Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday, January 16, 2010
The Good and Bad of London Living
We returned a week ago from visiting the US for Christmas. Because it was our first trip back after living here for awhile, I saw the US from a new perspective and started thinking about the good and bad things about living here. In no particular order, below is a quick rundown of the best and worst of London.
The top ten things about London so far:
1. Public transportation - okay, so you do have to plan more since you don't have a car you can just hop into. That said, we don't pay a note, insurance, or fuel for a car. And the whole Tube experience can be humorous.
2. Chocolate - not just from England but from the EU. Its where it was invented and probably because of #8 on this list, its just better.
3. Espresso - Who drinks yucky drip coffee anymore? Go buy yourself a nice espresso machine, splurge on some Italian espresso coffee and get ready for the smoothest cup of coffee you'll ever have. I promise, an espresso addiction does not equate to sending your entire life savings to Starbucks.
4. Coca-Cola - No corn syrup here, just plain old sugar. Remember that stuff.
5. The parks - You might say, well I have my nice fenced in back yard. But, you can only afford so much and what you can afford, you have to take care of. The parks are great places to run, play on the playgrounds (the equipment isn't falling apart!), and just enjoy the sun on a nice day. Plus, you wouldn't get to watch the Royal Family's helicopter land in your backyard.
6. Top Gear --Top Gear is a BBC program but three men acting like teenage boys in cars is pretty darn funny. Plus, these guys are pretty funny without the cars. Picture playing football (soccer) with a giant ball and hatchbacks for the players.
7. Being able to buy an inexpensive bottle of good French wine
8. Dairy products - Over here, the mass production folks haven't started adding hormones and all that junk to their cows. Plus, as gross as it sounds, clotted cream is wonderful.
9. Getting your groceries delivered!
10. I love the electrical sockets here. Much safer than in the US, with each having its own switch and codes not allowing light switches and only shaver plugs in the bathroom.
10. Heating with radiators - not as drying as forced air.
10. My gas stove - okay, so I could have that in the US but don't. Its much better for cooking.
10. Free museums - A number of London's museums are free. I know that's it paid for with tax dollars but at least you get something for your tax dollars here.
10. No potholes - again, something for your tax dollars.
10. Last but not least...you can spend a couple hours on a train and be in Paris, Brussels, Scotland.
So I cheated a little on the top ten...here's my least favorite thing about London.
1. Diet Coke - the reverse of number 4 above. The sweetener they use just doesn't taste the same.
2. Dining out - There is a reason why a normal tip is 10%. The service is so-so and you can expect to take at least an hour to an hour and a half for a meal.
3. Having to make homemade macaroni and cheese - No Kraft mac and cheese here. We either have it sent to us or I make it from scratch. Really, I miss a number of foods from the US that you can't purchase here or you have to buy from an expensive American store.
4. BBC programming (excluding Top Gear) - There is nothing to watch. Period.
5. Finding a place for a good hair cut that doesn't cost as much as a car payment
6. The dubbing of characters'voices on American cartoons with a British speaker- Imagine Little Einsteins characters with British accents. Thankfully, Mickey still sounds like Mickey.
7. The super short days - When we first moved here, the days were extremely long, with sunrise at 5:30 am and sunset not until 10 pm, much different than anywhere in the continental US. The long days were fine but now that its winter, it is pitch black outside until 8 am and sun is long gone by 4 pm. I can now understand why people actually have sun lamps for light therapy. I need some sun.
8. Having no credit history - When we moved here, our credit history from the US means nothing. The only way we were able to open up a current account is through my employer. Even getting a new mobile phone usually requires a deposit equal to six months' of payments.
9. Nope nothing else.
10. Better stop, I keep thinking of more things for the top 10 list.
The top ten things about London so far:
1. Public transportation - okay, so you do have to plan more since you don't have a car you can just hop into. That said, we don't pay a note, insurance, or fuel for a car. And the whole Tube experience can be humorous.
2. Chocolate - not just from England but from the EU. Its where it was invented and probably because of #8 on this list, its just better.
3. Espresso - Who drinks yucky drip coffee anymore? Go buy yourself a nice espresso machine, splurge on some Italian espresso coffee and get ready for the smoothest cup of coffee you'll ever have. I promise, an espresso addiction does not equate to sending your entire life savings to Starbucks.
4. Coca-Cola - No corn syrup here, just plain old sugar. Remember that stuff.
5. The parks - You might say, well I have my nice fenced in back yard. But, you can only afford so much and what you can afford, you have to take care of. The parks are great places to run, play on the playgrounds (the equipment isn't falling apart!), and just enjoy the sun on a nice day. Plus, you wouldn't get to watch the Royal Family's helicopter land in your backyard.
6. Top Gear --Top Gear is a BBC program but three men acting like teenage boys in cars is pretty darn funny. Plus, these guys are pretty funny without the cars. Picture playing football (soccer) with a giant ball and hatchbacks for the players.
7. Being able to buy an inexpensive bottle of good French wine
8. Dairy products - Over here, the mass production folks haven't started adding hormones and all that junk to their cows. Plus, as gross as it sounds, clotted cream is wonderful.
9. Getting your groceries delivered!
10. I love the electrical sockets here. Much safer than in the US, with each having its own switch and codes not allowing light switches and only shaver plugs in the bathroom.
10. Heating with radiators - not as drying as forced air.
10. My gas stove - okay, so I could have that in the US but don't. Its much better for cooking.
10. Free museums - A number of London's museums are free. I know that's it paid for with tax dollars but at least you get something for your tax dollars here.
10. No potholes - again, something for your tax dollars.
10. Last but not least...you can spend a couple hours on a train and be in Paris, Brussels, Scotland.
So I cheated a little on the top ten...here's my least favorite thing about London.
1. Diet Coke - the reverse of number 4 above. The sweetener they use just doesn't taste the same.
2. Dining out - There is a reason why a normal tip is 10%. The service is so-so and you can expect to take at least an hour to an hour and a half for a meal.
3. Having to make homemade macaroni and cheese - No Kraft mac and cheese here. We either have it sent to us or I make it from scratch. Really, I miss a number of foods from the US that you can't purchase here or you have to buy from an expensive American store.
4. BBC programming (excluding Top Gear) - There is nothing to watch. Period.
5. Finding a place for a good hair cut that doesn't cost as much as a car payment
6. The dubbing of characters'voices on American cartoons with a British speaker- Imagine Little Einsteins characters with British accents. Thankfully, Mickey still sounds like Mickey.
7. The super short days - When we first moved here, the days were extremely long, with sunrise at 5:30 am and sunset not until 10 pm, much different than anywhere in the continental US. The long days were fine but now that its winter, it is pitch black outside until 8 am and sun is long gone by 4 pm. I can now understand why people actually have sun lamps for light therapy. I need some sun.
8. Having no credit history - When we moved here, our credit history from the US means nothing. The only way we were able to open up a current account is through my employer. Even getting a new mobile phone usually requires a deposit equal to six months' of payments.
9. Nope nothing else.
10. Better stop, I keep thinking of more things for the top 10 list.
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