursion outside of Sevilla this past weekend to a small beach town on the coast of the south of Spain called Cadiz.
It’s a gaudy building. That’s the first thing I realize. In the middle of London, blocks away from King’s Cross Station, stands this behemoth double-digit high-rise that blends in like Denzel Washington at the Oscars. Here, I’m supposed to meet with Greg Gottfried: junior at IU, washed-up Weekend section editor and student studying abroad in England.
When I lived at home, my family made it a priority to always have dinner together. Of course, schedules tended to conflict with tennis practice or rehearsal or work, but by the end of the week family dinner was always the precedence.
It happened. I couldn’t avoid it. There was no way of escaping it. Culture shock hit me hard.
Flying economy, let’s be blunt, is a tolerable experience at its best and a horrific, never-ending nightmare at its worst.
I feel a bit like a broken record these days.
Europe, apart from its cities, culture and people, is also a beautiful place for those interested in nature.
Here I am, reporting live from Vienna, Austria. That’s right, folks. I am writing to you from a lovely little flat more than 4,000 miles away, across the Atlantic Ocean, in a country I’ve never visited before. And I am completely alone.
Keeping yourself mentally prepared is the best way to handle transition.
Even though it feels like midterms were only a week ago, we’re already in the middle of finals, which means I didn’t do any traveling this weekend, swapping it out for studying ?instead.
This past weekend we did something very stereotypical of American college students, for which I apologize. Kind of.
It’s officially summer back home and officially summer for many students abroad, who are slowly trickling back into the United States throughout the month of May.
When I told friends and family that I would be traveling to Rwanda for an entire semester, I got two typical responses.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When I first arrived in Paris, a small clothing store always caught my eye as I walked to my favorite boulangerie.I remember the store went through a sale season in February, and then it marked its prices down this past month as it prepared to close.Now, there are no longer any sweaters stacked on the tables or mannequins dressed to the nines standing in the windows.The furniture is stacked, and the walls are bare. The store has officially closed.As I walked past that empty clothing store, I realized how long I have been here, how quickly time has passed and how soon I will be returning home. Like many students currently living abroad, this week marks the end of my stay in Paris.While it’s expected that students experience culture shock upon arriving in their host countries, it might come as a surprise to some when students experience reverse culture shock upon returning home. In between the moments of stress during my finals week, I am overcome with nostalgia for Paris.There is a certain sense of achievement that comes from successfully living in a foreign country. When I first arrived, I would run through my coffee order at least five times in my head before speaking out loud in French.Now, it comes naturally. I’ve stopped translating every interaction. I hear in French, and I respond in French.I’ve grown used to my daily visits to the boulangerie.I’ve come to enjoy taking time out of my day to sit down and enjoy a full meal, and I’m finally able to navigate the Metro by memory. As uncomfortable as I first felt when I arrived in Paris, I’m surprised at how natural it now feels to be here. Regardless, all good things come to an end. Just as everyone reacts to being in a foreign country differently, each individual deals with returning home differently. Many students experience boredom, have difficulty articulating their experience abroad to friends and family at home, have feelings of alienation, develop critical views of their home country, etc. Consider how you will share your experience with others. There will be people who will eagerly listen and try to understand, while others will only want the highlights.Don’t be discouraged by people’s disinterest. Remember your friends and family back home have also undergone change, so reciprocate by listening to their experiences. Time abroad is always exciting. It serves as a challenge and a fresh change from the ordinary.But returning to normal life does not have to be dull.Recall the obstacles that were present and overcome while studying abroad, as well as the risks that were taken, and transfer that attitude to daily life. Don’t forget — adventure happens at home, too.anukumar@indiana.edu@AnuKumar23
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Looking for an escape from the clouds as Paris slowly tiptoed into spring, I recently headed south to Marrakech, Morocco, for spring break.I was curious to visit a non-European French-speaking country, which also had overcome the rule of the French Protectorate. Landing in Marrakech, I was greeted by a gust of hot air, quickly followed by the brightly burning sun. I was no longer in mainland Europe. The orderly roads of Paris were quickly replaced by drivers with little regard for traffic laws and were simply content in using their horn in order to weave in and out of lanes. After being dropped off on the side of the road and overcoming a moment of panic, a guide from my hostel led me and a Canadian couple through winding alleyways to our sign-less hostel. I was quickly greeted by a cup of warm tea and thrown into a cluster of worn out young travelers. As the dark of the night settled in, I ventured through the winding alleys to make my way to Jamaa el Fna. This square is full of vendors, restaurants, performers and motorcyclists trying to make their way through the crowds. It doesn’t take too long to realize the city of Marrakech is geared toward tourists. From the number of hostels, spas, non-Moroccan restaurants and massive tour groups that can easily be spotted throughout the city, it’s evident that tourism is pivotal to this Moroccan city’s economy. As I wandered around the square, I saw many Moroccans dressed in traditional Berber clothing offering photo opportunities to tourists.Many servers, cab drivers and others in the service industry constantly apologized for their inability to speak English, which was striking after having lived in Paris where most will scoff at your inability to speak French. It became clear the city did what it could to present its culture in a comprehensible bite-sized package for its Western visitors. Though Morocco is predominantly Muslim, tourists are able to get away with wearing shorter, skimpier clothing due to the sheer number of foreigners that visit the city. Vendors were skilled at identifying where tourists are from and can tweak their heckling technique to attract customers. While I loved visiting palaces, bargaining with vendors at the souks and riding camels at the Palmeraie, I left Marrakech not fully understanding the culture. In some senses, it seemed as though Marrakech served Western travelers the way Florida serves American travelers. It was a vacation city, full of luxury hotels and families with young children. Marrakech is certainly worth the visit, especially because of how safe it can be for travelers. The city is even equipped with its own tourist police force to help keep visitors safe. Especially as a young female wanting to travel to North Africa, Marrakech was my safest option. Enjoy the touristic opportunities Marrakech offers, but if you have the chance, venture out to other cities in Morocco to better understand the country’s culture, because Marrakech will leave you longing for more.
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>If you are familiar with Claude Monet’s famous collection of paintings, “Water Lilies,” Giverny is the perfect daytrip from Paris to see Monet’s canvases come to life. The small village of Giverny is also home to an art museum featuring work by Impressionist artists, but is most famous for Monet’s home and gardens. Though Monet’s gardens have their own kind of beauty, as you walk through the village, it seems as though the entire area has been touched by Monet’s paintbrush. Flowers of every kind peek out from every corner, and long stretches of vines hug each home. The streets are full of strolling tourists, musicians singing and strumming along, and ice cream trucks cozied up on each corner.Walk a little deeper into the village, following the rows of greenery and flowers, and you will come across Monet’s home and gardens. Visitors can walk into his studio, kitchen and bedroom. The bright yellow walls of his dining room, patterned blue tiles in his kitchen and the amount of Japanese artwork that decorate the walls give visitors insight into the life of this famous Impressionist artist.The gardens seem to garner the most attention by far. There is one garden right outside Monet’s house with row after row of flowers, varying in species, color and size. The second garden can be reached through a small set of stairs near the entrance. It is home to the famous Japanese-style bridge spotted in Monet’s work. Here is where you see the canvas of water lilies come to life. Beginning around 1887, Giverny became a popular spot for many American Impressionist artists due to the presence of Monet — the overall tranquil atmosphere helped a little, too. anukumar@indiana.edu@AnuKumar23
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>One of the more entertaining stereotypes I have heard about the French is how, to Americans, most French people seem hipster. Of course, I wasn’t too surprised when I found out the French have their own way to classify the term “hipster.” They call hipsters “bobo,” short for “bourgeois bohemian.” Bourgeois describes the socioeconomic status of the label, while bohemian describes their free-minded, left-winged attitude. I’ve never been 100-percent sure exactly how one is or isn’t identified as a hipster, but there seems to be some basic characteristics most people agree on that fit the label. In America, the contemporary subculture that enjoys things ironically, chooses to listen to alternative or non-mainstream music and dresses in vintage or thrift-bought clothes is typically, at surface level, labeled as hipster. Though, the key characteristic most people seem to agree on is the fact that hipsters will never actually willingly identify with the label. The first time I heard the term “bobo” was in my language and culture class. Oddly enough, it was actually a full topic of conversation in class that day. French singer Renaud has a whole song solely describing this subculture of people. The song describes habits like living uptown or in a loft, having well-behaved kids who attend private school, and liking Japanese and Korean cinema. In the music video, a variety of people are represented in regard to gender, race and age. This made it clear the label defined a lifestyle and taste rather than a specific aesthetic. Meanwhile, in the United States, it usually only takes a pair of black square-framed glasses before you are pinned as a hipster. Of course, the pretentious and aloof attitude helps the label stick. Bobos in French culture appear to identify with an upper-class standing but adopt different political standings from their families. According to an article in the French cultural magazine Les Inrockuptibles, bobos have the cultural resources and education of the bourgeois but seek to distinguish themselves from the traditional, mainstream bourgeois. This description in some ways seems to ring true with the label in the United States as well. I have heard multiple people criticize those who shop at stores such as Urban Outfitters, seeking that vintage look while paying for the brand name quality and establishing a look that is perhaps considered “alternative” while still maintaining a certain quality standard. So, how exactly do you spot a bobo? Well, if you are looking for individuals with thick-framed glasses who read and dress “alternatively,” you’ll fail miserably. Mostly everyone in France tends to carry a magazine, newspaper or book. European fashion, in general, might be classified as “hipster” by American standards. A few times, when I have been dining at smaller, less-commercialized Indian restaurants, I was fairly certain I spotted a bobo or two. They had dreadlocks or headscarves, but did not seem to be native to a country where that would be the tradition. They carried on long conversations about French literature with their partners and seemed to have fairly carefree attitudes.It’s hard to put a finger on who exactly is a bobo, because it seems to be more of an overall attitude or lifestyle that is being described by the term, not just an aesthetic. And of course, it’s a social phenomenon free from a scientific, well-defined origin. So while the average French person might qualify as a hipster under American standards, be forewarned there is an entire subculture of individuals the French call bobos. anukumar@indiana.edu@AnuKumar23
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>Tucked away on Paris’s left bank, perched on cobblestone providing some quiet from the chatter of cafés nearby, is the bookstore Shakespeare and Company.Next to Notre Dame, Shakespeare and Company specializes in English-language literature. There are two separate shops, one with vintage and antiquarian books and the other with new books for sale, ranging from classics to contemporary releases. Shakespeare and Company serves as a Mecca of sorts for book lovers and writers alike.The setting alone is sure to make any bookworm giddy. Books of all genres fill every nook and cranny. Typewriters hide on top of desks and in little corners of the store. But it’s the history of writers who gathered here and its continued presence in Paris that makes it such a worthwhile stop for any tourist or visitor. An American expatriate, Sylvia Beach, initially established the bookstore in 1919 on rue Dupuytren. She later moved the store to rue de l’Odéon in 1922, where it remained until 1940. In the beginning, it was both a lending library as well as a bookstore. During this time, the store served as a meeting place for discussion, collaboration and the basic exchange of ideas and conversation for writers and artists of the Lost Generation. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway and Gertrude Stein were among the crowd of writers who frequented the bookstore.The original Shakespeare and Company was forced to close because of the German occupation of Paris in 1940 during World War II. Hemingway, at the end of the war, “liberated” the store, but it never officially reopened. Disguised with the name Le Mistral, American George Whitman opened another English bookstore on the left bank of Paris in 1951. Just as the original Shakespeare and Company had served as a focal point for the Lost Generation, this new location served as a focal point for many Beat Generation writers.After Beach passed away in 1962, Whitman changed the name of his store to Shakespeare and Company as a tribute to her original bookstore. Whitman’s daughter, Sylvia Whitman, now runs the store.Today, the store continues to run similarly, allowing young writers to work in the bookstore. There are daily and weekly events, such as readings, talks and discussions.Additionally, different festivals attract literary experts and students alike. Now, as aspiring writers make their way through the bookstore, they are likely to think of all the great authors who occupied the same space. As you cozy up in a corner, it’s funny to think William S. Burroughs might have been chatting with Allen Ginsberg in that same spot. anukumar@indiana.edu@AnuKumar23
____simple_html_dom__voku__html_wrapper____>When Parisians tire of the city, they often take weekend trips outside Paris. I decided to do the same this past weekend, just to breathe in some fresh country air.Most Americans are familiar with the Normandy region of France for its famous D-Day beaches, but the area contains many smaller towns with distinct architecture and history. Here are the places I visited.RouenFor history buffs, this is the town where Joan of Arc was burned at the stake. It was one of the most prosperous cities of medieval Europe. Walking through Rouen, it’s easy to notice a distinct style of architecture among the buildings. A bold striped pattern adorns most buildings, making the town seem as though it belongs in a storybook. The Cathédrale Notre-Dame de Rouen is well known for its Gothic architecture. The detail and height of the cathedral are both distinct. HonfleurThe buildings and boats harboring the southern bank of the estuary of the Seine River resembles the scene in the Nyhavn district of Copenhagen. This picturesque town, full of buildings with slate-covered fronts, served as the setting of many paintings completed by famous artists, such as Claude Monet and Eugène Boudin. DeauvilleA resort town of sorts, Deauville is known for its beaches. It’s common to see tourists and natives alike stroll the boardwalk with an ice cream cone in hand or collecting seashells along the water. Coco Chanel’s first boutique opened in Deauville, and has set a trend for luxury shopping in the area. The town is also home to the Deauville American Film Festival, which was established in 1975. In correspondence with the festival, tourists can find names of famous American actors written along small fences dividing the changing rooms. Mont Saint-MichelWith more than 3 million visitors each year, Mont Saint-Michel is one of France’s most well known landmarks. The island, along with its bay, is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.The abbey from which the island draws its name is the most identifying landmark. The town was constructed reflecting the feudal society of the time, with the abbey and monastery situated at the top, followed by the great halls, then stores and housing. Lastly, the homes of fisherman and farmers were situated outside the base walls. Currently, the site functions as a tourist spot with restaurants and souvenir shops crammed next to one another on the winding, narrow streets leading up to the abbey. anukumar@indiana.edu@AnuKumar23