This is my fourth day on the study abroad trip, and so far we have visited London! There are several cultural differences between the United Kingdom and the United States. It was strange to see people driving on the left side of the road and the steering wheel on the right side of the car. Additionally, in the U.K. street signs are often attached to the sides of buildings, especially in older towns and cities, but in the U.S. they’re usually found on poles at street corners, making navigation feel quite different. From a language perspective, British English often sounds more formal or polite compared to American English. For example, you’ll hear phrases like “mind the gap” instead of “watch your step”. British culture values biodegradable or reusable dining supplies that are better for the environment, but in the United States we are accustomed to plastic, disposable dining that creates more waste. We have seen so many historic and beautiful sites including Oxford University, Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the London Bridge, Elizabeth Tower, and Notting Hill. I learned that Oxford University is made up of 39 colleges. It is the oldest university in the English-speaking world. Notting Hill was one of my favorite places with shops, restaurants, and colorful houses. A movie called Notting Hill was based on that area of London. On Sunday a group of students went to Hillsong Church which had a powerful worship service and message. While riding the bus, the view out the window was beautiful, with rolling hills and green countryside. I learned how to take the tube to travel around town, which was a little confusing at first but after a while I became more comfortable with it. We did two bike tours in London, one during the day and one at night! Both were very interesting and I was able to learn something new on both tours. We visited several businesses including Design Bridge and Partners, Chelsea Football Club, and Lloyds of London. From a global business perspective, I didn’t feel like things were much different than in the U.S. In fact, Design Bridge and Partners, and Lloyds do business with major international companies and celebrities that are popular and well known in America. Our tour guide at Design Bridge and Partners actually went on this same Marketing trip in 2007 but now works for them as a Senior Creative Reputation Manager. Some other fun experiences we had included going on the London Eye that overlooked the city! There are 32 capsules on the London Eye, representing the 32 boroughs of London. One night, I saw the musical, Mamma Mia, which was really good! The actress that played Donna had an amazing voice! From this opportunity, I hope to gain knowledge not only about the history of the United Kingdom, but the other five countries we will be visiting. I hope to grow both academically and personally by putting myself in a different environment and around different cultures.
