The fit blokes in London (and their mates!)

I just couldn't bring myself to put a French title on my London weekend - it was too out-of-context! The culture shock in England was accentuated by the fact that I have been in France for the past two months. British culture is already pretty different from American culture, but then to compare it to France - I can't imagine two more different atmospheres!

First of all, I was looking forward to understanding the language better for a change - only to discover that the British accents were so thick I honestly had a harder time understanding Eric's Brit friends than I have understanding my French friends! Not to mention all of the slang - 'fit' means 'hot,' and 'rank' means 'gross,' and - the list goes on and on. On the plus side, I felt extremely welcomed because everyone was so open and friendly and, well, smiley, compared to your average French stranger. They were also a lot of fun - a perfect match for Eric's sarcastic sense of humor (or is it humour? ha ha). They like to laugh a lot, and also tend to have a knack for witty remarks. As Eric observed to me, they seem to value intelligence more than we do in America - there, it's cool to be educated, and they like to drop historical or literary references into conversations, etc. But they know how to kick back too - they go out to bars all the time, and tend to drink a lot! Of course, these are all generalizations, and these are all students at the London School of Economics - so I wouldn't go so far as to say they represent the entire population. That said, stereotypes generally exist for a reason. My host mother agreed with me that English people are more open than the French - but she pointed out that (like many American friendships?) it's also often more superficial, and that, though it takes a while to develop, once formed, a French friendship is deep and lasts for a long time. (No wonder it's hard to meet people here!) It occurs to me that the short, semester study-abroad program is thus not very suited to French culture...

Another side effect of my trip is that life seems a bit cheaper here in Nantes. Everything in London costs a fortune! I mean, it's impossible to find a meal for less than $10 - and that's not much of a meal, either, maybe a sandwich and some fries. (Those $1 pastries down the street here in Nantes just seem better and better.) Even the much-lauded transportation system costs an arm and a leg: The tube costs $4 just for one round-trip ticket. Needless to say, we walked a lot!

Although, in truth, we didn't go all that far. We walked by the British Museum but I'd already been in; we went down and saw Winchester Abbey, but it costs money to enter; I took some photos of Big Ben and Buckingham Palace. But then, tourism wasn't really the point of this visit. I feel like I got a great inside view of student life by just hangin out with Eric and his 'mates'!

Side note - it was FREEZING all weekend, like the kind of cold that hits you like a splash of ice water when you step out the door. Brr! Here in Nantes it is a more reasonable chilliness. (Then again, I better prepare for real cold, considering I'm going to be in the snowy Alps next week!!!)

One cool thing we found in London was Smith and Sons, which is a whole store just for walking sticks and umbrellas. How delightfully British! We also walked down Old Bond Street, which is apparently the Rodeo Drive of London. I have now seen a $10,000 pen - who on Earth would need such a frivolous creation? - and the fabulous extravagances of Tiffany and Co., though I must say I preferred DeBeers. (Diamonds are a girl's best friend...) Eric and I decided that that's where people who have too much money to possibly spend go to get rid of as much as they can. What wastefulness, as my host mother loves to say!

What else can I say about London? Well, one thing is - why doesn't Big Ben strike on the hour? Unless I'm mistaken it kept chiming at quarter 'til... But I could be wrong, I suppose. Also, I finally found somewhere where the drivers are crazier than in Paris. Or maybe they just seem that way because they're on the other side of the road. :) But they come whipping around corners like nothing else so pedestrians better watch out! (Eric got hit by a mini a few weeks ago, in fact, but was not seriously injured...) Last but not least, I am proud to say that my first independent voyage went without mishap - 15 hours of traveling alone sans problème. Cheers!

Other than traveling, I'm keeping busy preparing for the Model EU, writing my speech for Thanksgiving, studying for various midterms... It all seems rather mundane, now, I have to admit! It was funny, though - I thought France would seem somehow disheartening in comparison with the light-hearted London weekend, but as soon as I was back in Paris I felt suddenly more at home. Hearing people speaking French all around, munching a quiche, and waiting for the TGV - how has this come to seem "normal"? I don't know, but it was kind of an epiphany. I think that I have come to take a lot for granted, for example, the simple satisfaction I get from understanding and being understood when speaking French. I know I will miss it... In fact, I am just starting to realize how big of an adjustment I'll be facing when I get home!