London – It’s a Love / Hate thing
I just got back from spending the weekend in Holland, where I visited my older brother and his wife. Inevitably on trips like these you meet people where you start talking about where you’re from (South Africa) and where you live (London) and how you’re finding it.
My initial reaction is always that I really like living in London. If one happens to be talking to someone from the Continent, they find that hard to believe. “Really?” is a typical reaction.
Yes, despite the bad weather.
Yes, despite the high prices (London is now very high on the list of most expensive cities to live in.)
Yes, despite the many traffic cameras.
Yes, despite the tiny apartments costing double your villa in Spain.
I like it because it feels very much like home. People speak English. They drive on the right side of the road (the left side) and drink tea (ok maybe just a tad too much), take milk in their coffee (i.e. they serve you milk with your coffee at restaurants without you having to ask for it) and they don’t, in general, talk to you whilst you’re in a Q (though I kinda like that sometimes.)
Fair enough, the above applies to England and is not London specific, but it makes for a good base of things under “why I like living here”. With London, you get all that and a host of other nationalities (which make it interesting), the Tube, the Congestion Charge, very high council tax, parking at the rate of the GDP of a small country (per hour) and a LOT of traffic speed cameras.
Now who would NOT want to live here? :)
It’s nice to be back in London, even though I was only gone for the weekend.
– Riaan
London