Ok.. so it’s not Christmas.. but I couldn’t think of anything else that included the number 5 in it.. and today (well yesterday now) marks my 5 month anniversary in Londontown! It’s an easy anniversary to remember since I landed in London on October 14th which is my birthday! As I’m terrible with remembering important dates, this works out well for me!
The past 5 months have gone by in a combination of exciting and emotionally draining growth spurts. There were a lot of highs, and a fair amount of lows as well, which I’d say is probably pretty standard for any life change. But I’ve come to realize that without the lows, you’re really not experiencing life. Sometimes you need to have those painful realizations to fully appreciate and be thankful for what life has to offer!
So as it’s 12:30 in the morning and I’ve just gotten back from a lovely evening of wine and crepes with two good friends (one of whom I am very sad to be saying goodbye to… until they move back to London ;)), I’m going to write a quick note about my first 5 months here… so in the style of David Letterman’s TOP 10, here are my TOP 10 LOVES about London, and my TOP 10 Pet Peeves about London.
First… the Pet Peeves as I’d like to end this post off on a high note!
10. Fake Caesers! I’m talking about the drink, not the salad. Note to London bartenders: Don’t put it on your menu and call it a Caesar when it doesn’t have CLAMATO in it!!! I’ve called a bartender out on this at one restaurant here because I went there specifically for their Caesar which was on their menu online, only to find out it was made with TOMATO JUICE. So I said very politely, as is the Canadian way, that I was sorry BUT unless it has Clamato, it cannot be called a Caeser. He was not impressed. And so the search for the Caeser in London continues!
9. Underground delays due to a “person under the train”. As much as I appreciate honesty and London Transportation is pretty on top of letting you know when there are delays, (unlike the Skytrain that likes to let you stand on a platform for 20 minutes before telling you what’s up) I don’t especially like to know that the reason my Circle Line to Kings Cross is delayed is due to a “person under the train” or “person on the track”. I much prefer the slightly less graphic “medical emergency” or “technical difficulties” explanation. I really hope I never have to be witness to someone actually under a train. I still like to live in a bubble where that doesn’t happen.
8. Toilets. I’m used to toilets that flush, ALL THE TIME. I am not used to toilets that need to take a nap in between flushes so that if someone uses the toilet right after you, they have to stay in there for 5 minutes waiting until they can flush their business. I’ve basically gotten to the point now where if the toilet doesn’t flush, it’s not my problem, it’s the next persons because I’m not waiting around any longer than I have to. Especially when I’ve yet to be in a London washroom that isn’t cold and damp and smelly!
7. Water pressure. Much like my pet peeve with toilets, I’m still getting used to not ever feeling like the shampoo and conditioner have completely rinsed off of my head when having a shower. Also I still don’t know why the water shower is hooked up to an electrical unit on the wall, I don’t know what this is and sometimes it likes to just turn off for no good reason. Much like the toilet it also likes to take naps when it doesn’t feel like doing it’s job!
6. Liverpool Street Station. It’s not the station that I hate because the station itself is beautiful. What I do not understand is that no one in this station walks in a straight line.. but rather some form of diagonal formation dance routine I don’t know the moves to that makes it impossible to get from one end to the other without weaving in and out of a flash mob every morning and evening!
5. Tourists. Yes.. I said it.. and I know I am being completely hypocritical by even saying tourists and I apologize. It’s just WALK FASTER, don’t stop right at the top of an escalator, and have your oyster card ready!! And I really have no right to be mad because I used to walk around all bright eyed and walking slow to take in every little sight and sound. But now that I live here, if I’m walking I am trying to get somewhere, just like everyone else in this city and dawdling makes everyone angry and prevents them from getting where they need to go. SOOOOO walk faster or step to the side!
4. TV. IT IS CRAP AND THERE IS NEVER ANYTHING ON except for repeat after repeat of big bang theory, and how I met your mother.
3. The pigeon who likes to sing the song of its people at 6:30 every morning 15 minutes before my alarm goes off.. and on weekends! I vow to find this pigeon and shoot it with a rubber band… not so I kill it, but just so it finds another tree far away to sing in!
2. British restaurants trying to serve hot wings and nachos. You’ve mastered the burger, the chips, and the milkshakes and you’re getting REALLY close with the pancakes and bacon. Stop there and be happy.. Unless you’ve gotten hold of some Frank’s Red Hot and blue cheese dressing, and can serve nachos that don’t need to be eaten with a fork, you have no business serving these two items!
1. Coffee… I miss Tim Horton’s double doubles like you wouldn’t believe and I am sorry but a flat white coffee just isn’t the same. I’m not an Americano girl, and I believe mochas and lattes are meant to be treats. The one cup coffee machines do not give you a full cup of coffee but rather a cup of frothy milk and about a tablespoon of coffee. I don’t even think there’s enough caffeine in there to wake up a mouse, let alone a 33 year old girl who would attach a coffee IV to her if it were possible! I would just like a black filtered coffee every morning with no bells and whistles.
And that concludes the negative portion of this post because in the grand scheme of things, these are all minor annoyances or “first world problems” as seems to be the catch phrase of the year along with “yolo” and “sorrynotsorry”. At the end of the day none of these pet peeves ruin my day, or make me hate living here. To be honest most of them just make me laugh and are just the quirky bits that you get used to! And if I’m to be completely honest, it was really hard to actually think of 10 things I dislike about London! Ok except for the coffee….
So now my list of 10 things I LOVE about London. This list is much easier, and is actually much much MUCH longer but here’s the main 10.. or the 10 that popped to mind when writing this while almost half asleep..
10. There is always something to do! It doesn’t matter what time of day or night, what day of the week it is, or where you are in the city! There are countless events happening every day! From art shows, wine tastings, beer festivals, musicals, concerts, anything and everything you want to see you’ll be able to find in London! I’ve just recently heard of zorb football which sounds extremely awesome and I must try!
9. History. This is HUGE for me. Coming from a city with virtually no buildings older than 100 years, I love that once Spring is here, the centuries old castles in and around London will be open for me to go explore! From Hever Castle that was once inhabited by Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn, to Windsor Castle, to Hampton Court, I will never get tired of visiting these historical landmarks and imagining what life was like as a lady in waiting or a court jester. I’m also pretty excited to try and visit the Downton Abbey house at some point as well to walk in the footsteps of Mrs Hughes and Mr Bates!!
8. Walking. London is a fantastic city to walk in. I’ve gone on so many long walks on my own and purposely get lost just to explore streets and alleys that I’ve never been down before. Thank goodness for google maps to get me back on track but for an hour or so I just walk in different directions to see where I end up. You somehow always manage to end up at one tube stop or another!
7. Pubs. I’m not going to lie, one of the reasons I wanted to move to London was for their famous pub culture. I love that people are always down for grabbing a pint (or two or three) after work and as soon as 5 o’clock hits you see all the business men in suits standing outside the pubs with a beer in hand enjoying the early spring sunshine! What I love about London pubs is each one has its own character and history. From Charles Dickens, to the Queen Mum, everyone had their own ‘local’ and it’s fun to imagine a famous author or poet sitting down in the corner of a dimly lit pub to write.
6. Accents. Although I still struggle to understand and feel terrible each time I have to ask someone to repeat themselves multiple times, I am in love with all of the different accents. There is something about an accent that just makes people sound smarter, funnier, and more “posh” sounding.
5. Cornish Pasty’s. Meat and potatoes covered in delicious puf pastry. It is delicious and filling and cheap!
4. The fashion and the (window) shopping!!! I love that you can wear absolutely anything in this city and no one bats an eyelid! Everyone here has such cool, unique style and isn’t afraid to wear what they want! It has made me want to be more adventurous in my clothing choices; unfortunately my clothing budget doesn’t quite allow for that… YET!
3. My flatmates. I lucked out 100% in this area! I thought I’d have a tough time adjusting to having flatmates after living on my own for the past 5 or 6 years, especially living with people I didn’t know. And I had heard some horror stories from many a Londoner about flatmates from hell and I am happy to say that I haven’t had any such experiences!! I was lucky to have a great place to stay before I moved into my flat and I am lucky to have found two funny and entertaining flat mates who took me in when I had no job and who kept my spirits up when I wasn’t having the easiest time adjusting.
2. Meet-Ups and the friends I’ve met through them. I know I’ve gone on and on about meet up groups but I think the Canadian meet-up group pretty much saved me from becoming an extremely depressed and lonely Londoner these past three months. London is such a huge city and it’s very easy to feel isolated and alone when you first move here and don’t know anyone. I am extremely lucky to have met an amazing group of people who all make a conscious effort to get out and experience London life to the fullest! There’s always someone up to try a new restaurant, or see a show, or do something entirely different and it’s awesome!!
1. The number one most amazing thing about living in London is the overwhelming feeling of genuine happiness that I experience every day! A friend in Vancouver asked me this morning if I ever wake up and go “oh my god I’m in London” and to be honest I actually do! I can be walking down a random street and quite often think to myself that I can’t believe that this is my life now! This time last year moving to London wasn’t even on my radar yet. Now, for the first time in my 33 years on this planet, I FINALLY feel like I am where I belong and that I am on the path I was meant to be on. I’m more motivated here, and I just feel more like myself here than I did in Vancouver. I’m happy and it’s such a good feeling! I wake up every day thankful for this amazing life and I go to bed happy to be in my favorite city.
I’m not saying that life up until now wasn’t fulfilling. I wouldn’t be here if I hadn’t gone through the ups and downs in Vancouver. I just always felt like there was something missing and that I was destined for something bigger. I know I was given this opportunity for a reason and I am not going to waste it!! London is 100% where I’m meant to be and 5 months in, things just keep getting better and better!
Goodnight London
Krismas x
krismasinlondon 