Upon arriving in London, I was extremely
excited for the adventure of a lifetime. I’d lived in a foreign country before,
but this was different because a) London is very different from South Korea,
and b) I was doing it without parents breathing down my back. I finally felt
like I was an adult – living on my own, exploring the world on my own – and I
couldn’t wait to get started.
My adventures in London so far have been
great, and I’ve found that the most valuable experiences come from visiting
ordinary places. Every weekend, I’ve gotten on the tube and gone somewhere I
hadn’t seen before, and so far, my adventures have mostly consisted of going to
parks and markets. However, doing this has been a lot of fun, and I’ve learned
many things about the area.
As far as markets go, I’ve been to Borough
Market and Brixton Market. Comparing and contrasting, I think I like Borough
Market better, but both are wonderful in very different ways.
The first market I went to was Brixton
Market, and it totally reminded me of the market I went to with my Mom while
living in South Korea. There was a mostly immigrant population there, selling
their produce, and I was amazed at how cheaply I could buy a bag of potatoes
for. In a sense, I was grateful, but in another sense, I felt bad for the
people who worked so hard and made so little.
This was reflected in an experience I had
buying strawberries there. Out of curiosity, I asked the price, and the man
said £1.20. I thought that was very reasonable, and decided to buy them, but
when I was fishing through my pocket for exact change, the man assumed I didn’t
have the money and said I could have them for £1. After arguing with him for a
bit about this, I tried to pay him the full amount, but when he kept saying
‘no, no, it’s really fine,’ I felt too embarrassed to argue back and left him
with the £1. This experience really struck me at how
poor some people must be, as they might not have a few extra pence for a box of
strawberries. In hindsight, he might have been one of those people, which made
me feel very guilty about not forcing him to take the full price, especially
because I could easily afford it.
Borough Market is slightly more expensive,
but I’ve come to the conclusion that the food is much better, and that it’s
worth the price. There are a lot of small, organic farms that sell their fresh
vegetables there, and there are also bakeries, cheesemakers, butchers, and
street food vendors. So far, I’ve bought some delicious veggies, homemade
bread, apple strawberry juice, and a venison apple burger which claimed to be
fresh from the field. All of the food tasted amazing, and now I know where I am
going to do most of my grocery shopping while I’m here.
The parks I’ve been to include Hyde Park
and St. James’ Park. I have yet to explore these areas in full, but from what
I’ve seen so far, I’ve been nothing but impressed. I went to Hyde Park during my first
weekend in London, and was amazed at how big it was. There I was, in the middle
of a busy city, and I’d entered into a natural area that I couldn’t see the end
of. It was breath-taking! I adventurously explored its paths, enjoying the
birds and squirrels going about their daily lives, as well as the trees
whispering in the wind.
I also got a look at the Italian Gardens
and the Princess Diana memorial playground. Two things I learned: that the
English can do gardens right, and that the English can do playgrounds right.
Despite it being winter, the Italian Gardens were beautiful (especially the
fountains), and I wished I could have stayed longer sitting in them to get
inspired (the weather was a bit cold for that). From what I could conceive of
the playground, it was set up in this natural area with complex wooden play
structures that kids could actually have fun on. Seeing all this, I wondered,
‘when will Americans ever learn?’
St. James’ Park was also beautiful. I went
there briefly one day between classes, and managed to see some ducks, geese,
pigeons, and other cool birds, and walked halfway around the pond. This park
wasn’t near as big as Hyde Park, and it was much more crowded, but it was still
a joy to take time off during my work day and enjoy the outdoor sunshine.
What amazed me most about both parks was
the fact that they existed, and the fact that there are so many other parks
like them that I have yet to explore. Since London is a big city, it’s
wonderful how there are so many large, open areas for wildlife. Granted, city
parks are not the most natural habitat, but the fact that people make the
effort to make spaces for plants and animals is beautiful. Additionally, the
parks are some of the nicest places to go to because you can get some fresh
air, and are free to explore whatever you want at your own pace.
So, parks and markets sum up my travels in
London thus far. However, my thirst for adventure has not been stilled, and I
can’t wait to go and explore more of this amazing city.
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