(339) days in London s tu d yi ng
a b ro a d
e x p e rie nce s
by a lessandra
vannucc i
Hello! My name is Alessandra and this book in an unfinished journey of my 339 days
studying
abroad
in
London.
Here,
I documented 200 days of this amazing journey and all kind of experiences I am living. This is my London and my experiences, enjoy! “The world is a book and those who do not travel read only one page� St. Augustine
(summary) 01 - 02
before london
03 - 04
s達o paulo x london
05 - 10
the big smoke
11 - 16
places
17 - 18
studying abroad
19 - 20
homesick
21 - 22
the weather
23 - 24
things I learned
25 - 26
bucket list
27 - 28
to my future self
01
02
Day (01) “I lef t my home 12 hours ago, I don’t really miss it, but I feel like I just left a piece of my heart there, it’s weird and unnatural.“ A week before I arrived in London, I had no idea if I was really going or not. I had my bags ready, my plane ticket, but no visa and no place to stay. For more than 1 year I applied in many universities and tried to get ready the best way possible with the hope of studying in London. And still, I got my visa with the permission for 339 days in London only fortyeight hours before I get here. This was only the very troubled beginning of a journey even more troubled. I left São Paulo - Brazil, in the 19 of September of 2015. I just had graduated for my bachelor degree two month before that, my dog died three weeks before that and I
had no idea what I was doing. I had never said goodbye to anyone like that, and that was the day I said goodbye to everyone in my life. I didn’t look back because I didn’t know if I was happy, sad or overwhelmed. During my 11 hours flight to New York and then 10 more hours to finally get in London, I had enough time to think about it. The journey for the next few months was not easy: the money ends, you get sick, you meet new people, things don’t turn out the way you want, you learn new things, you miss everything, and suddenly… you’re a new person.
B e fo r e Lo n d o n
03 I was born in São Paulo, Brazil. That’s 9.289 km from London, eleven and a half hours by plane. And, honestly, I never thought I would set foot in London in my life. The first time I was in London was in 2013, which was when I fell in love with the city and decided I had to come back and stay much longer. Here are the reasons why it wasn’t a hard decision.
pu blic t ransp o r t One of the first things I use to compare cities is the public transpor. Although I only hear Londoners saying how much they hate crowded tube, I think the tube is the best thing ever. I am terrible driver and thank god I am very conscious about that, so I just don’t drive in any circumstance. Being able to go anywhere by myself without the need of asking for a ride or calling a cab, it’s quite amazing. Is it expensive? Hell yes! Is it worth it? Every single penny! Comparing São Paulo and London metro services, São Paulo has 74 km and 6 kinds of lines covering an area of 1.523 square kilometers and a population 11.253 million
people1. London has 402 km and 11 lines to cover an area of 1,572 square kilometers and a population of 8.539 million people.2
With that huge difference between both metro services, there’s also the price. Yes, the London underground is great, but it’s very pricey. São Paulo offers a vastly cheaper monthly public transport ticket: $67 (São Paulo) vs $178 (London).3
São paulo
04
edu c a ti o n desi g n
a n d
The U.K. is one of the most relevant places in the world to study arts and design, while Brazil is one of the worst places for education in general. When we’re referring the education in design, the difference is even bigger. Brazil has grown and modernized, mainly from the 1970s, now reaching a respectable presence on the world stage. Although many Brazilians still concern about the “the lack of development”, comparing ourselves to other countries, technology is no longer a problem, we do have enough resources at this point to get rid of our inferiority complex comparing to the “developed countries”. Now, Brazilian design faces the challenge of no longer be a luxury product, and be recognized more widely as a tool for development in the lives of ordinary citizens and everyday life, providing services to the community and access to information. But it’s still a long way and until then, my parents still have no clue about what I am studying for the last five years – and they won’t even be able to read this to understand a little better because the education in Brazil does not allows them to understand English as well. (We do understand about football and barbecue, though!)
x london
05 London is one of the most diverse cities in the world, with a wealth of history and a vibrant culture to rival any other.
“Th e
B ig
draws around 15.3 million international tourists alone each year; that’s more than any other city on the planet!
06
S m o k e ” lo n don is the capital and most populous city of England and the United Kingdom. Standing on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia. It was founded by the Romans, who named it Londinium. London’s ancient core, the City of London, largely retains its 1.12-squaremile (2.9 km2) medieval boundaries and in 2011 had a resident population of 7,375, making it the smallest city in England. Since at least the 19th century, the term London has also
referred to the metropolis developed around this core. The bulk of this conurbation forms Greater London, a region of England governed by the Mayor of London and the London Assembly. The conurbation also covers two English counties: the small district of the City of London and the county of Greater London. The latter constitutes the vast majority of London, though historically it was split between Middlesex (a now abolished county), Essex, Surrey, Kent and Hertfordshire.4
Day (30) “Moved in to a new place, and now the size of my new house is the size of my old bathroom.”
07
I a m n o t s u r e i f I l i ve i n Gr e a t Br i t a i n , Un i t e d K i n g d o m o r E n g l a n d .
08
th i n g s
I
Lamps
love
Bridges
Full English Breakfast
those very patient guards
LITTER
Naked Trees
a s k ing
very fancy trash cans
a r c
“how much is that?” a t Po u ndla nd
h i
t e ctu
re
t hi n g s
I
10
don’t love chips with vinegar
THE WEATHER
the price of everything
the telephone booths (it smells like pee) Sewer and Rats
Meat pies Dog poop everywhere
Day (87) “Don’t get me wrong, I love London so much, I chose to be here. But there are days that I hate this city as such as I love it. Spending hours on the tube smelling someone else’s armpit to get somewhere, stepping out of the house t o g e t w e t e v e r y s i n g l e d a y, s p e n d i n g 4 pounds for a coffee…”
11
pla c es
I actually grew up right next to the river, but it was a very different river. São Paulo can be a very similar place to London in many ways, and that’s one of them: instead of Thames, we have Tietê river crossing the state of São Paulo. Although the Tiete River is said to be one of the most important rivers economically for the state of São Paulo and for the country, the Tietê River is best known for its environmental problems, especially for the stretch through the city of São Paulo. The Thames had been reborn, starting from when Joseph Bazalgette, a Victorian engineer, began to build sewers that diverted the filth downstream. The Tietê was choking in waste from 33,000 factories and sewage from 13m people5, more than four-fifths of it untreated. I grew up understanding how disgusting the river was. However, when I first got in London, I immediately fell in love for the river. It’s where the most amazing and romantic restaurants are, the bridges, the lights of the city glowing in the water at night...
a ny w h e r e b y t h e r i ve r
12
13
14
b ri ck l a n e
A microcosm of London’s shifting ethnic patterns, the area around Brick Lane in East London was once associated with poor slums and the scene of the crime for the Jack the Ripper murders. The area itself is now extremely popular with London’s edgy and artistic crowd, featuring galleries, restaurants, markets and festivals throughout the year6. Brick lane is a playground and Sundays are just the best, especially if you are studying abroad in London and looking for new people and inspirations for your creative projects. The street art and design in Brick Lane is international known, and that was one of the places I was most excited to go the first time I came to London. The mix of races, styles, cultures, arts and foods it’s just amazing and unique for me. It’s one of the places that represent better the essence of everything London has to offer, it doesn’t matter if you’re local, foreign, young, elder; Brick Lane is for everyone.
15
Brompton Cemetery is one of London’s Magnificent Seven historic cemeteries; it’s located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, and is the only Cemetery in the country owned by the Crown and managed by The Royal Parks on behalf of the nation.7 And now you may be wondering why there is a cemetery in my favorite places in London. At least if you are a foreign, you definitely are wondering that. London is beautiful, so many important places with beautiful design, architecture and history to be seen. You can be amazed every single day by the beauty and magic of this city, especially because you can find the most amazing places in the most unlikely locations. The Brompton Cemetery is right next to my house, and I won’t even start telling how I was not excited for moving to a flat next to a cemetery in first place. That was one of the situations that cultural aspects of moving in to a different country really surprised me. In Brazil, people are not happy to move to a place next to a cemetery. “Is it haunted?” Cemeteries in Brazil don’t give much importance to the nature, arts or wild life. Always associated with death, sorrow and fears, it’s culturally established that no one is going to a cemetery unless extremely necessary. However, after months crossing the street to avoid the cemetery I understood how cemeteries are different in London. Tranquility, nature, history, art and the most adorable birds, squirrels and foxes (YES!!!) are blended in this atmosphere that I always thought impossible for a cemetery. It’s like one of the amazing London parks, but right next to me.
c e m e t e r y
16
Day (43)
“My new neighborhood is so amazing a n d b e a u t i f u l , b u t t h e r e ’ s a c e m e t e r y. It’s creepy!”
Day (95)
“Saw a fox in the cemeter y today! Cemetery is my new favorite place.”
17
ST U DYIN
Day (129) “Turns out I can’t do personal projects, so naturally my final project will be very personal.”
18
N G A B R OAD I came to London to study; this has been my biggest dream since I can remember, especially because of strong international design influences in my learning. I started my bachelor’s degree in graphic design in 2010 and soon as I concluded it I came straight to London to start my graduate diploma in creative practice. To be honest, I thought that studying abroad would be a completely different experience; the experience I am having is more complete and mature than I was expecting. Now, at the end of my course, I can say that my experiences were not limited only in the development of my skills in design, but far beyond. I learned to look at things in a different perspective, I learned to do things differently and look at things that others do differently. My references were expanded to all sides; I perfected my strengths and got in touch for the first time with my weaknesses. It is not easy to study abroad, you learn that there is no right and wrong, there are views, cultures, weaknesses and strengths. The learning goes beyond classes, it is every day, in my case was far beyond the design. I learned about myself, I learned about one of the richest cultures in the world. Living in London and becoming a part of the British culture is totally different from just visiting as a tourist. Studying abroad gives you the ability to be a local in amazing cities. No matter how much traveling you do with friends or family, nothing will compare to studying and living in a country. From studying abroad, you gain the ability to expand your comfort zones, to be open to new things everyday without even realizing it, you are learning so much each day you travel.
19
h o m es ick ; Homesick [hohm-sik] adjective 1. “Homesickness is the distress or impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from home. Its cognitive hallmark is preoccupying thoughts of home and attachment objects. Sufferers typically report a combination of depressive and anxious symptoms, withdrawn behavior and difficulty focusing on topics unrelated to home.� 8
20
Day (200) “Saudade é melhor do que caminhar v a z i o . ” ( Va z i o - P e n i n h a ) It is often repeated that the Portuguese word saudade “cannot be translated” into other languages. But possibly, the best english translation of "ter saudades" would be the verb "to miss". "Saudade" has its origin in the latin language. Its root can be traced back to the meanings of isolation and loneliness9. The current meaning of the word "saudade" is a feeling of missing someone, some place, or a past period in one's life. This feeling can be painful, and more or less strong1.
AIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN AIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN AIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN RAIN 01
N N N BIT WINDY ISN’T? N
N
Day (59)
“Roses are wet Violets are wet Everything is wet Please stop raining”
Day (181) “In the last 24 hours it has rained, hailed and snowed and now it’s sunny”
Day (192) “Spring time officially started So n a t u r a l l y, it raining.”
has t o d a y. starts
22
23
Day (42)
“I am allergic to everything here.”
Day (197)
“A l l e r g i e s … spring.”
it
gets
worse
in
the
Day (53)
“When Brits say something it’s nice they mean it’s terrible, you should change it.”
Day (21)
“If you don’t have a British accent, don’t say “cheers!”, you’ll look stupid.”
Day (13)
“People who don’t thank the driver as they get off the bus are just terrible people.”
Day (192)
“ Y o u H AV E t o w a v e w h e n p e o p l e stop the car to let you cross the road.”
Day (77)
“English punctuality apply for the cinema.”
does
Th in g s
not
I
l
24
LOOK LEFT Day (05)
“They put sings on the street, so you don’t look to the wrong side and die. Not sure if they are just very polite or think people are stupid.”
l ea r n e d
25
b u 01 . T r y a f u l l E n g l i s h B r e a k f a s t ; 02. Run the Color Run; 03. See the Egyptian mummies at the British Museum; 04.
Go
to
the
top
of
Primrose
Hill; 05. Noon at the Big Ben; 06. Eat fish and chips; 0 7. H a v e a p i c n i c i n H y d e P a r k ; 08. Visit Platform 9 and 他; 0 9 . Wa t c h a f i l m o u t d o o r s ; 10 . G e t a c u r r y o n B r i ck L a n e ; 11 .
Hit
the
Portobello
Market,
buy an antique; 12.
Take
a
cruise
down
the
Thames; 13. Go to a music festival; 14 . G o t o t h e m u s e u m a t n i g h t ; 1 5 . R i d e a b i k e a r o u n d t h e c i t y.
26
u c k et lis t
27 Today is day (200)! With 139 days to go, this journey is not even near to be completed. Those are advices to anyone living experiences like this and for my future self. Those are things I don’t want to forget, not only for my 139 days left in London, but for the rest of my life when this amazing time I am having will be just a memory.
( be
t ha nk f u l )
01
Life is so full of advices all the time, whether you’re studying abroad or otherwise. But what really matters is making the experiences exactly what you need it to be. Be thankful for those experiences, even if it looks all wrong and weird when it is happening.
( gi ve
yo u r s e l f
a
b re a k )
02
I found myself really stressed out only after 2 months in London because I was not taking advantage of everything I could, whether was in the university or in life experiences. It took me a while to understand that’s not how things work. Do how much you can do, but without losing your mind. Respect your body, eat and sleep well, be happy.
(see things in a new perspective)
03
Immerse yourself, diversify your experiences, research. Try, try, try, make mistakes.
( s t e p
back)
04 Creating a new life, meeting new people,
studying full time, looking for a job. All of those things can be very overwhelming, don’t feel so guilty if you have to step back once and a while.
to m y f ut u r e sel f
28
(always stop to admire the view)
05
Don’t ever get used to the beautiful city you’re living, be amazed in every new view or sunset. Never forget how you were able to live like this, be thankful.
( pu sh
yo u r
b o u n d a ri e s )
0 6really start until you leave your comfort zone. Do it everyday, for everything. Try Life doesn’t new thing at school, at work, listen to people. It’s definitely scary, but it’s so worth it.
( no thi ng
i s
p e r fe ct )
07
A lot of things can happen and don’t go as planned if you’re studying abroad. For some people, a lot of things will go wrong. It can be really hard to accept it at first and it may put you down, but things are happening for a reason and the best thing you can do is to use those experiences for the future.
( keep
i n
t o u ch )
08
When you go to another country you always assume that people who stayed are busy doing their own thing. But take a time to skype or text once in a while with your old friends or the new friends you just made. Don’t let the people you met forget about you; let them know you remember them.
( g o
a
09
l i tt l e
fu r t h e r
e ve r y day )
Explore the city, explore your neighborhood, take a new path everyday. Go by bus, by train, by tube, by car, by bike, by foot. Go with someone you love, go all alone, just go.
( do n’t
forge t )
10
Don’t forget the smell of things, the way to your favorite places, the sensations in your skin, the people.
29
sourc e s 0 1 . Metrô (2016) Metrô de São Paulo, [Online], Available: http://www.metro.sp.gov.br [31
March 2016].
IBGE. (2016) Instituto Brasileiro de Geografia e Estatística, [Online], Available: http://www. ibge.gov.br [31 March 2016].
0 2 . TLF. (2016) Transport of London, [Online], Available: https://tfl.gov.uk [31 March
2016].
Wikipedia (2016) London, [Online], Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London [31 March 2016].
0 3 . . Versus (2016) London vs São Paulo, [Online], Available: https://versus.com/en/london-
vs-sao-paulo [31 March 2016].
0 4 . Wikipedia (2016) London, [Online], Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London
[24 Feb 2016].
0 5 . Wikipedia (2016) Rio Tietê, [Online], Available: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rio_Tietê
[24 Feb 2016].
Visit Thames (2016) About the River, [Online], Available: http://www.visitthames.co.uk/ about-the-river [24 Feb 2016].
0 6 . Visit Brick Lane (2016) About Brick Lane, [Online], Available: http://www.
visitbricklane.org/#/about-brick-lane/4537674488 [01 March 2016].
0 7. Royal Parks (2016) Brompton Cemetery, [Online], Available: https://www.royalparks.
org.uk/parks/brompton-cemetery [03 April 2016].
Wikipedia (2016) Brompton Cemetery, [Online], Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Brompton_Cemetery [03 April 2016].
30 0 8 . Wikipedia (2016) Homesickness, [Online], Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/
Homesickness [24 Feb 2016].
Wikipedia (2016) Homesickness, [Online], Available: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ Homesickness [24 Feb 2016].
0 9 . José Pedro Machado (1984) Dicionário Etimológico da Língua Portuguesa, Portugual:
Confluência.