Would You Like a Cup of Tea? - UB Study Abroad

“Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.”

― Samuel Johnson

This quote is the epitome of Londoners – you live, eat, and breathe this city – but the irony is you don’t have to be born here to be a Londoner, the city itself draws you in and accepts you as its own. London, much like New York, has a flavor of variety. Culture of one group becomes the culture of another, knowing no bounds, constantly ebbing and flowing.

This is especially true when it comes to food. London boasts one of the highest concentrations of delectable foods from all around the world that I have ever seen. With open air street markets such as the Maltby Street Market/Ropewalk to Borough Market, spreading to street food festivals held on the South Bank of the Thames and in the neighborhood Shoreditch, along with the typical variety of food shops just on the streets – if you want it, you can probably find it.

I’ve tried things like Indian curry, an Argentinian steak sandwich with chimichurri sauce, French tartiflette, and fresh waffles filled with strawberries and cream. You can’t forget the traditional meat pies served in most British pubs – filled with chicken & ham, or steak & ale, or even mincemeat (a mix of beef or beef fat, currants, raisins, apples, spices and sugar). I also tried a local beer, brewed from local raw honey and all British ingredients, called Hiver. I’ve been giving it a lot of shout-outs recently, but it deserves it.

As for classes, they are happening. It’s weird that they manage to pack so much information into each session, yet we’ve only covered a relatively few topics within each class. It does help that two of my four classes give us full outlines about what will be discussing so that you only have to fill in details about the cases and anything the professor might say that doesn’t follow the outline. They do give a lot of extra ‘outside’ reading though, on top of the textbooks, statutes, and case law. It is sometimes helpful, and sometimes not.

Labour Law and Russian Legal Studies are definitely my favorite classes. Labour law seems to be extremely pertinent to a lot of things that are everyday life, including employment and contract issues. While English labour law may not be applicable in the States, it is common law and can reflect many values and issues we face for similar concepts. Russian Legal studies is fascinating because we discuss the development of a country, a legal realm, and the makings of a constitution. I love when we dissect the various constitutions that Russia has enacted and the move from purely socialist policies to a constitution that is more in line with international law such as the ICCPR and ICESCR, while still examining its potential faults and flaws.

On to more discussion of adventures, I went to the Warner Brothers Studio London and toured the Harry Potter studios. THE BEST TIME I’VE EVER HAD. I have a degree in Communication with an emphasis in writing, editing, and filming and I’m a diehard Harry Potter fan so this was like Christmas. There were real sets, costumes, and props. The had the entirety of Diagon Alley, Dumbledore’s Office, the Weasley’s kitchen, the Knight Bus, the Hogwarts Express, etc. It included a lot of the behind-the-scenes features as well such as the animatronics, make-up, concept art, and set mock-ups. To say it was truly magical doesn’t even begin to cover it.

I also attended a play at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, The Oresteia, which had been adapted to modern times. British theatre gets a little weird to say the least but probably the best three hours I’ve ever spent in a cold, open-air theatre. Honestly though, quite an incredible performance, Shakespeare & Aeschylus would’ve been proud.

I leave for Italy this week – Rome, Pompeii, Florence, and Venice. The parents are coming to visit the first week of November and my younger sister and one of her friends are joining me for Thanksgiving week. This next month is looking incredible! Till next time!

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