If you have been following my blog,  you know that I have been studying in central London for the past two months at the University College London. I have been fortunate enough to not only explore London but I have also had the opportunity to explore a few European countries. I think I have quite a unique perspective when it comes to traveling in and around Europe. I and my colleagues tend to stand out for a bit more than our American accents. Being black and abroad puts somewhat of a target on my back. Not a negative target per say but definitely something that draws the attention of people. It ranges from looks to states of confusion and sometimes even name-calling. I believe some of it comes from a true place of curiosity and maybe even admiration but other times it feels as if it comes from a place of  almost hostility. 

My first trip outside of London was with five of my friends to Barcelona, Spain. The city in my opinion was not as diverse as I had hoped. Granted maybe the vast diversity of London spoiled me and gave me a false expectation for the rest of Europe. It seemed many times that we were the only black people in the city. Now we did see a handful of black people a day but it was just not what I expected. In Barcelona, people seemed to fetisize us for  being “Black Americans”. People would compliment our skin tone and hair. My friends and I are a variety of black and brown shades and we all wear our natural hair so, yes we stand out in a European crowd. The fascination with black skin and natural hair was strange but it didn’t feel ingenuine. 

However my recent trip to Budapest was very different. This time I am not exaggerating when I say we were the only black people in the city. We did not see a single black person the entire time we were in Budapest. We visited two thermal baths, the museum of sweets and selfies and various food places. It was saddening and eye opening at the same time. It is amazing that some countries truly offer no diversity when it comes to black people. I am not and cannot say there are no black people in Budapest but it seemed that way. The fascination with our hair and skin continued but it wasn’t as friendly as it was in Barcelona. Our last night, a group of men kept yelling “black” at us. If they were mocking us or trying to get ur attention was unclear but it didn’t feel as if they had good intentions. This was my first time outside of London that I truly felt uncomfortable. 

Overall, as it stands so far Europe does not offer the diversity I hoped for. I think a better choice of words would be that the diversity is not very evident. I believe there are communities of black people in all of these countries but the question is if they do exist why are they hidden? I hope I have more opportunities to travel and interact with people who look like me outside of London. Being a black woman abroad is challenging and sometimes uncomfortable but it shouldn’t prevent anyone from seeing the world. I grew up in a community when I was the only “black girl” in a room full of non-people of color. I can’t say I didn’t hope things would be different overseas but I am grateful I had the opportunity to see the reality firsthand. I plan to continue my travel and quest for communities of color in Europe.

I have attached a few pictures of my friends and I from the places we have visited abroad so far.

Beautiful.Tropical.Beaches.Water.Warm Weather. Sun. Just a few of the words that come to mind when I think of Barcelona,Spain. I along with five of my friends from London traveled to the beautiful country of Spain. We boarded an hour  train from Central London to Southend airport to embark on our journey. We flew with the airline easyjet. Disclaimer: NOTHING IS FREE! I guess cheap flights do not also come with free refreshments and our pockets learned this the hard way. We arrived at El Prat airport in Barcelona around 9:30pm and our journey began.

The language barrier was not as big as we assumed it would be. Everything at the airport also had an English translation as well as English speaking staff. This made our transition out of the airport fairly easy. So, our next obstacle was figuring out how to take the bus to get to our hotel. The buses did not have apple pay as they did in London so we were a bit stuck. None of us could speak English very well so we wondered awhile until we lucked up with a woman at a ticket booth who spoke English. We explained where we wanted to go and she sold us the tickets. This route ended with a 1.7 mile or about a 40 minute walk to our hotel. So with bags in hand and overly excited nerves we made the walk. We decided to play a little game to pass the time. We each decided to count the number of black people we passed because we had not seen many since we left the airport. Surprisingly in our 40 minute walk, we passed by 4. A surprisingly low number I thought for Barcelona. I assumed Barcelona to be as diverse as London. I am not sure why but obviously this was very ignorant on my part. Nonetheless, we reached our hotel, settled in and meet up with some other friends from London for a night of fun in the city. 

The next day we spent our time exploring the city and looking for the best photo spots. That of course was not our original intention but after wandering for hours with no luck of finding food we could all agree on we just started taking pictures. Pictures always seem to solve the situation. After having our own photoshoot for hours, we boarded a bus and headed back to the city. We walked a few strips and found a little restaurant named Chalito. I had a Rosca with chicken and mozzarella cheese. Rosca meaning ring or bagel in Spanish is a bread dish. It was extremely good and very cheesy!

During our time, we also visited La Sagrada Familia, Park Guell, Plaça Espanya and the Port of Barcelona. To top off our trip, we reinvented our own version of the Cheetah Girls! I can’t think of a better way to spend my time than with my amigas cheetahs, good food and warm weather.

I am finishing up my fourth week of classes at the University College London as a Biomedical Sciences affiliate student. When I first received my schedule it was pretty surreal. I only had classes Monday -Wednesday. That meant a 4-day weekend. I almost immediately began scheduling all the places I was going to travel to with my new found freedom. The first one my list was of course Barcelona! However, many of my lecturers advised against planning trips to especially Barcelona so soon but I was bothered and not concerned with that advice. The first week of classes went very smooth. I only had class Monday and Tuesday because my Wednesday practical did not start until week 4. How neat! My original schedule consisted of  the following four classes:

1. Race,Gender and Feminism: Lecture Monday 9-11am:Tutorial Tuesday 3-4pm
2. Identity Politics:Prejudice,Inclusion and Equal Rights Tuesday 11am-1pm
3. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Monday 4-6pm; Practical Wednesday 2-5pm
4. Drugs and the Mind Monday 2-4pm 

An Unexpected but Expected Change:

Note I said my original schedule so yes my 4-day weekend was quickly taken from me. At the University College of London students study one or at most two degree programmes. I was admitted into Biomedical Sciences therefore I was required to take at least 50% or in my case 2 classes in the Life Sciences department. This was no problem and I happily obliged. My next two classes were completely up to me or so I thought. In the second week of classes, I was removed from my Identity Politics class because I was not apart of a Political Science or International Affairs degree plan. Closed classes specifically for a degree programme are very common not only at the UCL but in the UK as well. It was not very surprising that I was removed because I was the only student from another degree programme in the module. Students were fascinated that I was taking such a wide range of courses. I was not limited to a degree programme as they were. Coming from the United States, I am accustomed to a liberal arts approach to education. I am very comfortable dubbing and trying out things that appeal to me. However at the University College London, this is not allowed. Students are admitted to a degree programme and take courses soley that relate directly to it with little room if any for exploration.

Bye Bye 4 Days. Hello Three!

My four day weekend was taken down to a three day weekend but again I am still very happy with that. The only module in my schedule that changed is my removal of the Identity Politics Course and the addition of a module title:

1. Crime and Security Tuesday 12-2pm;Tutorial Thursday 1-2pm

Dealing with Change and Continuing my Journey:

Change is inevitable and I am happy to welcome it as I continue to navigate in and around London as a tourist, a student and an American, and so many other identities. I have a lot of free time which I am not very accustomed to. This is all and continues to be a learning process. I am learning my way around the campus, learning my way to the university without directions, learning how and when to speak up in class if permitted and so many other areas of learning that I am also encountering. I hope to continue to evolve and change as the weeks and months continue to pass. London is beautiful and I wake up everyday with a humble heart and grateful spirit that I have been granted such an amazing opportunity.

 Black Girl Festival was founded by two women: Paula Akpan and Nicole Crentsil. Both women are London based but the former is half-Trinidadian, half-Jamacian and the latter is Ghanian born. Both women have been featured in Forbes, Stylist Magazine and has been a keynote speaker for Apple.

             

Here are a few quotes where both founders discuss the importance of why an event such as Black Girl Fest is so important and monumental for not only themselves but also for all Black British women and girls.

“We wanted to create something we wished we had for our younger selves”

                    -Paula Akpan, Founding Director

“Black women are at the core of everything we do. This is for us by us!”

                   -Nicole Crentsil, Founding Director 

“The world is a white man’s festival, so being able to carve out our own space is so important” 

                      -Paula Akpan & Nicole Crentsil, Stylist Magazine 

This event showcased the talents of Black British women and girls from all over. The panel discussions and talks varied widely and discussed very important issues and ideals in the Black British community. A few programs that stood out to me were the following: “Media and Black Disabled Sexuality”, “Being Black in Britain-Migration and Displacement”, “Why Aren’t There More Black Therapist”, and so many other great discussions and programs. Aside from the program discussions, this event also showcased black women businesses in London. Women sold art, clothing, skin care, haircare, make-up and many other things that were made to cater and fit to the needs of black women and girls specifically. 

This event fits perfectly with Black History Month here in the United Kingdom because this event really celebrates and embraces the beauty of not only being Black but of being a Black women. A quote that really resonates with me is one by Malcom X: “The most disrespected woman in America, is the Black Woman. The most unprotected person in America is the Black Woman. The most neglected person in America, is the Black Woman.” This organization is breaking down years of not only systemic gender oppression but more importantly of racial oppression. This festival curated a safe space for women and girls  to discuss pressing issues in their communities, learn more about the different experiences of black women and girls and to socialize with one another.

This event promotes networking among black professionals in London. These two women were able to bring a wide variety of black professionals to the Black british community of London in one beautiful setting. The ideas of “taking up space” and “inclusivity” we’re definitely well received and achieved at this year’s festival. The founders even went as far as offering free tickets to women and girls who wished to attend but could not afford a ticket. This way all women and girls were able to partake in this year’s festival regardless of their circumstance. Nicole and Paula have started a movement in London and I hope more young black professionals follow in their footsteps of creating a community and safe space for black british women and girls. 

Below are a few photos from the booths present at this year’s festival that I purchased items from:

Today marks exactly two weeks that I’ve been living in London on my own. My mother returned to the states on the 15th of September and I’ve been figuring my way around ever since.  While touring the city with my mother, I heard a quote on one of the tour buses. It is probably a bit cliche for English students but it really resonated with me. This is the quote by Samuel Johnson: “Sir, when a man is tired of London, he is tired of life; for there is in London all that life can afford.” Mr.Johnson really hit the nail on the head with this quote. London is full of life,love and possibility. I have yet to find myself bored. Most days I’m scrambling to fit all I want to do in a day into my schedule. London has something for everyone and through my blog I really want to showcase the vast diversity it offers. 

I will detail the activities and places I have taken part in and visited this past  week to give you a glimpse of how I have been spending most of my free time. 

22nd September (Sunday) Witnessing the Changing of the Guards

If I am being completely honest, I do not see the massive hype that surrounds this event. It was very hard to see and really no way to distinguish what was happening behind the gates. Granted I arrived around 10:40am for an internationally known event that began at 11 am so it may be partly my fault for my lack of view and therefore excitement. It is something that I can say I did while in London. Now I am not trying to sway anyone from witnessing this historical event as I am a firm believer in experiencing everything. If I had to rate the experience it would fall very low on my scale. At most a 3/10, I found it to be very ant-climatic. However, I am happy I was able to witness or at least partly witness such a historical event. 

23rd September (Monday) Visiting the Foriegn and Commonwealth Office 

I was fortunate enough to explore this beautiful gem during London’s Open House Week. It took place this year between 22nd of September through to the 29th of September. This Open House week is a time to explore over 800 buildings in London free of cost but beware of long queues(lines)  so plan to arrive early. I was unfortunately only able to visit this building during open house week but if you ever find yourself in London during this time I would definitely recommend exploring all you can. I pulled this description from the Foreign and Commonwealth website to give a bit of background on the building. The website states, “The Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) has a worldwide network of embassies and consulates, employing over 14,000 people in nearly 270 diplomatic offices. We work with international organisations to promote UK interests and global security, including the EU, NATO, the United Nations, the UN Security Council and the Commonwealth.” I do not know much about diplomatic affairs but the beautiful thing about London is that you don’t have too. The guides during the open house were extremely informative on the in-workings, purpose and overall responsibilities the office handles. The interior was absolutely beautiful. There were many places were photos were restricted but I managed to get a few good shots of the inside. 

24th September (Tuesday) An English Afternoon Tea

As many of you probably know afternoon tea is a long standing English tradition. One of which I was quite excited to partake in. I was and still am unfamiliar with traditional English customs so I felt as if afternoon tea would be my first steps towards an authentic English experience. I and a few friends had tea at fairly quaint but well known shop known as The English Rose Cafe and Tea Shop. A quick side note I ran into two other students from my home university (Howard University) who were visiting London from Spain. I thought that was really cool because it goes to show just how small the world really is. However back to the tea, I had a vanilla chai tea latte( Yes, I know not an english drink) and scones with raspberry jam and clotted cream. The chai tea was amazing. I was very happy with this choice. The scones on the other hand I am not a fan of. I found them to be very dry and without much flavour. Initially I thought clotted cream was just another name for butter. It is not. It is actually just made by steaming cow’s milk indirectly and allowing it to cool in a shallow pan where the cream content rises to the surface and forms “clots”.  Although I am not a big fan of scones, I will be exploring more tea shops in London in the coming weeks. 

25th September  (Wednesday) Induction Week of Classes

I officially begin school on the 30th of September but this past week I had an introduction to my courses. I was fairly lucky because I only had one introductory lecture for the week on this day which began at 9am. It was quite brief. The lecturer introduced the course schedule, moodle and discussed how the course would be taught. The lecture was in a huge theatre at the Pullman Hotel due to the size of the class. The lecturer said there were roughly 500 students registered for this module (course). Definitely the largest class I have ever been apart of. Once the lecture was over, I spent a few hours exploring and learning my way around the University College London Science Library since I plan on spending most of my time here during the week. Sadly, I have no pictures of the librayIt is a massive library. There were 5 floors and a large computer lab on the main floor. On the inside it looked like an ordinary library nothing too fancy. I studied in the medical sciences area which was very quiet so I think I have scoped out my study place for the term! 

26th September (Thursday) Rainy Day In

I decided to stay in due to the abnormally stormy weather. I know it rains a lot in London but usually in short spurts. It however rained heavily all day and into the night. Since I had been running all week, I decided to stay in and get ahead on some of my coursework.

27th September (Friday) Harrods Visit!

For starters Harrod’s is one of the largest and most famous stores not only in London but also the world. It is home to the likes of Christian Loubatin, Dior, Prada, Louis Vuitton and so many more high end designer brands. Harrod’s is a one stop shop for all of your luxury needs. The store houses accessories, jewelry, clothing, shoes and even a home and bath department. I spent about 3 hours and walked out with a 21 GPB/26 USD mascara by NARS because that is about all of the luxury I can afford! My birthday is coming up soon so I plan to take a trip back for something special. 

28th September (Saturday) Admiring London’s Street Art

London has art of all kinds but I am a big fan of street art. I was walking in Shoreditch which is a borough of London known for its street art when I stumbled across this beautiful display. I plan on dedicating a day very soon to exploring and admiring London’s street art because there is just so much talent! I am not sure who graced the area with this art but I loved it. 

What’s Next

I have 3 months left to discover London and I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface. It’s exciting yet a bit intimidating and overwhelming. Since I am only studying in London for a term, my time here is limited. Nonetheless I find that motivating rather than discouraging. I plan to make the most of my time here. I begin classes this coming week but I have a few exciting things planned so watch out for my next post!

Hello Everyone! Welcome to my blog. My name is Bria Crear. I am 19 years old. I am currently a junior at Howard University but I am originally from Nashville,TN.

This fall semester I will be studying abroad at the University College London. I have decided to study Biomedical Sciences. I have attached an introductory video. My blog will cover my academic experience but also my social and spiritual one as well. I will publish weekly. I will aim to be consistent so I plan to post every Monday or Sunday. I am very new to blogging and vlogging so bare with me as I learn the ins and outs. I cannot upload videos here so, I plan on making a youtube channel very soon so that you all may have a more lively depiction of my time abroad. I hope you choose to follow on my newest journey in life!

https://vimeo.com/fea/review/361841863/aceb9f7bf2