Signs You’re Not a Perfect Londoner Yet

© Giulia C. — London Bridge, March 2017

Hi everyone! I’m super glad to finally come back to blogging, furthermore with a collaboration I did with the amazing travel blogger Lisa of From Dream To Plan. Lisa and I have more in common than just being bloggers, we are absolutely in love with the city of London and we’ve been living here for a while now — although she is the elder, having been studying here at uni.  Thus, we’re pretty much wannabe Londoners and there are still some things that make us tick. Make sure to check Lisa’s post here and more of her travel hacks and stories on her blog!

If you too have been living here for some time, you’ll acknowledge that you’re not a perfect Londoner if…

/1.You still hope that crossing the road will be quick. But truth is, for the man in green to appear at pedestrian crossings will always take forever, whether you push the button or not. And when you try to cross when the light is red, you realize the mistake you’ve most-likely made because crossings here are a mess: people driving from the left-hand side of their vehicles and cars coming from every side possible. Watch out, or you’ll hear the horns.

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2. You still get surprised to hear sirens (and horns too) so often and you’ll keep on jumping when the vehicles pass close you and trigger the siren at this very moment. But know that not a day will pass without hearing sirens, be it the police or firefighters, so be prepared!

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3. You still dare to take the tube during on-peak hours even in the most crowded stations because you don’t realize yet the battle you will have to take in order to: 1. actually get into the first train (or the following ones) unharmed, 2. to have a seat,  3. get out of the train on time and still unharmed and cheerful. Besides, you forget that rush hour means higher fee in the TFL and London life is expensive. Now, that’s why Londoners walk so much!

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4. You’re still not adjusted to the fact that every single day of the week might well be a new opportunity to spend the night out and have drinks with friends and sometimes, in the most hype areas for lively nightlife of the city, even party until your hangover starts the following day. Week days seem to be no excuses for good times to real Londoners.

© Giulia C. — Westminster, Feb. 2017

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5. You still can’t do your makeup on the tube. As mentioned earlier taking the tube is quite a struggle during rush hours, it’s already a miracle if you can manage to read and listen to music at the same time. But, if you’re a real London girl and time is so precious that you cannot allow yourself to waste it, then the time you’re in the tube is the perfect moment to do your makeup before work or a meeting. (If you’re one of these girls, please write us in the comments below how you manage to do that!! 😀 )

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6. You still can’t avoid taking touristy pictures. Usually, when you start living in a place, you’ll avoid taking touristy pictures, mostly because of the fact that you’ll start hating the tourists that block your way when you’re in a rush or other situations which are kind of annoying. Well, London is so tempting that you just can’t escape the temptation of taking a shot of that red phone box when the sky is turning dark and there is just the perfect light ( and of course this is just an example of the many “perfect shots but quite touristy” situations).

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7. You’re still ask yourself if you’re actually in England or not. It is now, the most special characteristic of London is the fact that it’s a multicultural and international city, indeed, when walking around it is quite unusual hearing someone speaking english 😀 Probably if you go on the tube during rush hours then yes, english people will be there since they’re going to/coming back from work but otherwise, it is more probable that you’ll find yourself behind someone who speaks your own language! 🙂

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So did you pass the test? Are you a certified Londoner? 

Thanks again to Lisa for this collaboration, make sure to keep an eye on her blog!