Shocked by Culture Shock

Nearly every travel guide out there will tell you that there are several stages of culture shock. The more time you spend away from home, the harder culture shock will hit you, blah blah blah. For some reason, I thought I was immune to culture shock. I’ve traveled internationally, I’ve been exposed to British culture through different forms of media, and I’ve spent plenty of time away from home before. Culture shock can’t hit me! I’m super-traveler!

I was quite wrong.

Wikipedia describes culture shock as “a term used to describe the anxiety and feelings (of surprise, disorientation, confusion, etc.) felt when people have to operate within a different cultural or social environment, such as a different country or a different state”. That seems pretty accurate for Wikipedia, seeing as I’ve felt a lot of things since I arrived in London three weeks ago. I spent the first week or so in the “honeymoon stage”. I wanted to get out and do and see everything that this city has to offer. Homework? That can wait, let’s go to the Tower of London! That club is a fifteen minute walk from the tube? That’s totally worth it, they’ve got the best DJ in the city!

Naturally, I’m exhausted right now. Tiring yourself out in the first few days is probably the best way to enter stage two of culture shock, the “hostility stage”.

I feel like the term “hostility” is a bit strong, considering how I feel right now. I still love London, and I’m definitely not ready to go back to the states, but there are some things that frustrate me about being here. Things are expensive, in between school and travel plans I never feel like I have enough time for everything I want to do, and I still can’t find anywhere to get my eyebrows waxed (seriously, it’s getting out of hand).  I guess the thing that I’m most frustrated with is being so far away from the people I love. I want to share my experiences with them. However, I’ve been blessed with a great group of people to live and study with here in London, which makes this whole “hostility period” much easier. I’m not hostile, just a bit sad, particularly because the Reading Room of the Victoria & Albert Museum (where I happen to be writing this post) keeps playing songs that remind me of the states.

Of course, I’m still having an amazing time here. I’ll leave you with some highlights of the last few weeks.

I took a tour of Parliament with my classmates on Monday morning. Honestly, I didn’t think that “common folk” were allowed in Parliament. My experiences with American government buildings has been limited, and mostly experienced from the outside. Apparently anyone can come in and have a chat with their local Member of Parliament or attend a debate. The building alone is a work of art, and yet someone let me on the floor of the House of Commons. I call that government transparency at its finest. Congress, take notes.

I did the ultimate tourist thing and took a ride on the London Eye last week. My friends and I went at night when the city was all lit up and ready to party (well, as hard as you can party on a Wednesday night). The views were gorgeous enough to distract me from my fear of heights, which probably means that I’m not afraid of heights anymore. Here are a few of my favorite shots of the night.

Last Saturday I saw Zach Braff’s new play All New People at the Duke of York’s Theatre. I went on my own, which is a theatre first for me. As much as I enjoy discussing a play after I’ve seen it with others, it was nice to just take it in and digest the work on my own. The play was a funny, yet poignant portrayal of life as a young person in such an isolating age. As this was Braff’s first play, there were some things that he still needs to work on and some writing choices that I didn’t agree with, but overall I enjoyed the show and would recommend it to theatre fans in London in the next two weeks, particularly if you are a fan of Braff’s work. I also got to meet Braff at the stage door after the show! He was really great with his fans, making sure to sign everyone’s program/Scrubs DVDs/Marks & Spencer’s voucher. 

I leave for a weekend in Amsterdam bright and early tomorrow morning. It’s high time for a change of scenery.

A Weekend in London

It appears that I am in London. I’m not entirely sure how I got here but I have a feeling that I watched Downton Abbey on the way. That’s not entirely important. What’s important is what I’ve been up to for the last few days, and that’s what I’m here to blog about.

(It’s occurred to me that “to blog” wasn’t a verb fifteen years ago. What a strange, strange world we live in.)

I arrived on Thursday slightly delirious. I did manage to get some sleep on the plane, but that didn’t make the tube ride from Heathrow and the journey from the tube stop to the flat with my fifty pound bag any easier. Regardless, I made it and unpacked my stuff in time to take a quick nap before our tour of the neighborhood. South Kensington is absolutely lovely. Almost everything I need is an easy walk from our flat in quaint little shops. After the tour, my friend and I had an awesome dinner at Nandos  and spent the rest of the evening recovering from jet lag.

Friday was spent in orientation and shopping for the essentials: food, a cell phone, and a hair dryer. On Saturday my flatmates and I went on a tour of the city. We hit the major tourist attractions that we could see on foot: Hyde Park, Buckingham Palace, Clarence House, Big Ben, Westminister Abbey, Parliament, The Globe, Tower Bridge, etc. It was a lot of fun, and definitely helped me further develop my list of things I want to see before I leave. We actually arrived at Buckingham Palace in time to see the tail end of the guard change. I saw the guard change during my first trip to London when I was ten, but I don’t think I could appreciate the uniformity and precision of it until now. I’ll have to see the full routine one of these days.

This city is so beautiful. It’s such a modern city, and yet it’s so impossibly old. I’m surprisingly feeling very comfortable here which says…something about me. I’m really looking forward to the next ten weeks, and taking you all along with me.

I’ll leave you with some pictures from our walking tour, featuring the infamous gray London sky.

A Few of My Favorite Things: Philadelphia’s Old City

One of the biggest and most important aspects of travel is getting out there and doing things: going off the grid, finding the places and things you like most about the city you might find yourself in at any given moment in time. This is why I’m starting a new series on this blog, appropriately named “A Few of My Favorite Things”. As I travel to new cities, or discover neighborhoods a bit closer to home, I plan to list of my favorite things about these places on this blog as a way to keep track of my experiences for myself and to send some travel recommendations your way. Sound good to you? Let’s get crackin’ then!

Yesterday I received a surprise visit from my parents, which was just lovely. Mom called me right after I woke up (around 1 PM, mind you) to ask if I wanted to go for dim sum in Chinatown. I didn’t really have anything on my plate for the day other than a self-imposed mandatory viewing of the Grammys (I just couldn’t keep away), and I can never resist dim sum, so I took her up on the offer. I also just like hanging out with my parents. I know, I’m an anomaly in the cross-section of young adults.

After brunch, we decided to visit an art gallery in Old City where one of my mom’s friends was showing her work. It was lovely, but unfortunately the name of the gallery has escaped me. I realized that a boutique I had visited over the summer was just around the corner and dragged my parents over there. That boutique was Smak Parlour on 2nd and Market, right next to the historic Christ Church. From the display windows, the store looks a bit like Nicki Minaj’s closet, but inside it’s a marriage of sophistication and girly fun. Smak Parlour has a little bit of everything a girl could want, from bright blue frilly strapless dresses to smart skirts and cardigans for the office. I got a little bit of both to add to my wardrobe for London. Smak Parlour also sells unique jewelry pieces such as earrings made out of LPs and Abraham Lincoln cameo necklaces. If you can’t make it to their Old City location, you can order plenty of their adorable pieces online!

On another occasion, my parents and I had an excellent mid-week dinner at Cuba Libre at 10 S. 2nd Street. I have a thing for restaurants that transport you to another world. It may have been a cold night in Philadelphia, but while sitting in the tropical courtyard-style dining room at Cuba Libre, I could have sworn I was in Havanna (or at least what I imagine Havanna to be like, as I have never been there – file that under more reasons to move to Canada). The atmosphere was incredibly relaxing, which was just what I needed after a long week of university classes. The food didn’t disappoint; I had the paella de mariscos, which was phenomenal. The prices are a bit steep for a college budget (hence why I went on my parents’ tab), but if you’re willing to save up, it’s definitely worth the trip.

Now, when I went to Old City the other day on my own, I realized that there were few places for me, as a single diner on a budget, to eat. When I felt as if all hope was lost, Margherita Pizzeria on 2nd and Chestnut appeared to me just like the star in the desert lead the shepherds to the baby Jesus. Religious metaphors aside, this place is great if you’re looking for a pre-bar crawl slice or when you’re simply on the run like I was.

Finally, one of my favorite things to do in Old City (or perhaps in Philadelphia in general) is to see a film at the Ritz. The Ritz Five and the Ritz East house the films that I can’t find at my local movie theatre/the films that I actually want to see. I went to the Ritz Five the other day alone to see The Artist and it was an incredible experience. The film was great, the theatre was comfortable, and I was in the company of people who truly love film, which makes all the difference in my movie-going experience. Of course I didn’t realize this at the time (as usual), but you can save money on tickets if you’re a student! Tickets are $7.25 with a student ID with the exception of Sundays and Holidays.

With all of these awesome places attracting a younger crowd, Old City proves that it’s anything but. I plan to spend plenty of time there in my last few weeks in Philadelphia, and even more when I return in the summer.

Enjoyment

Blog, I have been ignoring you, and for that I am truly sorry. To be fair, I’m not where I thought I would be when I started this blog a few months ago, so I’m now in the process of figuring out what to do with this thing. It’s time to be honest with y’all. When I created this blog, I was seriously considering transferring to a different university. I was unhappy with how my freshman year had gone and I wasn’t sure if I wanted to stay in the major I chose when I applied to this school. I started this blog as a way to chronicle my transfer process and the transition once I got to the new college of my choice. Upon returning to school, I realized that I didn’t want to leave and wanted to find ways to make the most of my university experience, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing when I haven’t been blogging.

So, here’s what you need to know about my life right now.

In 58 days I’m going to London to study abroad for ten weeks. I’m incredibly excited and incredibly nervous. Luckily, I’ll be joining several of my high school friends over there, which makes me much more comfortable to go over there. It’s always nice to have some familiar faces when you’re in a relatively unfamiliar place. I’m excited to travel and see everything that London has to offer. I’ll probably spend a fair amount of time stalking British TV stars. Probably not. Ok, I totally will. It’s been ten years since I was last in the UK. It’s time to get back.

While I’m waiting to go to the UK, I’m taking five pretty difficult classes. It probably wasn’t wise to load up on classes while I’m preparing to leave the country, but it was the only way I could stay on track to graduate. Two literature classes in one term is not exactly the best idea, but it had to be done. I feel like a lot of the university process, or at least my experience with it, is waiting. You wait for summer, in my case at least you wait to go on study abroad, you wait to get a job, you wait to graduate. I feel like I need to stop waiting and enjoy the moment. Of course, that’s easier said than done when you have a fair amount of planning to do.

I’ve also been participating in the Channel 4 New Year Revolution for much of this month. The little challenges I get every day have really helped with the whole “staying in the moment” goal. You can check out my videos and posts on the challenges on my YouTube channel and Revolution page.

I’m going to go enjoy the moment by finishing my chicken tikka masala and heading over to choir practice now. You are all wonderful people. I hope you know that.

Home

Things I Like About Being Home:

1. Food, for the most part. Mom’s been on another health kick lately, so the refrigerator is full of almond milk and old oatmeal. This is a good thing, since my diet at school consists mostly of microwavable meals from Trader Joe’s (nom) and spaghetti. Being home also usually means that I’m going to visit family in the near future, which means I get to gorge myself on whatever that family member or the restaurant we decide to go to is serving. And that is usually quite good.
2. Being able to see the stars at night. I think I kind of took advantage of that privilege when I was in high school. I never really noticed how amazing a clear night can be until I moved to the city where the night sky is constantly blank.
3. My dog, Teddy. He’s kind of the best. If you ever have the opportunity to adopt a cockapoo (cocker spaniel and poodle mix), take it.
4. Tea. And lots of it.
5. My car. I really enjoy the freedom of being able to drive wherever I want. I love public transportation, but it’s very limited in Philly. Having the freedom to drive to the mall without worrying about walking through a sketchy neighborhood or getting dropped off five miles from your final destination is the best.
6. Coffee shops galore! Sure, there are hundreds in Philly, some just a few blocks from campus, but again, they’re a hassle to get to. The ones in my hometown are easy to get to and I feel super comfortable working in them. Milkboy Coffee and the Gryphon Cafe are my two homes not so far from home.
7. Netflix on my Wii. I don’t often watch Doctor Who on an actual television, but when I do, it is glorious.
8. High school friends.
9. My parents.
10. My baby grand piano. I only really play it when I’m alone in the house (self-consciousness for the win), but I really love it. It looks beautiful, sounds beautiful, and is beautiful.

The Worst Return to Blogging Ever Written on the Face of the Internet

In the last 48 hours I’ve been reminded both of how awesome life can be and how much it can suck. Particularly, the very level of suckage it can reach.

One of my floormates passed away a few days ago, very suddenly and very tragically. Yes, I’m ok (for the most part), thanks for asking. I spent the last two days with my friends and my mom, going to shows, going out for meals, and just basically doing anything to distract myself. And it’s been really helpful and I’m so thankful for the wonderful people in my life.

If anything, this has been a lesson in immediacy. You know, just doing what you want to do instead of putting it off forever. You only have so much time on this earth, why spend it doing something you don’t want to do?

It’s more difficult than that, though, especially when you haven’t a fucking clue what you want to do. Life does take a fair amount of contemplation. You can’t fly by the seat of your pants forever.

As I’m writing this I see that it’s an utterly horrible way to return to blogging and that this blog (or at least the three posts currently on it) is totally depressing. That’s not what I wanted at all. I want this blog to be fun and upbeat, but still thought-provoking.

And not all about me, for God’s sake.

So, that is what it’s going to be. Although, I’m having trouble defining just how it’s going to be that. So, that’s where I need your help. What do you want to see from me?

I’d love to write more about travel and the arts and whatnot, even if it’s just local travel, or mind travel (eat that shit up, hipsters). So, how do I go about doing that? If you have any suggestions or any topic requests or anything at all to say, please let me know in the comments. I want this shit to be interactive, yo.

The Post 9/11 American Girl Doll

Whenever the time comes for American Girl to make a new historical doll set at the turn of the 21st century, they should totally base that doll off of my 9 to 10 year-old-self.

I’m not trying to say that I was the perfect representation of the average American girl at the time. But my life did follow the natural progression of an American Girl book series. Each doll had their own series of books, each book featuring the same theme as those of the other dolls to show how they were each similar and different. I could certainly find a way to fit moments of my young life into the themes of these books.

Meet Charlotte – Meet me! I’m fun! And 9 years old!

Charlotte Learns A Lesson – Math is designed specifically to make me cry.

Charlotte’s Surprise – We’re moving to Pennsylvania! Yay?

Charlotte Saves the Day! – A book of blank pages.

Of all of the books in my non-existent American Girl line, I think the most important would be Changes for Charlotte. My life as a 10-year-old almost seems too much like a cookie-cutter American Girl Changes For… book. In these books, some major event (bringing a family of former slaves back together, trapping season) in the featured girl’s life coincides with a major event in American history (the end of the Civil War, Manifest Destiny, etc.). For me, these two events were my move to Pennsylvania and 9/11.

The first few days at my new elementary school were all right. My teacher was nice, I met a few nerdy girls who unfortunately were not in my class, and I was starting to get the hang of things around there. I was particularly looking forward to going back to my old neighborhood in New Jersey to celebrate my 10th birthday with my friends. I mean, I was having a freaking gymnastics party. How cool is that?

I don’t remember much of my school day on 9/11. It was awkward and unremarkable like the rest of those early days. Everything seemed all right until I noticed that my dad was home early from work. And my parents had made chocolate pudding. You know something’s up when the Dows break out the pudding.

Mom and Dad sat me down at the kitchen table and we dug into our pudding. They explained what had happened earlier in the day as calmly as they could, given the situation. They’d had a few hours to process it by then and I applaud the way they handled breaking the news to me. Had I found out on the news or at school, I would’ve panicked. At that point a good portion of my family was working or living in Manhattan. My aunt was actually one of the survivors of the first attack on the World Trade Center in 1993. The fact that my parents weren’t panicking told me that everyone in the family was safe and that I could rest relatively easy.

I remember feeling a lot of emotions when I heard the news. I was mostly annoyed. How dare such a tragedy occur two days before my birthday? Once that wore off (it didn’t), I was worried. The first words I said to my parents after they broke the news to me were “I hope this doesn’t start a war”. In other news, yes, I am psychic.

More emotions followed in the next few days: relief that my family was OK, grief for people I didn’t know and a place I’d never been, confusion, the works. Mostly I just continued on with my exciting 10-year-old life, not thinking much about it because I didn’t want to.

And yet, every year on this day, I feel so attached to the event. Not because I knew anyone who died in the attack. Not because I was there. But because that day represents a very challenging, confusing, and upsetting time in my life.

I moved to Pennsylvania from a small suburb in New Jersey that just happened to be about 45 minutes outside of New York City. My parents and I went to the city often to see Broadway shows, visit family, and occasionally be big fat tourists. That was my city, is still my city. Leaving was difficult enough. Seeing the centerpiece of the skyline go up in smoke was almost too much to bear. It didn’t seem real at all. Sometimes it still doesn’t.

But back to the Changes. What followed that day were some difficult years of trying to find my place in a new school and town. My family and I were very much outsiders to the community. My parents didn’t meet and marry at Penn State, we weren’t the third generation of country club members in our family, and my mom worked. It was difficult to break into the crowd to say the least. Eventually we did. We carved out a place for ourselves in this community. My parents worked hard to hide their Long Island accents and people started calling my mom Catherine instead of Cathy. Our post 9/11 world was drastically different from our pre 9/11 world. And while I wouldn’t trade the life I have now for anything, I just wish that it hadn’t come at such a hard time for the country. The stress of my own little world was enough to handle.

American Girl would never publish that book. Way too depressing.

Thus ends everything I’ve wanted to say about 9/11 for the past 10 years but haven’t had the balls or the emotional depth to until now. Yes. That sentence makes sense.