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I interviewed my cousin. She has been living in London for several years now and I thought I would interview her to know what it was really like to live in such an international city, known for its diverse cultures and backgrounds. More than that, London has many more unique qualities to offer to its tourists and residents.
With my cousin; Alexa's opinions, I created an article that will blow hopefully most of your teenage minds. London is an interesting city and today, I'm just here to express its uniqueness with the only form I know how, writing.
*Most of the information offered in this article is according to Alexa's knowledge, so even if I don't justify it myself, just know that all the information doesn't come from me even though it seems like it is.
Very International
Something that blew my mind was when she started to describe how International London really was. I thought it was British accents everywhere but turns out, my assumptions were denied. It's a field of separate cultures and backgrounds.
By her words, the number of diverse cultures could transcend borders. If the entire population of London was to form a socially distanced line, you would be surprised at how many of them actually can express the British accent or have an English background.
The Entertainment it Offers
Alexa describes that it really depends on the neighborhood you live in to answer this question. Every m2 of land in London is nothing like the other. There is no one store you find in every city like most countries have. This way you can easily tell where you are at any specific moment.
For teens, entertainment is not limited. Now with Covid-19, the entertainment is actually limited, but for a second I'm going to pretend that Covid-19 does not exist. This was before the coronavirus started and began quarantine.
Theaters are a big thing, but not just movie theaters, theaters where they produce plays as well. They 'res more of a Broadway fashion to them. It has its similarities and differences to countries in Europe.
The main activity you would find people doing in London, even with Covid-19, would be hanging in the park. The parks in London are huge. Probably big enough to fit an entire civilization. People go there to hang out with their friends, or sometimes have a picnic in the nice weather, depends on the day really.
For older adults, pubs are popular. Bringing your baby in a pub is not frowned upon there, but the term “pubs” aren't the same in London. It's not just a place where adults over the age of 18 go to drink, they also serve food and other beverages there. Some Londoners even eat three-course dinners at pubs.
This doesn't really fall under this category, but working out is kinda like a trend in London. Everyone loves to do it. You can find a gym at every corner, they're expensive, but everything is expensive in London, including the roof over your head.
Londoners Are Known for Being Polite, Is This True?
Alexa claims that people in London aren't as nice as they appear to tourists.
“People are always in a rush, so when they bump into you, they won't always apologize. It's like Paris.” -Alexa
I'm not criticizing Londoners because technically this doesn't mean that Londoners are mean. It just means that everyone has their own business that they have to get to. They don't want to be late for their business meeting or class, personally, if I were in a hurry in such a big crowded city, I would do the same. Thankfully, this problem has been avoided with the coronavirus, this virus does come with its advantages.
She also mentioned that in London, a Metro is called a Tube. Add this to your list of fun facts about London!
The Food
In my opinion, fish and chips don't sound like a bad meal. They are known for this dish there and according to Alexa, it's delicious!
Food in London is as appetizing as it sounds and looks (Alexa's words). The best thing about it is that it is cheap!
This fact that she expresses surprised me. London is an expensive place to live, hearing the food was cheap was shocking. I thought it would be more expensive from the facts I had known.
Fashion-Wise
Fashion in London is diverse, not unlike its cultures. According to Alexa, you could walk into a fancy restaurant with pajamas, and they would still serve you. Now that's the city I want to live in!
The type of clothing or sense of style you would usually find would be very funky and flavorful. They say the weirder the better! The international aspect of London makes the fashion sense not so trendy.
People start their own fashion trends on a daily basis so at one point, you just give up on trying to follow them and begin to become more creative and refreshingly new with your fashion choices. This way London's residents are much more original.
Store-wise you would find a lot of designer brands, so tourists that come to visit think the clothes are expensive. That's just because they are all designer brand stores. Converting your currency to pounds can make everything seem more expensive than you may believe.
Religion
Like most countries in the world, the majority of the population would be Christian. With it being international there, there is a lot more variety in religions than pretty much any other city in the world. London isn't much of a religious country but Christmas is a very big deal.
They Drink More Coffee Than Tea
This may come as a surprise, but tea isn't as big as it may seem in London. Sure they offer some afternoon tea in some restaurants, and they have a couple more tea places than say, Canada, but they aren't as invested as they may appear. Actually, the amount of coffee shops found around this city can probably triple the number of tea parlors.
Though this is just London, I'm not confirming that other cities like Manchester or Bristol have the same ratio of tea parlors, just in Alexa's words, tea is not that big, but it is definitely more popular than other modern-world countries.
Conclusion
Overall, London would be a nice place to live or visit when this pandemic comes to a close. I hope that one day I'll be able to do more than have the luxury to write about it and hear about it from an inhabitant. One day I want to visit it, so then I can give my own personal perspectives and opinions on the subjects at hand.
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