Moving to London in September - any tips about adjusting?

pkennedy1990
Junior Member



Joined: 27 May 2004
Posts: 23
Location: London

Posted: Mon Jun 21, 2004 7:13 am

 

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The city is 15 times bigger than Toronto. It takes about three hours on any public transportation to get from one side of it to the other. Public transportation is EXPENSIVE. The money thing is a shocker; $2.60/£1. Canadian money will go FAST.

If you already have the job offer and the requisite work permit or visa, that will help immensely. I was told that they would never make a bona fide offer over the phone without seeing me in person first, came over here in person and got SCREWED. But then, I gather that the rest of the world expects "Canadians" not to be "Red Indian" or God forbid any other race than white, or whatever can pass for white. I gathered that from being in the States for many years, but apparently England has become Americanised in regards to that.

Get used to being called "American" a lot. ALL Canadians face that problem. They are accustomed to scorning Americans over here, and we don't sound different enough from them for the British to get it right, let alone the foreigners. I have been told Canada is America, Halifax is in the United States, Mexico is South America, etc. Wear the Maple Leaf loud and plainly visible at all times. Sometimes it helps, sometimes people actually don't know what country that symbolises.

East London is actually better than the rest of it because they're not used to having visitors, they're more used to having people actually stay there.

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slwebb
Junior Member



Joined: 29 Jun 2004
Posts: 14
Location: London, England

Posted: Tue Jun 29, 2004 2:55 am

 

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HI Donnaone,

I have just come across this website and saw your post. I just had to sign up to reply to your message.

I'm orginally from Toronto, but now live in London. In Lewisham, in fact. I moved here because I married an English man and this is where he lives. It was very hard to leave Canada and my family behind. Luckly his family has been very supportive, and I had another friend in England who had done a similar thing. It was very helpful to talk to her about our similar experances.

Althought they speak the same language over here and the culture seems the same, there are little things that at frist seemed very strange.

I've been here for almost 4 year now and feel very settled now.

I'm sure there is more I can tell you, but thought I'd introduce myslef and if you'd like to talk more send me a private message.
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Shelley

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