Archive for category: London 2023

Above: a compilation of friends, new and old

This past week, I went to Paris and it really gave me an appetite for watching the movie Ratatouille (a very American reaction to Paris, I know). The movie is about a lot of things. The most obvious themes are the importance of art and that art can come from anywhere. This time around though, the side plot between Remy and his dad particularly struck a chord with me. Remy does not want to live the life of a rat. He wants to cook like humans do, but being a rat, he cannot pass as a human. It highlights his perceived absence of identity as neither rat nor human, and a tug-of-war between Remy’s origins and his current status in life. Can he really be both things at once? Just before leaving America, I felt like there was something outside small-town life that I was missing. I didn’t exactly know what it was, but I thought that before I went on with my life, I needed to know if there was anything out there that I’d need to be “more fulfilled.” I thought, what if on the off-chance I have a “Remy moment?” The strange part of it was though, that unlike Remy, the life I was currently living made me anything but unhappy. I knew how joyful teaching makes me, how passionate I am about literature, how satisfied I would be working with kids the rest of my life and how great of friends and teachers I have. As it turns out though, there was something I was lacking. I was missing the thing that Ratatouille’s hardened critic, Anton Ego, so desperately craved: perspective. Yes, I have experienced an innumerable about of blessings abroad, but to me, the biggest of those, was the realization that I already have everything I need.

All that said, the experience of studying abroad is one that I would recommend to anyone who has the chance. It was a roller coaster. Before you go, you think you’ll never want to leave. When you get there, you want to leave as soon as possible. About a month in, you don’t ever want to leave. Then finally, you get to where I am now– a strange amalgamation of the two feelings, that doesn’t feel divided half and half, but like you’re fully committed to both ideas. Though, I suppose (to incorporate one final Ratatouille parallel) that is why Remy opened his restaurant to both humans and rats, to bring a slice of what he’s learned back to where he started. So what will I bring back home? Well for one, as much food as I can fit in my bag. I’ve grown very attached to marmalade, although I was initially turned off by the fact that it tastes more like orange rinds than it does the actually good part of the orange. Recently, I’ve been eating it on a peanut butter sandwich. Mind you, British people don’t eat peanut butter and jelly. So a peanut butter and marmalade sandwich might be a creation specific only to Americans living in the U.K.  I will most likely start to call dudes “blokes” and say “cheeky” less and less ironically. I think, more significantly for me, I won’t be so terrified of finances. Being abroad really forces you to be careful with every cent (pence) you spend. I’m proud of facing up to my fear of money and being intentional about budgeting. That said, I threw a lot of pointless dollars down the drain: missing a train, missing a flight, falling for tourist scams, booking tickets to an ABBA show thinking that the real ABBA would be there (it showed their faces on the poster!!). I’m actually embarrassed to say out loud the dollar amount of ill-spent money. So if there is anything I would have done differently, it would be to always make sure to know the exact details of what I’m purchasing; and on top of that, that I arrive to whatever I have booked with plenty of time to spare. The public transportation is not consistent. If you are making a trip into central London, give yourself at the very least 30 minutes of extra time and have alternate routes in mind.

To any students who know they are studying abroad, I pray the Lord’s blessings on your trip. Hopefully, you see his hand throughout your trip as much as I did. Find a church (if you are going to Roehampton, Community Church in Putney is super close and welcoming), find like-minded Christians, find community service opportunities, and speak openly about your faith to those who aren’t like-minded. Doing this has allowed me to witness some really special lightbulb moments. The best feeling is to hear them coming back to you with questions about the Bible and having the privilege to answer them. From my experience, I have actually felt less alienated expressing my faith to unbelievers here than I have in America, because Americans are just so darn stubborn. As one final piece of advice, go easy on yourself. Your self esteem is really going to be tested after every stupid purchase, every time you looked like a dumb American in public, and every time you feel alone. Take a deep breath. Call your mom. Eat a comfort food. Watch the American Office. But also know that it’s important to be uncomfortable sometimes. Watch an episode of the British Office instead. Take a solo trip to Scotland. Try haggis. Get invested in Royal Family drama. Go in eating peanut butter and jelly and out eating peanut butter and marmalade.

I can’t wait to see you all on campus again!

Blessings, Joe.

One of the many blessings of being in London is getting to experience its diversity. There are people from all walks of life here, each person with a unique background. One of the closest friends that I have made in London is Ehsan, who grew up in Shiraz, Iran. We have been talking since the first day we arrived and throughout our conversations and in the interview I conducted with him today, I have learned a great deal about what life was like for him in Iran and how during his experience in London, he has been undergoing a culture shock of his own.

The greatest difference between Iran and the U.K. that Ehsan pointed to was that the people of the U.K. are allowed much more freedom in all aspects of life. For one, the Iranian government strictly prohibits the practice of religions outside of Islam. Converts from Islam can be punished by execution without the right to appear before a court, despite there being an established court system in Iran. In keeping with Muslim tradition, there are many restrictions in the clothing that one can wear in Iran. Ehsan pointed out that while some of these restrictions are on men– they are not allowed to have tattoos or to show their arms or legs in a work setting– the majority of the laws are specific to women. They must cover their arms, legs, and hair at all times with a hijab, so as to not be a distraction to the men. Free speech is also limited in Iran, as its people are prohibited to criticize the government.

Besides these more obvious changes, Ehsan has noticed some differences in his social life. While in the U.K. it is normal to decline someone’s offer of food, Ehsan was taken aback that people would decline his offers, as in Iran, it is not considered polite. He also noticed that people in the U.K. are more likely to talk to strangers in Iran, which was a very interesting perspective to me because when compared to the U.S., the U.K. seemed more reserved in that sense. Ehsan said that when you do talk to people in Iran, it’s not common to express your emotions. Most people put up a front when they are in public. Still, Ehsan has incredibly close relationships with his friends back home, which is something that he misses. 

When I asked Ehsan about what else he misses from Iran, he was fixated on food. His absolute favorite dish, which his mom would often make, is tahchin. It appears almost like a cake, baked with rice and eggs, filled with chicken, and topped with tart barberries. The dish that he left me craving the most was faloodeh, a dessert that looks like noodles, which are actually made of a sorbet-like frozen syrup. It is also very common, he told me, to eat koobideh, a lamb or beef kebab served with rice and grilled tomatoes. 

One of Ehsan’s family traditions is to grill koobideh on seezdah be de. This day is the last of the 13 day-long holiday of Nowruz. Nowruz is celebrated from the first day of the spring equinox onward, as this is where the Persian calendar starts. It is similar to the U.S. New Years, and is the most popular holiday celebrated in Iran. On the final day of Nowruz, seezdah be de, it is custom to spend the day out in nature, to dispel any negativity out of your life. Ehsan’s family likes to hike, or to play football and volleyball during this time. Another fun tradition of this day is to tie a piece of grass and make a wish.

My interview with Ehsan has challenged me to approach every person with a grain of salt, without making assumptions that their expectations in social situations are the same as mine. I hope that my relationship with Ehsan continues to grow!

I am about one month in. I could say that it’s gone by really fast or really slowly, but neither of those are entirely true. It’s felt like a proper month, but I’m nonetheless sad to know that I’m one month closer to leaving. That said, I am grateful to have made the most of it. The past month has been jam-packed with all sorts of sights, foods, and experiences. Some of the highlights so far include:

1. A visit to Oxford, where I got to see shooting locations from Harry Potter, hear about vignettes from Tolkien and Lewis’ life there (if you were an English student there from the 20s to 40s, you could hear lectures from both of them in one day!), and attend a beautiful evensong service in the Christ Chapel.

2. A visit to the chalky white Seven Sister Cliffs and Brighton, whose seaside boardwalk gave me a little taste of America with its colorful carnival rides and fried food stands.

3. A visit from my parents, who treated me to, among other things, a tour of the immense St. Paul’s Cathedral, a look at the working model of William Drake’s ship (that actually circumnavigated twice to his once), and a West End night of theatre with Les Misérables, my favorite show!

In terms of my personal goals, I already blew one of them out of the water which was to meet 5 people from countries other than my own and to hear their background. I must’ve taken the diversity of not only Roehampton, the school I’m attending, but London as a whole. I have built close relationships with people from Greece, Germany, Ukraine, Australia, Iran, France, you name it! I have found that many Americans get along well with the Australians. Perhaps it is their tendency to share in the American outgoingness that can be overwhelming to others.

You can see also the diversity reflected in the vast amount of cultural foods across the city. So, let’s talk food for a bit. While I am a bit let down there are very minimal Mexican places, the popularity of Greek and South Asian food here certainly makes up for it. I know that I mentioned Five Guys in my last blog, but I have to point out that they have significantly more of them here than there are in America. They are around every corner and rightfully so. As for British food, I was at first wary because I had heard it is bland. While this may be true at times, I have definitely come around to it. The weirdest British food I have had so far was black pudding, or sausage made of blood. In this case, I was happy that its taste wasn’t very strong (it tastes slightly peppery). The highlight of British cuisine is definitely their baked goods and desserts, though. You have to try their toffee pudding! (boy, they really use that word pudding in like 4 different ways).

Anyway, back to relationships. One of my closest relationships is with a friend from Iran. He told me about the strict religious persecution in Iran. It was to the point where his own brother didn’t tell him he was a Christian. This past Sunday, he asked me if he could come to Christian church with me. There he got his first Bible and we have since gone to a Bible study, where he has asked many questions. This has been my most powerful connection so far. If there is any goal I can improve on, it is being even more open about my faith and the ministry opportunities provided abroad. This interaction has definitely inspired me to do so.

On the day after my arrival in London, we had an orientation during which an advisor pulled up an image of the “Study Abroad Emotional Curve.” It’s a model that I’m sure many-a-study abroad student has encountered– one that starts at a high, only to dip down to a lull of depression and homesickness, but then rise up again to familiarity. As I sat there taking it in, it dawned upon me that I had realized the entire path of this curve in just the first day of arriving in London. On the bus ride to the University, I didn’t have any worries. I was talking to people who could speak my language. And not only could I understand the English folk I had just met, but they were willing to joke about the differences between America and the UK, like our high school cheerleaders and pep rallies or their fries being chips (being crisps). At that point, it seemed like this would only be a slight adjustment for me, and only to largely silly or inconsequential things.

Further into the day, I realized there were in fact bigger hurdles to jump over. When I went to buy groceries, the cashier would not let me purchase my food because I didn’t have a signature on my card. When I finally got things sorted out, I got off on the wrong bus stop and had to walk twenty minutes with a week’s supply of food. So sure, there was a noticeable culture shock, but nothing to completely throw me off. It’s only when I arrived at my dorm that it set in– the depression phase. I hadn’t felt homesickness since my first week of boarding school as a high school freshman, so this completely threw me for a loop. I hadn’t gotten anyone’s number that I met that day. I had to come to grips with the fact that it doesn’t matter how big the city is or how many people you are surrounded by. You can be lonely anywhere.

I was about to take an early night that night, until my flat rep (that’s what they call RAs here) comes knocking on my door and invites me to come meet everyone else in the flat. From this small act of kindness, things started looking up. They only got better when I found a permanent group of about 6 other people who were willing to travel. This was a relief as I had been stressing about traveling alone. Since then, we have done several of day trips, visiting many hotspots, such as the London Tower and the Buckingham Palace. It is amazing that even flats on the side of the street have more architectural flair than most buildings in America. My personal favorite stop so far has been the British Museum, which has so many exhibits that it could be toured in several days. Not to mention it’s free! It was surreal to see ancient artifacts, such as the Rosetta Stone or the Shalmaneser’s Black Obelisk standing so casually in front of me. Pictured above is our trip to central London. From left to right, they are Truvail (from Chicago), Rajnah (from Sydney, Austrailia), Ehsan (from Fars, Iran), me, Anthony (from Sydney, Australia), Lunden (from Georgia, despite her namesake), and Hattie (from Michigan). It is refreshing to be traveling with people from various backgrounds, but also comforting to to be with fellow Americans who can relate to my experience.

I know that the rest of my trip won’t be complete smooth sailing from here on out. I have already faced a share of road bumps (that’s a mixed metaphor, I know). But I have made connections with people solid enough that I can share my faith comfortably. This is a real blessing, and in my estimation, a sign of a positive trajectory moving forward.

Blessings, Joe