The inauguration here was the “buzz” practically since I had arrived and it seemed as if EVERYONE was talking about it and how excited they were and making plans to celebrate it. I for one had been really excited since November and Bridget and I had planned to watch and celebrate. The entire UK also seemed to be REALLY excited about it and the atmosphere was just really great. It also helped that all of the other American students here were just so psyched to celebrate this historic event too.
In my Contemporary British Fiction class, the first thing the lecturer asked was if we were going to watch the inauguration. When we all replied “yes,” she proceeded to tell us how she was hoping to get home to watch it, and went on a bit of a rant about how Britain really supported our choice this election, but “not so much four years ago.”
After classes let out, Bridget and I headed to Madame Tussaud’s Wax Museum (which is on Marylebone, just right around the corner from our college!). Because of the inauguration and the wax figure of Obama, American’s were let in for FREE! Normally tickets are from £25 - £50 so it was definitely worth it! I know! Free stuff for college kids, how cool, right!? After standing in line for like 20 or 25 minutes we finally got our picture with Obama, finished walking through the rest of the exhibits and headed back to campus. It was a lot of fun just being goofy and taking pictures with the statues and stuff!
The day before, the sports bar on campus had advertised that they would be showing the inauguration live, and encouraged us to come and hang out. So Bridget and I decided that instead of going out and off campus to a bar where we most likely would not have been able to actually watch or listen to the event, we would stay in and go to the sports bar.It seemed logical that we would just head down to the bar when we got back to campus and hang out while waiting for the inauguration to start.
Well, we ended up getting kicked out.
No, no no! We weren’t crazy and out of control, it was just “too early for us to be there” and we had to return at 4PM.
We went back a bit before 4 and luckily found two of the last seats pretty much right in front of one of the four big-screen televisions hanging from the ceiling. And then we waited - watched a bit of the preliminary inauguration stuff, met a few new students and just watched as people were piling in. Before we knew it, it was packed!
I couldn’t help but feel a bit homesick during all of this and had said that to Bridget a bit earlier. She shared the feeling. I know how lucky I am to be in London (really, I DO!) but I just had this overwhelming feeling to be home, on US soil, sitting and watching this event as it was happening THERE, not as it was happening at 5PM here…
So anyway, the inauguration started, and the bar went crazy. When Obama officially became President at noon, even before he said his oath, everyone erupted with cheering and clapping, etc. And the same thing again when he actually said his oath. It was just really amazing to be around so many people celebrating this moment in history, and I know that I will never forget it as long as I live.
With everything said and done, Bush out of the White House and Barack Obama our new president, we decided to celebrate (oh! And eat dinner!).
So 5 rounds at the bar later and feeling as if we had celebrated this momentous occasion adequately, we headed back to our room ready for change and full of hope.
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