STRIKE!!!

Well, you can't say that we didn't start our first day of classes without a bang...

So, the Monday of the first day of classes, one of the Tube (London's subway system) unions went on strike, closing down most of the system except for a few lines near the heart of the city that were controlled by another union. I could go into details, but suffice it to say that this was a very major disruption for all of London. It was no hindrance to us, since mostly all of us walk to class. The buses were packed, the pavement (sidewalk) was much more crowded, and people's opinions as seen in the newspaper were not supportive. For those who live farther out from the heart of the city and rely on the Tube, I can understand how this is frustrating (some people reported leaving for work at 4:30am). Thankfully, the strike only lasted one day...

This would be a good point to throw some commentary about public transportation. I have thus far rode both the buses and the Tube (mostly the bus, because the Tube is more expensive and there's a bus line from our flat to near the classroom building), and they're great! You can really get anywhere you need to with relative ease. We have these things called Oyster Cards which work just like a debit card and give us reduced fares. The Tube is a really neat system, especially when you imagine how much of it there is under the streets of London. I've yet to hear the famous "Mind the gap" yet...my friends think I'm just deaf. Traffic definitely moves around here and people get quite perturbed if you're in the crosswalk just a hair after the light turns green. I've sustained no injuries crossing the street though, b/c I'm used to the concept of driving on the left now. But you can definitely feel the wind of a double-decker bus or Tube train whizzing by if you're a bit too close to the edge. I've mostly been walking to class, because it's my main source of exercise for the day. I try to change the route occasionally, to see new parts of London, but I think I like my current route through Hyde Park and Green Park. Very scenic, and it takes me out of the hustle and bustle of the city for at least 1.5 hours everyday.

Here's an interesting thing that sounds like it'd be a big deal, but really isn't: CCTV. There are closed-circuit TV cameras monitoring almost every street (at least where we are), as well as on public transportation. Our rector Ric told us how he took a group of students to the CCTV hub, and his friend helped them track one man for about 30 minutes on the cameras. One might think that this is a bit too Big Brother, 1984, etc. but honestly, it's not that big of a deal. I don't even think about it anymore while walking around, and it does give you a sense of security.

Alright, what's next? How about my favorite subject...food! I've discovered two wonderful things since we've arrived. The first is a little outdoor market on Berwick Street, where you can get fresh fruit and vegetables for a good price. Luckily, it only adds about 5 minutes to the commute home, and thus I've been there quite a few times, usually for the delicious peaches (although one day I did get two containers of strawberries for 1pound, when they normally go for 1.50 a piece). The second culinary delight is curry. In my mind, curry is Indian for happiness because....well, it just is. Granted, we haven't really tried some fine curry yet, but we've had curry four times for dinner already. We normally just do the standard chicken, rice, and a jar of curry sauce. I definitely plan on going to Bricklane (a Bangledeshi neighborhood) to enjoy some authentic curry.

Aside from soaking in the culture in food form, I've also been taking advantage of the music and theatre scene, as well as learning more about the various popular sports. Two Thursdays ago, we went to the PROMS, which is this concert series that the BBC runs throughout the summer. The concert hall was beautiful, but interesting because of the fact that it was circular. As such, there was no proscenium or stand-apart stage for the orchestra, but rather they occupied a pie section of the circle near the ground level. So, in a sense it was like orchestra in the round. They sell tickets for 5 pounds the day of the concert for standing room, either in the upper upper balcony or in the center of the hall (think "groundlings" in the Globe Theatre). I actually preferred this to sitting in the seats, because it was a more live environment standing next to various people and it made you feel more active in the performance. For my Alternative Theatre show, we've seen two performances so far: STOMP and stand-up comedy at The Comedy Store. STOMP was excellent...I recommend it to anyone if you can see it. The stand-up comedy was hilarious...I had a headache by the end from laughing. Surprisingly, I understood most of the jokes. There were some Britain specific topics, but most jokes involved the standard comedy topics today. What was interesting however was to hear how the Brits perceive America. They found some of our friends in the front row and were poking fun at them, but there was also some jokes centering around President Bush, the war in Iraq, and "Did you know? 1 in every 3 Americans weighs as much as the other two."

We've been following the various popular British sports also, such as football (soccer), rugby, and cricket. Rugby and cricket are both very neat, and I think I'm slowly understanding all the aspects of the game. I might still be able to catch a game of either, but maybe not, because it's nearing the end of the season. Anyway, I kinda wish that we'd get those games in the US, because they really are entertaining to watch.

Well, that was a big post, but there's definitely a lot to take in here in London so I'm not surprised. Look for the next post about my weekend in Brussels, Belgium. Cheers everyone!