Summer in London: Part II
Sagar Jain: New circumstances allow a traveller to consider the larger perspective in relation to culture by keeping one’s eyes open to criticism and change. In this regard, with the intention of taking full advantage of the English culture, I came to London with very few expectations! A crucial element of the culture in London is the theatre. In order to experience this aspect of culture, I witnessed the play, “Henry V” in the Globe Theatre. One of the most fascinating experiences at the Globe Theatre was the fact that the artists performed to hundreds of members in the audience without the use of any sort of technology such as mikes or loudspeakers. Moreover, the theatre was designed to mimic the actual Globe Theatre. These aspects of the Shakespeare’s Globe theatre emphasize the amount of importance given to preserving and promoting art in this country. Another source of promoting and preserving art is museums. Apart from the British Museum, I visited the Museum of Design in London. The fact that these museums do not charge an entrance fee depicts the emphasis that the British government puts on promoting art amongst the local citizens and the tourists.
Another highlight of my trip to the UK has been the visit to the Jane Austen Centre at Bath. The famous writer Jane Austen spent a part of her life living in Bath. Her books vividly describe the culture prevalent in the places she resided including Bath. Visiting the Jane Austen Centre provided an opportunity to learn about some of the aspects of the Bath culture including clothes, architecture, and dining habits and connecting them to Jane’s writings.
Sagar Jain, Class of 2014