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London’s Summer Festivals: Notting Hill Carnival

Friday, August 27th, 2010

If you’ve already completed your London relocation, you’re just in time for the Notting Hill Carnival! I originally intended to continue on with Part II of my Top 10 reasons to move to London today, but realized I’d be remiss to go into this weekend and not to mention the grand fete.

This is one of those events that makes me give the Notting Hill neighbourhooda double-take. Just when you might fear it will become too gentrified to appease tourists, its diverse background rears its head and strikes out with a lashing of eccentric, multicultural festivities to remind us of the Caribbean demographic that once dominated these streets and celebrate the general joy and debauchery of life. Ever since 1964, this has been a time for Notting Hill to really let its hair down and deck itself out in color and glitter, entertaining the masses with vibrant costumes and ethnic music and cuisine. Sunday is Kid’s Day, which will appeal to you if you’re looking for a lower-key experience of Carnival; otherwise, if you’re ready to swim in the sea of parade-watchers, mark down the bank holiday Monday in your diary.

If you come to the area this weekend, commit to the Carnival experience–your other favourite shops and eateries will likely be closed if not boarded up to brace against the onslaught. Cheers to those of you moving to this London neighbourhood this week–what better way to kick off your new tenancy! If you’re looking to move to the area after things settle down a bit (you know, when you can actually see the buildings, London Relocation Ltd. will have braved the eclectic storm to still be here for your call!

Tags: Americans moving to London, canadians moving to london, festivals in london in summer, london history notting hill, London Relocation Services, moving to london blog, notting hill carnival 2010, things to do in london bank holiday monday, things to do in london blog, things to do in london children, things to do in london during the day, things to do in london england in august, west london relocation
Posted in London Tips & Culture, food & beverage, history, recreation | No Comments »

Top 10 Reasons to Move to London: Part I

Thursday, August 26th, 2010

The decision to relocate to London is easier for some than others. Maybe you’re being transferred for your job and feel like you have no choice. Maybe you’re moving to London without a job and have no clue how you’re going to get your visa, but you’re bound and determined to get there. Regardless what bucket you fall into, everyone will agree there’s something special about the city of London worth moving for:

1. The layers upon layers of London history. As my Weekend Warrior Sundays are now chronicling, the city of London dates back to ancient times, with a surprising amount of structures/artifacts still intact to prove it. One of my favorite moments of appreciating this aspect was standing in Ye Olde Cheschire Cheese with the founders of Anglotopia, when Jonathan commented, “This pub is older than America.” Historical sites and tales are endless, and most museums are free!

2. London’s cultural diversity. You aren’t moving into a realm merely of men in tweed suits and bowler hats; you’ll be immersing yourself in a rich and spicy melting pot of all ethnicities. Listen to the languages, taste the food, feel the various fabrics, and see the world from an entirely different perspective.

3. The perfect hub for travel. Whether you’re just road-tripping or jet-setting for a bank holiday weekend excursion outside of London, or delighting in the nationally mandated 5.6 weeks of vacation and joining the rest of Britain on its August mass exodus, there are simply not enough days in the year to accommodate all the places you can easily go to from London. Even just day-tripping in the UK is a valuable experience, but if you’re eager to skip the border, you can grab cheap flights on EasyJet or RyanAir or take the Eurostar into France.

4. First-rate entertainment. Be it at the West End theatres watching a musical or on your sofa watching TV, there’s gobs of talent in London waiting to be enjoyed. The variety of theatrical performances to choose from any given day is staggering, and the prices are more reasonable than Broadway. British humor on the telly alone is worth it with its dry cheekiness; yes, they love their reality TV as well (which inspired most of the reality shows in the U.S.) and show an awful lot of American sitcoms here, but one trait of UK TV that I particularly enjoy is the panel show. Whatever theme it is structured around, the participants’ discussion is both comedic and intelligent, reinforcing the art of conversation beyond the inane scripted babble of The Hills variety.

5. The mindset. Never in my life have I networked with such depth and frequency before moving to London. Because it is a diverse city, its population is comprised of many expatriates who are relocating to the UK and leaving their familiar support networks behind. This has the effect of making people very proactive in seeking friendship and professional contacts, opening themselves more up to new people and experiences than they might have in their home comfort zone. I’ve grown a lot in this respect and feel enriched by the people of substance I’ve had the pleasure of meeting since relocating to London myself and find this to be a very special aspect of the move that I hope you will enjoy as well.

All right, then, I’ll leave you in suspense until Wednesday for Part II of (in my opinion) the top 10 reasons to move to London.

Tags: London Relocation Services, moving to London advice, moving to london alone, moving to london checklist, moving to london from canada australia, Moving to London from US, moving to london where to live, moving to london without a job, relocation to london england, top ten things to do in london uk, transferring to london for a job, why it's better to live in london, why move to london
Posted in London Tips & Culture, day touring, history, recreation, weekend excursions | 2 Comments »

Living in London on a Budget

Wednesday, August 25th, 2010

If you’re moving to London on a budget, my fellow Londonistas and I have been starting to compile some cost-saving ideas over at London Living to help you pinch your pence once living here—this is particularly useful if you’re moving to London with children or as a student or otherwise without a job (which certainly happens in the case of dual-citizens or Tier 1 visa-holders).

I’ve mentioned before how Living Social is an easy way to catch daily updates on good deals throughout London, and lately some friends of mine who are also American expats in London have been giving the heads-up on other resources. Groupon, like Living Social, offers exclusive savings on any number of dining or recreational activities, and morelondon will keep you in the know on free events. For a growling stomach, don’t feel you need to live on Marmite and toast alone—treat yourself to a dinner out! Toptable and OpenTable are your go-to resources in that case.

None of us who aren’t originally from London are kidding ourselves—it’s an expensive city. You’ll be paying through the nose enough on housing in London (but remember the time and money you’ll save on hotel costs if you use our relocation services to find a London flat!), so don’t do the same for what can still be a pleasurable and indulgent lifestyle

Tags: canadian moving to london england, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, moving to london blog, moving to london budget, moving to london from america, moving to london tips, moving to london with children, moving to london with no job, moving to london without a job
Posted in London Tips & Culture, food & beverage, recreation | No Comments »

Weekend Warrior Sunday: London Leaders

Sunday, August 22nd, 2010

As promised in my previous post, whereas Weekend Warrior Saturdays will entail practical moving tips for your London relocation, Weekend Warrior Sundays will share a tidbit in history on the significant people who have made London what it is today (this is how I’ll run with it for a while, at least ).

To start from antiquity, what those who aren’t yet living in London may not realize is that the ancient Romans once settled here. Indeed, Julius Caesar’s army invaded England back in 55 BC – the Romans landed at Kent and journeyed north until they hit the Thames River at modern-day Southwark. There was only a small tribe living in the area at the time, but when the Romans returned nearly a century later, there was a larger settlement there utilizing it as a mercantile port. In 43 AD, the Emporor Claudius invaded Britain and established its capital city on the north bank of the Thames, naming it Londinium. The city prospered to a population of 50,000 by the 3rd century, yet by the 5th century, the Roman Empire had fallen. Londinium was consequently left abandoned to the Saxons.

Just a little something to consider as you plan to relocate to the UK – it isn’t all about Shakespeare and Henry VIII in these here parts. England has an ancient history that is still present to the eye, with roads that still follow the paths established by the Romans and outcroppings of ruins here and there – in London, you can see remnants of a Roman wall that delineated the city’s boundary immediately outside Tower Hill tube station and scattered between the city centre’s corporate offices!

Tags: american moving to london, london home search, London Relocation Services, London rentals, Londonium, Moving to London, moving to London from U.S., relocating to London, relocating to UK, Roman occupation of London
Posted in London Tips & Culture, Sunday History Lessons, history | 1 Comment »

The Stress Test: Weathering Your Move to London

Friday, August 20th, 2010

I came across an article at www.thefreelibrary.com entitled, “Managing stress in the expatriate family: a case study of The State department of the United States of America,” and would like to share a few excerpts that I find pertinent to the relocating expatriate. Though the article specifically refers to civil servants who are required to relocate continuously, it nonetheless foresees and validates issues applicable to any of our clientele who are moving to London from the U.S. or elsewhere in the world.

Not surprisingly, the study addresses the high level of stress associated with an international move:

“Stress is defined as a psychological state that develops when an individual faces a situation that taxes or exceeds internal or external resources available to deal with that situation. There are three major components of stress: uncertainty concerning outcomes; lack of control over situations; and ambiguity concerning expectations. By their very nature, overseas assignments are characterized by uncertainty, lack of control, and ambiguity.”

Indeed, of the 40 stressful life events listed in this study, international relocations are the source of at least 12 of them.

In addition to the added challenge of not only relocating, but leaving behind one’s familiar social support system as well, the article addresses the implications for children and spouses:

“Parents must decide whether to send children to State Department schools abroad, where quality of education can be more standardized, versus a non-American school, where foreign language is emphasized and a more complete cross-cultural experience is the focus. The children themselves also have varied needs and requirements that must be considered, whether it’s identifying talented and gifted programs, or classes for students with learning disabilities or who are physically challenged. [...] Although frequent transitions can be stressful on children, the opportunity to fully experience life in foreign countries is one of its greatest advantages. [...] [P]arents can learn how to teach their children to appreciate and take advantage of those experiences.”

“It is difficult to nurture or maintain a career while being required to relocate often. [Spouses] cannot gain tenure at any one company or move up the corporate ladder. In addition to job hopping, there may be no opportunities available at all in the spouse’s chosen career field depending on the host country.”

There is also the matter of adjusting to the new culture overall—for this and all stressful factors involved, an important means of coping is for the family to work together through the changes as a team.

“Adjustment to foreign cultures as a family is important. When families are mobile, they tend to turn to each other for support. So it is important for families as a whole to be well adjusted and adapted to life abroad.”

Now, as I said, this study is geared toward civil servants moving on behalf of the United States government; these particular employees, therefore, receive transitional support from various government agencies, including the Family Liason Office (FLO). If you or your spouse is transferring to the UK or starting a new job here outright, you must be prepared for the fact that the employer may not have such support services in place for you. This is an unfortunate reality that I keep hearing about through other expats’ experiences and the global human resource community.

The responsibility will fall on you, then, to proactively seek help from that employer or third party services. Relocation agencies such as London Relocation Ltd. will certainly minimize the stress of finding a flat to rent in London, setting up a UK bank account, as well as fielding other questions related to logistics like setting up utilities or otherwise getting acclimated (remember, we also have London Living as our social forum for such questions and meeting other expats for support!). Empowerment coaches are another resource for setting new goals in a new environment, offering emotional support along with practical advice.

In any case, much literature exists to offer additional guidance, including that of the FLO, which suggests:

“getting totally immersed in the community, getting acquainted with the new neighborhood, attending local theater performances, and participating in local entertainment and festivals. However, it also stresses maintaining family traditions, so that no matter where the family is located, some familiarity still exists. Examples of participating in family traditions include patterns around holidays, weekly get-togethers, family vacations and family recreation.”

As someone who has gone through the difficult transition that is an international relocation to London, trust me that your focus needs to stay on who you are as a person no matter where you may be located geographically, and, if you’re moving with a spouse and/or children, stick together as a unified front against those threatening stressors. If you succeed in this, you’ll succeed in anything you set out for, wherever you may find yourself.

Tags: expatriate family, international relocation, living in London, london flat search, London Relocation Services, moving to london as a spouse, moving to the uk, relocating to london with children, renting in london, stressful life events, thinking of moving to london
Posted in London Tips & Culture, visas, banking, & other logisitical issues | No Comments »

More Pinching Your Pence in London: Free Walking Tours

Wednesday, August 18th, 2010

I’ve previously written about pinching your pence in London, so thought I’d supplement with some more freebies (we’re adding more daily to our London Living social network, too!). It so happens that, yesterday, I’d inadvertently taken a wrong turn and ended too close to a famous London landmark for comfort on a sunny summer day of high-tourism. Passing tour bus and tour group, I felt claustrophobic for those stuck in the middle of the masses straining to hear what the tour guide was saying and trying to keep up with the herd, reinforcing my general preference to go solo for things like this.

Any good guidebook like 24 Hours: London, Rick Steve’s London, or DK Eyewitness Travel Guide: London can help you plot your own customized daily walking itinerary, of course, but the following cut right to the chase if you’re interested in the free self-guided routes they offer:

Walk London

London For Free

Richard Jones’s London Walking Tours

The London Toolkit

AboutLondon.com also offers an extensive list of downloadable walking tours.

Touring London may be one thing while relocating to London may be another, but they’re not entirely separate existences. I, for one, have enjoyed being a tourist here since moving to London from America two years ago, and I declare that the day I walk by Big Ben or St. Paul’s Cathedral and not snap my head back to gawk at their brilliance will be a sad, jaded day indeed. Don’t be embarrassed to explore your city with a map and guidebook in hand if it helps you understand better what you are seeing—sure, immersing yourself into the locals’ activity and wandering off the beaten walking-tour path is the best way to really incorporate yourself into the city culture, but knowing its fundamentals is a part of appreciating the lot of it, so grab that camera (and, yes, you can wear those cute shoes as long as they’re comfortable as well) and hit the streets, you independent Londonista you!

Tags: London flats, London Relocation Services, London relocation specialist, London walking tours, move to London, Moving to London, moving to london from america, Moving to London from US, relocating to London, self-guided walking tours London
Posted in London Tips & Culture, day touring, recreation | No Comments »

Move to London and Add Your Ingredients to the Melting Pot

Tuesday, August 17th, 2010

In my previous post, I mentioned attending my first Sikh wedding over the weekend and this, in turn, made me think about the UK’s cultural diversity. While its rural areas still predominantly fall under the government’s classification “White British,” its capital is a world city comprising so many different nationalities, races, and ethnicities that have come to meld here over the centuries.

“Altogether, more than 300 languages are spoken by the people of London, and the city has at least 50 non-indigenous communities with populations of 10,000 or more. Virtually every race, nation, culture and religion in the world can claim at least a handful of Londoners.” – guardian.co.uk

One remark friends always make each time I visit home is, “I don’t hear an English accent yet.” Well, why would they? I’m not Madonna, after all Besides the fact that I work with people from America and Australia and return home to my American husband, from an anecdotal standpoint, since relocating to London in 2008, I’ve observed that I probably only hear English spoken in a British accent maybe one third of the time when out and about in the community at large. If the language spoken is even English at all, the accent coming across is often North American for first-language speakers, or any myriad of nationalities when applied as a second language.

Depending on the neighborhood to which you move, international cuisine will abound in far more excess than the local; sure, traditional British cuisine can be had in the pubs, but most restaurants are inspired by the culinary achievements of nearby continental Europe or from the further reaches of the East: Thai, Vietnamese, East Indian, Middle Eastern, to name a few quite generally. (tip: head to Brick Lane or Edgware Road for a superb concentration of Indian, Pakistani, Iranian, Lebanese, Turkish [and on and on and on...] cuisine)

While I can’t speak for other nationalities, perhaps, I can vouch that a lot of Americans moving to London do so with the expectation of immersing into a kingdom of tweed caps and pipes, of Dickens and Shakespeare; the highly touristed places of interest continue to center on Britain’s royalty and Anglo-Saxon past, the literary/political genius of the “dead white males” so dominating our childhood curricula. Don’t get me wrong—this is all very much a part of celebrated British tradition, but it isn’t the entirety of it, nor will be all that comprises your existence here as an expat. The exoticism of Britain’s imperial past comes through with all the immigration from those old territories, right down to the curry you can dip your chips in at the local chippy. When I briefly substitute-taught on the city’s northwest side, my ear met with British accents mixed with Caribbean and Somalian dialects. (coming soon, I’ll be writing about the Notting Hill Carnival held later this month, which carries on that neighborhood’s past Caribbean demographic)

Now, for better or worse, I had referenced Bend it Like Beckham in my last post, which from a Sikh perspective may contain a lot of generalities and stereotypes as films tend to do. Yet I do think its popularity raised awareness in the Western world of the cultural clashes and fusion that can occur in a melting pot like London. Being bookish by nature, I can also recommend a few texts that lend a multicultural perspective on this city: some I’ve already read include Monica Ali’s Brick Lane, Zadie Smith’s White Teeth, and Yasmin Crowther’s The Saffron Kitchen, and one on my shelf that I’ve yet to read is Gautam Malkani’s Londonstani. Interestingly, all of these are debut novels populated by non-British characters who negotiate their identities within the UK.

Entirely coincidentally, I am now off to meet a friend I haven’t seen for a year—last I knew, she and her long-term boyfriend (both Indian—or Asian, as they actually say here in the UK) were in a holding pattern because, though they were both born in England and, along with being very Westernized, are not particularly religious, their parents who immigrated here are divided between Muslim and Hindu; consequently, my friend and her significant other had maintained their relationship as a secret from their families for seven years, as they feared being disowned by their respective sides. I guess I’ll get the updated scoop tonight.

At any rate, your move to London will entail much cultural tolerance and compromise as well (albeit hopefully on a less dramatic level than that relationship!). Not that the country you’re moving from doesn’t share in the same dynamic, but not all clients that we relocate are coming from big cities or otherwise heterogeneous areas. The best advice I can give to anyone making an international trip or move in that case is to stay open-minded and understand how cultural diversity can enrich your life.

Tags: Americans moving to London, cultural diversity in London, london culture, London demographics, London Relocation, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, move to London, Moving to London, moving to London from the US
Posted in London Tips & Culture | No Comments »

Move to London and Live its History

Friday, August 13th, 2010

A few years ago, the film V for Vendetta prompted me to learn more about Guy Fawkes, as the film’s character ‘V’ adopts Fawkes’s image in rebelling against Parliament. A big fan of Antonia Fraser’s comprehensive and engaging books on historical figures (Marie Antoinette is a favorite, which inspired Sofia Coppola’s film of same name), I discovered that she’d written a book about the conspiracy in which Guy Fawkes was involved and ultimately lost his life over.

Faith and Treason chronicles England’s infamous Gunpowder Plot. In 1605, thirteen conspirators attempted to blow up Parliament in order to assassinate the king and his heir so that the persecution of Catholics would end and England could be restored as a Catholic nation. While he clearly did not act alone, Guy Fawkes is nonetheless singled out as the namesake of England’s holiday, Guy Fawkes Day (a.k.a. “Bonfire Night“). Held on 5 November, people mistakenly think that the public is celebrating Fawkes’s attempt to overthrow government; rather, it is a celebration of the plot being thwarted thanks to Guy (or Guido, as he preferred to be called) getting caught on his way to ignite the powder kegs. Nice going, Guido.

“Remember remember the fifth of November
Gunpowder, treason and plot.
I see no reason why gunpowder treason
Should ever be forgot…”

So goes the poem…

The reason why I bring this up now in August is simply because my fascination with this story has unintentionally converged with my UK life. I am entertaining family that is in town, and last weekend we wandered through the Tower of London for six—count ‘em—SIX hours (just goes to show you how much there is to see there—you’ll get your money’s worth!). This was my fourth time touring the inside of the Tower, and yet my previous visits must have been too cursory, as I hadn’t yet seen all the prisoner graffiti carved into the walls of the individual towers. This feature is particularly gripping, as it really brings the Tower to life when you realize you are standing within walls that confined convicted souls for months if not years until their release or execution. There are so many to take in that I scanned at a relatively quick pace, but then I saw inside the Broad Arrow Tower the inscription by Sir Everard Digby, one of the gunpowder plotters who paid the ultimate sentence there. Also to be found on these walls were the prayers of Catholic priests and sympathizers likewise imprisoned.

This was enough to make me want to pull Fraser’s book back off my shelf, yet then lo and behold, just a couple nights ago I learned that my husband and I will be staying in Ashby St. Ledgers tonight on our way up north for a wedding tomorrow. Apparently, this town is home to the Manor House where a significant amount of the Gunpowder Plot was developed—the very room can be found above the Gatehouse, which we’ll hopefully have a chance to visit in the morning.

I…am…PSYCHED. Speaking of which, I’d better wrap this up so I can go home and pack. Happy weekend, everyone!

Tags: Americans moving to London, Ashby St. Ledgers, Bonfire Night, canadians moving to london, Gunpowder Plot, Guy Fawkes Day, London History, London Relocation Services, move to London, Moving to London, relocating to London, Tower of London, UK history, UK tourism
Posted in London Tips & Culture, history, recreation | 1 Comment »

Cheap Deals in London, and Not a Shilling More!

Thursday, August 12th, 2010

As I continue to have fun tinkering with our new customer management system, I don’t want to entirely neglect our blog, so here’s a quick tip on saving £££ in London: Living Social (http://livingsocial.com/).

By signing onto Living Social, you will receive daily email offers on top-notch London restaurants, spas, and events. This isn’t your usual annoying, spammy email; they’re genuinely great offers for genuinely great London venues, giving you an insider’s advantage on substantial savings. If you expect to be moving to London soon, this is an ideal site to check out now!

Tags: cheap London deals, Facebook Living Social, london flat, london home search, london relocation agent, London Relocation Services, move to London, Moving to London, saving money in London, uk relocation
Posted in London Tips & Culture, food & beverage, recreation | 1 Comment »

London Locations: Postman’s Park

Tuesday, August 10th, 2010

* * SPOILER ALERT if you haven’t seen the movie Closer!!! * *

After a nice walk through Notting Hill, Kensington Gardens, and Hyde Park yesterday with my cousins who are visiting London, I caught the Tube to the City to meet my husband and friends for dinner. Quite pathetically, I had confused the days (it’s actually tonight that we meet ), so there was a period of time when he was underground on the Tube when I was trying to reach him and figured he was in a meeting or conference call; to kill some time, then, I strolled across the street to Postman’s Park.

I’d always wanted to visit this park ever since I saw the film Closer with Jude Law, Natalie Portman, Clive Owen, and Julia Roberts. Once the lunch-break area for workers at the old post office nearby, the consequently named Postman’s Park is a sweet little haven from the bustle of London’s financial district, which also coexists with much tourism—in the case of the park, it is located very near the popular St. Paul’s Cathedral, but its low-profile entrances maintain it as a virtual London secret off the worn touristed path. In addition to its intimate seclusion, the charm of Postman’s Park lies in its gallery of beautifully hand-painted tiles that memorialize everyday heroes. It was founded by artist and philanthropist G.F. Watts in the Victorian era as a tribute to the self-sacrifice among common citizens, who all gave their lives in trying to save others. Gazing upon them in solitude, I was very affected by the bravery of ordinary people in extraordinary circumstances and marveled that so many of them were children. Be it rescue from drowning, fire, trains, or runaway horses, each individual’s selfless acts will forever blossom from those tiles.