Global Competence

What is global competence? Is it knowing current events? Is it being able to hold one's own in a foreign country? Global competence is a vast term that would be hard to label, but for me it is all that and more.

Global competence is knowing what is going on in the world around you. Granted, I am not always up-to-date, but I try to know what is going on because we are all people and knowledge is power. Knowledge of current events like disasters, wars, or anything else can make a huge impact on others globally that to not know would  be irresponsible.

Being able to hold your own in a foreign country is not just good for survival, but is just mannerly and gives a good impression. Traveling overseas is not just fun, but can be great for business and to make friends. I love having friends overseas because it is insight into another culture on this planet. Everyone should learn how to handle yourself in public domestic and foreign.

Global competence encompasses knowledge, personal relations and everything in-between. Study abroad trips are a great way to increase those skills and much more.

Think Global, Act Global

Thinking globally and acting globally means acting in a way that makes you a "global person". A "global person" is not just a person that has traveled overseas, but is also a person of worldly culture. To be appreciative of others, to understand others, and to know how to handle oneself globally.

How does a person act global? Well that is not something that can be easily answered. You can simply travel overseas or also act in a way that shows global appreciation. I act global by traveling every few years and also by how I present myself to people. From this trip I do act more as a global person.

Now, how does someone think global? To think global can be thinking of what is going on in the world like with the flood in Bosnia, or the FIFA World Cup in Brasil, but to also think about the people in other places and how they affect you to this day. How does the UK legal system affect us? How do natural disasters in Asian countries affect us? Actions of others in different places affect us by economic and political stances that can make or break a lot of places. I would like to say I think globally because I do like to keep up with current world events, and have quite a few friends that are from other places in the world.

From this trip, I have become a more global person and I think it will make me a more better person in the end. It has helped my career and education purposes, but also has helped me in person.

The Royal Treatment

Well today was more than I could have asked for. We went to the change of the guard in Buckingham Palace IN THE GATES, got to see Downing Street, and went to New Scotland Yard. And all of this was possible because of Constable Richard Watson.

Yesterday,  Jordan, Josh,  and I watched the changing of the guard from behind the gates and watched through the bars while dealing with thousands of annoying tourists. Today we got to go past the gates and watch up close and personal. It is a rare treat for anyone to do that and all the unlucky tourists behind the gates were snapping pictures of us. That was beyond cool.

After the amazing change of the guard, we got to go down Downing Street which is extremely hard to get into. You have to put in an application and have a real reason to go besides wanting to see it. Another amazing once in a lifetime moment from Constable Watson.

Then we got to go into New Scotland Yard and got cool lectures from a few men in the force which was a great learning experience itself.

All of this was because of Constable Richard Watson who I can never thank enough. I got to do dojo training, witness once in a lifetimes sights, and met a wonderful person who truly does have the best job in the world. Thank you Constable Watson for all you did. I will never forget you and all you did for us in our tiny group of Chadron State College students.

Abbey Road

Today was a great free day.  Got to see the Changing of the Guards at Buckingham Palace, got to see Abbey Road, and went to Camden Town for amazing shopping. Abbey Road was definitely top notch though.

We got to see the road, take pictures, and sign the Abbey road wall. Definitely the most tourist thing I have done by far but absolutely worth it.

The Anti-American Sentiment

When traveling abroad, people tend to characterize a persons nationality with stereotypes. Americans are not free from this peril and quite frankly it can be true. We can be loud. We can be obnoxious. We can be ignorant, but almost anyone can be like that.

The biggest worry people fear when going overseas is being judged for those stereotypes, but on all my travels I have yet to be discriminated because of where I come from.

Maybe it is the way I carry myself, maybe it is because we were taught how to conduct ourselves, but so far i have had great experiences with the London locals and hope it continues.

Pub Crawl-London 2014

Last night the group (minus three) went to the London Pub Crawl and that was so amazing! The Pub Crawl is where you pay a fee £15 for four bars with one free shot and then entrance to a club.

We went to Verve, another club, Ruby, Grace, and then The Zoo. The best bar was Ruby by far.  It had the best music and amazing atmosphere. The shots were awesome and we made some cool friends. The greatest thing was Jordan and I were dying to go to club when we first got here and we got to enter it for free! It was pretty cool and worth going.

After the Pub Crawl, we were trying to find our way back to the hotel and ended up riding a street bike that has a cart, which we also wanted to do. We got an awesome tour of the city for super cheap and had a fun safe night.  Overall, I suggest the Pub Crawl.

Magistrate's Court!

Today we got to visit the Magistrate's Court and that was beyond awesome! Unfortunately we could not take pictures, but I definitely will not forget the experience. The American legal system and UK legal system has so many similarities, yet just as many differences.

The biggest thing that got me is the relaxed state of the court. In the few court visits that I have made in America, every time was super uptight and you were afraid to even move. Today I felt relaxed and was interested in what I saw.

The coolest thing was the defendants were put behind a glass was when it was there hearing which I think would be amazing to implement in US.

This trip was absolutely so cool so far and I can't wait for the rest of these two weeks!

Americans and the Royal Wedding

When it came to the Royal Wedding of William and Kate, almost every friend I knew was super excited for it and stayed up to watch the whole thing at four am. I did not, but read it on there news the next day. Here in London, pictures of the royal family are everywhere, but from the impression I got Americans were more excited for it than Londoners were. People are not as excited about the royal family as Americans are and I could only speculate as to why. 

I know there are some people who want the monarchy to disappear, and others who loyally love the royal family, but I can guess that the reason is because the royal family is a rarity for the American people and not as common as in the UK. People in America do not get as excited about President Obama so it is probably the same thing. 

Learning the differences in America and London has been wonderful so far and I cannot wait to discover more.