LONDON

Experienced by KHAEL

POC VIEW

London was one of the most unexpected places I have traveled to. From movies like Love Actually, Notting Hill, and the endless amount of period pieces such as Pride and Prejudice I assumed everyone in the city would be of white British descent. I will admit as a P.O.C. this city was not on the top of my list. But Since I was traveling with 10 cousins, 2 aunts, 1, brother, 1 mother, and a family friend. I wanted to go somewhere easy for them and not too different than America. Being the organizer of the trip, I couldn’t afford a country with another language. So London soon became what I called the starter pack for traveling. My hope was for if they enjoyed the trip, they would be open to more and more travel. I wanted for the next generation of my family to not have a fear of journeying to new places. I want for them to gain experiences and have the opportunity to be emerged in new cultures.

After another smooth flight on Norwegian airlines the group landed at Gatwick Airport. Imagine my surprise when after a short 35 min train ride from Gatwick Airport to London I stepped out to realize 75% of the people were of color. Especially of south Asian or middle eastern descent. It made me wonder why I had never seen this version of London in the movies? Where were these people when I watched another Huge Grant romantic comedy.

ACCOMMODATION

We rented 2 Airbnb’s on the fringe of the Paddington area near the Marble Arch right off Edgeware road. Both Airbnb’s were amazing. Mine was much smaller, and only for myself, mother, brother, and aunt. Yet it came to 114 a night total. The other Airbnb held my 10 other relatives and was known as the party house. Lodging in London was very cheap compared to what I assumed it was going to be. I figured a city the size of NYC would cost much more. Even with the currency of the British Pound being more than the dollar. Things were still cheap in comparison.

I highly enjoyed the area we were located resided in. With such a large East Indian and Middle-eastern population in the area, it had much more of a community vibe. I wanted to feel more than a Downton Abby Culture and I felt that on Edgeware Road. One of my cousins was very excited about the selection of Shawarma which she made sure to eat every night.

For myself, the proximity to Primark was one of my highlights as well as the easy walk into Hyde Park and down Oxford St and Piccadilly Circus.

Family at Jamaican restaurant Shoreditch

FOOD & DRINKS

So my family and I were not fans of the staple British food. We each made more than one attempt at English breakfast, Steak and kidney pie, Fish and chips, and the rest of the menu. The goal was to be open-minded. But each time we tasted a meal, we had wished we had brought spices to the trip. We knew if grandma had come, she would have had it somewhere in her Mary Poppins type purse.

But don’t be discouraged yet. Be prepared for amazing international food. For example, I wish I had one more meal at the Thai restaurant “The Heron Bar” or the Caribbean restaurants in Shoreditch. I promise you that you will have no regrets.

As for drinks, I must admit, our night of pub-hopping was based on the best Guinness on tap so I don’t have much more to write about. On our pub crawl, we went to every pub on the street and did not allow ourselves to stay longer than 10 minutes. One Guinness per pub. As for which pub had the best one, its a bit of a blur.

NIGHTLIFE

We were very impressed by the Night Life in trendy Shoreditch area. It was like stepping back in time to one of my college weekends. The streets filled with people going from club to bar. Yet one establishment stood out from the rest. There is a Nightclub/bar called Ballie Ballerson. Half of it is located in 2 ball pits. Music is pumping, strangers are throwing things at one another. Free facepaint for all. The only downside is don’t show up on a Sunday. After our Sat night, we went back thinking London is such a large city. It will be just as good. We were wrong. Ghost town!

THE BEST VIEW

I recommend ditching the touristy LONDON EYE and setting up a free reservation at the SKY GARDEN. It is a building with a 3 floor 360 view of London. There is a large balcony for great shots for the city. Inside is wrapped with beautiful plants and scenery.

The Sights

The weather just happened to be amazing for the whole trip except when it was time to visit the the famous landmarks of London. This made for this to be the only difficult part of the trip. Big Ben was under construction and the rain prevented for the photos I had hoped for. There was something also underwhelming about the landmarks. Since I was a child I had thought of Big Ben being enormous. The way Peter Pan would fly on the hands of the tower. Or how its seen in V for Vendetta. To be at the house of Parliament and Westminster Abbey made them seem like just another building. Yet, by it being real and ordinary made London lose its glow i’ve always felt without realizing it. Not the London Empire that had invaded and forced into its empire. But just a city that people live in. This allowed me to enjoy the city for itself and what it is now, and not what it was.

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