The Sights-
London is old and new at the same time. The city is divided into the older parts that survived the fire, and the new parts that had to be rebuilt. You can also see this contrast simply walking down the street. You will see buildings that aren't particularly magnificent but they are clearly very old. They have survived the centuries and so they are allowed to continue their existence along with the new ones that have been built around them. The visual aspect of old and new really portrays the reality of any old city in the modern age. Old British traditions still run deep even as London lends itself more and more to the international community (such as myself!).
London is big on the arts. And the galleries should definitely be talked about when discussing the magnificent things I have seen. So far I have been to the National Gallery and the National Portrait Gallery but I have dozens more on my list to see. London's appreciation of art reaches as far as to keep them open for free.
This was in the National Gallery- a painting called "Wheat Field with Cypresses" by Vincent Van Gogh. ->
<- The buildings that hold the art are art themselves! (National Gallery)
Not all art is in a museum! ->
<- Most museums are free too but the only one I've gotten a chance to see is the Sherlock Holmes museum.
The cool thing about London is that each borough is a different city in itself. I've been to what they call Shoreditch, where the hipsters have built their settlement. I've been to Trafalgar Square where it is pretty much just tourists. I've seen Whitechapel, where their have been a large influx of Arab immigrants. I've seen Chinatown. I've been to Stradford, where the mall attracts families and is honestly the place where I've felt most amongst the London population. And I live in Mile End, very young, safe, and quieter. When you rise from the tube, it is like you are entering a new world no matter where you come up.
The Sounds-
Depending on where you are in London, you will hear different things. You may hear the hustle and bustle of tourists trying to move through the streets to see all they can see. You may hear the thud of music coming from a club after dark.
The one thing I expected to hear was a lot of honking of car horns, it is an inevitable part of city life. However, that has been remarkably absent. I guess it goes along with the polite british stereotype.
In the sound category, but also in the not-my-favorite-part-of-my-experience category. People stay up really late here. I've never lived in a place that has such low regard for other's sleep patterns. People have very loud conversations outside of my door at 4am and I've heard similar stories from other American students. If you want to be asleep that is the business of the sleeper, not anyone else.
On a more positive note, the nice thing about living in a city is that there is always a siren or a dog barking or a domestic dispute to remind you that you are not alone. You are in a city crammed with millions of living, breathing bodies just like you.
Here is a street performer that I heard outside Camden Market:
The Smells-
I've lived in Columbus long enough to know that a city's smells are usually unpleasant. Urine, sewage, and pollution are all smells that you wouldn't buy in perfume form but they are something you live with. You get plenty of that here. However, it isn't all that way.
First, let must just say the people all smell fine. In many cities, you get a lot of b.o. issues, but Londoners seem to have that locked down. I'll just say thank goodness for that.
It rains every single day. Usually only for about 15 minutes but enough to perpetuate an eternal dampness. That has its own smell. Despite the usual urban lack of vegetation, moss has crept its way through the bricks on many buildings. After it rains, this gray city has a distinctly green smell to it. Earthy and moist. That feels like a unique London concept.
Today I went to Camden market, a HUGE market that sells everything. It has got some pretty great artsy places. But what it also has is endless rows of food stands. Chinese next to Indian next to Italian next to American next to Spanish next to Thai next to Persian next to Mexican next to Middle Eastern. Each smell melds into the next. It was painful choosing which one to get because it all smelled so good!!
Food is pretty expensive, so I haven't been able to adventure through this sense as much as I have wanted. Still, there is much to report on.
Luckily, psychologists say my generation is plagued by intense narcissism, which comes with the delusional idea that people care about everything we do, so we take pictures of everything. Lucky because this means I have pictures of those meals you are all so keen on hearing about.
<- This was the saturday special at a pub my friend and I wandered into. It was also the only thing they served. This is about as classic british as it gets. Pork, potatoes, carrots, york shire pudding, and lots of gravy.
This was my first experience with fish and chips in London. It felt so classic! I even used salt and vinegar on my chips instead of ketchup!
Okay, I did use some ketchup, but I put on the other stuff too. ->
<- This was my brunch experience in the hipster area, Shoreditch. Here, you can see my slice of quiche that has sweet potatoes, goat cheese, sweet onions, and a million different herbs. It was really good but also very overwhelming in a big slice. They would be perfect in mini-quiche form. Everyone loved their meal. This is the kind of place where the owners get up early and go to the markets to get organic, fresh ingredients. This experience was good and on the completely opposite side of London's food spectrum from pub grub.
At Camden Market, I got a crepe from a food stand and this is them making it in front of me. It was a nutella and banana crepe. So good.->
In the taste category, I would also like to include my experience with alcoholic beverages. It took me about 3 days to get used to being legal. Drinking is very expensive in London, so my usual drink selection process begins and ends with, "What is you cheapest beer on tap?" I've actually never had a cider before this and I can now officially say that they are delicious (but very sugary). I've also been slowly training my palette to appreciate darker beers. I'm working on becoming a beer connoisseur but I don't think even I am pretentious even to pull that off.
<- Part of the London charm is seeing a cool pub like this on every corner.
The Feels-
I know in this progression, I should now be referring to tactile qualities of London, but I'll expand this to emotions as well.
Tactile speaking, we've covered the damp part. And we've talked about the 50 degree weather. And the wind. I try not to touch too much due to the fact that this is a city. If you want to know what London physically feels like, you are just going to have to fly over here yourself and run your hands all over everything, because I'm out of descriptions.
As for the emotions, living in London makes you feel so many things.
It makes you feel like part of something bigger. It makes you feel important to live in such an international hub. Everything is going on all at once. People travel from all over just to get a glimpse at this place, and I'm living here!
It also humbles you. There are so many people there from so many different places. Everyone has different beliefs and ambitions and values. With everyone being so unique, all the usual ways of looking at a society seem to be thrown out. No one belongs, but everyone fits in.
It makes you feel lonely. Being a little fish in a big pond is more fun, but it is also more difficult. I could just fly home, and no one would notice. I mean, the few friends I've made here would, but on the whole, my absence would make absolutely no difference. That's a grounding and sad thought.
Most of all, though, it makes me feel alive. Surrounded by thousands of years of history, it reminds me that no matter what hits you, life keeps moving. Being surrounded by so many new people reminds me of all of the interactions I will get to have and all of the interesting friends I will meet. Being surrounded by all of these strange things (cultures, foods, mannerisms, histories, places, people) reminds me of how much there is for me to do and see!
Traveling always reminds me that the world is far too big for me to ever stop learning, to ever stop experiencing new things. London was a great choice for continuing my journey.
