The World According To Rags

London's Cosmopolitan Mix

When I first moved to London, I was amazed by how cosmopolitan it was - I met people from New Zealand, Oz, Hungary, Iceland and even Samoa in my first couple of weeks.  I realized that I'd been taking it for granted.  I was reminded of this last night when I went to a party and hung out with an acquaintance from Ghana and met another person who could only describe herself as "European" (german + french citizenship whose father grew up in Portugal).  It makes for fascinating conversations and new perspectives, and something that, I think, also reflects in the startups that emerge from Europe that tend to have a more global outlook (skype and spotify most readily come to mind).

London, One Year In

Today marks the one-year anniversary of my moving to London.  What a year it has been.  I've been able to see some amazing places, in and out of the UK.  Most importantly, I've met some wonderful people, many of whom I now consider close friends.  Yes, I am a very lucky person.

I wrote some tips for ex-pats at the 6-month mark, to which I'll add some more:

-There's no sugar-coating it: the weather is atrocious.  So buy yourself some 'brollies', resign yourself to getting wet on occasion, and make the most of the nice days - go to the park, get out of the city, or find a pub with a nice garden.

-Know that there will be an adjustment period.  Most ex-pats I talk to said it took them from 6 months to a year before they really felt like they'd settled in, after which they started loving it.    

-Go to gigs. The city has a wealth of cultural goings-on.  Take advantage.  

-Walk.  London is one of the best walking cities.  There are organized walking tours, which I have yet to do.  But it's also a great place to just walk around, take in the sights and the atmosphere.

-If you get the chance, go on a boat ride down the Thames (either via water taxi or boat cruise).  It's a great way of seeing the city from a different point of view.

All in all, I've greatly enjoyed my first year here and am looking forward to year two.

London, 6 Months In

[It's been slow posting as I've been very busy at work and I also recently moved flats and am still lacking internet access.]

This past Monday was my 6-month anniversary as a resident of London.  Following are a few learnings from the expat point of view and in no particular order:

• If you have a Blackberry, download the Google Maps application.  That will save you from having to bring around the London A to Z book of maps.
• You will have no credit history so be prepared to have to go through hoops for things like credit cards or phones.  I've had a harder time getting a monthly contract for a phone than setting up a bank account or credit card.  If you bank with Citibank or HSBC in the US, they will have departments that specialize in expatriate banking. Phone these departments up and ask them to set you up with a UK bank account.  Getting one of these is key to other things like utilities, leases, etc.
• Customer service isn't what it's like in the US.  Get used to it.  It will be hard and you'll have times when you'll want to tear your hair out.
• They drink a lot more here than in the US. 
• Love the lingo:  Duffer, Cock-up, Rom com, yummy mummy, just make sure you know the meaning.  Oh, and the term "double-fisting" is NOT a drinking term for when you have a beer in each hand.  Luckily I did not learn this the hard way.
• Most of all, there are so many things to do and places to explore.  Get involved.  Check out Time Out magazine or sites like View London.  Sign up for Urban Junkies, which delivers you a daily dose of what's on tap around town + a weekend guide every Thursday. 
• Related to the above, get an Oyster Card and, as much as possible, get the unlimited use option for a week or month.  It will force you to go about town to 'get the most' out of the money you've paid.