012 AMANDA (AJ) CULLEN Show Notes

AMANDA (known as AJ) CULLEN is from a small town near Buffalo, USA. While studying in Edinburgh, she fell in love with an Englishman. Four years of visa restrictions and complications, she is now living, working and married in London. This is a story of a small town millennial girl leaving that world behind her, travelling to the East and China, finding happiness and a whole load of new challenges that come along with living far from family, including dealing with bereavement from a distance. But she believes “growth comes from movement” and walking around Piccadilly in London amongst a swarm of people she realises that her problems are “just like a little tiny thing, in the big sea of humanity.”

 

THIS IS AJ’s UNIQUE STORY ABOUT LONDON, THE WORLD AND LIFE. 

I really enjoy walking around Piccadilly and China Town.

Just that feeling like you’re a small portion of humanity,

It’s just very appealing to me,

You feel very small, in a swarm of people,

I’ve got my headphones in,

And I kind of know where everything is now,

I live here, and maybe none of these people suspect it,

I’m actually kind of a Londoner,

And there’s a part of it that makes you feel very small

And a part of it that makes you feel quite big in yourself.

My problems are just like a little tiny thing, in the big sea of humanity.

Some people look at the stars,

I just walk around Piccadilly with the tourists!

 

AJ's BACKGROUND

AJ was born in Wales, New York State, USA. She studied at the University of Tampa, interned in Washington DC, carried on her studies in Edinburgh, and spent six months on a student-funded trip to China having studied the language at University. She is married to an Englishman and initially worked in the book publishing industry but has subsequently moved into the education sector. She and her husband currently live in the London suburb of Anerley.

 

AJ’s LONDON MUSINGS…

One of her favourite English words is "swish" meaning "posh"

She enjoys street food - and her current favourite is in Shoreditch - dumplings with soup inside.

She was brought up with hot sauce and matter-of-factly states: "What can I say, I’m a girl from buffalo, there’s got to be hot sauce on there." (i.e. her plate of food)

She is currently a theatre goer and enjoys the Bridge House pub theatre productions she recently saw and loved In the Shadow of the Black Dog. Theatre can be affordable.

Her favourite cafe on the way to work is the Good Hope Café, near Hither Green Station for a Chai Latte.

She does not like to ride a bicycle in London but really enjoys walking around Piccadilly and China Town. Some people look at the stars, I just walk around Piccadilly with the tourists!

 

AJ’s BUFFALO (USA) MUSINGS…

Her fondest memories are of eating assorted 'subs' with different slices of meat or cheese, or a chicken finger sub.

She spends more time in Canada that New York City as it’s so close.

She doesn't have a practical desire to go back to Buffalo. The health care system is complicated.

She finds certain smells/scents evoke memories of for example, sitting on the front porch, the County Fayre. In the Spring/Summer she gets more nostalgic reminders of home through the smell of cut grass and reminds her of being a kid.

She enjoys Ted’s hot dogs

Buffalo is famous for its Art Deco designs, the beautiful Town Hall, artist villages from the Roycroft Movement like East Aurora. Elmwood is beautiful to walk around with American style houses with front porches like a Norman Rockwell painting. And of course the Niagara Falls on the American side. Also the work of architect Frank Lloyd Wright. 

 

AJ’s OTHER MUSINGS…

AJ would love to live in Japan and when considering where in the world has had the biggest impact on her, she says: "I think every place, you take a little piece away with you."

AJ has a fascination and desire to read more literature from the East particularly the four key classic Chinese texts Dream of the Red Chamber, The Water Margin, The Three Kingdoms, and Journey to the West .

She reflects: "It’s always easier to stay where you are, and there’s nothing wrong with staying where you are if you’re happy there, but you know, growth comes from movement."

And her piece of advice is this: "What will happen, will happen, and all you can do is try very hard, and let the experiences happen."

 

AJ’s  CONTACT DETAILS...

AJ helps facilitate the Waterloo Philosophy Café, details can be found here: https://www.meetup.com/Waterloo-Philosophy-Cafe/

 

ABOUT THE PODCAST...

 

Information on Travelling Through… with Emma can be found at: https://www.travellingthrough.co.uk/

 

The Travelling Through Jingle was written and produced by Mariska Martina https://www.mariskamartina.com/

 

Show notes 012 AMANDA J CULLEN Show Notes can be found at this link https://travellingthrough.podbean.com

 

Thanks to AJ for the cuppa tea and for hosting this podcast recording on 08.03.2020