Visiting London

The last three days

June 30, 2008

Hey guys,

Growing up in the 21st Century, my generation takes many aspects of life for granted. One such aspect is technology. After arriving to my college, Middlesex University in Trent Park, I realized that due to some electrical shortcomings, I will not have access to my laptop for an indefinite period of time. Though I had thought that I may survive that period pretty easily, I was in for a reality check. Over the last three days, though I have been busy with the numerous activities I participated in, I felt a void. Being used to my laptop and the internet for so long, it was really getting hard for me to go by on a daily basis without having constant access with the World Wide Web. The problem was fixed yesterday, and as soon as I turned on my laptop and opened the internet, it was like I had come back home. I don’t know if this dependency is a good thing, but I sure do feel good.

Well now I’ll get straight to the point. Do I like London? Yes, immensly. I believe that London has the best of both worlds. Firstly, it is very, very much like New York City. I believe that at the basic level, as a city, London is practically the same as New York. The hordes of people, the buildings, a McDonald’s or Starbucks on every block… everything that one sees in New York. In fact, walking around at the small markets in Camden yesterday, I saw more t-shirts saying “I Love New York” than “I Love London”! Having said that, however, London also has an old world charm to it. Architecturally, I believe that there is a monument on practically every street in London. Though there might be a Starbucks right near you, the building where the Starbucks is located might be one where a famous playwright was born. The small, brick streets and black lamps on the sidewalks (”pavements” in British) remind one of the old movies. Additionally, the people here are amazing. Everyone goes out of their way to help you out, and that is something one doesn’t get to see as much in New York, as far as tourists are concerned. I believe that while in New York, tourists aren’t given much respect, in London, one recieves that much extra attention because one is a tourist.

I believe the Middlesex program is an extraordinary one, because they make sure that you don’t miss anything that you should see of London. On Saturday, the next day after we had arrived, we were taken to Central London and got a chance to see all of the famous sights. Buckingham Palace, Big Ben, London Bridge are just a few that I’m naming off the top of my head. The ride on the London Eye was one that can never be forgotten. The next day, we were taken to Hempstead, arguably the most expensive area in London, and then went to Camden, one of the more lower- end areas of London. These two areas were a mere 15 minute drive away from each other! Only in London can one find such dynamics. To cut a long story short, even if the program was 3 days long, the last 3 days would be ones I would always remember.

Entry Filed under: Trip To London. .