Visible Differences: Lancaster, England

Everyday life for me in Lancaster is quite different then a regular day for me at Allegheny. Perhaps the biggest difference is my accommodation. Rather than coming home to the Delt house full of my beloved brothers, I trek myself up to my fourth floor walk-up flat, where it's quiet and peaceful. Not to say that the Delt house isn't peaceful. In fact it can be very peaceful and I miss it very much. What I'm trying to say is that my living style here is not as sociable as it is at home. There are ups and downs to this, but regardless I am looking forward to returning to the Delt house.

I have done much more home cooking for myself here, as it is cheaper and my flat shares an extensive kitchen. I am using public transportation more than I ever have in my life, mostly  for traveling on the weekends and going into town for groceries. Lancaster is a quaint little town, though technically it is a city thanks to its Cathedral. That is something particular in Englnd, whether a a place is considered a city, town, or village. It mostly depends on the size, and as mentioned before, whether a place has a Cathedral or several. Another interesting thing about places here that I find particularly fascinating is the extensive history. It is found everywhere. For example, when traveling to a small village it even a large city in the United Kingdon, you will more often than not encounter a set of ruins. This could be so much as a small pile of stones to crumbling castles and archways. It is always a beautiful sight, and something I have never encountered in the states. These ruins are so frequent, that the people just pass them by with little to no thought. Of course this makes sense to someone who has grown up in such a setting, but for me it's always exciting to see a ruin. Some of the larger and more historically significant ones are better  kept than others, even looked after by the government. Others are just simply forgotten and neglected, and there may be no one alive today that can speak to their history. I love this about Englnd.

Another aspect of everyday life here that I have noticed is the large emphasis people place on where they are from to make up their identity. For example, a friend I have made is from the London area, and one night when I was at his flat in town hanging with his mates, they began talking about the sort of international relations they hold with one another. There is still a large rift between the English and the Scottish, and even within England there are differences noted based on where you're from. For example my friend from London claims to be quite posh compared to his friends from the north. I had a very similar conversation with a taxi driver several weekends back on a visit to Alnwick Castle. There is a small bridge near the castle with the statue of a lion with a particularly pointed tail, and when we passed it my driver asked if I had any Scottish in my blood. I told him no and asked why. He chuckled and said it was bad luck to cross that bridge as a Scotsman. The English  used to stick the heads of Scottish enemies on the lions tail. My driver, who was English but prefers living in Scotland, states that the north is slower, quieter, and more peaceful. I suppose it is all a matter of opinion, but where you come from plays a huge role in making up your identity here, more so than I have noted it does in America.

Everyday life continues and I am learning something new every week. I really love it here and am learning to accept the steady weather pattern of rain and grey skies. In Ohio, and Meadville even, he weather is so speratic, but here it is very constant. It makes the days blend together, but time is moving along. I can't believe it's already March! I look forward to seeing how things continue in all areas of everyday life here in Lancaster.