While we are stuck in the middle of the English Channel on a ferry, our teachers have assigned us to write a little report of our experiences in England. Our guest families were located in Hastings, England, a nice little city with a history of fishing, and it’s about 1 1/2 hours away from London.
Day 1: The Trip to England
All of the students were expected to be at the SAG bus stop at 6:30 AM. We met our bus driver, “Eggy,” and our 8-hour journey to England had started. Lots of excitement could be felt in the air while students were chattering and yapping about what they would do once they arrived there. During the drive, multiple stops were made, not only for the use of the expensive paid toilets (85p) but also for having a tasty snack at KFC or other fast food chains. We went through border patrol at the French border by the English Channel, and then we took a ferry across the English Channel. The ferry was always rocking back and forth due to the strong tides and waves; hence, it was difficult to hold your balance. We arrived in Hastings at 7 p.m., and our guest families took us in. We would now be able to truly feel the warmth and compassion of a true British family.
Day 2: Brighton
Our day started with a traditionally British breakfast, including tea and other things of the sort. We had to walk to our bus stop, where Eggy would pick us up and drive us to our first destination in England, Brighton. A tour guide gave us lots of interesting facts about Brighton, such as the history of one of its most beautiful and historical sights, the Royal Pavilion, and the people involved in its creation, King George IV. We had some free time to look at the city, and at the end, we actually got to visit the Royal Pavilion, where we saw where the king lived and also had to do a quiz about it. We drove home with a smile on our faces, knowing there were 3 days left of getting to see everything there is in England.
Day 3: Canterbury
The cool Tuesday morning and its warm afternoon made all of us realize how lucky we were to have such amazing weather during our stay. You see, it’s basically raining in England 99% of the time, and there have been times where other classes have had to use umbrellas while walking around the street, so we were lucky that wasn’t us. Today, we visited Canterbury, and we were tasked with preparing a short presentation about one of the many sights you could find there, such as the Westgate Towers or the Beaney House of Art and Knowledge. The Beaney House contained lots of peculiar art works, which made us think deeply about what the artist was actually trying to say.
Day 4: London
30 minutes earlier, we were expected to be at the bus stop in order to arrive in London on time since it is a 1 1/2 hour drive from Hastings. Once we got there, we took the Underground to “Green Park” and from there to the “Piccadilly Circus,” where we started our tour of London. We visited St. James Park, where we had a small break to eat our prepared lunch packets. We saw the breathtaking and famous attractions, such as the Big Ben, Buckingham Palace, and London Eye, and we even saw a royal guard on a horse. Our final destination in London was the Maritime Museum and Greenwich Market, where a lot of street food and clothing stands were. We took the bus back to our guest families and looked at all the photos we had taken.
Day 5: Hastings
On the fifth day we visited Hastings, we visited the beach and learned about the history of England, as well as about the history of Hastings and the fishermen that used to live there. We had a cream tea, where we learned about the history of British culture, manners, and the politeness that is needed to be a true British gentleman. We had some extra free time at the end, which we spent eating and shopping. At 5 p.m., we walked to the bus, had our bags packed, and prepared for the long trip home. Every single day up until today was a chill and sunny day.
Nothing lasts forever, but the memories that were made today will be remembered in our hearts forever.
Jonathan Asfaw (8B), Lasse Berang (8B), and Louis Berang (8B)
