Things I Experienced While Living in London

I promised myself to write something on my blog earlier this year with the absolute doubt that I will actually do it unless with the help of deus ex machina. Today, I woke up with this fiery motivation and sudden inspiration to write something, which I believe is the divine intervention itself. I head to this Blogspot website to realize that my blog domain had expired since this early April and I can't renew it since I was abroad (unless I use a UK's domain service which I will do maybe later. Fingers crossed if I can actually stay longer here).

So... How do you do, CN?

Never been better. Even though school assignments are tough as hell, I'm trying to work harder and survive this course.

My first ever writing that you'll about to see is my personal opinions on living in Britain's capital for the last (almost) 6 months. I hope you'll enjoy reading this the same way as I enjoyed writing this.

People are curious. Seriously.

I don't know if this happens to any other Indonesians or else, but I was dumbfounded by the number of questions I received from either my classmates or people I came across about myself and my country.   The most questions I received are always related to why the hell I am here in London, or how in the world I learn to speak English, which is kind of obvious that I learn it in school?

Another interesting thing that I experienced while studying here is when people ask me about my native language. One friend asked me some simple Indonesian greetings. Another one wants me to teach me Indonesian swear words, which I happily accept. You know where to come if you want to broaden your swear words vocabularies *wink*.

At the same time, people value your privacy.

I recently did social media detox during Easter Break and decided to have the curfew for my social media usage, and seriously it was the most satisfying thing I ever did in my life (I might have written about that in the future when I have the spare time to do so). One thing that I learned is people will appreciate someone else's privacy and of course, try to think logically and rationally before throwing comments on people life.

In short words, people aren't kepo.

I said 'sorry' much more than I did in my country.

People are saying sorry to me at tube even when I thought that they didn't do anything wrong such as passing through in front of me or trying to open a conversation with me. The other day I was taking a bus home when this lady lightly bumped at me and tried to say sorry to me so many times I was the one who felt guilty for it, haha.


And I slowly becoming one of them. I remember I bumped on a door and said sorry.

Trying to do ANYTHING by myself.

Once upon a time in a suburb near the capital city, Jakarta lived a spoiled princess who woke up to five courses of the highly nutritious meal prepared by her beloved mother (or just eat outside or call the delivery service when she didn't have the mood to eat home food). She went everywhere she wants with her family chauffeur who will always be ready in one call away. Her workplace is an air-conditioned, extremely cosy, and cleaned once a week. She didn't have to worry about her laundry because eventually, someone will take care of it, even though there were mountains of it.

Then everything changes when she decided to leave all of it and study abroad.

This poor girl now has to plan all of her meals, making trips to Sainsbury's or Tesco to get all the fresh ingredients, process them, and devour them. Don't forget about washing all of the dishes all by herself. And the laundry. And basically everything in her room that she can't keep clean.

Work hard, play hard.

This has been my personal motto since the first day of university life. Because one year is a super short time, so why not being super extra in both parts?

I'm in a dire need of sun.

Because obviously, the sun will not always be with me during the days in London. I can truly confirm what the world said about this particular city is true. Grey and gloomy skies with patters of raindrops almost every day (except at this really joyful week when it's suddenly 28ºC and everyone was sunbathing and it was indeed felt like I was in my home country).

Anyway, I was stupid enough for not packing an umbrella the very first time I came here. Fast forward to 5 months since I came, I'm a proud owner of 4 identical black umbrellas which I keep separately one each for every bags that I own.

I can confirm that everything is expensive.

I dearly love London and I don't mind spending the rest of my life here (hello, it's my dream)... If I'm rich enough or have a proper job that can afford London. The good thing is, since everything comes with such a price, I will always have to plan for everything from where to go, what to get, and setting up my priorities. Another whole new experience, eh?

Your lost items will eventually come back to you.

This once happened around a month ago while I was having this extreme craving due to my pre-menstrual syndrome. I went out to withdraw some money from an ATM at a local supermarket, not to realize that I dropped my debit card. I didn't know I lost my card until some few days, a fellow student living in the same hall as mine sent me a message via Facebook that he found my card on the street. Perhaps this is the most bizarre thing that happened with my lost item since Japan.

Read the whole story about how I lost my goddamn phone in Japan here.

Or the time I lost BOTH of my room key and student ID while having a night out with my classmates. Someone eventually found it and returned them to me, safe and sound. Something that will never happen before I came here.

Spending your weekend anywhere else besides London is CHEAPER than staying in London.

I tried this cheeky calculation while I was having my Easter Break vacation in Europe to found out that it's cheaper for me to be somewhere else besides London on a weekend. I pointed it out before that indeed, London is hella expensive. There are ways to survive this city as a broke as hell art student, which apparently goes into my writing list (and something you might see at my blog in the future... Maybe? Haha).

Nevertheless, London is a big playground ready to be explored.

I never get bored of this city. I can spend the whole day for just walking and find something new to do. From my daily life in my campus in King's Cross and then to the touristy Piccadilly Circus, moving on to the hip Shoreditch and Camden, every place have their own character. I feel that no matter how your personality is, there is always that one place in London that suits you well.

London, you've been extraordinarily amazing.

Anyway, spring is coming in this lovely city. It's been a while since I suffered enough from the cold. Let's hope for a happy, joyful season. :}