We have been in London for a few days already.

Moving to a new country is not such an impossible task as some people imagine, but it is definitely quite a challenge.

The first thing you have to do is to forget comparisons. No place is perfect, and no place is completely awful. But one can’t help but to be stuck by “peculiarities” of the place. Here are some random ones we have been laughing or crying about:

  • Convertible cars’ tops down on a 50ºF day. After all a “wonderful day” here is one without wind or rain (never mind that the sky is completely covered with clouds)
  • “Clothes pins” are called “pegs”, and they look at you as if you were mad for calling them “pins”
  • 10 days to get broadband activated at home… even if the previous tenant used the same ISP!
  • “Dryer” is not the same as in the USA. Here they mean “spinning so the water is drained from your clothes”, but not “warm and completely dry”
  • Afterwork beer instead of wine
  • The amazing views from our apartment, and on the way to work
  • The “catch-22” of trying to open a bank account, for which you need a proof of address, for which you need… a bank account!
  • How much the foodie scene has improved (specially living next to the 1,000 year-old foodie-paradise Boroughs Market!)
  • How outrageously expensive everything is (even after living 4 years in New York)
  • How absolutely necessary internet is, and not just for work, but for things such as talking to your kids, or to find out what time does the market close
  • How many cultural and artistic events are going on all the time, and not just “to be seen” or “market oriented”. We’re going to love it here!

I’m sure we will be adding many more to the list 😉