I have now been in London for a little less than two weeks. I feel like I could spend years here and not be able to experience everything this city has to offer! It has an amazing mix of history and modernity as well as European, uniquely English, and international influences. I am living across the street from Trafalgar Square, which put me less than ten minutes away from London’s main Theater District, St. James Park, the Thames River, Leicester Square, Covent Garden, Chinatown, and much more! I am surrounded by many of London’s greatest theatres, pubs, tourist destinations and historical sites.
Now when I told my friends and family I was going to London, I was bombarded with advice and opinions of the city. People warned me about the rain and the generally gloomy weather. Almost everyone described London as exciting, diverse, and cosmopolitan. But mostly, I was told that there is something for everyone in London. And this is what strikes me most about this city.
Just the one street I walk along everyday to get to school gives a taste of the wide range of sights and experiences London has to offer. In the first few days, the Strand seemed like an endless row of restaurants and convenience stores. After a few strolls along the street, I realized I had been walking right by the embassies of Australia, Zimbabwe, and India everyday! A few days ago, I came across the Somerset House on the Strand, which is a neo-classical style building that was a Tudor palace in the 16th century. It fell into disrepair and was renovated in the 18th century and served as an office building for the Navy, the internal revenue service, and other government services. Now it is a cultural and arts center. As I walk along the Strand everday, I pass people dressed in business clothes and London’s latest fashion, students with backpacks and textbooks, construction workers repairing the roads, and homeless people performing near the tube stop or conversing with each other outside a store or coffee shop. Today I walked by a vigil that has been held every Saturday since October 2002 at the Zimbabwe House as a protest again the human rights violations in the country. Last week I saw a man on the Strand step dancing in traditional Irish clothes to raise awareness about the environment. The Strand offers a taste of the variety and diversity that flavors this whole city.
During a tour of London, my tour guide said that there is no such thing as a ‘Londoner’. Everyone in London comes from somewhere else. It’s easy to see that when I find Indian snacks at the corner convenience store, or when I hear conversations in six or seven languages at the school cafeteria. It’s clear that London has been in constant flux for centuries when I see a cathedral from the sixth century just down the road from a structure built in the 21st century. This city is home to several cultures, religions and time periods. London really does have something for everyone, and it has me feeling like I am not too far from home.
