London review 2018 by KU English Department Abroad

London Review 2018

Table of Contents About the Authors........................................................................................................................... 3

COURAGE

Intimidation..................................................................................................................................... 9 Going Across the World to Take Small Steps Outside my Comfort Zone....................................... 10 It All Works Out, Eventually........................................................................................................... 11 Haunted by the Ghosts of Times Past............................................................................................ 12

ADVENTURE

Four London Harry Potter Movie Locations to Visit...................................................................... 19 Where in the World is Kit? A Cautionary Tale............................................................................... 20 Travelling Tours vs. Backpacking.................................................................................................... 21 Living “The Fictional” Life.............................................................................................................. 22 The Mystery in Kensington Gardens.............................................................................................. 24 Touring Parliament........................................................................................................................ 25 First Time Underground................................................................................................................ 26 How Important is Data Really?...................................................................................................... 27 A Never Ending Night.................................................................................................................... 28 A Cab Ride From Hell..................................................................................................................... 29 How to Accidentally Break One of Mary’s Rules........................................................................... 30 The Storyteller at the Tate............................................................................................................. 32 The Lazy Person’s Guide to Doing London..................................................................................... 33 Adventures of East London........................................................................................................... 34 Getting Lost................................................................................................................................... 35 Pound Night................................................................................................................................... 36 Thames River Boat Cruise.............................................................................................................. 38 An Herbivore in London................................................................................................................ 39 Shop Until You Drop! London Style............................................................................................... 40 Chinatown..................................................................................................................................... 41 What to do When You Know More Than Your Cab Driver............................................................. 42 “My Shot” To See Hamilton........................................................................................................... 43 A Trip to Real London.................................................................................................................... 44 Oh the Posh, Posh Traveling Life.................................................................................................... 45

KNOWLEDGE

The Top Three Things to Experience at Oxford.............................................................................. 49 Making History Come Alive........................................................................................................... 50 High Tea and History...................................................................................................................... 51 The Stadiums of Legends............................................................................................................... 52 Things I Didn’t Do.......................................................................................................................... 53 An Exhibit for Our Times............................................................................................................... 54 Discovering What Interests You..................................................................................................... 55 40 Books and Counting.................................................................................................................. 56 Dos and Don’ts of Taking Care of Your Sick Roommate in London................................................ 57 Kansans at the Science Museum................................................................................................... 58

London Review 2018 1

Squirrels of London: A Guide to Coaxing and Befriending............................................................ 59 Heaven is Real, and Its Name is Blackwell..................................................................................... 61 Behold........................................................................................................................................... 62 Coffee, Sugar, and Rubber............................................................................................................. 63 Living Literature............................................................................................................................. 64 How to Bargain Like an Indian (in London).................................................................................... 65

HEART

Everybody is a Little Bit Gay in London.......................................................................................... 69 Happiness in a Pint........................................................................................................................ 70 Kinky Boots.................................................................................................................................... 71 Making Friends.............................................................................................................................. 72 My Lizzie McGuire Moment.......................................................................................................... 73 The Forbidden Fruit....................................................................................................................... 75 Walt Disney Was Right.................................................................................................................. 76 Home Away from Home................................................................................................................ 77 Appreciating Odd-ness.................................................................................................................. 78 Abstract in Name........................................................................................................................... 79 The 7 Mental Breakdowns of London........................................................................................... 80 Three is a Crowd: A Sometimes Awkward Guide.......................................................................... 81 Smile.............................................................................................................................................. 82 Not All Who Wander are Lost........................................................................................................ 84 Perspectives on Camden from an Eastern Northwestern Arkansan.............................................. 86

London Review 2018

About the Authors Sarah Anderson, a woman. A scientist. A senior. A bee lover. A no-nonsenser.

Jeffrey Birch is a freshman studying Accounting from Wichita. He is perpetually getting used to college life and is currently involved in Alpha Tau Omega, the Business Leadership Program, and The Big Event.

Chandler Boese is a senior from Rose Hill, Kansas. She studies English and journalism and spends her time working at the paper, watching Netflix and spending time with her new dog, Dexter. Her obsessions include grammar, children’s fiction and debates about literally anything. Ryan Dickey is in his second year of chemical engineering at KU. He is 7'1 and 150 pounds, and plays for the Kansas Quidditch team. This was his first time visiting the U.K., and plans to visit again in a year’s time.

Taylor Dinkel is a sophomore from Hays studying English and psychology. In her free time she enjoys spending time with friends and volunteering at the Lawrence Humane Society.

Matt Dwyer is a senior studying aerospace engineering who hates bios. The end.

Rachel England. Junior. Illustration and animation major! Minors in English and film and media studies. Nickname is “London England” and/or “Pigeon”!

Ariel Heim is a Junior at the University of Kansas from Sacramento, CA. Ariel is studying English and African-American Studies with plans to graduate in May 2019. Ariel loves reading books, drinking coffee, and watching Netflix. Her favorite part of London was getting to see Kinky Boots and visiting Meghan Markle’s future home (Kensington Palace).

London Review 2018 3

Mallory Lanier is a junior from Harrisburg, South Dakota. She is majoring in molecular, cellular, and developmental biology following a pre-med track. Mallory loved branching out from her heavy science course load to take an english course that also allowed her to travel to London! How does one describe Chance Maginness? Humble, generous, self-effacing, witty, transparent, quiet – all words that have never once been used by anyone to describe him but himself. His friends would describe him as loud, and honest to a fault. His mother refused to comment. But mostly, the word used most to describe him is this – princess. (Chance Maginness is also a senior studying political science and will be going off to law school, maybe.) Vince Munoz is a senior from Topeka studying political sciences and strategic communications. He enjoys visiting museums, petting dogs, and civic engagement.

London Review 2018

From the great Mumbai, India, Manjiri Patil is a talented, bilingual honors student that has come to The University of Kansas to study aerospace engineering, in which she hopes to obtain a Bachelor’s degree. While very shy and easily embarrassed, after getting to know her you will realize that Manjiri is one of the sweetest, thoughtful, and friendly young women you will ever meet. Even though visiting London put her in a coma once she found her bed in Templin, Manjiri loved the entire experience that the U.K. had to offer and will continue traveling the world, as it is her dream. Priyanka Radadiya is a sophomore from Overland Park. She is on the pre-med track and majoring in biochemistry and psychology with minors in Spanish and business. She loves to travel and couldn’t have hoped for a better group of amazing people to explore London with. Roy (Rolls Royce) Ricaldi. Freshman from Lima, Peru. Trilingual, studying international business. Son, brother, friend. Globetrotter. Crazy, but in a good way. Loves taking photos, candids or extras. He wants to visit China someday, but the rest of the world as well. “Work hard, travel hard” is his motto.

her whole fist in her mouth.

This is Valentina (Val Pal) Rivera. She is a LFK native and now a sophomore at KU. She is double majoring in psychology and English with a concentration in creative writing. Fun fact: she can fit

Hannah Spoolstra is a junior studying English, journalism and communication. She enjoys making friends and cuddling with her chihuahua corgi puppy, Lucy. She loves traveling but falls asleep in so many public places that she canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t truly appreciate the culture. So she dreams a lot about traveling instead. Sarah Stowell is a freshman from Scottsdale, Arizona studying theatre performance and political science. Her highlights from London include: seeing Wicked for the fifth time, watching her roommate see Wicked for the first time, discovering the blessing that is Pret, reliving her childhood while swinging on the swings in the Tate Modern, and feeling genuine pride when she finally figured out how to navigate using the tube.

Reagan Tinney is a sophomore studying creative writing and women, gender, and sexuality studies from Holton. She is hilarious, and loves to write, read, and be adventurous.

Lauren Wambold is a sophomore majoring in marketing and minoring in creative writing. Her highlights from her trip to London include lots of sitting, eating good food, and drinking great cider. Conner Winters is a junior honors student at KU. He is planning to graduate in the spring of 2019 with a bachelor of science degree in ecology, evolution and organismal biology with a minor in business. His favorite part of London was touring Wimbledon, and he also enjoyed visiting Oxford. Erin Woods is a senior studying English at KU. She loves London, really old books, and flavored cider. Sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s currently daydreaming of her days overseas to put off the existential dread that is creeping in as a result of bearing graduation.

London Review 2018 5

London Review 2018

Courage

London Review 2018

Intimidation

By Rachel England

in one of the largest cities in the world by yourself. Its scary to think how far you are away from home. It’s funny to start singing songs in the basement of Pizza Express over wine and dough balls. It’s breathtaking to walk through the National Gallery of Art. It’s a little cold to stand on the wall of the Tower of London on a windy day, right next to the Thames. It’s stressful to lose someone in the Churchill War Rooms. It’s delicious to drink high tea and eat lemon tarts under chandeliers at four o’clock in the afternoon. It’s amazing how home can so quickly become the couches in the lobby of the hotel.

I was definitely scared on this trip, luckily mostly at the very beginning. I’d like to think I would have been okay if I really had been on my own, but I’m glad I didn’t have to make that trip. Everyone should know how to have courage and overcome your fears on your own, but that doesn’t mean you have to choose to be alone. My friends and classmates helped me make this class a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I’m glad I was scared on this trip. Scared, nervous, stressed, indecisive, exhausted, and at times defeated, because the adventure would not have been the same without it!

Lovely Encounters with the Locals of London By Priyanka Radadiya I have always been a firm believer in courage. To me, it is the value that precedes all other character traits. To do anything, believe anything, achieve anything one must first have the courage to begin and be something new. Courage, also, is not the absence of fear, but the conquest of it. A big reason this class trip to London was so memorable for me was the constant struggle of intimidation, and the consistent feeling of strength and adventure every time I overcame it. It’s scary to fly across an ocean without your closest friends or family. To fly with a group of almost complete strangers. For some of us, it was scary to fly anywhere farther than a few hours away. It’s relieving to talk and laugh with a friendly face sitting next to you. It’s scary to navigate customs and airport security. It’s scary to step out into a completely different country and continent, some of us for the first time. It’s scary to stand in the middle of Piccadilly Circus while the snow falls and people gather in big, huddled groups around the statue— but that’s what friends are for. Its nice to know that everyone else is just as excited and nervous as you are. It’s scary to ride the tube the first few times. It’s scary to pay with money you’ve never seen before. It’s scary to go off on your own. To walk around

• • • •

• • •

•

At Waitrose, there was a charming, elderly lady at the store who told me about her grandkids and bought me a chocolate bar. Roy and I decided to adventure to the London Eye late one night and while talking on the tube, a woman stopped to tell me I was beautiful and had a radiant smile. While exploring Borough Market, Taylor and I got caught in a fascinating conversation, for at least 15 minutes, with a guy selling tomatoes. One of the cutest moments to watch was at the Portobello Market where Rachel found a stall where a girl sat selling quaffles; the girl was just as fascinated to hear about people playing quidditch as Rachel was excited at the thought of having one for herself and it made for quite the amusing exchange. On the morning of what must have been one of the coldest days of the trip, we got the chance to know a little bit about London as our tour guide braved the cold with us. The concierge was extremely helpful and would always stop to ask how my day was or had been going and to tell me I looked beautiful. I knew that this was probably going to happen at some point, but when Taylor and I were exploring student projects at the Tate Modern, one of the students told me he had always wanted to say he went to “high school” because of the movie High School Musical. Arts is not really my thing, I love to do it but the end product is always a little questionable, so it was a really cool experience for Taylor and I to get to do some screen printing with an enthusiastic art student. The Old Operating Theater was quite an experience for Connor and I, but it seemed to be that way for the charming, old man at the desk as well who was interested to hear about Kansas (we were the first student from Kansas that he had ever met).

Courage

Going Across the World to Take Small Steps Outside my Comfort Zone By Chandler Boese

My life is not bad, by any means. I love KU, Lawrence, my friends, my family, my studies, my leisure activities, and my work. But there are limits to what I do and don’t do – a fair number of them. I don’t take off from work or consume anything more foreign than a margarita. I don’t go out of my way to make new friendships or push myself to question my own judgments. I don’t go anywhere without my computer or that I haven’t been before. It’s not a bad life, and I’ve been pretty satisfied with it. But, because of this trip, I was able to push past these limits I’ve set on myself, just a little bit – enough to remind myself that they’re not set in stone. It might sound strange to someone with a rundown of my fairly tame trip, but going to London actually pushed a lot of boundaries for me. Because of that, I came back to the U.S. looking at my life just a little bit differently. My work is a pretty big part of my life, and that’s not changing any time soon. As editor-in-chief of the Kansan, I have a job that demands nearly constant time and commitment, and I love it. But, on this trip, by taking a few days to largely get my head away from microcosm of the Kansan, I was reminded that 1) I can have a life outside of it; and 2) it’s not the only thing that can bring me happiness. Of course, upon my return to Lawrence, the responsibilities and commitment of my job were just the same as they’d ever been (if not more, thanks to Kansas’s trip to the Final Four), but I am able to approach them with a little more perspective. I’m able to go to dinner without my laptop, delay posting non-important stories for an hour or two and take breaks from the newsroom without feeling immense guilt. Perhaps the biggest accomplishment is that sometimes my answer to the question “how are you doing?” doesn’t center entirely on what’s going on at the paper. 10

London Review 2018

My slightly widened perspective isn’t something most people are going to notice or something that’s going to cause me to turn my life upside down, but it is something that’s made me happier, and it’s even better for my future, since I’ll have to permanently leave the Kansan with graduation in May. Like its role in my life in general, my work is a huge part of what I took away from this trip as far as my personal development, but it’s far from the only thing. In London, unlike at home, I worked to rarely say “no” to a place that someone wanted to eat at, at least not because I didn’t think I could find anything to eat there. As a picky eater, this was actually a pretty big step for me. On this trip, I ate things I normally avoid like the plague (that

most people would probably find very, very normal): onions, leeks, veal, kimche, fish, sausage, beans, etc. I’d be hard-pressed to say that I truly enjoyed many of them, but most were not nearly as bad as I thought, proving that the limits I’d set for myself were not nearly as difficult to get past as I thought they were. From my preconceptions of strangers, to my willingness to get close with new people, to my ability to go strange places by myself, everything that I thought I couldn’t or wouldn’t do was pushed, at least a little bit, on this trip. Though I’d long been comfortable with the limits I tend to set for myself in my everyday life, being put in a position where I had to set them aside forced me to realize just how arbitrary they were and how little I really need them.

It All Works Out, Eventually By Conner Winters

On Wednesday night, I sat down before bed and for the first time in the trip, made a definite plan on what I wanted to do on Thursday. I decided that I wanted to do four things: The first was go to Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, followed by the London Eye, a tour of Wimbledon Stadium in the afternoon and a Jack the Ripper (JTR) tour in the evening. The only sites that had set times were the tour of Wimbledon at 2:30pm, which I had pre-paid for, and the JTR tour at 7pm In hindsight, planning four activities was too ambitious. I’ll explain why. The first site of the day, the Globe Theatre, did not have a set time to arrive. If memory serves me correctly, my target departure time was 9:30am, but you know how mornings are. A small group of 6 or 7 of us left the hotel around 10:45am and headed to the Blackfriars stop near the Globe. We went on our tour and it was really interesting, but that isn’t the focus of this article. It was a bit past noon and I was realizing I wouldn’t have time to see the Eye if I wanted to make it to the tour of Wimbledon at 2:30pm. The line alone for the “World’s Largest Observation Wheel” takes about an hour and Google Maps said it would take another hour to get to the tour location. So, I didn’t get to ride the London Eye. We had lunch at a place called Swan following the tour. Time management being a weakness of mine, time got away from me a little bit and I ended up paying the check and leaving in a rush around 1:20pm. Wimbledon Park is only about 9 miles southwest of the Globe, but via the tube the estimated travel time was about 56 minutes. Turns out, it only takes 56 minutes provided you know what you are doing. My journey to Wimbledon Stadium is where my day started taking a turn. It took me longer than I’d be proud to admit to find Blackfriars station. I was looking for the iconic Underground symbol and a set of descending staircases signaling the entrance. Instead, I found

a large building with an entrance that doesn’t scream tube station. This set me back a few minutes as I circled the block. All of the students on the London Review trip were given cards to access the Underground system, called Oyster cards. These Oyster cards gave us unlimited travel for the week as long as the stops were in zones 1 or 2. Wimbledon falls in zone 3 which means I was required to add money to my card to be allowed into zone three. This is called “topping up” in England. This is done at a self-serve kiosk and was slightly confusing. I asked a less than enthusiastic attendant what to do and he was less than helpful. I suppose I eventually figured it out although I am still not positive I did it correctly. Luckily, I got down to the district line west platform and hoped right in a train terminating in

off at Wimbledon Park Station, and not Wimbledon Station. The problem is that I had just missed Wimbledon Park. Now, I think these station names are too similar but it is my fault for not double checking which stop to get out at sooner. It was about 2:20pm at this point and I was getting concerned. I thought I’d just get off at Wimbledon, jump on the train going east and get off at the right station and only lose a few minutes. The train going east was delayed fifteen minutes. I looked at my map and saw that I was only a mile away from Wimbledon Park Tennis Courts and had just about five minutes to make it. I started jogging that way figuring I could make it there and only be a few minutes late. After jogging through the streets of Wimbledon, I arrived at what seemed to be a park. I couldn’t see the large

Wimbledon. There is spotty service on the Underground but I knew I was going to Wimbledon and just had to wait for that stop near the end of the line. About thirteen stops go by and I decide to map out where exactly the location of the tour is when I get a little bit of cell phone service. I type in “Wimbledon tennis court” and get directions to “Wimbledon Park Tennis Courts”, the first result. The directions load just as the train closes the doors and moves onto the next stop. That’s when I realized I needed to get

arenas that I had been anticipating anywhere. After carefully re-reading my confirmation email, I realized that while this park was named “Wimbledon Park Tennis Courts”, it is not where Wimbledon Stadium is located. I was looking for the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club. This was about another mile away. Stressed out and panicky, I tried to jog there but I arrived thirty minutes late, out of breathe and sweaty. I talked to one of the ladies at the gift shop and she told me it was much too late to join

Courage

in on the pre-paid tour. After a bit of pleading, she was able to book me on a tour on Saturday at no extra charge. Despite trying desperately and running over two miles, for the second time in the day I missed an activity. By the time I walked back to the correct station and rode the tube back to the hotel, it was half past four. I was still stressed from my expedition through the town of Wimbledon, so I tried to relax for a while before the JTR tour. Around six thirty I went to the tube station and started making my way towards the east side of London, where the JTR tour group meets. Again, I didn’t have data while on the Underground. When I got above ground, I got the group messages saying that the tour was actually sold out for the night. For the third time, one of my planned activities had fallen through. I was disappointed. Not because I was absolutely dying to do the JTR tour, or the tour of Wimbledon Stadium or even the London Eye. I was disappointed because I was strangely proud of myself for making a plan and I had been looking forward to having a day full sites that I had planned. It

is draining to watch nearly all of your day fall apart. It was already past seven at night and I was worried that it was too late to do much else and that I had wasted nearly a whole day in London. The only other thing I could remember was a group talking about was going to see The Phantom of the

Opera. The play started at 7:30pm but was a few stations away. I hustled back to the tube and made my way towards Her Majesty’s Theatre. It was 7:30pm as I jogged through Trafalgar Square. I made it to the box office at 7:40pm and asked if I was too late. A very nice man told me I still had a few minutes before they stopped letting people in. I got a cheap ticket and made it into the theatre as they raised an ornate chandelier to the ceiling as a part of the musical. The show was amazing and was actually one of my favorite moments of the trip. Once I got back to the hotel, I confirmed my new tour time at Wimbledon and bought tickets to the London Eye and a river cruise for after the tour. I made sure I had plenty of time between events. Despite my awful time management, what was my most stressful, potentially worst day in London, turned into one of my most enjoyable evenings. The next night we were able to go on the JTR tour, on Saturday I made it to the Wimbledon tour in plenty of time and afterwards made it to the London Eye. Everything worked out in the end.

How to Handle a Long Flight When You Have a Fear of Flying By Lauren Wambold

1. If you can, try to switch plane seats until you are seated next to someone you are comfortable with. Personally, I am known to grip my armrest violently and hold on for dear life when the slightest bit of turbulence occurs. Having someone next to you who is aware of this tendency and won’t wonder about your sanity will help to put you at ease. 2. Put your headphones in as soon as you sit down in the plane and crank the music up as loud as your eardrums can stand to help block out the strange plane noises that will ultimately incite panic. 3. Try to sleep. It may seem impossible, but close your eyes and think about being safe on the ground and it just might lull you into a peaceful slumber. 4. If all else fails, remind yourself that the plane ride will eventually end and you will make it out of this experience alive. It may be a painfully terrifying six or seven or even eight hours, but it will end.

London Review 2018

Haunted by the Ghost of Times Past By Priyanka Radadiya

I will admit that I did not do much planning for the trip before I got there, but I did have one thing on my to do list that was in all caps, bold, and underlined. While scrolling through the list of museums London had to offer, I came across the Old Operating Theatre Museum and Herb Garret. At first, I over looked this museum. When I read the name (the Old Operating Theatre), I can honestly say I thought the museum was about some of the first public theatres in London. My knowledge in anything revolving around theatres and productions is very limited and, as cool as the museum sounded, I was not really interested in learning more about theatre. However, this particular museum kept popping up in all of my searches, more specifically all of my medicine related searches. My interest piqued, and I decided to finally look into the museum. Even though it should not have come as a shock with the numerous hints, I was thoroughly surprised to find out the museum actually had no connection to theatre. Instead, the museum showcased the history of medieval medicine starting from the early 1600s. The theatre in the museum was quite literally an operating theatre. It was an operating theatre

for women back when the church in relation, St. Thomas’s Church, still had a hospital in the same building. Other than just being in London and having the chance to live an adventure, this may have been the part of the trip that I was most excited about. Getting into the museum itself was a journey. The door opened to a narrow, stone, spiral stairwell enclosed all the way around. The steps at their widest were still too narrow to fit your entire foot and the stairs were so compact that there was just enough room for a normal person to fit comfortably; although, slight movement in either direction ended

up in intimate contact with stone wall. Furthermore, there was no way of knowing you were at the right place except for the sign outside the door. Everything was lit with artificial lights and the only indication of human life was of the ominous echoes of a conversation between two people that came from presumably the other end of the stair well. In the moment I thought we were walking into some sort of dungeon. I had gone to the museum with Conner, who upon seeing the steps and nothing else, did the gentlemanly thing and let me go before him. The trek up the stairs was an interesting one. I was slightly crouched down the entire time, afraid I was going to hit my head on the stairs above me. This is coming from a girl who just barely makes it to 5’2.” I wonder what Conner, who easily surpasses 6’, must have felt trying to get up the stairs behind me. Furthermore, the stairs seemed to be never ending; every few steps, I would arch my head forward hoping to see the last step only to just barely miss hitting my head on more stone. The tiny, endless stairwell the lack of light, and the 360 stone did not help from the small pit of claustrophobia that took root in my stomach about halfway up the stairs. When we finally made it out of the stairwell, we entered into a quaint little gift shop area that also served as the main information desk. We were

Courage

lucky to have reached the top when we did because, in the gift shop, there was a lady just about ready to leave. Conner and I both looked at each other in relief because just moments before, while on our way up, we had discussed the worst possible things that could happen: missing a step and falling to your death or running into someone trying to get down the stairs as we were trying to get up them. There was only one person working in the museum and he was an elderly man standing behind the main desk. He was really helpful and eager to share information. Because the two of us did not know too much about the museum beforehand, the man gave us a brief synopsis of the history of the place, telling us the cool pieces of information that nobody really knew about. (He also informed us that the stairs, which we noticed continued upward past the gift shop, lead to the home of a wealthy, and I’m assuming slightly eccentric, man who came by every once in a while.) Before we started our exploration of the museum, the man was also kind enough to give me a little book about the museum for free. Walking through the museum was probably the coolest of experiences I have ever had in a museum. It took a while to register that this was the exact location of everything we were seeing. It was a little mind boggling that we could stand where we were because, every other museum would have probably have blocked off the entire area and put a glass pane between the room and the observers to help maintain and preserve the area. After we got over the initial shock, both Conner and I went our separate ways to do our own exploring. I started in the herb section of the attic museum. As I walked though, I learned a lot about the different medicinal uses of hundreds of herbs. The museum even had bushels of dried herbs in attempt to replicate the garret as it must have been. Going through, I found a lot of the information very interesting, but in anticipation to see the all of the medical tools, I moved through these sections pretty quickly. Right as I was about to ap-

London Review 2018

proach the more doctor-oriented section, I trip and almost wiped out right there in the middle of the museum. Thank goodness no one saw, and though this was quite the shocking experience, I didn't pay much attention to it because the place was old with boards no longer aligning properly and beams sticking out of the floor. The sections on the medicinal tools was probably my favorite section of the museum. Every single tool was gruesome and the more I learned and the more I saw the more grateful I felt for having been born in the century I was. As I passed through, one constant thought that ran through my head, almost as if it were on loop, was “ouch” (this is actually what I wrote as my comment in the guest book). There were more than 100 different amputation knives and blades and amputation sets. Most of the instruments were large, bulky, and made of metal and they seemed to have been used with no care as to the pain of the patients on the receiving end. There was even a physician’s stick; it basically looks like a walking stick but was used by doctors to poke and prod and then give to patients to bite on during rather painful procedures. This was

really cool to see because you could visibly make out bite marks in the dense wood. The part of the museum that drew the most attention was that of the operating theatre. I have to say, before I could walk into the room, I had to stand outside the door and build up some courage. First, because of the number of people that had died in there and second because of the eerie aura I got from the room. I can’t say that I do or do not believe in ghosts, but I still get scared of them from time to time. Hence, in this instance, I just thought that for some reason, if I walked into the room, I would be able to hear all of the terrible screams of the past. Anyway, I ended up walking in and it wasn’t bad at all. It was cool to learn about the different procedures in the room, but I have to admit, the operating table looked to be a little uncomfortable. Furthermore, it was interesting to have learned that when they first discovered the room, they were able to do analysis on some of the saw dust and other items left and found large amounts of humanrelated specimen samples. My favorite part of the entire museum was the little book that was propped up right outside of the theatre. It was an instruction book from way back when about how to perform certain procedures. The book contained illustrations and detailed instructions and just flipping through a few pages was painful. With some of the images and descriptions, I had a hard time just figuring out how it was possible to ever live through that kind of procedure.

As we were leaving the museum, Conner and I discussed just how amazing of an experience it had been to see everything and also how shockingly advanced some of the things had been (they may have been very successful if they had just come across the idea of hygiene a little sooner). This time, as we were leaving, I let Conner take to the stairs first and we headed back to the hotel. It wasn’t until later that I started noticing little things. That evening, I decided to go down through Hyde park and the downtown type parts of London with Lauren, Ryan, Matt, and Kit. This entailed quite a bit of walking, something that I rather enjoy, but that day it was different. Every few steps I would trip, most of the time it was just over my own feet but if there was a crack or any uneven surface in my path, chances were that I tripped over them as well. This was very unusual. I like to joke that I am the clumsiest dancer you will ever meet, but I know for a fact I do not trip that often. Normally, when I do trip, it is a little thing where if you were not really paying attention, you wouldn’t even notice. That day was a different story. There were quite a few arm flailing trips and at some points during the day I thought I was going to die. That is when I decided the only explanation was that I was being haunted. I must have picked up a curious ghost at the museum. This ghost was probably just wanting to know what in the world a KU student was doing in a medieval attic in London. I’m not too sure why he chose me over Conner though. Maybe it was because Conner was known for his ghost moments and the ghost had too many of those already and was looking for something new? Anyway, I also think the ghost may have been there for a toe amputation or something similar; that would help explain all the tripping. But if they were there for a surgery, the ghost must have been a lady. Then I guess this lovely lady ghost followed me around for the remainder of my stay in London. I know we parted ways at the Heathrow airport, but I hope I gave her the experience of a(n) (after)life time while in London.

Do You Actually Know English? By Priyanka Radadiya

car park............................................parking lot loo/toilet..........................................rest room that’s alright.....................................your welcome going on holiday...............................vacation boot..................................................trunk chips.................................................fries garden..............................................yard pub...................................................bar queue...............................................line elevator............................................lift university..........................................college secondary school.............................high school chemist.............................................drug store top up...............................................(there may actually be no true translation)

Courage

London Review 2018

Adventure

London Review 2018

Four London Harry Potter Movie Locations to Visit By Hannah Spoolstra

When you visit London, be ready to spend twenty-eight hour days appreciating acrylic and oil art at the National Art Gallery, contemplating ambiguous and interpretative art at Tate Modern, and interacting with futuristic activities at the Science Museum in Kensington. While you're immersed in these museum activities, it is easy to miss the opportunity to explore some of London’s less advertised and free locations where some of Harry Potter's most iconic scenes were filmed. However, they tend to magically appear out of thin air when you least expect it. Here are four easily identifiable and convenient Harry Potter locations to visit while in London. Some of these locations you won’t be able to help running into… 1) Millennium Bridge, Tate Modern, and St. Paul’s Cathedral Did you think that aesthetically captivating twisty bridge in Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince was a product of cool CGI effect? Think again. The bridge that connects the Tate Modern museum with St. Paul’s Cathedral twists over the great Thames River and right into the shock provoking muggle scene as Death Eaters trace the twists and turns of the bridge while creating destruction and havoc upon the helpless muggle world. Standing on the bridge, tourists can move with ease from Tate Modern to tour St. Paul’s Cathedral while enjoying a clear view of the London Eye on one side, and the Tower of London and Big Ben on the other. 2) Piccadilly Circus Ever wonder the location that Hermione puffs Ron and Harry to after the wedding and the dissolution of the Ministry of Magic where the trio almost gets run over by one of those stereotypical red double decker tourist bus-

ses? Why, it’s Piccadilly Circus of course! Experience Europe’s version of Times Square and make sure to get some shopping done there! 3) Charing Cross Road West London If you’ve already visited Baker’s Street and the renowned detective, Sherlock Holmes’s and Doctor Watson’s snug apartment, be sure to check out the Jack the Ripper tour! The tour leads you in a square-like path through West London where you have the opportunity to visit the very spots where Jack the Ripper’s Canonical Five victims lay after meeting their gruesome demise. Not only can you trace the footsteps of the first infamous cereal killer ever documented in history, the

tour also takes you to the edge of East London, where you are given a glimpse of the Charing Cross Road, the alley where Diagon Alley was filmed. Enjoy taking touristy pictures in the midst of a dark night while on a Jack the Ripper tour. It adds to the excitement, trust me! 4) King’s Cross Station and its’ 9 ¾ train platform Finally, when you’re in London, you need to pass through King’s

Cross Station and visit the wizard’s personal 9 ¾ train platform that takes the young wizard student population on a gorgeous countryside secretive path on their way to another semester at Hogwarts. Don’t worry, the completely obscure tourist gift shop swarming with thousands of Harry Potter fans will indicate when you get to the clearly marked 9 ¾ platform sign. It’s worth giving away your tourist status just this once to get a boast worthy picture of the platform sign.

Though these are four Harry Potter filming locations we knew to take pictures of during our week in London, there are many more obscure filming locations the Harry Potter cast utilized that we didn’t know about. For

example, when contemplating which pub to eat at, a group of London Reviewers contemplated in front of the impressively large St. Pancras International hotel, noting its’ size. Little did we know we were standing in front of yet another Harry Potter location, apparently filmed during Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets. Try watching it and identifying the scene filmed at St. Pancras International. You'll be surprised how many film locations you'll run into!

Adventure

Where in the World is Kit? A Cautionary Tale By Ryan Dickey

When you travel abroad as an American university student, there’s so much for you to see and experience, that you’re worried you’ll miss out on. There’s the people, the culture, the accents, the languages, the history – and most importantly, the lower drinking age. I’m joking, of course! However, it would be ignorant to pretend many students traveling abroad aren’t thinking about taking advantage of the legal age (18 years in England) once they’ve arrived. I did this myself, trying different ciders, beers, wines, and cocktails across different pubs, clubs, and bars in London. I went to each place with a different group of people, and had some of the most fun getting to know my classmates over a pint. While I do recommend going out with your classmates, there are definite risks to consider: you’re in a foreign country where you don’t have a full understanding of laws, transit, or crime, with people you don’t know well. There are simple steps to take that don’t limit your ability to have fun, and prevent a lot from going wrong. When a night goes wrong abroad, it can work out to be perfectly fine, or could end up with a classmate kidnapped, robbed, in jail, dead, or worse: you could violate Mary’s sacred Rule #3. There was one night during our trip in London where about 16 of our group of 22 went to the same club in northern London called Egg London. About half of the group arrived around 10:30 pm, and the remainder got there an hour later. I was part of that second group, and the first mistake of the night had been made the instant we had gotten in the Uber car. One of the guys in our group, Kit, had had a few drinks at the hotel, and forgotten to charge his phone. He had international cellular data, but his phone had only 5% of the battery left. If you know you’re going to be out late, always leave with a charged phone. Even if you don’t have data, you can find somewhere with free wifi to contact people if you need to. Once we arrived at the club, we waited in line to check our coats and

London Review 2018

bags. There, I made the second mistake of the night. Since use of phones is strongly discouraged in English clubs, I offered to take Kit’s phone and check it in my coat pocket, since it was nearly dead anyway, and he wouldn’t have to worry about it falling out of his pocket. Even if your phone is dead, you should keep it on you at all times in case you find somewhere to charge it. It was one of my most fun nights of the trip. We took over a large area of the third floor room, made our own dance circle, and took turns buying each other drinks. Around 1 am, the group that arrived first decided to head back to the hotel. Kit, thinking everyone was leaving, followed them downstairs to the entrance room. He noticed half the group was missing, and asked where the group staying behind was. They told him the rest were on the third floor, and he left to head back upstairs alone. That was the last anyone would see of Kit for a while. About 20-30 minutes after the first group left, three of us stayed. One of the three of us remaining got a message that Kit had not left with them, and was still (supposedly) somewhere in the club. The three of us began an organized search of the club, going from top to bottom, combing through each room, looking for Kit. We did that twice, searching for about half an hour, and couldn’t find him. We checked the bathroom, couldn’t find him, then assumed he must’ve left by that point, since he hadn’t been seen for an hour. We assumed he had gotten back to the hotel, or would soon. We got pizza on the ground floor, and linked up with a few others that had been elsewhere in the club. They hadn’t seen Kit either, which supported our idea that he had left. At this point, we sent people at the hotel a message asking whether he was back, though we probably should’ve called so we knew right then.

Meanwhile, Kit was about five miles across town. After that first group had left, he had tried to find the rest of us in the club, but couldn’t. Thinking he had been left behind, he walked out of the club. A cabbie stopped to pick him up, but Kit had spent all of his cash in the club. He told the cabbie, and the man said he could take him to a cash point to get some more. Instead of driving directly south back to Kensington, the cabbie took Kit toward Liverpool station in east London, despite Kit’s protests. Kit described the cabbie as very aggressive and insistent they go to this specific cash point, which sounds like there might’ve been some sort of scam or robbery waiting at that cash point. Eventually Kit stepped out of the cab while it was stopped, and walked the five miles back to the hotel by asking for directions as he went along. Eventually, Kit made it back to the hotel around 4 am, where a large group was waiting for him worried in the lobby. Everything wound up fine, but the incident helped me realize how much risk we put ourselves and each other in when we don’t take simple steps to help each other. It’s easy to brush off the risk by thinking something terrible happening during a night out is only something you hear horror stories about, but Kit was alone in a foreign city past midnight for three hours. On a long walk home like that, any number of bad things could’ve happened to him, and it’s a scary thing to think about. If you wind up abroad, take extra care if you choose to go get drunk with your friends. Be very conscious of the fact that you are far away from home, in a place you don’t completely understand. Stick with your group, and don’t let anyone end up alone, especially if you’re moving around in a busy club. You’re traveling to have a fantastic time, so don’t let something avoidable take that away from you, or anybody else.

Travelling Tours vs Backpacking By Manjiri Patil

Indians travel in packs! Believe it or not, but this is true. Indians do travel in packs, they are always in tour buses, following the tour guide in line , making the travel guide wait until they are done with pictures, always running late for the morning breakfast, insisting to visit all the locations even though that’s impossible. Yes! I am that Indian. I travelled a lot with multiple tour companies, but this London trip was different. There was no tour guide nor any tour schedule. This was so not Indian. No parents to be dependent on for money either. I knew this trip will not be like my any other trips, but I didn’t expect it to be so different. When I was in Newark Airport eating chips watching Bojack Horseman, I called my parents, just like any other parents they were worried about me as I was travelling alone. I assured them that I was fine and there was no need to worry. After I ended the call, I started thinking about how different this travelling experience was going to be. As soon as I reached London, more specifically Gloucester Road, I knew this trip was going to be fun. Since childhood, I had a special soft spot for travelling or wandering alone. The life of solivagant is what I wanted to be identified with. For the first time in my 20 years of life, I would be getting that chance. Walking on the cold streets of South Kensington gave me chills about the adventures I would have in my next 9 days rather than cold itself. When I reached the hotel, I realized how unprepared I was for London. Everyone was already freshened up and ready to go to the V & A (Victoria and Albert) Museum. I entered my room and gave out a sigh of relief remembering that I am not on a travelling tour, I am here on my personalized tour. So, I did what I thought will help me to get rid of my tiredness: I took a bath. After that, I was ready to take over London.

Travelling with different groups who had different interest for 2 days made me understand what I was really interested in. I was still unprepared for the next 7 days, but I knew I had the confidence that I can figure all the things out. On the second day, I talked with Hannah and we decided to go to the famous Baker Street. The next morning, Rachel and Jeffery also joined our little adventure to Sherlock’s home. Our little group wandered on Baker Street and saw the Sherlock Holmes Museum. After lunch, the group split up according to the interests of each individual. I was really excited to go to The London Eye and for the first time, I was truly going to visit one place on my own. I walked from Westminster Station to the London Eye. From the outside, the walk would seem like any regular walk, but

as I was walking towards London Eye with The Big Ben and The Parliament at my back. Anyone passing by would have easily consider me as weird, because I was smiling so much. That walk would remain in my memories as I have never felt so complete walking alone without any single thread of fear inside me. Finally, when I made it to the Eye, I realized that this was the perfect day to visit it. My parents always wanted to see the Eye and March 19 was their anniversary. I never could have imagined how to surprise them better than showing them all of London from the top of the London Eye. I knew in the back of my mind, that I needed to have one day where I would walk alone in the city without anyone’s help. I got that chance on Thursday, when I just wandered

for me, it was a completely different experience. “I was just a common girl from Mumbai, India studying at Lawrence, Kansas, USA in University of Kansas went to London, UK for one week.” The whole sentence was repeating again and again in my head

around the Camden Market, British Library, and Tate Modern Museum. The experience was really wonderful, I figured out my interests and my passions, not from just visiting these places, but just by walking to locate them.

Adventure

Living “The Fictional” Life By Manjiri Patil

Back when I was 10 years old, I watched Harry Potter And The Philosopher’s Stone on my TV. I was in awe of that whole world. Born to become something great, who doesn’t want that? Even though I wasn’t in a Harry Potter book fan club, I was indeed a big movie fan. Also, just like any other kid, I grew up reading the Sherlock Holmes books. Harry and Sherlock Holmes were both fictional smart characters originated from London which always had special place in my life. So, visiting London was like fulfilling my long-awaited desire to live in the fictional life of wizards and detectives. I knew there were a lot of locations in London where they shot Harry Potter scenes, but before arriving to London, I didn’t know many of them. I had heard about the King’s Cross Station, but that’s it. So, just like any other fan, I started living my fictional life by visiting King’s Cross Station first. By the way, the fictional life is the life you want to live but you can’t, so you just pretend you are living it by visiting movie sets. Okay, quick question! Does anyone know where the scene in which Harry meets Draco Malfoy in the first movie was shot? I don’t know about you, but I sure didn’t know the place. I always wondered if I would go to that staircase location, what would I do? I had a lot of scenes in my mind to reenact. The top one on my list was reenacting the finger tapping McGonagall scene. If someone reading this doesn’t remember it: first, I didn’t expect this from you. Second, let me enlighten you, child. Here, the scene I am talking about is where all the first years get off from the boat and enter Hogwarts. The camera pans from student entering and walking up the staircase to Minerva McGonagall’s tapping fingers as she patiently waits for them to reach the final level of the staircase. As a child looking at that scene was almost magical and exciting, as if I was

London Review 2018

with Harry on his new journey in the wizardry world. The staircase looked almost wizardry, out of the reach of common muggals. As I have been still patiently waiting for my Hogwarts letter, visiting the place they shot the Hogwarts scene made me feel that I almost made it. By the way, to put all of you out of misery, the answer was Oxford. The whole scene was shot in

Oxford University. Not only that staircase scene, but also a lot of scenes like the sorting hat scene, Nearly Headless Nick, and the famous sneaking into the restricted zone in the library was shot at Oxford University. Visiting all the locations were just steps to elevate my soul from “muggle” to “wizard.”

Quick Quiz 1. Diagon Alley was shot at? a.Leadenhall Market b. Camden Market 2.

Entering in the Hogwarts’ Hall scene was shot in? a. Cambridge University b. Oxford University

Harry went to which station to catch train for Hogwarts? a. Victoria Station b. Kings Cross Rd

4. Sherlock lives at? a. 222b Baker Street b. 221b Baker street 5. Which instrument Sherlock plays to ease his mind? a. Cello b. Violin 6. In Sherlock T.V. series (Benedict Cumberbatch), Which shape holmes makes by shooting on the wall? a. Smiley Face b. Heart Answer key: page 61 in the Knowledge section

In the Sherlock Holmes books, the story explains every scene so perfectly, that I already had a map of how the apartment should look like. I was really happy that my imagination was so close to the reality. After that, I went through all the levels in the apartment just mesmerized by the place where fiction and reality come together.

Now, let’s think which major character comes in mind when we think London. If the first thought was Sherlock Holmes, that’s right! If your first thought was James Bond, there is something wrong with you. So, I visited the famous 221b Baker Street. The place looked same as I have always imagined. The special part about the place was they turned it into the Sherlock Holmes Museum. When I got tickets and we entered into the apartment, I felt I have entered into one of the pages of the book. Just like Harry enters in Tom Raider’s book in The Chamber Of Secrets movie.

Circle the weirdest underground station names. By Manjiri Patil • • • • • • • • • •

Tooting Bec, Epping, Wapping, Barking Coombe Lane, Canning Town, Waterloo, All Saints Cyprus, Chigwell, Hoxton, Bushey Star Lane, Wood Lane, Hanger Lane, Blackhorse Lane Bank, Elephant & Castle, Temple, Monument Poplar, Morden, Angel, Embankment Limehouse, Chalk Farm, Burnt Oak, Oval Forest Hill, Crouch Hill, Tower Hill, Harrow-on-the Hill King George V, Prince Regent, Victoria, St. Paul’s East India, East Ham, East Putney, East Acton

Adventure

The Mystery in Kensington Gardens By Jeffrey Birch

London was cold, the coldest it had ever been in Mary’s twenty-one years of London Review, so when we had a toasty fifty-five-degree day, I decided to make the most of it. Our hotel was only a block south of Hyde Park and Kensington Gardens, and I had wanted to check it out all week. Not wasting any time, I walked there first thing in the morning, arriving around ten o’clock. There were a few things that immediately stood out to me as I started walking around. The first, was that there were a lot of dogs in the park. I would ballpark several hundred, maybe even upwards of a thousand dogs were being walked around by their various owners. The second was that there were a surprising number of monuments and statues dotting the park. I looked at a map and loosely planned out a route to check a few of them out. Like this one below titled "Physical Energy". While in between statues, something caught my eye, a small stone structure, not labeled on any of the maps. Curiosity getting the best of me, I meandered my way over to it. One interesting feature of the building, was that there was no path leading to it. Everything else I had seen

London Review 2018

had not only had a path to it, but was at the center of multiple paths. You would have to go out of your way to avoid all of the works in the garden. Then, there was just this structure, tucked away in the center of the park. Another odd feature, was there was nothing to identify it. There was no plaque, nameplate, description, nothing.

It just stood there, open and empty. Not one to let a mystery lie, I took to the internet when I had a free

moment. I found an official list of all monuments in Kensington Gardens, the only issue, was there were no pictures along with the names. Not deterred, I laboriously searched for images of each of the monuments. After going through several, I found it. It’s called Queen Caroline’s Temple, and was installed in 1734. It is attributed to William Kent and was dedicated to the Queen Consort of King George II. The graffiti within is thought to be from 1821. This structure is older than the United States. Yet, the building just sits there, unacknowledged and empty. A mystery for curious college students to stumble upon.

Touring Parliament By Vince Munoz

“And where are you from?” Sarah, the tour guide, asked as the final few people filed in the queue. “Kansas,” I replied. “Oh, Wizard of Oz country.” I suppose there are worse things to be known for. My tour of the Parliament of the United Kingdom was a fascinating one to say the least. Reflecting on it, I can’t quite decide whether it was more formal or casual than I expected. Photography is only allowed near the entrance where people wait for guided tours to begin, and yet, if I had chosen a self-guided audio tour, I couldn’t help but think I would have walked away with more photos than from any other part of the trip. The main visitor entrance was cold and gloomy. The floor and walls were stone with dark wood buttressing the ceiling. Evidently, it was a dinning hall for the King and his court at one point. But as soon as you walk up the stairs and take a left, you are reminded of where you really are. The ceilings are no longer gray but lined with colorful, fresco-like paintings. Signs in every room talk about the centuries of history made in the very place you’re standing. After walking through a number of lobbies normally occupied by MPs

and Lords, we entered the crown room where the Queen prepares to give an annual speech prepared by Prime Minister and their cabinet. Though there won’t be one in 2018 due to the timing of the last snap election, it was still surreal to think about the royal family members waiting until its time to fulfill their stately duty. The next stop is the House of Lords. We were one of about four other guided tours at the time. And that’s not including those with an audio tour. Sarah ushered us into the rows and invited us to sit while she spoke about the Chamber’s role in legislating. It was stranger actually sitting only a few yards from where the Queen addresses Parliament. The last stop is the House of Commons. Unlike the previous chamber, signage made it clear that tourists are not to sit where the elected officials conduct business! We passed by the podium where the Prime Minister answers to her peers during the weekly Question Time. Just a few days before the tour, I watched the half hour ritual not thinking of I would only be two rows away for spot so familiar to the British public. Though it lasted 90 minutes, the tour didn’t feel nearly that long, but that doesn’t mean it’s not worth the visit. I was a humbling experience to be in the capital of another country. And who knows, someone might even know a thing about where you’re from.

On the tour, I was standing approximately where the pink sticky note is to the left of Prime Minister Teresa May.

Adventure

First time Underground By Manjiri Patil

“The tube system is going to be really difficult to understand from the tube map, but it will be fine when we get there.” This is what Mary said while showing us the tube map. Honestly, when I first saw the map I did not understand a thing. I was so clueless during the class that I didn’t even

know that we were talking about the underground, I thought it was a rail system. After some research and paying attention in class, I realized we were talking about the underground. During winter break, I had visited New York. I travelled using the subway and that was quite the experience. All the subway stations were cold and humid. For a person like me who loves trains, this was downer. I, Manjiri, am an international student at KU. I am from Mumbai, India, heart of the Indian rail. I have travelled too much in trains back in India, which can explain my obsession with trains. When I was in class for London Review, I was looking forward to a lot of things in London, and the underground tubes quickly became one of those things. When Roy and I reached Gatwick Station in London, we had to take the rail from Gatwick to Victoria Station and from there, the tube to Gloucester Road. I had never been so happy, clueless and excited. That journey from Gatwick to Gloucester Road was pure delight. We took a total of

London Review 2018

three trains to reach Gloucester Road. When we arrived at Gatwick Airport, we were in the north terminal. We had to take a train from the north to the south terminal. The train ride was fast; we reached the south terminal within 5 minutes. Then we realized that we had to take the rail from the north terminal to Victoria Station. We looked around; the station was huge and crowded. This was the first mo-

ment when the feeling of something familiar hit me. I looked around at the people who were making a line to get their ticket from the ticket machine. Mumbai and London are two cities so far apart but yet so similar. I went in the line to take a ticket wondering why Indian railway stations are not this clean. I went towards the ticket machine to take a ticket and looked at the price for Victoria Station. I swear my heart skipped a beat. Mary had

warned us about the price, but still when I saw the 19.95 pounds, I really wanted to turn around and go home. Fast forward, Roy and I got our tickets and we walked towards the train displeased with the prices. The train was not too crowded, and we enjoyed the ride, talking about how this trip was going to turn out. When we reached Victoria Station, we finally saw the tube station and trains. There were too many lines, like Circle Line, District Line, Piccadilly Line. We first bought tickets to Gloucester Road. After that, we started to figure out the lines and platform numbers. We realized that we had to take the Circle line train, so we went to Circle line platform, but we didn’t realize we were on the wrong platform. When we were on the platform waiting, we realized that there are two platforms for Circle Line, each going in opposite directions. We saw that we were on West Bound Line and we had to go to East Bound, so we quickly ran towards that line. We reached the platform just in time to catch the train. That is how I finally boarded the tube. The whole first time boarding the tube scene will always be in my memory because it struck a personal cord. The whole chaos of running to catch the train, finding the right platform, buying the tickets, and just being in that crowded station reminded me of the life I had in India. I found something peaceful in the underground trains that I am sure I would never had found in a quiet walk on the KU campus.

How Important is Data Really? By Ariel Heim and Sarah Stowell

No Data, No Problem One of the most difficult things to do in London is to know where you are going and successfully navigate there. Sure, you have a map of the tube system that is carefully color coordinated and made in the shape of a grid lock, but if you only have a thought of where you want to go and no idea which stop to transfer or get off at, then you are ultimately stuck going in a loop on the Circle Line. Adding in the fact that you have no data because Verizon tells you that

it will cost ten dollars a day to use it, you’re stuck with the ultimate choice: be out 100 dollars for Instagram, your friends, and snapchat, or connect to Wi-Fi when possible and talk to them then. I chose the latter. Instead of costing my mom an extra hundred dollars I would have to pay back on our phone bill, I instead chose to only use it on the day we went to Oxford, and if I was so lost that I had no way to get back to the hotel. Here are helpful ways to survive London without data: 1. Pret and Starbucks are on almost every corner and they have free Wi-Fi. 2. If you have an idea of where you want to go in the morning, search it while you're still at the hotel and screenshot the directions so you know which tube stop to exit.

3. O-2 Wi-Fi is everywhere (and Free), create an account and you will randomly connect as you explore (Thank you Olympics). 4. If you don’t mind company, and someone else on the trip has data, explore London together for a day. 5. Data doesn’t help you underground/ on the tubes anyway because there is usually no service.

Data for Days While the cost of data is no doubt an unattractive factor, there are a few reasons to consider purchasing data for your trip to London. In addition to being extremely helpful for navigation purposes, there is also lots of potential for random circumstances to arise which would be easier to resolve with data. Here are a few reasons to consider purchasing data while on a trip to London: 1. You never know when your plans will change. 2. People who have data don’t always understand that you will not receive their message if you do not have data, which leads to you not finding out that plans changed until you are at the meeting location. 3. Sometimes construction or closed routes cause problems. 4. Navigation is a real struggle in general, but the maps app will actually tell you all of the switches for different tube stops and such. 5. It is so much easier to contact people when you don’t have to worry about getting wifi. 6. Someone needs to be able to use data so if you know your friends aren’t going to be getting data, then you may consider it. 7. When your roommate eats vegan cheese and goes into anaphylactic shock, having data is helpful to call an ambulance. 

Adventure

A Never Ending Night By Taylor Dinkel

Dancing at a night club in London sounds exciting, but it didn’t even phase the excitement of journeying back to the hotel from the night club, Egg London. I had a great time dancing at Egg London, but at around one in the morning I found myself longing for my comfortable bed at the Grange Strathmore Hotel in the hopes of being well rested for another early morning in London. Apparently, Jeffery and Vince felt the same way as I did, so our trio left the club and set out for the hotel. When we left the club, a big, burly bouncer informed us that there was a tube station closer than the one from which we came. Deciding to take his advice, we walked for what must have been thirty minutes before finally finding the “nearest” tube station. Because we were on the opposite side of the city from our lovely Kensington located hotel, we planned to take several different tube lines to get where we were going. There was just one problem with that plan: the tube was closed. After several silent seconds of glancing at each other with “what now?” in our eyes, I proposed to the boys that we call a taxi. Their silent response told me that they didn’t care for that idea. “An Uber,” I suggested, “I’ll even pay! Anything to avoid standing out here in this cold, unfamiliar neighborhood!” With that, Jeffery pulled up a picture of the bus routes on his phone. Vince remained silent. I looked at them both and predicted we were in for a long journey. Jeffery mapped out the entire route. I had faith in his navigation skills, so we followed him toward the first bus stop. After a ten-minute walk, we arrived at the first bus station. The good news was that we only had a five-minute wait for the bus. The bad news was that a twenty-degree London night, cold intolerance, and a thin Levi’s denim jacket did not mix well together. Judging from Jeffery’s constant bouncing up and down and Vince’s literal frozen demeanor, I assumed that the boys felt as cold as I did.

London Review 2018

I looked at every bus that rounded the corner with a glimmer of hope in my eyes. Finally, our bus came in all its glory. I could not wait to sit down, relax, and warm my extremities. “We get off at the next stop,” Jeffery informed our trio. Now, I was a little frustrated. If I was going to have to change buses and wait at each stop for several minutes, then I at least deserved to sit on the warm bus long enough to regain feeling in my toes. But, I couldn’t change the course of the bus, so I followed the boys back out into the cold. At this bus stop we had a fifteen-minute wait. Once again, we stood there freezing. It was as if we hadn’t even made progress on our journey. One difference about this stop was the feeling of unease that grew from low in my belly. This bus stop was in a quieter neighborhood, next to a dark alley of course. Immediately scenes from the movie Taken flashed through my mind. I quickly pulled myself together and resumed to checking my watch every minute to find that only a minute had passed every time I checked it. Finally, the bus came.

We were able to stay on this bus for about fifteen minutes. Jeffery decided that one stop on the bus’s route was close enough to the hotel for us to walk. I quickly agreed. I would rather walk for fifteen minutes in the cold than stand at another bus stop for fifteen minutes and risk my feet freezing to the side walk. When the bus came to a halt, Jeffery bolted out the doors. He took off in a dead sprint. Vince and I looked at each other in confusion then began to run after him. At this point he was already a block and a half ahead of us. When we were about two blocks from the hotel, through heavy, panting breaths I begged Vince to walk the rest of the way with me. Having not run since high school, I was afraid my out of shape body would have collapsed on the steps of the Grange-Strathmore Hotel. He agreed to walk with me and eventually we made it through the front doors of the hotel. A rush of relief went through me, and let’s just say that Vince, Jeffery, and I avoided the night club scene for the remainder of our time in London.

A Cab Ride from Hell By Chandler Boese

In general, I was pretty impressed with the transportation in London. The Tube was easily navigable, Uber was easy to use and the taxis seemed pretty simple. But there was one transportation experience in London that was rather less than ideal. One night, when we’d gone out to a club in hopes for free cover, Manjiri and I hadn’t gotten inside due to an ID issue she was having. We were outside the club, which was in a less than picturesque part of London, discussing what to do next – namely, whether to make the long trek back to the hotel and return with her passport, or just call it a night – when an employee of the club approached us and began talking to us about a cab ride. He offered us a decent rate if we went and came back, so we agreed and went around the corner to get in the cab. The cab was, um, well, not what we would have hoped. It was a normal looking black car (but definitely not the taxi style), and it was somewhat clean, but the leather seats had more than a couple tears in them. The window had about half the licensing that I’d seen in other taxis and Ubers, but we’d already committed, already got the deal, so we just went with it. At least for me, though, I was only really sketched out when the driver (who didn’t say but five words to us in the first 10 minutes) actually hit the street. He gunned the car, took turns without slowing down and hardly paused at stops. We didn’t get a big highway, despite having been quite a distance away from the hotel.

It was all back roads and normal city streets. We ended up jetting through Hyde Park at one point, flying over each bone-jarring speed bump. It wasn’t more than 10 minutes into the ride when Manjiri and I started tracking our location on my phone, just to make sure we knew where we were (and we were going where we needed to go). We both kept looking at each other with terrifying expressions, but, again, what were we going to do at that point? Finally, after 20 minutes of me gripping the car door with every muscle in my hand, we came close to the hotel. It took the driver going past the street, slamming on the brakes and reversing in the middle of the road, but we did end up back in front of the Grange Stratmore. Then, 10 minutes of the driver and I silently waiting on Manjiri later, we were back to the terrifying action. The ride back, just as jerky and neck-breaking, was even scarier for me, though, because I had a terrifying realization: The driver’s navigation system was warning him about red light cameras up ahead. Though I’ve since heard this might be more com-

mon in some countries than in the U.S., my only thought at the time was that we were going to die. As I’m texting Jeffrey our location every few minutes, just in case we do die in transit, the driver made things even worse. Suddenly, he says, having uttered less than 30 words in the whole 35 to 40 minutes we’ve been together, “Do you want to die young?” Manjiri and I look at each other in terror (I’m pretty sure I’m actually screaming silently at this point) and slowly go, “What?” “The people walking, they just go out in front of cars without even looking,” he says, motioning to the pedestrians. After we let out nervous laughs, the driver suddenly becomes a chatterbox. For the last few minutes of the ride, he goes on about how he got us to the hotel and back in half the time it would have taken another driver. “You’re lucky you had me,” he says. Finally, we get to the club and stumble out of the car, me resisting the slight temptation to kiss the ground. We get in line for the club once more, and finally make it in – one £10 cover later.

Cab Fight

By Reagan Tinney One night, Sarah, Chance, and myself went to a night club for a fun time. On the way into the club, I heard yelling by the street and when I turned my head, I saw a tall, bulky, cab man yelling at two girls of brown curly hair and French accents. I walked past but I couldn’t help but wonder if they were okay, so I headed back over to them and asked what was going on. They told me that they had their wallets in their suitcases in the trunk of the cab and when they went to pay, the cab driver freaked out and started yelling and threatening them. The man then got in my face and asked me what I was doing, and the situation was none of my business. I told him that he couldn’t talk to two women like that and to leave them alone. I handed him the money they owed, he threw their stuff at them, yelled curse words, and left. The girls thanked me, and I went about my night.

Adventure

How to Accidently Break One of Mary’s Rules By Ariel Heim

When in London do what the Londoners do, but when you’re doing what they do, try your very hardest not to break any of Mary’s rules; this is for your safety and her sanity. If you’re like me and are accident prone, you must be extra careful and pay extra attention to the situations you get yourself into. If you have an allergy (like me), accidents are bound to happen even when you’re least expecting them. BE WARNED! So, here are helpful guidelines on how to accidentally break a rule: 1. Acknowledge that you have a nut allergy. Preferably, be allergic to peanuts, cashews, pistachios, and walnuts. And have a knowledge of American Sign Language. 2. Have a hotel mate that is vegan and knows American Sign Language (Figure 1.1). 3. On the third day you’re in London exploring, be sure to suggest a cool vegan restaurant for you and your two other hotel mates to try. 4. Once you’re in line, quickly scan the menu looking for things that you can’t eat because of your allergy. 5. Choose the Macaroni and Cheese (Figure 1.2) and freshly squeezed apple juice because these seem harmless (and you’re starving). 6. Find a seat and take a few pictures of your food and friends because why not?

Fig. 1.2

London Review 2018

Fig. 1.1

7. Drink the amazing apple juice (that strangely tastes like apple sauce) and take your first bite of macaroni and cheese. 8. Take at least 3 more bites before the tingling in your throat starts. Fair warning: you have never had an allergic reaction before, and you’re going to have to listen to your gut through these next steps. 9. Hurriedly run to the cashier and ask her if there are nuts in your food. When she answers excitedly that there are cashews in it, run back to the table and dump the contents of your purse out in search of your Epi Pen. 10. Once you find it and get to the bathroom, don’t freak out when the Epi Pen breaks in your thumb and it starts bleeding.

11. Sign to your vegan friend that she need to call the ambulance and your mom because the Epi Pen broke. 12. Once the EMTs get there and they take you to the emergency room after two doses of adrenaline, take a breath (because you can now). This is finally almost over. 13. Sometime in between your ambulance ride and admittance to the hospital, call Mary Klayder. 14. And finally, after four hours of waiting, go back to the hotel, order a cheeseburger (because you haven’t eaten all day), and sleep because you’re exhausted. P.S. No Ariel’s were harmed in the making of this article.

Changes

By Erin Woods This trip was a rather strange one. Having spent two weeks more or less living in London two summers ago, I felt like this trip was a big comparison between BSI and London Review: which trip did I feel more comfortable on, which trip did I learn more on, which trip did I read the most on (okay so BSI definitely takes the cake on that one). As cheesy as it is, I’m realizing the only thing that’s different between BSI and London Review (except for duration) is me. My anxiety was a lot worse when I came to the UK for the first time, as were my social skills and comfortability being on my own despite being an introvert to the very core. This time, I had a familiarity with public transportation I didn’t the first time around and a more defined list in my head of things I had to do because I’d been there once before and obviously knew it all (still trying to come to grips with the fact that I will always need a reminder that I do not and cannot know everything). A great deal was the same, though. Landing in London felt much like it did the first time: comfortable, like coming home after a long trip away. The Kopparbarg cider tasted just as lovely as I remembered, and I still prefer Sainsbury’s to Tesco any day. Since returning, I’ve been trying to find some kind of reason or cause for any of these feelings, like maybe I was always meant to live in London or maybe I really am growing up (I am and I am not) or maybe the serendipitous interactions with strangers I had are signs of a future I should make across the pond. I think the reality is that none of it really matters. Having lived it with a group of people that made me smile and learn and question myself and my world is what did and does matter and what made either of these trips so worth taking. I may change my mind on that, in fact I probably will, and I’ll journal for years about how confused I am and how lovely that confusion is. But this is my answer for now. This is the answer I want to document.

Adventure

The Storyteller at the Tate

By Lauren Wambold “Can I tell you a story?” To be honest, at first I was annoyed when this question was posed to me. I had found a little corner of the Tate Modern museum that was calm and quiet, where I could clear my head and take a moment to just be. I had been sat here for no more than fifteen minutes when a woman approached me and asked me this question. My first inclination was to turn her down, but I couldn’t bring myself to. So I said yes, and I am thankful that I did. She sat down next to me, and told me this story: “I was at a wedding last week, and I spotted a woman with the most mesmerizing hands,” she said. “They were so pale and white that they were practically translucent. I could almost see through them. I approached her, unable to take my eyes off of her, and she asked to tell me a story. The story is as follows.” There once was a family of four-a mother and father, sister and brother-who lived on a farm. One day the father and mother died, leaving the sister and brother alone on the farm with an inheritance. The sister was put in charge of the inheritance, and it was up to her as to when the brother would receive it. One day the brother came to the sister and said he wanted to buy a cow. She deemed this unwor-

London Review 2018

thy of the inheritance, and so they waited. Then, the brother came to her again and said he wanted to get married. The sister deemed this worthy of the inheritance. So, the brother and sister set out on a journey to find the brother a suitable wife. They travelled all around the world, searching for a woman who would fit in the family. Finally, after exploring far and wide, the brother and sister decided to return home and look there. Shortly after returning home, the brother and sister encountered the perfect woman, and she became the brother’s wife. The brother’s wife seemed perfect, but what the brother and sister didn’t know is that she was a ghoul. She gave birth to a child not long after the marriage. One night, the wife snuck into the baby’s room and de-

voured the child. She took the blood of the child that was dripping off of her hands and went to the sister’s room, where she smeared it across the sister’s lips, framing her for the murder. She ran screaming into the bedroom where her husband lay sleeping, claiming someone had killed their child. The sister appeared to be guilty, but her brother refused to believe the sister could have done such a thing, and so he mourned his loss and blamed no one. The wife soon gave birth to a second child, and grew hungry once again. After eating her second child, she once again framed the sister. This time, the brother could not deny that his sister had killed both of his children. He dragged her off of the farm and into the mountains, where he chopped off her hands. The sister lay in the mountains, writhing in pain, when a snake approached her. The snake asked the sister if she could hide behind her, as she was being pursued by a male snake and had no interest in him. The sister obliged, even as she endured insufferable pain. The male snake soon arrived and asked the sister if she had seen the female snake. The sister pointed off in a vague direction and instructed the snake to go that way. He slithered away, and the female snake emerged from behind the sister, eternally grateful for her help. In return, she gifted the sister new hands, which promptly grew in, mesmerizingly pale to the point of being translucent.

The Lazy Person’s Guide to Doing London By Lauren Wambold

If you’re like me, then you’re tired most of the time, prefer to sit rather than walk, and enjoy your downtime. When faced with the opportunity to spend a week in London, you may be tempted to change your lazy ways for this one special week and become someone who loves waking up before the sun appears and enjoys running around until you can’t feel your feet. If this urge doesn’t creep up and overtake you, never fear, there are many ways to experience this amazing, bustling city, and the lazy way is one viable option. Here are some tips on making the most out of your trip without feeling overcome with exhaustion at the end of the week. Eat. Eat again. Then eat more. If it wasn’t already, then food is going to become your new best friend. Whether it is perusing a local market, sitting down to eat at a hole-in-the-wall restaurant, or enjoying cream tea at a nearby cafe, eating is an amazing way to immerse yourself in the culture of the city and feel like a local. By spending your time checking out the restaurants in the area, you can design your

own tour-de-food and spend a good chunk of time on your trip eating your way around London. Some highlights that you should be sure to hit include: Pizza Express, Tom’s Kitchen, Nando’s, as many of the food stands as you can stomach at Borough Market, and the pub nearest you at any moment. Sit. A lot. This one may sound a bit ridiculous. You’re in one of the most exciting cities in the world, shouldn’t you be running around all day, only stopping to sit when medically necessary? The answer to that question depends on who you are, but my answer is no. Some of the best experiences that I had in London happened when I just sat down and drank everything in. I spent a considerable amount of time sitting at the Tate Modern while a woman told me a fable related to the art I was looking at. I sat on the Tube and rode around London, feeling the energy of the city course through the streets above. I sat in St. James Park and watched people walk by, imagining what their day was like with a view of the London Eye in the distance. I sat in pubs and laughed with classmates who became friends. I sat in the lobby of our hotel and listened to the adventures that everyone had that day, planning where I would sit next and wondering

what would happen upon me. Some of the best times are had while taking a break. Go with the Flow. The easiest way to ensure a perfectly lazy week is to decide not to decide what to do. Don’t plan, and don’t expect to do everything that London has to offer. If you want to have a lazy trip to London, chances are that you won’t be able to do every tourist attraction that the city offers. Keep your expectations realistic and your mind open and see where the day takes you. I found myself following people to where they wanted to go a lot on this trip, and I wouldn’t change a single minute of it. I had very few plans, and this left most of my time free to experience things with other people, instead of running around to landmarks and museums alone. Something that this trip emphasized for me is that it doesn’t matter where you are if you’re surrounded by people who make you feel like you’re having the time of your life. I made memories with people that I never would have otherwise if I had planned every moment of my trip before leaving. Thank goodness I’m lazy, because it led to my experiencing one of the greatest weeks of my life, filled with lots of food, rests, and very little planning required.

Adventure

Adventures of East London By Mallory Lanier

After dinner on Friday evening, Taylor and I had planned to head to the Aldgate East tube stop because a group had discussed last night trying to join a Jack the Ripper Tour that started at 7pm. Due to the timing, the tube was packed with people going home from work or going out to dinner for the start of their weekend. Finally, we made it to Aldgate East and wandered the station until we found exit 4. We knew the tour was scheduled to start at 7pm. I checked my watch to see it was 6:55pm. As Taylor and I walked up the stairs from the exit, we saw a group of about 20 people gathered around a middleaged man who was addressing the group. Taylor and I walked up to the back of the group and heard him talking about Jack the Ripper. We turned to each other and shrugged. We probably should have paid to join the tour group, and I do feel bad about that, but the timing could not have been more perfect so we followed along. The tour guide lead us across the street and down an alley. Then the tour guide stopped us to describe how the scene would have been during Jack the Ripper’s time. At this point, I was pretty tired after a long day and was trying to gather the remaining energy I had to focus on what the tour guide was telling us about the history of London during that time period. Suddenly, I heard a woman

London Review 2018

walking down the alley toward our group who was mumbling to herself. I turned to see that she was walking in a slight zigzag pattern and was carrying a full plastic bag. Taylor and I were standing at the back of the group and as she approached us I realized that she was not just mumbling to herself, but was trying to talk to us. She is standing within a foot of Taylor and I and exclaims, “Don’t trust him” pointing at our tour guide. Neither of us replied because we were startled. She continued talking about how long she has lived in this neighborhood and how she knows more than he does. Honestly I could not understand most of what she was rambling about, however, I distinctly remember after she finished yelling, she looked at Taylor and I and ended with “Capeesh?” Looking back on the tour, this lady was the most entertaining part and we have had a few good laughs about what she said to us. But at the time, we were confused and slightly worried about what this older, possibly drunk woman in the alley was going to do or say next. She wandered further down the alley, away from Taylor and I, but continued to yell how we shouldn’t trust our tour guide. The tour guide continued talking to the group as if she wasn’t there, and another member of the tour yelled “Shh” back to her. She walked into a building located in the alley and we did not see her again. At this point, Taylor and I are both on edge, but we continued on the tour. We had stopped at three different locations of places where three differ-

ent women were murdered by Jack the Ripper. The tour guide was giving many details about their murders and passing around various images of the women’s faces after death. It was very interesting and definitely made the area feel more spooky. The tour continued down a busy street in East London. I had been looking to my right across the street at the various shops and buildings when suddenly, a woman had jumped on me and wrapped her arms around me in an embrace. Taylor was in front of me, and turned to see the the commotion. I could not see the woman’s face, only the curly brown hair pressed to my shoulder. Over the woman’s shoulder, I saw Taylor’s reaction and she had a look of pure fear and shock. All of this happened within a few seconds, but felt like a much longer time frame as my brain was reeling. I felt frozen in place. As soon as she pulled away, I recognized that it was Reagan. Relief flooded my body and I could feel myself breath again. Reagan had been lost and was so excited to recognize a familiar face that she ran and hugged me. So, thankfully, I was not being attacked by a random, crazy woman from East London. After laughing about the situation and exchanging stories of how we made it to where we were, the three of us walked together through the rest of the Jack the Ripper tour then back to the hotel to later share our ridiculous story with the rest of the group.

Getting Lost

By Reagan Tinney When in a foreign country with no data, you practically think that you’re going to die every day. I thought this especially on Friday night in London when I was forced to find a way to the Jack The Ripper Tour (which was not even worth all the turmoil, by the way) by myself after dark. I had taken myself out to dinner that evening and texted in the group chat that I would meet everyone at the tube station close by our hotel since I didn’t know the way to get to the tour. I had left the restaurant early and waited upstairs in the station for the purpose of having WiFi for the others to arrive. The station was packed from those getting off work and everyone must have walked right past me because the next thing I knew, I received a message that they had already gotten onto the tube and told me to get off at Aldgate East. I had zero clue what they meant and how I would even begin to get

there. I looked at the station line destination signs and saw Aldgate East on one of them and boarded that tube. When I looked inside at the stops, I noticed that my destination was the last one, so I opened up my book, sat down, and tried to pass the time. I occasionally glanced up to see who boarded at the other stops and eventually homeless people kept coming on and begging for money and when they came around to me, I politely said that I only had my debit card and they not so politely responded by calling me a country bumpkin and walked away. Now, me being the overly sensitive person that I am, had tears falling down my cheeks after the encounters. At the stop before Aldgate East, the tube stopped, and I asked the lady next to me why and she said: “The line stops here, you’re going to have to get off if you want to go to another station.” So, I did but there was just one more problem: I had zero idea where to find the next tube that went to my destination. I looked around at the signs for about ten minutes, looked down at my phone seeing that

Claustrophobia in London By Priyanka Radadiya

When going to London, what you don’t expect are all the run-ins with the impossibly tight spaces. The first time our class experienced this was when we checked into our hotel. Each person had about two to three bags when we came to London. A large check in and one or two personal bags (almost everyone had their backpacks with them). On any normal occasion this would have been perfectly fine, however our lift, claiming to be able to hold five people, was a two by two closet. It was a lengthy process trying to move to where you needed to go because there was only one lift and most people ended up having to go one at a time. Then, when we got into our room, my roommate and I both placed our large bags on the floor. This took up almost all the floor space and for the remainder of the trip we tested our leaping and other acrobatic skills. The trend continued into the showers; let’s just say the showers were about half the size of the lift. The need to be as compact as possible was not something we experienced only in the hotel. Whenever we happened into an older building, the stairs were always the scariest part. They were generally spiraled, made of stone, and designed to be able to fit one, average sized person. Additionally, they suddenly became a hundred times more terrifying when you collided head on with someone trying to go in the opposite direction as you. This also applies to the impossibly narrow walkways and alleyways that scatter the streets of London. Lastly, the open-air markets and the pubs were always overflowing with people. You couldn’t turn in any direction without accidently running into someone. Nevertheless, the closeknit infrastructure only helped to add to the charm of the city.

I had only ten minutes to get to the tour, slid against the wall onto the floor book still in hand, and just cried of fear and frustration. A few minutes later, two elderly men came along and asked me if I was okay and with a tear stained face and a shaky voice, I whimpered, “no, I’m not okay! I missed getting on the tube with my friends, I have no data, and I have no idea where I am!” They explained that they both had granddaughters my age and they would be horrified if they were out at night alone by themselves not knowing where to go. They asked where I was going, I explained, and they walked me to the tube where I was supposed to go and stayed with me until I got off at Aldgate East. One final problem though: I had no clue where I was supposed to go after I got off at the tube. So, I picked a random exit and started walking around in a very dark, sketchy neighborhood where men kept coming up to me saying: “Why are you crying little American?” I got super defensive during those moments and screamed back at them to “leave me alone,” while holding up my book, ready to strike. Each time they threw up their open palmed hands and slowly backed away. I knew that I needed to find WiFi so I’d be able to ask in the group chat where everybody was and figured out how to get to them. I kept walking down the dirty streets, dodging the creeps, and eventually found a crowded donut shop with “free WiFi” written on the window. I went in, decided to grab a few donut holes, sat down, connected to the internet, and ate my donuts while still crying. I was reading through all the messages on the group chat asking where I was when I glanced out the window and saw two of my friends walking down the street on the tour. I immediately jumped up and ran after them. As soon as I caught up to them, I threw my arms around them and started crying, yet again. But, finally, I was safe, and I knew I wasn’t going to die that night! I hopped onto the tour with him and got back to the hotel safely.

Adventure

Pound Night

By Valentina Rivera We really outdid ourselves this past spring break, venturing out of our comfort zones and emerging ourselves into a world of strobe lights, pounding music, blasting bass, sweaty dance floors, and suspiciously cheap drinks, on PURPOSE. And I am so thankful we did. We called it “Pound Night”, as a tribute to the all too famous “Dollar Night” back home at the Jayhawk Café, but it was so much more than what we could have ever expected. I documented almost the entire night via snapchat story, and let me just say, if I released this footage to the public, we would be giving the Jersey Shore cast a run for their money. When Roy first mentioned going out to a club, I rolled my eyes so far back I think I saw my brain. Pubs and wine bars, I’m all about, but clubs? Please. We can get our fair share of grimy bars and sticky floors at 1340 Ohio St in the heart of Lawrence, Kansas. But thankfully, Roy talked me into braving the cold and discarding my dignity for just one night. Before I knew it, I was on board and, I’ll admit, embarrassingly excited. I mean, not everyone can say they went clubbing in London, but now, we sure can. Before heading out that night, we gathered as a group in the lobby,

London Review 2018

admiring each other’s “clubbing attire” and glamourous makeup. I will say, Roy’s ‘Fiesta, then Siesta’ shirt takes the cake for best party outfit. We were all buzzing with excitement. Ladies looking beautiful as ever, and dudes looking on point, we stepped out for the night, strutting our way to the tube station, eager for whatever party we might find. After a very long tube ride, and what seemed to be an even longer walk in the bitter cold, we found our way to the famous London club, The Egg. What’s up with the name, you ask? I have no idea and I have absolutely no clue what it means. However, what we found inside the egg was something straight out of a movie. This night club had multiple floors and several rooms, all presenting a different kind of mood for night life. The

night we went, there were 4 rooms open for service, but I heard that on weekends, they open up to 10. The entry room was a very mellow bar with a lot of open space and a lot of fancy couches. Upstairs, there were two dancefloors open. One played rap and hip hop music, while the other played electronic dance tunes. The fourth room was actually outside and was more of a socializing area where people went to have a conversation. One that could be carried without having to scream over the blaring music, I suppose. Once we familiarized ourselves with the new surroundings (we took a quick potty break, too) we set out to do what we came to do. Dance our asses off. We were about to show The Egg what we were made of, fully prepared to bust out some All- American dance moves. We showcased ‘the shopping cart’, ‘the sprinkler’, and ‘starting the lawnmower’ like we were pros, executing flawless ‘whips’ and ‘dabs’ in between each move. Catch us on the new season of America’s Best Dance Crew, yo. Not only was our club night the most fun I had had on the trip so far, but I feel as though it was an important bonding experience for my classmates and I, too. For example, I thought I knew Manjiri pretty well, but I had NO idea this girl could dance. She was out there showing us how to move, shaking what her mama gave her. She was the confident, flawless, dancing queen that everyone wanted to be. Ryan made us laugh harder than I think any of us have ever laughed before as he seduc-

tively danced the night away facing a wall. Rachael put us all to shame with her pop-lock-and-drop-it while Roy danced circles around us. Believe me when I say that there is no putting a leash on those boy’s hips. They’ve got a mind of their own. We danced and laughed the night away, literally. I don’t think I crawled into bed until about 4 in the morning. I was exhausted, sweaty, and probably a little dehydrated, but BOY was I happy. I’m smiling to myself right now, just writing this article. When I look back at London, I’ll longingly remember the books, the tours, the history, everything beautiful about the city. But when I look back at London, I’ll crave the night life, the giggly tube rides, the scream-alongs to our favorite pop songs in the club, and all the dancing. I’ll never forget hip-bumping with my pal, Vince, twirling with Taylor, and watching Priyanka let loose and shake her money-maker. I know this has been a goofy piece of writing, guys, but that night really meant a lot to me. It was all too perfect and all too much fun. Cheers to clubbing in London and cheers to “Pound Night”!

How to Beat Jet Lag By Priyanka Radadiya Step 1: Resist the urge to take a nap. Step 2: Obtain money at the nearest ATM. Step 3: Find some friends and grab a bite to eat. Step 4: Check into your hotel, take a shower, and pretend like your bed is a black hole thus forcing yourself to avoid it at all costs. Step 5: Make some friends and explore the nearest museum. Step 6: Take some pictures to remember just how exhausted you were. Step 7: Make an impulse decision to learn how to use the tube. Step 8: Find yourself at Piccadilly Circus. Step 9: Let the cold and the snow freeze a smile to your face. Step 10: Accidentally find China Town. Step 11: Be entertained by a man sitting in the middle of the street playing a traffic cone. Step 12: Go to pizza express for dinner and eat all of the dough balls you can get your hands on. Step 13: Be serenaded by tipsy singers. Step 14: Sleep like a baby.

Adventure

Thames River Boat Cruise By Conner Winters

My family and I have been on a few vacations to spots around the Midwest and I’ve noticed that we typically go on some kind of small river or lake boat tour. This is likely why when I walked along the bank of the Thames and saw so many river cruise tours, I couldn’t resist. It also helped that the tours are super inexpensive. I bought a combo ticket for the cruise and the London Eye for around thirty pounds and then headed down to the pier. I sat in one of the front upper deck seats and we embarked from just behind the London Eye towards the Palace of Westminster (Parliament). The Palace and Elizabeth Tower were both undergoing renovation and cleaning during our trip which meant the views were less than desirable. Being able to view the parliament building from the river allowed a better look at the side of the building without as much scaffolding. After turning the ship around, the captain took us back towards the Eye and continued east along the river. On the upper deck with us was a tour guide who was very entertaining. He provided historical information about the different bridges and buildings on the banks, as well as stories and jokes. He explained some of the history of the London Eye, Europe’s highest observation wheel, and how it became a London landmark. One story he told us had to do with the Ministry of Defense building, which lies just across the river from the London Eye. Officials were concerned that foreign

London Review 2018

operatives could go up in the wheel and use powerful cameras to spy in through the windows of the defense building. Construction continued despite their concerns, which led to the Ministry investing in curtains. Then I saw Cleopatra’s needle, the Waterloo Bridge, and Blackfriars Bridge, which has a “mysterious” set of colorful red columns protruding out of the water just behind it. Our guide explained that Blackfriars Bridge and the neighboring railway bridge were built around an older railway bridge as replacements. The supports of the older railway proved too difficult to remove without harming the newer bridges, so they were left. The next rather famous bridge the tour came to was the Millennium Bridge, which gets destroyed in multiple different movies, including Harry Potter. Just past the Millennium Bridge is Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre. I had visited the Globe a few days prior but the tour guide was able to point out where the original Globe Theatre stood, which was on the opposite bank. Next, we passed under the rather dull London Bridge. Many people mistakenly call the very famous Tower Bridge, the London Bridge. In reality, the London Bridge is simply a concrete road bridge that offers a wonderful view of Tower Bridge. The old nursery rhyme about the London Bridge falling down wasn't written about the bridges at this location, however. The old London Bridges were made of wood and would shift over time because of the strong Thames current, leading to their collapsing. Before we made it to the Tow-

er Bridge we saw new architecture, The Shard and City Hall, as well as old architecture in the Tower of London. We passed under the Tower Bridge as many pedestrians waved to us. Once beyond the bridge, the captain turned the ship parallel which allowed for an amazing view of the bridge from the river with new buildings (The Shard and City Hall) on the left and old structures (St. Paul’s Cathedral and Tower of London) on the right. We continued back under the Tower Bridge, now returning to the west. As we neared the end of the tour, our guide pointed out the many bronze lion heads that line Victoria Embankment near Cleopatra’s Needle and across from the Eye

continuing towards Parliament. Inside each lion sculptures mouth is a mooring ring which can be used in case of emergency to tie up a small boat. The lions are a focal point for those concerned with the Thames flooding. There is a rhyme that goes along with the practice. “When the lions drink, London will sink. When it’s up to their manes, we’ll go down the drains.” Flood watchers know that if the lion heads are to become submerged, the city will flood. We docked back where we had started after a little less than an hour. Despite the chilling river wind, the tour was very enjoyable. I learned a lot of history and anecdotes about London that I would not have learned otherwise.

An Herbivore in London By Sarah Stowell

It is hard to be a vegan but it is harder to be a vegan traveling in London. Quite possibly, one may find it easier to live in London as a vegan than in the United States. However, we vegans know the struggle of traveling and that it is not a question of if you will be hangry but when. Thankfully, there is an answer! Vegans visiting London must keep their friends close and their food friends closer. In the hierarchy of friendship, first comes Pret a Manger, a quick and affordable dining option usually referred to as “Pret.” Pret may only have two vegan sandwiches, but they are ready to eat and actually labeled “vegan,” which all vegans know is a blessing from God – especially when all your friends make you sit down at a restaurant that has nothing you can eat and you need to find a quick meal before or after. Pret also

satisfies coffee needs and has soy substitutes available! (Shout-out to soy for making vegan life possible!) Next in the hierarchy is the friend that is not entirely ideal but will always be there for you: toast. While toast may not be viewed as a meal by those who see animals as one, it may be your best bet in many situations and is almost always available. Most standard breads are likely to be vegan. You have to be a little more careful about the jams but, in general, toast is usually the safe bet that will be there for you in your times of need. Now, if you’re a vegan traveling in London with a decent amount of your budget dedicated to food, you can explore more of the vegan restaurants. Personally, I would highly recommend Wulf & Lamb, which has the slogans: “Fiercely kind food” and “Run with the wolves. Eat with the lambs.” It has a really positive vibe and amazing food. It is a place where a vegan can eat a full, nutritious meal. Now, I must also say that it is not the cheap-

est dining option and if you have any nut allergies this is probably not the place for you. But overall, this was my favorite place to eat in London as a vegan. Something else that is a blessing to us vegans in London is the availability of cold pressed juice. Again, not the most affordable beverage, but at least it is there and convenient. You can find pressed juice at Pret, restaurants like Wulf & Lamb, and markets, which may also be a great option depending on the length of your stay. In short, traveling as a vegan is difficult but, if you are strategic and do your research, you will survive in London!

An Odé To Rosé

By Chance Maginness Rosé, rosé you make me nosé Your presence is always welcome You never are a bore But sometimes when I drink you, I end up on the floor A drink with tea and sugar, A drink with meat and pie A drink to calm the nerves, and make the time go by You brighten every evening You blur out every show You make my heart feel happy, Even in the snow You bring me such contentment You fill my life with joy Never ever change, For I am a happy boy.

Adventure

Shop Until You Drop! London Style By Valentina Rivera

Call me materialistic. I don’t care. Why? Because it’s true, this girl loves her things. I blame my mother, really. As a young girl, I was fascinated with her collection of beautiful treasures. She used to catch me sneaking into her closet, desperately searching for the elegantly adorned boxes that contained all of the hats, post cards, jewelry, rocks, sea shells, tickets, photos, and books that had accumulated over the years, all originating from whole other worlds she managed to visit throughout her lifetime. After sufficient begging, she would agree to sit down with her boxes at the edge of her bed and show me through her things once again. “And this bracelet? This is the one I bought in Bolivia with your father” she would say, dangling the shiny chain in front of my wide, glistening eyes. “This book, here, I bought in a little libreria in Mexico City! And this hat,” she would add, smiling, placing it on my head, “I bought in a market in Panama. Maybe we can find one that fits you properly one day.” Do you see why I’m a little obsessed with treasure hunting in foreign land? Like mother like daughter, I suppose. Between you and me, I began googling markets in London before my study abroad application was even submitted. (I had high hopes, okay?) And let me tell you, once there, I was not disappointed. The Camden Market, the Borough Market, and Portobello Road are all shopping hot spots for fellow souvenir seekers and treasure hunters. Each market is unique, with varying layouts, marketing different kinds of treasures. To get the full market experience in London, one should try and pay at LEAST these three places a visit. Camden Market: This was the first market I found myself exploring. Located in Camden Town, near the Hampstead Road Lock of the Regent’s Canal, the Camden Market is a large, seemingly never-ending, little shop heaven! Products range from print

London Review 2018

and artwork to hand-woven scarves, wooden watches and phone cases to intricately detailed, hand-made jewelry, home-made soaps and bath oils to cute little clothing boutiques, and of course, a whole lot of tea sets and mugs for sale. Everything is absolutely remarkable. Not to mention, the environment is so lively and happy. Music plays, families and friends shop, and of course, people eat. Just below the market, is an area completely dedicated to food stops. And trust me, if you go as hard as I do when shopping, you’re going to need a chance to refuel. Shacks line the street bordering the bridge over the canal. Not sure what you’re hungry for? These little food shacks have quite the variety, including Hispanic chorizo, loaded hot dogs, thin crust pizzas, juicy hamburgers, healthy salads, vegan varieties, and of course all the home-made soda, freshly squeezed juices, and refreshing smoothies you can get. Borough Market: Although the Camden Market has plenty of delicious food to indulge in, there’s another little place you can go if you really think you qualify as a foodie. EAT your way through the Borough Market. I let the curved pathways lead me through the maze of food stands. Mounds of round cheeses, vibrantly colorful juice bars, jars and jars of olives, and perfectly stacked pyramids of pastries and cakes appear in every which direction. That diet you were on? History. I was completely enveloped in a mouth-watering aroma of freshly baked bread, cut cheeses, and

seasoned, cooked meat. I spent about 15 minutes trying to figure out how I could smuggle some bars of fudge and packaged cheese in my carry-on. Portobello Road: Now, this particular market is on my “visit again” list for the next time I’m wandering about in London. Due to how far the market stretched itself down the road, and how much my stomach absolutely hated me that morning, I was only able to explore a small section. However, despite my ill state that morning, I was amazed. The scarves are beautiful. I’m not even a scarf kind of gal, but the ones that hung over me in the street made me want to purchase one for every single day until I die, and I’m still not sure I would have enough. Trying one on, I felt stunning. Other shops included books (my favorite), tea cups, jewelry, mugs, and antiques. That morning I left the hotel telling myself I was not going to spend any more money. OOPS. My justification? The gorgeous, colorful, sunflower painted mug I found. It was perfect for my morning coffee. Plus, it’s not just any mug. It’s a mug I bought in LONDON. Need I say more? The London Markets were just as beautiful and amazing as I anticipated. I felt nothing but satisfaction as I sat atop my suitcase the night before we left, struggling to zip it closed. I look forward to the day I can sit down with my daughter and pull out the books, post cards, mugs, scarves, and candles, saying, “These are my treasures from London, sweet girl. One day, we will find some for you, too.”

Chinatown

By Roy Ricaldi A country that seemed so foreign to me last year suddenly seemed within reach after my trip to London. China, a country at literally the other side of the world from where I’m from. All I know about it is what my chinese friends, whom actual names I can’t even pronounce, told me about it. Really big, really populated, and really beautiful. I’ve always looked at any type of Asian culture with admiration. I am ignorant to their customs and history. I do not have knowledge of any of their languages, or pretty

much anything whatsoever, and that is what makes it so fascinating to me. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel a bit in my past years. Mostly within the Americas. Have only been to Africa and Europe once, and just for a little while. That is the furthest I’ve ventured to. Every city I visited had its own vibe, but what all of the big cities had in common, was that all of them had a Chinatown. I feel like every country has a Chinatown, and I have been to a couple, but something about the one in London felt different. There was a click. I went there five times during my stay, and it did not seem like enough. I would just stare at the traditional decorations, at the chinese characters, the lights. I would take a bunch of pictures. I would close my eyes, and smell the food, imagining I was actually in China. I would sit down in a

bench, and watch the crowd pass by, thinking how cool it would be If I could ever actually go there. I have a bucket list, which contains places I want to go really badly. London was at the top of that bucket list, and I didn’t think it would be possible for me to go there, just because of the visa issues and immigration. It very much was, and the visa process was not bad at all. If someone would have told me a year ago I would be going for a stroll around The Tower of London or visiting The Tate Modern, I would have laughed. Yet there I was, living the dream, for almost a week, In a city that seemed extremely foreign to me before. I know I have not yet conquered London. There are a lot of things I did not see and activities I did not have the time to experience, yet still I was there. I got to London, and suddenly China did not seem as foreign anymore. The last time I was there, I ran into a pub called “KU”. I took that as a sign, a sign of where my next adventure will take place, and I am already preparing a summer trip to China on 2019. I was not even back in the state while I was planning it. I quickly became obsessed, the beauty of Chinatown London made China an extremely appealing destination, and if you don’t believe me, you can look at the photos. Stunning from where you see it.

Adventure

What to do When You Know More Than Your Cab Driver By Erin Woods

Don’t get me wrong, I’m a girl who loves using the tube. But I hold the taxis in London in high esteem, too. After Mary’s comments about how intelligent the driver's are and the extreme training they undergo to memorize all of London, I kind of started idolizing them if I’m being completely honest, and one of my two experiences in taxis in London lived up to the hype. Spacious back seats and polite but not chatty cabbies who allowed me to take in the city in peace as we made our way to the West End. My second ride wasn’t so smooth. I’d been wandering around the Thames on Friday night, getting close to the National Theatre, and decided to start heading to the Bridge Theatre where Julius Caesar was playing. I’d been building up this night all week; my planned introvert’s hideaway at a Shakespeare play, made contemporary, starring two of my favorite actors I’d only been able to see in films. I’d obsessively researched the theatre, the director, how the lobby looked,

London Review 2018

and what their wine and snack selection looked like. What I failed to look up were directions. I assumed this wouldn’t be a problem. I’m at home on the tube and Argentina made me comfortable with hailing cabs, so I figured in London of all places, where I spoke the same language as the native populace and I had a good idea of landmarks, I would be able to get there, even if I did need the help of a cabbie. So I hailed a cab, comfortable knowing I had plenty of time and I’ll be able to be dropped nearly doorside to have some time to relax before the show. To my surprise, this was the conversation I had after the driver rolled down his window to ask for my destination: “Hi, I need to get to the Bridge Theatre.” “The what?” “The Bridge Theatre?” “The Hinge Theatre?” “The Bridge Theatre.” “Bridge?” “Like London Bridge.” “Is it above a restaurant or something?” “No, not that I’m aware of. It’s where Julius Caesar is playing, if that helps at all.”

“I’ve never heard of it.” I had a moment of pause where I thanked my lucky stars I’d purchased a data plan and instructed the driver to take me to the London Bridge tube station. From there I would figure it out. Turns out, the theatre was difficult to locate even with the aid of GPS, so I can’t fault my cab driver too much. Even when I got outside the building, it took ten minutes of wandering to find the grand entrance I’d seen on Google so many times while daydreaming before our departure, full of lights and well stocked with high end cider. The show was incredible. Absolutely mind blowing, world numbing, beautiful. And on the way back, I knew to just walk the three quarters of a mile to good ‘ole London Bridge tube station, even though the likelihood of a cab driver knowing my hotel was greater than them knowing this theatre. But even that night, after being so blown away by the incredulity of this production, the thought lingering in my mind as I fell asleep that night was “How did I know of a location in London that a cab driver didn’t?”

“My Shot” To See Hamilton By Sarah Stowell

I don’t know if all of the world is a stage, but London certainly is. Theatre is at the center of my life, and being an artist is at the center of who I am. When I set out for London, I had hopes to see maybe two productions, and eight days later, I had seen six. In London, theatre is amazingly accessible. It is affordable, it is conveniently located, it is everywhere, and

it is simply part of the culture. While in the United States, you may have to travel to New York or Chicago to see the crème of the crop as far as stage productions, in London, you may only need to take one tube. This likely correlates to the ticket prices and seat availability. If you go to London with the intent of seeing theatre, you will not be short of options. You will likely have heard of TKTS, the best option for day-of ticket purchases. Ticket prices range based on the quality of the seat and the demand for the show. During my trip, for example, “Book of Mormon” tended to be around £60, whereas “Les Miserables” had tickets available in the £20 range. Most major theatre houses in London have around three layers, including a mixture of: Stalls (ground level), Dress Circle, Royal Circle, and Grande Circle.

Some theatres also have standing options, which have lower prices. My first of many trips to TKTS occurred on my fifth day in London, and yet it was not really until the next day that I fully realized how accessible theatre is there. I was on my way to high tea with a group of friends when I passed by a poster for “Hamilton,” which inspired me to look into getting tickets. As an American, I naturally expected it to be either sold out or £800 for the worst seat in the house. So, I was in disbelief that I was able to purchase tickets for a performance of “Hamilton” the following night for £100 each. Now, while that may seem like a lot, let me give you a reference point. The cheapest seat available for “Hamilton” on Broadway right now is $635 and most tickets are closer to $1,000. Additionally, more performances are sold out than are not. While the actual theatre-going experience in London is similar in many ways to the experience in the United States, the main differences can be observed during pre-show and intermission. The first thing you may notice, if you are like me and believe in the importance of programs, is that programs are not free in London. So, while you do save money through buying day-of tickets at TKTS, you are also going to have to spend between £4-£8 every time you go to a show (if you care about a program). Also, drinking while watching theatre is not only allowed, but also common, so you may consider budgeting about £8 for that as well. During intermission, you will still see the trend of the enormous line for the women’s room. However, at each performance I attended, I had some of the best discussions and thorough critique sessions of the first act, the actors, the design, and the overall performance with complete strangers while in those lines. Additionally, those of you with a sweet tooth will be happy to know that ice cream during intermission is part of the London theatre experience. Perhaps, in some ways, you are really paying for a full price ticket with the bonus of a program, beverage of choice, and mini ice cream included.

Adventure

A Trip to Real London By Chance Maginness

Often times, when people travel to new places, they go to places that are full of experiences for tourists. Sometimes those tourist experiences overlap with cultural experiences, because generally speaking tourists want to experience the culture of the places they’re going. However, at their heart, some experiences feel inherently “tourist” in nature. Take for example, museums. Museums are cultural warehouses. They’re places where art, history, and treasure is stored to be looked at, learned from, and made available to the general public. Museums are cultural experiences. However, museums are also some of the first things that many tourists flock to. There’s nothing wrong with that – every person who travels abroad should create the trip that makes them happiest. For me, visiting places that felt inherently tourist in nature was not what I wanted to do, I wanted to take in London in a way that felt natural, and some of my best days arose from that goal. Our first full day in London the entire group took a walking tour of parts of the city, which I’m glad we did because it helped us go through all the more tourist-y parts of the city. However, once our large group tour was over, Sarah, Chandler, Kit, and I took off to experience the real parts of London, not just its outward face. We watched a St. Patrick’s Day parade and drank a Guinness at an Irish festival. We found a real Italian restaurant and drank real Italian wine, and then we found a pub to relax in. We played pool and watched Italians get very animated over a football match, and had another beer. Then later that night, a larger group of people went to Chinatown to find Chinese food. We didn’t go to museums (except for a brief detour to the National Gallery to look at some Monet paintings, but that was honestly a blip in the day’s radar), we didn’t tour around, we just lived and breathed the city. That wasn’t the only day that I had experiences like that. I also spent a day shopping around Piccadilly Cir44

London Review 2018

cus and Carnaby Street, ate at Da Mario’s – the Italian restaurant frequented by Princess Diana, and spent other days eating Indian, Afghani, and Spanish cuisine. Saturday morning I went to Portabello Road Market and milled about for hours. Sarah and I had afternoon tea at a hotel, and spent the morning before it walking around Hyde Park. Three nights in a row we went to different clubs around the city. It was day after day of adventures that felt like I was getting to know London instead of just being a tourist in London.

From those adventures I feel like I got a better feel for the city of Lon-

don and its people. I learned that London doesn’t have the same sense of bombasticness that America has. Londoners are a lot more relaxed. That doesn’t mean they’re apathetic or dispassionate, but rather have the markings of a culture that has been around for longer than 250 years. Londoners are also kind people. We’ve all experienced “Midwest nice,” but there’s a sense of genuineness to the people of London that is sometimes lacking even in the nicest parts of America. Also, and I know we knew this going in, but humor underlies a lot of daily life in London. We encountered lots of people in our day-to-day travels and none of them took the world too seriously, but all of them liked to have an undertow of humor in everything they did. It was refreshing. Mostly, London felt like a place where people were just at peace with the world. Perhaps I would’ve encountered that if I had spent most of my days at attractions, museums, or events. I like to think that because of the way I approached the trip that I was rewarded with a small glimpse into the people of London. If there’s anything to be taken from all of this, it’s this – if you go to London, go to the real London. Don’t fret, don’t spend your days worried about making it to one attraction or another, just live in the city for a small period of time and let a little bit of the city become a part of you.

Oh the Posh, Posh Traveling Life By Chance Maginness

I have expensive tastes. In fact, I often say that I have Prada tastes on a Target budget; but in London I got to live out my Gucci dreams. There’s something to be said for going on a trip and spending almost no money (truly there is, cheap trips are often the most enjoyable), there’s also something to be said for going on a trip and treating yourself to the opulence you deserve. Now I’m not rich, so the opulence I deserve was still tempered by a budget, but allow me to give you some tips on how to make a trip to London a posh one: 1. Afternoon tea? A must. I don’t like tea, I don’t like hot drinks in general. But let me tell you, afternoon tea (or high tea as its also called) isn’t about the tea. Sure, tea is involved; but do you know what else is involved? Champagne (rosé champagne if you’re bougie). And scones (which is the British word for what we Americans call biscuits). And finger sandwiches. And most importantly, gossip. Nothing says rich white American woman like having a snack and dishing the dirt. If you want to feel fancy, treat yourself to an afternoon tea, because nothing will make you feel posh like spending $100 on a snack. 2. Rosé you say? Red wine stains your teeth. White wine is for serious people.

Rosé though, rosé says something different. Nothing feels more opulent than drinking rosé with every meal, at every West End show, and sometimes with your breakfast to perk you up in the morning. Rosé is God’s wine, and London has some of the best rosé I’ve ever had the pleasure of experiencing. I know that all in all, this one isn’t that London specific – but this is just a personal tip from me. 3. West End, best end. You’re a rich white woman trapped in a gay man’s body, what do you do to feel fancy? You go see several musicals. Throughout our time in London, I saw one play and three musicals (I drank rosé at every single one if you’re curious). Each one not only enriched my soul, but there’s something about going to the theatre that makes you feel extravagant. The theatre buzzes with a sense of culture that you can’t get from watching an episode of Mob Wives, and being able to dress nicely, casually sip a drink, and enjoy the performances of others is something that just can’t be replicated. Also, quick tip, always buy your drink for intermission ahead of the show at the bar – you’ll tell yourself you may not want another drink, but you know you do so just be real with yourself. 4. There’s something posh in simplicity. To paraphrase Legally Blonde the Musical, “touring is for serious, boring people.” The days I felt the most posh were the days

when I wasn’t clomping around London acting like a deranged tourist. Enjoying a walk through Hyde Park, perusing Kensington Palace, strolling around the bakeries of London – all simple acts, and all decidedly sophisticated. The posh lifestyle isn’t about how much money you can spend, despite what I may have said earlier, but it’s about how you hold yourself. Being posh means enjoying the simpler, more refined things, and often the simpler things make a trip that much more enjoyable. My best days were spent enjoying activities that breathed culture, not tourism. Having a posh trip isn’t just a choice, it’s a mentality. It’s a balance of doing things you wouldn’t normally want to pay for, and enjoying the free things that are refined. It’s about drinking fancy wine for the sake of drinking fancy wine, and enjoying a $100 snack because you can. Mostly, being posh is about treating yourself like the royalty that you know you are. And while cheap trips are nice (and nothing to look down on – some of the most fun can be had on a tight budget), being a princess feels even better.

Adventures of Nap Time By Matt Dwyer

When Ryan Dickey decided “Hey, we should take a two-hour break and nap at the hotel,” it sounded like a great idea. Until I couldn’t sleep. And maybe decided to go to the hotel lobby and get a drink. And maybe get another. And then adventured around the neighborhood around the hotel for an hour. And reappeared back in the hotel room while Ryan was still sleeping. Sorry for finding out this way Ryan.

Adventure

London Review 2018

Knowledge

London Review 2018

The Top Three Things to Experience at Oxford By Hannah Spoolstra

Oddly enough, none of these three things include studying for admissions into one of the leading Ivy League universities in the world. When I found out our group had an entire day reserved for visiting this seemingly obscure university, all I thought was, “this is totally going to ruin our plans for night clubbing tonight.” It’s interesting how the events we initially care the least about end up creating the most memorable and lasting effects on us. The first location our guide took us, situated in the center of the sprawling university, was the St. Mary’s cathedral. It looked like just another old dome building; however, one of the first lessons I learned on this trip was that looks and first impressions could be deceiving. So don’t be deceived or you will end up missing out on a once in a lifetime vantage point. Like all things worth seeing (London is no exception), we had to pay five pounds to ascend the leg shaking narrow stone steps built for our ancestors’ apparent tiny strides. It was as if we were making our way up a cement swirl illusion of a staircase, so if you ever visit St. Mary’s cathedral, watch your step on your way to heaven’s vantage point. Standing on the

358-degree balcony almost completely encircling the dome of the cathedral, you are struck with how much of a difference a bird’s eye angle affects the mere ground stricken mortal. The panorama pictures do not do the balcony view justice.

ione plotted against the recent villain threatening Hogwarts? You can clearly imagine a festive Harry Potter feast while standing in the doorway of the famous dining hall. Last but not least, make sure to visit the gift shops surrounding

The second location will have avid Harry Potter fans go pink (or green) depending on the Bertie Botts every flavor jelly bean you pull out of the sack. Did you know that the dining hall filmed for every Harry Potter movie was the very dining hall in one of Oxford’s gothic themed colleges? Can you imagine a casual breakfast, lunch, and dinner sitting at the very spot where Harry, Ron, and Herm-

the campus and stock up on Oxford sweatshirts and key chains to bring home. Not only will they provide adequate souvenirs and cherished memories for your loved ones back in the States, Oxford sweaters provide an extra layer of warmth for those cold London mornings and nights. Though many might be persuaded to visit Oxford for the renowned university, the town itself is a valuable gem comprised of preserved gothic architecture and famous pubs known for providing meals to hungry members of the Harry Potter cast. Everywhere you turn, twenty-first century students mill around twelfth century buildings and monuments. Every college that makes up Oxford University offers a unique personality within its’ particular topic of study and boasts picturesque study locations enjoyed by any student lucky and bright enough to get accepted into one of the world’s most affluent universities. Touring the campus will make you consider applying for Oxford University just for fun to see if you were offered the opportunity to dine everyday at the Gryffindor table.

Knowledge

Making History Come Alive By Hannah Spoolstra

When tourists visit America, they ponder the sixteenth century artwork, the Declaration of Independence, and our renowned Constitution. That’s not the case for the “Old World.” When faced with the daily option of visiting museums, my initial reaction was not enthusiasm. My idea of museums was abstract finger paintings so ambiguous it was impossible to pin down a message, if any, the artist was trying to convey. However, cleanse your cognitive pallet of any presumed judgments of museums while visiting London. The centuries old acrylic and oil works by Donatello, Michelangelo, and all the other -lo artists preserved through the ages will bring the effect of the historical religious and political influences alive. To put historical relevance of these paintings into perspective for the modern appreciator of arts, these paintings were created before America’s conception. London’s historical influence doesn’t stop at paintings. When I imagined the 900 yearold Tower of London, glistening glass skyscrapers were absent from my vi-

London Review 2018

sion. I was in for a startling surprise when, after stepping off the Tower Hill tube stop, the rising glass skyscrapers exaggerated by the sharp contrast between past brick and mortar and present sparking glass, caught my initial attention. However, the idea of walking in the footsteps of the various members of the Tudor dynasty successfully won over my attention. Walking down the century old cobblestone path, weaving in and out of the tours, I had to force myself to stop and absorb the historical significance of this battle fortress, crown jewels vault, and infamous prison of the iconic Tower of London. Every

fifteenth century wall I touched sent a consecutive shiver down my spine and made me feel as if I had stepped into a time warp and was transported back into history. Residing on the edge of the Thames River, within sight of the London Bridge, I was finally walking in the footsteps of my daydreams. An avid history fanatic of the distant kings and queens of England, my enthusiasm for visiting a castle so central to England’s cultural and legal history seemed like a dream come true to me. Until nex time, infamous Tower of London!

High Tea and History By Mallory Lanier

After hearing about high tea during a London Review class earlier in the semester, I was intrigued. Especially by the fact that it was not only tea, but snacks and desserts which one would enjoy in the late afternoon. I have quite a bit of a sweet tooth and also wanted to experience the unique English tradition. Mary gave some recommendations for places that offered high tea which were not too expensive, but still provided the experience that many of us were interested in. A group of eight of us went to high tea one afternoon at Brown’s Victoria. After some confusion with our reservation, we were seated with menus. On the first inner page was the classic high tea with bread, mini sandwiches, and desserts listed on the menu. I was excited and we all ordered the standard high tea. The tea tasted great and came with bread plus jam and butter on the lower tier, four different mini sandwiches on the middle tier, and desserts on the top tier. The desserts included red velvet cake, a macaroon, lemon bar, and chocolate ball (pictured above). Along with the amazing platter, and conversation flowed in the group covering our experiences at various museums and reviews of shows seen in London. It was a very wonderful afternoon!

I was surprised to find that the concept of afternoon tea is a relatively new tradition in England which was introduced by Anna the seventh Duchess of Bedford in 1840. Drinking tea was popularized in England before this date, but the concept of high tea came later. Supposedly, the Duchess would become hungry in the afternoon, multiple hours before her dinner which was always served late. She began requesting tea with bread, butter and cake in the late afternoon to tame her hunger. Eventually, this became a daily ritual and she began to invite friends over to join her for conversation. The concept of afternoon tea became a very popular

event, which many upper class women would traditionally participate in while wearing long gowns, gloves and hats. (Johnson) Today, the tradition of high tea continues with less of the grandiose attire that was traditional in the late 1800s. I very much enjoyed my simple version of high tea that continues in London today. This quote encompasses the wholesome feeling about that afternoon: “When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things.” (Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog) Source: Johnson, Ben. “Afternoon Tea.” Historic UK, www.historic-uk.com/CultureUK/AfternoonTea/.

Knowledge

The Stadiums of Legends By Matt Dwyer

The Premier League is a topic often discussed all over the world. People in every country tune in each weekend to watch their teams face off in England’s top soccer league. I had the chance to visit two of the stadiums that host two of the best teams in the world. Stamford Bridge is home to the reigning Premier League champions, Chelsea, and Emirates Stadium, regarded as having the best pitch in the entire world, is home to Arsenal. Both host two of the best teams yet their stadiums are worlds apart. Stamford Bridge was built in 1876 in southwest London. It has a capacity of 41,631 people, a surprisingly small stadium for such a big name team. The

as basic as can be: wooden lockers, a wooden table in the middle, and beige walls. The away locker room ceiling lowers in height on game day as well as raised in temperature by 5 degrees. This was done ever since a study was

Bridge has been renovated numerous times throughout the years but still has a very old school style to it. There are wooded chairs around the stadium housing supporters tucked away in the upper deck on the south side of the pitch. The ‘away’ locker room is

performed by Chelsea that determined these conditions caused ‘away’ players to become sleepy before going out and playing. The home locker is completely different with cushions on their benches, large walking areas, sound system throughout different

rooms, a strategy room, and even ice baths for post-game recoveries. Stamford Bridge gives off a very close, old school style that has tradition dripping through the structure of the stadium. Emirates Stadium was created in 2006 with a capacity of 59,867. The Emirates is considered by many players to have the best pitch in the world. It is cut to the same height as the grass at Wimbledon and is nicknamed “The Carpet”. Walking out through the players’ tunnel to view the pitch is a heart stopping experience. The vast size of the stadium and how it feels when standing on the stands that go straight up into the sky over the pitch instead of out is intimidating for any visiting player. Arsenal has the record for the most FA Cups in England history, all of which can be viewed in their adjacent museum. It is easy to see why Arsenal has become a team that is drenched in history and victory through their museum, numerous trophies displayed everywhere proving their champion status. Even with the capacity, it is debated today if the stadium should be expanded.

Groupcake: A Definition By Matt Dwyer

Groupcake is a cake that is shared by a group. It was originated by Ryan Dickey in London at a Marks and Spencer. Groupcake is normally a noun but can also be used as a verb. For example, “We had a groupcake in the lobby” or “I had the groupcake in my room next to my bed for two nights until Ryan decided it was time to eat it” are acceptable uses of the word. As a verb, it can be used properly only as an exclamation. Answering the question “What are y’all doing?” with “Groupcake!” is a proper use of the word.

London Review 2018

Things I Didn't Do By Erin Woods

The secret Pinterest board I made for this trip is insane. I have articles of best brunches, cheapest mimosas, cutest rooftop bars, spreadsheets of museum operating hours, most instagrammed locations, can’t miss food. I could go on. It is no surprise that I did not even come close to doing everything I had planned. I came into this trip with a laundry list of things I had to do I didn’t get to on BSI plus all the things I’ve learned about in the past two years, not to mention all the things I wanted to do for my academic pursuits like spend every waking moment in the reading room of the British Library examining anything they’d actually let me touch. Actually arriving in London changed my plan drastically. I was swept away again in the overwhelming feeling of contentment I’m finding is my UK norm. Every day, I was content just to be in this city, and I loved having the opportunity to wander on my own, be 89% independent and see what the city showed me. Among my favorite things I found on my own was a woman at the Tate Modern that first Sunday who stopped me to ask if I could take her picture in front of a piece she particularly enjoyed. As we chatted, it turned out

that she had been on the same flight as us from Newark to London and was taking a Spring Break trip with her kids. We got a picture together I forgot to ask for a copy of and went our separate ways, but I remember so distinctly feeling excited, feeling at ease, feeling like I was able to see the wonder in the world I so regularly lose at home. That same afternoon as I slowly made my way back to the hotel, it started snowing. I was walking along the Millennium Bridge looking at St. Paul’s while small flakes fell and melted as soon as they hit the ground, and again I felt wonder. It’s not that the snow felt any different or that the cold in London was any less biting than the cold I can find right here in Lawrence, but it was that rediscovery of beauty that was so striking to me. Despite the cold, I walked without navigation around the old cathedral that would become a prominent point of so many of my adventures throughout the week, in no rush at all to make it to a tube station. I quickly gave up on solid plans for the week. I tried to pick one single thing each day I had to do and gave myself up for the rest to happen as it would. I wound up making it to the British Museum, the British Library, the National Gallery, and other top hits. I made it to things I could not have even thought to seek out, like Love’s Labours Lost at the Rose and

a walk along the old Roman wall that used to encapsulate London. It may have also led me to an ambulance ride to a hospital in Chelsea and a sunset walk along a canal in Angel with an English boy who swept me off my feet. I’m not going to pretend I’m not a little bummed I didn’t get to do everything. I wanted so badly to go to Highgate Cemetery because I had an article idea based entirely around that and a cemetery I lived near in Buenos Aires, Argentina. I never made it to Camden Market, nor did I find the bottomless mimosa brunch my friend who had studied abroad in Paris found on a stray London weekend. I didn’t club, I didn’t go to the White Cliffs of Dover or tour Kensington. I even forgot to get a cream tea. That being said, my pseudo-aimlessness is what made this trip feel so overwhelmingly delightful. I felt less anxious than I did my first time in London, and it helped me to revel in the feeling of contentment I find there that lets me know I’ll be returning someday, somehow. My list is only going to grow, and I think London knows it. One day I’ll be back, because I never got my reader’s card at the British Library and I didn’t get up to Hampstead Heath to have a picnic with friends. But I have nothing if I don’t have time to find my way back.

Knowledge

An Exhibit for Our Times By Vince Munoz

Less than a day after our arrival in London, The Guardian revealed that Cambridge Analytica, a data analytics firm with ties to both Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign and the Brexit referendum’s Leave campaign, harvested data from 50 million Facebook profiles without authorization. The story dominated news cycles in both countries for the duration of our trip. Moreover, it represents a theme of modern life: technological advancement may bring us closer together, but it also threatens our privacy in ways we are just beginning to understand. In short, we live in a time neither solely good nor purely evil— the age of ambivalence. That last term isn’t my own. It’s the title of an exhibit in the Science Museum I visited the day after The Guardian’s revelation. The exhibit starts with a panel explaining the topic. The text notes that technology helps us alleviate some of the worst features of human society including famine, disease, and poverty. At the same time, this new technology has slowly crept

further and further into our everyday lives. Where we go, what we buy, and who we talk to are all data points recorded and stored in server facilities located in places many of us couldn’t find on a map. The exhibit reflects this paradox with a number of physical objects. In one corner of the exhibit case is a surveillance camera looking ominously towards museum visitors. In another section, there is a sweater sewn from the fleece of Dolly the sheep, the first successfully cloned adult animal. Neither object represents and absolute right or wrong. Surveillance can help authorities catch dangerous criminals and deter violence. On the other hand, it can also be used by authoritarian regimes

techniques could be easily abused in both humans and animals. The lack of clarity with each section was both fascinating and chilling. The exhibit only discuses events from 1960 to 2000, but despite the timeframe, it’s clear we haven’t left the age of ambivalence. As more stories like The Guardian’s come out, we should seek to learn from past technological disruptions. Museums, including the Science Museum, are excellent places to facilitate this learning. They not only tell about the past, but also contextualize the present. And they may even help us create a better future.

“... despite the time frame, it’s clear we haven’t left the age of ambivalence.”

London Review 2018

to crush protests and terrorize dissidents. Likewise, cloning research may one day allow us to regrow failing organs and make transplant lists a thing of the past. However, these same

Discovering What Interests You By Conner Winters

I think many of us that went to London this year didn’t go with a set in stone plan for what we were going to do. Many had plenty of ideas on where they would like to go or things they wanted to see during the week. Some had only a few things in mind and some anticipated simply going with the flow of the week. I fell into the latter category. I knew of the big things; the Tower of London, the Tower Bridge, Parliament, Buckingham Palace, Elizabeth Tower (Big Ben). Other than those sites, many of which were checked off after our group tour of the city, I didn’t have a lot in mind. In our weekly classes leading up to the trip, several different museums were mentioned and many sounded interesting. There is the Natural History Museum, the Victoria and Albert, Tate Modern, Science Museum, National Gallery, the British Museum, and others. The great thing about London is that all of these museums are free to enter. This is an especially good thing because it turns out that I do not care much for museums. As an evolutionary biology major I assumed that the Natural History Museum would be fascinating to me. While it is an amazing collection, full of impressive pieces, and in a marvelous building, I found myself preferring

a break from the world of systematics, evolution and scientific discoveries. To my surprise, I really enjoyed the National Gallery. I don’t typically pay much attention to art, so it was nice to experience work done by great artists like Rembrandt, Picasso and van Gogh. The Gallery is amazing but it also couldn’t peak my interest for more than ninety minutes or so. What do you do in London if museums aren’t your cup of tea? The great thing about London is that there is something for everyone. When one goes on a trip, there is a bit of unmentioned stress to enjoy oneself. This sounds counterintuitive and may not apply universally. It’s the family vacation way or tourist mindset to try and do everything there is to do in a city while you can. It becomes easy to forget to relax, enjoy the moment and the surroundings, and ask yourself if everything you are trying to cram in is interesting to you. I am glad that early on in the trip I realized that while London’s museums were amazing, I was going to be interested in other things. One of those things was simply observing and taking in the view. There are amazing views of London from multiple locations such as the top floor of the Tate Modern, the London Eye, the top of the Tower Bridge and the Monument. I even went on a River Boat Cruise on the Thames and got to see sites from a new point of view. There is also an amazing view of Oxford from the top

of the University Church tower. One of the other things I discovered that I enjoy is theatre and I can’t think of a better place, other than Broadway, to experience it. Tickets are relatively cheap and there are multiple shows every night of many different genres. As a group we went to see Mary Stuart, and after that I saw The Book of Mormon and Phantom of the Opera. All three performances were brilliant and so much more intense and intriguing than a show at a movie theater. The third activity that I came to enjoy pertains to sports. Athletics and sports have been a large part of my life for as long as I can remember, so I shouldn’t be surprised that they interested me in London. Touring arenas just did not feel like how I should be spending my time in another country. What I learned though, is that if something is really interesting to you, pursue it no matter the circumstances or whether or not others are also interested. I think taking a moment to discover what was really interesting to me and what I would enjoy, as well as keeping an open mind about theatre and architecture, is one thing that made this trip to London amazing.

Knowledge

40 Books and Counting: Guess How Much Space All These Books Took up on our Voyage Home? By Ariel Heim

7. Bette & Joan 8. Hannah Green and her Unfeasibly Mundane Life

21. Chronicles of Narnia

9. The Hatred of Potter

22. Picasso My Grandfather

10. Queen Elizabeth: An Essay on Insecurity

23. The Yellow House

11. Van Gogh’s Ear 1. 30 Second Anatomy: The 50 Most Important Structures and Systems in the Human Body, Each Explained in Half a Minute

20. Harry Potter and The Prisoner of Azkaban

12. Bridget Jones’s Diary

24. Dear Reader 25. Piecing Me Together

13. Can You Solve My Problems

26. What Ever Happened to Interracial Love?

14. Children of Time

27. Lies We Tell Ourselves

15. The Universe Next Door

28. Home Going

16. For The Winter

29. Stay with Me

4. The Essential Fan Guide to RuPaul’s Drag Race

17. The Sherlock Holmes School of Self-Defense: The Manly Art of Bartitsu

30. Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine

5. Elizabeth I

18. Ready Player One

6. Dark Matter and Dinosaurs

19. Books That Changed History

2. When Breath Becomes Air 3. The Gene

31. Emma 32. Wuthering Heights 33. The Miniaturist 34. Every Light in The House is Burning 35. How to Stop Time 36. Ivy & Abe 37. They Can’t Kill Us All 38. River 39. Culture 40. Gender Medicine

There’s a Street with Just Bookstores on It: A letter to the Readers of the 21st Edition of the London Review By Ariel Heim Dear Reader, I don’t know you, your major, your genre preference, or your astrological sign. But I do know that on Cecil Ct., a street just off Charing Cross Road and down the street from Trafalgar Square, lives a haven only known to the faithful reader, a sanctuary of literary escapades, a street with just books on it. This street has not only stores that have mainstream new bestsellers, but also hard to find first editions, bookstores my student salary doesn’t allow me to dream of buying, and interesting enough a bookstore with just music books (which includes sheets from original performances.) So, for all you English majors or just lovers of literature, I found our new bookish home, and she welcomes us with open arms. May I always live to serve you and your Literary Needs, Ariel Heim

London Review 2018

Dos and Don’ts of Taking Care of Your Sick Roommate in London By Taylor Dinkel

1. Do run around the hotel looking for someone who has Pepto Bismol or Tums Don’t annoy all other guests in the hotel by running around asking for Pepto Bismol or Tums 2. Do inform Mary about your roommate’s illness Don’t violate rule #2 when doing this 3. Do go to Boots drugstore to look for medicine Don’t ask for Tums—no one knows what that is 4. Do go to Waitrose to get ginger ale Don’t go to Waitrose to get ginger ale and buy ginger beer instead (they aren’t the same thing) 5. Do help clean up after your sick roommate Don’t accidentally lock yourself out of your bathroom

6. Do go to the lobby to get a glass of water for your roommate Don’t spill the water on your way up the stairs 7. Do quietly enter and exit the room Don’t accidently forget your room key causing your sick, sleeping roommate to get out of bed to let you into the room 8. Do calmly inform your classmates of your roommate’s health status every five minutes Don’t get impatient when your classmates ask about the status of your roommate’s health every five minutes

9. Do allow the room temperature to be a little colder than preferred to aide your roommate’s fever Don’t be a thermostat hog in any case, whether your roommate is sick or not And most importantly… 10. Do be as helpful as possible! You’ve had a great time in London. Not even a little sickness can ruin that and you shouldn’t let it ruin your roommate’s trip either! Don’t neglect your roommate’s health. You know your roommate would do the same for you!

Who Is Kit?

By Reagan Tinney That question is one someone and I asked to ourselves and in the group chat that Kit himself was in. He is a man who got lost twice, once with a jug of Pimm’s in the hotel lobby and again while at a club without his phone. He is a man who wasn’t a part of the group but was at the same time, which was very confusing at times. He is a man who randomly sings loudly in the basement of a pizza restaurant. He is a man whose real name is Christopher but for some reason calls himself “Kit.” He is a man who walked most of London alone but was still present in our activities.

Knowledge

Kansans at the Science Museum By Vince Munoz

Walking into the Science Museum, I had no expectations. Truthfully, I didn’t even know it existed until another London Reviewer brought it to my attention. So, I was pleasantly surprised not only by the multitude of topics— ranging from space exploration to quantum computers and antibiotic resistant microbes, but also, by something close to home: an exhibit featuring two Kansans. While both Kansans were discussed in the same exhibit on the Information Age, they come from vastly different eras. The first was Almon Strowger. Born in 1839, Strowger became a Kansan by choice when he moved to the eastern part of the state shortly after the Civil War. As a successful funeral undertaker, Strowger had a comfortable life following a volatile time in our nation’s history. This changed when he noticed a dramatic drop in business after a new undertaker moved to town. Unconvinced that a competitor without a reputation could cause the decline, Strowger soon discovered the undertaker’s wife was a telephone operator. She directed new clients to her husband even when they asked for Strowger’s business. Rather than accept defeat and move, Strowger directed his focus to solving the problem. He created an automatic selector switch that didn’t require a human operator, and after his patent was approved in 1891, Strowger left the funeral industry to monetize his invention. The second Kansan is much more contemporary. Currently an Adjunct Professor here at the University of Kansas, Brian McClendon is depicted in section aptly titled: “the world from your desktop.” In 2001, Keyhole, a company cofounded by McClendon, debuted a program that combined photographic and geospatial data to produce a 3-dimensional, digital-globe. After a demonstration on CNN, Google bought

London Review 2018

Keyhole and hired McClendon to continue his work. After a decade at Google, McClendon spent two years at Uber, and since returning to Kansas has announced his candidacy for Secretary of State. Strowger and McClendon’s places in the Science Museum are clearly

well deserved. Whether in communications or information, both men made the world a little smaller. Increasing interconnectedness is a defining trend throughout all of human history. Our state is lucky to have two individuals who have contributed to it.

Squirrels of London: A Guide to Coaxing and Befriending By Ryan Dickey

London: a bustling city with heavy foot traffic and tourism. A city with 47% green space, one of the highest percentages for large cities around the world. A place where looking stupid will typically only earn you a furrowed brow and the occasional “hmph.” These all add up to the perfect storm: a population of almost tame squirrels that will happily succumb to any treat you may have to offer. This guide shall inform you on how to enhance your visit to London with exciting squirrel-feeding experiences. Pick Your Poison Before you feed a squirrel, you’ll need to have squirrel food on hand. Though much of their diet is composed of tree nuts and seeds, squirrels are actually omnivorous. It’s not uncommon for squirrels to munch on flowers, mushrooms, insects, frogs, small mammals (hopefully not other squirrels), and even baby birds. However, I found that a small package of cashews was the easiest to carry around, as I didn’t have to worry about nuts making too much of a mess in my pocket, or radiating an unpleasant smell. Nearly every meat people eat would be too processed or unnatural for a squirrel’s diet anyway. If you’re looking to keep your squirrels lean and mean, the healthiest option would be to pick up natural, unshelled nuts in parks or forests. In a city as large and busy as London, this is not usually the most feasible option. If you’re content to keep your squirrels fat and happy, small amounts of corn, non-citrus fruits, hazelnuts, roasted peanuts, pecans, and walnuts are all crowd-pleasers in the squirrel world. Do NOT feed them bread, junk food, raw peanuts, or pistachios. Despite what the section header suggests, we are not looking to poison squirrels. Leaving a swath of squirrel corpses in your wake may cause an in-

ternational incident, something Mary prefers to avoid. Location, Location, Location London is a massive city with countless parks. Though I’m sure there are plenty of other fine locations, the following are parks close to our hotel and in a good location that I visited during our trip. Hyde Park: 7/10 NE corner was the first place I fed squirrels. Located near some nice shopping, Marble Arch, and the Albert Memorial. Closest to the hotel. Large portions of the park were very open and flat, but not very pretty. Squirrels here were very willing to climb up legs. Green Park: 3/10 Pretty walking path, but not a single squirrel spotted. I only explored the one path, so there could be squirrels hiding deeper in the park. As far as I’m concerned, only useful as a passage to St. James’s Park or Hyde Park. St James’s Park: 8.5/10 Right by Buckingham Palace. Lovely riverwalk with interesting bird species. Plenty of pretty foliage. Points off because it’s a much busier park, and squirrels were more timid when it came to climbing legs.

Squirrel, Hyde Park

Approaching the Wild Eastern Gray Squirrel Once you have chosen your food and location, you’re ready to mobilize. The best way to find squirrels to feed is to simply walk along paths with plenty of trees and dense vegetation nearby. They tend to hang around the heavier traveled paths, as they’re more likely to squeeze food out of suckers like us on these paths. Once you find a squirrel, feeding it is fairly easy. My favorite tactic to reel in these fuzzy critters is the tried and true: “Toss and Shake.” The first step is to toss a piece of food near the squirrel, hopefully close enough that the squirrel can see and eat it before some nasty ten pound pigeon swoops in. Once it’s finished with the piece you just threw, grab its attention by holding up another piece and giving it a good shake. The squirrel at this point is hooked, it’ll now make a

St. James’s Park

Knowledge

bouncy beeline for you, and the battle is nearly won. Once the squirrel reaches you, bend down slowly, and hold out a piece of food with the very tips of your fingers. Most of the time, the squirrel will slowly approach, gingerly take the piece from your hand, and dash a few feet away to gulp it down. If the squirrel is reluctant to approach, repeat the “Toss and Shake” as necessary. Now, once the squirrel gets more comfortable, on return trips to your hand, it may place its little squirrel paws on your hand as it takes the

Oh, Sweet London! By Valentina Rivera

Got a sweet tooth? Don’t worry, you can admit it. I won’t judge because I do, too (I heard people with a sweet tooth are the sweetest kind of people, by the way). Let me start off by saying that London is no place to diet. Between all the wonderful chips in fish, delightful Indian cuisine, crunchy fresh vegetable and fruit, and all the warm baked bread you could ever need, it’s impossible to not let your inner foodie shine through. However, there is one kind of food that is ESPECIALLY a must while venturing through food markets and dwindling by bakeries, and that is sweets. One bite and the average sweet-tooth foodie is bound to feel at home, sweet home. Here is a list of MUST HAVES: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15.

food from your hand. If you’re feeling particularly bold, and your squirrel seems willing, you’re ready for what I like to call the “Ol’ Alabama Man Tree.” Place your foot on the ground with the toes pointed toward the squirrel, hold a piece of food near your thigh, and give it a little wiggle. If you are successful, a bolder squirrel will climb right up your leg to snatch up the food. Though fairly alarming at first, the Ol’ Alabama Man Tree is the most rewarding possible result of feeding squirrels, short of one following you home. If you can master this move, which anyone can with enough patience, there is no more this guide can teach you. You can now pat yourself on the back, knowing you’ve had a better day than most people do lives.

London Review 2018

Warm, Buttery, and Flaky Chocolate Filled Croissants. Macaroons Macarons (they are two different things, do your research) Fudge A Fruity Crepe A Nutella Filled Crepe Gelato, Gelato, and more Gelato Chocolate Fondue Almond Croissants Ben’s Cookies Kinder Chocolate Bars Fruit Pie Lemon Tarts Tiramisu Mini Cakes

Heaven is Real, and Its Name is Blackwell By Jeffrey Birch

It was the London Review’s day in Oxford, and we were just starting our walk around the various campuses. We made a quick stop for bathrooms and central heating after a long bus ride. While we were waiting for everyone to get back, Mary pointed down the street at a building with a blue awning. “If anyone likes books, go into that store, and try not to hyperventilate,” she said. Interesting, I thought. I like books, but there was a lot to do in Oxford, and I can walk into a Barnes

and Noble at home. I squared Mary’s suggestion away just in case. Fast forward to around three o’clock: I’ve had a tour of the college, went to the Eagle and Child, seen enough Oxford merchandise to clothe every student twice over, and gotten an incredible view of the town from St. Mary’s church. A group was going to tour the great hall from Harry Potter, but I didn’t want to spend the money. I’d run out of tourist things to

do. Mary’s suggestion came back to me, and I decided to check out the blue bookstore, Blackwell’s. I walked in and was confronted with what I had expected: Books, lots of books. The store was tightly packed, with shelves covering every vertical surface. It wasn’t big, but they had fit quite a selection into the small space. My initial mission was to find a bathroom, so I walked to the back of the store. It went quite a ways back I realized, and mentally adjusted my idea of its size to something closer to a Barnes and Noble. Failing to find the “loo,” I went down a flight of stairs. The picture above is what I saw. Books from wall to wall, the basement was both wide and deep, with three levels going down to the center of the large open space. I stood there stunned, awed by the sheer scope of this building. Standing there in shock, a worker asked me if I needed any help. I stuttered out that I needed the restroom. “Oh, it’s at the very top, on the fourth floor.” Four floors? There were three more floors of this? It turns out that Blackwell’s has an incredible selection, from rare books, paperback, school textbooks, to young adult fiction, and everything in between. The store itself had three

floors of books, plus the basement, although the basement could’ve been at least two floors by itself. They even have their own coffee shop on the third floor. They were also having a sale. In the course of avoiding spending money, I dropped nearly fifty dollars on books in Oxford. So if you follow your book loving dreams, know that you’ll end up in Blackwell’s.

Answer Key 1→a 2→b 3→b 4→b 5→b 6→a

Knowledge

Behold

By Sarah Anderson The Tate Modern is situated across the Millennial Bridge from an area of London reminiscent of downtown St. Louis. On that side of the Thames, buildings are square or triangular and made of glass and steel. There are large signs and odd bits of art scattered around streets that weave under beautifully graffitied walk ways. It is odd to me that the Tate doesn’t exist on this side of the river. Instead, it is next to the Globe Theatre and in an area that is unmistakably London. The old pyramidshaped power station the gallery lives in sticks up out of narrow streets lined with vines and plants. The smells of Borough Market are carried up along the river, and it is absolutely nothing like St. Louis. This mismatch is perfect for a gallery like the Tate. The whole concept of housing an art gallery in a power station thrives on contradiction. Big, bold, and creating its own standards for art and beauty, the Tate rejects the norms of the side of the Thames it sits on and of the social worlds outside of its walls. Yet, it is an essential piece of London and one of the most loved and visited buildings in the city. Walking through the galleries, I felt both the conflict and the love of the Tate most inside Behold. I don’t think that I had ever been inside a work of art before walking through Sheela Gowda’s piece. Behold is constructed from 4,000 feet of rope woven from human hair and tied around twenty chrome car bumpers, and it literally takes its shape from the space it is housed in. Moving through the room, Behold surrounded me. I

stepped around it and looked up at the long pieces of finely splitting rope while the chrome reflected light into my eyes. It made me uncomfortable to be in, but I couldn’t pull away. I stayed for a long while in that discomfort and followed the sloping hair-rope around the walls and over the shining pieces of metal it held suspended. Behold is a reflection and a rumination on the place of custom and superstition in the modern world. Its creator was inspired by the motorist tradition in Bangalore of tying woven hair to car bumpers for safety. The piece considers this practice and the contrasting uses of hair in commercially sold and industrially used products like wigs and keratin. It asks

how and if we incorporate traditional belief systems into everyday modern practices. The flexible rope fills the space it is in, but solid pieces of metal remain unchanging, a reversal of the traditions stubbornly standing in the ever-changing modern world. Like the Tate itself, the piece works to define its own message and way of presenting that message. It contradicts itself, and it rejects the notions that traditional ways cannot exist simultaneously with modern ones. As the gallery stands tall in a matrix of cobblestone and narrow allies, Behold weaves together old and new, traditional and contemporary into a stunning and self-defining expression of beauty and questioning of value.

Souvenirs

By Erin Woods I’m not so good at souvenir shopping. I set out to buy something for parents, step-parents, grandparents, best friends, professors, mentors, advisors, perhaps something for myself if I had the time and money. Realistically, I failed terribly in my goal. Even though I didn’t buy much for myself, I certainly bought more than I should have, and I only made it home with two postcards, a pair of earrings (which I promptly lost), a pair of socks, and a jar of jam as gifts for three people out of my approximately ten to twelve expected recipients. That being said, I’m not mad I spent too much money on an espresso cup I’ll probably never used just because it was designed by a contemporary artist I kind of like. I should feel guilt, but I don’t.

London Review 2018

Coffee, Sugar, and Rubber

By Sarah Anderson The sign at the Oxford Botanic Garden read, “Current Exhibit: Plants that Changed the World.” My biologist curiosity and the light drizzle I was getting acquainted with outside, pulled me into the ticket office. I paid my student discount fee, took a map, and stepped through the back door into the garden. Even in the muted light of the bleak afternoon, it was picturesque. Crisp lines of green grass bordered square plots of neatly labeled plants, and a gravel path followed a line of sycamores towards an open iron gate. There were several older couples walking arm in arm with umbrellas as if paid by the Garden to add another level of perfection to the scene. Unlike the well-prepared couples, I was umbrella-less and whipped by the cold, so I sought refuge in the green houses. Upon entering, I was assaulted by a wall of steam and several rogue branches growing just enough in the doorway to smack unsuspecting visitors. Despite this, it was relief to be inside and in a world that I thought I could understand. As someone who studies bees and other pollinating insects, the realm of plants seemed accessible to me, something that would be familiar and comforting. I began my journey through the maze of plants in Palm Haus, and the nerd within took over the controls in my brain trying to remember scientific names and orders of plants or their place of origin before looking at information signs. Needless to say, I already had some prior knowledge of many of the plants and their histories. All of this was only exacerbated by my excitement and approval that coffee, sugar cane, and rubber were all rightly included as part of the “Plants that Changed the World” exhibit. As I read the Did You Know signs posted near each, I noticed something the exhibit left off of its signs outside and what visitors less inclined to enter the green houses and be blasted by steam might not have noticed. All of the fo-

cal plants in the exhibit were tropical. Meaning, none of them were native to the United Kingdom, the United States, or most of the other countries that consume them at the highest rates. According to the Did You Know on coffee, it is a “revolutionary global drug” hailing from the mountains of southwest Ethiopia. As any self-respecting plant enthusiast would, I did some Google searching to find that the country producing the most coffee today is an ocean away from Ethiopia in Brazil. Even more bizarre, the country consuming the most coffee per capita is Finland, which is in perhaps the most climatically opposite region of the world to the tree’s native habitat. I was still pondering this when I came upon the sugar cane. I was both pleasantly surprised by the honesty and completely frustrated by the cheeky British humor that aptly stated, “The history of sugarcane is the history of slavery in South American and the Caribbean. Sugar not only killed its producers, it kills its consumers, albeit sweetly and silently with type-2 diabetes.” My chest filled with the mixed emotions of joy and disappointment. Joy, that some botanist somewhere in the world wrote that sign to attempt discussing the very complicated history of a plant. Disappointment, that the “history” of sugar cane the sign spoke was referred to as “history” at all and that the author so callously compared the death of enslaved peoples to suffering from type2 diabetes. In reality, the legacy of sugar cane production lives through the people transplanted centuries ago to produce it and through the environment not suited for it that is still being depleted by the plant’s growth today. The narrative is the same for rubber. Brought from South America to Africa, rubber plantations share a history with slavery in countries like Kenya that are still handling the social and environmental ramifications of

its mass production. Neither of these points was put in the exhibit, and had I not already understood much about the journeys of these plants through time, I worry that I wouldn’t have gained more than a surface-level inclination to how complex their places in the world have been and still are. That feeling of dissatisfaction was still mixed with joy. I hadn’t thought that a botanic garden would even slightly push its patrons to think critically about anything other than which color-morph of rose might be prettier. I also felt a surge of pride that some fellow scientist who wrote the sign on sugar cane was trying, however insensitively, to use their expertise to get people discussing something they had probably never considered. As I explored this tiny, tropical oasis in Ox-

ford, England, I was made to contemplate these “Plants that Changed the World,” and I was pressed to wonder how things could have been different or could still someday become different without the perpetual use of such plants globally. Because my morning is coffee, my tires are rubber, and nearly every processed food available in the United States contains either sugar or some substance designed to imitate it, I was also left considering what I would need to change to eliminate my place in the “histories” of coffee, sugar, and rubber.

Knowledge

Living Literature By Chandler Boese

There aren’t many things that I came into this trip absolutely set on seeing. I love cities in general and wanted to go abroad for the first time, but there weren’t many landmarks in London that I felt like my life would be incomplete without seeing. But there was one goal I had: be in spaces of literary greatness. The United Kingdom is the birthplace of modern English literature, and, as a diehard English major, I was set on experiencing as much of that legacy as I could. Shakespeare’s Globe, the graves of as many famous authors as possible, The Eagle and the Child were all ways I thought I might get to experience a little bit of the literary history that the U.K. offered. So these landmarks were some of the few things I prioritized in my trip to London. And I’m so glad I did. Not only did I see the (restored) site where many of Shakespeare’s plays were performed, I saw a few pages of his original manuscripts in the British Library. Not only did I get to see the resting site of Henry James, one of my favorite authors to study, I saw the graves of Lewis Carroll, Richard Kipling, Geoffrey Chaucer, and more. Even if I hadn’t seen sites like these, being in London, the setting from which so much literature sprung, would have been cool. But, for me, being able to see specific sites like the British Library and the Poet’s Cor-

London Review 2018

ner at Westminster was more than a novelty, more than simply being able to say “I was here.” By seeing the sites that these icons had frequented, the sites that they chose for their final resting places and the sites at which mastery are preserved, I felt like I understood these artists and their work in new ways. As our tour guide at the Globe said, you haven’t really seen Shakespeare plays performed until you’ve seen them at the Globe. She talked about the way that the theater’s setup, performance, location, history, and Westminster does not allow photos to be taken, more all affected the but I was not going to miss Henry James’ grave. way that The Bard crafted his plays. When I read Shakespeare plays, I do make an effort ster is a monument to organized relito think about how they would come gion and the brutal but rich history of across in the theater, but I’ve never England (I mean, Bloody Mary and Eliztried to contextualize them in a spe- abeth I are buried in the same room, cific theater, so that adds an entire with a note saying that they have other dimension to the way these peace in the afterlife). To understand great works of literary achievement that authors like Carroll and James had felt so drawn to this as their final restcan be read. I had a similar experience in West- ing place will lead me to think more minster, seeing where all of these in- about how they interact with these credible authors had chosen to be bur- legacies, next time I read their ficied. It added whole new dimensions to tion. This is especially true for James, my understanding of them. Westmin- given that I enjoy him as an author and know more about him, as he was born in America. Though I knew that he’d largely relocated to England as a result, it’s an entirely different thing to realize that this country’s culture had meant so much to him that he wanted to be buried in Westminster. All throughout this trip, I had realizations of this type as I explored London, its history and its landmarks. Though it will never be possible for me to fully understand the culture from which so much influential literature sprung, getting a taste of some of the most important literary sites in such an influential city allowed me to begin to grasp that culture and contextualize literature in a way beyond what a book or academic research can provide.

How to Bargain Like an Indian (in London) By Priyanka Radadiya

1. Showing Interest 1. First walk through the area in a very nonchalant manner. When you find something you like, slowly make your way towards it, pick it up, and examine it. The next step is crucial, you must show a little bit of uncertainty in your appraisal as if it's sub-par and not really worth your time. If you show too much interest the vendor will immediately pick up on it and the price will automatically increase by 15-20% (if you’re lucky).

4. Stalemate 1. When the vendor does not want to budge, don’t panic. Thank them while letting them know that it is fine if you do no purchase it here. Tell them there are other places you saw the same object or if not then you will be able to find it somewhere else. Next, walk away. I know this may seem crazy, but they will follow you. They will stop you by call-

ing to you with either your asking price or something very similar. Just remember two things: 1. even though you just won the game, don’t smile too big, and 2. don’t feel pressured into buying the item if you no longer want it. 5. Have Fun 1. Remember to have fun! Joke around a little bit with the vendor and break the tension.

2. Asking the Price 1. Whenever possible, avoid approaching the vendor, let them come to you. Then, before they have a chance to tell you the price, you tell them yours: “Can I give you (x amount) for this?” (this was actually a skill I picked up from Rachel). This has to be done carefully. You must know what the general prices around the market are before you call for a price that is higher than the asking price. If you do not know this information, then it would be safer to just ask them how much the item costs. 3. The Bargaining 1. If they give you a very high number, you could respond by saying that you only have so much on you. This does not necessarily have to be true, but it puts a cap on the ridiculously high prices. Then, you start the bargain by picking a price and staying firm to it. Be confident with your price and let them be the first to make the move down. If they do not lower the price after a minute or so, (remember, time is money as well and you don’t want to spend too much of it) take a deep breath, hold it in with slight resignation, and then take your asking price slightly up. Keep working at the price remembering to exude confidence.

Knowledge

London Review 2018

Heart

London Review 2018

Everybody is a Little Bit Gay in London By Chance Maginness

“Remember, everybody is a little bit gay in London.” Those were the last words my roommate said to me when I left for the airport on Friday. As with most of her off-hand comments, I laughed it off, grabbed my suitcases and headed out the door. I didn’t think much about what she said, although I had thought some about what London would be like for someone who’s gay, but I didn’t expect much. I knew London had some of the world’s best gay clubs, and I knew that Europe in general was a more accepting place than America. However, given my interactions with American cities that were more gay-friendly, I thought that tolerance could only go so far. So needless to say, London surprised me in all the best ways. London was by far the most accepting, welcoming city I have ever been to. Growing up in the Midwest, I’m used to people’s eyes pausing

on me as I gesticulate wildly, sashay down a sidewalk, or even stand. It becomes a part of your normal to just know that people notice you when you enter a room, and I don’t usually mean notice in a good way (although

I’ll take any attention I can get). London was never like that though. In London, people either didn’t bat an eye at the way I presented myself, or actively encouraged it. And I don’t mean that in the sense that someone said “be more gay” (not possible), but just in the sense that you could feel people encouraging you to be who you were with the way they responded to you. Some of that, I think, is due to the large population of gay people in London. The gays are quite literally everywhere in London. Everywhere I went in the city I saw gay people, and not just gay people but gay people embracing their truest selves. There’s something incredibly encouraging about that. In fact, even when we went out to gay clubs, their seemed to be a real sense of gay community. In America, gay clubs feel like exclusive places. You have to have the perfect body, the perfect skin, just the right hair style, and just the right dance moves, otherwise you’re not allowed to enter the echelons of the Chosen Gays. In London, there was no one type of gay that you had to be to be accepted. The clubs were just places for all types of people to have fun, to be who they are, and to be around people that were like them. However, I’d be remiss to not also mention the non-Londoners who made London feel like a special place. It’s not often that you are able to go on a trip with people who not only accept you, but support you and encourage you to be who you are. The other people who came along for the ride

in London made the trip all that much more invigorating, because they allowed me to breathe and be myself in the most authentic ways. (To those of you reading this, thank you for that). I don’t often like using the word “authentic” in a serious manner, because it feels anything but. Yet, London, its people, and the people on the trip with me allowed me to be truly authentic. As I lived and breathed in the city, the city breathed life back into me. I felt that I could be who I was, without having to state that I was being who I was. I was able to be, and just be without boundary or limitation. So, while everyone in London may or may not be a little gay, I guarantee you that I definitely was, and more than a little. (Honorable Mention: This didn’t really fit with the story, but I’d like to give a special shoutout to Gay’s the Word, the all LGBT+ bookstore where I bought three copies of The Official Fan Guide to RuPaul’s Drag Race. Also, a participating trophy to KU – the gay bar in London that was lukewarm at best.)

Heart

Happiness in a Pint By Matt Dwyer

People say that happiness cannot be bought. But beer can be bought. So happiness can be bought. The beauty of beer is simple. The variety of beers that are available and the pairings they can be combined with are second to none. Whether it be with pizza, fish and chips, ramen, or nothing at all, a pint goes with anything and everything. Now it is time to follow the sign’s directions since nobody wants to risk going away from beer if there might be a bear in the other direction. Honey Dew: Honey Dew beer is brewed by Fuller’s in London right next to the Thames. It is a golden ale that is the United Kingdom’s best-selling organic beer. It, not surprisingly, has a honey taste to it that is sneakily sweet as well. I got to experience it paired with the dough balls and pizza of Pizza Express and it did not disappoint. The amazing taste of it led me to get beers the rest of the trip that are only brewed in Europe. Phrase to describe the beer: Golden ray of sunshine Kansho: Kansho is a beer specially produced by Meantime Brewing in partnership with Wagamama that is offered at all their restaurants. The beer was created by the Wagamama’s head chef with Meantime’s brewmaster, pairing two great minds into creating one great bottle. The Kansho is a ginger and lime pale ale that is surprising at first in how zingy it tastes. It pairs perfectly with the noodles offered at Wagam a m a t h a t cannot go wrong. Phrase to describe the beer: Slightly sweet, slightly sour, more than slightly perfect Guinness Draught: Guinness Draught is the famous beer pro70

London Review 2018

duced by Guinness. Very dark, rich, and creamy, the beer has become iconic all over the world. Guinness is known for the head of the beer that offers a smooth finish with every sip that combines the flavors perfectly. Now this is not the first time I had Guinness nor will it be my last. But having pints of Guinness in a pub at Oxford talking for hours with friends is an experience everyone should have. Phrase to describe the beer: Rich, velvety heaven Indy Lager: The beer that I had 5 minutes after seeing the sign that saved me from possible bears. Indy Lager is brewed by Fourpure Brewing in London that I stumbled across at 10am in the morning in a market. Refreshing and easy to drink, this lager is everything you can ask for. “Inspired by Adventure” is their slogan and needless to say, an adventure led to this great beer. Phrase to describe the beer: Time to adventure to the fridge for another of these Amstel Lager: Amstel Lager is a beer brewed by Heineken in the Netherlands. It is a nice pale golden that is so simple in taste, it is great. There is no fancy sweetness or special ingredients in this lager but just some light citrus to add some flavor. The lager is a perfect beer to enjoy at a sporting event such as a rugby match where I enjoyed it. Simple and basic yet perfect in its own way, you cannot go wrong with one of these the next time you are out and about. Phrase to describe the beer: Proudly supported by sporting fans

Bitter and Twisted: A golden ale brewed by Harvieston Brewery, is a blonde beer that has a nice lemony finish. It is a mix of sweet yet bitter that comes with a nice fruity smell. The caramel malt helps the sweetness that makes it a great pair with fish and chips. Even with a low alcohol content, it is a great beer to enjoy at dinner with some friends. Phrase to describe the beer: No twisting of my arm needed to order another

Kinky Boots

By Mallory Lanier I grew up in a family that recognized art was interesting; however, whenever we traveled to a new city our plans revolved around attending the nearest MLB, NFL, NBA or NCAA event. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge sports fan, but I found myself falling in love with the many museums and shows London had to offer. So, when I heard others deciding to attend the show Kinky Boots I was excited to join. I went into the show with no prior knowledge of the topic, except that I knew drag queens were involved which I was interested to see because I thought it would be a fun, new experience for me. I grew up in a rural area of South Dakota and was surrounding mostly by conservative members in my community. As a junior at KU, I have already been exposed to many exciting, empowering, and encouraging experiences that would be uncommon in my small town. The next great experience London had to offer for me was the show Kinky Boots. I was amazed by the talent I saw and loved the content of the

musical as well. A very brief summary of the show as follows: a young man, Charlie, takes over his fathers failing shoe business. After accidentally running into a drag queen (Lola) on the street, Charlie befriends her and together they decide to save the shoe business by making heels meant specifically for drag queens. There is conflict between the other shop workers about this decision and both Charlie and Lola must overcome internal struggles. One song “Not My Father’s Son” made an impact on me and I felt myself tear up while the actor who played Lola sang. I imagined how the feeling of isolation from one’s own family would be so heartbreaking and I had a difficult time keeping in control of my emotions during it. The central message I interpreted from Kinky Boots was to accept people for who they are without question and judgement. Kinky Boots had a great meaning to send with the audience and I have since reflected on how the message of this show is so different from the conversations that surrounded my small town. During my time in London, I found myself wishing for the day when I can move to a big city and immerse myself in new forms of art

and new experiences. Since I still have a year of undergrad and (hopefully) four more years of medical school to follow, I know it will be a long time before I have the opportunity to live somewhere like London. Therefore, during my life in the midwest I want to always remember that there are experiences others have which may be different from my own and it is so, so important to use any opportunity available to learn more about them and encourage others to do the same.

Heart

Making Friends By Rachel England

I had been to London before. The summer of 2014, I went with my family: my mom, dad, and brother. We had spent a week in Paris, and then a week in London. I realized when I compared the two trips, and when I went off on my own this spring break, that no matter how amazing an experience is, it’s always better if you have someone to share it with. I was very proud of myself for going off on my own in the big city. The first time I did was to take the tube back to Trafalgar square to get my cell phone from when I lost it in the Mary Stewart theatre. It was night time, and I was led around to a shady, dark, secluded alley by the actually very nice stage guy to the lost and found. It was great, and I felt so powerful! After that I went on many solo adventures to the National Gallery, Tate Modern, Hyde Park, and so on. But although I was proud and confident – and I don’t regret anything – those were probably the most unremarkable parts of my trip. When I had come to London the first time, I was a preteen and my family did everything together. If you go off on your own, you have no one to talk to. You can’t point out something you see, or talk about what they saw that they liked. It’s hard to tease about things and laugh when you’re on your own. It’s peaceful and thoughtful, but overall not too invigorating. Some of the most remarkable parts of my trip were, surprisingly, the commute rides. I learned a lot about politics, governments, social changes, social issues, and how to change the world on the bus ride to Oxford. I also listened to stories about meeting boyfriends and growing up in a religious family. On the way home from Oxford, I learned about how sign language can save lives, and how honesty and bravery is important. I learned about going to a performing arts high school, and I got to make a friend that I could work with back in Lawrence. On the tube I listened to stories about adoption and puppy dogs. Dinners and lunches were filled with stories like totaling your car and bad exes. I learned just 72

London Review 2018

as much about the people I was with and our lives back home as I learned about London. Late night talks, exchanging clothes for dress-up days, dancing under strobe lights. None of it would have been the same if it hadn’t been

for the people I was with. College has definitely made me believe that sharing happiness with other people is the truest form of success. I’m so grateful that I got to share everything on this trip with friends, and that they were kind enough to share with me.

My Lizzie McGuire Moment By Erin Woods

I had a four-day romance in London. There. I said it. After the first day, which both Ariel and Sarah S. insisted was actually three dates rolled into a four-hour period, I thought to myself how angry my dad would be, as his one request any time I travel abroad is to “please don’t fall in love and never come home.” Now obviously I didn’t fall in love in London, even if I did meet an English actor and photographer who accompanied me to the British Museum and National Gallery. But I would be remiss to say it wasn’t something that completely swept me off my feet. Nicholas Sparks couldn’t have written my meet-cute. I walked into the exhibition space at the British Library and saw a very tall, very attractive, long-haired man look up from the book I had been hoping to look at. When he made eye contact with me, my first feeling was annoyance that he wouldn’t move so I could see whatever it was he was looking at, even though I had no clue what it was. But he smiled at me awkwardly, and I smiled awkwardly back, and what did I have if it wasn’t time to look at books? But then this kept happening. Time and time again I would round a corner to a display case and see the same purple glasses and shoulder length hair look up at me, and every time both of us laughing just a bit harder that this was our luck, that I had all the musical scores, copies of Shakespeare, and manuscripts of Beowulf laying out in the dim light of my own personal heaven, and I could not stop seeking out exactly what this stranger was looking at while he was looking at it. What was left but to strike up a conversation? And what better ice breaker than him asking me if I knew the location of Magna Carta? Of course I was two years past the most suave start to a conversation starter ever. Magna Carta had moved since I’d been there first two years ago, but lucky for both of us, a

sign in big letters spelled out “MAGNA CARTA” just to our right, so we both mosied on over to take a peek. If I’m being honest, I don’t wholly remember much about Magna Carta. I know I read the placards, and I looked at the document rather closely in fascination that it has held up so long, but I mostly remember even these as conversation topics between me and the stranger, who finally introduced himself as James. After running into each other constantly, we exchanged pleasantries and talked about what brought us each here today (for me, a few thousand dollars and three credit hours to celebrate getting a degree, and for him, a day off and living a short bus ride away). When a tour group came by and forced us to leave the room, I fully expected to go our separate ways and chalk it up to another pleasant encounter with a stranger in London. But then he asked me if I was looking for

anything specific, to which I replied I’d been hoping to see the Lindesfarne Gospels since I’d been studying them in a class I’d been taking. He pointed over his shoulder to perhaps the only part of the room I hadn’t yet explored and told me he’d been looking at it just before we began to talk, and did I want to see it? Obviously I said yes, so we meandered to our next stop. We lingered in front of the Lindisfarne Gospels for quite some time, talking first about the beautiful book itself which I knew just enough about to appear impressive, which took us to our respective fields of study (his being acting, mine being book history). After we were displaced by a different tour group trying to look at this very special book, I assumed once again that, more than likely, we would go our separate ways and I would be thankful for a nice encounter I could talk about in the lobby tonight. He

Heart

took me by surprise, though, and asked if I wanted to see the printing presses the British Library owned and displayed, since my field of study has to do so closely with printing. I told him I definitely wanted to see the printing presses, and we walked off to find the first, which was literally just around the corner. We looked at it, talked about it (it printed stamps, not books) and then got off topic yet again as we leaned against an unoccupied table and continued our conversation. We stood there for probably an hour before wandering the whole library in search of the second printing press, one that was much more familiar to me, and then we continued wandering the neighborhoods around King’s Cross Station. Part of me kept screaming out how strange this day was, how odd it was to meet someone while looking for medieval manuscripts, but the conversation only got easier as the day went on. In the slowly setting afternoon sun, I couldn’t say no when he asked me to a late lunch, even with a group dinner only hours away. Our waiter sat us in the front window of the restaurant at a table for four and I made sure to sit in the sunlight so my red hair would look brilliant, but I failed to account for how bad it would make me squint, and we wound up both laughing until the sun dipped behind a building and I could see him with my whole eyes again. We ate, we laughed, and we got shockingly personal for only having met hours before – I shared with him

Advice to Myself as I Look Back to London By Erin Woods

Buy the stupid (cool) jug you don’t know how you’ll use at the Tate Modern. Just buy it. Because it’s more expensive to ship it from Britain to the US than the actual thing costs and it’s embarrassing how much you’re going to think about that stupid jug and all the meals that would look that much more pretty with it on your table.

London Review 2018

that this specific day was the year anniversary of the funeral of a friend and he shared with me that he had lived a similar loss. We bonded over the feeling of being face to face with mortality that comes so specifically from death, and then we laughed at how slowly I ate. I had to leave at 4:15 to make it from my lunch to my group dinner in Leicester Square, so he walked me to the nearest tube station, which funny enough was named Angel. We exchanged contact information, the hope that we might see each other the next day, and watched each other until the window turned to wall and I descended to my train. The next morning, we agreed to meet at the British Museum. He told me later that he’d only planned on staying until two that afternoon before leaving to do some work at home, but the plan must have changed somewhere along the way because we spent the whole day together. From the British Museum, we walked the old Roman wall, then sought out the gallery where the remnants of a Roman amphitheater are housed. He acted as my tour guide, asking me after every stop where else I wanted to go, respecting my rather touristy impulses and humoring my desire to compare cultures, from serving sizes to shopping at the grocery store. Despite my touristy desires, my main goal for the whole trip was to just take in London, simply walk and enjoy. So after we finished our museum hopping, he happily joined me as we walked around St. Paul’s Cathedral, across the Millennium Bridge, and along the Thames. The conversation only ever got easier, especially as we began developing our own jokes that sound beyond ludicrous when I try to explain that one of them is simply coming up with more creative affirmations aside from the word “yeah.” Eventually he gestured toward a pier which I anxiously followed him onto, desperately aware of my own fear of bridges and bridge-like structures. The view from the pier calmed my fears – once again I found myself with this man as the sun began to set, this time over the river and behind the Shard. If the view took my breath

away, the moment he gently took my hand and kissed me on the same pier took away my ability to breathe. That night, he invited me to see Love’s Labours Lost at the Rose Theatre with his friend, and once again I found myself in awe of the actual location (overlooking the actual archeological dig of the Victorian Rose Theatre!!), of the show (absolutely beautiful and offering student prices), and the company I was with. We separated once again that evening, with the hope yet again that we would spend more time together. And that we did the next evening, for much less time that was no less special. We went to the National Gallery and held hands while viewing Monet (or was it Renoir?) and raced to see the painting we both loved and both believed was in a different museum. We walked through St. James’s park on our way to the National Theatre where he was filming that night and agreed that we would meet the next day, my last day, for whatever time we could find. That last day was very bittersweet. I met him once again at the Angel tube station and we walked along a canal he’d told me about the first day I met him after I’d asked what he likes to do as a local. We held hands the whole time and forgot to get anything to eat as we took in our last hours together. You’ll forgive me if I keep the rest of our moments for myself. We lost track of time, in fact, only realizing how much of the day had passed us by until it was ten minutes past the time he’d told me he had plans at. But then we needed our moment – we had to say goodbye. We held each other for how long I don’t really know before finally prying ourselves in our separate directions. Almost like that first day, we waved to each other until we could no longer see each other. We’re still in touch. We text each other countless affirmations that aren’t “yeah” most days, and even though it didn’t have a Nicholas Sparks ending, it was infinitely more meaningful to make a connection with him, against all odds, in the place that houses my academic passion. I’m thankful for having this story to tell.

The Forbidden Fruit By Ryan Dickey

Candy has always held a special place in my heart. For the entirety of my childhood, Halloween was my favorite holiday because I always ended the night with a pillowcase full of candy. A ten pound Hershey bar once caused one of the biggest fights I’ve ever had with my father. So, when I found out that there’s an English candy that is not sold in the US because it’s illegal here, I had to try it. I’m speaking, of course, about the Kinder Surprise egg. The Kinder Surprise is a hollow chocolate egg, made with a thin layer of milk choco-

late on the outside and another layer of white chocolate in the middle. The candy itself is nothing special, but what’s inside the egg: each egg contains a small yellow plastic capsule that has a small, unknown toy inside. Something about this combination of candy, toys, and gambling unlocks the inner child, making Kinder Surprise a delightful treat for all ages. You may be wondering why the US government would go to the trouble of banning this simple delight from domestic markets. People love candy and fun, so why make a neat little bundle of both illegal? The answer is found in the 1938 Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act, which outlaws the placement of “non-nutritive” objects inside of food. Though this regulation itself is perfectly reasonable, Kinder Surprises are plainly labeled as containing a choking hazard on both the box and the egg wrapper itself. In addition to the warnings, the toy container is so large that anyone would be unable to swallow it on purpose, unless they were a professional sword

swallower. Despite these arguments, Kinder Surprise and other variants are consistently embargoed from the US due to the big bad Mars Company lobbying the government (see the 1997 Nestlé case) whenever companies attempt introductions to US markets. Now, you may be thinking that you’ve definitely seen, or even had, a Kinder egg before in a US store. In early 2018, Kinder released their workaround to the embargo of Kinder Surprise eggs: the Kinder Joy. The Joy is still egg-shaped, but the egg is two plastic halves adhered together. One half holds the candy, and the other half holds the toy. Though this isn’t as much fun to eat, I’ve found the candy tastes better due to the added hazelnut. The pictures in this article are photos I took myself of Kinder Surprises that I smuggled through customs. “Smuggled” is a strong word here, as I put 7 eggs in one of my suitcases and checked the bag. Once we arrived at customs in Chicago, they asked me if I had anything to declare and I said candy. They asked me where I was coming from I told them

the UK. The lady rolled her eyes, then sent me through with my illicit chocolates. For me, it was that easy. However, I’d warn against trying to bring too many eggs in, as I’ve since read of customs confiscating eggs and fining the smuggler anywhere from $150 to $2500 per egg, an obscene price tag they justify by pontificating about the danger to children.

Whether you aspire to be a smalltime international smuggler, or just like chocolate, I’d highly recommend trying a Kinder Surprise while visiting London. If you want, treat it like a metaphor: the sweet shell is the excitement you expect from traveling abroad, and the surprise inside are the experiences you draw from the city of London. Or, just get one because you like chocolate and toys. Either way, it’s an experience you won’t regret having.

Shower

By Sarah Anderson Like many, I shower daily. This habit has led me to use hundreds of showers in many countries across four different continents. This makes me an expert in all things involving showers and showering. From this expert perspective, it is my duty and privilege to announce that I have found the highest quality shower in the world. This shower is in Room 121 at 41 Queen’s Gate Gardens, Kensington, London in the Strathmore Hotel. This well deserved award is given on the basis of perfect pressure and precise temperature control. Next year’s winner will be announced in late April.

Heart

Walt Disney Was Right By Erin Woods

The first Sunday we spent in London, I went to the Tate Modern. I’d missed out the first time I came, and it was perhaps the biggest item on my hit list for London Review aside from the British Library. So I scuttled away from our walking tour through the snow and wind, around St. Paul’s, across the Millennium Bridge, and into the power-plant-turned-museum. It was amazing. If I’m being honest, I still am every time I think about it. I saw a room that just had a Monet and a Rothko and felt my heart stop. The Tower of Babel was entirely mesmerizing. I had no idea where I was going or what I would see next, and that suited me just fine. Now art museums aren’t a place I traditionally think of when I think of talking to strangers. As an introvert, not many places really occur to me as a place I think of when I think of talking to strangers. But as I stood in the room with the exhibit which was simply canvases of Kim Jon Un in different color palates, a woman asked me to take her picture, and as strangers do when suddenly united, we chatted.

As it turns out, this woman was on the same flight as us from Newark to London. She was travelling with her kids while they were on Spring Break, and she informed me her daughter was looking at colleges. We spoke about how funny it was we’d been just rows away from each other, eating the same mediocre (but not altogether awful) pasta and selecting from a small number of in-flight movies for eight hours and we met for the first time the day after arriving in the Tate Modern. Her kids were embarrassed, as I would be if it were my mom. I told her daughter that it was really a much more special thing than she realized and that she shouldn’t be embarrassed when her mom requested that she take a photo of her and myself. After we got our picture, we exchanged the sentiment that this one encounter had absolutely made our day, and went in our own directions. I forgot to ask if she could send me the picture. We didn’t run into each other through the rest of my visit to the Tate Modern, though I lingered for several more hours. When I finally began my walk back to St. Paul’s tube station to return to the hotel, I couldn’t help but hum “It’s a Small World After All.”

Zodiac Signs By Erin Woods

A belated apology to all those on LR 2018 for my incessant probing into zodiac signs. But some take aways: • We had a lot of Leos on this trip • A good number of Geminis too, if I’m not mistaken • Ryan and Lauren are astrologically compatible • My stereotypical Taurus stubbornness was overpowered by my equally Taurus desire to do everything and do it in an abstractly “right” way • Interpersonal connections are what you make of them and have nothing to do with what sign you are and whether or not you’re compatible with another sign • I wish I would have gotten everyone’s moon signs • I’m still glad I asked

London Review 2018

Home Away from Home By Taylor Dinkel

There are so many things to see and do in London. I found that one of my favorite places in London was the Grange Strathmore Hotel’s lobby. Each night I looked forward to walking into the lobby, snuggling up by the heater, and chatting with everyone about their experience. The lobby, with its large window, fancy curtains, full bar, selection of cozy couches, and warm fireplace, became my home away from home. The faint smell of cigarette smoke, wine, and stale air brought back pleasant memories at my great-grandparent’s house. As the week progressed, the London Review group got to know each other better and the lobby became the group's hangout. Each night, students would wander their way into the lobby, and before long, the whole group had congregated in our unspoken meeting spot. One night, as we chatted with each other around the coffee table, someone pulled out a deck of cards. We sat around the table playing Egyptian Rat Slap for a good portion of the evening, laughing and enjoying each other’s company. Being gone during March Madness was tough, but we all managed to make our way to the lobby to watch the KU basketball team take on Clemson in the Sweet 16. That night we disrupted the peace in the usually quiet lobby to cheer the Hawks on to victory, even though it was well after 11p.m. London time. One night toward the end of our time together in London, Ryan announced to everyone that there would be “group cake” in the lobby at 8:45p.m. Only Ryan himself can answer why he wanted to buy a caterpillar shaped cake from Marks & Spencer to serve to our cohort in the hotel lobby. Nevertheless, it was a hit, and we gathered in the lobby to eat the caterpillar cake, talk about our adventures of the day, and make plans for the following day. Looking back now, the hotel lobby was not anything spectacular. It was just a quaint, cozy room. But, the group of London Reviewers gathering

each night to share exciting stories from the trip, to laugh with one another, and to discover commonalities made the lobby a special place. The lobby is where I formed friendships

with other students in the group. Those nights and those people are what I miss the most when I reflect on my week in London.

Watching the Jayhawks Abroad By Conner Winters

As a Kansas student and Jayhawks basketball fan, spring break means no school, as well as March Madness. When I looked at the dates for our trip and the days KU was scheduled to play, I was wondering if I’d be able to watch many of the games. Our first round game was the day before we left which meant I could watch between classes. I downloaded the March Madness app on my phone and connected it to my DirecTV account so I could watch the remaining rounds in London. What I didn’t know is that streaming subscriptions are not all valid in other countries. Some sites are “geo-blocked” when you go abroad. This meant I wouldn’t be able to watch the games on my laptop like I had hoped, and the TV’s in the hotel didn’t get the games either. Because of the time difference, most of the KU games were played in the middle of the night in London. Some of the pubs would show the games but that was pretty hit-or-miss. This meant that for the Round of 32, all I could do is check the Gamecast and cheer on the Jayhawks through score updates. Thankfully, for the Sweet Sixteen matchup against Clemson, another student downloaded a VPN to get around the geo-blocking. We were able to watch KU move onto the Elite Eight while gathered in the hotel lobby. The Jayhawks next game was on our traveling home day. When we landed at MCI we were down by three at halftime to Duke. As I drove back to Lawrence, I listened to the radio as KU fought through an overtime to narrowly make their way to the Final Four. It isn’t easy to get access to the March Madness games while exploring London, but it can be done. Rock Chalk!

Heart

Appreciating Odd-ness

A totally uninformed, unrefined look at art and its purpose By Lauren Wambold I am going to start this off by saying that I have trouble appreciating abstract art. I am going to follow that by saying that sentence was an understatement. When I stumble upon something really “out-there” at an art gallery I tend to stand in front of it for a few minutes, cock my head intelligently to one side, and ponder what I’m going to get to eat later while I “study” the piece in front of me. This is all to say that I don’t get art, and I often feel like it doesn’t get me. The point of abstract art typically soars above my head in a smooth arc, landing in the heart of those around in me instead of mine. However, I heard rave reviews of the Tate Modern from my classmates during our trip to London, so I decided on the last day of our trip that it was a place that I needed to visit, if only to cross it off of my list. Potatoes. I walked into a room filled with giant linen sacks and the only thing that I could think of was potatoes. I was accompanied by Ryan on this gallery tour, and he expressed the same sentiment. Potatoes? Potatoes. We both circled the potatoes in a perplexed haze, silently wondering why this exhibit was given such a huge space to depict an iteration of one of America’s favorite foods. I was confused. This feeling would follow me for most of the day.

London Review 2018

We left the potato room and made our way into an adjacent room filled with neon signs and televisions depicting men spinning and walking and moving in a way that had no rhyme or reason. Once again, Ryan and I wondered why. Why are these creations considered art that should be displayed in one of the finest galleries in the world? Nothing made sense anymore, and we had only been at the Tate for an hour. It wasn’t until I reached a particular room that I felt “it.” “It” is that feeling where your heart speeds up a little bit and you feel the kind of warmth that fills your entire body at once and you decide, in that moment, that this is something special. I felt that when I walked into the exhibit that was designed to feel like a giant cave with huge projector screens depicting different landscapes. It was dark in the cave area and the projectors lit up the space. It felt like when I had built forts out of sheets with my brother and sister when we were young and we would light up the space with a flashlight. It felt magical. I wandered into this area, mesmerized by the way that the projections danced off of the screens and climbed up the walls around me. I spotted a bench, sat down, and thanked God for the relief that my tired feet so desperately needed. Light flashed on and off of my face as the landscapes changed in front of me. I was drinking in everything around me-tired parents slumped against the walls as their children weaved around the projector screens and lone wanderers

moving slowly as I had been. I took a moment to relish in the art in front of me, and all of a sudden I understood. I understood that art doesn’t have to be understood to be appreciated. I didn’t know why there was a room of potato-like shapes upstairs, but I did know that those potatoes put a smile on my face. The neon signs made me think. The men walking around on the television screen disturbed me. The cave projections made my heart happy. Art is created to make you feel something, or to make you think, or to do whatever you want it to do. It doesn’t have to have a rhyme or reason, and it doesn’t have to make sense to anyone. Art, like us, just has to exist.

Abstract in Name By Jeffrey Birch

The Tate Modern, a modern art museum, is packed full of incredible pieces, and I took nearly fifty pictures while I was there to prove it. But my favorite pieces, and the pieces I want to focus on in this article, are the most misunderstood: the abstract pieces. This was one of the first pieces I saw, “one, two, three, swing,” by Danish Artist collective Superflex. It took up this entire area, extended a little towards the entrance, and had a whole section outside that it was far too cold to experience. While the design itself is fascinating, the swings themselves were the best part. They were designed so that they could have anywhere between one and three people on them at a time. It adds a fun dimension to the name of the piece and creates a different experience depending on who you experience it with. This is, “Pavilion Suspended in a Room 1,” by Cristina Iglesias. Visitors were encouraged to walk around and through the exhibit to examine it closely. The suspended mats were made of woven steel and while the lattice work looks odd in its arrangement and lack of symmetry, upon stepping back, you can see that it actually forms words. The mats comprise an extract from Arthur C. Clarke’s science-fiction novel, Rendezvous with Rama. In it, a spacecraft is discovered with extraordinary architectural landscapes, a sentiment that the artist does a fine job of replicating in a microcosm with her piece. “One Year Performance 19801981,” by Tehching Hsieh. In this work

of performance art, the artist took a picture of himself every hour for an entire year. The actual exhibit consisted of the time cards and pictures he took, along with a few of the items he used, such as his camera and the clock that was in each photo. For me, the

most compelling part of the piece was that you could see glimpses of larger stories in the pictures. You could see a bruise appear and heal, his hair grow long and then get shaved off, and you could see where he failed. Because each day was displayed as a column, you could easily see days where he missed an hour or two just by seeing where the column of pictures were short. From looking at these, you construct your own narratives: he overslept, he had dinner at a friend’s, etc. The most compelling part was the one day out the year where only four hours were recorded, and the questions that pop into the viewer’s mind. It’s experiences like these that made me fall in love with the Tate Modern.

Heart

The 7 Mental Breakdowns of London By Reagan Tinney

1. I started to cry in the middle of the Newark Airport during our six-hour layover after hearing another London flight departing that wasn’t ours. I wailed, “that’s not us,” and put my face into my hands. The girls around me asked if I was okay and I replied, “no!” I then realized how ridiculous I was being and started laughing at myself. “Reagan, are you laughing or crying?” they asked, and I replied, “I don’t even know anymore!” 2. I got super nervous about flying over the ocean for the first time and began to cry again. I laughed at myself once again and everyone patted me on the back, but still had no idea whether I was crying or laughing or even both. 3. We landed at 9 in the morning and after only having a few hours of sleep the night before, I was very sleep deprived. We weren’t able to check in until 12 so that meant I wasn’t allowed to lay down. Naturally, I cried a lot about being tired and hungry. A few others and myself went to a café and I felt much better once I had food in my system. 4. Everyone went to a bar to celebrate being legal in Europe the first night. I had to go to the bathroom before I had anything to drink. When I asked the waitress where the bathroom was, she said down the stairs and to the left. Even though I followed the directions, there was no door on the left but there was on the right, so I went ahead and went into that one. It had no sign, no visible urinals, but when I went to wash my hands, I noticed another door and out of curiosity I opened it and found the urinals. Realizing that I had just used the men’s bathroom, I cried. 5. I got lost without data a total of 5 times on the trip and each time I cried. Eventually a nice local would escort me to where I was wanting to go, and I would find my way, but it was still scary.

London Review 2018

I swear that I would be with a group of people and I would turn around and everyone would be gone. I get distracted very easily and I’m also extremely sensitive and that’s not a good mix when you’re in a foreign country. 6. All the students went to a Chinese restaurant in China Town one night, but the staff was extremely rude. The waitress glared at us when everyone ordered water at the beginning and wouldn’t give us a big enough table for everyone to sit down. After ordering, the manager came over to us and said, “we have a minimum of ten pounds per person,” which still not being accustomed to the country yet, I thought that ordering ten pounds of food for one person was a ridiculous amount to expect someone to eat. They also told a couple that they couldn’t share a meal even though the portions were huge anyway. We all left and after not

being able to decide on another place to eat, I had another mental breakdown from being hungry. 7. On the plane ride back to America, I, for whatever reason, didn’t understand that I had to switch over my luggage during the layover to our flight to Kansas City. At baggage claim in MCI, I waited until I was the last one standing but my suitcase never came. Eventually one of the guys came over and asked me if I for sure switched it over and when I replied, “no,” he gave me a blank stare, blinked a few times, and simply said, “oh my god.” A man who worked at the airport came by and told me to come into his office where I started crying about if I’ll ever get my suitcase back. I thankfully got my suitcase the next day at my house, but I had another meltdown when my dad picked me up and asked where my luggage was and I wailed, “in Chicago!”

Three is a Crowd: A Sometimes Awkward Guide By Matt Dwyer

The third wheel: A wheel that is not necessary but there for amusement and awkward moments on adventures. One wheel too many sometimes, yet the perfect amount to take those cute relationship pictures. This is a guide on how to third wheel and only sometimes feel like puking at how cute your friends are. 1. Be ready at all times for cute candid pictures of the couple. 2. Be ready at all times to photobomb cute couple pictures. 3. Just literally disappear if you want to get away and they might not even notice. 4. Make sure your selfie skills are on point so you can take great selfies while the other two take photos of themselves.

Rule 7

5. You do not actually have to participate in full in conversations and can just occasionally contribute as they talk to each other. 6. You get to decide where to eat when they inevitably cannot decide.

7. Stand on the side of photos taken of all three of you so you can easily be cropped out. 8. Last but not least, beer makes a better plus one than a person does so come prepared.

Heart

Smile

By Roy Ricaldi It is not about the place, but the people. Wise words my envious aunt Paola texted to my family’s group chat when she found out I was having so much fun abroad. Emojis included. Apparently, the photos I sent were too much, way more than she could handle. I know, It’s just sad to hear that a forty year old woman explicitly expressed her jealousy of a person so young like me, but in her defense, she had a reason to be. During my stay in London I was lucky enough not only to observe and take nice pictures of the monuments, but also of photographing some beautiful people I am now happy to call my friends. Taking pictures is my thing. I really love doing it, and I like to think some of them are good. I am by no means an expert at it, or have taken any photography lessons in my life. I don’t even have a nice camera. Taking pictures is just something I do, completely informal and amateur. From the really “extra” ones, to the candids, just on this trip, I’ve taken over 500 photos. Started as early as I set foot out of the hotel for the first time. I remember Priyanka saying the alley besides The Grange Strathmore had a cool aesthetic, making it a great spot

London Review 2018

for pictures. She described some pink and violet houses, plus some pretty planters. To be honest, I did not need to hear that, because she had me at alley. Our little morning stroll turned into a full on photoshoot very quickly. Smile, glare, smize. Priyanka, Rachel, Vince, and Kit suddenly turned into models, who made me feel like a legit photographer. Lighting was great, getting a good shot was easy. At that moment, I knew that even if it was as cold as it was that morning, my whole stay in London, I would still enjoy it, because I would be taking photos. We did some duos as well, and bonded over “acting normally” for the camera. We had so much fun with it, and every other mini photoshoot we did along the trip. Some honorable mentions: Oxford, In which we all came to agree that not one but both of the Sarah’s were natural born models. Borough Market, where Val was extremely photogenic as usual. The London Eye, Where Priyanka shined as bright as the lights in night time. After a long day of discovering a little more of what

London had to offer, we went back to the hotel. To talk, rest, and figure out which photo we were posting on our social media. I made a collection of photos of my friends, and I promise that they are as beautiful in the inside, as they are in the outside. I am really glad I got to meet them. This years London Review consisted of an amazing group, and I’m sure we’ll keep in touch. I know many of my classmates are graduating, which makes me a little weary, since I won’t be seeing them around campus for much longer. They might be gone after this semester, but I will always have their picture, which I will look at in years to come, remembering the great moments we had during the trip. All of these sites we visited were amazing by themselves, but even better with my newly found friends. This is the tie back to what my aunt said. She meant that It didn’t matter that I was in a nice place like London, because I wasn’t with my loved ones, my family. While I miss my close family every day, the people surrounding me during this trip made up for that absence, they made me feel safe, joyous, and welcome. My aunt was implying that since my family wasn’t there, I was alone. I was never alone, and after she said that I sent the group chat a picture. We were all in there, at Westminster Abbey. I captioned, you are right, it is not about the place, but the people, and these people make this place even more wonderful. My aunt Paola did not respond.

Heart

Not All Who Wander are Lost By Priyanka Radadiya

Everyone, sometime or another, has felt as if they were alone in a sea of people. Never is this a feeling that a person enjoys, where they yearn to simply stand still and take everything in before itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s gone forever. Traveling by yourself in London is kind of like this. Completely alone, surrounded by the bustle of a city full of life where you have virtually no connection to anyone. In this situation, it is almost as if you are invisible; your existence does not affect their lives and for once, this feeling is almost welcomed. This separation in the middle of chaos is what allows for you to just be yourself. This is what grants you the freedom to walk around with no care to time, location, appearance. The one thing I hate the most is being alone. Growing up with such a large family and an extensive group of family friends, being alone suffocates me. This is why I was surprised when I found myself on the tube and roaming the streets of London on my own. With no one to talk to and nowhere to go, I got off on a random tube stop and just started walking. I walked wherever the wind took me (quite literally because it was very windy that day). I was able to appreciate all of the sights that London had to offer.

London Review 2018

Moreover, I got lost in my thoughts as I got lost in the city. This day was one of my favorite days of the trip. For some reason, I never felt as if I was a tourist. I felt like somehow, I belonged in the picture, where thousands of footsteps were erased or covered almost as quickly as they were being left behind. As I walked I saw the beauty of the city that belonged to the people who lived there. Since I had been there, I had spent most of my time in lines and exploring places that the city prided itself on, such as the museum. Although everything I saw in those museums was beautiful and rich with history and knowledge, it wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t really London. At most, all of the attractions make up just a small portion of London. That day I got to see the other, much larger part. I sat on a barstool and watched as people from all walks of life passed by. I walked through little alleyways that were just wide enough for a door to open between them but yet either side was lined with quaint little shops. I walked through a neighborhood as children were coming home and scared a little kitten pouncing on birds. I saw the city come to life in bursts of excitement and although this was not something I would do everyday, it was definitely an experience of a lifetime. It was amazing to see and explore the real side of London.

Borough Market By Erin Woods

Better days, Spring days Sprinkled with £2 boxes of berries, And rain Storms that sound like French Men.

Not In Kansas Anymore By Reagan Tinney

Our iris’s glisten as if they’ve never seen color before. Not where our Kansas plains meet our crowded campus & sunflowers blossom. As if we’re in a new world now transported from the airplane window to the foreign soil beneath our feet. “Everything is brighter here,” we say as if the new city lights are echoes from Heaven making our souls dance. When we’re here, there will be no turmoil, no tractor sounds, no judgement of pierced eyes, the city breathed us in but we weren’t ready to be exhaled out so soon. Her cider perfumed streets still cling to our clothes –our noses & our sweat pearls from running to all her beauties were formed into glitter gold to match her essence of acceptance. Our iris’s glisten as if this wasn’t just a trip for credit, but a trip to learn about ourselves & each other. Now it’s time to return to our old home of black & white fields.

Heart

Perspectives on Camden from an Eastern Northwestern Arkansan By Sarah Anderson

Northwest Arkansas consists of a string of towns that stretches from southwest Missouri to Fayetteville, Arkansas. Each town is essentially contained on one side of Interstate 40, making the east and west sections of the community. On the west, Bella Vista, Bentonville, and Centerton make up the suburbs of the WalMart home office. People on the west live in bizarrely similar houses that all have three car garages. I think there is a regional ordinance that every family west of Interstate 40 must have at least one Jeep Wrangler in one of their garage ports at all times. The east is different. In Rogers, Lowell, and Springdale, things are variable. There are houses made of wood or sheet metal, houses on hills, houses built into hills. Some houses have garages, fewer have Jeep Wranglers. The east is a beautiful hodgepodge of mismatched vinyl siding on homes that have served the same family for many generations and brand new grocery store or church signs written in Marshallese. Its heterogeneity is driven by the complicated histories of agriculture, immigration after WWII, and the growth of Wal-Mart Corporation. It is a complicated place that holds both the stubborn racism of the Deep South and vibrant communities of people from the Pacific Islands and Central America. Children of corporate Wal-Martians who wanted to get farther from the home office ride the bus to school with children who look like they could have been cast in the movie Deliverance. The social and economic repercussions of such dichotomies are apparent. A 2017 Hummer and a rusted 1994 Pontiac can wait at the same stop light in the same neighborhood, but the Hummer will take its owner to Whole Foods for groceries while the Pontiac buys Great Value brand from the store the Hummer driver makes so much money off of. It is ironic, sad, and problematic. East of Interstate 40

London Review 2018

is where I grew up, and despite the conflict and complicated history, that type of community is what I know and what I am comfortable with. As an Eastern Northwestern Arkansan, nothing makes me more uncomfortable than homogeneity. This is perhaps why I felt so at ease in London, and particularly in Camden Town. Prior to visiting London, I had never heard of Camden. I knew nothing about it. I only ended up there the first time because my friend wanted souvenirs, and it is an area known for markets. Then I ended up there a second time still under the guise of someone souvenir shopping. The third time I was in Camden, it was to go to a nightclub. The forth time, it was again for shopping. I donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t think it was until after I left London that I realized I only ever bought one thing during those many trips to the Camden markets, and that was a sweatshirt because I was cold, and it was raining. I had spent a significant portion of four out of the eight days I had in London in this one particular borough. Three of those times, I went there with the idea of shopping, but I never actually bought much of anything. The truth is that I was charmed by the weirdness that is

Camden. I loved the people and the smells. I loved the market stalls and the people disregarding police officers directing traffic in the streets. I loved the man with the Ghostbusterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s backpack smoking weed on the corner. It felt like a gorgeous collection of people and oddities from all around London that got swept into a pile and given a name. That is exactly why I liked it so much and exactly why I found it so beautiful and so comforting. It was a different version of what I already knew minus the blatant racism of the American South. Like my own home, Camden is complicated. I watched tattered clothed teenagers sit on the curb and share beer and cigarettes while swaths of uniformed high schoolers about the same age walked into stores selling ÂŁ300 handbags. It was complicated, but it was a kind of complicated that I have seen, a kind that I process as nothing out of the ordinary. Somehow not seeing this in the moment, I was drawn back to the area time and time again to feel that home feeling of being surrounded by heterogeneity even if the cause of that heterogeneity was problematic and would have made me very uncomfortable had I not grown up enfolded in it.

London Review 2018