Finally home and it seems so different from the cool air of London!

The flight was extensively more comfortable then United Airlines. If I had to do it again, which of course I will at some point, I would fly Air Canada again. The screens on the seats were larger, the seats more comfortable, and the food was so very tasty.

Once arriving onto Oregon soil again I noticed many changes without even leaving the airport. I didn’t have to stand off to the side on the escalator because no one was trying to push past me! Many people also walked fairly slow, which was also different then the fast pace of the streets of London. Once stepping outside I noticed a clear weather change, as the hot air was muggy and unpleasant. However the one item that I missed was the CLEAN air!! There was hardly any cigarette smoke and it was lovely. I also miss the food, and how it actually tasted like real food, there are currently certain foods that I will not eat because it is not the same as the food across the pond.

Needless to say I will miss London, and I absolutely intend to go back as soon as possible!!

Week four brought many adventures and different cultural experiences!

While my time in the United Kingdom has shaped many of my opinions of Europe, my experiences in Paris has shed an entirely new light on my views of the surrounding culture. I was able to travel over to Paris for a period of 3 days; it is extensively different than that of England from its people, to food, and even to the types of living quarters. The people in and around Paris are extensively more friendly then the everyday Londoner, by this I mean that the locals actually respond to a hearty hello, or good morning on my part. In addition they also smile, instead of the opposing no smile or attention that you would receive from the people in London. It seems that the people around Paris are on a slower pace than the individuals in London and take the time to see and respond to things around them including my visiting self. Secondly to the people of Paris was their food that accompanied them. They have the most amazing crepes, and I have never tried a savory crepe or any real crepe, it was the most amazing item I have ever had the pleasure of eating. It would be a lie however to say that all of their food choices were pleasurable to all humans, Paris even with its good food, had an array of odd food items that were different than anything I have experienced or seen in London as well as in the state. For example cooked snail, I personally did not try this dish, however some of the girls that I travelled with had the pleasure of tasting it, as you can imagine it did not go well. The people of Paris seem to be adventurous in the food department and often served items such as snail off their menu. The last cultural item I noted while visiting Paris was the homes in which people lived in. Prior to visiting I had imagined Paris to have tall buildings lined with small outer flower pots lining their windows as I had seen so many times in films. It would please you to know that the films for once were correct in there depiction of what Paris living quarters were like. Immediately after exiting the train I found myself sighting tall buildings with these exact flower pots outside of almost every window, it gave the city an Italian aura and it was absolutely beautiful to witness. This was in high contrast to the sightings of London homes as I had anticipated stone cottages and vast rolling hills, only to find small stone homes (some metal), while most of the city had been modernized.

Although the city was breathtaking in certain areas I was unable to ignore the vile underground transportation system and how vastly different it was In comparison to London’s underground. The halls were filthy, as well as the walk ways and rail lines. It smelled of horrible body odor and many times I saw bodies occupying the empty space to sleep. It was apparent that the culture of Paris does not rely on public transportation as Londoner’s do and therefore the maintenance is slim to none. Overall I would have to say that both Paris and London have unique cultures that are positive in different ways and I am grateful to have been able to experience them both.

In the above image you can see the buildings in which were used as offices in the Ministry of Magic. This particular setting helped me see the amount of extremely fine detail that was put into the making of the films from its adaption of the novels. It went beyond the idea of basic material, and really outlined a 3D model of the imaginations that Rowling was trying to portray in her novels. I was awed mostly by this building because of the grandness it held in terms of size and color. When watching the films I had the impression that the buildings were merely green screen and they did an extremely good job molding it into reality. Obviously upon entering the Harry Potter tour you find that it was a real-life construction that took hours to make and was specially crafted as an effect for the film. Along with this idea that it allowed for furthering imaginations it showed a side to the organization of film making that truly stated the aim of the production. The director and following helpers were trying to create a real tangible world for the Harry Potter series and succeeded immensely.

PS The Harry Potter Tour was amazing!

Hello all!

I have learned many new items following British culture in my mere two weeks of attendance,you can see a different in speech and the written word all around the city in its people and signs. For example they use alternative words for insults, clothing, and phrasing such as knickers for panties. It is interesting to see the contrast in language as both the British and Americans speech English, however use different words for different meanings. You can see the roots of the linguistics’ and at what point the two split in history; it is more apparent being within the city.

British culture additionally has scenery of different that provides to its surrounding culture. The buildings in many of the neighborhoods, even though some are new and involve more modern looks, hold the structure of its original design. Some even have the old stones in which they were originally built as well. It gives London a sense of timelessness as some portion seems to have been stopped in the 18^th century, or even earlier. This is additionally seen in the British Museum and the artifacts that it holds. There are many pieces, not only from the Kingdom, but from all over the world that attribute to the culture and it’s since of timelessness and maintain an aura of medieval. The collection of artifacts plays into the intelligence of the people within the city as well. The British seem to value intelligence in the early years of its community. Museums are maintained and multiplied throughout the kingdom, and schools are required to send their students to their grounds. To this point it would seem that the British schooling system is substantially different, and clearly more defined.  Most general courses are accomplished in the early stages of school, and upon entering college fine focus their skills for future career. Schools in the area are of a higher degree, and are generally in the Ivy League range. The college courses do not contain lectures required for a grade or graduation, as grades are no longer distributed and examinations lasting many days determine whether a degree is given.  I find the system of the schooling for the British the most interesting, and would like the Americans to adopt the system. It is a strong portion of the British culture and the types of individuals it produces to the outside world.

The last item of the British culture that was intriguing was their view on alcohol. It is not forbidden to the younger portions of the community as all ages are allowed in at all times. It is also considered normal to go to the pub after work for a drink, or have a drink during dinner. In the British culture drinking is a social item of interest, not a method of becoming obnoxious as is “normal” in American society. Many things in British culture that are forbidden in American culture are made differently because they do not adhere to obnoxious behavior or try to “hide” like to younger generation. You can assume that the idea of adulthood is made known early on. Overall there are many items of interest that make up the British Culture that have shaped my perspective, however the journey continues in its quest to further my knowledge!

Life across the pond has been an adventure in the least! One of the most exciting of adventures was our class trip to Warwick Castle.

The Castle of Warwick showed the continuous nature of evolution in the realm of castle living, and lifestyle. It had the ability to capture an array of various time periods, from the Medieval Ages to the 18^th century. The castle housed multiple areas of what would have been common rooms, equipment, clothing, and furniture of the Medieval Ages. For example you are able to see the stables with the horse adorned in armor for battle. Additionally you are able to see that fireplaces and the use of candles are about to give light to clothing makers, and other people of the house. You are also able to see buckets for washing clothes.

Further into the house you see an upgraded version of the household containing portraits, armor, weapons, glass cups and sliver utensils. Still at this point you are able to see candles on tables, walls, and chandlers as a means for light. The walls are adorn with silk tapestry, and the ceilings are decorated in fine carvings. At this point the portraits have frames of gold that are artfully done, as well as grand fireplaces. In this version as well you can see the craftsmanship in the wooden walls, and pillars. Tubs were used within the rooms, as servants stood to pour water in them for the masters of the house.

Following along to the opposite end of the house brings you to more modern lights with the use of lamps. With this also brought the evolution of musical devices as a piano was placed in the home as well. Other rooms included a variety of books, and different cakes among groups of people enjoying a hand of cards. The bathrooms were in separate rooms and included a tub that could produce water on its own. The hall ways were decorated with smaller film created photo’s in black and white, with inclusion of war medals and other such important objects. The walls were of solid paper, thin with a printed view of floral.

P.S: I learned that the streets of London are named purposefully from the originally city gates. Some names even originated from times of the black plague.

Attempting to arrange plans so that my travel to London was efficient proved to be a harder task then anticipated. I not only packed my bag once, but three times more towards my impending flight, each time realizing that I need to take out items I really didn’t need. I also managed to go to the store 6+ times in need of items that I neglected to retrieve my first time around within 4 days of my flight out to London.

After getting to the Airport it would seem that the journey was still managing to be difficult. Getting through security for once had been easy, only taking a mere 15 minutes to complete. However when arriving at our gate my travelling partner and I learned we would not be seated next to one another on either of our flights, and had to sit in the middle both times next to individuals we didn’t know. With this too, I met a fellow of mindful cheer, that told me of his family and dreams of further travel. I learned he had two kids,  little  boy and a little girl, he was journeying to Lebanon to see his family for the first time in 5 years; he proved to be of excellent company.

Overall the workings, and flight towards London was  manageable, further pictures and stories of London are soon to come!

Courtney T.