Break those Stereotypes

Bonjour All!

That’s my french greeting. When I first arrived in London I had a lot of pre-concieved notions because of the things you see on the media. Luckily I came here with an open mind to see the true London. I realized that it takes time for a place to expose itself to you. It is a slow process. However, within these two months I have found some great things about London as well as some annoying. *cough,cough* Cigarette smoke all the time in the street could be the annoying. In one of my classes we talked about the national identity in London and the first thing that comes to mind when I think of this is diversity. On one side there is the reserved side of London. I was riding on a train the other day on a trip outside of London and it was completely silent. No conversations, loud people on the cell, or crazy people mumbling to themselves. It was weird, but at the same time I have grown accustom to it. I settled down and read a book while listening to my music like a normal Brit. It wasn’t until the train was almost emptied that my American friend and I broke into immediate conversation. Had we grown used to this?

Travel tip: Always travel with some form of entertainment, a book is the best choice so it won’t get nicked. 

The other side is the embrace of different cultures. You can find things from all corners of the world here and that in itself has become a part of London. I have had steam buns from China town, jammed to reggae, fallen in love with French all over, tasted true Italian Gelato, and am going out to an Indian restaurant next week. I even found a concert for a DJ dog a mix of reggae and Mexican music.

Travel tip: Take risk and try things from all over the world.

All in all the heart of London lies in the people. Do you know there are a lot of people here. However, I am extremely blessed to be able to meet just fragments of London’s heart. They shall forever have left their imprint on my spirit and SOLS. ;)

Cheers!