• Name: Ricardo
  • School: George Washington University
  • Location: United Kingdom, London
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Ricardo Muniz's Blog

Poking Holes

Posted February 04, 2010 by Ricardo
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 After poking holes in the American Bubble, I've found out that I LOVE this country, especially the city of London. It's so vibrant and busy, there is literally something to do every day. I can go out to a club on a monday night and there will be a line outside, or I can go to a theater performance on a tuesday night and it will be packed; I love it. Not only that, but it is truly an international city. I mean, I once thought Washington, DC was international, but DC is such a small city that it truly isn't international. Here in London, I have met people from all over the world, from Spanish, to Germans, Greeks, Australians, Irish, Estonians, it's crazy. I love being able to meet people from different cultures and backgrounds, you definitely cannot get this in the US, not even at the heart of New York City. NYC is a global city, separated from the world by an ocean, while in the other hand, London is a global city, separated from nothing and accessible to many.

You have to experience London to know what I mean. It's gotten to the point where I have researched for ways to come back after I graduate and live here for a few years, maybe do a Masters here, or study abroad while I'm in Law School or do a Joint Degree with a US law school and a school in London. If anyone knows, I would appreciate suggestions, I really love it here and would love to be here for a longer period of time. Don't get me wrong, I love USA, and will eventually settle down in DC, but while I'm young it would be nice to experience the rest of the world by living in it, instead of being a constant tourist.

Anyways, last week we went on a trip to Stonehenge and Salisbury, which are southwest of the City. I'm pretty sure you all have heard about Stonehenge and its mysteries, which fall short when you see it in person, but surely you have not heard about Salisbury. It's a small cathedral town near Stonehenge. Overall it was a nice place, full of old buildings, one in which nobel price winner William Golding (author of Lord of the Flies) taught in. Part of the trip included a visit to the Salisbury Cathedral, an amazing building. It was interesting to walk around the church and see how many people were buried inside, along the walls and in the floor. Another interesting thing that we found inside the Cathedral was one of the few remaining Magna Carta's, which there are only four left in the world. Basically it was a very cool trip were I got to see the English country side and get away from the busy life of London.

Another way I keep poking holes at my American bubble is by going out to English plays. Two nights ago I saw, Daisy Pulls It Off, a play about a poor girl winning a scholarship to a good boarding school. It was one of the worst plays I've seen. (Not saying that English plays are bad, I did see Blood Brothers about a year ago and loved it) It was mainly boring, full of bad acting and corny lines. At times it felt like the actors knew that it was a bad play and were just trying to get it over with. Anyways, next week I am going to see another English play called The Whisky Taster, which I hope will be better.

I'm looking forward to this upcoming weekend, it is our LOVE LONDON Weekend, were the program organizes a lot of events around London, most of them free of charge or subsidized by the school. The ones that I will be partaking in are, Billy Elliot: The Musical at the Victoria Theater (close to Buckingham Palace), Biking around London, a visit to the dog races in Wimbledon and bowling at night in a supposedly hip bowling alley in London. Another thing that is coming up is the Super bowl, which I'm not that interested in, but everyone here is, so I guess that I will end up at a pub with my friends just watching it and cheering for whoever they cheer (any suggestions?).

Finally, next week will be my first trip out of the United Kingdom. I will be visiting a couple of friends in Copenhagen, Denmark. I leave on Thursday and come back Sunday, so it'll be a cool experience. We may venture into Sweden (10 miles away from Copenhagen) and go out one night, which will be cool. Anyways, I will keep you guys updated on what happens.

PS. I have kept up with American politics and life, was glad to see the hearing about DADT and the premiere of Lost online.