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Tag: England

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By Hannah Radner

Whether or not one celebrates, Christmas time is joyous. Here in London (and, I suppose, everywhere else in the world that isn't America), Thanksgiving does not exist. In the USA we know it's coming on November 1 when Starbucks exchanges the PSL for the Peppermint Mocha and red cups; however, Thanksgiving is just the road block to full on Christmas hysteria. Here, thanks to the absence of Thanksgiving, Christmas starts on November 1, and I am all for it. The only downside to spending the holidays here is missing them at home. This is the first year I didn't see my family for Thanksgiving, which would have been a lot harder to handle had it not been for GW England. That's right, kids, I'm about to make a pitch, so get ready.

I chose a program on GW England because I was only vaguely aware of the resources that would be available to me; I knew we would have some sort of GW advising in London, and I liked knowing that I would have someone to fall back on if I was having any trouble. We do have an advisor here, but this is only the beginning of the benefits of GW England. The advantages of the program were already apparent nearly as soon as I got here, as we GW students at LSE all moved in early so we could go to our GW England orientation events. For starters, my flat mate is also from GW. Second, we got to meet all the other GW students who would be with us at our school and throughout the city. On our first day, we got breakfast at Café in the Crypt, took a walking tour, took a boat cruise down the Thames, had lunch and explored the Tower of London, and then were free to explore the city as we so chose. About a week and a half later, we had the opportunity to see a play at the Globe theatre (yes, the Shakespeare one). Our advisor, Geeta, has taken us out to lunch by school; those of us at LSE were fortunate enough to go to Nando's. One day in early November we took a day trip to the town of Bath where we took a walking tour, had lunch, and explored the Roman Baths and the town itself. That day I ate at Sally Lunn's Historic Eating House, where I stuffed myself full of delicious buns and tea. Our last event of the term is afternoon tea at the National Portrait Gallery, where I intend to stuff myself full of more bread and tea.

Being Americans abroad, perhaps the most meaningful event put on by GW England was our Thanksgiving dinner this past Thursday. Thanksgiving break is often a welcome respite from school. In high school, we had a pep rally and a football game between celebrated rivals. At GW, it is the calm before the finals storm. On Thursday, Thanksgiving did not feel like Thanksgiving because I had a paper due in class that day. I usually have classes from 4-7 on Thursdays, but due to the abundance of American expats at LSE, my professor was very kind and understanding and excused me from my last one so I could be on time for dinner. For this I am thankful (see what I did there?). The LSE runs its own Thanksgiving dinner for General Course students, and my building had a Thanksgiving potluck, but I am glad I chose to do Thanksgiving with GW. It was catered in a function room at a nice hotel, and it was cool to see the majority of GW England students all sitting at the same table. While I wasn't surrounded by family as usual, I was surrounded by friends; it finally felt like Thanksgiving, aside from the fact that I was full after only one plate of food.

The holidays are here. The twenty five days of Christmas are upon us. The festivities are in full operation, from Hyde Park Winter Wonderland to the South Bank Christmas Market to ice skating at Somerset House to the posh Oxford Street department stores having a silent war over who has the best Christmas window displays (I am biased towards John Lewis because of the penguins and the commercial that made me cry). I've had my Thanksgiving, and I have two weeks left until vacation. That's one essay, sixteen class hours, and a few hundred more pages of reading. The reward is sweet: I am going to Spain for a week, and what a relief it will be. This is definitely the most wonderful time of the year.

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By Jess Yacovelle

One of the benefits of studying in the United Kingdom is that nearly everyone speaks English in London. Because of the shared language, being in a new city, in a new country, in a new culture doesn't feel quite so scary. Everything is tinted with a shade of home and familiarity that most foreign countries lack. Yet not everything about London is the same as the United States. In fact, there are some stark cultural differences - both good and bad - between the two areas.

For one thing, as I've previously mentioned, there are no trashcans anywhere in the UK! If you finish a cup of coffee, you could literally be carrying that empty cup for miles. There's probably one "rubbish bin" per five block radius, yet the streets are nearly spotless. They have a fraction of the cigarette butts and gum stains as most American cities do, and the nice areas of London have virtually no bits of trash anywhere. I don't know how they do it, but somehow they keep the streets clean without any trashcans.

Trashcans may not be on every block, but you know what is? Pret a Manger. Literally, it's on every block. It's a European staple that sells coffee, pre-made sandwiches, and baked goods. King's College, where I'm currently studying for the semester, is located directly between two different Pret a Mangers. You can't escape them; it's best to just give in.

The Brits also have no idea where to go. For no apparent reason, they became one of the only European countries to drive on the left. So, logically, you'd think that means they're a lefty country, right? They should walk on the left, stand on the left, move to the left... no. In fact, England can't make up its mind. On all of the escalators, you stand on the right. In some of the tube stations, you walk on the right... unless arbitrary signs tell you to walk on the left. You exit stations on the left, but you walk down the streets on the right. There are no hard and fast rules in regards to which side of the street pedestrians should stick to, and as a result, there are frequent human traffic jams.

Speaking of humans, British people are known to be cold and unfriendly, but this is not true. They have very specific social customs, and they do not like these customs to be broken. For example, they do not talk on the tube, and they glare at anyone who tries to strike up a conversation. The tube is a place of commute, not a place to socialize. Making conversation with strangers on the tube isn't proper.

Speaking of properness, it is considered improper to wear a skirt or dress without a pair of tights. On the first day of classes - back when the sun was shinning and it was 80 degrees outside - I could easily differentiate between the tourists and the natives by who wore tights with their skirts and who was bare-legged. No matter how hot it gets, no one in England has bare legs (unless they're gong to a club); it just isn't done.

Another thing different in regards to apparel is that at bars - pure bars, not sports bars - you must wear heels. I've had friends rejected and told to leave a bar because they were not wearing heels. I think it's because heels show respect for the establishment that you made an effort to dress in a classy manner. Regardless of why you do it, the reality is you need to do it.

These are just some of the differences between the culture of the United States and the culture of the United Kingdom, and as I continue to study abroad in London, I'm sure I'll find more.

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By Hannah Radner

It is week eight of ten in the Michaelmas term at LSE, and I am truly feeling the effects of a direct enrollment program as opposed to a provider program. The LSE General Course, while it is made up of all study abroad students, provides no special accommodation; at times, our status as General Course students puts even more pressure on us, as the formative work we do throughout the term actually factors into our class grade, while for regular LSE students it does not. Aside from this, we are otherwise considered regular LSE students.

This is clearly the week where everyone is stressed. Essays are due, and everyone regrets not starting them several weeks ago. I am no exception; I had a paper due last Friday, the following Sunday, this Friday, and next Friday, on top of a presentation I am currently working on for the class in which I had a paper due on Sunday. It is all hitting me at once, and I am coping because I have to, but this leads me to my number one piece of advice for current and future General Course students: time management is key. Starting as a freshman at GW, we are amazed at how little time we spend in class compared to high school - only a few hours a day? What do I do with all this free time? You soon figure out that free time is not free until you've used up a great deal of it doing work outside the classroom. At LSE, we have even less class time - eight hours per week, total. I have found that what they lack in contact hours, they make up for in reading and essays.

Essays are different here. In my American classes, we had page requirements, standardised prompts, and even requirements for how many sources we should use for our essays. After having written a few here, I have decided that I like the UK system better. Here, there is a maximum word limit which, according to professor discretion, may or may not include footnotes and the bibliography. They do not care which citation system you use, nor do they care how many sources you have, as long as you make an effective argument. I quite appreciate this as it lets me focus much more on the content of my essay rather than trying to find more sources to which I can attribute my facts, just for the sake of having enough sources. I also don't have to worry about meeting a minimum length; as long as I have not gone over the maximum, I am safe. I am sure everyone at some point in the US has known the struggle of having a minimum of fifteen pages assigned - "but what if I have no more to say after ten?" The only struggle now is making your argument as concise as possible.

The other effect of being in the General Course is the fact that I haven't been able to travel as much as I thought I would. This is not necessarily a bad thing; I came here with the goal of feeling like a Londoner and a fully integrated student. I have been on some trips; weekends in Scotland and Ireland and a day trip to Bath have all been fantastic. I enjoy having time to explore London because that is why I am here. Vacations are for traveling; I am going to Spain for a week in December, and it will be a much welcome reward.

I love my program and not a day goes by when I think about how happy I am with my choice. I know at the end of this year, I will be able to say it is the hardest thing I did in college, but it made me a better student and a more well-rounded human being.

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By Jess Yacovelle

One of the biggest struggles in my preparation for my study abroad experience was that there isn't a comprehensive list of all of the things that a GW student needs to accomplish before leaving the country. To help future study abroad students, I've therefore created such a list myself!

1) Update your personal American documents and information. Check your driver's license, credit/debit cards, and passport to make sure they aren't about to expire. You need to renew these before you go abroad.

2) Call your bank before you leave. You need to notify your credit card companies and your personal bank that you'll be out of the country from dates x to y, or else any foreign charges you make will be marked as fraudulent and your accounts will be suspended. Also, try to order some foreign currency from your bank before you leave. The exchange rate will be smaller at your bank than at the airport. In addition, check to see if your bank has a partnership with any overseas banks; if they do, the partner bank will allow you to withdraw cash without charging you a fee.

3) Pick up items you need beforehand! Any special coats, shoes, or umbrellas you should buy in the states. Also buy plug adapters so you can charge your phone, etc during your abroad stay.

4) Let's talk visas! Now each country has different requirements for a visa (and each type of visa has different requirements), so check with the online consult. However generally, you'll need:

-Official bank statements with a minimum balance of x. A reference letter from your bank can also be helpful.

-A round-trip ticket back home at the end of your stay.

-Your passport. Also, it doesn't hurt to bring extra passport photos, as some countries may desire them.

-Your acceptance letter from your host university.

5) Speaking of consults, register at your foreign consulate. Also, don't forget to print out your health insurance card. Make copies of all of your important documents and leave a copy at home with your parents. If you're mugged or you loose your passport you still have the information safe.

6) Phones! Everyone does something different, so how do you know what to do? Here's my advice: if you have a smart phone, bring it with you and keep it on the WiFi setting. Turn off cellular data so you don't accidentally use it, and only use your smart phone when you're connected to WiFi. Then, buy a cheap, pay as you go phone for local calls. If you're a little neurotic, like me, spring for the international data plan just in case of an emergency where you need to call home without WiFi.

7) Handle your business at GW. Make sure you're in good academic standing and you have no outstanding bills. Fill out their emergency forms on Passport, and register for study abroad status.

8) At your host university, register for housing and your classes by the assigned date. Do not be late! You could be penalized for tardiness and miss out on opportunities. Many universities also provide study abroad students with orientation, so make sure to register for that as well.

9) Medications! Talk with your health insurance provider and ask if you can pick up your medication for the duration of your trip. If not, look into alternative solutions.

10) Research where you'll be living. Not just the building, either; research the city and find on a map any place you may need. Do you work out a lot? Find a local or school gym. Are you really into cooking? Find the nearest grocery store. Figure out what you'll need and find it before you arrive.

11) Book your flight to and from your host country!

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Me (far left) with some of the LSE Women's Rugby Club Second team!

Before my program started, before I arrived in the UK, and in fact throughout the summer and the latter half of the spring semester, my major concern was most definitely making new friends. Looking back on it, since Kindergarten and up through the end of 12th grade, it wasn't that difficult as I went to public school. Part of a giant school system, I went to one of eight elementary schools, one of three middle schools, and everyone ended up at the same high school, so most people were not completely new. While friend groups shrunk, grew, evolved and changed over time, our friends were relatively built in for us already as we had a limited pool to choose from.
Come freshman year, making friends was a slightly more daunting task. The walls fell down and suddenly my student body was four times as large. I spent much of freshman year spending time with my roommates and neighbors. The group of lovely people who would eventually become my core friend group at GWU would not have been easy to find had I not shared a long-time mutual friend with one of them, but that's a story for another day. In short, in my life, I have never had to make a huge effort to make friends. I have never started off completely on my own, traveling to a new place, where I would be living for a full academic year, knowing that every friend I make this year is someone I did not know before.
I mentioned in an earlier post that I had joined the LSE Women's Rugby Club. This was completely new and strange territory to me. My parents thought I was joking when I told them at first. This is because I have never legitimately played any team sports, contact sports, or just...sports in general. I played soccer at the YMCA when i was four and I did gymnastics for about four years, but since the sixth grade, I was a theatre kid. After graduation, I let that go too, and my last two years at GWU have been characterised by floating from student org to student org; I hadn't yet found anything I really, truly liked doing, aside from French Club and Alternative Breaks, neither of which I can do abroad.
If you're studying abroad for a whole year, it may not seem like that much at first, but it's a lot. It's a whole 25% of your college career, assuming you follow the traditional 4-year path as I intend to do, and when you get back, you're in your last year and real life is staring you right in the face. You've just established a presence on campus, solidified your friend group, gotten deeply involved in whatever you do, fallen in and out of love 20 times, and then you leave it all back in the USA for a whole year. When you arrive, it feels like freshman year all over again. I had orientation week, complete with presentations, outings, events, and the freshers' fair, which is their student orgs fair.
I'm not quite sure when I made the decision to join rugby, but it happened at some point during the freshers' fair when they handed out cookies as bribes. But in all seriousness, they emphasized that no experience was needed (great, I have none!), it's so much fun (I like fun!), and I'll fall in love with the sport and the girls (something new and exciting!).
Study Abroad a time for self-exploration as well as self-establishment and personal growth. That is why it exists; not simply for growth in the classroom but outside. LSE has a myriad of fun societies to join, many of which do not exist at GWU, and I was originally hoping to join one of those, just to make the experience even more 'out there.' I certainly was not expecting to join a sports team. However, as I felt I was welcomed with open arms into the women's rugby club before I even joined, how could I possibly say no?
The WRFC has provided me with several important things, the first being a somewhat regular exercise regimen. The second is a regular social fixture; every Wednesday, all the sports teams have some sort of event at the student center, followed by a mass exodus to a club in Leicester Square. The third is my new ambition to push myself physically, which comes hand-in-hand with the team mentality that a team is only as strong as its weakest member; experience or not, I don't want to be that weakest member. Perhaps the most important thing rugby has given me, and will continue to give me throughout my time here, is the sense that I am firmly a part of something. During freshman and sophomore years, as I explored my interests but didn't dive wholeheartedly into much of anything, whenever people asked what I did outside class or what organisations I was a part of, I hemmed and hawed until my answer was sort of "oh, you know, a little bit of this, a little bit of that." Now, when someone asks me what I do outside class, I can confidently say I play rugby, whether or not I play well. An even better part of this is that rugby is something I can potentially bring back with me. Attention, GW Women's Rugby, if you want a new player next year: I'm in.

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By Jess Yacovelle

Before leaving to study abroad for a semester, one of the biggest things that GW drills into our heads is that the United Kingdom school system is incredibly different from the United States system. In the UK, students only attend university for three years instead of four. They only take classes from one department, and they only learn about things that pertain directly to their major. Most students only attend classes for ten hours a week or less, and a lot of the assigned readings are optional, not mandatory. Furthermore, a score of 70 or higher is considered to be an A. These differences between the two schooling systems make it a little difficult to adjust at first, but by far the most difficult thing to adapt to are the midterm exams.

As an English and Creative Writing major, I'm rather lucky; I don't have to take any actual exams or quizzes. I don't need to study and cram two months worth of information into my head, or hunt down expensive exam booklets the morning of the test. Instead, I have to write about 15,000 words (or the equivalent of 40ish pages, double-spaced) in various essays.

This is, unfortunately, the biggest difference between the UK and US school systems: the UK has a designated midterm time, during which all of the classes will assign a midterm exam or paper. In the US, professors are allowed to test their students with exams or essays whenever they desire: once a month, once a week, or even twice a semester. Because the American professors have a little more freedom in choosing when they test their students, American students don't have 15,000 words worth of papers due all on the same day.

Yeah, you read that write. I have 15,000 words total due on November 11th in my four different classes.

The fact that there's one designated due date for all of King's college midterms wrecks havoc on the students here. As the date gets closer and closer, you see more students huddled around their computers, franticly studying or writing papers. Because the sad fact about the UK schooling system - what it really comes down to - is that it's impossible to do everything. I can only exert my full attention on my most important classes because there simply aren't enough hours in the day. With two weeks to go until the November 11th deadline, I have hours upon hours of research and writing ahead of me. I mean, I'm a Creative Writing major, for crying out loud! I can write 1,000 words of fiction in an hour, and even I think 15,000 words of academic writing and research in less than two weeks is incredibly excessive.

The bottom line: midterms in the UK are nothing to joke about. While at GW, many students have what we playfully refer to as "midterm month," in London you have one day. That's it; nothing more than one long, endless day and the hellish two weeks that lead up to it.

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By Jess Yacovelle

As anyone with a newspaper, TV, or computer knows, an Ebola outbreak in Western Africa has killed thousands of people. 70% of people who catch the illness will die, and it is fairly contagious, especially to the doctors and nurses who risk their lives treating the victims and tending to the dead bodies.
Currently, the entirety of the US has a few cases in Texas - though they appear to be heavily isolated for now. In Europe, on the other hand, the threat of Ebola is much greater. Since Europe is such a relatively small place and it's so easy to travel from one country to another, Ebola is a viable concern. Multiple cases have broken out in Madrid, Spain. Recently, it was announced that London airports and international train stations will begin screening all passengers for Ebola. The screenings will consist of passport checks and basic questions about travel history. For most people, it should be mild and easy to get through. In fact, the UK offers no direct travel to and from the impacted areas of Africa so the heaviest questioning will probably stem from people traveling to London from Paris or Brussels (places that do still offer direct travel to and from infected areas of Africa).
In London, Ebola is the front page of every newspaper and news website. It's not just foreign news; it's a genuine, persisting threat that they need to take preventative measures against. In speaking with some local Londoners, it seems like a similar (though less extreme) approach was taken a few years ago when swine flu was a present threat. In Europe, swine flu was predicted to wreck havoc. Yet in the United States, we didn't really give it much thought. From talking with my parents back home, it seems like the same mindset is present in regards to Ebola. People are aware of it in the United States, and some are even concerned, but most people relegate it to be a foreign problem.
In London, however, people are much more careful. You don't hear people making jokes about Ebola, like Americans did in regards to swine flu. No one thinks it's funny. In fact, most people are wary; if the virus mutates and becomes airborne, Europe will be in serious trouble. Not to mention that Spain is close enough where some of my classmates actually have friends or family living in Madrid and who are genuinely concerned for their safety.
So how is this impacting me and my experience? I've become much more aware of how world events impact Europe differently than they do the United States. A foreign threat in the US is bad, but (generally) not the end of the world. A foreign threat in Europe, however, has a much great impact because everything is so much closer together. In the states, the world news section of the newspaper is shorter than the sports section, and it's buried in the middle of the paper. In London, however, world news is often featured prominently because it can have such a large impact on home affairs.

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By Hannah Radner

Having finished two weeks of classes at LSE, I feel I am finally somewhat qualified to write on the subject of academics here. In these last few weeks I have seen elements that both distinguish LSE from GW and make it similar. Because I love lists, here's a new one of my observations:

1. I have only finished two weeks of classes! This is my first observation. The first week, starting on October 6, was all lectures, which are optional and open to the public. My classes (discussion sections) started last week, and many classes for quantitative courses do not start until this week. The 'shopping period' for courses officially ends on October 31, meaning if I was really indecisive I could potentially not know which courses I was taking until the term is nearly half over. Thankfully I am not in that position, and I probably wouldn't recommend LSE to anyone who ever anticipated doing this because...

2. ...We hit the ground running. Not unlike GWU, most of my lectures dove right into the course material, and I've already had my first in-class presentation. Professors tell us when our papers are due throughout the year. Our reading lists are online and we are expected to check them regularly, though never explicitly told what is due next week. This is probably because we have the ability to pick and choose what to read beyond the 3-4 core class readings we have each week, which brings me to my next observation...

3. ...Study is highly independent. We have so much choice in what we read so that everyone can bring something to the discussion; professors want us to read about specific subjects that interest us within the scope of the course so we are more likely to do our best work. As we all know, it's easier to do work when you like what you're doing. As study abroad students, we can take just about any class we want. Regular students must take courses within their specific programme and follow a core track, and have very little wiggle room or opportunity for electives, which they call options. The only proof we show that we've done the reading comes in the form of our participation in class discussions, essays, and come summer term, exams, which determine 100% of our final grade, which is why...

4. ...I will not cram for exams this year. I cannot lie, I do most of my studying in the week leading up to my exams at GWU, and not much sooner. While professors in the US say it doesn't work, our courses only last for the duration of one term, we are doing constant written work to keep us up-to-date, and we have several quizzes and/or tests and/or essays in the course of a term. When push comes to shove, it's often easy to cram and do well at home because we know more than we think come exam time. Here, it is all on us to revise and study throughout the year so we don't fall behind. In summer term, starting at the end of April, there is one final hurrah of holing up in the library and doing nothing else for a few weeks before exams begin. This time, when professors tell us not to cram, I will not only hear them but I will listen because I am secretly terrified.

5. Having a social life is not optional if you want to remain sane. Daylight is the time to read and study, while dusk till dawn is when people frequent pubs, clubs (LSE has one of each in its student center), films, theatre, sport, etc. The possibilities are endless. Study dates and rendez-vous are also acceptable, as one can often find groups of friends studying together in the library. Misery loves company! (Disclaimer: I don't mean school is miserable, just reading like 400 pages at a time can be a downer sometimes. You know what I mean.)

If anyone needs me, I'll be in the library studying for the exams I have in seven months.

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By Jess Yacovelle

London is one of the most expensive cities in the world. So how are you supposed to eat delicious food without busting the bank or settling for American fast food? Have no fear, here are 5 affordable places to eat that I've discovered in London.

1) Nando's. This South African cuisine is truly a London staple. You can order large amounts of chicken for a little bit of money, or simply bask in the glow of their delicious side dishes: sweet potato mash, garlic bread, spicy rice... Nando's has something for everyone, and the peri-peri sauce that they cook their chicken in is to die for.

2) Slug and Lettuce. If you want to take the time to dine without paying a fortune for food, Slug and Lettuce is a great place to try. The food is healthy, the portions are large, and the menu is well-varied. Be cautioned, though, drinks are expensive.

3) Camden Market. This isn't a restaurant, but rather a marketplace. Open every day, this market features affordable food from every culture imaginable: Polish, Mexican, French, Chinese... whatever suits your fancy, it's at Camden Market. Check out some of the sweeter booths (like cakes or crepes) for dessert. Be aware that it's mainly a cash-only market, though.

4) Belushi's. This is a bar/restaurant chain that has locations all over the UK. The food is quintessential sports bar food: nachos, burgers, hot dogs... But bars are notorious for being expensive places to eat, right? Wrong! Belushi's is partnered with local hostels, so they offer student discounts such as 25% off all food to their student customers. It's well worth the trip!

5) Pret a Manger. Pret isn't necessarily the cheapest sandwich shop in London, but there is literally one on nearly every corner, so it's pretty convenient. Pret has premade sandwiches, salads, and baked goods. Their coffee is also really delicious, so explore their liquid beverages.

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By Jess Yacovelle

The Thames River, for those who don't know, cuts straight through the center of London and divides the city into two: the main city and the southbank. I spend a lot of time walking between the two because I live on the southbank, but my classes are all on the other side of the river.

In fact, many people make the daily commute across the river; there are five different subway lines that run from the southbank into the city, an overground line, countless buses, and a bridge every half mile or so.

A fair few years ago, the Thames River was one of the busiest in the world because they didn't have these transportation lines. People had to take ferries and boats across the river in order to go to work or have a night out. In addition, the river was a bustling place filled with various vessels involved in the shipping industry; the river wasn't just a place of commute, it was a place of commerce as well.

Yet in present day, it isn't any of that. The water is brown and murky, and it looks as though it will kill you if you were to fall in. There is no animal or sea life visible to the human eye within the water. Remnants of tourist trash float down after the "City Cruiser" tour guide boats. Most unsettling, algae coats the piers and bridge pillars throughout the river, completely overrunning the vast expanse.

And yet I will maintain that being on the river Thames is still the most beautiful part about visiting London.

Why? Because the city is laid out to be seen from the river. Hundreds of years ago, when they were first building London, the river was more than an annoyance that needed to be crossed; it was a lifeline. People needed its water to drink and for irrigation and for trade. It was an integral part of London, and because of this, some of the most beautiful parts of the city are visible from the Thames.

I took a boat down the river yesterday, and from the vessel we could see the Parliament building. We passed by the restructured version of the original bridge built over the Thames. We sailed next to the Globe theatre and made our way past the Tower of London and Tower Hill. So much history can be seen from the river; so many lives were changed by its presence. Even now, when use of the Thames has been greatly limited, it's still a part of London's rich history. When I rode that boat on the Thames yesterday, it was like I wasn't simply sightseeing; I was seeing and experiencing reflections of past London life.

The river may now be a soiled and smaller reflection of its former self, dominated by tourists and river guides, but not so long ago, it was a symbol of London; it was a symbol of life.

 

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