Life can only be understood backwards; but it must be lived forwards.
2022 was the year of migration for our family. By the end of the year, around Christmas, we relocated to the United Kingdom. Although we managed to experience the Christmas and New Year festivities, the weather was still unwelcoming, and we caught colds and the flu. As a result, we spent our first week inside our apartment in London. We had prebooked several attractions from India, but we missed a few, such as the Thames cruise and Churchill’s War Rooms.
On January 7, 2023, my wife and son returned to India, with plans to rejoin me in April. This left me alone in a new city, navigating its advantages and disadvantages. On February 12, I marked my first 50 days in London and thought it would be a good idea to jot down my experiences and share them with you.
I was learning every day, both personally and professionally. While life in India was on autopilot, I had to reboot and learn everything from scratch in a foreign country. I decided to step out of my comfort zone and embrace the change, so I have no complaints. Allow me to share my initial learnings and observations with you.
Exploring Famous Places:
- West End – I watched one of the longest-running shows, The Mouse Trap, at St. Martin’s Theatre.
- West End – I watched one of the longest-running shows, The Mouse Trap, at St. Martin’s Theatre.
- Football (EPL) – I am a big football fan, especially of the English Premier League. Hence, I made a point to tick one of my bucket list items and watch Westham United play Everton FC live at the London Stadium.
- The Lego Land – A theme park near Windsor. When Anant (my son) was with me during the initial days, we visited the theme park, and it was a wonderful experience.
- London Museums – I visited Docklands, British, Science, Natural History, Victoria and Albert (V&A) museums. What a collection and artefacts; I am speechless.
- Reading visit – Reading is a beautiful town 40 KM west of London, situated between the river Thames and the Kennet. We are planning to live here in the future.
- Parks – London has a lot of greenery, and Londoners have options to go to various royal parks. I also visited Holland Park, Battersea Park, St. James Park and Green Park.
- The Tower of London and the Tower Bridge – officially His Majesty’s Royal Palace and Fortress of the Tower of London, is a historic castle on the north bank of the River Thames in central London. One can see the crown jewels here.
- Others – Some other attractions included Buckingham Palace, the Canary Wharf Winter Light Festival, Camden Town, Notting Hill, Battersea Power Station, Greenwich Park, and an observatory.
Experiences specific to the UK:
- UK education system – GCSEs, A-Levels, state vs private schools, Ofsted ratings, open mornings, catchment criteria etc.
- Transport – Buses, cabs, Uber Boat, Trams, Underground trains, the overground, national railway, Oyster cards, apps like Trainline, contactless payments, split journeys, etc.
- Healthcare/Finance– Taxes, healthcare (NHS), Investments, GP registration, bank accounts, card payments, ATMs.
- Real Estate – Property portals (Zoopla, Rightmove, etc.), property viewing, and making an offer.
- Weather – Weather forecasts, frigid and windy weather, short days and longer nights (sunrise at 8 AM, sunset at 4 PM), and less sunlight.
- Walk – lots of opportunities to walk and cycle. I am clocking more than 15,000 steps a day and, as a result, lost a couple of KGs, too.
What’s next?
- Visit to the Wimbledon, Lords, and Wembley stadium
- Harry Potter Studio
- I already booked an evening with David Suchet (you know him as Detective Hercule Poirot)
Any Surprises?
- Thames not as clean as expected at places
- I found a few baggers outside grocery stores, such as Tesco and LIDL.
- Litter thrown at places (Southall)
- People crossing the road without a signal to turn green for them
Overall, it has been a pleasant experience, and I am learning something new every day. As human beings, we must continually upgrade ourselves every day.
Isn’t it?
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