Valpo Voyager

Student Stories from Around the World

Author: John McCutchan (page 2 of 2)

Outskirts of Cambridge

Getting Around in the UK

March 3, 2012 / / 1 Comment

The narrow streets of Cambridge

One of the largest adjustments I’ve had to make coming to the UK has been losing the independence that came from owning my own car.  However, this has given me the chance to explore many of the ways locals travel around Britain.

There are a surprisingly large number of cars in the UK.  However, driving really isn’t optimal.  This is especially true in old medieval towns like Cambridge that have very narrow (and often stone) streets.  These have enough difficulty handling the flow of bikers and walkers, much less cars.

Chances are, most long distances you would travel by car in the States can be traveled by bus, taxi, or train here.  Most journeys of over several hours are traveled by train.  While rail tickets aren’t necessarily cheap, there are many available departure times to nearly every destination.  From Cambridge, it is possible to get anywhere in Britain within one day of travel.  Trains are easy to use, clean, and relatively comfortable.

If your journey is shorter than about two hours taxis and buses are often used.  Taxis are far more convenient, but an all-day bus pass to anywhere in or around Cambridge costs half of what a taxi ride across the city would.  Besides having to plan your trip within the bus schedule, they can be rather confusing in general.  To start with, bus schedules aren’t easy to read, but finding one can be just as hard.  Many bus stops have had their schedules stolen, and because the locals don’t need a schedule another one simply isn’t put up.  On top of this, most cities have two bus companies, and as easy as it might seem it can be difficult to get the schedule, ticket, and bus to all match.

 

Outskirts of Cambridge

Within cities the majority of people prefer to transport themselves and not pay.  Bicycles are most common and all European cities have an army of them.  Nearly every single road has a lane specifically for bicyclists.  Due to the large number, having proper warning lights is taken very seriously.  I’ve seen several cyclists pulled over by policemen for having a missing light.

Wandering around Girton

If you don’t have a bicycle, then you are left walking alongside the majority of others.  Conveniently, most European cities are compact and it’s not too far to most locations (however, it’s not considered a long walk unless it’s at least 45 minutes!).  Personally, I like walking because it gives you a chance to take pictures and notice things you normally wouldn’t.  The main thing to remember when walking is that there is a hierarchy.  Vehicles have a lane, bicycles have a lane, and those walking have the sidewalk.  And if you venture into a lane that’s not yours you had better watch out because bicyclists will hit you and cars won’t slow down until they absolutely have to.  The fact that cars drive on the left side of the road isn’t a huge problem if you take the time to think, but if you’re traveling to Britain expect to have several near accidents in the first few weeks!

 

Missed a blog or want to see what else is going on in Cambridge?  Take a look at:  http://blogs.valpo.edu/studyabroad/category/cambridge-england/

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The Atmosphere of Alcohol

February 20, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Among the several cultural differences one notices when traveling from America to England, one of the first is the attitude towards alcohol.  In general, I would characterized it as simply more relaxed.  In years past, if you drank water you were likely to contract cholera, so why not drink beer?  This attitude towards alcohol still continues.

The drinking age is lower in the UK at 18 years old.  Although bars that expect a lot of American tourists card hard, at most Cambridge pubs I never show ID, especially when I’m with a small number of people.  Pubs fill social purposes – they are local meeting places where the “regulars” are extended family for each other.  While European beer is far stronger than US beer, the primary goal is not to get drunk but to nurse a pint and enjoy the atmosphere and conversation.  As an American, it can be difficult to integrate and mix among local patrons, but I’ve found that if you wait until the locals have had a few drinks they stop caring that you are an American and will strike up a conversation with you (I was able to cross off one of my goals my first week here and convince a local that I was also British… and no he wasn’t that drunk!).

One of my favorite aspects of traveling around the country is having the opportunity to try the local brews.  Of course, some drinks like Guinness, Strongbow, and Carlsburg are staples at basically every location.  Cider is another beverage that is very popular in the UK, and many pubs serve more than one variety.  If you don’t want to have alcohol but still want to “fit in,” you can order a shandy.  This consists mostly of British lemonade, but has enough lager in it to look like a beer.

Of course, alcohol still causes its share of problems in the UK.  Adolescent drinking is a problem that cannot be ignored…newspaper headlines following holidays contain stories of drunken revelry complete with the evening’s strain on the National Health Service… and true Englishmen are notorious for loving to fight when drunk. But because of the otherwise relaxed attitude there isn’t as much of a taboo on openly discussing the subject and dealing with problems.

What do I notice most in England?  It’s just alcohol – no hypersensitivity or stigmas.  While I’m not saying the US is wrong for having a relatively high drinking age, I think that the European openness about alcohol is something that should be widely adopted in the States.

 

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Loch Ness Sunset

Loch Ness & Learning to Travel

February 8, 2012 / / 1 Comment

Loch Ness Boat Ride

Destination of my first student-organized trip:  Inverness, Scotland and nearby Loch Ness.  After a nine hour train ride 8 of us arrived in the thoroughly Scottish city on the mouth of the River Ness by the North Sea.  By the time we arrived it was time for dinner (haggis!) and a visit to a few local pubs before Saturday, our only full day in the area.

Early Saturday morning I set out with a friend and the goal of finding the nearby Culloden Battlefield.  I hadn’t really done any research on ‘how’ to get there; all I knew was that it was too far from the city to walk to.  I started by asking the student hostel staff how most tourists get to the battlefield.  They told me City Bus 5 was the one I wanted, and they said it departed from the Inverness city center. I borrowed a bus schedule from the hostel too, and sure enough Bus 5’s route had “Culloden” marked on it.  I boarded Bus 5 and watched the city roll away as we headed into the countryside. However, judging by the one road sign I saw for Culloden Battlefield, Bus 5 was not the correct route. So, after a conversation with a very friendly driver I was instructed to get off, board Bus 2, and then get on Bus 3 which would take me where I wanted to go. Sure enough, I was able to follow these directions with a little help from the driver of Bus 2. However, in the instructions nothing was included about which direction to take Bus 3 in. I took a guess and loaded the next Bus 3 that came through.

Culloden Forest

Unfortunately, it was headed back to the city. This driver wasn’t as friendly, so at the end of the route I hopped off, walked back to the city center, and caught the next Bus 3. Once again, it bypassed the turn I needed. Even worse, the rest of the route was rolling through hills, towns, and along the coasts of the sea in such a twisted route I couldn’t tell how close I was to the battlefield. So, as the bus turned towards the city again I decided to get off and just walk around the area.

Although I never made it to my goal, I walked through the beautiful Culloden Forest, a place I would have never seen if my day went according to plan.  I was on top of hills overlooking the North Sea and the city, so I had great views of the surrounding glen.  Also, when time began to run short and I needed to get back to the city I walked through picturesque residential streets that I would not have seen otherwise. I continued until I found a bus stop heading back into Inverness. This stop was fairly close to the sign post directing tourists to the battlefield. At that point I was probably as close to my original destination as I ever was… and I was still 4 miles away!

Overlooking Glen Mhor

Upon getting back into the city, I went to the bus station to pick up our ride for the Loss Ness tour. However, I went a little early to find which bus I should have taken that morning.  As it turns out, Culloden is actually a nearby town, so numerous buses stop there. The answer: Bus 3 was correct, but only at specific times during the day. I hadn’t been able to board one of the few buses in that direction, and there were none left that I could take before going back to Cambridge.

Although I’m not likely to go as far north as Inverness again, and will likely not have a chance to see Culloden Battlefield, my unplanned adventure was still the highlight of the trip.  I had a chance to see things I never would have had a chance to see otherwise.  Also, I learned a lot about how to plan for trips.  In the States, I can afford to be impulsive because I have a car, and therefore I can transport myself anywhere so long as my navigation skills and patience hold out. However, when relying on public transportation planning ahead is very important.  The tour bus/boat trip we took to Loch Ness (unfortunately, no monster) and Urquhart Castle was very touristy, but having someone else plan everything for us was the best way to see the attractions.  At the same time, allowing for spontaneity is the best way to create great experiences and memories to take with you.

Loch Ness Sunset

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Union Jack and Loch Ness

Where am I again?

February 2, 2012 / / 0 Comments

War Memorial in Inverness, Scotland

I have noticed one of the most stereotypically American mistakes to make is to think of England, Britain, and the United Kingdom as synonyms.  In the States, we tend to think of ourselves as more “United” than otherwise.  However, over here this isn’t necessarily the case.

Not long ago I was in Inverness, Scotland, which is very near to Culloden Battlefield.  It was at this location that the Jacobite Rebellion was crushed in 1746.  Following this date, the British government incorporated all of Scotland into Great Britain.  Although this battle was fought not long before the American Revolutionary War, in Scotland this battle is still discussed as if it happened just out of living memory.  This is hardly how the American Revolution is discussed in the United States.

Support for this topic of independence is far from limited to a few individuals.  Very recently the subject of Scotland breaking away and becoming an independent country has become a major issue.  Nor is this way of thinking present in only Scotland.  On Thursday, February 2nd the insert cover of The Guardian read, “Could Wales be next?”  Granted, most polling data shows the majority of residents in Scotland and Wales would prefer to remain part of the United Kingdom.  However, the topic of independence is certainly far from dead.

Map of the British Isles

To avoid confusion throughout the rest of my blogs, I thought it might be helpful to describe what some of the terms are referring to:

Britain – the name of the largest island

England – the southeast part of Britain (red)

Great Britain – the political union of England, Scotland, and Wales (red, orange, and blue)

The United Kingdom – includes Northern Ireland with Great Britain (red, orange, blue, and yellow)

British Isles – geographical (not political) name that includes independent Republic of Ireland

British Commonwealth – loose association of possessions and former colonies including Canada, Australia, and India that have a symbolic loyalty to the Crown

Union Jack and Loch Ness

 

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Settling Into Cambridge

January 25, 2012 / / 0 Comments

Welcome back!  Now that I’ve been in Cambridge for nearly a week I thought I’d check back and update you with what has been going on.  Much of the week has been spent exploring the city and getting acquainted with living in it.  Luckily, the weather has been very abnormal so far.  Instead of the quintessential English wet, there have only been two or three days of rain so far.  Another thing to keep in mind when walking around the city:  daylight is limited in Cambridge.  The sun comes up around 8:00 and sets around 16:30.  While Cambridge is a very safe and nice place at night, the lack of sunlight was really a surprise for me.

The Student Centre: Our home in Cambridge

The city of Cambridge has an extremely rich history surrounding it.  Central to this history are the colleges, 34 in total.  Personally, my study abroad program is affiliated with Anglia Ruskin University.  Anglia is one of the newer colleges situated on the eastern side of Cambridge and away from the River Cam like many of the older establishments are.  The older and larger colleges have beautiful grounds adjacent to the river and are tourist attractions in themselves.  The history of Cambridge goes further back than the famous colleges though.  One of the few high points in town, Castle Hill, has history from long before America had even been discovered.  As the namesake castle is now long gone, today the hill is a popular spot for taking pictures of the town.

St. John's College

Getting to know the local stores and brands is a large part of moving into another location.  Some US things, like Zip-lock bags, are nonexistent in the UK.  On the other hand, some things are very comparable.  For example, Boots is a chain of stores very similar to Walgreens.  One of the more noticeable differences is the lack of a completely consumer-driven attitude.  Store employees here are happy to help you, but you have to approach them first.  No one will ask if you need assistance finding what you are looking for.  Generally I prefer this.  However, when you’re looking for something not common in Britain (like most things related to baking) it can be a pain (although there are entire isles of mushy peas).  Also, stores close very early.  The largest mall in the area completely shuts down at 17:30 – weekends included.  These differences can be difficult to straighten out occasionally:  it took 5 of us over an hour to choose a phone service for our time here.

Some of the most noticeable changes in culture are related to technology.  In an afternoon of walking around Cambridge you will only see 1 or 2 people at the most on their cell phones.  Internet service is generally slower than in the US (at the time of writing this the Student Centre has had no Internet for a day and a half).  However, this lack of persistent technology really adds to the relaxed atmosphere.  There are no people continually checking their phones for a text, no cacophony of yelling into phones, and a lot of simply hanging out and having a good time with friends.

The River Cam near Jesus Green

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Arriving and London

January 17, 2012 / / 1 Comment

Hello, and welcome to my blog!

All 17 of us in front of Big Ben

My adventure started last year when I switched majors from engineering to nursing.  With the change came the opportunity to study abroad.  I’ve always loved English culture, and because a nursing professor had recently filled the position of director, I selected the Cambridge program.

So, I am officially in Cambridge, England!  Technically, I’m on my 5th day here, but at this point I’ve spent nearly as long in London as in Cambridge, so I have a little catching up to do.  Packing was an adventure in itself.  However, I was able to stuff everything in my suitcase and not only stay under the weight limit, but also leave myself a little room for souvenirs on the return trip.  All 17 Valpo students studying at Cambridge this semester flew out on the same flight.  The flight itself was very smooth with no major turbulence or delays, and we weren’t even out of the London airport before being bombarded by the change of culture:  the crosswalks are painted with “LOOK RIGHT →”!

After somehow fitting 17 students (each packed for 4 months!) into an extremely small coach, we arrived at the Valparaiso University Student Centre in Cambridge.  One of our first meals on English soil was at The Eagle – the famous pub where Watson & Crick discussed the structure of DNA.  We were barely unpacked and acquainted with our new home before all 17 of us left to spend the weekend in London!

 

Buckingham Palace

After catching an early train through the fog into the city, we checked into our hostel and set out.  During the following two days we attempted to hit as many major landmarks as we could.  We started out at the Changing of the Guard at Buckingham Palace.  Although the sun was in my eyes making it difficult to see the actual ceremony, I was able to get some good pictures of the palace itself.  Afterwards, we continued towards the Horse Guards Parade, which will soon host volleyball during the upcoming Olympics.  We stopped for photos at the ever-popular Big Ben, saw the beautiful Westminster Abbey, and had lunch in Trafalgar Square.

Going to Hogwarts from Kings Cross

That afternoon we took a bus tour around the city and saw The Mousetrap in London’s theatre district.  We soon discovered getting restaurant or pub seats for all of us on a busy night in London would be impossible, so we split into smaller groups to eat and wander around the city.  The next day we started with a cruise down the Thames River.  The cruise stopped at the Tower of London, where the rest of the day was spent.  Then, we were on our own to find our way back through the Underground to Kings Cross and catch a train back to Cambridge.

The journey back was really one of the most memorable sections of my London trip.  Instead of being told what to do, or at least given step-by-step directions, it was up to me to take responsibility for finding routes back through London and to Cambridge in time for a speaker at 19:00 that night.  It was kind of intimidating having not even been in the country long enough to get over my jet lag.  However, it was more than a little exhilarating too!  I am really excited to continue this feeling during the next 4 months.  I hope you’ll continue to follow me for more of my upcoming adventures!

 

 

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