On the morning of the 27th of September, the Bucknell in London group took a mile and a half walk along Regent's Canal. Here, we learned the mechanisms and workings of the canal locks as well as the function and importance of the canal itself. There were many exciting parts of the trip, including getting to open and close the canal locks ourselves as well as Jeremy, Paul, Chris, Chizz, Kyle and Wes pulling out a drowned motorbike from the depths of the water.
In conjunction with the science aspect of our common course, one of the main objectives of the tour of the canal was to learn about the operation of the locks. A lock is a device that is situated in different sections of a canal and controls the water level to enable the raising and lowering of boats that pass through the canal. All locks are composed of three basic elements. The first is the watertight chamber, a body of water which connects the upper and lower canals and is large enough to enclose one or more boats. The position of the chamber is fixed, but its water level can vary. The second is a gate, which is located at either end of the chamber. A gate is opened to allow a boat to enter or leave the chamber, and when closed, the gate is watertight. The last element is a set of lock gear to empty or fill the chamber as required by the boats. As we saw at Regent's Canal, this is usually a simple valve, traditionally a flat panel (paddle), lifted by manually winding a rack and pinion mechanism which allows water to drain into or out of the chamber.
If a boat is traveling upstream, the process is as follows: the first lock gate opens and the boat enters the chamber. The gate closes behind the boat. The valve on the opposite side of where the boat entered is then opened to allow water to flow into the chamber, which in turn causes the boat to rise as the chamber fills to the level of the water on the other side of the lock. (The water level on the other side of the lock is maintained by pumping and water flowing from the upper reaches of the canal.) The second lock gate opens when water levels between the outside of the canal and the inside of the lock are equal. (The gate opens against the flow of water which means that the gate can only be opened when the levels are equal.) The boat then leaves the lock through the second gate, and the valve and the lock gate are closed behind it.
In a fundamentally similar yet different comparison, if a boat is traveling downstream, the process is as follows: the first lock gate opens and the boat enters the chamber. The gate closes behind the boat. The valve built into the lock gate on the opposite side opens allowing the water to flow out of the chamber. The boat is lowered as the water level in the chamber falls. The second lock gate opens against the flow of water and so the gate can only be opened when the levels are equal. The boat then leaves the chamber and the valve and the lock gate are closed. As one can see, the process of the functioning of the lock is similar between upstream and downstream travel with the exception that when traveling upstream, the valve must be opened to fill the chamber with water, but when traveling downstream, the valve must be opened to allow water to escape from the chamber.
Locks within a canal are necessary for very important reasons. As canals were being constructed in more "ambitious" (unlevel) areas, locks became necessary to offset the changes in water level caused by uneven ground. Locks eliminated the need for detours, which would have been completely uneconomic in both construction costs and journey time. Essentially, locks are used to make a canal more easily navigable and also to allow canals to take a reasonably direct line across terrain that is not level.
The other main objective of our tour of Regent's Canal dealt with the other aspect of our common course, economics. This canal has served many purposes, the main of which was commercial traffic. In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, cars, trucks, railways and trains were very seldom if even available. With this, canals served as the main way to import and export goods. This greatly supported London's (as well as Britain's) economy as goods were constantly being shipped out as well as shipped in, which helped to regulate commerce and employ many workers. While this activity has greatly declined, the canal still supports London's economy through water-based tourism, leisure activities, and informal recreation.
Even though it was rather chilly, I still had a great time touring Regent's Canal. Getting to open and close the locks was my absolute favorite part. It was also fun to see the old tavern sign dating back to the 1800s, and watch the boys pull the motorbike out of the canal.
Thursday, 27 September 2007
Sunday, 16 September 2007
Hampton Court
Like father like son? In the case of Henry VII and Henry VIII, in essence, the exact opposite is true.
Henry VII, a Welshman born in 1457, was a benevolent and extremely cautious king during his 1485-1509 reign. Literally having to fight to become king (killing previous monarch Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field), Henry VII came into leadership and immediately began making allegiances and treaties with other countries so as to completely secure his standings and prevent any wars from breaking out. For example, he made an allegiance with France so that they wouldn't support any pretenders who may want to become king. He also made political alliances with several countries so as to remain amicable with everyone and not lose ties with anyone.
He, a Lancastrian, even married a woman of the enemy, Elizabeth of York, to cancel any link that they might have had to the throne. Through their union, the Tudor Rose came into existence, a symbol of peace which is a combination of the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York.
In addition to his cautiousness and his efforts of peace and prosperity, Henry VII was a brilliant administrator and a political and economic mastermind. When the War of the Roses completely wiped out England economically and financially, Henry VII developed a tax system in which everyone paid; by the time of Henry VIII's reign, Henry VII had collected approximately 1.5 million pounds. This significant increase in funds helped England to regain its economic power and bounce back after the severe damages of the War.
During his reign Henry VII also encourage trade and exploration, which also greatly benefited England socially and economically. Overall, Henry VII was a compassionate, cautious, and brilliantly intelligent king who greatly boosted several aspects of English life and made the country a place of peace and prosperity. Whenever his son, Henry VIII, came into leadership, many things were about to change.
Henry VIII, the second son of Henry VII, was not even supposed to be king but rather the position "fell" on him when the eldest son, Arthur, the original and intended heir to the throne, died in 1502. With this, Henry VIII did not have to fight to become king as his father did, and was by no means prepared to rule the place his father worked so hard to rebuild. Henry VIII was not educated in politics and warfare but instead fancied fashion, sports, music, and women. His mannerisms were very different compared to those of his father; when he took over in 1509, one of the first things he wanted to do was to go against his father's rulings he established and go to war with France. Henry VIII thought he deserved some land in France from his father, and when he did not get what he wanted, he went to war. As can obviously be inferred, Henry VIII was very hot-headed and arrogant and had a very big ego, perhaps one of the biggest egos in the history of man. He was a very "look at me look at me" type and did not accept anything other than his way.
Perhaps one of the biggest enablers of Henry's ego was his right hand man, Cardinal Wolsey. Wolsey, an absolute genius of his time but also a man of poor origin, was chief advisor to Henry VIII for most of his reign. Wolsey, although extremely helpful to the king, caused many problems within the monarch system because of his poor origins and rapidly ascending status. Many of the noblemen greatly disliked Wolsey for he was of a lower class than themselves but received special treatment from the king. Despite their dislike, Wolsey did most of Henry VIII's work such as setting up a Barrier System among other many influential things. It was pretty much as if Cardinal Wolsey was doing all the work and Henry VIII was getting all of the credit.
When Wolsey advised Henry VIII to not go to war with France because of a lack of funds, Henry VIII would not listen and demanded that Wolsey do something about it. Wolsey, unable to change Henry's mind, eventually went along with the king and in 1518 created a world stage for economics and politics to be discussed in the UK. This event, particularly the Field of the Cloth of Gold, took place in France and people were shipped to France from everywhere except Western Europe. This event wrecked England's bank account that Henry VII worked so hard to accumulate; this can tell one a great deal about Henry's impulsive and egotistical character.
As only the second Tudor Monarch in England's history, producing a son and therefore heir to the throne was among Henry's top priorities. When his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, did not produce a son (although we know now that it is the male who determines the sex of an offspring), Henry wanted to divorce her and try to produce a son with another woman. Although he truly loved Katherine, her perceived failure of producing a son forced Henry to leave her. This is when problems arose between Henry and the Roman Catholic Church. A divorce is strictly prohibited within this religion, so when Henry wanted a divorce, it was not allowed by Roman Catholic officials. Henry then demanded Cardinal Wolsey to do something about the situation, but when Wolsey was unable to produce any changes, Henry dismissed Wolsey and sentenced him to death, even after Wolsey had practically done Henry's job for him and built up England's economics for so many years. It is believed that Wolsey died on the way to the court.
When Henry VIII was not allowed to get a divorce, he severed the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church and established himself, the king, as the supreme head of the Church in England. With this, Henry could divorce Katherine of Aragon and marry another woman in attempts to produce an heir to the throne.
This is when Henry VIII infamously wed five other women to try to produce a son, all with failed attempts. His third wife, Jane Seymour, gave him a son, Edward, but unfortunately Edward was very sick his entire life and died quite young. His two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, both born to different women, eventually became queens, but Henry never had the son he so desperately desired.
While Henry was busy trying to produce a son, England was gaining status but lacked the funds to support it. Henry VIII had spent all of his father's 1.5 million pounds and was not doing much to gain any of it back. He was also encouraging political arguments and breaking ties with families as well as allies, something his father would have never done.
Despite his audacious attitude and impulsive moves, Henry VIII did do things to greatly benefit and advance England. He joined Wales to England, was involved in the original construction and improvement of several significant buildings, was among the first European rulers to learn about the true geography of the world, launched the English Reformation, and is also considered one of the founders of the Royal Navy.
With all of this information, I would have to say that Henry VIII was a more notorious rather than most important king. He did do several acts to improve England, but his brash mannerisms seemed to lead to more problems than solutions. Henry VII, his father, was a very conservative and cautious king, which was very different to his son. Both men were very influential in England's history, but, in my opinion, they are so for very different reasons.
Henry VII, a Welshman born in 1457, was a benevolent and extremely cautious king during his 1485-1509 reign. Literally having to fight to become king (killing previous monarch Richard III in the Battle of Bosworth Field), Henry VII came into leadership and immediately began making allegiances and treaties with other countries so as to completely secure his standings and prevent any wars from breaking out. For example, he made an allegiance with France so that they wouldn't support any pretenders who may want to become king. He also made political alliances with several countries so as to remain amicable with everyone and not lose ties with anyone.
He, a Lancastrian, even married a woman of the enemy, Elizabeth of York, to cancel any link that they might have had to the throne. Through their union, the Tudor Rose came into existence, a symbol of peace which is a combination of the red rose of Lancaster and the white rose of York.
In addition to his cautiousness and his efforts of peace and prosperity, Henry VII was a brilliant administrator and a political and economic mastermind. When the War of the Roses completely wiped out England economically and financially, Henry VII developed a tax system in which everyone paid; by the time of Henry VIII's reign, Henry VII had collected approximately 1.5 million pounds. This significant increase in funds helped England to regain its economic power and bounce back after the severe damages of the War.
During his reign Henry VII also encourage trade and exploration, which also greatly benefited England socially and economically. Overall, Henry VII was a compassionate, cautious, and brilliantly intelligent king who greatly boosted several aspects of English life and made the country a place of peace and prosperity. Whenever his son, Henry VIII, came into leadership, many things were about to change.
Henry VIII, the second son of Henry VII, was not even supposed to be king but rather the position "fell" on him when the eldest son, Arthur, the original and intended heir to the throne, died in 1502. With this, Henry VIII did not have to fight to become king as his father did, and was by no means prepared to rule the place his father worked so hard to rebuild. Henry VIII was not educated in politics and warfare but instead fancied fashion, sports, music, and women. His mannerisms were very different compared to those of his father; when he took over in 1509, one of the first things he wanted to do was to go against his father's rulings he established and go to war with France. Henry VIII thought he deserved some land in France from his father, and when he did not get what he wanted, he went to war. As can obviously be inferred, Henry VIII was very hot-headed and arrogant and had a very big ego, perhaps one of the biggest egos in the history of man. He was a very "look at me look at me" type and did not accept anything other than his way.
Perhaps one of the biggest enablers of Henry's ego was his right hand man, Cardinal Wolsey. Wolsey, an absolute genius of his time but also a man of poor origin, was chief advisor to Henry VIII for most of his reign. Wolsey, although extremely helpful to the king, caused many problems within the monarch system because of his poor origins and rapidly ascending status. Many of the noblemen greatly disliked Wolsey for he was of a lower class than themselves but received special treatment from the king. Despite their dislike, Wolsey did most of Henry VIII's work such as setting up a Barrier System among other many influential things. It was pretty much as if Cardinal Wolsey was doing all the work and Henry VIII was getting all of the credit.
When Wolsey advised Henry VIII to not go to war with France because of a lack of funds, Henry VIII would not listen and demanded that Wolsey do something about it. Wolsey, unable to change Henry's mind, eventually went along with the king and in 1518 created a world stage for economics and politics to be discussed in the UK. This event, particularly the Field of the Cloth of Gold, took place in France and people were shipped to France from everywhere except Western Europe. This event wrecked England's bank account that Henry VII worked so hard to accumulate; this can tell one a great deal about Henry's impulsive and egotistical character.
As only the second Tudor Monarch in England's history, producing a son and therefore heir to the throne was among Henry's top priorities. When his first wife, Katherine of Aragon, did not produce a son (although we know now that it is the male who determines the sex of an offspring), Henry wanted to divorce her and try to produce a son with another woman. Although he truly loved Katherine, her perceived failure of producing a son forced Henry to leave her. This is when problems arose between Henry and the Roman Catholic Church. A divorce is strictly prohibited within this religion, so when Henry wanted a divorce, it was not allowed by Roman Catholic officials. Henry then demanded Cardinal Wolsey to do something about the situation, but when Wolsey was unable to produce any changes, Henry dismissed Wolsey and sentenced him to death, even after Wolsey had practically done Henry's job for him and built up England's economics for so many years. It is believed that Wolsey died on the way to the court.
When Henry VIII was not allowed to get a divorce, he severed the Church of England from the Roman Catholic Church and established himself, the king, as the supreme head of the Church in England. With this, Henry could divorce Katherine of Aragon and marry another woman in attempts to produce an heir to the throne.
This is when Henry VIII infamously wed five other women to try to produce a son, all with failed attempts. His third wife, Jane Seymour, gave him a son, Edward, but unfortunately Edward was very sick his entire life and died quite young. His two daughters, Mary and Elizabeth, both born to different women, eventually became queens, but Henry never had the son he so desperately desired.
While Henry was busy trying to produce a son, England was gaining status but lacked the funds to support it. Henry VIII had spent all of his father's 1.5 million pounds and was not doing much to gain any of it back. He was also encouraging political arguments and breaking ties with families as well as allies, something his father would have never done.
Despite his audacious attitude and impulsive moves, Henry VIII did do things to greatly benefit and advance England. He joined Wales to England, was involved in the original construction and improvement of several significant buildings, was among the first European rulers to learn about the true geography of the world, launched the English Reformation, and is also considered one of the founders of the Royal Navy.
With all of this information, I would have to say that Henry VIII was a more notorious rather than most important king. He did do several acts to improve England, but his brash mannerisms seemed to lead to more problems than solutions. Henry VII, his father, was a very conservative and cautious king, which was very different to his son. Both men were very influential in England's history, but, in my opinion, they are so for very different reasons.
Wednesday, 12 September 2007
Ironbridge Gorge
After a busy week of paper writing and traveling, I am finally able to take some time to discuss and reflect upon my time in Ironbridge.
The first place we visited was the Blists Hill Victorian Town, a quaint little village designed to resemble a Victorian town just at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. Most of the town was fabricated and not actually from that time period, however, there were some extant items such as the canal, blast furnaces, and the inclined plane, one of the greatest remnants of the Industrial Revolution.
Just at the entrance of the town, our tourguide, Jayne, showed us a little square contraption on wheels and asked us if we had any ideas as to what it was. All of us took guesses, but no one guessed the correctly. It turns out that this tiny building (no more than 6-8 feet in length and 4-6 feet in width) was actually a workman's hub in which three to four workers would live for weeks to months at a time while they were working on the construction of roads and/or railroads. After our Jayne told us this fascinating fact, I knew that I was in for a treat touring the rest of the town.
Throughout Blists Hill there were many artifacts either from the Industrial Revolution or models of machines and buildings from that era. One such building was the Foundry, which was an old industry building that would make cast iron models of figurines and parts for machinery. The factory still does function on Wednesdays and makes figurines as they would have in Victorian times; too bad we were there on a Thursday and did not get to witness this historic process. The process of making the figurines and machine parts involves smelting iron and then pouring the hot liquid metal into the molds. The process of smelting iron was first developed by Abraham Darby, a Quaker who lived in Coalbrookedale. This extraordinary invention allowed iron to be produced for a fraction of the price and therefore kick-started the Industrial Revolution.
A model of the first steam railroad engine was right up the street from the Foundry. This innovative device enabled supplies, particularly coal, to be shipped to specific locations at a much faster pace during the Industrial Revolution time period. It was also used to lower down trolleys and possibly men into the mine shafts in the 19th century. When we saw it the steam engine was on and smoking but was not running as it still does from time to time. Behind the steam railroad were enormous brick buildings built by a brick building company that was in operation around the late 18th-early 19th centuries. The buildings were obviously rundown due to their age and lack of use, but it was still fascinating to get to see such a vital part of history.
Running along the steam engine, brick company building and Foundry was the canal, one of the most important inventions of the time. Under the guidance of William Reynolds, this artificial canal was constructed to provide a mode of transportation to carry the tons of coal from the coal fields to the blast furnaces. It provided an easy way to transport several thousand tons of coal daily and was a major constituent in daily life during the Industrial Revolution. It was a great economic move for Reynolds to construct the canal as the town would then be able to increase its productivity and therefore its sales. The canal proved to do just that, which enabled Coalbrookedale to become a giant leader in coal and iron production. Because of their success, roads had to be built within the town to be able to handle the heavy traffic coming to and leaving the town. In the 1830s toll-houses were added, which were very nice houses built for toll workers who would live there and collect payment to finance the roads.
Perhaps the two most fascinating sites in Blists Hill were the blast furnaces and the inclined plane. The blast furnaces were just about midway between the steam engine depot and the inclined plane. They were absolutely huge and of a very peculiar shape and design. Thousands of tons of coal would be loaded up into these furnaces, which were also a major part of the success of the industrial town. They were first constructed for economic reasons and were fed directly from the canal. Production from them ceased in 1912 when the town was beginning to stop production and deteriorate into an abandoned city.
The inclined plane was an extraordinary site with a fascinating story. Whenever the Industrial Revolution was occurring and massive amounts of coal were being harvested, the men needed an efficient way to get the coal from the canal to the furnaces. They held a contest to see who could come up with the best idea and the winning idea was to construct an inclined plane; a seemingly simple idea but with a diligent design and award-winning results. The two men who thought of the idea were Henry Williams and James Lowden. The process consisted of having a depot where the tubs would go onto a cradle and carried down the hill via pulleys and rope. They would then be unhinged and deposited at the furnace plant. The steam engine would assist the tubs to go up and down the plane. The plane itself was 1,000 feet long with a sixty-six yard vertical rise. To demonstrate its capabilities, a pair of five ton tub boats would be able to traverse down the hill in just four minutes! This great monument of historic ingenuity had its last commercial operation in 1894 and was formally closed in 1907.
After the hay-day of the Industrial Revolution, Coalbrookedale became an industrial wasteland. The mines were abandoned in 1941 and the brickworks and tileworks were closed in the 1950s. It was not until 1967 when the Ironbridge Gorge trust fund was set up and the area was open to the public so they we could have the opportunity to learn vital information about our country's revolutionary past.
Blists Hill Victorian town relates to Hobsbawm's commentary in that it displayed the economic and social transformations as well as the innovative inventions businessmen were constructing during this time period. Machinery, canals and railways were constructed to handle and transport the mass amount of coal being produced, and the town was becoming more modern with its addition of roadways. People were changing the ways they worked as well as the ways they thought. Blists Hills did a fantastic job of recreating the rich history of the Industrial Revolution, and it taught me several important facts about the era that I had not been aware of before.
After Blists Hills and a brief lunch courtesy of our friendly hostel workers, we then traveled to the Coalport China Museum which was just as interesting and intellectually stimulating. Here Jayne took us around the factory and gave us a detailed history about its past. The first factory, now the site of a youth hostel, was originally built in 1796 by John Rose. In 1810, Rose bought out his brother's factory, merged his building with his brother's building, and made the China building one of the largest factories in its time. Here workers would produce Bone China, which was comprised of 25% China clay, 25% granite, and 50% calcinated and ground cattle bone. Actual bone was used because it made the porcelain beautifully white, had the most amazing strength, was incredibly strong but delicate, was transparent when held up to a light, and was favored by artists because it gave a beautiful white background on which to paint. The China produced at the factory was shipped abroad which further helped to drive Coalbrookedale's economy.
As soon as you were able to work, you were. Kids, as young as the age of eight, would work 12 hour days assisting potters. With the help of the kids as well as the vast amount of adult workers and the innovative machinery and inventions concocted during this time, nearly 800 China products were produced a day as compared to a mere 80 in a cottage industry. Using machines, all of the products were the same size, thickness, and quality, which was an advantage to China produced in cottage industries which would inevitably end up having all different properties due to the products being made by hand. This not only displays the industrialization of the factory, but also its efficiency and success.
Despite its vast success, the factory did have its downfalls. The average lifespan of a pottery worker was substantially shorter than that of a regular worker due to industrial illnesses. Potters could get clay dust on their lungs which could lead to bronchial diseases. Lead poisoning was also prevalent because of the lead-based paint used to paint the China. Women would stick the brushes into their mouths to make the end pointy and would thus get lead into their bloodstream. The poisoning led to a disease known as Potter's Rot in which the internal organs would begin to rot. It was not until later times that lead-free paint was developed, so workers during this time, unaware of the dangers they faced, would work diligently but also be slowly killing themselves at the same time.
Putting its disadvantages behind, before the Bone China could be put into one of the six kilns, it had to go into a contraption known as a sagga first. A sagga is a case that would protect the China from the flames of the kiln. Up to 3,000 saggas were loaded into a kiln a day, so it's no wonder that the kilns were enormous. There was also a huge chimney surrounding each kiln to prevent fire-related injuries and to channel the smoke upwards into the sky. Fireproof bricks with cast-iron supporters went around the kiln in order to prevent the kiln from cracking due to the constant heating up and cooling down it had to endure. Before the kiln was started (which required up to 15 tons of coal), a brick door was constructed to keep the fumes in, and was later destroyed whenever the China was ready to be taken out. This meant that a new brick door had to be constructed with every firing of the kiln, which was obviously time consuming and costly, but it was the only way the kiln would properly work. They were also "green" with the bricks in that they recycled those from the door and used them to form pavement. The man in charge of the kiln was the fireman, who had the incredible responsibility of maintaining the fire and making sure the China was fired for just the right amount of time at just the right temperature (usually around 1250 degrees Centigrade). This job obviously had huge liability, which is why the fireman was the second best paid man aside from the manager.
The Coalport China Museum also perfectly displayed the industrialization occurring during the era and also goes hand in hand with Hobsbawm's commentary in that it too had an acceleration of growth due to economic and social transformation (via John Rose and the Industrial Revolution) and also introduced revolutionary methods to allow for the mass production of China to be shipped worldwide. It was a great pleasure to experience the process of making China and to also be able to view the absolutely beautiful China constructed during the time period of its functioning.
Throughout the rest of our trip to Ironbridge Gorge, we visited the Darby homes and Quaker burial grounds, an original furnace dating back to the 1600s, the Museum of Iron, and the Engenuity building, which was a very fun interactive building that, although geared toward a younger crowd, had displays in which people could learn "hands-on" about the advancements and products produced during the Industrial Revolution. The Museum of Iron building was built in 1838 and was used to store cast iron goods. As with the Bone China, these goods were transported globally and helped to boost the town's economy.
Through visiting the Darby homes and walking thorough various places with our tourguides, I learned saw and learned so many things concerning the Industrial Revolution. For instance, while Hobsbawm will not admit it, religion had a huge part in the Industrial Revolution. Religious dissenters had more leaders and entrepreneurs in the Industrial Revolution, and more innovations came from Quakers rather than Anglicans because of the importance this religious group put on education. Quakers also had a source of money to kick-start their ideas and fund any necessary developments, such as the Ironbridge, constructed by Abraham Darby III. His family and friends paid the approximately 4,000 pound difference in the cost it took to construct the bridge, which ended up being one of the greatest economic productions resulting from the Industrial Revolution. I also learned a great deal about the first Abraham Darby who sparked the Industrial Revolution, developed a new way to smelt iron, and was the first person to use coke as a fuel and use sand as a cast for the iron.
I learned so many fascinating things and had a great time surrounding myself in such an integral part of our modern society's history. This fieldtrip and every place we visited directly coincided with Hobsbawm's commentary in that they all powered growth due to social and economic transformations as well as introduced revolutionary methods for the production and use of iron. With that being said, overall, my trip to Ironbridge Gorge was wonderful.
Sunday, 2 September 2007
Thoughts
I just wanted to quickly jot down some things I have been noticing that I believe are relevant to economics and technology, two major facets in our common course class.
Firstly, I have been noticing the vast amount of foreigners here in London. I know this is a major metropolitan city, but I feel like I see more foreigners here than I do Londoners. I most commonly see Japanese people, but overall, London seems to be a huge melting pot of many different kinds of ethnicities. This obviously relates to the huge economic variety and opportunities in this city. People from all around the world flock here to find something of interest to them or to even find work in general. People from very poor and poverty-stricken countries come here to find work and often work for very cheap since anything is better than the life they had in their original homeland. Others come here to find a specific kind of work or something of more interest than the job they had previously. Foreigners also come here, as I am, to be a tourist and take in the rich history and exciting life London has to offer. Either way, London is full of people from every corner of the world.
As I continue to live here for a longer amount of time and travel to various places, I have noticed the difference between the modern buildings and the historical buildings. The historical buildings in London as well as the other countries I have been to seem to have more thought and detail put into them and are not as large as contemporary buildings. Compared to historic buildings, modern buildings are constructed in no time flat, which in my opinion causes them to look rather bland and hurts the image of the country they are built in. Take London for example. Modern buildings here are very close together and seem to be constructed of only steel and glass. Historic buildings in London are made out of fine stone and/or marble and have very intricate designs carved into them. Whenever I am walking around town, I take notice of these two types of buildings, and I must say I would rather the town have more older buildings than newer ones. While enormous in size and eye-catching, the modern day buildings don't contribute as much to the London economy as the preserved historic buildings do. I would much rather see more buildings such as Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral than the Lloyd's Building and Millennium Dome.
I have also noticed the difference between US and UK traffic lights. The yellow light in the UK is used when the light is about to turn red as well as when it is about to turn green. The yellow light in the US is only used when the light is about to turn red. I believe it is a smarter idea to use the yellow light on both occasions as this lets drivers know when to get ready to stop and go. This is just something I have noticed and wanted to share my thoughts about; I am not entirely sure if it has a major relevance to economics or technology, but I still thought it was interesting.
I am sure there will be more things I notice within the coming weeks, so I will most likely have another journal entry like this one soon. Until then--cheers.
Firstly, I have been noticing the vast amount of foreigners here in London. I know this is a major metropolitan city, but I feel like I see more foreigners here than I do Londoners. I most commonly see Japanese people, but overall, London seems to be a huge melting pot of many different kinds of ethnicities. This obviously relates to the huge economic variety and opportunities in this city. People from all around the world flock here to find something of interest to them or to even find work in general. People from very poor and poverty-stricken countries come here to find work and often work for very cheap since anything is better than the life they had in their original homeland. Others come here to find a specific kind of work or something of more interest than the job they had previously. Foreigners also come here, as I am, to be a tourist and take in the rich history and exciting life London has to offer. Either way, London is full of people from every corner of the world.
As I continue to live here for a longer amount of time and travel to various places, I have noticed the difference between the modern buildings and the historical buildings. The historical buildings in London as well as the other countries I have been to seem to have more thought and detail put into them and are not as large as contemporary buildings. Compared to historic buildings, modern buildings are constructed in no time flat, which in my opinion causes them to look rather bland and hurts the image of the country they are built in. Take London for example. Modern buildings here are very close together and seem to be constructed of only steel and glass. Historic buildings in London are made out of fine stone and/or marble and have very intricate designs carved into them. Whenever I am walking around town, I take notice of these two types of buildings, and I must say I would rather the town have more older buildings than newer ones. While enormous in size and eye-catching, the modern day buildings don't contribute as much to the London economy as the preserved historic buildings do. I would much rather see more buildings such as Westminster Abbey and St. Paul's Cathedral than the Lloyd's Building and Millennium Dome.
I have also noticed the difference between US and UK traffic lights. The yellow light in the UK is used when the light is about to turn red as well as when it is about to turn green. The yellow light in the US is only used when the light is about to turn red. I believe it is a smarter idea to use the yellow light on both occasions as this lets drivers know when to get ready to stop and go. This is just something I have noticed and wanted to share my thoughts about; I am not entirely sure if it has a major relevance to economics or technology, but I still thought it was interesting.
I am sure there will be more things I notice within the coming weeks, so I will most likely have another journal entry like this one soon. Until then--cheers.
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