I heart London

London skulle nog kunna kallas min andra hemstad. Det är i alla fall i den staden jag bott längst tid av mitt liv efter Stockholm. Närmare 4,5 år av mitt liv bodde jag där och det var nu nästan 7 år sedan jag flyttade därifrån. Mitt liv i London känns idag väldigt avlägset, samtidigt som jag vet att om jag skulle flytta dit igen skulle jag än en gång trivas som fisken i vattnet. Det gör de flesta. 

Det är något speciellt med London och jag kan inte riktigt sätta fingret på vad det är. Men jag älskar London av hela mitt hjärta och önskar jag kunde besöka staden oftare än vad jag gör. 

När det för någon månad sedan blev tal om en jobbresa till Reading visste jag direkt att jag måste lyckas lägga den i samband med ett besök i London och så blev det. I lite över 3 dagar njöt jag av ett Londonliv hemma hos min kära vän Annah. På schemat stod shopping, god mat, barnmys, jobb, parkhäng och att bara få njuta av att vara i just London. 

Dagarna i London flög förbi och nu är jag redan hemma i Sverige igen men med lite mer energi än innan, för det är något London gör, det ger en energi. 

xoxo

Why do Sundays go so fast?

Before moving home to Stockholm a Swedish friend of mine tried to warn me about the boring Swedish Sundays. She has lived in London and just like me she was used to have very social Sundays - in London everyone meets up with friends to see the football games, go for long walks, have Sunday roast lunches, dinners or drinks together. Maybe all days are social days in London but Sundays are for sure a day when you meet with family and friends. 

Stockholm is different. Many restaurants are even closed as people don't tend to go out on Sundays. It is the day you relax at home, either alone, with a partner or family. My friend told me that she just hated the Sundays here in Stockholm as they made her depressed and gave a feeling of loneliness. 

After two and a half month here in Stockholm I know that she was right in her theory about what I would call "Stockholm's lazy Sundays" but I kind of like it. I prepared so well for these boring(?) and lazy Sundays that I now almost get annoyed if someone wants to go out on a Sunday evening - the one and only day I allow myself being lazy!

Yesterday I had a good Sunday anyway. I stayed home studying in the morning. Went for a sunny walk after lunch before I headed to the gym for a hard hour of body pumping. Studied some more in the afternoon before I went to N for a delicious dinner, another long evening walk and then sat down to watch the animated movie RIO. Suddenly it was already late and time for sleep and I tough that the (very good) day had passed far to fast.

xoxo 

Friday eve with Sabino and friends

Sabino is visiting from Milan over the weekend so tonight Anna and I went to Refeel bar for a drink with him and his friends. 

Talking about London I must say I miss it. What a great place. And what amazing four years I had there. But well, the summer is finally coming to Milan and it is getting nicer for every day :)

xoxo

Living in London

Picture taken from the amazing motivation tumblr site "Before I die"
"Before I die I should move to/live in London - Everyone should"

I got an e-mail the other day and with an OK from the girl I got it from I would like to share it together with my answer with all of you.

Hej Marliina.

Jag heter Lisa, är 21 år och kommer från Stockholm. Jag hittade din blogg för nån vecka sen och det slutade med att jag satt i flera timmar och bläddra igenom dina blogginlägg från både London, Milano och Stockholm. Jag blev otroligt imspirerad och peppad att flytta utomlands jag med men vet inte hur jag ska ta mig till. Vad är första steget? Det är framför allt London jag känner mig sugen på eftersom jag skulle behöva öva min engelska och jag tycker London verkar vara sån härlig stad. Hur ska jag göra nu? Jag hade ju egentligen tänkt att söka till Universitetet till hösten men känner mig inte alls sugen så jag skulle ju kunna flytta till London istället. Men hur är min fråga? Skulle du rekommendera London som stad? Hur hittar man boende? och jobb? Mina föräldrar har lovat hjälpa mig med pengar men något måste jag ju göra där ändå. Volontärsjobb finns det?
Vore jätteglad om du kunde svara mig med lite tips och så.
Jag följer nu din blogg slaviskt och jag önksar att jag hade ditt mod och energi.
Kram Lisa

In English, translated by Google:

Hello Marliina.

My name is Lisa, I am 21 years old and comes from Stockholm. I found your blog a few weeks ago and I ended up sitting for hours to browse through your blog posts from London, Milan and Stockholm. I got incredibly inspired to move abroad, but I do not know how I'm going to do it. What is the first step? It is mainly London I am interested in because I would like to practice my English, and I think London seems to be such a lovely town. What should I do now? I was intended to apply to university this autumn, but do not feel like doing it so I though I could move to London instead. But how is my question? Would you recommend London as a city? How do I find accommodation? and a job? My parents have promised to help me with money but I have do do something anyway. Are there volunteer jobs?
Would be happy if you could answer me with some tips and ideas.
I am now following your blog and I very much wish I had your courage and energy.
Hugs Lisa

I would like to start by saying that I would recommend EVERYONE to live in London for some period of their life. Or in New York. It is such amazing experience! To learn English obviously is a good reason but it is not because of that I suggest it to people. London is amazingly unique for it's people and for it's culture. People comes from all around the world to London to do different kinds of experiences and as there are so many "immigrants" people are getting extremely open minded and open to meet new people. I guess it is the only place in the world where you can meet friends for life just taking the underground to work.

I didn't like London as a city before I moved there. I found it gray and even if I can't say it is ugly it had nothing that really cached my interest. It had good shopping and nice nightclubs, that was all the good things I could tell about it before I took the step to move there. Now when I go back I feel London has it all. Whatever I am looking for (except good weather) I can find it there. The variety the city offers is incredible, there is something for everyone.

I moved to London in 2006 alone without knowing anyone there but I had the job contract sighed before I left Sweden. I also already had a room to share with friends of a good friend of mine. So I must say I made it easy for myself. But I would say London is a place you can go without knowing anyone and without having neither job or a flat before arriving.

A room can be find easily trough Gumtree (http://www.gumtree.com/). Sometimes you can move in the day after and sometimes you have to wait a couple of weeks. However it is a quick process.

Also, some kind of job can always be found. The employee turnover in London is high, especially for the easier and less qualified jobs like in shops, bars or restaurants. For someone who is moving to London just for some time I would recommend to look for jobs seeking the languages they speak. There are lots of language recruitment companies that are always looking for "customer services people" with native language speaking knowledge.

Another idea is to work as a nanny. I have friends that has been doing that and it means that you get a room in a house with a English family, you might have to pick up the kids up from school in the afternoon and help out with home works or bring them to sport activities. You normally have mornings and evenings free, get a small payment plus a place to sleep and some food.

Like I said in the beginning, I would really recommend everyone I know to do a living experience in London. The four years I lived in London changed me positively in all kinds of way and I am very thankful for that. London for me will always be like a second home.

xoxo

Pub night with Stephanie

 

I remember all my pub night during my four years in London. It was part of almost everyone's lifestyle to go to the pub with friends at least once a twice a week. A social and fun tradition England has since hundreds of years. Sometime you go for just a beer/coke/glass of wine/hot tea, sometimes for dinner, or to watch a game or for the traditional Sunday roast lunch.

However Italy is equally social. It it part of the weekly life of almost everyone living in the bigger cities to go for aperitivos at a bar. It one way it is even better as you get free dinner together with your drink.

But a bar is a bar and a pub is a pub. A bar is trendy. A pub is cosy. And yesterday I realise I actually miss the pub hang a lot. I have Milan's oldest pub "La Matricola" just few steps from my place and I wonder why I don't bring along friends there more often?

Yesterday Steppy and I finished off the left overs from my lasagna dinner the night before and then we went down the pub. So cosy.

xoxo