This was my report on my placement for my internship seminar, a class where 9 of us students met once a week with a professor to reflect on our experiences in a British workplace. I thought it would give a good idea of what I've been doing at my internship.
Introduction
My time studying and working in London has posed questions I never could have expected and provided answers in ways I never knew possible.
I. Workplace Profile
Tower Hamlets Education Business Partnership (THEBP) is dedicated to serving the primary and secondary schools of the Borough of Tower Hamlets and providing them with volunteering schemes. THEBP’s role is “to encourage the public and private sectors to work with schools in Tower Hamlets on a range of projects designed to raise achievement and provide pupils with opportunities to improve their work related skills” (www.thebp.org). THEBP was established in 1991 and is a member of the National Education Business Partnership Network (NEBPN). The NEBPN is the umbrella organization for 126 Education Business Partnerships across 11 regions in England.
The Borough of Tower Hamlets in London’s East End is about 8 square kilometers but houses a quarter of a million people. Tower Hamlets includes the areas of Spitalfields, Bethnal Green, Bow, Stepney & Wapping, Poplar, Canary Wharf, and the Isle of Dogs. Though the City of London is nearby, Tower Hamlets is one of the poorest boroughs in the UK. THEBP employees often brief their volunteers with these statistics on Tower Hamlets: 66% of Tower Hamlets pupils qualify for free school meals against a national average of 18% while 64% of Tower Hamlets pupils speak English as a second language. The borough is inhabited largely by Bangladeshi and Pakistani populations.
From personal conversations with THEBP coworkers and a volunteer at one of the events, I learned that the other Education Business Partnership branches are smaller than THEBP and provide less support for their schools and volunteers. Because THEBP serves such a disadvantaged borough, the office receives much more money from sponsors than other branches. As a result, THEBP staffs about 20 employees, of whom about two-thirds are full-time while the rest are part-time or contractual. THEBP’s Board of Directors includes persons from Lloyd’s Community Programme, London Borough of Tower Hamlets, Merrill Lynch, City of London, Clifford Chance, and schools in Tower Hamlets. THEBP also regularly works closely with companies such as Deloitte, Morgan Stanley, Barclay’s, Lloyd’s of London, and RBS.
THEBP strives to aid schools by promoting more effective student learning and engagement by implementing a range of projects through which “business people help students develop their confidence and raise their aspirations by bringing both practical experience of the world of work and presenting a positive role model” (http://www.thebp.org/).
THEBP employees usually tell their volunteers that many Tower Hamlets students just don’t have access to the world of work because some of them come from unemployed households or laboring class households. One of my supervisors, Rebecca, said that at an event at the Lloyd’s building some time ago, a couple of students were 45 minutes late because they stood outside the building not knowing they had to go in and talk to reception. THEBP hopes to provide Tower Hamlets students with the communication, social, and corporate skills that others take for granted.
II. Internship Description & Learning Analysis
Since I was hoping to be placed in a school, I was pretty disappointed from the beginning of the study abroad program, especially since I had heard from other education students who had been in London for the fall semester and had great experiences with their school placements. When I learned that I was going to be at a company called Education Business Partnership, I became even more disappointed. The “Business” part of the company’s name really turned me off. I had no desire to be in an office or any corporate setting, which is what “Business” implied. However, being realistic, I told myself that I would make the most of whatever my placement turned out to be and that I would learn as much as I could from working with a British company.
My expectations were way off. THEBP turned out to be one of the friendliest, most understanding, and interesting workplaces I’ve been in. Though the office was professional and business-like, the employees were engaging and kind. Everyone said hello to me, all the time. Everyone was interested in meeting me. During the first week, I had meetings with the different departments, even though I rarely worked with all of them. My supervisor, Rebecca, wanted to make sure that I had a good understanding of the whole company, in order to better inform my specific tasks for her. Furthermore, THEBP employees were all supportive of each other’s projects. There didn’t seem to be any job competition – although people in the office weren’t outspokenly passionate about the improvement of Tower Hamlets education, it was evident that they all cared very much about their work. I remember one coworker, Im, coming from his desk upstairs to talk to Ian downstairs and ask if he could help Ian in any way for one of the upcoming events.
My supervisor was Rebecca who was Secondary Projects Manager, meaning she organized the project schemes for the secondary schools. Typically, I helped Rebecca create certificates, input data from student evaluations, draft letters to schools and volunteers, and research ideas for reading and math quizzes. I was also able to help organize and attend a Public Speaking Competition with her. I was also fortunate enough to help other coworkers with various tasks. I helped Megan edit a business mentoring training handbook. I observed a primary level volunteer training session held by Alice. I attended 2 all-day business enterprise conferences called Getting Ahead with Ian. THEBP was conducive to an internship placement because they understood that I was a student: they were flexible with my workload but they also knew that I wanted to experience as much of the office in the short amount of time that I was there. Furthermore, though I wasn’t given any huge tasks, the projects I was given were engaging and required creativity.
Just as important as the work I did for THEBP were the interactions I had with my coworkers. Coming into my internship, I wasn’t thinking too much about my social and communication skills; I was thinking about my technical knowledge, education experience, and presentational skills. However, I soon realized that, for this internship experience, just talking to my coworkers was as important as the work. On one level, I had to learn how to read their gestural cues and body language because sometimes I couldn’t understand their accents. On another level, I had to learn how to react to my novelty status in the office; I was usually introduced as the American intern, people often asked questions about being American, my boss constantly took jabs at my culture-starved country. In that sense, I had to learn how to be in the spotlight and deal with the pressure. On the most important level, I was able to talk to my coworkers about their experiences working for a charity, about being British, about living abroad (many of them had traveled and worked elsewhere). THEBP became one my best resources in London.
One of the most valuable lessons I gained at THEBP was awareness of the charity sector. I hadn’t really associated charity organizations with professional settings. As an LMU student, I was very aware of the post-graduate service opportunities available both locally and globally – at least in placements involving hands-on work. I knew about programs like Teach for America, JET, the Peace Corps, the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, and Greenpeace. However, I didn’t associate charities like THEBP with service opportunities. My rationale was that if you were getting paid, you weren’t performing service. Working at THEBP was an eye opening experience because I realized that the employees there are working for their living, but they are also living for their work. Because they are engaging in projects that make a difference in the lives of others, they have no qualms in saying that their work is important. They believe in work. It was interesting to see that a charity needs an accountant, an IT manager, a head honcho to schmooze with very important persons. It was a corporate environment with primary and secondary school students for clients. At the same time, THEBP employees understand that life is meant to be enjoyed. They take holidays regularly, they leave the office at a decent hour, they take tea and lunch breaks to chat. I have come to realize that this is all important because when trying to make a difference in the lives of others, you yourself must also remain healthy and inspired. One of my education professors at LMU, who was also a full-time high school teacher, said that she takes time to travel because the only way she knew how to enlighten her students was to stay enlightened herself.
On that note, I have found that my career plan has been evolving. During high school, I fancied myself a “missionary.” Now I realize that I didn’t really understand what that meant, it just sounded good and important. When college came around, I formulated a roadmap to success: I would graduate with a BA in Liberal Studies, I would teach and work for my Master’s in Education simultaneously, and then I would attain my EdD by the time I was 28. I would also live, preferably by performing some volunteer work, in another country for a good amount of time sometime during those 7 years. However, the article “To Hell with Good Intentions,” confirmed what I have been rethinking over the past year: that if I have any sense of responsibility at all, I should “stay with your riots here at home…you will know what you are doing, why you are doing it, and how to communicate with those to whom you speak” (Illich). I realize that my passion lies in studying the education of Asian American students. These Asian American students can be found in the US. The Illich article confirms for me that it is okay to remain in the US if that is where I belong. I am not any less worldly because I remain in my home country.
At the same time, working at THEBP has helped me realize that service is not only found in the deserts of Africa or the tropics of South America. Service is found in charities like THEBP. Furthermore, because THEBP works largely with South Asian student populations, I found many correlations between the South Asian British students and Asian American students (e.g. in themes of self-identification). This brings me to my next point. My supervisor Rebecca gave me a great piece of advice: always be aware of my skills and talents and passions and never settle. I have realized that my skills and talents and passions could happily take me into a career path involving organizations like THEBP. My plan no longer looks the same as it did 4 years, a year, even 6 months ago. I understand now that I may or may not end up in the classroom right away. I may or may not live abroad as I had dreamed. If I do end up abroad, I will know that I go to gain global perspectives and global experiences.
III. Cultural Analysis
One THEBP-specific cultural encounter was the humor of my boss, Mike. He was a friendly older man, the head boss of THEBP. He had his own closed office and would disappear at times to talk to corporate sponsors and other important people. At the same time, he was willing to answer the receptionist’s phone if she wasn’t in and pick up the post and make a cup of tea for everyone. He was also willing to crack a joke at my American-ness at least once a day. I realize now that this bothered me more than I like to admit. A typical conversation between Mike and I went like this:
Mike: And where are you jetting off to this weekend, Lara?
Me: I’m staying in London! I’ll probably try and check out the [insert museum].
Mike: Ah, trying to get a bit of culture. I suspect you don’t get enough of it at home, do you?
Or like this:
Mike: Do you know Andy Murray?
Me: No, can’t say that I do…
Mike: Oh, I forget for you Americans nothing else exists besides basketball and such.
I got used to Mike’s jests and learned to take it with a grain of salt after realizing that he was probably being sarcastic and exaggerative, in true British fashion. But I have now realized that his humor really bothered me for a while because an American boss would not so easily take the liberty to poke fun at a foreigner’s nationality. America is so P.C. and I was not used to dealing with such jibes. Also, I didn’t feel comfortable enough to joke back, which left me laughing politely and feeling rather idiotic.
Another cultural shock: London’s diversity. I was surprised by how many languages I encountered in London. Walking in South Kensington alone is a linguistic feast – I can easily hear French, Arabic, Bangladeshi, Cockney, and Polish on a 10 minute walk. Coming from Los Angeles, I was expecting to be used to the diversity of London. I had eaten food from China, Cuba, Mexico, Thailand – I felt I had all the necessary tools to acculturate myself in London. I was surprised, therefore, by how differently London’s diversity manifests itself. Maybe because the city is more condensed than LA or maybe because London is part of a UK/European country or maybe even because I am so accustomed to LA’s diversity, I felt London’s diversity very differently. Everyone seemed to be from everywhere and, just as significantly, the British seemed to have gone everywhere. People in my office have lived and holidayed all over the world – India, Canada, San Francisco, Australia, Chile. I have never worked with such a well-travelled group. This affected my internship experience because I was able to talk to my coworkers about the joys and frustrations of living in another country. Some even talked about moving to Germany or France like it was no big deal, probably because it is so accessible from London. So even though I have to go back home to California, now that I have studied in London and travelled in Ireland, Italy, France, Austria, Greece, and Turkey, the world does seem more accessible to me now. Furthermore, through THEBP, I have had regular interactions with British people. Consequently, I am nervous to go back home. The article, “The Final Frontier: Going Home,” captures my fears exactly: “Friends and family may expect the same person that left to be coming back home, but you might find that, due to your experience overseas, others may be uncomfortable with the fact that there is a part of you and your life experience to which they cannot relate” (Andreshak-Behrman). Just as significantly, I am expecting myself to react to home in the same way, but I am nervous to find out that maybe I won’t.
Conclusion
No matter what happens when I go home and what happens in the far future, I believe my time in London and with THEBP has enabled me to better adjust myself in any situation.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
Getting involved.
When my study abroad program first started, FIE gave us membership cards for the student union at the local university, Imperial College. Membership allowed us to take advantage of their gym, their pub, and most importantly their student organizations. I thought it would be a good opportunity to meet non-American students (everyone in my program and classes is American), so I decided to check out the Imperial College Union website and see what they offered. There were a couple interesting looking clubs, but an organization called Community Action Group caught my attention. I already missed my service organization at LMU so I figured it would be worth checking out.
On our second Sunday in London, two other LMU guys, Sam and Alex, and myself made our way to one of the Imperial residence halls at 7 PM. I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure what we would encounter. We arrived at this little residence kitchen where a small group of students were sorting food. They were really welcoming right away and so our relationship with CAG began.
CAG is an organization that picks up leftover food from chain cafes called Pret-a-Manger and Eat (I can't even think of similar stores in the US, these places sell ready-to-go sandwiches, wraps, baked goods, coffee and they are everywhere) as well as from Whole Foods. So on Sundays they pick up all these leftover sandwiches, cakes, bread, wraps, salads and then make tea, coffee, and hot chocolate in these huge urns. Then they all pile into an Imperial College minibus and drive about 20 minutes into the middle of London to a designated spot where homeless persons know that they will be. CAG passes out the food and drinks from the bus.
That first Sunday I participated was an eye opening experience. The homeless were there already waiting for us and as soon as we parked they gathered right around the bus. I didn't have much to do because there were enough students passing out food so I just got out of the bus and mingled a bit. The first guy I had a full conversation with was named Leo; he was from Romania but had lived in Canada and Ohio for a bit and had been living in London for a couple of months. He had studied some kind of science and had come to London to find work. However, he wasn't finding anything which is why he was on the street. I've never participated in homeless service back in LA because it isn't something that I'm particularly passionate about, but talking to Leo started to change my ideas of homelessness. He was intelligent, kind, well-travelled, and nothing like I had imagined homeless people to be.
So over the course of the past 4 months, I've attended CAG's food run at least half a dozen Sundays, maybe more, I didn't really keep a tally. I've met backpackers from Belfast and breakdancers from Poland. I've handed cups of hot chocolate (the most popular beverage) to teenagers and vegetarian sandwiches to an elderly guy who recently had a stroke. Sunday food runs with CAG never disappoint.
The other great thing about CAG has been the student members. The surprising thing was that most weren't British. Among the regulars were the German president, a Slovenian girl, a Finnish girl, a Polish guy, a Bavarian guy, another German guy, and then 2 British guys, one of whom said he didn't consider himself British at all, having gone to boarding school in Europe.
After the food run, we often went to the college pub for a drink and to hang out a bit. That was usually just as fun, if not funner, than the food run. On one occasion, we also went with CAG to an event called "Voices from the Edge," which was a performance about poverty and homelessness. Actors sat on stage and performed stories from a script. It was really interesting.
Another night Sam, Alex, and I made our way to Brixton, about 40 minutes south from Kensington, to watch a jazz performance. After we had sat down, we looked around to check out the crowd. Sam nudged me to tell me that one of the guys sitting at the next table over looked like the CAG president. I looked over and agreed. And then we realized it really was him! Turned out he lived a couple minutes away, but had never been to that bar, and had coincidentally decided to check it out that night. It was a nice surprise seeing him there and that was one of the times when I felt that London was becoming familiar.
CAG has also been beneficial, especially for Alex. He's travelling around Europe for the next couple of months and needed somewhere to store his luggage. After asking the RA and trying to find decently priced rental storage with no luck, he decided to email one of the CAG guys. He said no problem, so now Alex doesn't have to pay for storage!
Getting involved with CAG has definitely been one of the highlights of my London time.
On our second Sunday in London, two other LMU guys, Sam and Alex, and myself made our way to one of the Imperial residence halls at 7 PM. I was a little nervous because I wasn't sure what we would encounter. We arrived at this little residence kitchen where a small group of students were sorting food. They were really welcoming right away and so our relationship with CAG began.
CAG is an organization that picks up leftover food from chain cafes called Pret-a-Manger and Eat (I can't even think of similar stores in the US, these places sell ready-to-go sandwiches, wraps, baked goods, coffee and they are everywhere) as well as from Whole Foods. So on Sundays they pick up all these leftover sandwiches, cakes, bread, wraps, salads and then make tea, coffee, and hot chocolate in these huge urns. Then they all pile into an Imperial College minibus and drive about 20 minutes into the middle of London to a designated spot where homeless persons know that they will be. CAG passes out the food and drinks from the bus.
That first Sunday I participated was an eye opening experience. The homeless were there already waiting for us and as soon as we parked they gathered right around the bus. I didn't have much to do because there were enough students passing out food so I just got out of the bus and mingled a bit. The first guy I had a full conversation with was named Leo; he was from Romania but had lived in Canada and Ohio for a bit and had been living in London for a couple of months. He had studied some kind of science and had come to London to find work. However, he wasn't finding anything which is why he was on the street. I've never participated in homeless service back in LA because it isn't something that I'm particularly passionate about, but talking to Leo started to change my ideas of homelessness. He was intelligent, kind, well-travelled, and nothing like I had imagined homeless people to be.
So over the course of the past 4 months, I've attended CAG's food run at least half a dozen Sundays, maybe more, I didn't really keep a tally. I've met backpackers from Belfast and breakdancers from Poland. I've handed cups of hot chocolate (the most popular beverage) to teenagers and vegetarian sandwiches to an elderly guy who recently had a stroke. Sunday food runs with CAG never disappoint.
The other great thing about CAG has been the student members. The surprising thing was that most weren't British. Among the regulars were the German president, a Slovenian girl, a Finnish girl, a Polish guy, a Bavarian guy, another German guy, and then 2 British guys, one of whom said he didn't consider himself British at all, having gone to boarding school in Europe.
After the food run, we often went to the college pub for a drink and to hang out a bit. That was usually just as fun, if not funner, than the food run. On one occasion, we also went with CAG to an event called "Voices from the Edge," which was a performance about poverty and homelessness. Actors sat on stage and performed stories from a script. It was really interesting.
Another night Sam, Alex, and I made our way to Brixton, about 40 minutes south from Kensington, to watch a jazz performance. After we had sat down, we looked around to check out the crowd. Sam nudged me to tell me that one of the guys sitting at the next table over looked like the CAG president. I looked over and agreed. And then we realized it really was him! Turned out he lived a couple minutes away, but had never been to that bar, and had coincidentally decided to check it out that night. It was a nice surprise seeing him there and that was one of the times when I felt that London was becoming familiar.
CAG has also been beneficial, especially for Alex. He's travelling around Europe for the next couple of months and needed somewhere to store his luggage. After asking the RA and trying to find decently priced rental storage with no luck, he decided to email one of the CAG guys. He said no problem, so now Alex doesn't have to pay for storage!
Getting involved with CAG has definitely been one of the highlights of my London time.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
The Alps fill my heart..
..with the sound of music? Although I will say that the Alps I experienced looked nothing like they did in The Sound of Music (or were those the Swiss Alps?). Anyway, I had such a good time in Austria, riding the slopes of St. Anton. I flew into Friedrichshafen airport, which is in Germany, and then hopped over to Austria. This was one of my goals, to ski the Alps, so I felt like I was living a dream while I was there! It's taken me a while to post this entry, so just for reference, I was in Austria from March 27-29.
My Tyrolean style hostel, Haus Schoepf, in the village of Schnann.
Breathtaking.
The Germans know how to make 'em (the base of the huge gondola).
St. Anton base - couldn't ask for better weather or lift lines.
Dense but super fun snow.
My Tyrolean style hostel, Haus Schoepf, in the village of Schnann.
Breathtaking.
The Germans know how to make 'em (the base of the huge gondola).
St. Anton base - couldn't ask for better weather or lift lines.
Dense but super fun snow.Wednesday, April 15, 2009
For my amusement..
..and convenience I suppose. I know people will be asking me what was different about British English when I get back and if I don't think about it beforehand, my terrible memory will fail me.
American English terms and their British English equivalents/pronunciations:
- studying (as in for school) = revision
- keg = "cake" (for words that are spelled the same, but pronounced differently I will use quotation marks)
- quotation marks = speech marks
- cover letter (for job applications) = covering letter
- lines = queues
- restrooms = toilets, loos, or W.C. (which I believe stands for water closet, don't ask me why)
- TV = telly
- ads = adverts
- vacation = holiday
- paid leave = annual leave
- national holidays = bank holidays
- resume = CV
- sixth = "sic" (or it might be "sict")
- university = often abbreviated to uni
- sublime = "soobleem" (I think that's what I heard on a commercial)
- Band-aid = plaster
- check (at restaurants) = bill
- elevators = lifts
- cell phone = mobile phone
- exit = way out
- mail = post (as in "I'm going to check the post")
- Byzantine = BI-zan-tIn (those are both long I's, pronounced "eye")
- renaissance = ruh-NAI-sawnce
- Pantene - "Pawntehn"
- movie theatre = cinema
- Leicester = "Lester"
- Gloucester = "Gloster"
- Tottenham = "Tot'n'um"
- Fulham = "Ful'um"
- West Ham = "West Ham" (this is a trick one!)
- Southwark = "Suth'erk"
- planner = diary
- Jell-o = jelly
- awesome (as in "it was awesome") = brilliant
I'll keep adding to this : )
American English terms and their British English equivalents/pronunciations:
- studying (as in for school) = revision
- keg = "cake" (for words that are spelled the same, but pronounced differently I will use quotation marks)
- quotation marks = speech marks
- cover letter (for job applications) = covering letter
- lines = queues
- restrooms = toilets, loos, or W.C. (which I believe stands for water closet, don't ask me why)
- TV = telly
- ads = adverts
- vacation = holiday
- paid leave = annual leave
- national holidays = bank holidays
- resume = CV
- sixth = "sic" (or it might be "sict")
- university = often abbreviated to uni
- sublime = "soobleem" (I think that's what I heard on a commercial)
- Band-aid = plaster
- check (at restaurants) = bill
- elevators = lifts
- cell phone = mobile phone
- exit = way out
- mail = post (as in "I'm going to check the post")
- Byzantine = BI-zan-tIn (those are both long I's, pronounced "eye")
- renaissance = ruh-NAI-sawnce
- Pantene - "Pawntehn"
- movie theatre = cinema
- Leicester = "Lester"
- Gloucester = "Gloster"
- Tottenham = "Tot'n'um"
- Fulham = "Ful'um"
- West Ham = "West Ham" (this is a trick one!)
- Southwark = "Suth'erk"
- planner = diary
- Jell-o = jelly
- awesome (as in "it was awesome") = brilliant
I'll keep adding to this : )
Monday, April 13, 2009
Work it out.
One of the things that I miss a lot about home is being able to go to the gym. At LMU, I can get into the gym as early as 6 in the morning to as late as 11:30 in the evening. In Gardena, I can go to the YMCA 5 minutes away because my family has membership there.
In the past 3+ months, I have gone on a run once and gone to the gym never. We were given information for the local college's gym, but in order to use the facilities I had to pay monthly. I figured I couldn't count on myself to go regularly so it would have been a waste of money to pay up. As for running, it was just way too cold for a while and I'm not good enough of a runner to deal with it. On the day that I did go, it was starting to get warmer and I still had to put on a bunch of layers.
So 3+ months later, I find myself itching to get back to the gym. Even though I walk everywhere here and have to climb about 86 steps to get up to my flat at the top floor of a Victorian townhouse (no lift!), I can see the difference working out makes. It helps me sleep better, eat better (working out on a full/bloated stomach is no good), retain more energy.
A big reason that 3+ months went by without me missing the gym too much was that gym goers are not very obvious around here. I don't see women in track suits or carrying yoga mats. I don't see a gym in every neighborhood. There are no monoliths of exercise centers like there are in LA (though I have seen an LA Fitness gym here!).
Don't get me wrong, I know that there are a good amount of Londoners who work out. I've seen plenty of joggers, especially on nice days. But a lot of the joggers I've seen look like hardcore marathoners. They don't look like your average exercise enthusiast going out to stretch their muscles. They look like they run for a living. I also haven't seen very many cyclists - though I have seen plenty of bike commuters. However, I have seen numerous cycle shops. So I suppose they're out there somewhere. Probably out in the suburbs where they're least likely to get hit by a crazy London driver (I met a British student who said he's gotten hit by a car while on his bicycle).
One of my coworkers also says she swims regularly to stay active. When I told her that my dad does triathlons, she seemed pleasantly surprised and asked if triathlons are a big thing in the States. She said triathlons have been popular for a long time around the UK and Europe. And I met another British guy who said that he enjoys marathons, not for the competition but for the exercise. Furthermore, aside from cycle shops, there are also lots of stores for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, rock climbing, etc., etc. So I'm sure there are plenty of people in London who work out regularly. My point is that it's a very different culture than that in Los Angeles.
Perhaps, the weather makes the hugest difference, but LA is just more friendly and open. It's not necessarily cleaner than London, but somehow parts of LA definitely feel cleaner. Especially around the beach cities. I love that people don't smoke as much, that refreshing food is easily accessible (I dared to have my first Mexican burrito here the other day and while it was tasty, it was very heavy and greasy, not to mention badly wrapped), that friends go out on jogs together to socialize.
So even though Los Angeles probably looks intimidating to visitors (who knows maybe I'll notice things about the people that I've never noticed before, once I come back) and even though I sometimes feel a lot of pressure to look my best, I do miss seeing people everywhere working out. I can't wait to get back and hit the gym!
In the past 3+ months, I have gone on a run once and gone to the gym never. We were given information for the local college's gym, but in order to use the facilities I had to pay monthly. I figured I couldn't count on myself to go regularly so it would have been a waste of money to pay up. As for running, it was just way too cold for a while and I'm not good enough of a runner to deal with it. On the day that I did go, it was starting to get warmer and I still had to put on a bunch of layers.
So 3+ months later, I find myself itching to get back to the gym. Even though I walk everywhere here and have to climb about 86 steps to get up to my flat at the top floor of a Victorian townhouse (no lift!), I can see the difference working out makes. It helps me sleep better, eat better (working out on a full/bloated stomach is no good), retain more energy.
A big reason that 3+ months went by without me missing the gym too much was that gym goers are not very obvious around here. I don't see women in track suits or carrying yoga mats. I don't see a gym in every neighborhood. There are no monoliths of exercise centers like there are in LA (though I have seen an LA Fitness gym here!).
Don't get me wrong, I know that there are a good amount of Londoners who work out. I've seen plenty of joggers, especially on nice days. But a lot of the joggers I've seen look like hardcore marathoners. They don't look like your average exercise enthusiast going out to stretch their muscles. They look like they run for a living. I also haven't seen very many cyclists - though I have seen plenty of bike commuters. However, I have seen numerous cycle shops. So I suppose they're out there somewhere. Probably out in the suburbs where they're least likely to get hit by a crazy London driver (I met a British student who said he's gotten hit by a car while on his bicycle).
One of my coworkers also says she swims regularly to stay active. When I told her that my dad does triathlons, she seemed pleasantly surprised and asked if triathlons are a big thing in the States. She said triathlons have been popular for a long time around the UK and Europe. And I met another British guy who said that he enjoys marathons, not for the competition but for the exercise. Furthermore, aside from cycle shops, there are also lots of stores for outdoor activities such as hiking, skiing, rock climbing, etc., etc. So I'm sure there are plenty of people in London who work out regularly. My point is that it's a very different culture than that in Los Angeles.
Perhaps, the weather makes the hugest difference, but LA is just more friendly and open. It's not necessarily cleaner than London, but somehow parts of LA definitely feel cleaner. Especially around the beach cities. I love that people don't smoke as much, that refreshing food is easily accessible (I dared to have my first Mexican burrito here the other day and while it was tasty, it was very heavy and greasy, not to mention badly wrapped), that friends go out on jogs together to socialize.
So even though Los Angeles probably looks intimidating to visitors (who knows maybe I'll notice things about the people that I've never noticed before, once I come back) and even though I sometimes feel a lot of pressure to look my best, I do miss seeing people everywhere working out. I can't wait to get back and hit the gym!
Monday, April 6, 2009
The great outdoors.
For the past few weeks, I've been thinking that I wouldn't want to live in London again. Don't get me wrong, I have loved my life here and I can say, with no restrictions, that I love this city. London offers so much - museums, nightlife, cuisine, history, music, shopping, literature, fashion, transportation. However, I don't think I could live here for an extended period of time again. Visiting would suffice in the future.
Something holds me back from embracing London as my home. When I leave London, I won't be able to look back and say, "I lived in London for 4 months." That little verb, "lived," presents a whole load of niggling (one of my British professor's favorite words) thoughts. Perhaps because this is the first time I've been away from family and friends on my own, I've felt the pull of home so strongly while here. At the same time that I haven't allowed myself to think of London as home, London hasn't made itself home for me.
When out and about London or traveling outside of the UK, I have said "It'll be good to be home again," when referring to London. But in retrospect, I realize that I was looking forward to the familiarity of the city and the comfort of my room in my flat. I wasn't calling London "home" in the same way that I can call Gardena or LMU "home."
Anyway, this entry is moving away from what I intended it to be. I can continue this reflection of what is and isn't home some other time. What I really wanted to write about was one of London's offerings that I will miss tons: its parks! I can find museums, nightlife, music, shopping back in LA (though I in no way mean to say that all these things are the same in both cities), but I won't find parks in LA that can even compare to those in London.
There are parks all over London. I think part of the reason is because people don't have yards in London. I live about 5 minutes from Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. The crocuses started to appear several weeks ago and it is beautiful. Though even when the trees were all bare and the sky gray, the parks, in their starkness, were still beautiful. Kensington Gardens features Kensington Palace (former home of the young Queen Victoria and Princess Diana), the Diana memorial fountain, and the Prince Albert memorial. Hyde Park includes the Serpentine (a body of water used for boating among other things) and lovely gardens.
Regent's Park, about a 20 minute tube ride away, is home of the London Zoo, huge sports pitches, and Primrose Hill. I visited Primrose Hill for the first time on one of the first days that it was consistently warm throughout the day, one of the first days of spring. We climbed the hill to take in the view but ended up joining all the other picnickers lounging around on the grass.
My favorite park so far has been Holland Park, about 10 minutes away by tube. Holland Park features a Dutch garden, a Kyoto garden, lawns, and peacocks. My favorite part of the park, though, is the majority of the park which consists of dense woodsy patches, dirt trails, and wildflowers. Once you walk through the gate on the west side, it's like entering another world. It reminds me of a campground. I made my way there after work on a particularly nice day and just walked around. My office had received a bunch of complimentary boxes of chocolates so I had that with me. I decided to sit down on a bench in front of some flowering trees and try some of the truffles. I bit into a raspberry and white chocolate one and I felt like spring through and through. I know it sounds a little silly, but it was one of those perfect moments. I must've looked a little odd, sitting alone on that bench, in my work get up, thoroughly enjoying my chocolates, but it was so nice. An elderly couple, a man pushing a woman in a wheelchair, passed by and seemed pleasantly amused at the sight of me; they smiled over and the man said, "Hello!"
I do wish I could bring the parks back with me.
Something holds me back from embracing London as my home. When I leave London, I won't be able to look back and say, "I lived in London for 4 months." That little verb, "lived," presents a whole load of niggling (one of my British professor's favorite words) thoughts. Perhaps because this is the first time I've been away from family and friends on my own, I've felt the pull of home so strongly while here. At the same time that I haven't allowed myself to think of London as home, London hasn't made itself home for me.
When out and about London or traveling outside of the UK, I have said "It'll be good to be home again," when referring to London. But in retrospect, I realize that I was looking forward to the familiarity of the city and the comfort of my room in my flat. I wasn't calling London "home" in the same way that I can call Gardena or LMU "home."
Anyway, this entry is moving away from what I intended it to be. I can continue this reflection of what is and isn't home some other time. What I really wanted to write about was one of London's offerings that I will miss tons: its parks! I can find museums, nightlife, music, shopping back in LA (though I in no way mean to say that all these things are the same in both cities), but I won't find parks in LA that can even compare to those in London.
There are parks all over London. I think part of the reason is because people don't have yards in London. I live about 5 minutes from Kensington Gardens and Hyde Park. The crocuses started to appear several weeks ago and it is beautiful. Though even when the trees were all bare and the sky gray, the parks, in their starkness, were still beautiful. Kensington Gardens features Kensington Palace (former home of the young Queen Victoria and Princess Diana), the Diana memorial fountain, and the Prince Albert memorial. Hyde Park includes the Serpentine (a body of water used for boating among other things) and lovely gardens.
Regent's Park, about a 20 minute tube ride away, is home of the London Zoo, huge sports pitches, and Primrose Hill. I visited Primrose Hill for the first time on one of the first days that it was consistently warm throughout the day, one of the first days of spring. We climbed the hill to take in the view but ended up joining all the other picnickers lounging around on the grass.
My favorite park so far has been Holland Park, about 10 minutes away by tube. Holland Park features a Dutch garden, a Kyoto garden, lawns, and peacocks. My favorite part of the park, though, is the majority of the park which consists of dense woodsy patches, dirt trails, and wildflowers. Once you walk through the gate on the west side, it's like entering another world. It reminds me of a campground. I made my way there after work on a particularly nice day and just walked around. My office had received a bunch of complimentary boxes of chocolates so I had that with me. I decided to sit down on a bench in front of some flowering trees and try some of the truffles. I bit into a raspberry and white chocolate one and I felt like spring through and through. I know it sounds a little silly, but it was one of those perfect moments. I must've looked a little odd, sitting alone on that bench, in my work get up, thoroughly enjoying my chocolates, but it was so nice. An elderly couple, a man pushing a woman in a wheelchair, passed by and seemed pleasantly amused at the sight of me; they smiled over and the man said, "Hello!"
I do wish I could bring the parks back with me.
Saturday, April 4, 2009
On accents.
This entry will be about accents because that topic nicely ropes in a bunch of random tidbits that I've been wanting to blog about.
1. I can't tell you how many times people told me to start working on my British accent before I left and how many times people have asked since then if I've acquired a British accent (which is a pretty dumb question and not funny after the second time). Needless to say, I was very aware that British people speak differently than Americans. The British accent is a novelty among Americans. However, no one told me how conscious I would become of my own accent. I've even had out of body instances where I've heard other American accents with an open ear - I can understand why the American voice may sound rather brash in comparison to Brit accents.
2. While here in London, other English speakers have asked me to repeat myself because they really couldn't understand what I was saying. Usually for small things, like asking for a glass of water, but the point is that I now know what it is to be misunderstood by fluent speakers when speaking that same language. It's an odd feeling.
3. I knew that there are different British accents, just like there are different American accents. However, I didn't know that these different Brit accents can be vastly different. People who speak the Queen's English are generally the easiest to understand for me. Colloquial accents are easy to understand too, but when a person talking with that accent starts to talk quieter and/or quicker, it gets harder to understand. Also, I've learned that people from northern England sound almost Scottish (at least to my American ears they do). One of my bosses is from north England and I often find myself concentrating carefully to make sure I understand what she says. One time we went to lunch and the girl at the cashier, who was also British, actually asked her where she was from because of her accent. The cashier said nothing to me about my own accent, which I thought was funny.
4. I've seen a lot of people on the tube glance over/outright stare at friends and I once we start talking. I'm not particularly self-conscious usually, but I've gotten enough attention that I will now make an effort to be quieter. On the other hand, I've also pretended not to understand English when street vendors are more aggressive. I always figure that with my Asian face, it's perfectly plausible that I wouldn't understand English.
5. An example of a conversation gone wrong with a British acquaintance once went like this:
British dude: So you have keg parties in America?
Me: Cake parties?...
British dude: Yea, keg parties. In college?
Me: Ohhh, keg parties.
British dude: [sarcastically] I said that word wrong, didn't I. Keg. Keg parties.
Me: Wait, so are you asking me about keg parties or cake parties?
British dude: Keg parties.
Me: [laughing]
British dude: Beer! Barrels!
6. This past Wednesday I saw the play Three Days of Rain (which I really enjoyed and recommend) starring James McAvoy. He acted with an American accent which I thought was very good. Seeing as after the play, when we went to the stage door for his autograph signing, he spoke with a lovely Scottish accent. The lead actress, who was just as good an actor, unfortunately did not have such a convincing Southern accent.
7. In Austria last weekend, I met and hung out with a group of 9 business grad students staying in the same hostel, which was a pleasant surprise since I thought I would be alone all weekend. This was the introductory scene: I drive up to the hostel in my taxi at 12:30 AM. A big group of people seem to be approaching the same hostel. As I pay the driver, the group walks into the hostel. I follow them in, say thanks to the guy holding open the door. A table in the hallway immediately grabs my attention with a note - "Lara, welcome. Please take room 2 to your left. Breakfast is served from 8 to 10 am. See you tomorrow!" As I'm reading the note, in my near delirious state after having traveled 6 plus hours, I hear, of all things, American voices saying, "Hey! Are you just getting in? Where are you coming from?" Turns out the people coming in were all American and it was so nice talking with their American accents (though even more so because they were very friendly). I never thought American accents could elicit such relief!
8. I still get a kick out of it every time I hear a kid on the street saying, "Mum!" or "Mummy!"
9. The other week I was talking to a student at the local college. I thought she was American, but then found out she was from Finland. She sounded almost exactly like an American, but it was funny because she couldn't understand some of the things I said and had to ask me to repeat myself
10. One time, at one of my work events, a British woman asked if we had a plaster. I thought she meant glue but that didn't seem right, so I referred her to my British coworker - "Let's ask Ian..." She was asking for a band-aid.
Okay, that last one isn't really about accents, more about vocabulary, but I thought it was funny.
I hope this accentuation of accents has accentuated my wonder at some of the cultural exchanges I have found most surprising.
1. I can't tell you how many times people told me to start working on my British accent before I left and how many times people have asked since then if I've acquired a British accent (which is a pretty dumb question and not funny after the second time). Needless to say, I was very aware that British people speak differently than Americans. The British accent is a novelty among Americans. However, no one told me how conscious I would become of my own accent. I've even had out of body instances where I've heard other American accents with an open ear - I can understand why the American voice may sound rather brash in comparison to Brit accents.
2. While here in London, other English speakers have asked me to repeat myself because they really couldn't understand what I was saying. Usually for small things, like asking for a glass of water, but the point is that I now know what it is to be misunderstood by fluent speakers when speaking that same language. It's an odd feeling.
3. I knew that there are different British accents, just like there are different American accents. However, I didn't know that these different Brit accents can be vastly different. People who speak the Queen's English are generally the easiest to understand for me. Colloquial accents are easy to understand too, but when a person talking with that accent starts to talk quieter and/or quicker, it gets harder to understand. Also, I've learned that people from northern England sound almost Scottish (at least to my American ears they do). One of my bosses is from north England and I often find myself concentrating carefully to make sure I understand what she says. One time we went to lunch and the girl at the cashier, who was also British, actually asked her where she was from because of her accent. The cashier said nothing to me about my own accent, which I thought was funny.
4. I've seen a lot of people on the tube glance over/outright stare at friends and I once we start talking. I'm not particularly self-conscious usually, but I've gotten enough attention that I will now make an effort to be quieter. On the other hand, I've also pretended not to understand English when street vendors are more aggressive. I always figure that with my Asian face, it's perfectly plausible that I wouldn't understand English.
5. An example of a conversation gone wrong with a British acquaintance once went like this:
British dude: So you have keg parties in America?
Me: Cake parties?...
British dude: Yea, keg parties. In college?
Me: Ohhh, keg parties.
British dude: [sarcastically] I said that word wrong, didn't I. Keg. Keg parties.
Me: Wait, so are you asking me about keg parties or cake parties?
British dude: Keg parties.
Me: [laughing]
British dude: Beer! Barrels!
6. This past Wednesday I saw the play Three Days of Rain (which I really enjoyed and recommend) starring James McAvoy. He acted with an American accent which I thought was very good. Seeing as after the play, when we went to the stage door for his autograph signing, he spoke with a lovely Scottish accent. The lead actress, who was just as good an actor, unfortunately did not have such a convincing Southern accent.
7. In Austria last weekend, I met and hung out with a group of 9 business grad students staying in the same hostel, which was a pleasant surprise since I thought I would be alone all weekend. This was the introductory scene: I drive up to the hostel in my taxi at 12:30 AM. A big group of people seem to be approaching the same hostel. As I pay the driver, the group walks into the hostel. I follow them in, say thanks to the guy holding open the door. A table in the hallway immediately grabs my attention with a note - "Lara, welcome. Please take room 2 to your left. Breakfast is served from 8 to 10 am. See you tomorrow!" As I'm reading the note, in my near delirious state after having traveled 6 plus hours, I hear, of all things, American voices saying, "Hey! Are you just getting in? Where are you coming from?" Turns out the people coming in were all American and it was so nice talking with their American accents (though even more so because they were very friendly). I never thought American accents could elicit such relief!
8. I still get a kick out of it every time I hear a kid on the street saying, "Mum!" or "Mummy!"
9. The other week I was talking to a student at the local college. I thought she was American, but then found out she was from Finland. She sounded almost exactly like an American, but it was funny because she couldn't understand some of the things I said and had to ask me to repeat myself
10. One time, at one of my work events, a British woman asked if we had a plaster. I thought she meant glue but that didn't seem right, so I referred her to my British coworker - "Let's ask Ian..." She was asking for a band-aid.
Okay, that last one isn't really about accents, more about vocabulary, but I thought it was funny.
I hope this accentuation of accents has accentuated my wonder at some of the cultural exchanges I have found most surprising.
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