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Does anyone here live there? Work there? or have worked there?

I have a job opportunity/promotion on the horizon to go over there for maybe just 6-12 months, or maybe permanently. I'm very interested at teh moment, but wanted to. I dunno, put feelers out there for some kind of first hand info. See if anyone here by chance did the same thing from America to London, or has any extremely pre-emptive advice.

Try the HP sauce. You'll love it.

I don't have anything productive to say but this belongs here...

I've never been, but if you have a solid exit strategy, I'd say do it. You don't mention anything to you're you down, so I'll assume there's nothing pressing to keep you, and if nothing else it would be a good adventure.

as long as you don't have anything to you're you down, you should do it. I know a girl that went there for college, she thought it was pretty rad.

Also, remember. French fries are called fish.

HP sauce is delicious.

If you have the opportunity (and as Poe suggests, have an exit strategy) then why the hell not? A good friend of mine from high school moved there with her husband and she's been there for almost a decade now and absolutely loves it.

Yeah. I'd have a lot to consider. Even with a promotion / cost of living increase, I'd still likely be living a less comfortable life there than here. But it'd probably be worth it.

Charlie Don't Surf said:

likely be living a less comfortable life there than here.

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If you are open to changing your idea of "comfort" and fun, then try to see how they live, what they do, and allow yourself to be absorbed into their culture. You may find it rather freeing to not only understand but experience a different mindset as to what constitutes happiness and comfort.

If you go there as an american, and expect to live like and american, then you'll find yourself trying to fit a round peg into a square hole - and with enough force you can make it fit, but it will always feel off.

But if you figure out how to live more outside your flat, vacation (lots and lots of places to go within a day or two of travel), and focus less on living with everything you want inside your home, I suspect you can be very happy with the situation. And this is still a rough generalization - just go with an open mind and a willingness to change how you amuse yourself.

stienman said:

If you go there as an american, and expect to live like and american, then you'll find yourself trying to fit a round peg into a square hole

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He's right, you might meet Simon Pegg!

I get what you are saying it's pretty pricy over there. I have only gone as a tourist and it was super expensive. If you think you'll be able to do a lot of fun things it would be best to get a realistic idea of how much extra income you will have. It's kind of the same if I moved to a city. So much to do but wouldn't be able to afford to do any of it.

So you will be there for the Olympics?

My brother was stationed there in the airforce and hated it. He was much happier when he was reassigned back to a US base. I'm not sure what exactly he hated about it but I'm sure much of it was work-related.

Also, apparently something to do with UK food being the worst thing ever.

edit edit: And because of UK taxes on screen windows and air conditioning, his on-base housing decided not to deal with it and banned those things outright. You probably won't have these problems, assuming this job isn't a military one.

I moved from Maryland to London when I was 15.

I remember people asking me what was the biggest thing I had to adjust to, and I said I couldn't think of a single biggest thing. Rather, it was a whole bunch of little everyday things that are different. Light switches in the UK are reversed from their American counterparts, so what seems to be "on" is actually "off." Wall sockets are differently shaped and use a higher voltage, so you need transformers for any electrical appliances you bring. Cars drive on the other side of the road. People talk with weird accents (for a single city on a small island, there's a huge variety of accents in London) and use different words for things. The roads are a confusing labyrinth. The school and university system is completely different from the American system.

I think one of the biggest pieces of culture shock, though, was the simmering prejudice against Americans. It's often considered socially acceptable to call Americans fat and stupid and obnoxious. You probably won't encounter outright racism or exclusion due to your nationality, but be prepared to hear a few derogatory comments out of nowhere. You can either ignore them or engage them in debate, but I used to argue with them and never got anywhere.

On the whole, though, while there was a definite adjustment period, I settled in after about 6 to 12 months. It helps to meet good friends, who can remind you that not all is lost. So yeah, I'd say go for it.

NEVER pass up an opportunity to travel abroad. Ever.

London, like any large modern city, is a multicultural metropolis. If you could live in New York then you can live in London. Any differences in culture are not neccessarily bad or good, just different. No matter where you go, if you look for a down side then you will find it, but it will be mostly of your own making. There are about 8,000,000 people in London, many of them American, so I say try it, you might even enjoy yourself!



A tax on screen windows and air conditioning? There is little need for them here, so they most likely have to be imported fom the States at great cost, which is probably why they were not installed.

Dave said:

NEVER pass up an opportunity to travel abroad. Ever.

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Having spent some time in certain Eastern European countries I can tell you this advice is not true. There's overseas experiences that are hard but awesome and you grow as a person and then theres visiting Bulgaria.

Also

Charlie Don't Surf said:

I have a job opportunity/promotion on the horizon to go over there for maybe just 6-12 months, or maybe permanently.

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Are you by change going to be selling Thunder Muscle?

Hahaha. I need to watch that show before any of this happens. It's still all INCREDIBLY premature, since the higher-ups haven't even decided their plan. It's just something on the table, and my name is in the mix at this point.

also they call their flashlights faggots over there.

I quite like London, but seeing as I don't have any reference from living in America (except movies and tv and stuff), I don't know how relevant you'll find it. I've lived there for 6 months as well and I enjoyed it a lot, it's a big and compact city at the same time: lots of things to do yet everything is relatively close by.

As far as stereotyping is concerned: just ignore it and steer clear of such people. You'll always have dumbass people with prejudices against Americans, just as you'll always have dumbass people with prejudices against blacks, hispanics, asians, jews, etc. etc. I've met both really cool Americans and just plain ignorant Americans that fit just about every stereotype: the way people treat you depends on the way you come across. Don't be a dick and you'll be just fine. (actually pretty good advice for everything in life)

hey man, americans love blacks

Rent the movie Hostel. Give you a pretty good idea what your stepping in to. As long as you dad is awesome like Liam Neeson then you have nothing to worry about when you are abducted and placed in the sex trade.

I agree with Dave, any opportunity you get to travel take it. What makes this opportunity so good is it being tied a job. You will be part of a group and will have something in common with them without having to go out and meet people. Your coworkers will be able to help you accumulate to the environment. This is an opportunity that you will remember and speak of fondly for the rest of your life.

And it'd give us Halforum members a place to stay when we travel to London.

I almost got hit by a double decker in London. LOOK RIGHT FIRST BEFORE CROSSING THE STREET!

Don't speak to anyone on the underground. or make eye contact. unless either party is drunk, in which case all bets are off.
when travelling during rush hour, have your oyster card ready *before* you reach the barriers.
Also when travelling on the underground during rush hour, expect to lose all compassion and regard for your fellow man.

make sure you try the following:
marmite
irn bru
branston pickle

I'm pretty terrible at cultural hotspots, though there is the Prince Charles cinema. its one of the few independent cinemas left in london, and shows different films depending on the day. also, it has the kevin smith memorial toilet cubicle.

Do not try marmite. Well, no, try it, I guess, so you'll know first hand... but, fuck. That's not food.

English food is bland and uninspiring. Thankfully they have a huge ethnic population that knows how to use spices so you'll never hurt for donairs or falafels or curry. I mean, seriously, peas are NOT a pub food.

Oh, and their sausages are TERRIBLE.

the only places i ate in london were our hotel and harrods both had delicious food.

i never thought of having mushrooms for breakfast but it was great.

The only native English food worth eating is at chip shops. OM NOM NOM.

I had fish and chips in stratford. I couldn't eat it because it was too greasy. I mean my god.

makare said:

I had fish and chips in stratford. I couldn't eat it because it was too greasy. I mean my god.

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Was it wrapped in newsprint? That should have sucked some of the grease away.

yeah it was. the whole experience was gross. greasy stuff wrapped in newspaper.. gah

Don't come to Newfoundland. We love greasy wish and chips.

...I think I may indulge tonight.

Here's some words of wisdom I can give from a semester I spent there in late 2008:

• Along with fish and chips, I'd say Cornish Pasties are also worth eating, and you can find those everywhere. And be sure to try Digestives from the local supermarket -- the name is pretty stupid for something that's essentially a friggin' awesome cookie.

• I have never had a desire for American bacon again after having British bacon.

• If you like tea, get some Yorkshire Gold. Unless you ever want to enjoy American tea again.

• On that subject, "biscuit" means "cookie" there, so be prepared for weird looks if you ever talk about biscuits and gravy.

• England in general is home to really good Indian food.

• McDonalds is always a good place to go for free Wi-Fi, and it's not a bad place to eat since they sell deli sandwiches.

• It's easy to lose track of how much money you're spending, especially if you're always converting money from USD to GBP -- by the end of my time there, the money in my bank account was worth 25% more than it was when the semester began.

• Check out all the public museums. They're free. Free. You get to walk in and see some of the greatest museums in the entire world for Free.

• Here's a fun game to play when in England: talk Amercian politics with a fellow American on the underground. Watch as everyone around hangs on your every word while pretending not to listen.

• Be prepared to fake a British accent to help people understand what you're saying. It's usually not an issue, but I couldn't get anyone to tell me where I could buy a watch, until I pronounced it "wotch." I also had a hell of a time telling someone what a car's license plate number was after witnessing a minor hit-and-run. In the heat of the moment, getting myself to pronounce the letter "R" without using the "R" sound was a bit brain-bending.

• If you ask someone to fake an American accent, nine times out of ten they'll sound either like a Texan or a gangsta.

• You can buy a watch from Argos, in case you were wondering. You won't find one in any of the places you'd expect to find a watch in America.

• You buy stuff from Argos by looking in the catalogue, finding the item number, and then ordering it by typing it into one of the electronic keypads. They'll bring the item up to you.

• The cheapest watch Argos sells will break on you within a month.

• An arcade is a mall. A circus is just an area that goes in a circle. I just saved you a world of sign-reading-related disappointment.

• Traveling around the entire country is made extremely easy by rail.

• Mind the gap.

• That sign on Oxford Street is for the French Connection UK. It's not cussing you out.

• The bus system is a little more difficult to figure out than the underground. Make sure you understand how it works before you rely on it for a day's transportation.

• There seems to be a lot of resentment towards panhandlers and charities that ask for donations, since many people think their taxes should already pay for all that.

try vegemite

ermmmm, wrong country juice. It's the criminals form england who eat vegemite.

Adammon said:

The only native English food worth eating is at chip shops. OM NOM NOM.

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Yorkshire pudding with rib roast is maybe the most delicious food ever invented. English food gets an undeserved bad rap.

try pierogis

apparently o_c disagrees that I ate fish and chips in Straford but I swear I did...

No, I disagree with your statement that they were too greasy.

Fish and Chips are never "Too Greasy."

I wish Long John Silvers would sell dark beer... then I'd eat there all the time.

So, I'm one of the finalists, and I have more information.

They'll provide a "flat" (don't I sound british already!!!) that should be ~25 minutes away from the office
The cost of living adjustment is pretty generous, I'm not very worried about that.
It'll go from June to the end of the year.

I hope I get it!

Good luck man.

go to an arsenal game or you're stupid

Re: British food being terrible. I work for a UK company, and most of the British people here agree with that stereotype.

They make up for bland food with beer. and curry...

Chippy said:

go to an arsenal game or you're stupid

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Boooo Arsenal!!

LittleKagsin said:

Boooo Arsenal!!

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Well, Roy Harper isn't fond of you either, young lady!

LittleKagsin said:

Boooo Arsenal!!

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Well technically I support Liverpool. But if he's going to be in London, it's the only one of their teams I like. Besides maybe Fulham.

I don't support Liverpool, but your knowledge makes me happy.

if you support either of the manchester clubs I will lose it

Get ready to lose it Chippy.

I actually like international football! If this goes through, I will do the research and prepare to care a lot about a team. What's the uh. Schedule/season going to be like ~June through December?

Ugh. City or United? The resulting gif will be based on the answer.

**waits for a table...

June's the big European championship for the national teams, through July. but that won't be in England. England's league, the EPL lasts August through mid-Mayish.

Chippy said:

June's the big European championship for the national teams, through July. but that won't be in England. England's league, the EPL lasts August through mid-Mayish.

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Holy Crap! and I thought Hockey season lasted all year...

United. And proud.

Ok, I'm going to give ya the quick run down before I'm off to work.

As of right now, there are 5 London teams in the EPL. That may change next season, depending on who gets relegated/promoted to/from the lower league.

Chelsea, Arsenal, and Tottenham are the "big three" in London. All really good, all have a spot of going to the Champions Leaguse (Which pits the best teams in Europe against each other) next year.

Fulham's a mid-table team. But I like them because they have Clint Dempsey, (in my opinion) the best current American player. From Texas!

Q.P.R just got promoted this season, and may or may not get relegated again by the end. I, honestly, don't know much about them.

Of course, there are other teams in the lower leagues that are always worth a watch. West Ham comes to mind, simply for their historical importance.

As for picking a team, just look up vids from the current season, read up on them, and see which team bests suits "you."

Although if you pick Chelsea I will relentlessly make fun of you, as last year Chelsea paid Liverpool 50 million pounds for a striker who has scored a hilarious total of 5 goals this season.

And BAM. I'm done.

LittleKagsin said:

United. And proud.

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I'll always be a fan of theirs'. Granted, I haven't followed as closely as I used to, and their 2002-2003 season was my favorite. But Scholes is just a stud, no getting around that.

Isn't 5 goals a lot in soccer????? (kidding)

One of my favorite US sportswriters did a series a couple years ago where he tried to pick a team to follow, and ended up going Tottenham. Maybe I'll dig it up and see if I agree with him / if much has changed in the last couple years.

Find a stadium that is closest to your flat, and go watch all the matches that you can afford. Then pick your team afterwards.

Charlie Don't Surf said:

Isn't 5 goals a lot in soccer????? (kidding)

One of my favorite US sportswriters did a series a couple years ago where he tried to pick a team to follow, and ended up going Tottenham. Maybe I'll dig it up and see if I agree with him / if much has changed in the last couple years.

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That would be just like you, Charlie, supporting the scum like that.

LittleKagsin said:

I'll always be a fan of theirs'. Granted, I haven't followed as closely as I used to, and their 2002-2003 season was my favorite. But Scholes is just a stud, no getting around that.

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I will counter with my (very biased, as he is my favorite player) vote for best English Midfielder.

Don't eat the Marmite.

Cajungal said:

Don't eat the Marmite.

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This.

Because that's MY jar. Get yer own.

I can't read, I can't write, but I drove a tractor. I'm a man united fan and I'm a fucking wanker!!

Sorry Kags , But I hate Man U. Chelsea all the way!!

...

I like marmite.

I also get my co-workers to pick up a bag of Twiglets for me every time they go to the home office, because those things are tasty. Very similar to marmite.

You can hate on them all you want, as long as I can hate on Chelsea.

Well, as long as we're on the subject of international football, here's a helpful article for after the match.

Here's another helpful guide you might want to pick up.

Cheers!

Memorize the following expressions for any conversation:
- Git
- Tosser
- Wanker
- Great booze-up
- Bugger
- Twat
- (when discussing women) <first name> "Bury me in a Y-shaped coffin" <last name>
- Screaming bender
- Jabbering
- Oh, bloody hell.
- Sodding/Sod off
- Pooh to you with knobs on.
- Hogwash
- Quite.

Apply when necessary.

Chippy said:

Ugh. City or United? The resulting gif will be based on the answer.

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I saw the answer coming a mile away. I thought to myself - "Self, what would influence the choice of a young, pre-teen girl around the turn of the century in her choice of a soccer/football team?"



I'm guessing & generalizing of course. You have your reasons Kags. It happens more often than not in other sports here as well. The number of Yankee fans across the US due to Derek Jeter... . I can see if you live fairly close to NYC, but for a young boy in St Louis to be a Yankee fan? Shameful.

I still remember 13 September, 2000, when I saw Manchester United play Anderlecht at Old Trafford. We managed to get third row seats, right next to the corner flag. When Beckham went over to take a corner, I could've jumped onto the pitch and tackled him, if I'd wanted to.

Err. Not that I'd ever want to do such a thing.

Anyway, United won 5-1, which was very nice.

No wonder they can't rule the world any longer...

*stare, blink*

Looks like my advice about going to the nearest pitch it still the better idea for picking a team.

sixpackshaker said:

Looks like my advice about going to the nearest pitch it still the better idea for picking a team.

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Yeah, but it all depends on what kind of division he wants to watch.

redthirtyone said:

I saw the answer coming a mile away. I thought to myself - "Self, what would influence the choice of a young, pre-teen girl around the turn of the century in her choice of a soccer/football team?"

View attachment 4969

I'm guessing & generalizing of course. You have your reasons Kags.

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I was about to be all miffed at the 'pre-teen' part, but...I guess I totally was pre-teen when I became a fan, wow...so long ago! But no, he's not the reason I'm a fan. Gary Neville was my favorite - we played the same position and even had the same boots. I think I was pretty...odd as a pre-teen. I thought boys served no purpose and wasn't interested in them until I was 16-17...So attractiveness of players had no bearing for me.

Wow, enough life story. United is also my familie's team. We've all been fans for years. Even treked out to Seattle to watch them play Celtic back in...I don't even remember. And am to lazy to figure out.

Yeah, if anyone liked Gary Neville, it wasn't for his looks.

is that the game of thrones map

I kept looking to see where House Kurita or Davion are...

They love them some Chelsea.