Courtney, Emily and Camila: LOVEdon's in the Air
LOVEdon’s in
the Air
Song of the day:
Happy Birthday to you
The Capilano
University 2015 London Field School had an amazing final day, soaking up the
culture of Britain. Today was a special day for many reasons; first because it
was the last full day in London, second, it was Valentines Day, ❤ and finally, it was one of our leaders
21st birthday! We started the day at Hampton Court Palace, where King
Henry XIII and many other Kings and Queens have resided. Later, we enjoyed an
authentic British fish & chips lunch before heading to a professional Football
game, (otherwise known as soccer). This football game was a huge highlight and
demonstrated the major cultural differences between two countries that
otherwise seem very similar.
As we neared the stadium we heard a roar
of the crowd chanting; we were still blocks away and could not even see the
stadium… but it was easy to find it by the noise! Once inside, we were immersed
by the game and atmosphere within the arena. Charlton fans showed their
enthusiasm by reciting several different chants together in unison and would
seem to start out of the blue. The teams playing were Charlton vs. Brentford, two rival teams from the
London area. These teams had unbelievably enthusiastic fans, far more than you
would find at local hockey games in North America.
Support was displayed for the rival team
as well. Apparently, it is not uncommon for teams to travel as far as seven
hours by train to attend a match. This of course, is not seen as often in
Canada, though probably due to the comparative distance between competing
cities in Canada, but also because of Britain’s historical pride in team
sports. This patriotism also leads to
another major difference in British football versus North American sports, in
that the British sequester the away fans from the home fans to avoid riots and
fighting, which used to be very common.
Apparently it used to be so bad between teams that families would stay
in the arena for 45 minutes after the game ended, just to ensure that the area
outside was free of fights between fans.
However, there was clearly some drama still
as part way through the match we noticed a disturbance in the Brentford section
and a sudden streaming in of security guards and police and then a streaming
out of fans. We can only speculate as to the nature of the disturbance but we
feel it was something juicy!
Overall the game was a huge success,
with Charlton (the team we were encouraged to cheer for) winning three to nil
and jubilant chants from the crowd. What a great last event!
Following the match we had one last
group get together and dinner at Guilford Arms Pub in Greenwich, where we
celebrated the official end of the Cap U LFS 2015. We enjoyed a three-course
meal, great friends, and an abundance of laughter. We will miss all of each
other greatly; as well as this beautiful and culturally diverse city, but look forward
to seeing our friends and family back home soon.
Tally ho and until next year J
Courtney Buffie is a 4th year
Bachelors of Tourism Management Student, Emily Solomon is a 3rd year
Bachelors of Business Administration Student & Camila Stankevicius Bueno is
a 2nd year Bachelors of Business Administration Student
Comments
Post a Comment