London calling
After much deliberation Nancy and I have decided to quit our respective countries at the end of the year and move to England, more specifically to London. We’ll be jumping into the deep end there joining millions of others from every corner of the world and swimming for our lives. It won’t be easy, that’s for sure. In fact it will probably be torturous.
My sister took the plunge a couple of years ago and has only now managed to come up for air and catch her breath. Over a cup of tea in her quiet little flat in Putney it seems hard to imagine that her life was ever that difficult in London, but I don’t know the worst of it. Her home, her friends and her job were hard won she says and I’d best prepare myself for an equally tough time when I arrive. Most of the people I met there affirmed that nothing comes easy in London. They too have survived rough neighbourhoods, rougher neighbours and jobs that ate at their soul before gaining enough experience to move on to something better.
As a teacher I’ll be going into a rough neighbourhood no matter which part of London I find myself in. The thought of teaching British kids makes me more than a little nervous. Just yesterday I came across a Time magazine article about the youngsters in Britain being naughty brats in preschool and absolute hooligans by high school. They are literally dangerous it said, which makes me wonder what am I getting myself into. I’ll be roasted on my first day.
I am also concerned about Nancy making it in London. I don’t know how long it will take her to get a proper job or how she will cope working alongside British people if or when she does. It will certainly be quite a while before her English has improved to the point that she can keep up with the talk around her and that alone is a hurdle to cross.
Then there is the question of money. London is renowned for the being an outrageously expensive city, so even with a decent job it is difficult to save much. The average Londoner apparently spends about a third of their salary just on rent. Another significant proportion goes towards transport and what is left goes into keeping oneself clothed, fed and entertained. British Pounds may well exchange favourably with other currencies, but that doesn’t mean much when there are hardly any pounds left at the end of each month.
I guess the people cramming themselves into the city do it largely for the sake of living there. It is a common job perk no matter what line of work one is in. From art to theatre to sport to food to shopping, London offers the very best of everything. The careful preservation of historical architecture and extensive green spaces make it a beautiful, liveable city too and the generally peaceful coexistence of such a diverse population makes it a place anyone can call home. For me these are some of the main reasons I wish to move there and why Nancy is willing to give it a go.
So, in the next few months I will be busy getting all the paperwork I need sorted out and packing up my life in South Africa. Nancy will be doing much the same thing in Taiwan. The hardest part for both of us will be leaving the comfort of familiarity for complete uncertainty, but at least we will be together again. Over the past 6 months we have been living at opposite ends of the world and that has probably been a greater struggle than anything London could throw at us. Simply having each other at the end of the day will see us through the difficult times just like it has until now and the good times will be that much sweeter too.
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