Alicia and the Picaros!

A Blog of my adventures as I travel around the world.

Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Leaving London

Well it’s my time for me to leave the UK. I have been here just over 17 months which is hard to believe. In some ways it has gone very quickly and in others it has gone slowly.

I had a great last few days in London I was staying at my friend's Matt and Suzanne's house. I wandered around London appreciating it with the time I had. I made sure I did some very typical English things, I finally went to Knightsbridge and went to Harrods. Matt's brother Andy had a few days off, so he and I had high tea at the Dorchester Hotel complete with cucumber sandwiches, cake and scones. After that Andy we went to Tate Modern to see the latest installation also Andy being a member we went to the members lounge to have a drink and get one of the most spectacular views of London. It was a very posh day. My last dinner in London was some very humble fish and chips with mushy peas at the local chippy!

(Andy poshing it up at high tea)

I have very much enjoyed my time here and have had some of the greatest experiences of my life. But at the same time I’m not sure it’s the place for me. I seem to have a love hate relationship with this place especially London. I’m either having a great time or am feeling a little miserable (sometimes I don't think the weather helps)

Even though I have been a little horrified with some of the standards of audiology here. I have had some great jobs and have been given a lot of variety in my areas of work and opportunities to really broaden and consolidate my skills.

I love the city I think it is fantastic but at the same time I can find it a little suffocating and it’s hard to visit the countryside as it is so expensive.

I’ve compiled a list of things I love and hate about the place so enjoy!

Things I will miss:

The red double-decker buses. They’re so iconic and I love to sit up the front of the top and see all the interesting sights the city has to offer. Much better than being stuck underground! Although I do strongly dislike the route 77 which was the most inconsistent route and often never showed up and made me late for work.

The Thames, the river it self is murkey and does not look inviting at all. But I love the area along the river including the art galleries, performance spaces, halls restaurants and bars

l miss living in a city that has such amazing sights and buildings that you start to take for granted. I sometimes used to walk home along the river and often marvelled at the sights. I love Tower Bridge, Big Ben and the Houses of Parliament, St Paul’s, Battersea PowerStation and Trafalgar Square.

Being able to meet my friends after work and jumping on a train then ending up in Paris for the weekend. I love the proximity to Continental Europe.

The English culture of binge drinking, I know that Aussies are big drinkers but back home we have some stamina. The English have perfected the art of drinking as much as possible in the shortest amount of time and then end up wasted in record time. Funny to watch and sometimes fun to join in.

My jazz dance classes at Pineapple with Michelle, It’s Britney Bitch!

Earning pound, travelling with the pound is great suddenly every thing seems a real bargain!

Most of all my friends, who I feel are hard to make in London. But the friends I have made there have been fantastic and I have had many a great night out with them

Things I won’t miss:

The tube, you love it at first then you develop a hatred for it. It can be fantastic and the frequency of trains great. But peak out tube is a nightmare, trying to squish on a train with people pressed up against you in everyway possible. Frequent severe delays, part closures, to top off being stuck underground it a dusty ugly lair it makes not for fun commuting.

Coming home late at night: With the tube closing at 12ish, a free taxi a rare find coming home after a late night can be a disaster, especially when it is the other side of town. You may have a great boozy night out with your friends, then wind up waiting forever for a night bus, which you have to share with drunks and crazy people (night buses are either a party with lots of boozy people or can be scary and aggressive – I have seen a guy get punched in the face on one). So a couple of hours late you wind up home sober and tired and wonder why you ever went out in the first place.

How expensive it is. London is now the second most expensive city in the world. After living here I would completely agree with that statistic. For those that visit realise how fast your money disappears. Rent is unbelievable, I can’t tell you how much I paid for a tiny bedroom in a share house.

CHAVS. A Phenominon only to England but they exist all over the world with different names. It apparently stands for council-housed and violent. A Chavs best outfit would be their tracksuit that has matching top and bottom. They wear big ugly gold jewellery, have a pet bull-terrier, they live in a council house but still somehow earn money, they wear hooded tops or anything with the English flag on it, have a baby when they are 16.

http://www.chavscum.com/

With the above statement, you have to understand that London also has one of the hugest rich poor divides. That accompanied with other societal problems has led to an increase in violence, gang activity with the media splashing the latest headlines of the latest youth to be stabbed. Along with increases in “anti-social behaviour” and an increasing culture of fear. It’s all too sad in the end.

Now a list of some things I have done which I will never forget

Seen a Shakespeare play at the globe theatre.

Slide down some giant slides with my friend Adam at the tate mondern

Picniced at Primrose hill

Been on the London Eye,

Stood in the west and east hemispheres at Greenwich

Been to see two football games The second being my team Arsenal

Been to the theatre, to see Stomp and the Fiddler on the roof

Some memorable nights in Camden pubs and other nights out in London

(meeting a knight on a night out)

Been to one of those giant club nights the UK have perfected

Saw the Tour de france begin in London.

Become like the Brits and spent afternoons lounging in various parks to soak up the sunshine.

Seen the Queen as she drove out of Buckingham palace

1 Comments:

At 7:03 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

sorry for you to leave, but I'm sure you'll LOVE canada!! missing you of course... xx E

 

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