London is traditional
England is a country of traditions and customs. Is it so? To some extent, yes. Some traditions have existed here for many centuries, and they create the image of a “typical Englishman”.
Despite the fact that London is a modern large metropolis, it is in many ways the quintessence of all English. Yes, London has never been and will not be “truly European”: there will always be a separate class of cabmen-connoisseurs of the city, windows will open from the bottom up, electrical outlets will have their own form, and in the bathroom you will be waiting for two separate cranes. And, vehicles will travel along the “unusual” side of the road, and the markets will continue to use the imperial weight measures banned in the EU.
Living in London, you quickly get used to these “national trivia” and imbued with the British spirit. In addition, here you can learn the authentic English accent.
They say that if you were born in England, you can become a real “gentleman” or “lady.” However, life in London, in itself, is capable of teaching any pearls of wisdom of “British character and etiquette.” These include the stressed sense of personal and foreign space, and the underlined sense of superiority of one’s own country and nation (not without reason many English secretly dream of the revival of a powerful Empire!). And yet, this refers to calm behavior in the queues, subtle humor, pedantry and the “sorry” and “excuse me” on duty, flying out of the mouth of an Englishman, even if you yourself pushed him in the transport or store.
Is it all right? A matter of taste. Some people find England an unattractive place, and the English are too cold and emotionless. Others, on the contrary, are comfortable living, supporting a certain courteous distance with surrounding people and events.
London is modern
Ironically, London is as modern as it is traditional. They say – the house can not be judged by its facade. So here, in the literal and figurative sense of the word.
For example, in London, the maintenance of the “historical person” of the city is closely monitored. Therefore, there are so many houses built under Queen Victoria, or even earlier. From the outside, it may seem that inside these houses everything is arranged in the same way as in the films about Sherlock Holmes. But, in fact, this is just an illusion. So if you are sure to study in London, you have to be ready to high demands. You’ll face the many sorts of academic papers. It’s natural if it will be difficult for you at first. Simply navigate to these guys and you find many useful tips and professional help. Inside these houses are modern, and the apartments of their residents are furnished with new technology and gadgets. By the way, even old-good double cranes are increasingly replacing standard mixers.
And with the whole of London life – behind the traditional tradition lies a large number of subcultures and freaks of all kinds of colors, the British, in which there is little “British blood”, the replacement of Sunday’s home fried food for fast food and even (!) The refusal of “fives-of-the-clocks” . In other words, London is progressing with the rest of the world and is also subject to globalization, remaining attractive to everyone, and not just for the seekers of “traditional values.”
London is cultural
Henry James, an American writer who lived in London, wrote: “The British capital is a special place on the globe that conveys a colossal sense of life; there is nothing here that you can not try yourself. ” Not surprisingly, this city has inspired and continues to inspire many creative people from all over the world.
What could be better for a culture lover than the city where Charles Dickens lived, worked, Agatha Christie, Aleister Crowley, Bernard Shaw, Herbert Wells, Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde, Rudyard Kipling and many others.
And yet, London – a lot of museums, some of which can be visited for free. In addition, on the stage of the capital’s theaters you can see the living Benedict Cumberbatch, Judah Lowe, Daniel Radcliffe and the inimitable “Mr. Darcy” Colin Firth.
London is expatriate
London is a surprisingly multinational city. Representatives of different cultures, nationalities and religions coexist here. Many immigrants from Eastern Europe, Russia and CIS, Africa and Arab countries, but most of all – from Pakistan and India.
On the one hand, this fact speaks of the tolerance and tolerance of the British, on the other hand – it is an irritating factor for many. Judge for yourself – suppose you came to London in the hope of “eating real England”, and everywhere there are exactly the same emigrants like you, with incomprehensible accents and your traditions. In short, “real England” needs to be seen.
Yes, there are not quite a successful immigrant and “black” areas. But, for the sake of justice, it must be said that the London authorities manage to maintain order and, in most cases, representatives of different cultures peacefully live side by side with each other. But, you have the opportunity to meet new people in all the world, without leaving the boundaries of one city!