The last 6 weeks have certainly been a time of great change for me!
As you know, I’ve moved to London, I moved apartments twice, I have a new job (which has its ups and downs), I have left friends and family in sunny South Africa, I am single again, and am enduring another winter instead of having lovely long hot (if a bit sweaty) days back home :-)
When I arrived in London, I first stayed in an area called Aldgate. My tiny one room apartment was right on the edge of all the central London office buildings (including the building aptly named the Cucumber and various other naughty names). I could walk to work in 15 minutes which was fun. I was also near the London Bridge and the Tower of London. It was lovely going on walks to the river from there. I was also near the infamous Brick Lane – which is a must for curry lovers, it has about 2km of Indian restaurants, it has to be seen (and eaten at) to believe!
The apartment was wonderfully modern, but too small, and I was glad when after three weeks I was to move to my more permanent residence.
I now live a block away from the Thames River, near Waterloo station and the London Eye! I can even see the London Eye from my lounge window!
I love my new one bedroom apartment, it’s in a lovely old white stone building and very central.
It’s wonderfully modern, and when my mom saw photo’s of it, said: ‘Hmm that looks more fabulous than your apartment back home!’ I have to quietly agree with her ;-)
Work is going okay. I must admit that it’s not quite what I expected to be doing, but I’m trying to make it a positive, learning experience, even if I did love my job at home more.
Most people are really friendly. I think I tried a bit too hard when I arrived to fit in, so now that I’ve become more ‘laid back’, people are being friendlier. I think time also helps :-)
The weather has been interesting (trying to fit into the English ways and discuss the weather here!) It has snowed since I’ve been here, twice. However, in central London the snow never really settles. It was nice to go north and visit my brother and his family recently and walk on snow that was deep enough to do that delicious crunchy noise underfoot.
We also had terrific windstorms one week which caused wide scale devastation. I remember walking back to the office from the grocery store with two boxes of cereal weighing about 2kg’s and having the packet blown at a right angle to my body as if there was nothing in it!
The wonders of nature….
If you don’t know this already, Gerarde and I have broken up. I’m suitably sad and heartbroken.
As a certain friend has told me (and I’m sure you know who you are), get out there and flirt, flirt.
I’ll take her up on that soon ;-)
As one could probably have predicted, every nasty foreign winter bug has been targeting me since I arrived, the worst being last week when I was laid low with a bad cold and an ear and throat infection. I even managed to get antibiotics from a doctor (unheard of here ;-) because I was so ill! I’m slowly getting better.
As you know, I’ve moved to London, I moved apartments twice, I have a new job (which has its ups and downs), I have left friends and family in sunny South Africa, I am single again, and am enduring another winter instead of having lovely long hot (if a bit sweaty) days back home :-)
When I arrived in London, I first stayed in an area called Aldgate. My tiny one room apartment was right on the edge of all the central London office buildings (including the building aptly named the Cucumber and various other naughty names). I could walk to work in 15 minutes which was fun. I was also near the London Bridge and the Tower of London. It was lovely going on walks to the river from there. I was also near the infamous Brick Lane – which is a must for curry lovers, it has about 2km of Indian restaurants, it has to be seen (and eaten at) to believe!
The apartment was wonderfully modern, but too small, and I was glad when after three weeks I was to move to my more permanent residence.
I now live a block away from the Thames River, near Waterloo station and the London Eye! I can even see the London Eye from my lounge window!
I love my new one bedroom apartment, it’s in a lovely old white stone building and very central.
It’s wonderfully modern, and when my mom saw photo’s of it, said: ‘Hmm that looks more fabulous than your apartment back home!’ I have to quietly agree with her ;-)
Work is going okay. I must admit that it’s not quite what I expected to be doing, but I’m trying to make it a positive, learning experience, even if I did love my job at home more.
Most people are really friendly. I think I tried a bit too hard when I arrived to fit in, so now that I’ve become more ‘laid back’, people are being friendlier. I think time also helps :-)
The weather has been interesting (trying to fit into the English ways and discuss the weather here!) It has snowed since I’ve been here, twice. However, in central London the snow never really settles. It was nice to go north and visit my brother and his family recently and walk on snow that was deep enough to do that delicious crunchy noise underfoot.
We also had terrific windstorms one week which caused wide scale devastation. I remember walking back to the office from the grocery store with two boxes of cereal weighing about 2kg’s and having the packet blown at a right angle to my body as if there was nothing in it!
The wonders of nature….
If you don’t know this already, Gerarde and I have broken up. I’m suitably sad and heartbroken.
As a certain friend has told me (and I’m sure you know who you are), get out there and flirt, flirt.
I’ll take her up on that soon ;-)
As one could probably have predicted, every nasty foreign winter bug has been targeting me since I arrived, the worst being last week when I was laid low with a bad cold and an ear and throat infection. I even managed to get antibiotics from a doctor (unheard of here ;-) because I was so ill! I’m slowly getting better.
Moving countries and also moving to a big exciting but impersonal city like London can obviously be very daunting. I must admit I have received so much support from everyone, friends and family a like, and even from acquaintances who I wouldn't expect support from. It's been very heartwarming.
Photos:
You can click on the photos added to enlarge them.
Photo 1: The Tower of London near my first apartment
Photo 2: The London Eye in the evening light
Photo 3: Me, walking along the Thames
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