All good things must come to an end

As I wrap up my two years in London, I am amazed at how quickly it all went by. I have had a wonderful time and cannot recommend this experience enough. As I’ve said before, I think it’s something everyone should do; not only because it’s fun, but because it allows for personal growth (developing problem-solving skills and forcing us to become comfortable outside of our comfort zone), for professional growth (varied work experience and a new source of answers for interviews for example) and it makes you a stronger and more well-rounded person no matter where life takes you. I know I feel more confident and I have accomplished on of my lifelong dreams which is a wonderful feeling.

Before I cap things off for the final time, here are a few of the things I’ve been up to over the last few months:

In September I finally visited the Tate Gallery and the Tate Modern. I was very impressed by the Tate Gallery (Turners and Constables being some of my favourites) but the Tate Modern was a bit over the top for me. I’m not sure I can fully appreciate modern art. That said, the Tate Modern’s gift shop was much more fun!

In October I went to an ITV event for a new show called Jekyll and Hyde. The show itself is fine but the event was outstanding! There were mad scientist bartenders, dress-up photo ops and it was all hosted in The Vaults, a cool and creepy underground venue. It was a really different and fun night out.

In October I also went for afternoon tea at The Ritz. This was a fantastic experience. The Palm Court is grand, the sandwiches, crumpets, cakes and tea were delicious and I loved every minute of it. While it’s not cheap at about £50/person, it’s definitely a treat that I will remember for a very long time.

For Dan’s birthday we went to see The Book of Mormon. While the show is highly offensive, it was also very funny and I found myself humming a few of the tunes days later. If you’re not overly sensitive and looking for a fun show to see in London, then I recommend it.

Being away from home for the holidays can be difficult but, luckily, the London ExpatCanadian Meetup Group organized a Canadian Thanksgiving meal in a pub. The turkey was delicious and we loved it so much that a group of us decided to recreate it ourselves a month later, cranberry sauce and all! I’m sorry, turkeys, but you shouldn’t be so delicious!

Speaking of holidays, Christmas has snuck up on me and it’s almost time to head back to Canada to celebrate Christmas with my family. Before I do though, I made a couple of visits to London’s Winter Wonderland in Hyde Park. I discovered this last year and have been semi-obsessed ever since. It’s basically a Christmas-themed Octoberfest with rides, beer tents (serving mulled wine and cider too), Christmas markets and all kinds of other fun and games. I had a blast once again and will definitely be back!

It’s now time to thank you for reading my blog and following me on this amazing adventure. I’ve had a blast sharing it with those who read it and hope it has been helpful and/or entertaining. I'd also like to thank everybody who encouraged and supported me along the way. I'm not sure I would have had the courage to do it without you and I am eternally grateful. I went into this a very shy and nervous person and I have come out more outgoing and confident. I'm even engaged! I can't believe how lucky I am to have had this opportunity.

As always, I will cap things off with a quote but first, I will wish you all a Merry Christmas (or Happy Christmas as they say here) and a very Happy 2016!

"Good night, and good luck."

Edward R. Murrow 

Summer Days at Last!

May and June have flown by and summer is finally here! It is a very hot 35 degrees today in London and a lot of people are sipping Pimms and eating strawberries and cream at Wimbledon while some of us (me!) have to work. Even though I am Canadian, no one at my work agreed that I should get the day off. How unfortunate that I can’t take advantage of the fantastic weather! Before I move on to what I’ve been up to lately, let me wish everyone a Happy Canada Day! Here is an amazing picture I found on the Canadian expats Facebook page. I just can’t get over how amazing it is:

So I have busy with fun random things lately, here’s a sampling and great examples of why living in London is so amazing – there is never a shortage of things to do!

In May I went to see a live taping of the Graham Norton Show where tickets are free! When you get tickets, you don’t know who the guests are going to be but I got very lucky and one of the guests was Simon Pegg who I absolutely love! Kylie Minogue, Michael McIntyre and Brandon Flowers were also on the show. It was a really fun experience and Graham Norton is hilarious both on and off the screen, I definitely recommend this if you find yourself in London, you can’t go wrong with free tickets anyway really! Try to spot me in the audience if you can:

In May I also let out my inner geek and went to the Legend of Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses concert and to the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular which were super fun. The Doctor Who one in particular had many of the show’s villains and monsters walking around on stage and in the aisles during the show which was really fun. To cap off May, I also met up with friends to watch the Eurovision song contest on television which is a bit of a big deal over here (depending who you ask). It is an extremely cheesy American Idol-type of show where each European country (and somewhat confusingly Australia this year) gets to send one performer and people from all over Europe vote for their favourites. Sweden was the winner this year replacing last year’s Austrian (bearded!) lady Conchita Wurst. It’s not for everyone but we did have fun, enjoyed some Pimms (my new favourite drink since moving to the UK) and sported furry moustaches in honour of Conchita:

In June I celebrated my 30^th birthday (cue hysterical tears) and went to a few nice places. First, we went to Escape Rooms where you essentially get locked in a room for an hour and you have to solve a series of puzzles, riddles and everything in between to escape the room. We succeeded with 6 minutes to spare! It was very challenging but also very fun. I’m a little bit hooked and can’t wait to go back and try to solve some of their other challenges. Here is Team Poutine’s victory picture that now hangs on the walls of Escape Rooms:

On my actual birthday I took the day off of work and was treated to a day at the London Zoo. Those who know me know that I love giraffes and I was very pleased to spend a part of my birthday with 3 lovely giraffes. The London Zoo is very nice. The animals look healthy and happy, the enclosures are clean and there is sufficient space for them to roam and even hide if they want to. Here are a few of my pictures from the zoo:

For dinner we went to Berner’s Tavern which is a fantastic restaurant. The vibe is casual yet classy and there is only one enormous room where the walls are lined with framed pictures and paintings from floor to ceiling. The food was fantastic (probably the best chicken I’ve ever had) and they gave me a nice little cake and birthday card when they found out it was my birthday. The cocktails are also very unique and fun. I had the “Cereal Killer” which is rum, Kahlua, white chocolate liqueur, coco pops milk (that’s right!) and chocolate bitters served in a very cute tiny milk bottle and candy stripe straw. It was a really great place for a special occasion.

I also had a chance to visit Borough Market, London’s oldest fruit & vegetable market (although there is so much more there now!) and it was amazing. Here is just a taste of what you can find there:

Lastly, after a year and a half of waiting, I finally went to see a movie at the Electric Cinema. This super old cinema is expensive but worth every penny. You can either sit on the 2 seater sofas at the back, on your very own armchair (with footstool) or on one of the 2 seater beds at the front and all seats have cashmere blankets! We opted for one of the beds at the front and it was fantastic! Not only are you super comfortable and cozy during the movie, the cinema offers snacks like nachos, burgers, chicken wings, candy, etc and drinks (champagne, beer, wine, etc.) that you can enjoy during the movie. I will definitely be back – especially considering that it’s less than 5 minutes away from my house!

I plan to now enjoy summer, try to spend as much time outside picnicking in London’s many parks and enjoying everything London has to offer in the summer, including the sometimes unbearable heat in a place where air conditioning is not always that common. Here’s a quote that summarises how I feel about summer here:

“Ah summer, what power you have to make us suffer and like it.”

Russel Baker

The few and the many

On this 70^th anniversary of VE (Victory in Europe) Day, I felt it was appropriate to write about recent developments in my life and, more to the point, my recent travels.

First, I’m happy to report that the tough times are over and that Dan and I are still happily living in our flat in Notting Hill and that we are now both employed! I think it might be good to note for future Swappers or anyone planning to move to the UK that the norm is to be paid monthly, usually at the end of the month. You do learn to adjust to this even if, like me, you were used to being paid every two weeks; however, it’s good to keep in mind that when you start a new job, you may not get paid for a month or even longer depending on what time of the month you start your job. This is just another reason why having savings (more than you think you’ll need) is very useful and maybe even necessary! It did take a long time for Dan to find this job (about 3 months) but this isn’t uncommon. While there are obviously a lot of jobs in a big city like London, there is also a lot of competition! I found that it is important not to get discouraged and to keep trying and adapting your applications to suit what employers are asking for. It’s always good to ask for feedback when you get rejected and ask how you can improve. I think this was a good strategy for Dan and he succeeded in finding a job he really enjoys.

Second, my dad and his girlfriend came to London for a visit last week and then we all travelled to France. While we did take the time to enjoy some tasty French food and wine along the way, we spent the majority of our time in Normandy visiting WWI and WWII sites such as Vimy Ridge, Juno Beach, Ste Mere Eglise & the Airborne Museum and some military cemeteries. The majority of our visit was very solemn and I think we all developed a deeper-than-ever respect for the men and women who selflessly fought for the freedoms, rights and liberties we enjoy every day and who helped shape our world into what is it today. I am grateful than ever and am remembering them today, on this anniversary of VE Day.

In London, we visited the usual suspects like Big Ben, Buckingham Palace and the Tower of London but we also visited the lesser known Churchill War Rooms. This is one of my favourite museums in London. Essentially, the bunker was sealed at the end of WWII and only reopened as a museum in the 1980s. This means that everything is as it was on the day the war ended; think coffee cups, cigars, litter but also, more interestingly, maps where Allied and German positions were marked based on best guesses. Here are a few pictures from London and the war rooms:

In Normandy, we started our visit at Vimy Ridge (I encourage everyone to read about Vimy Ridge if you don’t know the full story, it is fascinating), a WWI site of great importance to Canadians as it is the first time that Canadians fought together as one and defeated the Germans in a very difficult battle. We were fortunate to see the stunning and enormous monument and then we went for a (free!) guided tour of the trenches, underground bunkers and tunnels/subway systems. Here are a few pictures from Vimy Ridge:

We also stopped by a lovely fishing town called Honfleur for lunch. It had a wonderful Normandy small-town vibe and could only have been improved by better weather. I would definitely recommend stopping here if you find yourself in Normandy.

We then travelled west and stationed ourselves in Caen from where, over the next couple of days, we visited Juno Beach, the Canadian beach on D-Day. We also visited Ste Mere Eglise (of Band of Brothers fame) which was the first French town liberated during the Battle of Normandy.

And we visited a Canadian WWI war cemetery, a German WWII war cemetery and a Commonwealth (mostly Britiish) WWII war cemetery. IT was emotional to see the amount of graves in each cemetery and to read the personal messages on some of them. Personally, I was touched by the grave of a 21 year old Canadian soldier from Ottawa.

I think visiting significant historical sites such as the ones above is something everyone should do at least once in their life. It puts things in perspective and makes us appreciate what we have, which we sometimes forget to do. In closing, I leave one of my favourite war-time quotes:

“Never in the field of human conflict was so much owed by so many to so few.”

Winston Churchill

What a year!

As of today it has been exactly a year since I arrived in London. I’m feeling a mixture of pride, disbelief (that’s it’s already been a year!), sadness that half my time here has already gone by but also optimism for the year ahead. What a year it’s been; I haven’t travelled quite as much as I had expected/hoped to (London is a very expensive city to live in!) but I still managed to travel to Wales, Ireland, France, Germany, Belgium, Scotland and a few random places/towns around England so that’s not too bad.

First, a few pictures of what I’ve been up to over the holidays. In December, Dan and I went to Bruges with BritBound to see one of Europe’s famous Christmas markets. I was a little disappointed by the market since I had been looking at pictures of Berlin and Prague’s markets before going and Bruges is tiny but it is still a charming little town and we had a good time. Here are a few pictures of 1) the ferry crossing to France, 2) Bruges town square (where the market is) and 3) the best thing about Belgium: food (especially chocolate) and beer!

I love London at Christmas time – from the iconic Harrods all lit up to the cute shop decorations. It also turns out that London has its own Christmas market in Hyde Park (amongst many others) called Winter Wonderland. We went to this market and it is basically a Christmas version of Oktoberfest – it was great! I also used it as an opportunity to proudly display my Canada mittens!

I was lucky enough to have some of my family come visit me in London this Christmas and we went on a tour of Scotland (Edinburgh, Highlands & Inverness) for Christmas. This was a Haggis Adventures tour and it was really great: very well organized, fantastic guide/driver and all-around good fun! This is my second Haggis Adventures tour and I really recommend them for anyone wanting to visit Scotland in a fun and affordable way. They also have these cute little busses but sometimes, there are creepers on the bus (note: this may only be when my brother is on board):

So we started off in Edinburgh:

Then moved up in the Scottish Highlands through two national parks, around Loch Ness, stopped by the Culloden memorial site and up to Inverness:

And we had a lovely Christmas dinner at the Royal Highland Hotel (famous for its Royal visitors and the staircase that inspired the one in Titanic) in Inverness which included a haggis, neeps & taties starter (delicious!):

And we even got to visit some of my favourites: Hairy Coos!

It was a great trip with very scenic views and good Scottish fun. We eventually make our way back to London in time for the new year where my mom and I went for posh afternoon tea at The Dorchester:

And we celebrated New Year’s Eve in style after a visit to Nobu where I had the best meal of my life. I had delicious tuna tacos (not pictured), Wagyu beef and this chocolate tart for dessert that started out as a chocolate ball but after hot chocolate was poured on it (at the table), it melted into a tart – so cool! I have eaten at some great restaurants in my life but this is by far the best meal I have ever had. I now need to save up my pennies and go back soon!

Finally, since I have now spent a year living in London, I thought I would list my advice for the top ten things to do when moving abroad:

1. Get an iPhone

I have never been a big Apple fan but the iPhone has lots of great apps like CityMapper (which has saved me so many times), Whatsapp, Skype and FaceTime which make it easy (and free!) to stay in touch with people from back home. It was a big expense for me but definitely worth it.

2. Network

I am a relatively shy person and it’s hard for me to push myself to meet new people but this was part of this experience. Groups like BritBound and Meetups are the perfect place to meet new people when you move abroad by yourself and most people in those groups are in the exact same situation so I felt that this made it a little easier. I feel that it’s important to meet people or this experience wouldn’t be the same.

3. Make time to call home

It’s easy when your life starts picking up to forget to call your family/friends but I found that it’s been worth making the time for it (even though I’m still not doing it enough). Whether it’s for moral support, a good chat or, more importantly, to order more supplies of stuff only found in Canada, it is important and I will do it more this year.

4. Travel every chance you get

As I said before, I came here hoping to travel more but it’s important to continuously budget for holidays. While travelling within Europe may seem cheap compared to travelling from Canada, travel expenses still add up and it’s good to budget to make the most of it. I have started savings jars that I hope will help with more European city breaks in 2015!

5. Join discount sites

Shortly after I got here I signed up to free websites like TimeOut, Amazon Local and Groupon and started receiving daily email deals for restaurants, theatre tickets, tourist attractions, shops, etc. The discounts are usually very good and it’s definitely worth taking the time to scroll through a few emails every day.

6. See shows!

London is a great place to see theatre, musicals, ballets, operas, orchestras, etc. Using the websites I mentioned above you can easily find discounted tickets and I try to remind myself once in a while to go see some world-class shows! So far I have seen Les Misérables (a few times…it’s my favourite), Wicked, The Nutcracker and Miss Saigon. I missed out on seeing Richard III starring Martin Freeman (I heard mixed reviews anyway) and I’m determined to get tickets to Hamlet starring Benedict Cumberbatch next fall. Coming up, I have tickets to the Zelda Symphony of the Goddesses and the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular which I’m excited for. I would also like to see another ballet and an opera too.

7. Write about your experiences

I have found that writing entries in this blog can be therapeutic but it also reminds me of all the things I have done. Even this entry now, if I wasn’t taking the time to write this, I wouldn’t have fully realized how much I have done over the past year and how amazing it’s been! It can also be nice to re-read some of my past entries which brings back memories of what I was going through at the time.

8. Pack light

London has everything and more that you can every need. I think that there is no need to pack things like towels, laundry bags and random accessories as some blogs/websites suggest. It’s easier to arrive here with a lighter bag and buy everything you need once here. There are affordable places like Primark and Argos that have very low prices, even in London. I now regret dragging my super heavy suitcase around everywhere when I first arrived.

9. Talk to the locals

I have found that people love to talk about their neighbourhoods and things that they love. It’s easy to start up a conversation with “I’m not from here, do you have any advice on what to do?” since people almost always have something to say. People often volunteer travel advice/things to do when they hear my accent and realize that I’m not from around here so it’s also a good way to meet people.

10. Just do it already!

This, I think, is my best piece of advice. Stop being scared of what could go wrong and take the plunge. I believe that, as long as you keep an open mind, this type of adventure can only be a success. To cap things off, as always, a quote that touches on this last point:

Life is what you make it. Always has been, always will be.

Eleanor Roosevelt