England: Tullah Kelly (Observation)

Program: UW Global Launch in London, Academic Year

As I start to settle in, I have found that I am spending a lot of time at the Victoria and Albert Museum. Multiple classes have taken me there just for free time to wander and I have a membership which makes it easy to go and explore. Whenever I go I like to just wander randomly, although I do have some favorite rooms. I really like the jewelry room because there are so many things to look at and they are all so pretty. Jewelry rooms are always my favorite parts of museums. I also like the room where all the plaster casts are and of course the cafe is really beautiful too. In general, I feel like most of the people I see there are tourists from various countries, but there are also a good amount of locals. Most people are there taking photos or having tea in the cafe. Once I saw a small art class drawing statues in the museum which I thought was pretty cool, all of their drawings looked very good.

I like to go to the museum because it’s a pretty calm place and its fun to see all of the different rooms and explore different cultures and  places. I also like to observe people when I go because there are so many different types of people you can see. Families on vacation, people studying, those who take pictures of everything, people who want some time to themselves. I think my identity impacts  a few different things. Because of my opportunity to be a student here I have access to the neighborhood, and I do not have to travel far to get to an exhibit.

When I go to a museum I like to go to my favorite places first but then just wander, for me museums are a good way to learn about other places in the world and the rich cultures that so many people share. I imagine that some people could perceive me as just another tourist as I do like to take pictures but overall I feel like I am just in the background and most people are looking at the art, artifacts, and history. I’m really glad to have access to so many museums while here because I think they will help me to further understand things that have happened throughout history.