I feel like I am becoming a Londoner! I know that I still have a lot to learn but this week proved that my cultural experiences are paying off. I now know how to get some places via the tube without having to check on tfl.com and I've been able to get around the Victoria area just fine without hesitation. A few times this week I took the tube by myself, which is something I hadn't done yet...sounds trivial but I was quite proud of myself for getting home just fine. In addition, I feel like I am becoming a theater-guru. In this past week I went to "The Charity that begins at Home," for my theater class and "The Importance of being Earnest" for my internship. I love the theater so this has been exciting, I hope it stays this way throughout the semester and I don't get bored of it.
This week I settled into life here a little bit more. The newness of everything has died down and I'm realizing that I'm going to be here for the next 3 months. I started an exercise routine consisting of runs through St. James Park, some workouts I can do in my room, and on Thursday I stayed after classes at ULU and paid for a day pass to their workout facilities. At home I exercise a couple of hours every day so not doing anything other than walking for the first two weeks was kind of getting me down. I feel a lot better now that I have gotten into a regular exercising routine. In addition to exercising I've settled into a better diet. The past few nights I've gotten together with a few other girls and we've cooked real food, which was delicious! I feel like a grown up. It feels good to get into a regular routine, it makes me feel like I am becoming a real "Londoner."
Although things have gotten more comfortable this week, I've also had a few anti-American experiences. Friday night a group of girls went to The Court (a pub by ULU) where we met a group of guys...one of which looked like Ron Weasley from Harry Potter. They were nice at first but once they had a few drinks Ron Weasley started to tell us, "American English isn't real English," and "I will never belittle my language with your filthy rubbish American accents," etc. So we decided to leave. In addition, on Saturday night we went to a comedy club called "The Comedy Pub," where we sat in the back...but that didn't save us from being the butt of half the jokes. That was expected though, we were slightly prepared. When the host announced they had a group of Americans in the audience we got a mixed reaction of cheers and boos. But we were good sports about the whole thing, even when the last comedian made a joke about China coming in and taking over the White House.
Overall, this week has been one of settling into the London lifestyle, both good and bad. I've settled into a routine that has made me both happier and healthier. I've experienced some negative reactions to being an American, that have made me more aware of my culture and the cultural perceptions of Americans by Londoners. I'm excited for what this week has to bring, hopefully not everyone is like Ron Weasley and I can continue to settle into life as a Londoner.
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