Things I Love About the UK/London

I’ve realized some of my posts so far have pointed out things across the pond that annoy me. I’m not apologizing for that. But I thought I’d dedicate a post to things about the UK/London that I think are awesome. In no particular order, here they are…

Mobile phones

OK, so I still call it my “cell”. But mobiles here are incredibly cheap when compared to Canada. Also, when you receive an incoming call, you don’t pay a dime (do they say ‘dime’ here?). On top of that, texting reigns here for all matters of life. I get texts reminding me of doctor’s appointments, to pay my credit card, to let me know my taxi has arrived, and so on. So all in all, Telus Mobility, I don’t miss you for a second.

The Length of the Escalators on the Tube/London Underground

It makes you feel as if you’re descending into the icy depths of hell, but really you’re just below Bloomsbury.

The ubiquity of Indian food

I love that whenever I’m in any supermarket – be it Morrison’s or Waitrose – there’s an abundance of delicious Indian ready meals (TV dinners), cheap naan bread, and curry sauces galore. Thank you very much, influx of immigrants from India/Pakistan/Nepal/Bangladesh.

Museums are FREE(!)

If I’m ever bored on a day off, or just need to kill some time in central LDN while I’m waiting for a friend, I can always just pop into a museum, absolutely free. And know that these are some of the best museums in the world.

Old School Stuff

I like that you can still buy milk in glass bottles and even get it delivered to you by a milk man, who will come and collect the empties. I like that there’s still tons of red phone booths (phone boxes) everywhere, even though cell phones reign supreme and they’re probably just keeping them around for tourists.

And I like Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, where you stand in an open-roofed theatre (rain or shine – it rained for us!) and feel like you’re back in the 1800s (or whenever he was alive).

The Diversity I Find in My London Life

This city really does contain the world. I like that a night out in London can look like an episode of “United Nations Gone Wild.” I like that I’ve hung out and learnt a lot about other cultures that I never thought I would have – like Nepalese, Kazakhs, Saffas (South Africans), and the list goes on and on. It seems to just be the norm here. And lastly, I like that I live with 3 Aussies – this probably would not happen back home, unless of course I moved to Whistler for ski season.

Travel: Trains, Tubes and Double-Deckers

At the risk of sounding like a tourist, I still enjoy riding double-decker buses, even though it’s now become a part of everyday life. But there’s nothing like making your way to the top deck, getting the front row seat, and watching the streets of London below you. You almost feel blasphemous.

Moreover, I enjoy riding on the subway, which is known as the “Tube” (or “Choob”, in Brit English). It’s clean and efficient (* except when entire lines close on the weekend or there’s a ‘person under a train’ aka a jumper) and I feel like I should be in a music video when I’m on it. It’s design and the roundel and everything seem to represent LDN very strongly to me. Plus it’s fast and quirky (like the gap at Bank Station, which you really do have to mind).

Of course my favourite thing about the UK is trains. They take trains all over and it’s quite pleasant to me. The Brits complain about their system all the time, but if they ever moved to Canada they would see just how good they have it. My favourite is the ride from Edinburgh to London (in only 4 hours!), which is mostly just green Scottish/English countryside blurring by you.

Views from the train

Fields of cows and sheep. The North Sea as you head towards Newcastle. The fact that I always book a seat with a table in the “Quiet Coach” so I can mellow out. And that they have a cart come around with drinks and snacks. And that there’s free wi-fi and chargers, so I can get my phone juiced up while writing some e-mails or watching YouTube videos.

And there’s nothing like getting into Kings Cross train station (photo above) -home of Platform 9 and 3/4. The energy and excitement there is the perfect beginning to your arrival in LDN.

Miscellaneous….

- I like that I can use my debit card in any bank’s ATM and not get charged. And I can use it 1000 times a month and there’s never a fee for that. Take that, TD Canada Trust.

- I like that I can fly to another country for less than a round-trip (return) bus ticket from Toronto to Kingston. Literally.

-These teas and that brand of soup.