Lindsey's Blog

This Journey is Over, but a New One Begins

lnguyen@scu.edu (Lindsey Nguyen) — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 13:12:00 PST

I have been back from studying abroad for about three weeks now, which means I have had three weeks to adjust to reverse culture shock, jet lag, and my life as I had left it back home. Some first thoughts when I first stepped foot in the Bay Area again: there is so much space everywhere, tap water is free, things are much cheaper (compared to the pound and the euro), and people were wearing large coats for fifty-degree Fahrenheit weather (Bay Area cold and London cold feel completely different!). In all seriousness, it felt great being home and seeing my family and friends again, but I did realize I missed a few things. I missed the tube and bus transportation (it was so easy to get around in London, and I had to get used to driving back home again), I missed the boundless activities in London (Covent Garden, Borough Market, Brick Lane, etc.), and, of course, I missed the friends I made there (my coworkers!). Living in a such a bustling city as London was such a different experience than living at home, which is what I had done all of my life up until I studied abroad.

Going abroad was therefore a huge personal leap for me, and I very much appreciate having had the opportunity to participate in such an incredible adventure. This will certainly be a chapter of my life that I will always cherish and remember, and I learned a lot in this process in general (i.e. how to be more independent, how to work and study in a different culture environment, etc.) and personally (i.e. how much I've enjoyed living in an urban environment, how I've enjoyed traveling so much that I am considering working internationally, etc.). If there was one thing I have learned throughout my entire time here, it is to be fearless in your pursuits. If there is something you want to try or want to experience and the only thing stopping you is fear of the unexpected: do it. I was initially afraid because I knew nothing about living on my own (I had never even lived in the dorms prior to being abroad) and I was at a financially unstable position at the time of study abroad applications. However, a lot about living on your own simply is learning as you go--learning how to cook, how to do laundry, how and when to go grocery shopping. There will also be unforeseen issues that arise--I bought an incorrect converter for my laptop and did not have access to Internet for my first week in London; also, the only camera I had with me broke, so I had to buy a new one in London--so there is no way to prepare for situations like this, but overcoming them is part of the learning. I also worked and accumulated my study abroad savings for nearly two years to ensure I had enough financial support with me while abroad.

Again, if any of you are interested in studying abroad, I would highly recommend it. This journey has already come to a close for me, but I've learned and experienced so much that I plan to take with me in the next chapter of my life. Thank you all for following me through it!

Local Adventures

lnguyen@scu.edu (Lindsey Nguyen) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:19:00 PST

School and my international internship course have been going well. I'm still taking my British Life and Cultures class through December, and I absolutely love it. We took a field trip a week ago to Brick Lane and had a paid for buffet lunch at Cafe Naz--a restaurant that prides itself on being one of Brick Lane's original Indian cuisines. It was delicious and really interesting learning about how Indian culture developed in London's history. Unfortunately, I was too busy listening and eating that I'd forgotten to take pictures of the buffet meal, but I'd highly recommend this restaurant for anyone planning to visit Brick Lane.

My international internship course is also going very well. We are learning practical skills here that I find very useful for my future career: we've taken psychoanalytic tests to truly understand our strengths and weaknesses in a work environment, we are working closely with our professor to fine-tune our resumes (or CV's, as they are called here) and make them stand out, and we work through any cultural barriers that exist between us and our internship here in London. This class is really helping me make the most of my internship experience, which I appreciate. Speaking of internships, mine is going very well. My supervisor invited me and two other friends to a female boxing tournament called City Warriors at Troxy, a really trendy venue in Lancaster. Camberwell Film Studios (my company) was in charge of covering the event: everything from filming, to photographs, to personal interviews with the boxers. The idea was for me to get a first-hand look at how capturing an event like this worked for a film industry and, I have to say, it was one of my most fun experiences here in London. The women were all tough and went all out in the ring; I met and networked with a few of my coworker's friends; and the next day I saw how the whole DVD came together during the editing process of the footage captured. I am having so much fun with this internship, am learning so much about the film industry, and getting along really well with all of my coworkers (learning to "take the piss" with the dry, British sarcasm--and I love it!).

I had some time to relax from work and school this past weekend and took the opportunity to visit one of the biggest and most popular wholesale food markets in the world--Borough Market. There was everything from fresh dried fruit stands, to surprisingly tasty chocolates with Indian spices in them (most of which are traditionally used in savory dishes), to homemade bratwurst with sauerkraut, to delicious delicacies such as mushroom pate, to homemade vats of international curries (Vietnamese, Thai, and Caribbean). With an empty stomach and a lot of extra change, I happily ate my way through the experience. This market opens Thursday, Fridays, and weekends, but I'm glad I only discovered it now or I would have eaten my way through the experience every weekend (not good for me, nor my wallet). All in all, it was a fun treat and well worth it, especially for a foodie like myself.

I literally have less than a month here left, and although I'll be happy to see my family for the holidays, I know I will miss London so much. I'm glad I took the past few weeks touring and experiencing the local areas of London, however--it's made me fall in love with this city so much more.

Homesick While Abroad

lnguyen@scu.edu (Lindsey Nguyen) — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 11:18:00 PST

The other day, my coworker (who studied abroad at UC Berkeley for a year) Googleed mapped images of the Berkeley campus while he explained to me where he lived and his favorite restaurants on Telegraph. I must admit, it felt strange seeing palm trees, sun, and bigger streets. I've been studying abroad in London for nearly two and a half months now, but the below 60 degrees weather, the food, the public transit (my only mode of transportation), and the hustle and bustle of a fast-paced city life have become ingrained in me. It's definitely felt longer than two and a half months: it's been a whirlwind of adventure so far and I'm enjoying every minute of it.

As much as I am loving this study abroad experience though, there are times when I miss the sun and palm trees at SCU, the small campus environment, Bay Area food, and the people back home. It's a small case of homesickness, but I've been coping well with it by calling my mom, Skyping my family (for future reference to prospective study abroad students, Skype is the best system that works for video chatting, and it's free!), and e-mailing my best friends. Some days are certainly more difficult than others, but keeping in the loop about what goes on at home makes me feel better. It's also difficult to find free time when you're abroad--because there's always something to do--but whenever I do, I use that time to keep in contact with friends and family and write in my journal. There is so much that can happen in these short four months, so recording everything in my journal helps me collect my thoughts at the end of the day, reflect, and gives me the opportunity to look back and remember.

The good news about studying abroad with other SCU students is that you're bound to find other people who miss home. Although my friends and I were really busy with school and work this week, we decided to take one night off to see the Christmas Lighting Ceremony on Regent Street in Oxford Circus. It was so beautiful--and we witnessed a street performance by Kelly Clarkson to boot! Afterward, we wandered around SoHo a little more and came across a holiday gift shop full of toys that I couldn't help purchase.

I was definitely a happy camper by the end of the night and it was a great way to kick off the holiday season--even when I'm missing home!

Halfway Through

lnguyen@scu.edu (Lindsey Nguyen) — Tue, 18 Oct 2011 10:21:00 PST

This past week and a half I’ve been focusing on midterms and preparing for finals (which are next week). We only have a seven-week quarter, so classes go by really quickly but also assignments come up more quickly. I really do enjoy all of my classes though. I’ve learned so much about Shakespeare’s technique and play on words in my Shakespeare and Elizabethan course. My professor is a former actor in Shakespeare’s plays, so he is very entertaining to listen to and really knows how to help his students understand Shakespeare’s work in a fun way. My international trade course is also really interesting. A week ago our professor toured us around London’s financial district, detailing the history of exchange and the growth of economic activity in this area. I realize this may sound boring, but it is really more interesting when you learn out and about in the city, which is what I love about my courses here. I’m glad midterms are finally over so that I can relax. I have been doing other things besides work though, thankfully.

Yesterday I had my interview at my internship placement. For another seven weeks here, I will be interning as Marketing Assistant at Camberwell Film Studios Limited, an independent production company in London. This company rents out its studio spaces (green screen, lighting, crew, etc.) to clients for commercials, music videos, and television shows. One of my coworkers wore a UC Berkeley sweater (he attended that school) in honor of my joining them for seven weeks, which I thought was a very nice welcome! I was a little intimidated at first though, because when I first walked in they were in the middle of a commercial shoot for Footlocker. At that point, I realized this internship was all too real and I wasn’t sure if I had enough experience to do this. However, everyone was really nice, encouraging, and they stressed that they will give me room to grow and learn at my own pace. I’m definitely looking forward to working with my supervisor to increase their clientele and learn a little more about London work life.

I have been loving London so far, but I also wanted to get a flavor of other European countries during my time here. The past two weekends I’ve made getaways to Amsterdam, Bruges, and Barcelona. Amsterdam was really fun: we toured the Red Light District (which was interesting, to say the least, but something one should definitely see in Amsterdam’s nightlife), visited the Van Gogh museum (which was filled with beautiful Van Gogh originals), and toured Anne Frank’s house (although somewhat depressing, it was incredible to literally peek into her life and history). We stayed in Bruges really briefly, but I did have a chance to try some Belgian waffles (supremely delicious) and take home Belgian chocolate souvenirs. In Barcelona, we saw Gaudi’s famous Sagrada Familia (a church built by Gaudi and known for its architectural beauty), visited Gaudi’s house, and went to a concert called Sensation (also very fun—we danced all night).

Overall, I’ve had an incredible (and productive!) past couple of weeks. I’m sad that I’m nearly halfway through my study abroad experience, but I’m also looking forward to what the coming weeks will bring.

Stonehenge!

lnguyen@scu.edu (Lindsey Nguyen) — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:21:00 PST

Classes have been going well so far, but things have been picking up with midterms and papers just around the corner. I can’t believe I am nearly halfway through my courses! They are all very interesting though, and longer class sessions (three hours) are convenient for more class field trips, so it’s fun to experience Britain outside of the classroom as well. I’ve already watched a performance at the Shakespeare Globe for my Shakespeare and Elizabethan course (we saw Much Ado About Nothing) and it was marvelous! I’m looking forward to other upcoming field trips.

This weekend, though, I decided to take a break from classes and make an obligatory visit to Stonehenge and Bath. Stonehenge turned out to be as cool and as mysterious as it sounds. At first I was underwhelmed because of how small the site was—it seemed so much bigger in pictures. But it’s the history and theories surrounding the creation of Stonehenge that definitely makes this monument worth visiting. The fact that its creation pre-dates history (it was created around 3,000 BC) is quite a feat in and of itself; some of the blue stones originated from Wales, for example, so the trek from Wales to Wiltshire back when transportation was underdeveloped would have been a difficult journey. Nobody really understands why someone (or something) could have gone through the trouble to create this monument. There are extreme theories suggesting it was created by aliens or by people who turned into stone. It has been largely agreed upon, however, that this site aligned perfectly to mark the midwinter and summer solstices, which I found interesting. All in all, visiting Stonehenge was fun, and I made sure to take plenty of pictures.

Bath was just an hour or so away from Stonehenge, so we took a trip there to visit the city itself and the Roman Baths. I was especially excited to visit Bath knowing that it was the former home of Jane Austen and the setting in nearly all of her novels. This city was immediately overwhelming—the architecture, the history, and the scenery—everything was beautiful and everything looked like the England I would imagine if I were to reread a Jane Austen novel. Also, apparently on the day we visited, there was a Jane Austen event going on where both men and women were dressed for tea and strolled around the city in 17^th century attire. The Roman Baths were equally interesting. The complex was built around 70 AD and has been preserved ever since. We were able to stand close enough to the water for pictures, but the water itself was definitely not sanitary enough to touch. I was happy enough with a few pictures by the ledge.

There is so much more to see here and I’m excited to get to it all!

Still Getting Acclimated

lnguyen@scu.edu (Lindsey Nguyen) — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 10:31:00 PST

I’m two weeks into my study abroad experience in London and this place is beginning to feel more and more like home. I’ve developed somewhat of a routine, which has helped with my adjustment: grocery shopping twice a week, early morning jogs at Hyde Park, classes, and exploring the city all the times in between. I’m still adjusting to jetlag, unfortunately, but this hasn’t deterred me from getting a taste of everything London.

Sightseeing is a daily activity but instead of visiting just the main attractions, I’ve taken the initiative to see local nooks of the city and enjoy local events. A large part of life in London is utilizing public transportation—the tube (the subway) and buses run really well here and can literally take you anywhere in and around London in no time. My friends and I decided to board the tube and buses and see where the trip took us. Two of the many areas we visited were Camden and Chinatown. Camden is a really eclectic city, filled with local shops that offer anything from colorful Ray Ban sunglasses, to gothic/punk rock gear, to affordable ethnic food (Chinese, Indian, Mexican, and Mediterranean food galore). Chinatown was also a fun town to visit. It was small, but chock full of culture and great food. It reminded me of the Chinatown back home, and it was interesting to see pubs next door to Asian markets: it was like a real-life meshing of two cultures.

We also took part in the Thames River Festival, an event that takes place one weekend in September. It was a blast hanging out with both locals and tourists near the London Eye and enjoying the festivities. I returned at night just in time to catch the fireworks as well!

I’m having such a fun time interacting with the locals and enjoying the atmosphere here! This weekend I’ll be taking a trip up to Baths and Stonehenge—will blog about this soon!

Across the Pond

lnguyen@scu.edu (Lindsey Nguyen) — Tue, 20 Sep 2011 11:56:00 PST

Sometime in November 2010, I asked my parents: “What if I studied abroad in London?” They laughed and said “sure,” and I kind of laughed and said “sure” myself, none of us really believing (I think) that I would do it. I was almost joking when I asked that question, but weeks after that I asked myself this again and again until it morphed into something not quite a question but sounded more like, “Well, I guess I’m studying abroad in London.”

Since then I’ve been making all the necessary preparations: stocking up on winter clothing, obtaining my student visa, and learning some British slang (French fries are called "chips," not to be confused with the potato-y snack, "crisps"). Now, two nearly oversize suitcases and an 11-hour flight later, I'm finally here!

This city has been an adventure for sure, full of surprises. I began to notice little things really quickly: pedestrians definitely do not have the right of way (It's scary crossing the street!), public transit here is very good, the British are a little bit reserved (It would be weird to strike up a conversation with someone.), there are hardly any elevators (or "lifts") anywhere, and the British really like to have tea. The culture shock definitely struck me first, but eventually I got to know the city itself and the people in it a lot better.

One common gathering space that is fun to partake in are local pubs. London in particular is crawling with them, and it was great to stop by a few and have some good food. You do not necessarily have to have an alcoholic drink here--you can just enjoy good food (like a mushroom chicken pot pie and chips) and mingle with others. Although Londoners do tend to keep to themselves, it doesn't mean they won't hold a conversation with you and be friendly. The sense of humor here is very dry and sarcastic, which I find hilarious.

During the day, when we don't have class, my friends and I tend to wander around the city admiring the buildings' architecture, visiting local shops, and doing our grocery shopping. The city itself is very beautiful and has a very fast-paced atmosphere--all of the buildings are baroque-esque and everyone is out and about going somewhere and doing something. It's also not uncommon to find people dressed in suits or dresses and pea coats--London is very much the fashion center of the world.

I've obviously only seen a small part of London: my neighborhood. The SCU London program caters to us not only by providing us a great place to stay, but by touring us around to get a little taste or other nooks of the city (and to familiarize ourselves with the area so that we may return to them later). We visited High Street, a popular downtown shopping center; saw the Tower Bridge; the London Eye; Big Ben; and so much more.

I feel like I have so much to do, so I'm glad I have another 3 months to go. Cheers!