(This is going to be a pretty long post.If you are a native of London or/has been staying here in London for a while,this post is probably not going to interest you much.If you are new to the city or happen to be one who has been thinking about visiting this city, I strongly recommend that you read on).
It's been a week here in London.The weather is pretty okay, not very cold or very warm. Getting used to the transport system was the first and the most important thing which I had to sort out in the initial days. I will be penning down a few things which I noticed during the first week of my stay here. Hoping that these gyaans might come handy for those of you who plan to visit or stay in London in the near future.
1.Get used to the transport system as early as possible-Unlike in India, here, there is a very good public transport system and almost everyone uses it. They have this thing called the 'Oyster card', which basically is something like a 'season ticket' and looks like a 'credit/debit card' (obviously without the Visa/MasterCard logo in it!). You can either use it on a pay as you go basis or as a season ticket. The card works in tubes,trams,buses and even in the overhead national trains.You just have to show/swipe the card in a yellow automated card reader which is there in the entrance of the tube station or in the entry door of the public transport bus which you get into. The fare for your each journey will be automatically deducted from the card.Always rember to show the card at the entry and exit points of the tube station, else you will either be charged a penalty of 80£ or will have to face prosecution.
2.Stick to your time-The British are very punctual , so when they say that they will meet you at nine,they do actually mean it. Don't turn up late for any of the important meetings or classes as far as possible.
3.There are a lot of Indian restaurants out here-If you are badly missing Indian food, you can always step into any of the Indian restaurants out there in your locality. There are many out there. If you are here on a budget, then you can get whatever you need from the local Indian store out there and prepare your own meal at home.
4.The British Chips and Fish- Almost all the places here serve the famous English 'Fish n Chips' on Fridays. If you are into fish, u can definitely give it a try.
5.The free 'Metro' and the 'Evening Standard'- Well,this is one thing which I liked a lot.If you are a commuter, everyday you will get free tabloids in the mornings and in the evenings along with weekly magazines.There are racks outside each tube station and inside each bus/tram from where you can pick your daily free copy of the tabloid/magazine.
6.The 'People'- The native British people are very polite, well mannered and cultured. But beware,like in any other country,not all people are good though.
7.There are 'strikes' in London-If you have been thinking that strikes and 'dharnas' are only seen in developing countries,you have got it terribly wrong.These things are there here too.
8.The traffic culture-One thing I think I should emphasize here is the way they treat the pedestrians.In every major crossings, you will see a system like this (above picture) which enables the pedestrians to cross the road in a safe and timely manner.If the signal for automobiles is green,you just have to press the button over there and wait till the green signal for the pedestrians shows up.And remember,if there are no signals in he lane which you are trying to cross,the cars and motor cycles will wait until you have crossed the road!
9.Tesco- They are a chain of hyper markets like our Reliance fresh and Lulu which stock almost all the daily essentials.
10.Lyca and Libera Sim-If you are from the Indian subcontinent,these are probably the best mobile sims which you can get hold of.They have got some really good plans which you can avail of and it really makes your calls to India quite cheap.
-nikhimenon
It's been a week here in London.The weather is pretty okay, not very cold or very warm. Getting used to the transport system was the first and the most important thing which I had to sort out in the initial days. I will be penning down a few things which I noticed during the first week of my stay here. Hoping that these gyaans might come handy for those of you who plan to visit or stay in London in the near future.
2.Stick to your time-The British are very punctual , so when they say that they will meet you at nine,they do actually mean it. Don't turn up late for any of the important meetings or classes as far as possible.
3.There are a lot of Indian restaurants out here-If you are badly missing Indian food, you can always step into any of the Indian restaurants out there in your locality. There are many out there. If you are here on a budget, then you can get whatever you need from the local Indian store out there and prepare your own meal at home.
4.The British Chips and Fish- Almost all the places here serve the famous English 'Fish n Chips' on Fridays. If you are into fish, u can definitely give it a try.
5.The free 'Metro' and the 'Evening Standard'- Well,this is one thing which I liked a lot.If you are a commuter, everyday you will get free tabloids in the mornings and in the evenings along with weekly magazines.There are racks outside each tube station and inside each bus/tram from where you can pick your daily free copy of the tabloid/magazine.
6.The 'People'- The native British people are very polite, well mannered and cultured. But beware,like in any other country,not all people are good though.
7.There are 'strikes' in London-If you have been thinking that strikes and 'dharnas' are only seen in developing countries,you have got it terribly wrong.These things are there here too.
8.The traffic culture-One thing I think I should emphasize here is the way they treat the pedestrians.In every major crossings, you will see a system like this (above picture) which enables the pedestrians to cross the road in a safe and timely manner.If the signal for automobiles is green,you just have to press the button over there and wait till the green signal for the pedestrians shows up.And remember,if there are no signals in he lane which you are trying to cross,the cars and motor cycles will wait until you have crossed the road!
9.Tesco- They are a chain of hyper markets like our Reliance fresh and Lulu which stock almost all the daily essentials.
10.Lyca and Libera Sim-If you are from the Indian subcontinent,these are probably the best mobile sims which you can get hold of.They have got some really good plans which you can avail of and it really makes your calls to India quite cheap.
-nikhimenon
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