Last Updated:1:16 PM EST 1/28/10 Section: Lifestyles

Media Credit: Submitted photo Negra (left) and roommate Jamie stand in the rain in front of the Bridge Tower that goes over the River Thames. [Click to enlarge]

"Please mind the gap as you enter the train." It was the first British voice I heard in London, upon landing at the gigantic but beautiful Heathrow airport. I took a breath, and yes minded the gap as I crammed my luggage into the Tube, while staring wide-eyed at the upcoming few months that lay ahead in this historic, majestic city.

It's only been eight days that I've lived in the extremely luxurious neighborhood of Kensington, and I am already stressing about the amount of money I've spent. My head is in vacation mode; exploring different pubs and restaurants has become a hobby this past week. Hence the draining of my bank account.

Everything I see when I walk out of my dorm building is almost unreal, nothing like the snow-covered suburban neighborhoods of Rochester, but a detail-obsessed, fashionable, architectural microcosm of a modern city that has been rooted here for centuries.

So thus far you know one thing about my experience here: London is amazing. My first British Contemporary Culture class was less amazing, however. My professor asked us to do an introduction circle. Name. College. One thing we hated about the U.K. so far. Huh? Yep, even though this city is beyond what I thought it was going to be, I had to pinpoint what I disliked from my experience so far.

Some of my fellow classmates listed the plugs (they had to buy bulky adapters), no ice in drinks (Europeans don't deem it necessary to chill all drinks), the exchange rate (£1.60 for $1.00) or the confusing, irregularly-sized coins that had them stuck at cash registers while they tried to decipher how much pence each one was.

So far the one thing that has slightly irked me is the American stereotype that many of the English have.

Of course every night is a pub night. This allows for the American students to mingle with the locals. And they all can tell we are American. I wish we would blend easier and not be the loudest group in the pub, but unfortunately for American college students that is fairly impossible.

There is hope for those that want to be considered part of the community for the next four months. We are encouraged to take in as much U.K. television, radio, and British friends as possible. That is the part that I am most excited about: getting out of my comfort zone.

Hopefully my fellow international college students can assimilate as well, by accepting the differences and viewing the college life here as one that is extremely unique.

nt03772@sjfc.edu

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