Back in August, I wrote an entry in the Classroom Canada Teachers Blog about The Top 10 Reasons I Can't Wait to Move to London. It was a response to the negativity I'd been receiving from certain people who couldn't understand why I would want to move somewhere so expensive, with such lousy weather, stuck up people, and bland food. So I said, "cost, people, weather, and food be damned." At least I was taking this risk and going on this adventure, which is a lot more than most people can ever claim.
Well, I've been living here for nearly two months now, and all my reasons for moving here are holding strong. But I'd like to add four more: the cost, the people, the weather, and the food.
The Cost
I'm not going to lie: some things here are very expensive. Namely, rent and transportation. I live in a small room with no kitchen or bathroom of my own and I pay £485/month for it -- if I lived in a real flat, it would cost a lot more. I don't even want to think about how much it costs for me to get around. But I'm willing to forgive these things, because I live in an incredible location that allows me to walk a lot of places, and my standard of living is really quite high because of it. On the flip side, there are things that can be very cheap if you know where to look. Namely, food, clothes, and entertainment. Since those are the items I traditionally spend the bulk of my money on, this is a very good thing.
The People
I like the people here. They have generally been friendly and lively yet unobtrusive. That's my style.
The Weather
The weather so far has been amazing. While my friends and family back home are already complaining of cold and snow, London is holding strong at 15-20 degrees celcius nearly every day (it's currently 18). It's overcast a lot of the time, but I'm discovering that I really like it that way.
The Food
Oh my god, the food. Traditional English food may not be terrifically exciting, but it's actually more difficult to find traditional English food than it is to find any number of other interesting cuisines. The biggest difference between here and North America? The ingredients. I am continuously blown away by how fresh, tasty, and healthy the ingredients are and how few chemicals I'm consuming. Even "fast food" (I'm addicted to Eat. and Pret A Manger). It's incredible. Food here a whole different experience.
So, in short, I'm still loving London. I'm sure none of you are surprised, but I just had to put that out there.
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The people in London would seem to like you, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteWhile there's undoubtedly a huge amount of crap traditional British food out there, I largely attribute that to the legacy of long post-war rationing, which really took a lot of the verve out of British cuisine. But it's making a comeback; I've had some surprisingly excellent traditional British food, with fantastically fresh ingredients and unapologetic spicing. This definitely isn't the norm, yet, but having seen the heights that traditional British cuisine can attain, I have unexpectedly gained a real appreciation for it.
Also -- who needs British food when there are British ales to consume? ;-)
I'll admit, I've had a few tasty British dishes too.
ReplyDeleteHi! I'm a teacher that taught 2007-2008 school year in London, came home to do an MA, and will return to London in January. I've been following your blog. I just wanted to say that I paid 400 pounds (zone4) and then 330 pounds (zone 2, with about 80 pounds bills). So you may have to look a while but I did find flats that were inexpensive. I was in a contract position, though, so I had monthly income I could count on.
ReplyDeleteHi, Anonymous... thanks for reading and commenting! It's true that it is possible to find less expensive flats, and I'll probably start hunting for one within a year, but right now I'm really enjoying the convenience of living in Central London. If I can find a reasonable place in Central London at or around the same cost, I will be shocked and amazed and will sign on the dotted line in an instant.
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