Travel Reflection | 03 Historical and Modern UK | Birmingham & London, UK
Visiting the UK for badminton!!
1/ All England Open Badminton Championships 2022 Finals
For a big fan of badminton, it’s impossible to miss such a big event in the UK. All England Open was held in Birmingham. It takes 3.5 hours by bus or 2 hours by train from London.
I bought the ticket for the finals. The door opened at 10:00, and the matches started at 12:00. All the matches consisted of two games only in the finals. The whole championship ended at about 17:30.
Although the All England Open is a high level competition, the atmosphere was somewhat disappointing. The majority of the audience are Asians (Asian faces). The seats were not even fully occupied. The cheering didn’t make the people high. Perhaps it is because it is in the UK not in Asia. The matches in Asia are more fun.
Anyways. I really enjoyed the matches, especially the mix-double. The second must-do during my exchange was achieved.
2/ Sightseeing in London
Is London touristy? Of course, there are a lot of places you can visit. London is also the city I really want to visit. However, I was actually calm when I saw the famous landscapes.
I couldn’t help but keep thinking about the reasons behind it. Maybe it is because I have seen too many pictures of the places on the Internet. When I saw them in person, the surprise was minimized.
London is full of interesting history. I was purely sightseeing the landscapes this time. Next time, I should do more research and visit the places so that the tour can be more exciting.
3/ Enjoying lunch at the park
I definitely give the parks in London full marks. The parks belong to the Queen, so everything is well managed and maintained.
The flowers are blooming. The sunshine is covering the grass. Kids are having fun on the grass. Parents are chatting. Young people are reading, and white-collar workers are enjoying their lunch. The parks are full of people, but it is not crowded.
The parks impress me most during the whole trip. Spending time under the warm sunshine is absolutely enjoyable.
4/ The Phantom of The Opera
As everyone knows, there are considerable performances in London. The entertainments include musicals, talk shows, dance performances, concerts, etc. Phantom of The Opera is always the one I really want to watch in London. How can I miss the chance?
After the show, I have to say it is amazing! The audio and visual enjoyment make you soak in the atmosphere.
Although the ticket price is not that affordable, the price worth it. If I have a chance to watch it again, I’m pretty willing to select a seat with better sight and closer to the band.
5/ Wandering in London
London is an international city without a doubt. People from different countries gather in this city. It is easy to find Asian restaurants and markets on the streets. No matter what race you are, you always can find someone having a similar background as you. No matter what your native language is, people in London speak English.
It is my very first time traveling to the UK. It is new for me. All my trips so far are in non-English speaking countries. I’m always surrounded by languages I don't understand. However, I can read everything in London. Now I understand why people like studying or working in the UK. The language barrier is small, and it’s easy to become a member of society compared with other European cities.
6/ GBP Cash? Oyster card? Mobile Payment?
Should I exchange GBP in advance? This is the question I had before traveling. Now, I can tell you. NO! It is not necessary. Contactless payment is widely accepted.
Oyster card (metro card) is used for public transport. You can top up at the metro stations. The concept is similar to all transport cards in the cities. It’s really friendly to tourists. For the details of the oyster card, please visit the oyster card website.
Interestingly, metro and bus networks also accept mobile payments (Apply Pay & Google Pay). It is really important for travelers because
- Oyster card only works in London
If you visit other towns or cities for a short trip, mobile payment can replace the local transportation card. - Some non-local credit cards may be denied
Some places (eg. Metro and buses) only accept cards issued by local banks. At that time, mobile payment can help you to overcome the difficulty.
Cashless payment is convenient. You even don’t need to worry about the cash after travel.
