Palaces, Parks and Princes

May 25, 2016

We’ve visited a number of historical sights, famous buildings, and other points of interest in the few weeks that we have been here. Some of the places where the queen/royal family lived, worked and shopped were ones that were particularly interesting. We have taken several tours thus far and they have all been equally exciting. We’ve seen different places where movies like Harry Potter have shot some scenes and yet have explored the more scenic and natural landmarks that were worth noting like my favorite, Regents Park, a park/garden right outside the Royal College of Physicians (a museum on the history of art and medicine). Regents Park had some historical significance, including a story about the tragic death of a group of people in the Victorian Era who died trying to ice skate on top of thin layer of ice of a pond that was then 20 feet deep. Despite this tragic tale, there is great beauty that can be see in the park which can be appreciated by all who visit.

We most certainly have seen the more “touristy” sites like Big Ben, the London eye, Westminster Abbey where Prince William and Kate got married but I have enjoyed more of our health-related field trips, like to a sexual health clinic for example. The field trip I particularly enjoyed the most was to Park Theatre to see a play called “Sket”. This play, set in a British high school area, featured teenage characters and explored the different social, sexual and emotional issues experienced by these high school students comparable to what teens in both the US and the U.K. may and probably do experience.

London has many museums, some of which we have already visited, while others we have only yet to do so. London and England in general take pride in celebrating the history of their art, music, medicine, and science and the pioneers in each of these fields. One museum I enjoyed in particular celebrated a more unconventional art style contrary to London’s 2000 year old history – modern art. There were pieces on WWII, the first wave of feminism, and political propaganda in the 70s and 80s. With all the place we have already been, we have so many more to go and more memories to make!

Written By

Cynthia Orofo

Living in America for the entirety of my life has blanketed me in a shell of American culture and lifestyles. I aim to expand my limited view of the world that I live and learn in everyday and in having the possibility to study abroad, an individual is granted the opportunity to broaden his/her global outlook by experiencing every aspect of that nation’s civilization, culture and society. With this dialogue, I wish to be thrown past my limits and experience first hand what it means to live, work, and learn in an environment completely different from my own. One of my long term goals in life is to better the lives of the deprived and disenfranchised, essentially helping those who may not have or have lost the ability to help themselves. This I aspire to attain later in life by constructing a free health clinic in impoverished villages in Nigeria. This dialogue gives a global prospect on health care systems which can broaden my way of thinking in progress towards a better understanding of the differences in health care systems.