London

We've been here only two weeks and a lot of friends have been mailing and asking me "How's London??" And I have been happily writing back loong emails describing it! That is a sign that I am happy here :)

Somehow I can "really" write when I am happy and at peace. I just cannot do it when there is something bothering me. Probably this is why I never wrote much about Philly or my life in the US.

This city makes me happy and here's why I love it :-

Disclaimer : I am mostly going to be comparing it with Philadelphia or US in general. Some of the things only a girl can understand...so if you are a man reading this, don't even bother to look for logic, coz you won't find one.

1) London feels like home! And a big part of the reason is that it looks a lot like Delhi. The ring roads and the C.P. like center city and the greenery. I immediately felt comfortable here.

2) There are people everywhere! And its not New York crowded...where people are walking to sustain their lives. Its a very different and festive crowd. The buzz feels like a big celebration all the time. N I am a sucker for crowded places! So you can imagine my delight after coming here and feeling lost in the happy crowd but still not lost in life!

3) London is fashionable! By far the most fashionable city I have seen. People are always dressed to kill. I have hardly seen anyone wearing sneakers or easy jeans. Always in their lovely coats and high boots. These people make me want to lose weight and dress up all over again! They make the city look way more beautiful than it already is :)

4) I love the tube and the public transport here. You just don't need a car to go anywhere. That makes me feel very independent. I remember how in the US we couldn't have imagined a single day without our car. And public transport was bad enough to make us feel miserable. I feel a new kind of freedom here which I treasure a lot. Plus I love how much we have to walk here...I was sick of my sedentary lifestyle in Philly...It feels great to  be dead tired at the end of the day!

5) The beyond amazing art scene. There are countless museums, public buildings and structures and art fairs and flea markets to check out in London. And a photography buff like me has a million things to capture everywhere. The very idea of having so much to do here makes my day :)

6) Most people are immigrants or expats. And the Indians here I feel are very comfortable in their skin. Quite unlike the Desi immigrants back in the US...who looked intimidated and worried for no reason at all. I think its because every one is an outsider here. I feel ignored and not tolerated. It feels amazing to be just another outsider in this city.

7) London is bloody expensive! More than we had ever imagined. And the houses are tiny. Esp coming from U.S. we got the shock of our lives when our property agent showed us the first house. But all these things are constantly teaching me what I needed to learn in life. Money has never been so important to me. I have stopped wasting anything. And I am learning to live within my means. And these are things I always wanted to learn...the true value of everything I have. And I hope we also learn to save and be as amazing as our parents were back in their times!

There are so many other things I want to say about London...but I guess I'll save all that for another day...may be when we are not just 2 week old Londoners anymore!

BTW, we are moving into our new house today and I am very excited. Wish us luck :)