A very merry British July 4th

I was cooking pasta for the first time in my new flat the day after I arrived. I finally got some groceries, and am lucky to live directly across the street from a store. I’m also lucky enough to like right next to a heavy metal pub, but that’s another story. For me cooking, even though my cooking skills are sub par, is really one of the first milestones in claiming a new place; really making it feel like yours. So its official, I live in London.

The word that keeps coming to mind when I try and describe celebrating the 4^th in the same country that we rebelled from is ‘interesting.’ The phrase that keeps coming to mind is, ‘are we good?’

But in all actuality, even though it was very ‘interesting’ the whole day was quite nice. After our first orientation session, we went on a boat cruise on the river Thames. On the boat they had decorations, and on one side of the boat little American flags were hanging in the breeze and on the other side little British flags, as if to say, ‘Why yes, we are good.’

There was a barbecue for us and they tried their best in making hamburgers, sausages, chicken wings, coleslaw and pasta and potato salad. Sailing down the Thames it’s a mix of old and new buildings and it’s where I got my first glimpse of the London Eye, Big Ben (which fun fact is not the tower itself but the bell inside of it that you can’t even really see), the London Bridge, the Tower Bridge, and the Tower of London.

In the evening we celebrated the night with people from all parts of the European Union: British, Irish, and Spanish. That’s what made this 4^th so memorable (aside from the irony), and that is precisely why I love my neighborhood. It is not one homogeneous city, but a rich culturally diverse place. Each corner turns into something different, and holds all different types of foods and shops. You can also tell punk and metal never left Camden, with mohawks and about 5 different piercing and tattoo parlors within a block radius of each other. Camden is definitely a place for young people, and I am so happy to be living here.

Monday I have my interview and Tuesday starts classes. It’s easy to forget real quickly that I came here to study when there are so many things to do. But I’m going to forget a little while longer and explore the Camden Market some more today, and see Primrose Square tomorrow. I hope everyone back home had a fantastic and safe 4^th of July. Cheers!