I am the type of person who would want to try out coffee shops and food places at every new place I visit. This is something I absolutely love doing and it’s one of those things which brings me joy. So it shouldn’t be a surprise that I absolutely had to try out the Borough Market here in London which is the famous food market here. As I was going through the list of “must visit places in London”, this was among the top five on the list, so I knew I had to visit this place. Although, with the description I read, I wasn’t too sure what to expect- was it a place where fresh veggies and fruits are sold or was it more like a place where food from different parts of the part are sold.
As I took the tube to the nearest station, London Bridge, and walked towards the market, I didn’t even have to open Maps on my phone anymore because there were numerous people walking in clusters towards the market. Even before entering the market, you could see people with fresh produce in their hands, crowding on the road waiting to load their cars or to take the bus home.
As soon as I entered the market, I figured how huge it is. So I thought before making up my mind to purchase anything, I should walk around the entire market to understand the layout. After completing the round in 45 minutes (yes, it’s that big), I had an idea somewhat. The market had different sections – one part where fresh produce like fish, fruits, etc. are sold; then there is the bakery section which by the way was my favorite; and then was the section where food of different cuisines were being sold.
One thing I have learned about people, after staying by myself for the the past 3 years and visiting quite a few places, is that never assume anything about anyone. For instance, a person who might look Asian (Indian) might be from Sri Lanka or Bangladesh or some other country -my point is never assume their origin or what they like or anything. One of the best advice I have ever received from my parents is that it is always better to ask people questions and clarify instead of making a wrong assumption and offending someone. For instance, a met a girl in the market and if I had to assume, I would say she had an American background but it turns out that she spoke better Hindi (an Indian language) than me being an Indian and absolutely loves Indian food. She told me she loves the spices in Asian food and she comes to the market once every week to have the Indian food there.
So coming back to the food market topic, I just want to say that this place was truly amazing. If you like to try out new and different food, this place is a must go for you. And the best part was that there were people from different backgrounds- it was like a global hub. The different stalls for food had a very diverse group of people lining up- so it was great to see people were trying out different cuisines.
Advice for week 6: Don’t make an assumption, be open minded and ask a lot of questions.
A Message from the Office of Global Engagement:
The safety and security of Drexel students is a priority for the University. As part of the efforts to support Drexel students that are studying abroad during the COVID-19 pandemic, the Office of Global Engagement has conducted a rigorous review of programming and provided additional support to participating students with customized pre-departure orientations and regular check-ins during the required self-isolation period and the term.