What I’ve learned from London and elsewhere

melaniegin
  1. Many good-hearted people are willing to share their time and homes with strangers for nothing in return. One boy I met in Northern Ireland kindly offered to take my friend and I back to Belfast (where we were staying for the night) if we were still in the area when he was leaving. When that didn’t end up working out, he offered to search for taxis for me when we were cab-less on the Irish coast. 
  2. Buying food from the grocery store and cooking for oneself saves so much money. I have only gone out for food three or four times in London, and I’ve realized how much money I’ve saved by cooking in my flat. I can cook a meal for £2 or less, but to go out it costs at least £7-£10 for a decent dinner! When I return home to Los Angeles, I am going to stop eating takeout (which is mostly high in salt and starch) and start saving my money for plays and trips in California.     
  3. Everyone wants to make friends. If you show interest in somebody else, they will be more likely to open up to you and befriend you.
  4. For the most part, Londoners are much more worldly than Californians. The morning and evening news here is free, with thousands of copies given out at Tube stations across London. The news has a more international bent and citizens here know more about Obama’s healthcare plans, threats of nuclear war, and the debates over building a mosque near Ground Zero in New York than many Americans do.
  5. Good subway and rail systems make driving unnecessary in the city and lead to better overall health. Unless one lives in the suburbs, Londoners take the Tube to work and then walk the remaining distance. Ever wonder why Europeans are so much more fit than their American counterparts?
  6. Drinking beers at a pub is so laid-back and fun. While some people are definitely getting pissed (trashed), pub drinking here is more of a social, casual activity.
  7. The healthcare system here isn’t half bad. In fact, scientist Stephen Hawking, whose life (according to one investor’s daily in the States) would be deemed worthless in the U.K., says that without the National Health Service’s “high-quality treatments”, he would not have survived.       
  8. Being lost at night in a foreign country is so much better with a friend. I arrived at Belfast’s Europa Buscentre at 10PM and had to take a twenty-minute walk through darkened streets and alleys. While I still jumped at every shadow, it was so much better with a friend by my side. 
  9. It isn’t hard to cook good-quality, cheap meals. I learned to cook a spicy, flavourful Indian curry simply by reading the back of a spice container. If you take the time, you’re bound to learn plenty.
  10. Stuff is not that important. Standing there on the frigid Ireland coast, wind nipping at my face, I realized all I really need is warm clothes, a hearty meal, and a place to sleep. Nothing too fancy or expensive is necessary. 
What I’ve learned from London and elsewhere

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