BES Assignment 5: The East End

I was luckily placed at the Hoxton Trust for work, so the East End was not as unfamiliar to me as to others. For this assignment, I both enjoyed the walk, even though I completed it over multiple trips.

Whitechappel Art Gallery:

There is so much I could say about this gallery. First, I had no idea what I was getting into when I walked in. The first room I went into had a hallow tree trunk with gold leaf on every part of the inside. The reason for this eludes me, though. Two more exhibits that caught my eye were both deal with sex. The first was a video of an old French man talking about his sexual exploits of his youth. I didn’t quite understand this but I think it touches on a greater topic, of how sex is a lesser taboo topic on this side of the Pond. The second was a room with a about 15 televisions each playing a video of a group sitting around talking about their sexual exploits and planning others. Again, how this is art blows my mind. Some of the permanent exhibits were nice, and I would highly recommend this gallery to anyone who comes to London.

Number 18:

I thought that this was a unique house. I did not get the chance to go in the house, but I did have an appreciation for most of the houses around it. I enjoy the feeling of that area of London. It reminds me of a more industrial time, a time when London was nearer to its heyday.

Spitalfields Market:

The day I walked around Spitalfields was a Monday, so it was quite dead around the market. What I did notice was a lot of eating establishments. I deduced that a lot of people from the City must come up to this part of town during lunch or after work for something to eat. I also liked that it was a covered market. During my trips to markets, I disliked when it rained or was windy and there was no protection from the elements.

Brick Lane:

I went to Brick Lane twice, once with my boss and the other time on some Saturday night. The first, my boss and I had a meeting there, so after the meeting, she showed me around. Finally, she brought me to a bagel bakery and was telling me about how this is one of the oldest bagel factories in the cities. If I am not mistaken, it has Jewish roots. The second time I visited, the place transformed. A group of us went to a few bars and it was wild. It was unlike anything I have been to in the States. People were drunk but not belligerent. Everyone seemed to just be out for a good time, rather than to cause ruckus, which seems to be the goal at home. Also, the Kebabs at 2:15 are delicious!

Not on the tour, but a place I feel inclined to add is Hoxton Street. I work on that street and it has a flavor all its own. There are two bakeries, which if I worked full time there, I would frequent way too much. One has the best sweets, breads, and other goods, while the other has 2 bread puddings for a pound. There is also two cafés with a 12” pizza for £2.95 and down the road are two pubs, one that is open until 2 or 3 in the morning, and the other with an open rooftop. And of course, one can’t forget to mention that The Verve recorded Bitter Sweet Symphony on that street, where I can see the Hoxton Trust Community Park.

BES Assignment 4: Join an Organization

Urbano

Being assigned to join an organization was not an easy assignment for me to complete. I did find an organization that I joined, but I think it was out of the ordinary for a typical study abroad student. Nevertheless, I think I learned more in my organization than I ever could just from self-reflection or sitting in a class.

The organization I joined was a group called Urbano. Urbano is a group that acts as a liaison between businesses and rounds them up together for networking events. They hold two networking events a month, one a breakfast or lunch and the other a dinner event. They also offer information session concerning current events. I attended three events, because that was the maximum a guest could attend without paying the 75 Pound entrance fee. The first event was the most memorable and I got the most out of that event. The other two were just seminars to educate the members and most of the information was of little value to me.

To begin with the latest first, it was held on 10 April. It was held from 1:00pm until 5:00pm and it had to deal with putting in bids for a new build. What I could gather is that a new build is when someone wants to build something completely new. We looked at spreadsheets dealing with cash flow projections and occupancy minimums, along with other financial things. It was interesting seeing the spreadsheets, but a lot of the information went over my head. Afterwards, I met a few people and handed out my business card over tea (all of these events had free food!!)

The second event was nearly identical to the first, except that it dealt with changes that were coming into effect on the first of April. We had a speaker from Lambeth come in to explain the Bedroom Tax and the effects it will have on people. This was my least favorite of the three events. The tea was terrible and the sandwiches were stale.

The first event I went to was really the best. It was hosted at the Hard Rock Café near Hyde Park. In business casual, I showed up and was handed two drink vouchers. With that I was set loose on a room filled with professionals varying in age and occupation. There I met photographers, web designers, wealth managers, lawyers, hotel managers and countless other people. It was honestly a night to swap business cards, eat sliders and chicken tenders and get drunk, which every person in the room did. Some of the contacts I made there, I referred to work, so that was a plus too.

The reason why I joined this club was to work on my networking skills. At school, they always talk about how important networking is and I consider myself to be more than horrible at it. One of the objectives I wanted to complete after being in London was being more comfortable with talking to people in a business setting. Now, I am a little more comfortable and much more confident, to the point where I feel that in a room of strangers, I wouldn’t be the most awkward person there. 

BES Assignment 3: Interview

On the weekend of the 8^th of March, I went on my HOST visit to a small town near Dartmoor, near Devon. For this assignment, I interviewed the man who invited me into his house. His name was Ray Burd. First off, I want to express that he was a most gracious host and I am truly thankful that he let me into his house. I hope to do the same once I have a place of my own. Anyways, I sat down after dinner last night just to have a chat with him and to answer a few questions.

First, I just asked him about his childhood. He was born and raised in London. He had a younger sister and brother and an older sister. He was sent to an all boy’s school. When I asked him about playing sports in school, he said that at first they all played football, but once they got older, they were forced to play rugby. The reasoning behind this was because of space and numbers. He developed a great fondness for rugby, so much so that we watched two matches of the Six Nation’s during my time there. He does have a football team, Queens Park Rangers, which is his local team and one he still follows quite closely.

I asked him and his wife what it meant to be British. It was the most stereotypical response, one that I have gotten from most every Britain when I asked. First, they both sighed, looked at each other and then stammered, struggling to make words. Finally, Ray came out and said to be British is to persevere. He said that no matter what is thrown at a Brit, they will face it headstrong and struggle though. His wife chirped in that to be British means to have a stiff upper lip. They both agreed though that the British do have a lost sense of identity. They are looking for a place in the world because they need to cope with not being an international superpower anymore.

In keeping up with culture, we got talking about accents. He said that he quite enjoys all of the different accents you hear living in the UK; except for Liverpudlian: “They sound like a bunch of sods with socks in their mouths.”  

In his retirement, he and his wife bought a campervan. A month after getting this van (about six months into retirement) Ray and his wife took it to Spain and drove across the country for 6 weeks; sleeping, eating, and enjoying the countryside. He said now that he is retired, he can enjoy things like that more often. He also regularly plays tennis and golf, although this winter he was nursing a knee injury. Another of his favorite hobbies is to go down to the local pub. Now what I mean by local is only. However, this pub (which he brought me to) is about 650 years old, so he doesn’t really have the opportunity to say it is a bad pub, it has history on its side.

Talking to Ray was quite an experience. He gave me an insight to British life that I couldn’t get in London, and definitely couldn’t get from talking to someone with my age. He seemed to be typically British in every way and my weekend with him was relaxing and insightful. I hope to one day pass his generosity on to other foreign students. I know this will sound cliché, but I honestly think that one can learn so much by talking to older generations and that you should try to do so at every opportunity. 

12/4/12

Ok. Well it is now crunch time in the semester. Why I have not written since whenever is because mom and grandma came over. We spend last week in Paris and had a lovely time. I wish I could have written it down, but it honestly wasn't feasible.

I returned by bus from Paris which was lovely. I enjoyed sitting and listening to nothing, reading and thinking. Monday morning, I woke up early and met Will and Sarah Kelsey and showed them around town. We saw Camden Market, the Tower of London, Covent Garden and I took them to a port bar. I believe they had a good time.

This week work was quite busy. I had to not only catch up on things that I should have done last week, but I am in the process of making sure all of my work can easily be transferred over to whoever follows me, making the continuity of my work better. Then Wednesday night I went with Matt and Leah to meet Leah's boss, who invited us out for drinks. Super wonderful guy, but he kept us out later than anticipated. 

Thursday was class. We went to a Buddhist temple, which I really enjoyed.then I helped Matt prepare for an interview and then we watched The Hobbit. That was good except for the fact that it was so long. I was going to write last night, but I was just too tired.

This morning I got up and walked to Covent Garden, where I met a lady who was from Rochester. Talk about a small world. We chatted for a bit and then I started wandering around looking for a place to get a haircut. I ended up getting one, also a shampoo and condition. It was great. After that I relaxed until a group of us went out to dinner at a burrito joint. 

I am off now... in less than 5 hours to Berlin. I will be back on Monday, which hopefully I may be able to write a little. But if not, look for me Tuesday for information and pictures. Mind you, I have been missing everyone a lot lately. Ok...Tschüss

31/3/13

Day 3 with Mom and Grandma

Status: Better than yesterday

It is funny. It is sometimes hard to deal with these two. What I mean by that is that I have figured out life and they argue and then I argue. It has literally been so much fun though! Because at the end, we just tell each other to stop arguing and we do. Apart from slight disagreements, everything has run perfectly and it is like we haven't missed a step from each other. 

This morning we went to the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace. We got there early and got stands (get it? Like seats only we were standing) right against the fence. They were pretty all right stands. Mom got some great photos and I took photo's with grandma's camera. It lasted quite a while. One part that really confused us though was the part where the band started playing. They were the military band, in all the pageantry and they started playing a selected medley of Disney songs. They were "I Just Can't Wait to be King" and one that I can't quite remember by Elton John. 

We left a little early because we were all more than cold. We walked down the parade route towards Trafalgar Square. There, we popped inside of the National Gallery Cafe for a light lunch. Mom and I got scones and Grandma and I got tea (Grandma also got yogurt). We had some clotted cream on the scones. SO TASTY! We then went in and just saw some of my favorite paintings-- Monet's Lillypads; we also saw Van Gogh's Sunflowers 

These

After, we went and saw the National Portrait Gallery. Mom wanted to see the painting of the Duchess of Cambridge, Kate. 

Blah

We explored the West End more, specifically Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, and towards Covent Garden (but not Covent Garden). Mom and Grandma got some gifts at Cool Britannia, a giant tourist store. They both had a lot of fun just wandering and shopping. I will not spoil the surprises though :-X

After a quick nap by Mom and Grandma, we went to Drury Lane (like in the Muffin Man) to a Taylor Walker Pub. Mom and Grandma got a traditional roast and I got some bangers and mash. They both seemed to like it a lot. Grandma had a English beer, which she said was good. Mom and I had two drinks each and we ended up sitting there about 2 and a half hours. So that is good practice for when we go to Paris and dinner lasts about 3 hours. 

I put them to bed and hopefully they are well rested for tomorrow, so they don't fall asleep on the road like a bum! I think they will be very happy when they get home and everyone they come into contact with speaks good, proper English. 

Cheers, and I hope you all had a Happy Easter!

30/3/13

Day 2 with Mom and Grandma

Status: Still good.

The nice thing about having everyone on holiday is that you can get to bed a little earlier. I met them at 9:00, with the adapter so grandma could do her hair. I had a biscuit and some tea while we waited.

They both told me that they wanted to go to see the changing of the guards at Buckingham Palace, so I obliged them. The only problem was the guards didn't. During the winter, they only change the guards every over day. Today was an off day. So we will be going back tomorrow, hopefully early to get a good viewing point.

So we then took a bus down to wait in line for the London Eye. I would recommend that if you go to the eye, buy your tickets online, to save waiting in the queue. Nevertheless, we eventually made it to the Eye, which they both loved. It was great seeing their faces as they looked upon the entire city. I told them about the different sites, where we have been, where we will go, and places that I have been and won't take them. In the queue, we meet an Australian lady who was super nice and I talked to for a while, and a French lady with whom I also spoke.

The crowds were terrible on the walkway to the bridge, but we mustered through. Mom took some great photos of the Eye, Big Ben, and Parliament. Then, we got on the bus, went through some of the West End sights, like Trafalgar Square and Piccadilly Circus up to Camden Market. It was extremely cold again, but that didn't deter us. Grandma got what we have deemed (we as in my friends and I) deemed the best Fish and Chips in the city. Mom got some Macaroni and Cheese with 4 cheese and peppers I believe. Myself, I got a burger. This was not a normal burger though-- It was a camel burger. So now I have eaten camel. So you know.

We went back to the hotel for a rest because mom and grandma were quite exhausted. I had three pots of tea while they slept. At 6:45, we boarded a bus for Whitechappel, in the East End. Now why would I bring them to the East End at night? Am I crazy? A bit. But we needed to go to Tayyabs! If you recall, I wrote about it before. It was the Pakistani barbecue. Surprisingly, they both actually enjoyed it (I think). we got two types of lamb, two types of chicken, bread and lentils. They both gave it an 8 out of 10, which I think they were just being nice, but it still made me feel good!

Finally, we stopped on Holburn at a pub for some dessert. Mom and I shared a piece of chocolate cake with ice cream and hot fudge. It was amazing. I have had it before, but I loved it and wanted it again. We ate quick though because grandma was falling asleep at the table (typical grandma). It was a lovely day.

I hope that everyone at home has a wonderful Easter. I honestly would love to be home to spend the weekend with everyone. I will sorely miss Grandma's ham and seeing everyone. I really miss talking to everyone, telling stories and hearing them. I will be home soon enough though. Happy Easter!!

29/3/13 *UPDATED*

Day 1 with Mom and Grandma

Status: Good

So for the first day with Mom and Grandma, very good. We had a lot of fun and it was great seeing people from home.

I woke up at 6:30 (after going to bed around 2) and took such a miserable shower. I then took some money out of the cash point and hopped on the tube by 7:16 to head to Heathrow. The train ride took about 65 minutes. I had a book, so that made it tolerable, but it was still too long for that early in the morning. I meet up with th... FIRST! I got a nice cup of tea. I met up with them around 8:45, just to get back on the same exact train and ride literally all the way back the way I came. We put their luggage in my room and away we went.

We took a bus over to my work for breakfast. I can't believe that neither of them had a heart attack (they were close, believe me). On the bus, we were in the front of the upper deck. They couldn't handle getting so close to bicyclists and driving on the left. Once we got there, we ate at this cafe. We all got eggs, sausage, ham, toast, and fried toast. It was a solid breakfast to give us the energy for 12 more hours of fun (exaggeration, only like 8 or 10).

We looked at the garden and then took the 149 to London Bridge. They were surprised by the look of the bridge, but it gave us a great view of Tower Bridge. We went to Borough Market; Grandma was smitten. She loved it. It is mostly a food market, so she just started wandering. Even though she was exhausted, one couldn't wipe the grin off her face as she was looking at the cheeses, strawberries, flowers, and other foodstuffs. *Side note: at the stall with the rabbits-- there was a butcher chopping the heads off with a meat cleaver. Solid job. It reminded me of Grandma Connie and when she skinned that rabbit like she was a professional!

From there, we walked back across London Bridge to the Tower of London. We just walked around it and I told them some facts about it. Then, we walked across Tower Bridge, past the City of London City Hall, to a cafe. We got a coffee, which grandma isn't too fond of coffee here. Anyways, this coffee shop was right next to a PwC office. Then, we took the tube back to their hotel to get that settled. Mom and grandma both have problems understanding British accents over here, so I helped a lot with them checking in. After a solid break (and short nap by mom) we headed off to Canary Wharf.

We took the DLR, which is a train and has great views. We got dinner at this place on West India Quay. Grandma got chicken, I got a wild boar burger, and Mom got pork belly! It was nice sitting, talking and eating. They both actually loved their meals. I am trying to steer them into being adventurous  so I hope it works. Especially for tomorrow. I will tell you how that goes (Pakistani barbecue @ 7:45).

I brought them home by 8:30 and I assume that they passed out not long after that. I will be at there room a little before 9, so Iw ill be sure to tell you tomorrow all about our day. Sorry about no pictures!

***I forgot to mention! When we were getting on the tube at one point, Mom jumped in, then I followed. The beeps were going off and next thing I know, grandma didn't make it in the train. As we slowly pulled away from her, she looks so scared and sad. So mom starts going nuts worrying and I just start laughing because I know there is nothing that we can do. I go mom "Well, I have guided 4 people since coming to London. I have a 75% retention rate. Damn." So we got off at the next stop and waited for the next train. Luckily, she got on that train and we met up back with her. So we made a plan if it happened again. Back to 100%!