We have been moving nonstop this entire trip and I have just started to get used to it. The driving culture has intrigued me when walking from place to place. They do not drive as aggressively as Americans but are just as impatient if we are crossing the street in our massive group. The narrative that the English are cold and unpleasant is not exactly true. Many of the people I have interacted with are very understanding and have enjoyed talking to us even though we are from the United States. 

We started the day off by going to the Joseph Chamberlain College, which is for immigrants creating a new life in Birmingham whose first language is not English. Half of the school’s population are adults who have a family but want to broaden their opportunities by learning more English and other basic skills. Majority of the adults coming in to learn are women due to starting families then coming back to education or even because a lot of women around the world are restricted from seeking higher education. The education system is set up a little different than ours but has some similar aspects. They have a test similar to the SATS called GCSE’s but in the United Kingdom they can only take it one time when students are sixteen years old and it determines if they can go into higher education. Their “college” is the end of high school and University follows that, which is interesting because in America the terms are interchangeable. They have classes for people going down more of the typical, academic route called A levels. For those who want more technical and hands on experience there are BTEC’s. The main thing I noticed during this whole experience is how much the teachers and school itself care for their students. If the student needs childcare services or transportation when they are in class, the school will cover the prices just for the student to receive the education they need and deserve. 

We then had a lecture about Learning Disability Nursing and how it compares to Mental health nurses in the United States. In the US, there are no specific nurses for people with learning disabilities, rather it is a job for mental health nurses for medical reasons and educators for the majority of learning reasons. Learning Disability Nursing is the smallest sector of nursing in the UK, adding to the fact it had a hard time finding funding, free bed spaces, and passing laws that supported individuals with learning disabilities. There is an organization I thought was interesting called “It is not my bedtime” which brings these individuals to pubs and clubs as a way of introducing them to places they do not usually go to. There are tons of different laws and treatments for these people in the United States vs United Kingdom. The main one I found interesting was that in the UK they have the “Mental Capacity Act of 2010” that emphasizes on the belief everyone has the right to make their own decisions unless mental capacity is proved not accessible. While on the other hand, America does not allow a child to make their own medical or health decisions without a parent’s approval. Parents immediately have power of attorney for children’s decisions even if the child does not know or agree with said parent’s opinion.

The last stop of the day was Birmingham’s Botanical Gardens. It is similar to Phipps in Oakland, but so much wider and many more types of flowers. The weather has been so unpredictable and tends to hail and rain at the most inconvenient times. When running through the long paths in the gardens with Ruby and Meredith, I ended up dropping my phone into the mud. We laughed it off, took many pictures, and truly enjoyed this experience.

We finished off the day with our first individual dinner outside of the group and went to La Bellezza to the actual best Italian restaurant I have ever been to. Now writing this I realized the past three days I have said that about every restaurant and I completely agree with it, none of my dinners have let my expectations down. I had the truffle burrata and a pasta dish I can not pronounce that was made with fresh, thick noodles, prosciutto, and some sort of tomato sauce. Today has been my favorite day so far and I have enjoyed how many photos and good treats I have already tasted.