How To Be a Real London Local: London Survival Guide

There are many "How To" lists that I can create about living in London and experiencing the city. There are so many differences between London and the U.S. I truly don't know where to begin. The closest city in the U.S. I can compare London to is New York, but like I previously said, there are still distinct differences that makes it hard to judge which city is better. After reading this "How To" list, you will be ready to walk through London like you own it!

Oyster Card - This is a London MUST! If you are a London student, you will be able to get a discounted monthly subway card. Even if you are visiting London for just a week, I would recommend purchasing a weekly pass because you can swipe in or out as many times that week as you want. Exploring London is an easy process after receiving an oyster card

Pound vs. Dollar - And I'm not talking about "lb" pounds! When you arrive in the airport, do not take pounds out of any ATM machine. The exchange rate in airports is much higher than in a regular bank ATM machine. I took out pounds before I left for London. I recommend this because I was able to purchase a cup of coffee or a sandwich at the airport. Don't use a debit card when you are abroad because criminals are easily able to steal your information. Call your bank and tell them you are traveling abroad so they know where you are.

Go to a Sporting Event - The Brits are passionate about English football. When I was abroad, I had the opportunity to take a tour of Chelsea Football Stadium, which was amazing. In order to attend a football match, you must sign up online to be a member of Chelsea Football Club. It is a 50 pound registration fee on top of the price of the tickets. Although expensive, this is a once in a lifetime experience!

Local Pubs - As you walk down the streets of London, you will pass by various pubs that have the same exact menu. If you take a turn off the beaten path in a small town in London, you will experience a local pub with a true British atmosphere. In any pub you visit, if you didn't order Fish and Chips and there wasn't live music, did you really go to a pub?

Shopping - If you really want to act like a local, don't go to Harrods. Yes, it is a great place to visit and see during Christmas time. However, if you're not a millionaire than the only thing you will be able to purchase is a cup of tea. Go to Portobello Road Market and stop in each mom-and-pop shop. You will be sure to find unique antiques and souvenirs. Below are pictures I took from Portobello Road Market.



Dry Humor - After working and interacting with pure-breed Londoners, I now understand their humor. Don't be alarmed if they are very sarcastic in a self-depreciating way. If they are poking fun at you, that's a good sign. I would join right on in with their version of fun.

Tea or Coffee - Living in the northeastern part of the United States, Dunkin Donuts has become my second home.  Now that I am working a full time job and taking a full course load in college, coffee has become my oxygen. It was quite difficult to adapt to tea. There is no such thing as a cup of coffee in London (unless you want to pay $7.00 for a grande at Starbucks). Cappuccinos and lattes are popular, but it's no cup of coffee. Switching from coffee to tea acted as a sort of cleanse for me. This is the perfect way to immerse yourself in British culture.

There you have it! The perfect "How to" successfully make your way through London. 

British Professors vs. American Professors

Now that I am pretty deep into my blog about London, I haven't even spoken about my classes or my professors. I was so wrapped up in exploring the city of London and other European cities that I forgot about school! Even though it seems like I spent most of my days in walking through Hyde Park or shopping on High Street Kensington, I took a full course load when I was in London. Since I attended a Fordham University program, I was required to take 5 classes. I had class 3 days a week with Mondays and Fridays off for traveling to other cities in Europe. Out of my 5 professors that I had while abroad, 4 of them were British. My British professors taught Investments and Security Analysis class (finance), Philosophical Ethics, Ethics in Business, and British Writers. All of these professors had similarities and differences to American style teaching.

To start off, the biggest difference between American and British schooling is the grade system. In America, anywhere between 90-100 is considered an A, 80-89 is in the B range, 70-79 is in the C range, and so on... In England, it is quite impossible to receive an A. The British professors did not believe in office hours, where students spend extra time with the professor if they are confused about a topic or want to go over a paper. The most time that one of those professors would spend after class is 15 minutes to briefly discuss any issues or questions that the students had. Despite their lack of enthusiasm towards students, these professors were extremely passionate about the subjects they taught. I truly believe that the culture in London is geared toward history and this plays a significant role in the style of teaching in the U.K.

My British Writers professor (I won't disclose the name) was the most passionate and inspirational professor I have interacted with abroad. He spoke with such poise and pleasure when our class discussions revolved around Shakespeare that he made me enjoy reading Macbeth. Although American professors have a significant amount of experience before they start teaching, it seemed evident that the English professors in the U.K. spent time working with famous playwrights and actors, such as Judy Dench, which proved their knowledge of British writers and their influence.

Not only is there a difference between the teaching styles in America and London, but there is a difference in the students. American students want the highest possible grade they can get. They don't think about what grade they deserve. All they want is a high GPA. On the other hand, British students want to learn and spend the time studying and really getting to understand the material being tested. I'm not saying that American students don't want to learn, but I am saying that they want to learn in the easiest way possible.

After having both of these experiences, I really can't say which teaching style I prefer. I do have to say that for me, I was taught by British professors in a class filled with American students. There were many other factors that affected my view of British vs. American style teaching. For example, some students weren't as focused on our classes since we were abroad and many were interested in traveling to as many countries as possible. I would love to sit down with one of my British professors and get to know their perspective on teaching a class of American students.

Oh The Places You'll Go

When my parents came to visit me in London, we decided to take a trip to a small town in London called Hampstead. Our neighbor in Connecticut has a daughter that lives in this town, so we reached out to her and got lunch at this darling pub called The Holly Bush. The 18th Century designed pub creates rustic atmosphere on the inside. With ornate etched glass panels and authentic wooden floors, the interior design creates a traditional England experience. The real fire burning displays a local nostalgia for visitors. Hampstead is one of my favorite places in London to visit because it is a quiet, serene, and quintessential England town in the middle of the hustle and bustle of the city. This town was exactly what I imagined England to be like.

I wanted to quickly talk about The Holly Bush because it is one of the many things that my favorite blogger and I have in common. Whenever I look for inspiration, I look no further than one of my favorite London bloggers A Lady in London. Her story is very similar to the path I want to take in my life. She left the corporate finance world and decided to pursue what she was truly passionate about: travelling and writing. She is an expat who uses her blog to describe her transition from America to the UK. Everything about her blog reminds me of London. The way she designed her blog, the color scheme, and the way she writes each post illustrates what life in London is actually like. When I was reading her blog and saw her post about Hampstead, a smile radiated on my face. I was so excited to see that one of her posts was about this lovely England town.

Reading her post about Hampstead has opened my eyes to what this little village has to offer. I've only visited Hampstead a few times during my time in London and spent most of the day on High Street, window shopping and grabbing tea at local cafes. I didn't know that the true charm of Hampstead was off the beaten path. She wonderfully laid out all of the enchanting sites to see that a tourist wouldn't be looking for. For example, she writes in her blog post that there is a tiny museum called the Fenton House tucked away in around the corner from High Street. Like the rest of Hampstead, the vibrant colors of the house attracts guests to walk down the classic England location. This post alone has made me wonder about all the places I didn't see during my time in London.

Overall, I believe that her blog is a great representation of London and what the city means to an American. After her first year of blogging, she wrote a piece discussing how Thanksgiving is celebrated every Sunday in London. Sunday Roast was a tradition that she had to adapt to. In the blog, she posted pictures at The Holly Bush of the Sunday Roast that she ordered. Although her posts may be short, they have detail and personality. She knows how to captivate an audience through her blog. I haven't met her, but reading her posts allows me to see a glimpse of her expat life. 

Bring Back The Beatles

Remember my post regarding The Beatles and how these amazingly talented men changed music forever? Well, I wanted to follow-up on my post We Love Them, Yeah Yeah Yeah... Everyone is always saying that Wikipedia posts are constantly being edited and revised. I wanted to see if this was accurate. I visited the webpage that had the post on Popular Music in London, and nothing was changed. It was exactly the same. Honestly, I was and wasn't surprised at this. I hoped to see some more excitement about The Beatles and some other artists that changed the face of music in the 1960s, but people in our generation don't understand the hype and hysteria over the band. Youth today can't listen to an entire song without getting bored. Additionally, music today sounds exactly the same. Take for example Taylor Swift. Originally country artist, now pop singer, sweeping the nation with her blonde hair, red lipstick, and long skinny legs. All of her songs sound exactly the same: same rhythm, music, and sometimes lyrics. This never happened with The Beatles. Every single song is incredibly unique and sends a different message to the audience. This band created a music revolution that is still going on today. I can't compare one band today with The Beatles. I may feel more strongly about this than others because my mother has been obsessed with The Beatles since I can remember. She told me stories about how their lyrics helped her get through difficult times. She taught me how to connect with the music and truly listen to the message of each song. Unfortunately, music today is raunchy and isn't really "music". My taste in music is classic rock and slow, relaxing music such as The Kooks or La Rocca. Sometimes it's fun to listen to crazy dance music. But those songs don't mean anything. I believe that music has the power to bring people back to life and happiness. If that's what The Beatles did for my mom and millions of others, I know it can happen to me one day.

This is a video of the way women and men acted when they were around The Beatles. The craziness happens at 1:20.

How can people bring back The Beatles today? Is there a way to show the youth of America how their music impacted the songs of today?

London vs. Europe

I wanted to follow-up on a previous post regarding the Pros and Cons to London. I spoke about my favorite aspects and my not so favorite aspects of the city. In addition to this, I wanted to speak about how London compares to the other cities I visited in Europe. When I was abroad, I travelled to 11 cities in 10 countries. It was quite a lot to handle in a matter of 4 months. I definitely saw differences between London and the cities that I visited in Europe. For example, the city of London is completely English speaking, while the other cities I visited were native speaking cities. Just this little difference made my experience in each city vastly unique. I had to learn how to adapt to the culture of Prague, Budapest, Paris, and Venice in a matter of a couple of days. I didn't want to embarrass myself in these cities, so I had to observe the way people acted around me to learn how they ordered food or asked a local for directions. In London, I felt like I could go up to anyone and just ask where to go and they would point me in the right direction. The city that I had the most trouble with translations was Munich, Germany. Purchasing tickets for the subway system in Munich from the airport took years off of my life. Not one person I asked knew English or even had a clue what I was talking about. That's why I loved London so much: I don't speak any other languages, so finding my way around the city was quite easy and accessible as a foreigner. Language was one of the hardest barriers I had to overcome when traveling through European cities.

Another difference between London and the cities I visited was the food. I have to say, the food in London gets quite boring and is the same in every pub you go to. I loved how unique the food was to each city. In Paris, all I ate were Croque-Monsieur sandwiches. In Venice, I had the freshest pesto pasta I could ever imagine. In Budapest, I ate goulash soup for the first time ever (and it was amazing). I think if I had one more steak and ale pie in London, my mother wouldn't recognize me. I wish the cuisine in London was more exotic and diverse. The people are certainly diverse, but the food tended to be consistent throughout the city. It was either meals that I could find in New York or pub food. Europe is great in the way that each city's food is specific to the culture, which I didn't find to be the case in London.

Although London has many amazing aspects that attract so many visitors to the city, Europe has a rustic and authentic feel that London is beginning to lose. I think that this has to do with the fact that many U.S. business firms are focusing on the global mindset. Many firms are transitioning their national office to the U.K. This blend of cultures would never happen in Rome or Prague, where there is so much history ingrained in the surrounding area. There is so much magic in the architecture and beauty of Europe that London and the U.S. will never gain.

What's Going On in London This Week?

The only people that I knew in London were my Fordham friends who were studying abroad with me. I had no distant relatives or family friends who I could ask, "what fun things can I do in London this week?". The first weekend that I was in London, I didn't know where to go or what to do. My friends and I did some research and found two amazing websites that were great for exploring the city during the day and night.

For those of you who are interested in museums, tours, and historical attractions, Visit London is a wonderful source for foreigners to use as a London guide. This website will tell you which museums to visit, what hotels to stay in, where to buy cheap tickets for Broadway shows, and what is going on in London during the week you are visiting. I would say that this website is for the older crowd who aren't into the night life scene. For those interested in night life and fun, trendy things to do in the city, Time Out London is the place for you. This website will tell you which pub crawls are the most popular, which bands are in the city and where they are playing, and what clubs to go to.

The Visit London webpage is set up for an older, more sophisticated audience and is very easy to navigate. I found it useful for visiting museums and quirky historical events happening in the city. This website is very family oriented and is a great resource to use if you are bringing small children to London. If you are on a tight budget, there is even a section for free events to do in London!

The main page describes what the site has to offer, "There are so many things to see and do in London every day. Here is our pick of the best things to do in London this weekend, including hot new shows, exhibitions, and family events". 

The Time Out London webpage was perfect for students my age because of the contrasting colors on the webpage that catches the reader's eye. This website was full of fun and exciting events for the younger generation, such as rooftop film clubs and must-do events during all the seasons of the year. Some of the titles of articles on this website include, "The Best New Bars and Pubs in London",  "London's Best Rooftop Bars", and "Ten Bars for a Quiet Tipple". This website provides fun events for any type of young person visiting London.

I would definitely check out both websites before jetting across the pond to have the ultimate adventure of a lifetime!

The Royal Baby 2.0 Christening

Today was such an exciting day across the pond! Prince William and Duchess Catherine Middleton's first daughter, Princess Charlotte, was christened. I have been following the royal family religiously since William and Kate got married in 2011. I believe that Kate is an inspiration to all women. She came from a common family, met Prince William at university, fell in love, and had to learn to walk the walk and talk the talk in Buckingham Palace. I couldn't imagine the pressure she felt from the people of England. She went from living a normal life to living a royal life. She's truly making Princess Diana a proud mother.

There are two exciting days for Londoners when a royal baby is born: the day of birth and the day of the christening. When both Prince George and Princess Charlotte were born, the way that William and Kate presented their children to the world were very similiar. On both of the days that their children were born, William and Kate came outside the hospital wing and greeted the world with their newborns for a couple of minutes and drove off in their black Range Rover to spend the rest of the day in private. As for the day of the christening for both children, the ceremonies were quite different.

Here is a video of the way Prince George was presented on the day of his christening:

Here is a video of the way Princess Charlotte was presented on the day of her christening:

As you can see, these presentation were drastically different. Princess Charlotte was christened in St. Mary Magdalene Church, 110 miles north of London, where Princess Diana was baptized in 1961 and where she was buried in 1997. Prince George was baptized in St. James' Palace in central London. For Princess Charlotte's ceremony, tourists are allowed to share the occasion with the royal family by standing near the wooden-arched gate of the church. For Prince George's ceremony, tourists were pushed up aganist the doors of St. James' Palace.

It seems like Princess Charlotte's christening was a much more intimate ceremony, located far away from central London in a place that is close to the family's heart. I'm still wondering why the royal family hasn't shown an up-close picture of Princess Charlotte like they did with Prince George at the christening. Is it because they have a girl? Does the royal family want to keep Princess Charlotte close and safe because this is the second girl related to the family by blood after Princess Diana?

Please comment below with your thoughts!