Week Three Observations

Wow, I can’t believe we only have one more week in London. Time has flown so fast since we arrived. This week we visited the Mini Cooper plant in Oxford which was amazing. I have really started to notice how many Minis are on the road, particularly in downtown London. Space is really limited, so I can see why a Mini would be attractive to so many car owners. Not only is it fuel efficient, it is small enough to fit on the road. I am amazed every time I see a bus that it does not hit other cars on the road or pedestrians. I have already seen so many close counters between buses and cars going the opposite direction on the road.

On Wednesday we went to the Royal Courts of Justice, which I thought was intriguing. However, I was shocked that England allows double jeopardy. When the guide first said this I thought for sure I misheard heard, but no. England allows double jeopardy. I am still coming to terms with this, as it is hard to fathom. I would say that this without a doubt is the biggest difference between England and America’s justice system. 

week two observations

Week two of London has been one of the busiest, best weeks of my life. From taking tours with our class to going to Scotland and hiking on the hills and seeing a castle in the same day.  This week has been awesome.  Even though I am extremely tired, I would do it again if I could.  During the week our took trips learning about all sorts of marketing and I could get an entire ship for a company called LPK. 

During the weekend I took the trip to Scotland and it was incredible to say the least.  The train ride to get there was gorgeous. For some of the trip we saw a view of the ocean.  When we got there we go to go on hill that overlooked the entire city.  The next day we got to do whatever we wanted.  So I chose to wake up early go hiking on large hill right outside the college where I can see the entire city.  After that, I went to the Elephant House were the the first Harry Potter book was written.  After that I got to explore Edinburgh castle with another gorgeous view.  I learned that the castle was built on an old volcano and that is why the castle is on such high ground.  The final thing I did was walk around royal street and look at all the shops. There were so many shops that sold whiskey, souvenirs, and about anything you can think of.

This week has been a blast. I still can not believe that I got to do so much in just one week.  It was incredible and I cannot wait for the rest to come.  I am going to Paris this weekend and we still have a couple scheduled trips left.  This next week looks just as busy but I cannot wait!  

Week Two Observations

Already through two weeks here in London and the time continues to fly by. I've enjoyed everyday so far and hope the next two weeks are just as great as the first two. This week, I went to a few museums. I go through the museums pretty slow to be honest so, I can read most of the information the museums offer, so these trips took a while.

First museum I went to is the Natural History Museum. This museum a lot to offer and I enjoyed the dinosaur exhibit the most.

The next museum I went to is the Churchill War Rooms. This has been my favorite museum so far. Down in those bunkers, you can really get a sense of the history that took place down there. It was very extensive, showcasing the main meeting rooms and the lives the people lived down there. It also showcased Churchill's life from the beginning to the end, which showed that he was almost destined for greatness.

The last museum I got to see was the HMS Belfast. I really enjoyed this because it showed how important this ship was in multiple wars. I was also amazed as to how the people lived on the ship.

In these last two weeks I hope to see as much as I can before I have to leave. It seems I still have a lot more of my list that I still want to see so, it will be a busy two weeks.

Week 2 Observations

London has been an awesome experience so far meeting new people and touring the city which has much to offer! hard to believe we are only 11 days away from leaving, if I could stay an extra week or 2 I definitely would. Going to wimbledon to see center court was exiting for me because I love to watch and play tennis. Visited the HMS Belfast a famous world war battle ship thats by the London Bridge, on the thames river.

 Going to Amsterdam last weekend with Adam, Erin and a couple other classmates, was very interesting and a fun experience! In Amsterdam went to a couple museums such as the Von Gogh museum and others, took a tour of the Heineken Brewery which is my favorite part of the trip so far! Unilever is my favorite field trip, just learning what the company offers with the multiple products and the way they sell 2 billion items a day. LPK seemed to be a cool place to work because the let your imagination run wild coming up with logos or design for their clients.

London Week 2

With our second week here in London having come and gone I think about how much better I have become with navigating around this city. I now feel less like your typical clueless tourist, despite still visiting numerous tourist attractions. One of the places I visited was the HMS Belfast on the River Thames, a retired navy cruiser from the Second World War. Touring this enormous vessel was an interesting experience as it provided a glimpse into what life was like serving during the conflict. It was very difficult for me trying to get around the inside of the ship due to there being very low ceilings and countless places for me to hit my head...knowing this I couldn't imagine how hazardous it would be while in rough seas.

After our excursion to Ikea we made our way to Wimbledon to play a few sets on center court. For whatever reason they frowned upon the idea of us playing there. So we decided to take matters into our own hands and casually sneak past the gate for center court. We were able to just barely snap a few quick pictures before the old man that collects the tickets came and escorted us away. This event made our Wimbledon experience much more memorable.    

Week Two Observations and Experiences!

Week Two Observations

It’s already been two weeks in London! It’s crazy to think that I have experienced so much and so little all at the same time. We have roughly two more weeks left and it is going to be hard to decide what to do with my remaining time. This week the most significant thing I’ve realized is how close London is to other places and how close areas in Europe are to each other overall! I know this sounds obvious but the idea really didn’t sink in until I actually travelled and experienced it myself. Given that you have the money and time there are so many places available to you and within your reach.

            Another thing I have learned from this trip is how to be independent. When I first arrived it was always a matter of who is doing what, where is everyone going, etc. And while its nice to have the company of my peers and friends, I really have learned to do things independently. Through learning this sort of independence it has created new experiences. I have talked to more locals, learned the culture better and stumbled a crossed thing I wouldn’t have otherwise.

            It is going to sad to see how fast these last two weeks will fly by but I am excited to see what they will have in store for us all!

Week Two

This week we went to the British Library, IKEA, Unilever/Nielsen, and LPK. Overall, I would have to say the Nielsen visit was my favorite because we learned so much about sustainability. I remember people talking about sustainability when I was younger, but it seemed like business people always dismissed the idea as too costly. Now, sustainability actually drives down costs, and consumers are willing to pay more for sustainable products. It is interesting to see the changing preference in consumers altering the way business is done.
Another thing I noticed about London is how many different languages are spoken here. The other day, I was riding the train and heard three different languages. I don't know if that is simply because there are a lot of tourists here right now, but a lot of these people I see speaking other languages look as though they live here. In this aspect, I have to compare London to New York, as it seems many people from around the world immigrate here, just like New York.

Week 2 Observations

     As week two of our trip is coming to a close, I am reflecting on the many things I have learned while I have been here.  Culturally, I have noticed that Brits, for the most part, are highly interested in American politics.  I've spoken to quite a few Londoners since I arrived here and nearly all of them have asked me about politics.  They seem to be genuinely interested and want to hear all I can tell them on the topic.  They are also very well informed about politics and current events in the United States.
     On our field trips this week, I learned that sustainability and profitability go hand in hand.  Although it may be slightly more expensive to carry out business operations in a sustainable way, it can actually lead to increased profitability because sustainable business is so attractive to younger consumers.  I also learned how important branding is to a company.  I was amazed how much thought, design and strategy is involved with creating a company's brand image.

Visit to the Library and Museum

One thing I noticed on today's adventures....museums here are so weird! I mean it's free to get in to all of them, but some of the best exhibits you have to pay for! And not just a euro or two, I'm talking like 15-20. When did it become so expensive to revel in the history of music, art, and literature? And the museum that was completely free was way too busy! You'd have to spend an entire day in the British Museum to even put a dent in seeing everything they have there. I will say that I thought it was really cool that there was an exhibit for almost every part of the world and every major Ancient civilization. However, I think I could have gone without seeing the dead birds...kind of creepy.

week 1

The first week has been one of the best, most exciting weeks of the summer for me.  Throughout the week one of the first things that I noticed was different was the currency. Of course, I expected the currency system to be different but I did not anticipate  how valuable change would become.  I find it both good and bad.  The good part is its very quick if you want a drink of coffee. The bad is its sometimes inconvenient to pay with anything other than a card because since there is no 1 dollar bill I will usually get three dollars in change if I pay with a 10 dollar bill.

Another thing that surprised me was the how the prison system works in Europe.  I had no idea that you can actually leave during the day and come back at night.  I also did not know that the sentences are much less in Europe.  This is surprising because you think crime would be higher than it is now if the punishments are not as strict.

Overall I have had a great first week and learned so much.  I can not wait for the weeks to come.  I am really excited to visit the mini cooper and coke factory.  I think the worst part was adjusting my sleep schedule which is not bad after a couple days.  It has been a great first week and I can't wait for the three more to come!

Week One Observations

Week One Observations

So far everything in London has been great. This week we visited the Bank of England Museum and met with a London Detective. It is interesting to note the differences between England and the U.S. So far, I have noticed how small everything is, particularly the stores. I have yet to find any type of big box stores like Costco or Sam's Club back in the States. I don't know if I just haven't happened upon these stores in England, or if they simply aren't here. Also, back in the States I eat granola bars all the time, and I could choose from about fifteen to twenty different types of granola bars depending on which store I was in, but here there are maybe four or five different types is the store has them at all. I was at a Tesco Express the other day and couldn't find any, I guess people here just don't like granola bars as much.
The other main thing I have noticed is the style of dress. People here seem to dress up much more than in the U.S. Even in the Tube, where I thought I would see lots of people in sweatpants, people were wearing suits and nice outfits. Also, I have seen many groups of school children wearing suits around the city.

First week in London

This first week in London has been great! I've learned a lot about the rich history that this city has by touring the Tower of London. There I got to see thousands of diamonds that make up the extravagant Crown Jewels, which are an icon of the British Royalty. There is also a tremendous learning curb to navigating around this enormous city, in which I've only been lost a few times. I'm still clueless as to how the bus system works but I'm starting to feel like a pro tube rider! There are some cultural differences that have stuck out to me such as how everyone seems to dress nice here and how drinking beer during your lunch break is acceptable. I feel like we should bring both of these practices back to America with us, however I'm not sure we could ever be productive with alcoholic lunch breaks! Most people have been really friendly here, especially Charlie the train conductor who got us onto the train and then hooked us up with free sleeper suites for our trip to St. Andrews in Scotland for The British Open.

Our class trip to the Bank of England Museum was very interesting, I liked seeing the currency that they used hundreds of years ago and was intrigued by how they essentially developed their entire monetary system based off these primitive coins. Meeting with the London Police officer was also interesting, I had no idea how widespread white collar fraud really was until we talked with him. When he brought up police monitoring the internet all I could think of was how that would put this society one step closer to being like the one in George Orwell's book 1984. Ultimately, it was a great first week and I'm excited to see what next week will have in store!

 

Week One Observations

Been here a week now and I'm having a great time. In my time here I have noticed some differences compared to back home in the states.

One difference I've noticed is on the business side of things, branding in particular. Walking through the city and walking through shops I've seen different names or logos on the same products we have back in the states. Two in particular are Nationwide, which the logo is different and Lynx, in which the name is different, aka Axe.

The other differences I've noticed are more cultural. One cultural difference I've noticed is business men and women at the pubs during lunch. I was shocked to see people drinking in the middle of the work day. Its something that almost all people would not be able to do back in the states. Another difference I've noticed is tipping. Yesterday some of us were in a cab to take us back to a train station. At the end of the ride, he told us the price £12.50, so we got the money together and it seemed it would be easier to just give him £20. When we tried that he politely refused and we handed him £12.50. Back in the states when I've taken cabs, it seems to the cab driver the more money paid the better. I guess this is just another difference I'll get used to.

Week 1 Observation

London has been an awesome experience so far, it's interesting to see the different cultures and how they live over here. Everything is smaller room wise compared to the US. People dress for success unlike in the US we sometimes dress to casual. The field trips we went on, I have learned a lot and below is reflection of my experiences. 

Bank of England

            The Bank of England was very interesting to see. It was interesting to see how the bank started and all the currencies change that have occured. I didn’t realize in the 1600s that so

 many transactions were made and the amount taken out of the accounts. The banks

 used to be backed by gold because there was so much at the time. The banks had all

 the gold in England at one point. Lifting the gold bar was pretty cool, didn’t realize it

 would weigh 28 pounds. 

Head of Economic Crime

           Charles Cowan from Drinker, Biddle and Reath and The head of Economic

 Crime told me a lot about the fraud they face and how much of that goes on in

 companies. Only 20 to 25% get caught, hard to believe of them are executives in the

 company  Interesting that England’s law when it comes to fraud is only a short

 served time compared to America. Shocking to hear they let some of the criminals

 go out during the day and come back at night, never heard such a thing.  He brought

 up a topic that intrigued me. Should the government be more involved in the

 Internet? I thought they were already on most things.  I think in some ways we

 should let the government in more for fraud purposes but then again sometimes I

 think the government would get to much involved and push for more power on the

 internet.  

             

One Week Down

It's been one week since arriving in London, and I could not be more excited. Although the weather hasn't been the best, it has still been a great week. One thing I will say about the weather is that the "rain" here is more like spitting in America, which is perfectly fine with me. I am actually not turned off at the idea of walking around London in the rain. However, I have definitely not been drinking enough water because my feet have gotten so swollen! It's odd because it's not hot enough to where I feel like I need to drink a lot of water, but with all of the walking around, I will need to be drinking a lot more in the future.
I was disappointed in the room size, but it could be a lot worse. I am very glad that I was warned about the no-AC thing here in London or else I would have been fuming. The shower is super small, which will make shaving very hard, but hey, at least we all have our own bathrooms right?
Along with what Tori pointed out, I am very shocked that there is not much color out here. I could look and carry myself like I live here, but my clothing will always give me away. There's hardly anything but gray, black, brown, dark blue and white worn out here. We all stick out like sore thumbs.
It's nice to see that there isn't nearly as much fast food out here, and a lot more ethnically diverse food choices. I've seen Mediterranean food, Indian food, proper Chinese food, Italian food, and the like. I haven't seen a McDonald's or Burger King on every street corner, which is a very nice change. While I was in Southern France I stopped by the local McDonald's and saw that a Big Mac meal is 6.40 Euro, which is just under $7. Also, the McDonald's sold beer without any extra charge!
It's been a great first week so far, and it's only looking to get better as the trip goes on.

Week One Observations

Week One

Class Activity Observations

            I really enjoyed our classroom activities this week, both the Bank of England Museum and meeting with Chief Fyfe and Mr. Cowan. Last semester I took Macroeconomics so I thought it was particularly interesting to see what I had learned in the classroom applied directly to economics in England. Then regarding our meeting I noted a couple things. First was that during our meeting Chief Fyfe was very reserved. Since we only met with one person (Chief Fyfe) I would think it would be interesting to know whether this was just a personal aspect of Chief Fyfe, or just a general way within London culture. Furthermore I thought it very interesting to learn the scale to which economic crime is committed and that the most likely individuals are middle age people generally businessmen or women going through a mid-life crisis. Other than that I thought it might be good to note that the information materials and videos you showed us in class were also very good.

Overall Experience Observations

            I’ve been to two other countries besides London, Mexico and the Dominican Republic, and out of the three London was initially the most lack luster for me given that it varies least from the U.S. However everyday I am here I like it more and more! Some of the cultural differences I have picked up on include the fashion, food and transportation. In America I think it’s normal to on a daily basis if you went out see someone in sweatpants or athletic wear or something along those lines. In London though I find this not to be the case, most people look nice and would never wear sweat pants out or athletic wear outside the gym it seems. Food here also is slightly different I find. While it does vary by what types of foods, I also feel that the food here is fresher and not as processed. Also I see considerably less fast food restaurants. Lastly there is a major difference in transportation. London has an amazing public transportation infrastructure. Almost every place is accessible without a car. That is kind of crazy I think, given that at home I would feel stranded without a car!

Week 1 Observations

     Since arriving in London, I've noticed quite a few cultural differences between the United States and England.  The biggest discrepancies, in my opinion, are the sizes of living areas and mass transit, the style of clothing people wear, and the money.  The flat we live in is so tiny, it is hard to navigate without bumping into the furniture!  The tube is also so small considering the amount of people who push and shove their way on board before the doors shut.  Last night, I went to Knightsbridge during rush hour.  I've never been in such a tight space in my life.  People on the street, especially in the financial district, wear very dark clothing.  I don't recall seeing a single person wearing a bright shade.  This is very unusual to me.  The money here is obviously different as well.  The pound is worth a little more than the dollar so that is taking some getting used to.  It's also difficult to make small transactions because there is no one pound bill, but rather a one pound coin.
     I was also shocked by how quietly the police officer spoke in our meeting.  I strained to hear him the entire time.  In America, it would seem as if he lacked confidence, but here speaking softly is the norm in business culture.