- The cultural observation I made was about how individuals in London felt about public transportation. Considering that public transportation of all sorts; trains, buses, taxis etc have existed in London and the United Kingdom for a while. It was intriguing to hear how various individuals had different opinions of the transportation services.
- Some people complained about how unstable these services are because of delays, pollution and how crowded they get. While others enjoyed these transportation services. There is a mix of opinions for locals. I remember when I first decided to go to school in London I was terrified of the transportation services. Because of how rigorous they are. However, after a week or so it became easy to access. Relating to the negative opinions of public transportation, it was something I disagree with. Yes, all those negative aspects are important. Yet, having public transportation is such a privilege that many individuals do not get to experience. Of course, because these locals are used to public transportation it makes sense why they would take it for granted. It is a privilege that they receive on a day to day basis while states in America do not have access to this vast type of public transportation.
- I believe that someone from a host country would argue against my views about public transportation; relating to how long public transportation has existed and how they just recently included a whole new line to the underground. I believe that someone would say that considering the history of the underground, having these negative aspects is not surprising. Also, how they just put a whole new line in called the Elizabeth line, but there are older lines that are rough and dirty. They also might talk about how because this is the main type of transportation that it is nothing new and exciting to them. It is the way they travel day to day and should be better considering how often they use it. These individuals want to be comfortable while traveling.
4. This exercise has deepened my understanding of culture by reiterating that there are two sides to many things. Some individuals enjoy public transportation and some do not. It made me take a step back and not judge individuals who have access to public transportation. It makes sense why a local would disagree with the system and the environment. They pay money to access these types of public transportation, so it makes sense why they would want and expect better. Because after the first couple weeks of using public transportation, the excitement died down. It became a daily activity to get me to where I was going. This exercise made me realize that I judged the negative opinions of public transportation. Additionally, it makes sense why individuals not from the United Kingdom would be excited and nervous for public transportation. Especially, if it is not something they have experienced before. I am fortunate to understand both opinions on public transportation. Spending a semester abroad made me normalize public transportation.