Sunday in London

Zayda L. has sent us this report on her first weekend in England:

What makes travel so exciting is discovering our differences and our similarities from the countries we visit.  Upon my arrival in England, I was initially struck by all sorts of minor differences.  Once I got to know my host family better, however, I realized that the U.S. and the U. K. are not that different.  We have the same brands of clothes, food, and T.V. shows.  More than that we have an entwined history and set of values.

On Sunday, which luckily started out sunny and free of rain, my host family took me to the famous London Eye, where I got a bird's eye view of this historic city.  Afterwards, we walked down South End, on the bank of the Thames, which had art displays for the Love Festival.  Then, we went through West End to get to Covent Garden.  West End is a theatre district full of British and American musicals like The Lion King, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, Book of Mormon, and The Black Lady.  What a lot of shows we share.

 Shopping in Covent Garden was fun, but beyond the well known stores and brand names we both share, what really struck me were the stands where people sell handmade goods such as T-shirts, jewelry, and London souvenirs.  I can always go shopping for the brand names in Dallas, but it was a real thrill to get an insight into the English way of life through actual handmade goods at a local festival.

So, London has been full of enriching surprises that have underlined complementary American and British differences and similarities.   I cannot wait for the adventure to continue.  Cheers, as they say here.