Lovely people, I can hardly believe this week marks my 7th week in London!
When I first started to think about moving I couldn't really see this far ahead - I think I was scared to in case I was back at home in Reading, or living here and hating it. However I can officially say that so far, life is going well in London.
As a quick update, from the last time we spoke:
I'm still going to the Nike shop in Covent Garden, only now I go for a run/fitness drill combo which is altogether a little tamer than the unisex running class. It's run by, and attended by, ladies only, which makes me feel better. As an added bonus we visit a new London landmark each week! I would highly recommend trying to check one of these out, if you are new to London. Great way to meet people, keep fit and see the sights for free.
The house hunt still continues. I don't know if you are familiar with Battle Royale or The Hunger Games, but trying to find a houseshare in London is a similar concept. I feel like i'm doing battle with every other human to secure a bed space (paying obscenely for the privilege, I might add.) I figured that the cost alone of living in London would mean you at least weren't scrapping around for places, but I thought wrong. Looking for somewhere to live has become my full-time occupation (other than work of course). Each morning I psych myself up to the daily grind of obsessively checking spareroom.co.uk to see if there are any 'hits' to my ad, or if something meets my search list. Then you have to hope they make contact (or respond to you if you ask). It's not just a 'hey, when are you free to view?' either - oh no! That would be far too simple. No, instead you have to submit a dating-profile-esque description of yourself, trying to convince them you are the absolutely best candidate (aka PAYING housemate) to fill the room. Then, and only then, do you get the honour of what is sometimes only a 10 minute slot, to view the house, ask questions and see potential housemates before the next one is in and you are back out on the mat wondering what just happened. The fun doesn't stop there either, because then you get to wait and see if you are the 'chosen one.' This, of course, is assuming that the room matched it's description, was in the right area, and wasn't subject to very deceptive photography which made a shoebox look like a palace.
Frazzled, me? Ok, I know I haven't really sold that. But seriously, it's tough out there. The best advice I can give is to know what your areas are, you price is, and your non-negotiables, and then cross your fingers and enter the battle zone. Perhaps with a colander for a hat*. Good luck, brave warrior.
*Don't actually wear a colander to a house viewing. These things are tough enough, don't give them an extra reason to vote against you.
I've spent the last 3 or 4 weeks looking, and i've been to about 5 houses. Some have been a little indulgent with their upselling, while others have just been close but no cigar. But I won't be defeated! Luckily I don't have a definite date to get out by - i'm staying with amazing friends who have made the move a whole lot less stressful by putting me up. However, I would quite like to be out of their hair now, and making it on my own.
So - in terms of other specific London things, I have been out and about trying to enjoy the capital as much as i can. I've seen great sunsets on Waterloo bridge across the Thames, i've eaten at lots of lovely restaurants and cafe's, i've eaten been for drinks on a boat-pub! (literally - a pub on a boat). I also got the chance to go to a fashion exhibition with a friend, and tick off some touristy bits (platform 9 and three-quarters at Kings Cross, i'm looking at you). When I knew I was leaving behind my hometown I asked people who had moved to new places what their best advice was, and a lot of people said 'just embrace it' - so i've tried to do that, and for the most part that has really paid off. It can be easy, both in a familiar and a new place, to just want to retreat and not do anything - it takes more effort to be sociable and go out - but the rewards are worth it. So, since I have been here, I have tried to say 'YES!' to more things. So far this has included going on a friend date with a girl I met on spareroom, meeting other ladies at the run club, being an extra on a film set (true story - they needed someone in fifties clothes to be part of the background) and many more. It goes without saying that you do need to apply a level of common sense before agreeing to anything, but on the whole I think it helps you to get out there in a new city.
Some specific London advice to help with this that I wish i'd known before arriving is - check out meetup.co.uk - it has really specific networks so you can find other people that share your interests. Also, TimeOut is a magazine they hand out free in London - every 2 weeks i think? This tells you what is coming up to do in London, for free, or for cheap, and where all the gigs/theatre dates are. These are amazingly useful, definitely try and get your hands on the mag, but if not they have a FB page/website/app. Similarly, SkintLondon and Londonist are similar and have apps/websites - always worth a look to see what might be going on in the coming week you can get involved in.
I also feel like i'm settling in at work more. I'm no longer the new girl (whoop!) and am becoming more part of the furniture. I'm also slowly learning my way around certain areas (namely the places i'm off viewing houses in, due to going so many times!) but also where the good shops are, the best sandwiches etc. Having said this, I do still have some stuff to learn. Whilst trying to get to Wembley for the Color Run with friends (it was great, would recommend if you don't mind looking like an Andy Warhol painting in progress) - i couldn't get through a tube barrier because my Oyster card wasn't working. "But I topped it up this morning!" I said to the lady. However she insisted that it had no money on. By the time I sadly trudged off to the machine to top it up (again) - certain they were scamming me, my friend had come back through the barrier. "Did you tap it again on the screen to transfer the money onto it earlier?" He asked in innocence. "No - did I need to?" I replied. "Ah, balls. Yes, you did. Now you have to pay all over again." - HOW ANNOYING. So, basically, once you have paid to top up your oyster card, it doesn't actually *top up* unless you press it against the button again. So, I ended up paying £20 for just £10 worth of credit. "It's a mistake you only make once" my friend tried to console me with. What I didn't have the heart to tell him, however, was that i d topped my oyster up about a week before too - without tapping the screen. So, perhaps for me it's a mistake I needed to make twice. :) At least I can tell you, and stop you from following in my footsteps!
So....that's about all i've ben getting up to so far. At the moment i'm very much 'eat, sleep, house-hunt, repeat', so my life is reduced to a small window of time between coming home from house viewings and going to bed.
Hopefully next time I come on to post, I will a) not have given up completely on finding a house-share, b) might actually have somewhere new to call my pad, and c) have some life back to go and enjoy.
:) Mel
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