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