28 November 2014

One Day. Cliche expat questions [& things I secretly miss]

Since I've been living here in London there are two questions that people ask me - all. the. time. Both of which I'm rather sick of answering so I've started to give weird and wacky responses just to give myself a laugh. For those of you wondering what the questions are, here are the repetitive pondering's of every stranger I meet... "Why did you move here to London?" And "do you miss home?"

Truthfully the answer to the first question is a little lengthy but essentially it's along the lines of "I always wanted to live overseas, there's more career opportunity here and I love big cities." The answer to the second question is a lot more succinct: "no".

My home town; the Gold Coast

That's the long and short truth of it, but the horrified looks that people give me when I tell them I don't miss home is beginning to make me feel like I'm a bad person. It's not that I don't miss my family and friends but right now I simply have no desire to go back to Australia. I know that when I do return everything will be just as I left it - that's what always happens in home-towns. But since it's just you there reader and you promise not to tell anyone, I suppose there are a couple of things I miss...

  • Having a car. Not so much for the purposes of driving around but so that I have somewhere to sing as loudly as I like. I used to get such satisfaction from playing Adele and belting out Chasing Pavements knowing no one could hear me. If I were to attempt that on my tube commute I think I might end up being escorted to the looney bin.
  • My piano. I hope I've still got my skills next time I find somewhere to play. I may need to pose as a music student and sneak into a college.
  • Australian biscuits. Would you believe that the UK, renowned land of "tea and a biscuit", actually has  a pretty terrible selection - what I wouldn't give for a Mint Slice.
  • Moisture-rich skin. I don't know if it's the cold weather, the hard water or the lethal combination of both, but my skin is dryer than the Sahara. I've got to the stage where I'm drowning myself in baby oil and still not getting anywhere... Help.
  • Searing hot sunshine and the beach. Need I say more?
  • Australian prices. What I wouldn't give to go back to paying $14 for a cocktail. I used to think that was expensive but I know better now when a London vodka lime soda costs me £13, i.e., $24. Ouch.
Photo via Pinterest.