The best part about traveling to different places for me is meeting people who consider that place home. They all had their unique view of London, and to see it through their eyes made me feel like I was really a part of London, like I was there for a reason other than to study abroad.
When you speak to them, you are hearing about where you are through the eyes of someone who understands it on a level you never could as a tourist. They can tell you things you would never know.
I hate feeling like a tourist, and when I traveled to London with a travel writing course, I felt like a tourist. Some of my most blissful memories were when I walked through the city on my own, and when I spoke to the people of the city.
On my way back from dinner with professor Nyland at Juju’s Bar and Stage (where I got to do some salsa dancing with some very tall and very good-looking British men as well as eat delicious crispy duck and lavender blue cocktails), we stopped at the Old Spitalfields market, on the lookout for a hat. We were going to the Tower of London later that night and we figured that a hat would be the perfect extra layer. We enter the market and the first vendor we see, who is beginning to pack up, sells a variety of hats which were fancy, fashionable, and eccentric, much like the vendor. Out of the corner of my eye, I see a beautiful mustard yellow bowler hat. I point it out to Nyland and while uncertain at first try on, the salesman of the hat insisted it was beautiful, and then called out for the salesman in the booth behind him. “Isn’t this hat beautiful?!” The other salesman saying something along the lines of “It sure is”. Then it was settled! She got the hat and loved it and wore it throughout the rest of the trip. I myself indulged in a hat, not usually my style, but it shouted out to me that it would help me fit in, and it would look fabulous on me, although, to be fair, 99.9% of hats look good on me. I picked up the shiny, red, plaid bucket hat and put it on. It stood out among the rest of my outfit and gave it a pop of color. Shall I make a deal? I did, and since it was the end of the day, I got it for only 15 pounds! All this culminating in me starting a conversation with the salesman, who appears like he has had a long work day, but maybe in another time period. His coat, hat, and gloves all dark black and grey and clearly worn from years of wear. I asked him what the market was, and when its open.
At first, he just told us about the market. But then after further conversation, he says “Well now you got me going”. And as we stood in front of the entrance, you could see the passion light up in his eyes and body language, as well as his voice. Suddenly his dark grey and black attire came to life with color. He spoke of everything with fondness.
In front of the entrance is one of the oldest and most famous pubs in London, called The Ten Bells. I would have never known if it weren't for the salesman that, it is famous because it is said that Jack the Ripper, a serial killer from 1888, had two victims linked to the pub, which could mean that he visited the pub!
In another encounter at The Culpepper with Grace (my roommate whom I was pleasantly surprised to get to know) and Arden (the program coordinator and cigarette break friend), I learned that the area in which we were staying in London, has become one of the best parts of the city, according to a Londoner. Even though I can’t verify this, being that I didn’t get to see all parts of the city. She was extremely kind and seemed genuinely interested in why we were in London. We found that she grew up in London and has lived there her entire life, so, I think I trust her statement. I gathered from everything I had already seen just within the vicinity of the hotel that the area was super up and coming. Brick Lane being one of the more fascinating streets, covered in both terrible graffiti and artwork that spoke out on the political climate currently in Great Britain.
Some of my other classmates went to The Culpepper on another night and the same hostess woman figured out pretty quickly that they also knew us and were on the same trip with us. It really shows how much of a small world it is, even across the pond. I furthermore proved to me that I had in fact had a genuine interaction with this person whom was also genuine with the other people that went to the restaurant. Which, by the way if you’re ever in London, definitely go there. It is a place full of delicious food and mix and matched whimsical furniture, and apparently, there is a giant pickle on their rooftop lounge, which I unfortunately did not get to see because of the weather.
In one of my final encounters in London, I got a tattoo at Seven Doors Tattoo on Fashion Street. There I met my tattoo artist, Fabio. Fabio is from Rome; you can tell by his enticing Italian accent. He doesn’t look like any sort of stereotypical Italian man you’d see on the cover of a romance novel though. He has long, wavy, strawberry blonde hair and the beard to match it. When I was younger, I never thought I’d be into guys with beards. But now I love them. I especially love them in combination with some long hair that’s maybe gathered up into a man bun. He had bright blue eyes that reminded me of my own, and a gentle smile that warmed my heart a little bit. The coolest part about him though was of course his extensive tattoo collection that covered his arms. He told me he moved to London about a year and a half ago to tattoo at Seven Doors.
Seven Doors is among the best tattoo shops in the world. Much like other tattoo shops, the environment when you first walk in is enticing, exciting, and sometimes a bombardment to the senses. The walls covered from floor to ceiling in tattoo artwork ranging from detailed Japanese flowers to classic traditional tattoos with bold lines and bright colors. Everyone doing something. Artists drawing, setting up their tattoo equipment, tattooing their clients who look so tough sitting there taking the pain of the needle piercing the top layer of their skin at an extremely fast speed.
The coolest part that I was experiencing that in London. While it was similar to other shops, it still had the uniqueness about it that, I had never been there before, and it was my first time and first tattoo in London!
Sometimes, the connections you make with the people of the city are way more memorable and significant than anything else that you could do in the city. Sure, you can make connections with your tour guides, but they in a way live their life around other people like you based on a script. These connections with the people I met are real, probably never to be repeated again, unique.