Living La Vida in London

(Ed – please note that this article was created before the terrorist attacks in the city)

Having first moved to London 2 years ago, I quickly realised how massive the city was and how insignificant and small one can become. Like many, I came to London to take advantage of the work and travel opportunities and to meet new people and experience different cultures.

All too quickly, I became a number wrapped up in the crazy working culture. I would leave home and return from work, then sit down in the ‘box’ room I rented, and try to make sense of the day that had rapidly passed me. But I soon adapted and began enjoying myself. Now, you’ll be hard pressed to get me to come back to SA, well at least for a good few more years.

At first, I was really homesick and made hundreds (no exaggeration) of phone calls to lost friends in London and family back home. It wasn’t long before I moved into the friendly South African circles of the ‘coloured community’ in London. Life was great; every weekend there was a party and there was always a group of friendly South African guys and gals looking for a good time.

It seems so strange; I travelled so far to stick to my own kind. I soon realised that although I was having fun, London could be a lot more exciting and meaningful if I broadened my horizons and met people of other cultures and experienced different things. After all, London is the gateway to Europe, where there is so much to see and do. The highlight of my time here so far was travelling to Liverpool with a few friends and sitting with 50 000 other spectators watching my team play at Anfield. The atmosphere was breathtaking to say the least.

Mondays became the longest day of the week, and Friday seemed miles away. At first, travelling in the London Underground (the Tube) was exciting but I soon realised how rude and unsociable people in the Tube can be.

On the weekends, the coloured South Africans normally get together and banter over a ‘few’ drinks, which sometimes turns into all-weekend binge benders. This is either at someone’s place, a bar, pub or club. Now that it is summer, we have been getting together and playing football in the various beautiful parks that London has to offer (my favourite being Clapham Common in South London), then having braais afterwards. It makes for a lovely social outing and allows one to unwind after a long week at the office and find out from other Bruinous what their week was like and what they’ve been up to. We have all become quite a close-knit family.

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Navigation

Despite the size of the city, travel is usually straightforward with London Underground, buses (including a 24-hour night bus service) and train networks. London is well connected by rail and road to the rest of the UK and Europe, and to the rest of the world with four major airports nearby.

The diversity of London is an educational experience in itself. It is a city of separate areas, often famous in their own right and with distinctive characteristics. Londoners are as varied as the city itself, with communities from most countries of the world, giving an overall impression of a multicultural environment. In fact, I heard that London is only second to New York for being the most cosmopolitan city in the world. And I believe there are over one million South Africans in London! The areas of Brixton, Camden, the East End, Hackney, Hoxton and Stoke Newington are vibrant, young areas with lively bar scenes. If I need to relax, I normally head for the calmer atmospheres of Battersea, Dulwich, Greenwich, Hampstead, Highgate or the riverside.

In the way of sport, London is a great place to watch the game of your choice, be it football (with Arsenal, Chelsea, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspurs to name but four London teams), rugby (at Twickenham) or cricket (at the Lords and Oval grounds), among many others. But we all know that Liverpool is the best football team, don’t we? (Ed – if you think so)

Nightlife

If you’re looking for good nightclubs, then London is probably one of the best places in Europe, if not the world. The best I’ve experienced are the upfront clubs of Brixton (for Mass, The Fridge and Plan B) and Hoxton (for Herbal and bars like Living Room and Canteloupe). Also, the West End in Central London has an unbelievable variety of clubs with music to suit all tastes.

Shopping, Food, Weather

As well as being home to many famous designers such as Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood, London is also famous for its markets: Petticoat Lane for cheap street-fashion, Columbia Road for flowers, Portobello Road for second hand clothing, Dalston and Brixton for exotic fruit and vegetables. Oh, and how can I forget, Oxford Street is where you can get most of the major brand names, all in one street. Good luck getting through all those crowds though.

Most world cuisines are represented here at prices to suit everyone. You can eat out for as little as £4. With trends in food and the make-up of London’s population constantly evolving, there’ll always be something new to try. My favourite eateries are the Chinese food joints in China Town and the Pakistani curry dens in Brick Lane.

The weather in London is very unpredictable and it rains all year round. Differences in the seasons are not as extreme as in some countries, and although London is warmer than many other parts of Britain, it can get very cold, particularly between November and February (below zero). The temperature often seems lower than it is because it can get very windy and wet and the air is often damp. Autumn temperatures are around 12 – 20 degrees and summer is around 20 – 35 degrees. The sky is often grey and it may take some time to adapt to this, especially if you arrive in London from warm Durban, like me.

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Some people imagine that English people are cold and unfriendly but the truth is that London is not England; it’s a busy, fast city. It is true that some English people are a little reserved and private but most of the people you encounter during the day are busy travelling, shopping or working, and are not in the mood for socialising. I’ve found that many coloureds in London find it a challenge to mingle and meet new people (other than mostly other coloured South Africans). Londoners are very diverse, and like me, half of all ‘Londoners’ come from elsewhere, be it other English towns or different countries.

For me, a Bruinou from sunny Durbs, London has been a truly remarkable experience so far. The most important thing about being here is that I’ve learnt more about myself in the last two years than I could have ever imagined possible. And, just as important, is the fact that I’ve learnt to embrace change and to develop an ‘international’ mindset. I can survive, I can conquer and I can move on. I have learnt perseverance, tolerance, and humility and I’ve learnt about other cultures I previously knew nothing about. I’ve certainly matured a great deal and have learnt to listen and observe more than talk. I’ve also met some truly wonderful human beings and I’ve found kindness, acceptance and support in sometimes the most unlikely places.

I know that there are quite a few Bruinous back in SA who are contemplating a move to London and I hope I have enlightened you a bit. I would definitely encourage you guys to come up. It really is a positive, life changing experience in all respects.

I never fancied myself much of a traveller, but I can never fully express or measure what an extraordinary impact my London experience has had on my life so far. The second hardest thing I ever did was board a plane from Joburg to come to London, with no idea what was awaiting me. The most difficult thing will be getting on a plane to go back home.

(Ed – great account of living in the city and I am sure we are all curious to know what the situation is like after the bombings and how people’s lives have been affected. Hopefully we can get some stories for you on that shortly)