When in England

“The morning of September 13th, 2011, I was up really early and excited to catch a plane to London. I had been to England before, but this time it was different. This time I had packed my “life” in one suitcase and was moving there for a year for my master’s studies! All by myself“.

With these words I started my blog about my upcoming year in the UK back then (musical references  added for a “dramatic” effect..).

I lived in a small town called Portsmouth, which is a harbour town located in the southern part of England. From the 1st moment, Portsmouth felt just like home. For some reason, I hadn’t made my way back there since my graduation ceremony back in the summer of 2013, but I have now made up for the mistake! And it has brought up so many good memories. I’ve always been a fan of England, but Portsmouth definitely has a big part of my heart.

My apartment was located on Albert Road, which was approx. 20 minutes walk from most university buildings, 8 minute walk from the sea and well – shops, pubs, restaurants, fast food places etc, were all in a couple of minutes walking distance, so the street was and still is full of life and I definitely recommend going there for a stroll.

Portsmouth / March 2019

Some general observances about England and the British people I’ve made throughout the years:

• No, it doesn’t always rain in England.
• Yes, the British have a sense of humour. A very sophisticated one (usually), which might not be everyone’s cup of tea.
• Yes, they love milk in their tea.
• 10 degrees Celsius is apparently summer weather as everyone is wearing shorts, T-shirts and flip-flops. Doesn’t matter if it’s December, March or whichever other month of the year.
• “Let’s agree to disagree” translates to “You’re wrong, but I’m tired of arguing”.
• “Not quite what I had in mind” translates to “What the bloody hell is this?”
• “I don’t mean to be rude” translates to “I’ afraid I’m about to be rude”.
• The real difference about England and Great Britain (as explained by my English teacher in Portsmouth Uni): They call their country England, when e.g. they definitely win a soccer match – prize and glory goes to England! And they call it Great Britain, when they need e.g. the Scottish to help them win. And well, in case they lose, then it will obviously be because of the Scottish..
• In the middle of the journey, the trains may split in half and one set of coaches go to one direction and the other set god knows where. Don’t be alarmed – it doesn’t happen while the train is moving, but as by Murphy’s law – you’ll obviously be sitting in the wrong part of the train. Also, don’t forget to “Mind the gap!”.
• When I was used to having the electricity bill at the end of the month, it’s not exactly how things run in England (or at least not where I was living). As I found out the hard way being in the dark for a day or so, apparently, they have a chipped key in the electrical locker, which you can top up in almost every food shop. So, first I had to climb under the ceiling to take it out. Go to a shop. Top it up. Go back home. Climb under the ceiling. Insert it in the locker. And boom, electricity. So easy. How didn’t I think of it…?!
• And well..that British accent…yes, I am well aware I’m the one with an accent, but that accent…could everyone just speak like that, please?!

London / March 2019
.

Even though London may feel crowded and full of tourists, there are also some hidden gems. In the “outskirts” (really just a little bit off city center) of London there is this little adorable Hummingbird Bakery, where you can get some amazing cupcakes! Also visiting the Fuller’s Brewery is worth the ca 40 minute metro ride. They offer tours and beer tasting and the fellas in charge tell you some great stories.

And the British people are generally quite friendly and outgoing as well. It was the day I was moving to Portsmouth and had just arrived to Gatwick airport. As I was stepping out of the plane, a member of the crew said “Bye, my love!” as if he’d known me for ages. And minutes later in the train, it was suddenly announced that the train will split into two parts in the next station and coaches 1-4 will continue the journey towards Portsmouth and 5-8 will go somewhere else. Guess which part of the train I was in?!  So I was trying to get to the front, having my backpack in one hand and a 21,4 kg suitcase in the other hand. In a train, which was quite full, that is not exactly an easy task. But then I met Lee – the train supervisor, who asked me with a big smile on his face “You trying to get to the front, my love?“.  And then told me to get off this coach on the next station and get to another one from outside the train, promising that he’ll make sure the train does not depart until I am safely back on it again. You can’t NOT have a smile on your face after that. Got lots more of fun stories about my time in Portsmouth. Maybe some other time I’ll share some more!

To me – England is always a good idea! 

 

And this is a song that always makes me laugh! English humour at its best (in my opinion)! :)