GW England – Page 6 – GW Blogs from Abroad

My Support System Includes Binge-Watching Gossip Girl

AdminOctober 28, 2015December 14, 2018

For this blog post, we were asked list who or what makes up our community with visuals attached. Anyone or anything that helps us grow and support us can fall into this category. Typically, there’s a long list of people that make up a person’s support system, but there’s so much more to include. At first, I thought I might take a few pictures of people and explain how they help make up my community, but then I thought, why not really show what my support system consists of? First, I should explain why people aren’t the most integral part of my support system.

During sophomore year of high school, I found myself alone at a Baptist Army boarding school in Texas. As a gay Muslim teenager from Los Angeles, I was very clearly out of place. They didn’t let us have our phones during the day so contact with my friends back home was scarce (even scarcer with my family). I had to rely mostly on myself because my trust for the adults at my boarding school was very little after they bashed the LGBTQ community again and again—even at an anti-bullying assembly. Ever since then, I’ve had a support system that’s mostly devoid of humans. I will include friends as a collective category, including best friends, as they are still an integral part, but below is what consists of my support system. ...continue reading "My Support System Includes Binge-Watching Gossip Girl"

What’s 52 in French?

AdminSeptember 3, 2015December 14, 2018

By Shanil

When I first started to write this blog post that’s supposed to be focused on my identity, I wrote about how being a gay Pakistani-American Muslim affects how I perceive the world and how it’ll affect my time abroad. However, seeing as how I’m going to be in England at a fairly liberal school, it wouldn’t really be much different than being at GW. If I were in a Muslim country or another area that wasn’t as safe to be who I am, it would make for some great reading, but while my background and history is interesting, I think my identity as an English-speaking American is even more interesting (and funny). ...continue reading "What’s 52 in French?"

The Most Memorable Experience

AdminMay 19, 2015December 14, 2018

By mluevano17

As difficult as it is to pick the most memorable experience from abroad, one of the ones that I am not likely to forget was my recent trip to Stonehenge. Stonehenge is located about an hour outside of London, near the town of Salisbury. Part of the reason that this was so memorable was because of the incredible landscape and weather that we experienced while visiting the site. It was the most perfect example of the English countryside and I felt so lucky to be able to live in a city with such beautiful sites so close by. I am personally very interested in historical sites and learning about the history of a certain place. ...continue reading "The Most Memorable Experience"

Reflecting

AdminApril 24, 2015December 14, 2018

By mluevano17

My time abroad, rather than changed my identity, has strengthened my identity in many ways. I feel much more confident and rooted in who I am. Being abroad and constantly being out of my comfort zone has allowed me to see my limits as well as my capabilities. I think that the hardest part about leaving my international community will be this sense of adventure and new experiences. ...continue reading "Reflecting"

Evolving Identities

AdminMarch 27, 2015December 14, 2018

By mluevano17

In many ways, the classes that I am taking at SOAS have both supported and challenged my identity. I chose to take Politics of Gender, which has been my first experience in a class that studies gender. This class exposed me to many different ways of thinking about gender, not only through feminist thought but also the different ways in which the LGBTQ community and even masculinity has been studied all over the world. This class helped to reaffirm my identity as a feminist, but also evolve that identity into one that examines gender not specifically in the female sense but also in the ways in which everyone is affected by ideas and prejudices about gender. ...continue reading "Evolving Identities"

My Community

AdminMarch 4, 2015December 14, 2018

By mluevano17

This is my school here in London- The School for Oriental and African Affairs. I took this picture on a classic London day, pretty grey and rainy outside. My university has become a huge part of my community, including the teachers and students inside it. I am really enjoying my classes here and I feel that I am learning a lot, especially about international affairs from another country’s perspective. This is also where students line up on campus every day to receive free lunch from the local Hare Krishna group, which makes it a great spot to socialize with other people. ...continue reading "My Community"

My Identity

AdminFebruary 5, 2015December 14, 2018

By mluevano17

I identify myself as having a Mexican ethnicity and an American nationality. My background is mostly a source of pride for myself but it can be quite confusing. One of the main issues for me is the fact that I do not look or act according to many people’s expectations of a person with Mexican ethnicity. I find discomfort in the fact that for many people in the United States, especially in my home state of California; “Mexican” also brings up subjects such as “illegal immigration” or a certain kind of job such as “housekeeper” or “gardener”. ...continue reading "My Identity"

A Final Farewell: Leaving London

AdminDecember 31, 2014December 17, 2018

By Jess Yacovelle

I'm currently sitting on a plane from London Heathrow to San Diego's Lindbergh Field. I waited until I was on the plane to write this last post for two reasons: 1) packing woes previously overwhelmed me, and 2) it felt silly to write about my overall London experience whilst still in London.

The past three and a half months were more than I ever thought I'd experience in regards to Europe. When I entered my freshman year at GW, I had no plans to study abroad. My parents were against it because of the cost, my then-boyfriend didn't like the idea of me leaving the country, and my own personal goals as a student and a writer meant that I didn't want to be away from GW. In the second semester of my junior year, I chose to study abroad on a whim - literally two weeks before the application deadline for King's - and I barely submitted my materials in time. In truth, I can't remember what made me decide to study abroad - the promise of adventure, fear of the future, a desire to get away - but to any GW students still on the fence about study abroad, I can tell you this: it was the best decision I've ever made.

Studying in London allowed me to start over in a new city but with the safety net of GW ready to provide help if I needed it. I had to find my way (literally and metaphorically), make new friends, and create a life for myself in the King's community in a very different way from when I started as a freshman at GW over three years ago. It forced me to stand on my own two feet. I'm still terrified for the future and apprehensive for life after GW, but I'm now confident in myself and my ability to build a life and identity for myself, no matter what.

More importantly, study abroad opened my eyes to the different cultures of the world. I grew up fairly sheltered - I've traveled heavily in the US and Canada, but I never left North America as a child - and it's only through participating in study abroad that I've realized just how much there is to see, and how easy it is to see it.

There's a famous post on Tumblr, in which a blogger states: "My bro just came prancing into my room with a Burger King crown. We don't have Burger King in Belgium. He drove all the way to the Netherlands." That sort of cultural-merging is absolutely true about my experience with living in London. I remember back in October I spent the morning in Prague and the evening in London. I took a train from London to Paris in 2 hours. A flight to Ireland lasted barely an hour. All of these different countries and cultures are so close together, there's no reason not to see it. As Americans, we're at a disadvantage because these things aren't at our fingertips.

Study abroad changed my life, because I'm now determined to return to Europe and spend a month or two backpacking. Public transportation passes like the Eurail Pass make it affordable to travel for a couple of months without breaking the bank, and hostels are decent enough accommodations. In fact, I've done the math and - as a west coast girl - the most expensive part of my trip would be the plane tickets there and back; the plane tickets are almost equal to what hostels and train tickets would cost for one month.

I now have a strong desire to see the rest of the world, to experience the differences between as many cultures as possible, and I didn't before. It's a cliché (perhaps it's a cliché for a reason), but study abroad opened my eyes to the rest of the world, and I would highly recommend it to any and all GW students.

5 Fandoms You Can Explore in the UK

AdminDecember 27, 2014December 14, 2018

By Jess Yacovelle

For the majority of my blog posts, I've written about the United Kingdom social culture or the schooling system. This time, I'm going to wax on and on about arguably my favorite part of the UK: the fan culture. Living in the United Kingdom is like living in Hollywood: chances are, someone has filmed something on every major street in London, so if you're a big nerd like me, you can experience some major geek-out moments no matter where you go in the UK. Here are my personal top give fandom tidbits about the London and the United Kingdom.

1) Soccer, aka football. I'm not one of those people who insist sports aren't fandoms; anyone willing to spend hundreds of dollars a year on stadium tickets belongs in a fandom, and the UK is therefore a great place to visit. In London, there are (at least) four different football teams and games are shown at almost every pub. You can essentially watch a soccer game anytime you want. Many stadiums also offer tours, and all stadiums have a gift shop! If you're a soccer fan, the UK is the place to feed your addiction.

2) Olympics. In the same vein as soccer, some people are massive fans of the Olympics. The 2012 Olympics were held in Stratford, just outside of London, and you can go tour the area! Some of the stadium is closed for renovations until 2016, but the rest is currently open to the public and visitable. Furthermore, you can see some of the medals and the Olympic torch, which is kept in London's City Hall, by Tower Bridge on the Southbank.

3) Doctor Who. It's the show all generations of people love. Doctor Who recently celebrated its 50th anniversary. In Cardiff, Wales a Doctor Who Museum and set tour has been assembled for fans of the long-standing series to peruse. Fans of the Doctor Who spin-off series Torchwood should also go see the Roald Dahl Plass, where the Torchwood hub is marked and Ianto's Door, a memorial to a fictional character. You can also check out sites that appeared in the show, such as Cardiff Castle, Canary Wharf, and Trafalgar Square. Want more Doctor Who goodness? Check out fan forums for tips.

4) Literary love. If you're a fan of any English literature - Shakespeare, Victorian, Irish - there are tons of places you can visit in London. A replica of Shakespeare's Globe theatre stands on the edge of the Thames. The Fitzroy Tavern in Holburn offers literary pub crawls. Plaques all over London and Dublin detail the places favorited by writers and poets, or where they used to live and write. A certain cafe in Edinburgh boasts being the writing home of JK Rowling. For Victorian writers like Dickens, you can still see the same streets and landmarks that are mentioned in their stories! Do some research and check out the best sites!

5) Harry Potter! Remember how I mentioned JK Rowling earlier? The after effects of her works are visible all over London and the UK! In addition to visiting the famous Rowling cafe, you can head over to Platform 9 3/4 at King's Cross Station. Then, visit Leavesdon Studios (off of the Watford Junction train stop outside of London), where they filmed the movies. You can take guided walking tours of places either mentioned in the series or used in filming, including Borough Market in London and the Millennium Bridge. Get your wizarding nerd on with some Harry Potter love!

These are just my nerdy Brit-joys; research yours and enjoy the experience!

Christmas in London

AdminDecember 24, 2014December 17, 2018

By Jess Yacovelle

London as a city is obsessed with Christmas as a holiday. From the day after Halloween up until Boxing Day, London is decked out in Christmas spirit and cheer, even more so than in the United States. There is no question of political correctness and whether London is allowed to celebrate Christmas when not everyone does, and as a result, the city has transformed into a holiday wonderland. Here are the top five pre-December 25th London Christmas facts!

1) Everyone wishes you a Happy Christmas. Yes, London acknowledges that other religions and holidays exist, but Christmas has sort of become so separated from actual religion in England that it's perfectly normal to wish everyone a Happy Christmas regardless of their beliefs.

2) Decorations. Decorations are everywhere. Christmas trees pop up in shops and lobbies, tinsel and lights are hung across streets, and fairy lights decorate trees and bushes. For nearly two straight months, you can walk down Oxford Street or Chancery Lane and see near-constant decorations, and it is absolutely beautiful, especially at night.

3) Hyde Park. Northwest of Buckingham Palace is Hyde Park, a lovely large patch of grass and trees that stretches into Kensington Gardens. During Christmas, the southwest corner of Hyde Park is transformed into a Winter Wonderland carnival. There is a ferris wheel, carnival rides, ice skating, games, shops, and every type of fair food imaginable. It's free to get into, and absolutely worth attending, especially since Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens are gorgeous tourist destinations in and of themselves.

4) Winter markets. There are Christmas-themed markets hidden all over London, especially along the Thames. I've accidentally stumbled upon three thus far, and there are more I haven't been to yet. Some of these markets - like the one in front of the Tate Modern or by the London Eye - are temporary and not there for eleven months out of the year, so these holiday markets are truly a unique aspect of Christmas in London.

5) Everything is set to shut down Christmas Day. All of those markets and the Hyde Park fair that I mentioned earlier are completely dead on Christmas day. Theatre shows don't have performances, shops close, and public transit is much more limited. In fact, only nice restaurants offer Christmas dinners on December 25th, but you have to make reservations months in advance.

Bonus: Christmas TV specials. Yes, we do this in the states as well, but England as a whole has a tradition of creating new Christmas specials every year. From scripted shows like Doctor Who to comedy panel shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats, England produces new Christmas specials every single year. One of the better known panel shows that is released only at Christmas is The Big Fat Quiz of the Year, a show that is released once a year around Boxing Day, and one that I luckily got to see recorded live.