This Week in London 3 May - 9 May

3 May  - Bank Holiday

• Elephant Parade @ various locations in London
• The Great London Garden Trail @ various locations in London
• Breakin' Convention @ Sadler's Wells

4 May

• Supermarket Shakespeare @ Sainsbury's New Cross
• Love for Sale @ Southbank Centre

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Shoreditch

And now for something completely different, we go to the East side of London, more specifically Shoreditch.   Located minutes from the City of London and home to the hip and fashionable (or to wannabes and fashion victims if you're so inclined), Shoreditch is located in the borough of Hackney and covers the E1 and E2 postcodes.  So what's it like to live amongst the cool kids?  We spoke to Chris to find out.

 
Name: Chris
Age: 27
Shoreditch Resident for: 1 year
Last place you lived before moving to London? San Fransisco 



Do you live in a flatshare or on your own? 
Flatshare.

What’s your nearest Tube station? 
Old Street

How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
Shoreditch pulls unique and impressive triple duty as London's capital for developing technology, cutting-edge agencies ... and hipsters. Those constituencies ensure that Shoreditch is busy nearly every hour of the day. When the sun goes down, the area is a magnet for young people looking for a good time. I'd compare it favourably to H Street NE in Washington, DC or the Valencia Corridor in San Francisco - scenesters, people out to have a good time, kind of gritty, etc.

How safe is your neighbourhood?
It's getting better! I won't lie to you and tell you that it's all roses and buttercups, but it's certainly safer than places I've lived in the United States (I'm looking at you 25th and Harrison, 94110). I've never had a problem and have never even felt unsafe in my neighborhood, but crime does happen in higher numbers than in West London. Part of it is the demographics (younger, poorer), but I would say that the reputation of Shoreditch and Hackney is overblown. I feel about 2930842390 times safer here than in parts of the three other US cities I've lived in.

What do you like most about where you live?
The ENERGY. There's something so incredibly motivating when you're surrounded by artists and techies and musicians who are all hustling. London is THE place in the UK for many artistic, technical and cultural people...and East London is THE place in London for that same crowd. Everyone you meet in Shoreditch is working on something.

What do you like least? 
The Shoreditch twat (sorry mom, it's a technical term). Just like in any hipster crowd you get the entitled, annoying people who suck at life.


If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live? 
Hmmm. Somewhere east or a bit north. There are other neighbourhoods that have Shoreditch's charms - like Camden (grittier) or Angel (more posh) - but I love it here and that's probably not going to change. 

What Exactly is a CV?

While job hunting in the UK, you’ll notice that many companies and job adverts will request that you send in a CV. Now, you’re probably wondering, what the hell is that? CV stands for curriculum vitae and is essentially the same as a resume. The major difference is that while resumes tend to be brief (1 -2 pages), a CV is expected to contain a lot more detail.

For a CV, you are expected to list your entire job history and describe in detail, your job title, your responsibilities as well as any achievements or merits earned at that position. As you can imagine, this can cause a CV to be quite long. This is expected though as most CVs should be a minimum of 2 pages long.

You can also include additional information on your CV that you would never put on your resume. For example when I was job hunting here, I put my nationality, British/American, to explain why most of my experience was in the US and to indicate that I have a right to work in the UK. While it’s not necessary to include this information, you can if you feel that it would be beneficial.

Looking for CV templates?  More information?
University of Kent - Lots of Sample CVs
CV Tips - CV Templates & CV Writing Tips

This Week in London: 26 April - 2 May

26 April

• Cringe @ The George
• Ricky Gervais Live: Science @ Wembley Arena

27 April

• East End Film Festival @ various venues

28 April

• Science Museum Lates @ London Science Museum

29 April

• Orla Kiely Sample Sale  @ Chelsea Old Town Hall
• Gorillaz @ Roundhouse

30 April

• Break & Bowl @ Bloomsbury Bowling Lanes

1 May

• Camden Crawl @ various venues in Camden 
• Canalway Cavalcade @ Little Venice

2 May

• Camden Crawl @ various venues in Camden

Cheap Ways to Call Home

As you can imagine, calling the States can be really expensive.  Want to reduce your phone bills?  Here are a few alternatives.

Phone cards

You can get there are pretty any off license in the city.  They tend to be pretty inexpensive.  A tenner can get you up to 500 minutes which isn't too bad.  The downside is that the card may run out in the middle of a conversation and trust me, no one wants to have to walk down to the off license at 11pm to get another one! 

Callback services

This is a method of making a cheap international calls via a third country.  The way it works is that you'll be given a unique number to call that will trigger the return call.  Once you get the call back, just dial the required number.

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Wandsworth Common

Keeping things south of the river, we go to Wandsworth Common which is located just west of Clapham Junction.  It is part of the Wandsworth Council and is located within the SW17 and SW18 postcodes.  To learn more about that it was like to live here, we spoke to Eamon, a camera-shy former resident.

 
Name: Eamon
Age: 25
Wandsworth Resident for: Just under 1 year
Last place you lived before moving to London? San Francisco




Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
Flatshare, with two other blokes

What’s your nearest Tube station?
Balham, but Tooting Bec is easier to walk to because you don't have to make any turns, and you might catch a bus on the way. Wandsworth Common Overground Rail is right in the neighborhood, though, and gets you right to Victoria super quick.

How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
The overall vibe is semi-suburban fancy town. Bellevue Rd. is full of little cafes, and contains the famous Chez Bruce. It runs along the edge of Wandsworth Common. On a sunny day, the park is full of attractive joggers, moms with strollers, teenie-boppers, and people playing rugby and football. It's quite pleasant, but doesn't feel very urban. The scent of money is in the air.

How safe is your neighbourhood?
The neighborhood feels very safe, although my flat building was broken into and robbed.

What do you like most about where you live?
The best part of the neighborhood is the Common itself. It is incredible to have such a big, pretty park right on your doorstep. I can't overstate how idyllic it can be on a sunny day. The second best part is being walking distance from Tooting, and all of the great food that is there. It's secretly the best curry mile in London.

What do you like least?
The part I liked least was being so far south and away from the action. It can be a mission to get home from North London, and the night busses take forever to get there.

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live?
If I could live anywhere it would be..... I'm not really sure! I'm in N1 now, and so far, so good.

Using Your US Driver's License in the UK

For the few brave souls that want to drive on the wrong left side of the road, you can officially use your American drivers license for up to a year after you have established residency.  After that you are supposed to apply for a British license.  This is mostly because there is not a standard driving test in the US.  Each test differs based on the state where you lived. And instead of the reviewing all state driving requirements to see if they satisfy British standards, the government here has decided to just make all Americans go through the entire process.  I suppose its easier.  But its also a pain in the ass. 

If you obtain a provisional license during this period, you are not subject to provisional license conditions.  You can just go and take the driving test.  But if you fail, the test, then you have to go through the whole process again and provisional license conditions will apply.  These include things like having a learner's tag put on your car as well as having restrictions where you can drive and with how many people.  So if you get your provisional license before your 12 mos are up, BE SURE TO PASS THE TEST! Unless, you really want to take it again.

You could also just risk it and assume that if you get pulled over the police really have no way of knowing how long you've been in the country.  But I wouldn't risk it.

For more info: Directgov

Self Defense - Pepper Spray is Illegal

Unless of course, you've already been attacked.

Yes, you read that right.  Pepper spray is illegal in London.  It is deemed a weapon and held to the same standard as a gun.  Except if you've been attacked you're not allowed to carry a gun.  But you can be allowed to carry pepper spray if:

1. You report your attack to the local authorities
2. You register your pepper spray with said authorities.

Not that London is the most dangerous place in the world but it just seems strange that a major city would outlaw pepper spray.  The logic behind the law is that if pepper spray is legal, then anyone, including criminals, would be able to use it.  Now, I would like to respectfully point out that guns are illegal in this country but that hasn't stopped the criminals from shooting people.

You're probably wondering what your options are if you're a woman who finds herself walking home alone late at night.  Well you can carry a really nice shiny whistle or even perhaps a portable air horn and hope that someone hears your and bothers to help.  Or you can take self defense classes.  Yea, that's pretty much it...

This Week in London: 19 - 25 April 2010

19 April

• Lou Reed's Metal Machine Trio @ The Royal Festival Hall
• Alternative Fashion Week @ Spitalfields Traders Market

20 April

• London Burlesque Week Official Opening Gala  @ Cafe de Paris

21 April

• Bill Fontana: River Sounding @ Somerset House

22 April

• Designer Sample Sale @ Truman Brewery 
• Caramel Funk @ Bar Sequence

Understanding Council Tax

What is Council Tax?

It is a local tax on domestic properties.  Now not all properties have to pay council tax.  Similarly, not all people have to pay council tax.  There are also discounts available.

How is It Calculated?

The amount of council tax that you pay is based on the valuation band afforded to your property by the Valuation Office Agency (VOA) and the tax rate that your local council has assigned to that valuation.  All properties are placed in a band according to their value in 1 April 1993.  (There are no current plans to carry out a re-valuation).   Below is a breakdown of the different bands.

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Clapham

We return south of the river to go to Clapham.  Located in SW4, it is part of the Lambeth council.  So what's it like to live in Clapham?  Current resident, Mike tells all.

Name: Mike
Age: 29
Clapham resident for: 9 months.
Last place you lived before moving to London? Cape Town, South Africa




Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
Flatshare with 2 others.

What’s your nearest Tube station?
Clapham North

How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
Funky, freaky and fun all rolled into one.

How safe is your neighbourhood?
Compared to South Africa I think everything is safe, so it's hard to say. I would say it's about average for central London. You'll run into a fair few drunks coming home late at night on the weekends, but that's probably as dangerous as it gets.

What do you like most about where you live?
The ability to crawl home from multiple night hot spots. Its also far enough from central London to have a vibe all of its own, but it's close enough to catch 1 night bus home from almost anywhere.

What do you like least?
Northern line commuting at rush hour.

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live?
At the moment, here, thats why I chose it. Where to next? Probably West London, somewhere close to Hyde or Regents park.

Flatshare Vs Living Alone

This is one of the first big decisions that you'll have to make when you move here.  There are advantages and disadvantages to both living situations.

Flatshare

Benefits

London is a large and expensive city. The rent is high and the bills are plentiful. It helps to live with other people so that you can split your living expenses. By dividing up these costs, you can also live much closer to central London and in a nicer neighbourhood.

Also because London is such a large city and it can be difficult to make friends, it might be ideal to live with a few other people when you first arrive. That way you have at least one person that you know in the city. You never know, you might even end up being good friends! Shocking but it can happen.


Drawbacks

The sharing of bills can become a real problem. Some people are able to forgo any billing issues by either having all the bills included in their rent or by paying their share of the bills directly to the landlord. Otherwise, all of the bills will have to be put in one flatmate's name and it will be their responsibility to ensure that the bills are paid and that the other flatmates pay their share. As you can imagine, this can get messy if someone doesn't have the cash to pay their share of the bills or if the person who has the bills in their name refuses to tell you how much you owe (true story!). So if you are thinking about moving into a flatshare, keep these billing issues in mind.

Also, the dividing up of chores can be problematic. Using the common sense adage of "clean up after yourself" works great in most places except for the bathroom. Unless you have a set cleaning schedule that is strictly followed, inevitably there will be one person who always ends up cleaning the fun areas - the toilet & the bathtub. So have a schedule in place and please stict to it. Alternatively, you could always just hire a cleaning lady to come by once a week and do it for you.

Lastly even if you have the chore and billing issues sorted, you just might not get along with your flatmates.  They might be too loud, cook smelly food, hog the television, act weird, the list goes on. Most try to test the house chemistry during the inital viewing.  But at this time, everyone is on their best behaviour.  You are either desperate to either find a place or to replace an old flatmate.  Or some people are really good at hiding the fact that they're completely insane. Either way, you always run the risk of potential personality clashes.

Going Solo

Benefits

Now of course, if you're living by yourself, then you don't have to worry about dividing up bills or chores or personality clashes. You can keep the place as messy or as clean as you want. Hell, you can either walk around the place naked. You don't have to worry about people accidentally eating your food or having their crap everywhere. The only person you have to worry about is yourself.

Drawbacks

You will be the person soley responsible for paying all the bills. This includes rent, council tax, water, electricity, gas, tv tax, cable & phone bills. You can get a discount on your council tax if you're living alone but it will only reduce your burden by 25%. Now if you have a great job, then you can probably afford to still live in a great neighbourhood and pay all of these bills. However, if you're job pays you pennies, then you may have to live in either an okay neighbourhood or further outside central London. You can get around this by trying to find a property that include all of your utilities. It's a bit tough but it can be done.

Being all alone can be difficult especially if you're sick or get injured.  Unlike a flatshare, there may be nobody to take pity on you and get your medication or pick up some food for you.  If you happen to make some friends, then they can help.  Otherwise, I would have the number of a few takeout places just in case.

Verdict

I personally am team "going solo".  I've lived in a flatshare and it just didn't work out for me at all.  However, I have some friends who live in amazing flatshares and would hate to live alone.  So at the end of the day, go with what you're gut and wallet says.

Zebra Crossings

Although know around the world as part of the Beatles cover for their Abbey Road record, the zebra crossing is a pedestrian's best friend.  At these crossing, all drivers are required to come to a full and complete stop when you step foot into the stripped zone.  Drivers are alerted to the presence of these crossings by a zig-zag traffic lines leading up to the crossing.

However be forewarned, some drivers seem to either not realise that the crossing is coming up or they just don't give a shit.  Because I've definitely almost been hit being crossing the road at these stop.  So be sure to take care when crossing.  Its always best to wait on the side and see if any of the drivers are starting to slow down or annoyingly speed up.

999 Is a Joke In Your Town...

...Is how the song have been if Public Enemy was formed in the UK.  But they weren't. They were formed in the US and therefore used the American emergency number 911.  However here in the UK, the emergency number is 999.  Sure, you could dial 911 but the joke will be on you.

I've only had to call this number twice since being here.  The first was to make a noise complaint.  FYI, the cops don't deal with those things.  You have to make an official complaint with your council!  The other was for a domestic dispute that got WAY out of hand.  Unfortunately the cops didn't really do anything about the "minor disagreement" that ended with a woman being punched and dragged across the flat by her hair.  But I'll save that for another post...

When you dial the number you'll be asked which service you want to be connected to: fire, medical, police.  You then get connected to the appropriate party. And voila! Help is on the way.  I will say that the police showed up very quickly for the domestic dispute.  So no, 999 is not a joke in this town.

Neighborhood Spotlight - Acton Town

To the jungles of Zone 3, we go to Acton Town.  Officially located in Greater London, this western neighbourhood is part of Ealing Council.  So what's it like to live outside central London?  Former resident, Tisha (yea, that's me!) shares her story.




Name: Tisha
Age: 27
Acton Town Resident for: 6 mos
Last place you live before moving to London? DC via Maryland



Did you live in a flatshare or on your own?
I lived by myself.

What was your nearest Tube station?
Acton Town

How would you describe the neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
This very much was quite a suburban neighbourhood.  Its very quiet.  There are lots of families with kids.  People were constantly barbecuing or working in their gardens. There are a few high streets here and there.  But for the most part there are loads of houses and parks.  It was quite nice to be surrounded by so much greenery and still be in so close to London.


How safe was your neighbourhood?
Its quite interesting.  On one hand, I felt perfectly safe walking around late at night.  I would frequently walk from either the night bus or from the Tube station really late and never felt threatened or scared.  It was also extremely quiet.  I could hear the train at the Tube station at night or in the morning.  But at the same time, I lived extremely close to a massive council estate.  I would periodically see a police van parked nearby with a CCTV mounted on top of it.  Its presence alone made me think that perhaps this place isn't a safe as it seems.

What did you like most about where you live?
I loved all of the parks around.  Gunnersbury park is in walking distance.  Since its not as popular as Hyde Park or Regents park.  I could just sit out on a blanket is peace and either read, write or just soak up sun without worrying that a bunch of people coming to ruin my serenity.  I also liked that it was very quiet.  Its nice to leave the hustle and bustle of the city and return to silence.

You get more of your money.  My studio flat was also amazing.  I had my own kitchen, a massive living space and a really nice bathroom for a very reasonable price.  A comparable property in Central would cost and arm and a leg.

Also I used to work in Uxbridge.  So it was perfect to have the Piccadilly line right there to take me easily to work. 

What did you like least?
I hated that it was so far away.  Because its in Zone 3, it would take FOREVER if you caught a night bus home.  So I would frequently rush to catch the last train home but that always seemed to cut my night short.  Also as most of my friends live in central London, I wasn't able to entertain in my a flat which kind of defeated the purpose of having all that space.

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live?
I still am in love with the Angel/Islington area as well as Shoreditch.

Blast from the Past

2008 Serpentine Pavilion by Frank Gehry

Is 20 Degrees Celcius a Good Thing?

The answer is yes if you like warm weather as 20°C is 72°F.

Now it will take a while for you to wrap your head around the temperature differences.  Officially the conversion is:

°F = °C  x (9/5) + 32.2

Or you can just multiply the temp in Celcius by 2 and then add 32.  It's not as accurate but gives you a general idea of how warm or cold it is outside.

Of you could just start to refuse to look at the news and always take a jacket and umbrella with you whenever you leave the house.  Trust me, you'll need it even if the forecast says sunny and 30°C.  But we'll save any discussion (read: moans) about British weather for another day.

Why Does My Credit Card Have a Chip?

All debit and credit cards here have a golden stamp on them like the one in the picture. This stamp is a computer chip.  You see, unlike the American system where we just swipe our credit cards and keep it moving, here they use a chip and pin system. So when you make your purchases, your card will be inserted into a chip reading machine and you'll be asked to enter your PIN. Its basically the same process as buying things with a debit card back home. But with one more PIN/password for you to remember.

Does your card not have a golden stamp?  Then its probably American (which you should keep!).  But don't worry.  You can still swipe your card to make purchases. But you'll probably have to explain it to the cashier as most aren't accustomed to dealing with 'swipe' cards. Some may even insist that you have to enter a PIN even after you tell them the card must be swiped. They will search your card in vain for the telltale yellow chip. But after a few frustrating moments, it'll dawn on them that they need to swipe it. If not, just throw an American fit, demand to see a manager and then kindly suggest that the manager do a better job training their people.

The British Say WHAT??? - The Empire Strikes Back

Because you know, the first two lists weren't exhaustive.  And I have a feeling that this one won't be either...

British	American
to let	to rent
creche	day care center
dummy	pacifier
nappy	diaper
petrol	gasoline
revise/revision	to study/studying
swot	nerd, studious person
carriageway	highway
motorbike	motorcycle
roundabout	traffic circle
bangers & mash	sausages & mash potatoes
toad in a hole	sausages in Yorkshire pudding batter
Yorkshire pudding	baked pancake batter
twit	idiot
git	annoying, childish person
tight	cheap
skint	broke (no money)
pissed/paraplectic	drunk
tick	check (as in checking a box)
sacked/struck off	fired
made redundant	laid off
mack	raincoat
spot	pimple
fag	cigarette
trailers (movies)	previews
caravan	trailer (ie. trailer park)

Ooh Look! A Double-Decker Bus!

These buses are as synonymous with London as Big Ben and rain.  You'll be glad to know that these buses are generally used by sober individuals.  So if you want to spare yourself the ickiness of the night bus, hop on during the day.

Like the Tube, you can use either your pay-as-you-go Oyster card, your monthly/weekly farecard, or you can pay cash at the window.  However, be forewarned that it it much more expensive to pay cash.  The difference being £1.20 with an Oyster card and £2.00 without.  This seems quite small but realise that you have to pay each time you get on a bus.  So if your journey involves more than one bus, then you have to pay either £1.20 or £2 per bus that you take.  Also keep in mind that if you are paying with cash, that you should try to pay with small bills.  Most of the drivers won't have change for £10s or £20s.




If your Oyster card does not have enough money to get on the bus, that you will have to pay £2 cash to get on.  You can not recharge or top-up your Oyster card on any buses.  And if you give the driver £1.20 and flash him your Oyster card and a smile, he'll look at you like you're crazy and demand £2.  So it's best to check your balance before you get on the bus and not have to hear the dreaded two-beep klaxon emanating from the Oyster reader that indicates that you have insufficient funds.

The biggest complaint about the buses is that they are unreliable.  This is true as they have a tendency to change their routes at the last minute and terminate at an earlier stop then you anticipated.  Like when you're trying to get to Fulham Broadway from St. Paul's and the bus decides to terminate at Sloane Square.  Not cool.

Now most people think that when this happens that they'll have to pay to get on the next bus that will continue to their final destination.  But quiet as kept, in these situations,  you are entitled to a free transfer to the next bus.  To get one, just ask the driver for a bus transfer. He'll print up a little receipt of you and this will allow you free passage onto the next bus.  Sweet!

Another slightly annoying thing is that bus stops are frequently taken out of service.  The only way to tell is if you look up at the bus stop sign and notice a yellow sign taped to it that says, "Bus stop not in use".  The drivers are also suppose to tell the people on the bus if an upcoming stop has been taken out of service.  But they usually don't.   So if the driver flies past a stop.  He may not be being an ass.  He may just have piss poor communication skills.

For the most part, however, the buses are quite reliable. They run quite frequently during the week (every 4-5 minutes) and during the evening and weekends they run usually every 10 minutes.  They also can make for really cheap tours of London especially if you're in the front seats at the top as you can get a pretty good view of your surrondings.  And for me, I personally still get a bit of a thrill sitting in the top and secretly giggle to myself  "Wow I'm in London!" There's just something very British about the whole thing.

Links:
Online Bus Maps
Bus Time Tables

Bankers Are Wankers! - Opening an Account (Student Edition)

Our last BAW! feature dealt with opening an account if you are in the UK for work.  But what if you're a student? Does the same process apply?

Well yes and no.

If you are a student opening a bank account you will still have to supply some form of ID (passport w/ visa), proof of address (certified copy of acceptance letter or similar such document).  But you will also have to have some cash to open the account and to prove that you can support yourself.  This can be in the form of student loan checks.

Again, the four major banks (Barclays, NatWest, HSBC and Lloyds TSB) will
require these basic things but may also have some additional requirements, so I'd be sure to confirm their eligibility criteria and requirements before I showed up for opening an account.  Please note that when looking for information about student banking you will need to look in the International Banking sections of these websites.  Any mention of Student Banking on the main pages applies only to permanent UK residents.

Again, most of the difficulties with opening any account here are due to administrative flakiness.  I've done a bit of research and it seems that the worst offends of student bank account flakiness are Barclays.  They seem to have a habit of either misplacing people's student loan checks or taking their sweet time to deposit them. Also unfortunately with Barclays, you can't get a debit card until your student loans have cleared.  But you can't check to see if the funds have cleared unless you have a debit card. It creates a fun game of which comes first, the debit card or the cleared funds?  And it can last FOUR months!

Don't want to wait four months?  Then I'd try opening an account with the other three branches.  And yes, this includes NatWest who seem to be rubbish at opening a regular current (checking) account but seem to get it right when opening a students account.   (Just as long as you bring a certified copy of your acceptance letter!)  Lloyds and HSBC seems pretty straight forward regarding opening student accounts.  I've not heard any horror stories about using either of these. In fact, the person that I interviewed about her nightmare with NatWest, went straight to Lloyds and was able to open an account within days.

A good alternative to all of this banking drama can be to not open an account at all.  If you have a Bank of America account you can use any Barclays ATM free of charge.  So as long as you keep funds in you BofA account, you can have access to British sterling.  Of course that becomes a pain, if you want to pay bills etc.  However as the UK is quite old fashioned, you can pay all of your bills here in cash by depositing cash directly into the companies account.  They all have one.  Just check your utility bill the next time you receive and it and look out for their banking details.

What Exactly is a Bank Holiday?

A sarcastic person would say that "its obviously the day that the bank is closed".  I am that person.  Kinda.

It's actually the UK equivalent to a federal holiday.  As the Bank of England is closed, so are the other banks and accordingly all of the businesses.  The stores on the other hand will be open for Bank Holiday sales.

There are currently 8 bank holidays.  These include New Year's Day, Christmas Day, Boxing Day (the day after Christmas), Good Friday and Easter Monday as most people observe these holidays.  They also include the first and last Monday in May as well as the last Monday in August.

Below is a list of the forthcoming Bank holidays.



Good Friday - 2 April
Easter Monday - 5 April
Early May Bank Holiday - 3 May
Spring Bank Holiday - 31 May
Summer Bank Holiday  - 30 August
Christmas Day - 27 December*
Boxing Day - 28 December*

*Date observed

Note this means that outside of these days, there are no other public holidays.  There is no time off for Memorial Day, President's Day, Martin Luther King's Birthday and certainly, absolutely no time off for the 4th of July or Thanksgiving much to the chagrin of many Americans.  It's okay.  They can console themselves with their (minimum) 25 days vacation!

Bankers Are Wankers! - Opening An Account

If you are not fortunate enough to come to the UK via an intra-office transfer where most of your banking needs would have been sorted for you, you unfortunately will have to navigate the frustrating and tedious waters of opening a banking account here.  Now the reasons for this being so difficult is that:

1) credit does not transfer internationally
2) terrorism laws
3) Piss poor admin at UK banks (more on that later)

Now the fact that your credit score does not transfer to the UK could be really great if your US credit score was the same as your shoe size.  Or really bad if you had immaculate credit.  Either way, you will have to start over fresh here and that means having NO credit.  Therefore the banks will be a bit leary about having you open an account and will make you jump through hoops accordingly. There is also the anti-terror laws that have pretty strict residency requirements.  So you will inevitably have to prove your identity several times and you also need to prove that you have a job.  Trying to open an account by depositing a large of amount of cash without any job willl be frowned upon.


The four major banks here are: Barclays, NatWest, HSBC and Lloyds TSB.  Their requirements differ slightly for each account but at the very minimum you need to provide:

 - Your passport w/ visa
 - Proof of your UK address. (ie a utility bill)
 - Your official letter of acceptance for a new position or a pay stub for any current position that you have

Now this all seems simple right?  So what's with the title, Bankers Are Wankers?  Well firstly, its amusing, at least to me. And I could get into the fact that everyone masturbates, so it's really not that inaccurate either.  But I'll save THAT discussion for another day.  The real reason why Banks are Wanks is that their administration is rubbish.  Even if you have all of the paperwork I've listed above and then some,  they will inevitably still take their sweet time to open an account.

The worst offender seems to be NatWest.  I have spoken to a few people and they all tell the same story.  They walked into the branch.  They filled out all of the paperwork and provide appropraite documentation.  They were promised their debit cards in a week's time.  But their debit cards never came.  Instead they had to return to the bank several times to fill out the same forms and submit the same paperwork because it as misplaced or incorrect or .  I spoke to one friend who went through this merry-go-round for SIX MONTHS and in the end he just gave up and went to Barclay's where they managed to open his account in 5 days.  So in short, go to Barclay's or Lloyds TSB as they seem to not have these administrative issues.

But if you know in advance that you'll be coming to the UK, HSBC has this amazing Passport account that will allow you to open your account before you've even stepped foot in the UK.  The requirements are similar to the one above, you just have to show proof of your overseas address as well as prove that you'll be in the UK for more than a year.  The proof of staying past one year seems to trip up some people because if you can't prove that then they'll decline your application.  Don't fret.  If this happens, just open an account with Lloyds TSB or Barclays when you arrive.

Some other things to keep in mind...

Barclays has an agreement with Bank of America.  So you can use your BofA debit card at a Barclays ATM without incurring any charges.  The same goes for if you are using your Barclays card at a BofA ATM.

If you have a US HSBC account, you can not convert that into a UK account.  Apparently they are two completely different entities.  So while it may be nice to try and open an account in the US to use in the UK, it doesn't quite work that way.  I know because I tried!

The Joys of Working for a British Company

Despite my many grumblings (£100 gift certificate to Mark's & Spencer is not the same as a bonus, just saying), there are a few perks to working for a British company.

Minimum 25 days vacation

Just typing that seems outrageous and awesome at the same time.  Thanks to an EU directive, all EU countries must give their employees a minimum of 25 days vacation. Note, that this does not include national holidays. I still to this day have no idea what to do with all of this time and equally wonder how I survived with the measly 2 weeks that I was given in the States.  Oh, wait, now I remember.  I was conveniently sick on Mondays and Fridays.

Pub Lunches

It's Friday! And after a long week in the office, there is nothing better then getting together with a few co-workers and celebrating the forthcoming weekend with a glass of wine or three if you work in my office! 
Got a bit drunk? It's okay.  It seems to be perfectly acceptable to return to your desk a bit tipsy. After all, you were just at the pub.  Your boss may even be a bit offended if you came back completely sober as it would show you're not a team player!

9 to 5 really means 9 to 5

Now I'm used to 9 to 5 really meaning 9 to 6 as you have to account for your hour lunch.  Not so in the UK where you effectively have a 7 hour work day as that one hour between 9 and 5 is blocked off for lunch and nothing else.  Also the moment and I mean the very second that the clock strikes 5, your office will be deserted.  You'll know when its happened, because the office will suddenly become so quiet that your typing will start to echo throughout the building. 

Unlimited sick days

Again, this is an alien concept to me.  The first time I asked HR about sick days, they looked at me completely baffled and asked "How can you put a limit on the number of days that you're sick? If you're sick, you're sick."  Translation:  You have unlimited sick days. Now keep in mind, you have a legal obligation to produce a doctor's note if you have been sick for five consecutive work days. Most companies will require you to fill out some sort of sick leave form upon your return to the office and you won't get full pay if you are sick for an extended period of time.  However, if you wanted to call in sick for four days due to a  last minute holiday to Spain nasty flu, there really isn't anything that you're company could do to stop you.  But you might get a few questions about your amazing tan upon return so be sure to cover up!

Neighborhood Spotlight - Kensington

Back to the West End we go as the gracious Thomas has decided to share with us his experience of living in Kensington.  It is located in the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (yes, that's its official title!) which is also home to the famous area known as Notting Hill.  So what was it like living in this posh area?  Is it as pretentious as it's royal title suggests?

Name: Still Thomas
Age: 26
Kensington Resident for: The summer of 07
Last place you live before moving to London? Marquette, Michigan




Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
Share, it was through the university.

What’s your nearest Tube station?
Gloucester Road/South Kensington

How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
It can feel pretty touristy at times...well, most of the time. But it is an insanely pretty part of London and for the fact that if I wanted to picnic and felt nostalgic for a backyard,
I was three blocks from Kensington Gardens, which is absolutely beautiful in the summer for laying out, reading a book, flying a kite (no, really, we bought kites because we were jealous of the little kids' kites), having a few drinks, there's really no end to the novelty of being next to a park that big. I was a few blocks from the museums as well, which is a nice short stroll if you're ever looking for inspiration. The main roads will house the absolute most touristy chain restaurants and bars but the locals know where it's at, there's always a pub hidden behind something or a pocket of high-end restaurants down a couple of side streets.

You're living in close proximity to celebs, ambassadors, people who make the front page of the news when they have a cold... so look your best when you leave the house because you never know who's going to be at Whole Foods (YES, there's an epic Whole Foods, grocery lovers rejoice!!). People in my program ran into Christian Bale at Starbucks, Dustin Hoffman lived around the corner, etc.

How safe is your neighbourhood?
Insanely safe. There were neighborhood police that walked the streets at night just to make sure there was nothing shady going on. You're close to Kensington Palace, and some embassies, so what do you expect.

What do you like most about where you live?
It's gorgeous. Between the stucco terraces and parklife, there's not much more you could ask for. There's cute cafes, great dining as long as you've got the budget and come on...you're going to pizza places that Princess Diana went to with the boys for a night out. And any shopping you need is on the well-stocked Kensington High St., they've got everything you'd ever want from Oxford street with half the foot traffic (well, except on weekends).

And if you're a cocktail snob, there's some high-profile joints to scope out. Not as much as in Mayfair, but there's Amika, Kensington Roof Gardens (which is an absolute must-do for the view alone), and a few others are dotted around the area. Check with some club promoters websites if you want to get on the guest lists, or find a friend who's in the know.

What do you like least?
It's a bit touristy....which manifests itself in many forms. You'll have to deal with the premium prices in the shops, slow-walkers with cameras, and the worst by far is not being able to mask your accent properly because the pub staff will know you're foreign and take the piss and shortchange you if you're not paying attention.

Seriously, Americans...read this bit!

They know that it's a tourist hot-spot so if they think that you're not going to know what all "the funny little coins mean" then they'll gladly keep a few for themselves. Easy way around that? Well, you can use your card...but if you're on cash-only just keep a keen eye about it. One place we went to, it was raining out and as soon as we walked in the door, the bartender spotted us as non-locals (it was a back alley pub that not many knew about) and said "I bet it doesn't rain like this where you're from!" clearly establishing that we weren't British before I even spoke, and I just said "ah...no it rains everywhere, but can I have a ..." and yeah, I was missing two pounds from my change. It happened again in an off-license, which we caught right away, and another pub tried to do it to a friend of mine. I hate to sound cryptic about it, but tourists and people with non-British accents, are easy targets for them. It just made me wonder how many times it had happened before I caught on! I didn't think to put my guard up because you're not in a dodgy/dirty part of town, so I was more trusting with staff than I should have been...but I guess it makes sense with the museums and all that close by that they get a lot of people used to other currencies or just not paying attention.. So watch out!

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live?
I'm currently in Clerkenwell, which I also love...but I'd move back to Kensington if I could afford it! Someday...someday...

UK Visa Changes

These changes go into effect 6 April 2010 and affect the Tier 1 (highly skilled worker) and Tier 2 (skilled workers with job offers) visas.  I offer a summary of the changes below along with a link to the official statement issued by the Home Office.

Tier 1 changes

There will be changes to the point system which will apply not only to new applicant but also to those who are renewing their Tier 1 visa.  This new point's system will not apply to those in the Highly Skilled Migrant Programme, writers, artists, composers and self-employed lawyers.

For new applicants, you will only be granted an 2 year visa.  However, you can renew it for 3 years.



For any doctors or dentists in training, there will be new restrictions to prevent overseas doctors/dentists from taking resident's places.  This will be further clarified on 6 April.

Tier 2 changes

These changes will affect Tier 2 general and intra-company transfer visas.  There will be a change to the point's system for initial applications.  For visa renewal application, all Tier 2 applicants will be given 50 points to mitigate the impact of the changes.

There are new sub-categories for intra-company transfers.  They are javascript:void(0)established staff, graduate trainee and skills transfer.

Established Staff
The minimum overseas (non-UK) experience for established staff has been raised from 6 months to 1 year.  The established staff category can no longer be used for permanent settlement in the UK.  These changes will only apply to new Tier 2 (intra-company transfer) applicants.  Anyone here in the UK prior to 6 April is excluded. 

Graduate Trainees
The minimum overseas experience is 3 months.  The maximum stay in this category is 12 months.  There are no extension for this category or the option to switch into other immigration categories.  This sub-category is only open to migrants who are working in a graduate occupation.  You can find a list of these in Appendix A of the link below.

Skills Transfer
There is no minimum employment requirement for this category.  This category is really for people whose skills are to transferred to the UK but not their job. (That's a bit confusing!)  The maximum grant of stay under this category is 6 months and this is also only open to those who are working in graduate occupations.

Official Statement of Policy

Learning to Love Football (Soccer)

Soccer in the States is pretty much the poor step-sibling of American football, basketball and baseball.  So when you first arrive, its a bit hard to understand why everyone here (and in the rest of the world) loves it so much. 

Journey into a pub during a Saturday afternoon and you'll find yourself surrounded by passionate (read: drunk & rowdy) football fans clad in their favorite team's colors shouting incoherently at the telly.  It might be a bit overwhelming the first time you witness football fandom.  But once you've picked a team, preferably the same one everyone else in the pub is rooting for, the games become more fun.  They also begin to remind you of American football fanaticism - minus the threat of being stabbed for supporting the wrong team.


But if you somehow managed to visit your local and still haven't joined the football cult, a footie match is sure to change that.  Live and in person, the little men running around on the TV don't seem so boring.  You'll find yourself caught up in the hysteria of it all and may actually find yourself liking the game.  By the end of the match, you'll know all the words to the team's song (well, at least the ones that you could decipher!) and will have given the ref and a few of the away players a two-finger salute.

Once you leave football world, you may never watch a match again due to the shame of knowing that for a few hours you will actually have loved soccer and understand what all of the fuss is about. Its alright.  Football fandom happens.

How to Annoy a British Person

Use the word "quaint"

If you really want to annoy a British person, and I mean really annoy a British person, refer to their car/house/streets/fridge/etc as quaint.  Never has such a word been so overused by Americans when describing the UK. Yes, things here are smaller and older.  But quaint??? Really???  Come on guys, I know that we can use another word.  Perhaps "gently used" would be a better adjective to use.  Hell, even say you like it because its small and old.  You can use anything but quaint.

Refer to the British as European

Europe is a continent.  Britain is a group of islands.  Although they are both part of the EU and Britain is technically part of Europe, the British not like that lot over there.  They had the empire! And the sun never sets on the British empire!  Until it did...

Talk loudly.

As Americans, we sometimes don't realise that we can be pretty damn loud.  Sometimes its for a good reason, like being drunk.  Other times, we're just loud because....well because we can damnit!  At sport bars/pubs this is allowed and even encouraged.  While dining or chatting at work, not so much.

Don't queue (line) up

The Brits like queues.  They tend to judge restaurants by how many people are queuing to get inside.  Because if people are willing to wait an hour to eat, then it must be good.  There was even legislation drafted to require people to queue at the bar.  Luckily that didn't go through.  If you dare to queue jump, even by accident, you will incur the full wrath of a Brit.  They will curse you out, you will be throttled and possibly tarred, feathered and dragged through the high street.  Well not in real life, mind you.  But they will be thinking about it!

Happy Birthday! Where's My Drink?

When I first started my job, I noticed that I would occasionally get emails from another co-worker announcing that there were goodies in the kitchen on each floor.  There didn't seem to be any reason for it at the time.  And to be honest, I'm not really one to question free food.  But after racking my brain to try and figure out what mysterious lottery that my fellow co-workers had (un)luckily won, I decided to put down the cupcake and ask someone.

That's when I was introduced to what I personally think is a very strange British (and European) tradition.  When it is your birthday here, you are expected to buy presents/drinks/cake for everyone else.  Yes ladies and gentlemen, you have to buy other people things on your birthday.  Confused????  Me too!


I'm used to the American tradition of people taking you out for your birthday.  And that is actually how my friends and I celebrate them while we are here in London.  But be forewarned, that if it is your birthday and you are expected, nay, obligated to buy drinks or snacks for your co-workers and/or friends.

You could argue that is really isn't any different than you buying gifts for all of your friends' birthdays.  You just get it over with at the same time.  I can be okay with that reasoning.  But what about your co-workers???  Do you really have to buy them something???  Even if you don't like them???? 

A nice person would.  I just didn't tell anyone that it was my birthday!

Socialized Medicine - Cleaning Yo Teefs

So inevitably you're going to need to get your teeth cleaned while you are here.  As cultural stereotypes go,  the British are known for having bad teeth.  So you may be a bit skeptical about using NHS for any dental work including a cleaning. However there are some advantages of going social.

Unlike most medical services, dental work under NHS won't be free for expats. ( However there are a few exceptions.)  The pricing is divided amongst bands and the cost ranges from 16.50 GBP for a cleaning to 198.00 GBP for a crown or bridge.  Also all NHS dental work has been contracted out to private dental practices.  So you will inevitably receive similar if not the same basic service (cleaning, etc) as you would if you were using a private dentist.



however, NHS is lacking when is comes to more advanced dental work.  For instance, there is a year long waiting list for braces in some areas.  You also might have to wait for other procedures (dentures, extractions, etc).  At these times, it would probably be best to go to a private dentist. 

Using NHS is the ideal situation for me as I have never had any problems with my teeth.  In fact, I've never even had a cavity. I've also found a really good dentist that I'm happy with. But if you have had problems with your teeth in the past or if you have a family history of bad teeth, then you may want to consider getting a private dentist.

Looking for NHS Dentists?
Going private?

Neighborhood Spotlight - Upper Tooting

Back down south we go, where the S in the post code actually means south of Thames, to Upper Tooting.  Part of the Wandsworth council, it is located in the SW17 postcode.  I spoke to local Upper Tootington (wow, no!) resident Jeannine to get a sense of life on the south side

Name: Jeannine
Age: …is but a number ;)
Wandsworth Resident for: A year and a half
Last place you live before moving to London?
Johannesburg, South Africa




Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
I live with my significant other

What’s your nearest Tube station?
Tooting Bec – Northern Line

How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
It’s pretty quiet during the week, but it’s gets busy during the weekend. It’s quite a family oriented little neighbourhood, so there are a lot of children around. Waiting for the bus in the morning can be a bit of a nightmare ‘cos the buses are full of school kids and there are prams and babies everywhere! Sometimes you have to wait for a few buses in the morning ‘cos they’re full. Even though there are lots of families around, there are also a lot of really great bars, pubs and restaurants that are within walking distance too.

How safe is your neighbourhood?
Pretty safe. Coming from SA where you have 10ft electrified fences and burglar bars everywhere, it took me a long time to get used to not having bars on all the windows and doors! I haven’t had any problems with crime there yet, except for the occasional fox ripping open garbage bags.

What do you like most about where you live?
It’s pretty central – you have access to just about anywhere! You have so many travel options. Clapham Junction is a 10min bus trip away, if you get tired of using the tube. Wandsworth Common is amazing, especially is you like cycling and spending time outdoors. Clapham Common is less than 2 miles away and once a year they have a festival for all the Antipodeans (separate ones for the Kiwis, Aussies and Saffas) and it also plays host to SW4 which is an amazing dance festival. Wimbledon is just up the road too, about a 15 – 20 min bust trip. I think a lot of Antipodeans choose to live in South West London as it has the cheapest council tax in London (on average £700 - £800 depending on your band but it goes up quite a bit in SW19) and the open spaces kinda reminds me of home. I also like it cos it’s out of the city and is slightly more relaxed and chilled. Oh, and I love living near Northcote Road…always something to do there. There are also a lot of clubs and bars around Clapham Junction too so you are really spoiled for choice. 

What do you like least?
That the only tube line servicing the area is the Northern Line…there is almost always some sort of delay somewhere on the line. Otherwise it’s a pretty cool area.

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live?
If I had more money, I would definitely be living in Richmond. Love it there!

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Willesden Green

Off to NW London we to go to Willesden Green.  Its located in the lovely postcode of NW6 and is part of Brent council.  To find out more about Willesden Green, we spoke to local resident Melanie.

Name: Melanie

Age: 26

Willesden Resident for: Nearly my whole life, give or take a couple of years here and there in other places…I just keep coming back….

Last place you live before moving to London? I am a born and bred Londoner, but I have also lived in the bay area in California.

Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
I live with my mum! My mum also runs our house as a b&b as well as renting rooms to foreign students – so I guess you could kind of call it a flatshare as there are always people about!


What’s your nearest Tube station:?
Willesden Green

How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
 The neighbourhood is extremely multi-cultural, with a really wide mix of residents from all over the world. There are often lots of free events going on, such as fairs, parades and festivals (the annual St Patrick’s Day parade and party, the Respect Festival every July, Brent Dance Month to name a few…) and there is a lot of art (galleries/shows/artists/public art) in the community.

How safe is your neighbourhood?
I have never had any problems (touch wood!)

What do you like most about where you live?
 I live right next to a really big beautiful park! I also like living in zone 2 – it is pretty quick to get to central London from Willesden Green. Neighbouring areas, such as Kilburn, Queens Park and Kensal Rise have some really nice restaurants and pubs too.

What do you like least?
The fact that there are not many decent restaurants (unless you count the 550 million kebab shops) on the High Road, and there are not really any good shops either! Plus, I hate the fact that the shops that line the High Road do not maintain a general standard of attractiveness, which really brings down the tone of the neighbourhood. I also hate the 10 minute walk to get from my house to the tube station! It’s ok on a summer’s day, but it is more of a pain when it’s cold/late/dark and also a drag if you are wearing heels or running late!

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live:?
Probably either Hampstead or Camden.

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Pimlico

 Back to central London we go to yet another neighbourhood with a SW postcode that's north of the river.  Located south of Victoria is the lovely neighbourhood of Pimlico. Pimlico has a SW1 postcode and is part of City of Westiminster council.  To get a better idea of life in Pimlico, we spoke to Whitney.


Name: Whitney
Age: Older than I look, which is far better than the other way around.
Pimlico Resident for: 1+ years
Last place you live before moving to London?  I last had a closet in Oregon.  But just before London there was a living-out-of-a-suitcase stretch that involved Las Vegas, Utah and a handful of cities on the California coast. 



Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
I live with a crazy French guy who speaks 30 languages and whom I generally adore.

What’s your nearest Tube station? 
Pimlico.

How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe? 
Decidedly middle class with posh aspirations.

How safe is your neighbourhood? 
Very... though some of the 'aspiring' bits (or those that never aspired) are a bit rough on the eyes.

What do you like most about where you live? 
The Georgian architecture, the quietness, the fact that the Thames, Tate Britain, Victoria and Sloane Square are all a stone's throw... and if I take the tube, from door-to-door, I can be in Oxford Circus in 15 minutes flat.

What do you like least? 
Everything shuts early.  It's difficult finding a shop open past 11pm - and past 5pm on a Sunday!

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live?  
Ha... probably just deeper into bona fide Belgravia (so just up the street).  I would love to score a flat on/near Pimlico Road... or perhaps Chelsea Embankment or Cheyne Walk overlooking the Thames.

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Isle of Dogs

Now most of our previous articles in this series have been focusing on places in either the West End or in the North London.  For something a bit different, we'll turn our attention to the East End.  Isle of Dogs is located east of Canada Wharf and north of Greenwich.  It is part of the Tower Hamlets Council and has an E14 postcode.  We spoke to Lidija to get a better of idea of what its like to live on the Isle of Dogs.

Name: Lidija
Age: 28... eek!
Isle of Dogs Resident for: 5 years
Last place you live before moving to London? A wee town in English suburbia, falling off the edge of the Metropolitan line, called Chesham 


Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
I share with one other person

What’s your nearest Tube station? 
Canary Wharf



How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
Residential, safe, a wee bit dull but also interesting as it's got a really post-modern feel - e.g. a leafy city farm down one end of the road, and canary wharf skyscrapers at the other!

How safe is your neighbourhood?
I feel it's pretty safe and have never felt threatened, though I'm told that there quasi-gangs roaming the streets and ocasionally causing trouble - all good for me though.

What do you like most about where you live? 
The river! I'm a stone's throw away and it's blissful to be able to walk and chill out by the water, or follow it all the way through to central London.

What do you like least?
When the jubilee line is down, you're literally stuck on the island bar a few buses! So transport could be better.

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live? 
Brick Lane

The British Say WHAT??? - Part Deux

After compiling the first list of British words or phrases that can confuse Americans, I realised that it was not at all exhaustive.  In fact, I filled a few notebook pages with other words and phrases that weren't on the list.  So for your sheer amusement or translation I bring you part deux!

British	American
Having a go/taking the Mic	teasing, making fun of someone
cashpoint	ATM
faffing about	fooling around (NOT SEX)
snog	to kiss
shag	to fuck
daft	stupid
knackered	tired
naff	broken, doesn't work
fringe	bangs
flat	apartment/condo
mobile	cell phone
duvet	blanket
slag, slapper, clapper	slut
twat, tosser, prat	jerk, asshole
voucher	coupon
braces	suspenders
suspenders	garter belt
carpark	parking log
off license	liquor store
lorry	truck
getting your kit off	stripping naked
post	mail
diary	planner, calendar
boot	car trunk
bonnet	car hood
hoover	vacuum
telly	television

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Stoke Newington

I have to be honest.  When I first heard of  Stoke Newington, I had absolutely no idea where it was.  After a quick Google search, I see that its in the N16 post code and that it's part of the Hackney council.  How did I hear about this place?  Its where the very lovely Lizzie lives (ooh alliteration!).  She has decided to share with us her experience of living in the N16.

Name: Lizzie
Age: 25
Stoke Newington Resident for: 3 years
Last place you live before moving to London?
Erm... Reading but I've been in London over 7 years now.



Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
Flatshare


What’s your nearest Tube station?
I think it's either Old Street or Highbury and Islington

How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
Stoke Newington is an infusion of the hip cool and arty Dalston and the money spilling over from Angel. This means you get yummy mummies and skinny jean wearing twats. It's clam, family friendly, great for someone looking for a village in a city.

How safe is your neighbourhood?
Pretty safe, we are surrounded by some dodgy parts but generally it's a great place to live.

What do you like most about where you live?
The community feel and the fact there is great cafés, shops and coffee on my doorstep as well as great alternative nightlife and live music venues.

What do you like least?
It can take over an hour to get into central London.

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live?
On a houseboat, between Angel and Old Street!

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Islington

Situated in the northern part of Zone 1, Islington is located very close to King's Cross and Camden.  It is part of Islington council and has a N1 postcode.  So what's it like to live in Islington?  We spoke to current resident Chris to find out.

Name: Chris
Age: One score and 9 years
Islington Resident for: 1 year
Last place you live before moving to London: San Diego, CA



Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
On my own

What’s your nearest Tube station? 
Angel/Highbury & Islington


How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe? 
Vivacious with some great spots for food and drinks, with a laid back, quasi-suburban feel.

How safe is your neighbourhood?
Pretty damn safe. Mostly young families and not too many council houses

What do you like most about where you live? 
The location. While it is 10 mins or so from the nearest tube station, having Upper Street and Essex Road to go out on is awesome. There are amazing pubs (Slim Jims & New Rose - my faves) and some really solid dining (Cuba Libre, Rodrico Rizo, NANDOS!) choices. Plus, you have a big cinema (Vue) and an indie one (Screen on Green) , easy access to shopping (The Angel) and a whole lot more.

What do you like least? 
That I don't live within a less than 5 minute walk to a tube station. Although there are many buses that will easily get me to one.

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live? 
The Chelsea and Fulham areas, love both those areas.

Free Clincs - Getting Over the Ick Factor

So if you're like me, the words "free clinic" bring up images of  crowded waiting rooms and  medical facilities that are covered in an inch of grime.  Because surely if its free, it has to be substandard.  Not true, says I.   As I have been to two of these free (walk-in) clinics and find them to be, well, pretty damn good.  The facilities aren't half bad.  They are clean, the staff are helpful and you will get the medical care that you need.  Trust me, I've had much more horrible experiences using Kaiser Permanente.

Now there are different clinics throughout the city that serve different purposes.  Some of them specialise in sexual health, while others focus on flu-like symptoms, coughs and infections.  Each centre lists its main services on the NHS website.  As they are walk-in centres, everything is done on a first come, first serve basis.  I highly recommend getting to the clinics when they open.  That tends to cut your waiting time down and you'll either be seen immediately or within a few minutes.  But if you can only go during the middle of the day, you're looking at a wait time of about 30 minutes.  Unless of course, you're bleeding all over the floor, in which case you'll be rushed to the front and/or sent to the emergency room.

More info:

Finding a Walk-in Centre
Walk-In Centre General Info

Socialized Medicine - How to Register with a GP

If you do not have access to private health care, there's a pretty good chance that you'll take advantage of NHS (National Health Service).  You can go to one of the several free clinics around the city if you have, for example, the flu.  Or you can go straight to the emergency room (A&E) if you've seriously injured yourself.

However you'll eventually want to get a GP (general practitioner).  Within the NHS system, you must see your GP first if you need non-emergency medical attention so that they can refer you to a medical specialist.    For instance if you have foot problems, you would need to see your GP so that he could refer you to a podiatrist.  Your GP is also one of the few people that can prescribe you medication.  You can get meds from the free clinic if you need it.  However, they will only write you a prescription once (no refills).  And due to health and safety gone amuck, they won't prescribe you meds unless you're knocking on death's door.


So how do you get a GP?  First you must go a practice and request a GMS1 form where you must provide your name, address, date of birth and your NHS number.  Don't have an NHS number?  Don't worry.  You can still sign up without one.  Some practices will also ask for a form of identification.  After submitting your filled out GMS1,  the GP practice will send your form off to the Primary Care Trust who will write to you and confirm that you're registered with the GP practice.

Now some practices will tell you that you can't register unless you have been in the country for a certain period of time.  That is not true!  If you are told this, demand to get the GMS1 anyway. There is not a residency requirement for signing up for a GP and any practice that claims there is is lying and should be reported immediately.

Once you are registered, then you can go to your GP for a physical and voila!  You can now partake in the NHS system. 


More Info:
How to Register
Finding GPs in Your Area
GP FAQs

Mum's Day vs Mother's Day

So if you've walked anywhere near a shop as of late, you'll have noticed that they are plastered with signs declaring that Mum's Day is upon us.  No, mass corporate greed is not the reason for the absurdly early Mother's Day reminder.  (However they probably are responsible for the sheer number of signs and bold lettering.)

Instead of celebrating on the second Sunday in May, here they celebrate Mothering Sunday aka Mum's Day on the fourth Sunday of Lent.  So there, you can go and breath a sigh of relief right?  Well, maybe.  The thing is as Mum's day is celebrated much earlier here than in the US you'll probably run into the dilemma of not having a card to send in May.

This can be remedied by either buying your card now or if you're lazy (like me)  you can sign up with Hallmark.com and pick out a card online to send.  Unfortunately it won't have you're actual signature in it.  But it'll give you a bit more flexibility.  Alternatively, you could just skip the card all together and just giver her a ring.  Just makes sure its on the right day! (Psst, that would be 9 May!)

To Tip? Or Not to Tip?

That is the question.  As Americans, we are a nation of tippers.  The reason for this is that people in the service industry (waiters, bartenders, etc) tend to make less than minimum wage and work for tips. This tends to result in either really good (gotta make that $$$)  or really bad customer service (who wants to work for peanuts?). 

As we are a tipping nation, we feel the need to continue this tradition here in the UK.  However, by in large, this is not necessary.  For one, UK service workers make at least minimum wage and therefore do not have to work for tips.  Also tipping is somthing that the Brits do not do in general.  Hence, the customer service here can be, well, crap.


Now on occasion some resturants will add a service charge to your bill and you unfortunately have to pay it no matter how bad the service was.  Some resturants will even state that the charge is "discretionary".   So in theory, you can request that it be removed, especially if you receive crap service, right?  Wrong!  Instead you'll probably just end up arguing with the manager over a measly £6.

Also as most Brits are aware of the American tipping culture, they will try to guilt you into giving them a tip.  If you are on a date or businiess lunch, grin and bear it.  Otherwise, immediately tell them to go fuck themselse.  Unless of course, you have received really good sevice.  In which case, tip away.

Neighbourhood Spotlight - Clerkenwell

UPDATE (5/3/10): In addition to this interview, Thomas has provided us with his list of great eats and drinks in Clerkenwell. Thanx Thomas! You rock!

Did I say weekly series?? Did I really just interview myself???  Do I have friends???

The answers are yes, yes and yes.  But as this is a relatively new blog, and I have been called out for interviewing myself.  (Thanks Shida!),  I have decided to bring you our next interview a bit early.

Clerkenwell is very conveniently located near the City and spans postcodes EC1, EC2 and the N1.  It is also part of the Islington council. So what's it like living in Clerkenwell?  What does one do there? We spoke to current resident Thomas to find out.



Name: Thomas
Age: 26
Clerkenwell Resident for: 1+ years
Last place you lived before moving to London?
Marquette, Michigan




Do you live in a flatshare or on your own?
It's probably a step below a flatshare

What’s your nearest Tube station?
Farringdon

How would you describe your neighbourhood’s overall vibe?
It's close to some of the oldest parts of London, so there's a lot of character and charm. If you want to find a good place to hang out, you'll need to venture down some of the side streets. The pubs are historic and there's a ton of amazing restaurants as it's also a big work area. I'm close to Smithfield market so a lot of places around me try to do the "locally-sourced ethical meats" options on their menus. It's close to Angel, a short bus ride (or walk) to Covent Garden or East end, and when I go running, I get to run on the northbank of the Thames (it's a nice 7k loop as I go down Farringdon road to the river and from Blackfriars to Westminster and back!).

How safe is your neighbourhood?
Pretty safe, I've never really felt like it was dodgy, there's some club kids that come out of Fabric on the weekends but they're just drunk so if you push them lightly, they'll fall right over.

What do you like most about where you live?
Location. It's smack dab between the places I go the most so it's never really too much of a hassle to go to any part of London. And I save a ton on my oyster card because if it's nice out, I'll walk home from soho, or if I'm in Angel/Shoreditch it's a 20 min walk or less home. And it's 15 min walk to the river for some Southbank pub hopping and Tate Modern. I'm maybe 7 min walk from St Pauls cathedral.

Excellent transport links, I'm on the Circle (which is now a lasso, but don't get me started) line/Hammersmith/Metropolitan, and a short walk from Chancery Lane station if I don't feel like changing to get to the Central line, and there's decent buses.

What do you like least?
The fact that my room is tiny like a sardine can. But I'm still in need of income, so it's a transitional flat. I'd rather live in an area that I love in a flat that I hate than live in a flat that I love in an area that I hate.... if that makes sense...and I like being central. So I don't have people over, but as long as I can stumble home at night and not have to take a night bus for 2 hours, I'm happy. Oh and a lot of the stuff closes down on the weekends because of the office building culture, so the Prets and EATs are more of a weekday venture, but there's a few hidden locals that are good for pints on the weekends.

If you could live anywhere in London, where would you live?
I quite like my area, I'd just want a nicer place. Though I've lived in Kensington before and there's some really great places there, for a hefty price. I'd love to end up in Holland Park someday, but for now, I'm happy with Islington & Clerkenwell, and it's nice towards Holborn as well.