Random Acts of Kindness: An Assignment

During my time studying abroad in London, my travel writing teacher requested each of us to roam around the city with a flower in one hand and a bottle of water in the other. Intrigued yet? His intentions were for us to give our flower away to an unsuspecting stranger and to pour water on parts of the city as a symbol of… something important, I’m sure. We were also given ribbon and chalk to make our marks on the streets! So weird, now that I think about it. Prior to this excursion around London, I immediately guarded myself to the idea of doing random things around the city. I thought about what others would think as I gave away flowers or poured water out into a random corner. The possibility of getting odd looks from others definitely created skepticism about the assignment. I thought about how I would react to these random encounters as a passerby. Even though these doubts filled my head, I was still curious as to how the assignment would play out.

I never thought about the city as anything but a space where I meander through life’s important parts like school, work, and love. My connection to a city never went beyond normal expectations—and I certainly didn’t think that I could affect the city in any way. Our experiment within the streets of Embankment forced us to expand our view of the city and made us let go of any inhibition. I mean, if you think about it— why did I initially think the experiment was so farfetched? As our professor handed out the flowers, ribbon, chalk and water bottles, I even felt a kind of anxiety about stepping out of the “pedestrian mold.” Society teaches us that the city dweller minds her own business, doesn’t talk to strangers, and especially doesn’t go around writing messages on sidewalks with chalk.

Psychogeography definitely challenged me to go affect the city by defying the normal terms of appropriate behavior and attitude. I felt like I was in a secret club where we had a mission to defy the conventional idea of city space, and it was thrilling! Christine and I chose to try every part of the experiment so we could fully engross ourselves as true flaneurs set out to do psychogeography within London. Carrying our tools for the experiment, we decided to set off on an unplanned journey throughout the streets of Embankment, staying in tune to our intuitions on what to do with the random items in our arms. Our night began with us contemplating about what to do with our two stems of roses. We were both anxious about giving it out to random people, so our solution was to leave it in special places. I spotted a row of bicycles and then had the brilliant idea to leave one of the roses in one of the wicker baskets attached to a bike. It delighted us thinking about how the bike’s owner would react to a pretty flower in his/her basket. I like to take it further by thinking that this person might have needed a nice gesture that evening… Our second flower found a home in an empty guitar case of a street jazz musician on the Jubilee Bridge. I left him with a huge smile on my face because it just felt so good being on this secret mission!

The wind took us next along the pathway in between the Lion King and the Legally Blonde musicals, in front of which we decided to stop and listen. The sounds of the city were best noticed when we closed our eyes and listened to the footsteps of theater-goers and the passing cars squeezing in between the alleys. Then, we stopped in the middle of a busy intersection, where civilians stood to wait for the green walking signal. This was an interesting place to stop and listen only because it felt like we heard the “heart beat” of the city through the fast cars bustling down the busy streets. It gave us a thrilling feeling and we didn’t care if people were staring at us. We then stopped and listened to the sounds of passerby, especially couples, who were walking down the Jubilee Bridge. This gave us a different feeling because we not only heard the cars and the footsteps of Londoners, but the splashing waters of the Thames River, where we poured our entire bottle of water. It allowed us to make a connection to the river in a different way.

Our best moment of the night was when Christine decided to go “chalk happy” by writing in front of random city sites. We drew hearts in front of cars, wrote the words “I love London” in order to dress up empty roads, and wrote the wonderful word “welcome” in front of the street maps for new visitors of the city. My favorite moment was when we were walking down the bridge next to the National Theatre, where the scenery was just breathe-taking, and Christine leans down to write “London is beautiful” with arrows jutting out in every which way. One of the pedestrians actually stopped behind us and took a picture! It brought immediate smiles to our faces because we wanted to make Londoners realize that they are living among beautiful scenery—St. Paul’s cathedral, the London Eye, Big Ben, the Parliament, Jubilee Bridge, Millennium Bridge. All of these iconic London images were even more impressive at night. In the end, we just wanted Londoners to “stop and look at the view.”

It felt empowering to be able to affect the city in some way or another. I didn’t think of myself as a passive viewer in the city at all before now. Even more so, I didn’t think of myself as allowed to have a relationship with the city. My previous view of the city was one that was dictated to me by social standards. What I understand is the functional purpose of the city: as a spaced filled with buildings created by people and for people. Doing these random things allowed me to feel in control in a way. Instead of being a tiny speck that just uses the city as a functional space, I developed a type of relationship with the city, getting to know its sounds, sights and people. The city evoked awesome feelings within me, making me feel connected in a deeper way. From now on, I don’t want to be the passive passerby that merely walks the streets absentmindedly without any interest in the things around me. Londoners and Philadelphians alike should learn to stop, look, listen and appreciate the city as their own.

All Around the Globe

Standing in front of the Millennium Bridge and St. Paul’s!

I find myself in a nostalgic mood today as I write this. My memories are bringing me back to the time I finally saw The Merry Wives of Windsor at the famous Globe Theater in London. During my senior year of high school, my favorite English teacher urged us to take a trip and I always wondered why. He had framed photos of the theater decorating his entire classroom and his love for Shakespeare translated clearly in his passionate lessons. As I think back about this advice he gave us, I think he really meant for us to go beyond the “bubble” we lived in and to go see the world that’s just waiting to be explored. In essence, I believe he was challenging his students to become travelers.

In London, I became a flâneur when I made mental notes of the events leading up to the play. A large number of us were walking across the Millennium Bridge (ya know, the one that collapsed during Harry Potter) on our way to the Globe and it was very easy to get lost in the view on either side. The bridge was an impressive landscape of bright metal, standing strong and still as large movements of people blur on by. My smiles quickly became shocked gasps when I turned around and faced the gigantic presence of St. Paul’s Cathedral, one of the best views I have ever seen of the church. My friends had to pull me away and back to reality as we trekked towards our foodie destination, the Founder’s Arms. This pub also had an exceptional view and it was a great experience to eat fish and chips while seated outside in the fresh breeze.

I finished dinner a little early and headed straight towards the Globe just so I would have enough time before the play to take pictures and soak in the atmosphere. It even smells like Shakespeare in here. I headed straight to the standing pit area right in front of center stage. I slowly turned around and looked up at the seats surrounding the pit, where a bombardment of people met me with the same enthusiastic smile. The air was filled with sounds of traditional Shakespearean musicians and the bustling noise from the crowds — I loved every minute. I believe I had the best view in the house.

When the first few seconds of the play began, I decided right then and there that I was coming back to see another one. I thoroughly enjoyed myself, laughing at all of the goofy characters and thinking about how this one play can transcend time. My favorite character during the play was Mistress Page, who embodied the essence of a Shakespearean woman with a hint of spunk and attitude. She resembled a loyal and loving wife to Page and best friend to Mistress Ford. She wasn’t easily swayed by the wooing of another ill-mannered man, but remained honest and true to her husband.  The only thing I disliked about her character was her inability to recognize her daughter’s yearning for true love. Maybe the mistress was blinded by the desire for social status, believing that her daughter’s happiness can suffer as a cost for achieving wealth during wedlock? Either way, she was a character to remember and I appreciated her traits as well as her faults.

Another woman that caught my attention did not perform on stage, but rather, off stage right near me. She was a spectator just as amazed and in awe as I was coming into the theater. A much older woman, she seemed as though she had seen this play a thousand times—she knew all of the characters, knew the words, knew every scene that made her laugh. I felt as though she wasn’t afraid to be herself while standing there for those three hours. She was with her best friend and acted like teenagers enjoying a gig or something. It was really pleasant to watch because I felt like I was sharing in their memory.

I can’t believe I was actually able to fulfill the advice that my teacher once gave me. All these experiences gives me something to write and reflect about. I can’t stress that enough to my own future English students.

A Serious Second Look at Strangers

Stranger danger echoes in my ear from the memories of my first few years in the school system. Such a negative association to a word introduced to me by concerned parents and teachers. The caution was always to never talk to strangers, which was probably their way of instilling within me a mental self-defense mechanism to protect me from unsuspecting harm.

But, I think today, strangers are people. When I’m standing on a platform in front of the subway, I am most certainly a stranger. We’ve all been trained to walk fast and purposefully down a city sidewalk. We’ve all been taught to hold tight to our belongings inside subways, trains and airplanes.

Public transportation, however, is swarming with different kinds of strangers. Sometimes, I find myself snapping out of this cold, disconnected role I play as a stranger watching out for other dangerous strangers. I like to observe the crowd that has chosen to divert their glances, plaster on blank expressions, and turn off any awareness for true human interaction.

Every once in a while, a stranger makes me smile when they break the silence and strike up a casual conversation with me. What a pleasure to meet you! Words like spontaneity and serendipity are not normally associated with the interaction between two strangers. But, I believe they go hand in hand!

My memory takes me back to the moment I was sitting quietly on a bench in the middle of London. A notebook, a pen and the observations I’ve made about my travels were my only companions. Suddenly, a tap on the shoulder interrupted my thoughts. A middle aged man cautiously asked me if I could watch over his luggage while he used the portable rest room located at the busy street corner. Without hesitation, I chose to help him. (My family members reprimanded me later on, reminding me that the luggage could have been a disguise for bombs and explosions.)

The man, however, returned for his bags and seemed both astonished and grateful all at the same time. Thinking back, he may have also assumed the worst of me, suspicious that the bags would have disappeared in an opportune robbery. I smiled at the man as he repeatedly showered me with thank-yous. He immediately walks to the outdoor flower boutique across from me and brings me back a beautiful bouquet of white lilies, his symbol of gratitude. My mouth drops open in shock and I sheepishly accept the gift in pleasant surprise. As the man walked away towards his next destination, the flower shop owner and I exchange looks of unbelief.

So many of us are taught that strangers are dangerous when we really need to learn the fine line between reservation and interaction. I wonder, will we ever stop being uncomfortable with the idea of a stranger?

The London List

Ever interested in visiting London?

Here are some of my favorite “Must-Dos” in this wonderful city:

1. Walk down the Millennium bridge towards the Founder’s Arms for a delicious dinner and take in the beautiful view…But, first. Turn around! Soak in the grand beauty of St. Paul’s Cathedral that was right behind you!

2. After you pick your jaw up from the floor, go see a show at the Globe Theater. The best seats, in my opinion, are the cheapest. And you’re standing in the pit area right in front of the stage.

3. Visit every free museum and take advantage of the shear awesomeness of them all. My favorites are the Victoria and Albert museum, the Tate Britain and the British Museum.

4. Take a stroll and relax in Hyde Park or any of the other gorgeous London parks. You can feed one of the Queen’s swans!

5. Eat Indian food in Brick Lane, of course. The Brits love their Indian food!

6. Visit the plethora of street markets: Camden Markets, Portobello Road Market, Old Spitalfield’s Market…

7. Shop at the top shops on Oxford Street, High Street, and King’s Road. Don’t forget Primark. Did I ever tell you I bought a cross-over hand bag from there for a single pound?!

8. You must go see a play! I saw Wicked and the 39 Steps but others have suggested the Lion King, Billy Elliot, Legally Blonde and War Horse.

9. Listen to the angelic choir singing at the Westminster Cathedral.

10. Enjoy Christmas in November! Go see the Harrods Christmas display, look at all of the Christmas lights displayed across the capital, enjoy Hyde Park Winter Wonderland, and go ice skate at the National History Museum.

11. You have to go to one of the hundreds of interesting film festivals that London hosts every year. Check out Film London if you’re interested.

12. Go visit the Stonehenge! Nothing beats natural landmarks.

13. You will also enjoy spending the a day trip in Brighton, Cambridge and Oxford. Or better yet any other country in Europe! London has three main airports and bus/train stations across the capital. I suggest going to Scotland, Italy and Greece.

Want to know anything else? Time Out London is an excellent resource for all things social. I love this magazine!

Teachers that Travel

My favorite moment standing in awe of Scotland.

For those of you educators dreaming about awesome excursions around the world. For those who, like me, had no idea what they were doing when it comes to traveling. For those who tried to Google “How to pack for three months in London” like me and came up with nothing.

Here are some tips I developed from my own experiences of travel and from those I met along the way:

1. Pack light. Seriously, pack half of what you think you’re going to need! You need space for all those souvenirs you want to get and I promise you won’t wear all of the clothes you think you’re going to wear.
2. If you’re studying abroad, like I did, don’t spend money buying all those travel books from Barnes. Magazines like TimeOut will tell you where to go eating, shopping, site-seeing, etc. Also, your hostels and flats will have handy books that other people leave behind.
3. Buy comfortable shoes or wear ones that are already broken in. You will walk a lot!
4. You will save money by buying groceries instead of eating out every day.
5. There is such a thing called clean hostels, couch surfing and staying the night at a friend’s apartment for free. If you’re traveling somewhere and are low on cash, think about all the people you know around the world. For example, I could have spent my fall break in Austria visiting family. They are hospitable and excellent tour guides.
6. Some people may be turned off by the idea of going on a three to five day tour, but I have met the most interesting people on those kinds of trips! Know that there are other travellers who are in your same position who have experienced different and exciting things. So far, I have met awesome Australians, Scots, Brits and New Zealanders that I would never have met in any other situation. Did you know that they call New Zealanders kiwis?
7. Beware of pickpocketers. I’ve heard about so many situations where wallets and purses were stolen. Be smart and watch your stuff. Girls, I suggest wearing an across the shoulder bag that zips closed– this makes it harder for pesky hands to grab and go.
8. Eat, drink, do something different! You never know what you’re going to end up liking or loving.
9. Go out there and meet some local people. They have the best stories and advice. Plus, they’ll know all the secrets about the city that the tourist wouldn’t know at all.
10. Whatever you do in life, please make it a point to space out some time where you can to go out into the world. Do not just live in your small bubble. Strive to get out of your comfort zone in order to experience this big, big world!

I want to leave you soon to be travelers with this quote I saw on the blackboard of one of the hostels I went to in Ireland:

“The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page.” – St. Augustine