Talk to Strangers - Explore What You Love!

There’s a Japanese couple cooking octopus on my right and a Korean Barbecue stand on my left. The smell of foreign spices wafting through the air is mixed with the incessant chatter of French, Japanese, Arabic and British English. I had just finished petting an adorable cockerspaniel which belonged to a Chinese family who had moved to London for better prospects.  After trading 5 pounds for a delicious serving of Hassan chicken, I climb up to the top of the stairs where the comfort of Luke’s Café welcomes me. I sit down on the plastic tail of a giant winding snake and I bite into my Hassan Chicken. I smile.

The diversity of London brings out even the most introverted individuals with its savory foods and lively streets. I have so many wonderful memories from London—those memories, that without the COL/LBREF scholarship, I would never have the opportunity to create. To the COL/LBREF scholarship, I say, Thank You. This was an opportunity unlike any other: the chance to explore a country of wonders such as London free of financial burdens. I cannot rightly express how grateful I am to my sponsors and to the program.

With that said, I would love to direct the rest of my report towards future recipients of this scholarship. From my four weeks in London, I have three tips that I would like to share. I personally think these three tips will help you break down fears of traveling abroad and open your heart and mind to an entirely new experience.

Tip #1: Go with the flow, and get out of your room.

Jump on a Double Decker. Wander around the streets without a map. Buy a ticket to Paris. Backpack around Europe if you can. Whatever it is, don’t stay in your room. You only have four weeks in London and you do not want to waste a single day. I remember going with Cody and Denis to Trafalgar square and just wandering until we decided that we were too tired to walk anymore. But from walking around we met a man named Mohammed who is originally from India and who now owns a British Gift shop. From wandering we witnessed a man spin on his head in front of the National Gallery. Everything we did was spontaneous. Spontaneity breathes adventure into life. And who wouldn’t want a little bit (or a lot) of adventure in London?

Tip #2: Make friends.

You know that rule that your mom told you as a kid: don’t talk to strangers. Well, talk to strangers. So many interesting experiences and memories will arise from doing so. The first night we were in London, we ate dinner at a pub named The Three Stags. We had a hearty group of adults sit down next to us. We said hi and what followed was an exchange of laughter and a piece of paper that was covered in information and places to go in London. I even got a crash course in ukulele playing. So I encourage you to talk to strangers. Who knows, maybe you’ll learn how to play a new instrument from saying hi to someone.

Tip #3: Do what you love.

There are so many options in London. There are museums, there is food, there are shows and dances...how do you choose what to do? For me, my first choice was picking a class. There were so many options—not just options, but good options. I wanted to take all the classes! As a Chemistry major but a lover of the arts, I ended up taking creative writing. And I am more than satisfied in my choice. Therefore, do something that is new and something that interests you. I also took a dance class at Danceworks because that is something that is important to me. One of my friends I met at the University of Westminster wanted so badly to go to see the Peter Pan statue in Kensington Gardens because Peter Pan symbolized childhood love to her. There’s no way you can do everything in London in four weeks, so make sure you do what you really want to. People are going to tell you “you HAVE to see this,” but in the end, it’s your choice what you do.

As part of this report I was asked to write if there could be any improvements to this program. Watching other people’s programs at the University of Westminster, I think that COL/BREF is extremely loose-ended  and allows freedom for self-planning, which I think is the most important and unique part of this scholarship. It is also what makes the program so good. I don’t think any changes need to be made to this scholarship. My only suggestion is to keep the program as loose-ended and as wonderful as it is.

Going abroad has left a large imprint on my heart. When I came back to America, I knew that I had brought a little bit of London with me back home. I also knew that I had left a little bit of myself in London. The Moroccan stand in the Festival of Neighborhood, my creative writing class and the ukulele players—all the connections that I made left a piece of me there. To wrap up, I have to thank the rotary club again for their generous gift to students. And to the new cohort of receipts, get ready for the ride of your life and remember to be spontaneous, to talk to strangers and to go explore what you love.