Hello, Missouri, this is London

tube  /tub, tyub/ Pronunciation Key - [toob, tyoob] noun, verb, tubed, tub-ing.

–noun

1.a hollow, usually cylindrical body of metal, glass, rubber, or other material, used esp. for conveying or containing liquids or gases.

9.the tubular tunnel in which an underground railroad runs.

10.the railroad itself.

-Idiom

18.down the tube or tubes, Informal. into a ruined, wasted, or abandoned state or condition.

17:30, Friday, Angel Station, the train comes rolling up to the platform. The doors open, revealing a full load of people, but only a few get out and more pile in. Having stepped onto the edge of the cabin, I soon quickly jump off to avoid being smashed between the doors. Three minutes later, another train and the same situation, except this time I push my way through the people into one of the few small clearings in this sardine can of transportation. At least it is only for one stop, I tell myself.

Just about everyday I am living part of my life in a tube. It is nearly impossible to escape this vast underground network of rail that has stood and grown for close to 150 years. While traversing between Earl’s Court and King’s Cross, I sit (or more likely stand) and contemplate what those 150 years have brought to this strange world. It is weird to think about women in big Victorian dresses traveling underground in a train pulled by a steam engine. What strikes me more is the thought of thousands of Brits flocking down here to escape German bombers during World War II, and then the brutal irony of becoming a place targeted by terrorist bombers last year.

The Underground, which ironically enough sports a majority of its 253 miles of track above ground, is sufficient for sightseeing on its own. Every station has its own design and character from the smooth businessy Angel to the quaint blue Russell Square. The ads are another subject entirely. They are strategically placed in the areas where you have nothing to do but look at them: beside the escalator, on the platform walls, and above the windows inside the trains themselves. Of course the experience isn’t complete without the music of licensed buskers, sending their voices out from the likes of guitars, harmonicas, saxophones, keyboards, and harps.

What parts of their lives do people bring down here? I saw a man practicing a song on one empty ride. I’ve seen couples kissing non-stop for the seeming entirety of a packed ride. Mostly though people just sit there silently, maybe reading one of the three free papers pushed into their arms by importunate paperboys (and girls). When you hear people talking it is usually not in English, or at least not spoken with an English accent. It is a stale environment most of the time.

But that’s tube life.

Posted by Dan Steilen at 9:46 PM | Permalink | Comments

For the first week in October, the Fall Londoners went Victorian. No, they didn't convert to horse drawn carriages, hoop skirts with big back ends, or top hats for the gents. The British, Life, and Culture class welcomed Professor Dominic Janes who was more than a little excited to educate the waried Americans with a crash course in Victorian London life. Complete with overhead projections and tip toeing around risque topics, Dr. Janes explained there was more to Victorian Britain than a holier than thou attitude.

Britain was entering a new age of success: industrial, religious, financial, and in it's bustling imperialistic empire. With no threats from France who was enduring a revolution, Britain was well on it's way to becoming a leading world power. The Industrial Revolution occured with the Great Exhibition occuring in Hyde Park (which is a short hop, skip and a jump away from the flats the students occupy). This event was a foreshadowing of the great power Britain was harboring and the great financial success that was soon to come.

Looking back on Victorian Britain, people usually remember fabulous gowns with huge skirts and dashing men in classic suits with proper top hats. In all actuality, only 5% of the population fit this description. The rest were middle and working class people. Usually they wore whatever they could get their hands on. Fortunately enough, the working and middle class won in the end by getting to wear comfortable clothes that probably came with their own individual scent. The upper class had to walk around with tight collars and basketball hoops around their legs with a corset harnessed around their waist. In this case, I think I would go for comfort. The working class consisted of those whow orked with their hands while the middle class was comprised of those who handled office work. Just think, in Victorian Britain, this journalist would be considered a part of the middle class since I'm a writer dealing with paper work (perhaps that is actually a compliment for my meager journalistic salary). The upper class owned property or were part of artistocratic families. Unfortunately, people's views on history sometimes cut out the unwanted and ugly aspects of life.

After this lecture, the class was able to see artifacts from the Victorian age at the famous Victoria and Albert Museum. Clothes were a large part of the display and helped to tell the story of this strange and glorious age. Men's clothing was fairly ignored since there are only so many high collared suits a person can look at. There was an amazing display featuring different clothes from Britains ages. The dresses were gorgeous but looked like they would be difficult to sit in let alone dance in or even walk through a door in. Not only were the clothes ornate but the furniture and artwork of the age had its own kind of pure and untouched radiance. Everything had a great attention to detail and it looked like those in that time focused primarily on the beauty of things even though they may not have been that beautiful at the time.

Closing upon the lecture, Dr. Janes touched briefly on how the Victorian age has impacted Britain today. Former Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher used its philosophies in her right wing politics. You can see some of it used in the United States political atmosphere as well. The pure, wholesome family life that everyone in America strives for. Not necessarily the woman dealing with the servants and housework, but a perfect family with a perfect social life, in a perfect community. Leaving out the class system, religious fantasies, and radical dogmas, the Victorian age might be making a come back. As Dr. Janes said, "Cultures and politics don't appear and disappear, they influence."

Posted by Amy Becker at 5:24 PM | Permalink | Comments

Cromwell Statue










We saw a yellow bus on the way to see Little Miss Sunshine. It was meant to be. And the movie is HILARIOUS!

Posted by Sara Machi at 4:33 PM | Permalink | Comments

This is for the week of September 25: Bob's Walking Tour at the Cutty Sark.












Apparently, Blogger hates me. This is the only picture I could get to actually upload.

Posted by Sara Machi at 7:46 AM | Permalink | Comments

Our first foray away from London was a bus trip to Warwick Castle and Stratford-upon-Avon. Here is part of the group in front of the the Warwick keep.








And here we are, tired to the bones, on the trip home.

Posted by Clyde Bentley at 9:21 PM | Permalink | Comments

London: the city known for constant changes and reinvention. A city also known for crappy food. Don't get me wrong, I love London. The nightlife, the theaters, the museums, the architecture, the history: I eat it up! One thing I can barely get down is the food here. I've avoided the culture shock bug for awhile but it's decided to hit me in the sustinance department. One thing I love about new cultures is the food. Trying new things is one of my favorite activities. The first thing I got here was my one of my must haves: a Dr. Pepper. My mouth is salivating since all I'd had in the last 24 hours were little shot glasses of water compliments of Air India. I crack open my soda like a dehydrated man in the Sahara desert. To my dismay, it tasted like someone had left it open for a week then re-added the carbonation. I tried to get past it but as a person who drank about 4 Dr. Pepper's a day, this was a huge shock. I've been trying to keep an open mind, trying McDonalds, Subway, KFC, local chips (chip chips not chips as in french fries) but it just isn't the same. I haven't been disappointed in the sushi department though, thank god! For the past week I've been sticking with a trustworthy salad. The hardest thing for anyone to screw up! This isn't a jab to the English people, I think they just need to discover the awesome world of flavor when it comes to some of their food.

Now not all food here is entirely terrible. There have been a few exceptions. Imagine my surprise when a British friend of mine offers to buy me breakfast and returns with a sausage enveloped in a pastry. To me, this is the British attempt at a corn dog. A bad attempt at that. I graciously accepted it but threw it in my fridge and forgot about it. The other day my roommate and I were starving and it was the only thing we had that didn't require cooking. We popped it in the microwave to warm it up and divided it down the middle. That sasauge pastry was one of the best foods I've ever had in my life! Now I see them every where: at bakeries, convenient stores, grocery stores. I buy one every time. Now I don't know how I'll survive without them in the States.

One thing is for sure, this London experience has stretched my taste boundaries to the point of breaking. All in all, it's probably a good thing. I'll go home appreciating food a lot more! I'll never cast my eyes at McDonalds ever again! Oh and if anyone ever walks past a Taco Bell, alert me right away. I'm about to the point of hurting someone for a chicken fajita or taco!

Posted by Amy Becker at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments

The IE group of American students has experienced a lot so far since their arrival in London Saturday morning. IE staff greeted the students at Heathrow Airport and soon carted them off to the residences at 6 Knaresborough and 40 Hogarth, located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. After moving their luggage into their flats, some located up five stories with no lift, students found that they might have to make do with less than they are used to: little space, no cable, and poor wireless internet reception. On the other hand, the weather has been unusually warm and sunny this past week. The rainy, foggy weather which London is known for has yet to show its face.

Sunday saw a tour of the major sites by bus, with a few stops for picture taking. Places included Buckingham Palace, Houses of Parliament, and Trafalgar Square. Classes commenced the following day coupled with orientation.

Dr. Wendy Stokes gave a lecture for the BLC class on basic UK politics and culture, covering areas such as the formation of the UK and the current big issues in the news. One of the big issues has been of the resignation of Prime Minister Tony Blair, who has made known his intention to resign for a while now. Currently, the papers (including thelondonpaper which premiered just this week) are reporting that 31 May is the date that inside sources say he plans on stepping down as the head of the Labour Party, while 26 July is the date that he quits as prime minister.

Dr. Stokes also talked about the sometimes difficult formation of England, Wales, Scotland, and Northern Ireland into one United Kingdom. Though the IRA has decreased its use of violence in recent years, Stokes says, based on demographics showing an increase in the Catholic population, “Northern Ireland will probably opt out of the UK within the next 100 years.” On a related note, London has been becoming an increasingly multicultural city, something which all the students here have probably been able to observe. Other issues discussed included the monarchy, the school system, and the relationship the UK has with the US and the EU.

Wednesday’s BLC field trip served to expand on the lecture by visiting the Museum of London, a museum which chronicles the entire span of London history. Significant events include the founding of Londinium by the Romans in the first century, the separation from the Catholic Church in the 16^th century, and the Great London Fire of 1666. To communicate this history, the museum displays various artifacts from each era. The trip also provided an opportunity to get a handle on public transportation.

Class members have had a few unique experiences apart from the larger group. Ashley Dennison celebrated her 22^nd birthday on Tuesday by going salsa dancing in Picadilly along with class members Bonney Bowman, Sara Coy, and Karina Brown. Bonney noted that the pubs are different from similar places in the US in that you pay for your food at the bar before you get it and you do not need to tip.

“I'm sure we'll all get used to the minor differences pretty soon, and before we know it, some of the American ways of doing things will seem quite foreign to us,” says Erin Boeck, who also started her internship this week with Help the Aged, an organization which Princess Di was involved with. “I told my boss I would take some files home with me this weekend and look at them and she said, ‘Oh, I hope you don't. Enjoying London and your time here is really what this is all about,’” says Erin, appreciating the understanding of her employer.

Looking past this week, some students are already starting weekend trips and many will be busy with internships next week. The experience has just begun.

Posted by Dan Steilen at 10:44 AM | Permalink | Comments

I'm Clyde Bentley, an associate professor at the Missouri School of Journalism. Welcome to the electronic record of a talented group of college students' exploration of why the United States and the United Kingdom are "two countries divided by a common language.

I am the instructor for J4650, the London edition of Issues in Journalism. For the next four months, I will lead 15 students -- 14 from Mizzou and one from North Central College in Illinois -- in the Missouri London Program coordinated by International Enrichment. The program is based at Imperial College in central London and involves students from many Missouri colleges and universities. Journalism students take two high-level courses while working as interns at British media and advertising companies.

I will teach the core professional class that helps the students discover the contributions to journalism as we know it and to find out how modern UK journalism differs from U.S. journalism.

The students will also take a course in British Life and Culture taught by UK professors. The day after each Tuesday lecture, they will take a field trip to the appropriate site (Romans = Bath, politics = parliament, etc.)

Visit often and enjoy the work of Amy Becker, Erin Boeck,Bonnie Bowman, Karina Brown, Nicholas Carter, Ashley Clark, Sarah Coy, Ashley Dennison, Ryan Gladston, Sara Machie, Katherine Roehrick, Courtney Schultz, Sarah Smithies, Daniel Stellen and Ashley Thomas,

Posted by Clyde Bentley at 2:05 PM | Permalink | Comments