Europe – Page 18 – DU Abroad

Instead of having multiple playlists for one particular mood or feeling, I am actually insane and I make one playlist for each month. I do this so that I can go back and look at them and see what I listened to in a given month in a given year. My music taste ranges from profane rap music to some kind-of-niche R&B artist to angry 90s dad rock on a daily basis, but I have been trying to immerse myself in some music that comes from the UK since I arrived here in September. Here are five songs that I’ve enjoyed as I continue to build my October playlist:

Smooth Operator – Sade

My mom actually listened to a lot of Sade (pronounced shah-DAY) as I was growing up. This British-Nigerian singer has the type of voice that can command a room. If you like the aesthetic of espresso martinis, dimly-lit jazz clubs, throwing on a fur coat late at night, and leather boots on a damp city sidewalk, Sade is for you.

In My Bed – Amy Winehouse

Oh Amy, how I miss you… a wonderful singer with even more iconic eyeliner, gone too soon. You deserved those six Grammy and so much more. Her music is an eclectic blend of genres: soul, rhythm and blues, and jazz. I just really like the wind instruments in this song, and her voice, like the rest of her music.

Gas Me Up (Diligent) – Skepta

I listen to a lot of American rap, so I was curious to explore the UK scene. From Tottenham, Skepta is well-known in the British grime music scene. If you want more British rap, try Central Cee, Fimiguerrero, Lancey Foux, and if you’re feeling a little edgier, Scouse rapper EsDeeKid.

One Thing – Lola Young

Lola Young is well-known for her viral track “Messy” in addition to being featured on Tyler, the Creator’s album Chromakopia (who is also one of my favorite artists), which is how I initially found out about her. From Southeast London, her music is her trying to make sense of the world around her in a sort of there’s-all-this-crap-out-there-and-I’m-just-here kind of way which I appreciate.

While My Guitar Gently Weeps – The Beatles

Because what’s more British than The Beatles?

Is this a futile attempt to be more of a local? Appreciate the British accent as a musical instrument? Understand how Brits think? Or just expand my listening palette? Who knows!

Bath, Bath — In Bath, there is (shockingly) a big bath to see. These Roman baths have been around since 1 AD!

The construction of my playlist this month has gone well, but I had a bit of an identity crisis over the weekend as I listened to said playlist on the way home from a day trip to Bath. October 5th marked one month in London for me. By now I know which Underground lines go where, that chips are fries, which grocery stores have meal deals. My friends have asked me about “the chube (tube)” which I can describe in good detail, and if someone were to ask me what to do to get a decent view of London in one day I think I’d be able to give a decent enough itinerary; something touristy like Big Ben or Buckingham Palace in the morning, a free museum like Tate Modern, food at Borough market, which is overpriced and overstimulating, but has something for everyone, wandering around the streets, then finishing the day at an English pub with a cider or beer. I also catch myself saying “fair enough” and not bothering to use an umbrella anymore. Slowly, I feel that I will forget how to drive my white Honda CRV at home. I have started drinking less coffee and more tea in the morning.

Bath view — The view of Bath, which I visited this last weekend, from Prior Park. I can understand why Jane Austen spoke so highly of the city.

I also had my first Sunday Roast in Bath at the Saracen’s Head in Bath. It’s the oldest pub in Bath, and also hosted Charles Dickens at one point.

Am I even an American anymore?

I may giggle to myself feeling like a local when I can go to and from class without a map, but I’m really just here temporarily. There is a lot I don’t know about London, and the United Kingdom in general. I was talking to one of my British friends, who jokingly said I should take a trip to Croydon. I responded, “what’s in Croydon?” which got a laugh out of him. He said that I have only really been to the nicer/safer parts of London, which is true. Most of the time I hang out in Regent Street, Oxford Street, Marylebone, or Shoreditch, which are all pleasant areas with a lot to do. I also have not escaped American stereotypes. I still drink a lot of water, say “oh my god” a lot, and get jumpy when I try to jaywalk (to be fair, in the US, you can jaywalk, but only if you want to risk being hit by a car going 50mph). When I buy things I still have to convert to USD, and I still get the underlying feeling that British people tend to think that all Americans are sort of dumb, which I take offense to—there are stupid people everywhere, not just America!

(Note: Croydon is considered to be a notoriously “bad” area in London. Unfortunately, Croydon has very high population density, poor housing and infrastructure, a broke local council, and little job opportunity available to the people who live there, which contributes to crime, addiction, and homelessness.)

So no, I’m not a local. I have a very American passport, and I miss Chick-fil-A. Things are going well, I’m liking my classes, have made good friends, seen a lot of cool stuff. I saw my first fox in Central London, which I think is a sign that I’m doing things right (and that I should go to the nearest Sainsbury’s to buy a lottery ticket).

London 2 — There are actually two Londons: Greater London, which is what you’d generally consider “London” as a whole. The City of London is the “original” London, founded by the Romans. It’s a big financial district now.

Since it’s been a full month now, I feel like I should be feeling homesick at this point. It’s all anyone talks about, the fact that homesickness is an inevitable disease that you will catch at some point while abroad, only a matter of when. While I do reminisce about my dad’s slow cooked lamb and my much larger bed at home, I don’t actually feel homesick. Is it because I’m always doing something? Maybe I’ll feel it later on.

Palladian Bridge — Me in Prior Park, Bath.

I think my lack of homesickness is because I try to keep in close contact with my friends, family, and support system back in the US. I text my parents and friends every day, send them pictures, call them as often as I can. The point of studying abroad is getting away from your usual life, but travelling and ghosting your relationships at home are not mutually exclusive. You can (and absolutely should) do both. Even if it’s just sending a photo of your breakfast or telling them about a weird squirrel you saw, let them know you’re alive. I can guarantee that they’ll appreciate it.

Once again, thanks for reading!

Alexandra

“Culture shock” is something I have heard at least once a day since starting my process to go abroad. It is no doubt a very real thing, yet I underestimated all the very small, niche differences I would encounter daily. I have decided to compile my top five culture shocks I have experienced in Glasgow and some tips on how to overcome them.

Enjoy!

Ice, more specifically, the lack thereof:

Starting with my not-so-favorite as someone who likes to start every morning with an iced coffee. It truly baffled me how uncommon it is for people to have iced drinks, but it is completely true. Most menus in cafes will have ice in small print at the very bottom, and you’re lucky if they even offer it half the time. My favorite coffee place on campus is right by all my classes, but I have just below a 50% success rate of them actually having ice on any given day.

This also continues in restaurants, where they will bring lukewarm water to your table and think nothing else of it. Ice is just not all that common here, which has made me realize how much I use it in my daily life. I never considered myself someone who needs ice, but I guess I really do.

My tip here is simple: get yourself at least one ice tray. I use mine every single day for my water bottle and any other drinks I bring back to my flat. Also, on a semi-similar note, get used to paper straws because you will not see a plastic one at all while you are here. You have to drink everything really fast before they give up on you and collapse.

Crosswalks and drivers:

Since my first day here, I have noticed how insane some drivers can be in Glasgow. This could just be the fact that everything looks weird with people driving on the left side and the driver’s seat being on the right, but I truly feel people drive very fast and crazy here.

I have to use many crosswalks every day to get to school, and there are about a dozen more once I get to campus. The crosswalks were intimidating to me at first, so I want to share my tips for ensuring your safety.

When you get to a crosswalk, make sure you press the button and see the “WAIT” light turn bright. I have gotten to crosswalks too many times where the other people waiting haven’t pressed the button, and then wondered why there’s been a hundred light rotations where they couldn’t walk.

After pressing the button, wait for the little red man to turn green (this can take a while sometimes, but it is worth the wait). Even if all the cars have stopped, do not go unless the figure is green. Again, cars seem to come out of nowhere, and sometimes I feel like I don’t know where to look because everything is opposite, so always play it safe. I know this seems obvious, but it took me a while to get the hang of it.

Other than that, avoid jaywalking even though literally everyone else seems to do it. Cars far down the street may look like they are going slow, but can sneak up on you fast. Also, under no conditions should you ever take a step in the road without looking first. Why do so many people do that?! Anywhere you may need to go can wait an extra minute, I promise.

The faucets:

I never thought I would have such strong emotions about a sink, but here we are. In my flat and many other public bathrooms I have been in, there are two faucets. The one on the left will give you hot water, the one on the right will give you cold. I don’t know why, but I know I hate it.

This is a first-world problem, I’m fully aware. However, I like warm water, but that just isn’t an option here. When I need to wash my hands or do the dishes, I need to choose between freezing cold water or burning myself. I have tried the hot water too many times, but it just gets scalding hot after a few seconds and becomes unbearable, so I wash my hands and dishes in cold water.

You’d think you could just turn both on and get a mix, but no. They are too far apart to even try to mix, so each hand just gets burnt or frozen. Unfortunately, I have no tips for this one. I’ve gotten used to it by now, and cold water is really good for your face, at least that’s what I tell myself every time I splash the freezing water onto my face in the morning. It really does wake you up!

Revolving doors:

This one is funny to me because I have to be the only person who cares. There truly are revolving doors everywhere here. While it can be fun to sit there and watch crowds of people try to figure them out like they are the most confusing things in the world, it’s not as fun when you’re in that crowd.

My main tip here would be to try your hardest to find a normal door, especially if you’re in a rush, because nobody seems to understand how these things work. If you have to use one and there’s a crowd, you need to be fearless. Just go for it because nobody else will.

People will sit there forever trying to find the perfect time to make their escape, but there never is one. Just walk into it and you’ll be out before you know it. The actual scary part is the crowd of people that will be standing in front of it on the other side when you’re trying to get out. Unfortunately, you have to just push your way around them until they make you a path. Losing your momentum is the worst thing you can do. Don’t let them trap you!

The sheer number of people that just stand there fascinates me, so if there’s anything you take from this, let it be how to use a revolving door properly. I swear there needs to be a class people can take for this.

Restaurant etiquette:

Ending on a strong one, there are some shocking restaurant differences that trip me up every time I go out. First of all, many places expect you to just seat yourself. Considering how mad places get when you do this in America, I hate doing it. It feels so rude to me, but it isn’t here. I still stand there and wait for the hostess/servers to tell me to pick any seat, but it’s nice to be aware of this fact when you’re getting up from your table and other people just immediately sit down before you can even get out the door.

Waiters are also very different in that they aren’t really waiters at all. They will take your order, give you your food, and then probably not check in on you or even look your direction until you wave them down if you need something. Again, this feels so rude to me, but it’s completely normal to call them over, and you are expected to when you want the bill. I have sat for too long in too many places waiting for them to come give me the check, and they never do. It is on you every time to tell them you are ready to leave.

It can be nice to just be left alone to eat and talk, but it’s just really weird to get used to.

Final Thoughts:

I could go on and on about the culture shocks I’ve experienced, and it hasn’t even been a month, but these ones really have stuck out to me and are ones I want people to be aware of if they plan on going to Glasgow or the UK in general.

Knowing these before arrival would have been nice, but learning and adjusting are all a part of the journey, and with how many other international students are here, I never once have been made to feel stupid or like I didn’t belong.

Thanks for reading!

Category: Europe

Positively Chuffed to Bits

My Top Five Culture Shocks in Glasgow So Far (And How I Lived To Tell the Tale)