Tubing in London

When I first entered the underground Tube system in London, I was completely lost. The only “tubing” I had done prior to this was on a lake behind a boat, so when it came to navigating a city subway I was nervous. When I received my Oyster Card, I had a feeling I would be using this card a lot (spoiler alert, I was right), so I tried a couple techniques to get my bearings and figure out the system. 

The first thing I used to navigate the system was something known as the “lemming technique” wherein I would follow the nearest member of our party from train to train. This, unfortunately, only worked a few times because the people I was with kept changing. Once I rode around on the trains for a while, switching stations and sitting next to the occasionally smelly strangers of London, I finally started using the second technique: reading the walls. The walls of the London Underground Tube System are covered in helpful signs that tell you what station goes with what tube in a fairly straightforward way. Once you know where you want to get off, you can figure out where to get on!

However, it’s not always as easy as hopping on the next train. I went out with some friends the other night at the Roxy (completely legally) and we used the tube to get to our destination quickly and effectively. However, after a fun night of dancing and disco balls, we found out the hard way that the Tube station actually closes down after midnight. We were forced to walk the 20 minutes back to our hotel heels or no heels (sorry Ann!) There was also the instance earlier today while I was walking up the steps from the tube station and fell flat on my face, bruising my knee and my dignity. I then had a nice english woman hand me my sunglasses I almost left on the train. At least I got a free newspaper, so now I know that “Met Office says rain is not going away anytime soon” … awesome.

At the end of the day, if you want a fast, reliable, (mostly) easy to use system to get around London, there really is nothing better than the Tube. I am starting a petition to implement a Tube system at the University of Arkansas called The Hog Tunnel, but I haven’t gotten any signatures yet. Woo Pig and God Save the King!

The Skoch Side Quest (inspired by a near tragedy)

It all started when I almost got run over by a car, but I need to provide some context first. We had just arrived and checked in at the National Royal Hotel. I had not gotten much sleep on the plane, just 30 minutes here or there, so I was drowsy to the point of loopiness after our eight-hour flight across lands and seas. Shawn (our professor) took us to a market very close to our hotel. At the market, I was determined to get in and out so I could settle into my hotel room properly. I popped in for the essentials of tampons, toothpaste, a shampoo bar, an umbrella, prosecco, and some sushi for dinner. Throughout my shopping, I noticed how overwhelmed I was feeling. I didn’t know where anything was. I was trying to find brands I was familiar with. All while converting euros to dollars in my head. I felt extremely self-conscious of my naivety to the city and just felt in the way of everyone around me. As I left the store, I checked both ways before crossing the alley street. When a group of girls crossed the street in front of me I went with them, only to have a car zoom down the alley as I was halfway across. The driver came to a very abrupt stop a foot before colliding with me. I almost dropped all my groceries right there but I just huffed and finished crossing. The driver stuck his head out and yelled “You should apologize you f**kin b*tch!!”. The girls in front of me both gave him the finger and so I said “Piss off.” They laughed and we just kept walking. I was wide awake after that.

I was shaken but in one piece when I got back to my hotel room. I put all my clothes and belongings up in my armoire and vanity. I took a nice long hot shower and changed into fresh clothes. I lay in my super comfy twin bed (which I’m pretty sure the mattress and comforter are stuffed with feathers from cupid wings and the fat of baby whales or something stupidly cushy) thinking my first day in London can’t end like this. I know that I can do this study abroad thing. I don’t want to be scared of the city or being in another country. I’m a smart independent stylish woman and a rugby lad for crying out loud, if anyone can live in London it’s me. So I made spontaneous plans cause that’s how non-male son Skochs role. *bicep emoji*. I looked at events and shows that were playing that night, and low and behold my favorite musical (besides Beetlejuice Beetlejuice Beetlejuice: The Musical) was playing at the Lyric Theatre. Which is only three tube stops from my hotel. (Have I ever been on a London tube before? No, but f**k it, we ball). My roommate and amazing personal stylist Christina helped me choose an outfit that gave the energy of a glamorous 1920s palm reader. I made it to the Russell Square tube station and went in. I knew it was in Leicester Square, but confirmed with a very pleasant English gentleman, and made it. Navigating the tubes was easier than I thought, but that first time COMPLETELY by myself was super stressful. It was raining heavily but I went through Chinatown to the theatre fairly dry. 

The show was absolutely breathtaking and completely changed my strained but happy first impressions of London. There are no words to express the depth of emotion that comes to my heart upon recounting the memory of this particular showing of Hadestown. Seeing the beauty of that production cured any doubt or anxiety I had about being here. The diversity of the cast told this story in a completely new light. It was fantastic and the singing was phenomenal. Because of my complicated history with Hadestown, seeing the show on my own after all this time healed wounds in my soul I hadn’t realized were still open. I felt rejuvenated with a new sense of person and felt a peculiar peace. If this is the art that can be found in London, I know I am in the right place. I made friends with someone named Kristy at the show, and we went for pints after. They live near Wales and are also visiting London. We went to The White Stallion Pub and conversed for a few hours, which was so nice. We talked in depth about what our homes are like and what it was like to be nonbinary queer people on our sides of the Atlantic Ocean. We talked about the call we both have to art and theatre. We laughed about the concerning systems of education for both the UK and US universities. We went our separate ways at the tube. It was all in all a very wonderful first experience of London. Much more has happened since that first day in London, and I am excited to show my girlfriend, best friend (you know who you are Leah), and my family these Google slides I am putting together full of pictures.

Last observations of London: The streets are clean for such a large city. The people are stylish, expressive, and diverse. Londoners keep more to themselves than Americans do for sure. Something I was curious about is the lack of a homeless population concerning the scale of London, like where are they? No one screams oi governa’ across the street. No monocles or top hats yet. Everything is expensive. The friendliest people you meet are always behind the bar. Americans are so loud compared to English folk. American fashion is basic. I think the age 21 restriction on alcohol in the US is one of the reasons we have so many alcoholics at home. Every English person has a Hogwarts house, no one has let me down yet. The wanted posters on London buildings are terrifying and ominous. I love pigeons. No matter how many walls at the tube I run into, I still can’t find platform 9 3/4. I think Londoners are just as confused with their walking on the left side of sidewalks as we are. I’m still looking for Diagon Alley, my hands hurt from tapping all the bricks and they keep threatening me with this “looney bin” thing. People in London walk with such a purpose that I think they all look like secret celebrities. Found the Tardis and went on a adventure through time and space, check in for next blog post. Every building in London looks like a work of art and even the ones under construction look like unveiled pieces of art as they’re draped and covered in tarps.

Tube Time!



We got our Oyster Cards on Wednesday morning, and then we
headed to the station to use the tube for the first time. It was raining, so everyone
had raincoats or umbrellas. We tapped our cards, which I think they call your
ticket, and went into the station. At Russel Square, which is closest to our
hotel The Royal National Hotel, you take an elevator—sorry, lift—to the
underground. Then you have to decide if you are taking the east or west tube.
Luckily, they have big signs on the corners that are very clear about which
tube for which stations. At first, I was a little confused, but by the time the
day was over I had it figured out, and its actually pretty clear and easy, which
I appreciate as a navigationally-challenged person. Russell Square only runs
the Piccadilly line, and to get to the National Theatre we took it a few stops
to Leicester Square. At the National Theatre we saw our first show of the trip,
Boys from the Blackstuff. It took place in 1982 Britain about a group of
men struggling against the system to get legitimate, paying jobs. Total it ran
about two hours, with a 20-minute intermission. It was very good, but I imagine
it will not be the most memorable play of the trip, though in its defense it is
going to be hard to compete with all the great plays we are going to get to see!
The first half of the play, I don’t know why, but I was exhausted. Most of us
were for some reason, and we were all struggling to stay awake for the first
half. I never fell asleep fully, but I definitely had my eyes closed for a
little bit. Thankfully once it went to intermission, I went and got a cup of
water and managed to wake up a bit. So, in the second half I was much more
attentive, which was good. I was also more comfortable, because in the first
half I couldn’t get comfortable in the seat and it was irritating. Once the
play was over, we walked back across the footbridge over the Thames to
Leicester Square station. We went back the same way we came, the Piccadilly line,
which is the dark blue line if they call it that (I’m not sure), to Russel
Square station. Its only a very short walk from Russel Square to our hotel. We
were at the hotel for a bit, but then later that night we went out. This time
was our first time going without Shawn/someone who knew what they were doing,
but we figured it out! This time we were going to Tottenham Court Road station,
which meant we had to cross over to a different line for the first time. So, we
figured out to take the Piccadilly line from Russel Square to Holborn station,
which has both Piccadilly and Central (or the red) line. We crossed to Central
line and got on that tube to Tottenham Court, which was only one stop away. It
was nice that the tube system isn’t too confusing, and I think I feel pretty confident
about using it and getting around. When we were done for the night and wanted
to go ack to the hotel, we walking back to the station but it was closed.
Apparently, the tube stations close at midnight, but we didn’t know that until
later. Luckily it was only like a 20-minute walk back and it was so nice out
that it was great and I was actually glad the tube was closed so we had to walk
home. But it was a good first day of getting around, and hopefully I won’t have
any problems in the future. But overall, I am really liking London so far!!


Tube-y or not Tube-y

First time in London yay! After a very unfortunate and excruciating travel experience, I finally arrived to the UK bright-eyed (zoned out), bushy-tailed (greasy), and one suitcase wheel short. My first experience on the tube was the result of Shawn and Courtneay’s heroic rescuing, so it was one of delirium, but also relief. When Shawn was first explaining how we would get to Russel Square from Heathrow, I have to be honest, I wasn’t following. Maybe the tube is hard to figure out at first, or maybe my brain cells got pick-pocketed at DFW. However, after our excursions on the first day, I think I can navigate it. Not on my own, of course, that would be crazy. 

When I first landed at Heathrow, I heard one British man talk and it made me extremely excited because their accents are just wonderful to me. Especially the little kids! Of course, I don’t love having to wait in a queue behind a thousand first graders, but it gives me the opportunity to eavesdrop on their slang. The British accent is addicting—I catch myself slipping in and out of it. I don’t think British people would say the same about American accents. From my observations, Londoners are always in a rush and are never afraid to give you the stank eye. Not a single stranger smiled back at me when I smiled at them, which initially made me very embarrassed, but then I remembered that I’m not in the South and Londoners probably aren’t used to random people looking at them like they’ve known them forever. Especially on the tube, where everyone is equally as annoyed with having to be sardined with other humans while gripping for dear life on a pole. No random smiles there. 

Despite the anxiety of losing my balance and getting uncomfortably close to someone, I actually quite like the tube. (I feel like I’m even typing in British, I can’t help it.) It is a very efficient way to get places once you realize that if you use basic common sense and reading skills, it’s easy to get around. That’s not a diss on people who don’t know how to use the tube—I’m just basically a professional because I’m a local London citizen, duh. I do wish the speakers were louder in the tube car because although I can figure out which stop I’m at, I like to have an audible reminder in case I’m not paying attention. 

One thing I really like about the tube is the color system they have. It is really nice and satisfying to follow the colors and know where to switch off. Plus, having the names of the stations pointing toward which direction to go is very smart. Getting on the tube in time does give me a little bit of anxiety, but the tubes come so quickly and often that even if I miss one, I know I will be able to catch another. 

This trip so far has made me realize two things: England should take notes from America on possibly having nicer demeanors to strangers, and the United States should take notes from England on…basically everything else. Except the water. If we lose the right to free water in public places in America, you bet I’m moving to a different country. The National Theatre is so beautiful and I can’t wait to go back when I’m not on my last breath of life, (due to travel exhaustion.). It was really awesome to see Buckingham Palace, but life is meaningless without Queen Elizabeth, so you win some, you lose some. I loved St. Paul’s so incredibly much today and was blown away by the architecture. My knee still hurts from walking stairs for what felt like a lifetime, but man, was it worth it. I can’t wait for more theatre, food, buildings and sights. Oh, and also, water, WiFi, A/C and of course, a smile from a stranger. 

Cheers!

xoxo Gossip Girl

London 101

It’s hard to believe we’ve now been in London for three days! Yesterday was our first big group excursion, and it was amazing! From taking the tube for the first time to visiting Buckingham Palace to seeing a preview of a National Theatre show, there has been a lot happening. I was definitely feeling overwhelmed by the city at first and may have started our first outing holding onto my friends for dear life, but by the end, I was beginning to get a feel for the everything and wanted to see more.

The tube was one of the things I was most nervous about because of the crowds and my fear that it would be difficult to navigate. However, I quickly found that everything is labeled SO WELL!! It is still possible to get on the wrong train, but I felt a lot better about my ability to navigate it by the time we got back from the National Theatre. I would not say I am a fan of the tube yet because it is a little chaotic and crowded. People are always moving in London, and the energy is very high. That said, I love the convenience, and will definitely be using it more in the future!

Now for some more random observations about London and the people:

Everyone in this city is on the go! As a fast walker, I appreciate that people seem to move out of the way to allow others by. Everyone walks with determination, and there seems to be a general respect and understanding throughout the city that people have places to be. At the tube stops, people were standing on the right of escalators to allow others by on the left, and I don’t believe I saw anyone break this rule. The tube and streets can get crowded, but the general understanding of how busy London is seems to keep things moving relatively well despite this.  

On a slightly more negative note, London air is not my favorite. It is very polluted, and there is lots of cigarette smoke. As someone with severe allergies, I’m not the biggest fan of this. I even had some flower or particulate that was floating through the air fly into my eye at one point, so that was not great.

However, London made up for it with the weather we’ve had these first few days. It has been in the fifties and sixties with clouds and light rain, and I LOVE IT!! I am a big fan of rainy, cloudy weather, so London has won me over in that regard.

One last interesting thing I observed is that the architecture in London changes on a dime. There are so many different styles present throughout the city, and even in areas with generally similar features, there seems to always be at least one building that looks out of place. It is so strange to see beautiful, old architecture right up against a modern building, but I love it! Every street is interesting because just when you start thinking that everything looks the same, you walk another few feet to find something completely new to be discovered.

The Tube coming in hot!
Taking the elevator down to the tube. No stairs for us, thank you!
At the gates of Buckingham Palace!
The entrance to the National Theatre! Seeing a show here was one of the things I was most excited about!

Totally Tubular

The London tube is a little overwhelming at first, but three days in and I already feel so much more comfortable and confident with it.

On the first day, we were warned that it won’t be in our favor to be hesitant at all getting on or off the train and that’s absolutely correct! Confidently stepping on like you know what you’re doing is the key.

I have yet to have any bad experiences on the tube. The people have been We indifferent. They aren’t as outwardly friendly as some American public transport is, like, I don’t have random people smiling at me. Everyone really just seems to be minding their business most of the time. That being said, it does worry me that pickpocketing is common enough for it to be a constant warning being blared in the tube system. I’ve been wearing a belt bag close to my chest at all times just in case.

I learned the hard way that the tube closes at midnight on week nights. I went to “The Roxy”, a nightclub in SOHO last night, and we took the tube there just fine but had to walk home at 2am in heels which I highly don’t recommend.

The tube itself is a bit crowded at times to where we need to wait until the next one to get one because we wouldn’t all fit on there. I am impressed with how quickly they come and go because even when we have to wait on another train, it doesn’t take long for one to come.

I’m excited to keep on using the tube system. It no longer overwhelms me anymore. If anything, I think it’s convenient and I find myself getting excited to use it! It’s proved to be a great resource for all of us and I hope the rest of the month is filled with more positive tube experiences.

Youtube? No Itube

My first overall thoughts on London was a little confusing because of the poopy weather but once we got out a little I have had a blast so far. The tube was very intimidating at first because I just thought I would get lost, however once I got on it a few more times and learned how the lines work, I think I have the hang of it!

It is really interesting to see so many different people all going to different places yet being in the same place at once. Everyone is very kep to themselves which makes sense, if I was doing that every day I think I would treat it like time to be alone even though I am surrounded by people.

I would say that the public places are WAY better than anything in the United States, one, its free, two, they are just rich with history and three, the people are just all so diverse. People watching is very fun in public here!

Overall with the Tube, I like how fast paced it all is and it really shocks me that more places in the US don’t have something like it. It gets very hot down there so being down there for long periods of time is kind of not great.

Also I would like to complain that they close! Yes, I understand there are drivers that need to sleep but there’s no way they can’t find anyone to take the night shift. We were planning on using the tube after we went out last night and it was closed at like 1:30! Therefore, we had to walk home (In heels might I add) which was not super pleasant. So I wish that it was open all night but other than that it’s fun.

Da Tube, Londoners, and Fun!

We had our first group excursion today! Yeehaw! We started with heading from our hotel to the Tube. We totally did not say “da tube” a million times. When we reached the Tube, Shawn stopped us, and held up his Oyster card. “Ready?” Oh boy were we! Emma and I held hands nearly the whole time. We hopped onto the Piccadilly Line and were on our little London way.

Shawn handing out the Oyster cards at the hotel.

Something that was much appreciated about the Tube was how efficient it runs. It is always on time, it arrives within minutes of each other, and they are CLEAN! Public transport, as us Americans know, is incredibly germy in the States. Everything associated with the Tube is contactless. Yay, no germs! While everyone had places to be, the Londoners were very respectful of personal space as they could be on public transportation. I do not like strangers bumping into me and I cannot remember a time it happened! They just brush past and say “sorry!” The Tube is definitely accessible and I will understand it better once we go through it a couple of times.

Taking the lift down to The Tube!

Our excursions included Russell Square, Leicester Square, and Piccadilly Circus. I was sad that Piccadilly Circus did not include an actual circus. I was also a little upset with myself because I forgot my umbrella. Thankfully, the Weather Gods were on my side and it only spit on us a wee bit. Moving along, we saw a massive M&M store! I mean, it was huge! We also saw some restaurants from across the pond which include: Burger King, McDonalds, and Fridays. I got my eyes on Fridays, their beyond burgers are delicious. We stopped by Buckingham Palace as well. King Charles was actually at the palace at the time and we knew this because the Royal Standard flag was flying on the building. Courtneay is our British Royal go-to, so she was able to tell everyone some of the little quirks! We threatened to call the Hogs to get King Charles to come out and say hi.

Oh look! It is me, standing awkwardly outside Buckingham Palace!
William Shakespeare statue in Leicester Square.

Tonight, we get to experience our first ever show in London! It is called Boys from the Blackstuff at the National Theatre. I am so excited, a wee jet legged, but looking forward to my next post. See y’all then!