London calling
nothing seems that foreign.
It feels like you have woken up on a different planet and no-one else has noticed.
Though for all the language similarities, I’m certainly not in Kansas any more.
Suddenly, the simplest things are interesting: All the houses look like the opening credits of Coronation Street. The brick facades of the houses are a far cry from New Zealand’s standard wooden dwelling.
Amid the hustle and bustle of
Every now and then – as you gaze up at the sky with a different aeroplane gliding silently overhead every minute – it hits you that you actually are here.
Standing before Big Ben and the parliament buildings is surreal – the icons of England from movies, television and postcards are sitting calmly in front of you in all their ornate intricacies.
But perhaps one of the most surprising and humbling things is the kindness of those who have gone before you – fellow expats who are willing to offer a couch, a job contact or a beer.
The Kiwi United Kingdom fraternity is a welcoming group no matter how long you have been here.
Emma Collingwood, 27, and Rohan Mcgrath, 29, arrived in London seven months ago.
They, like many Kiwis, made the move so they could see Europe and experience different cultures.
‘‘Definitely a top drawcard for me is the proximity to Europe. My list of places to go is quite long,’’ Collingwood said.
The pull of London and its ‘‘endless options’’ was another draw.
‘‘I came from Wellington and thought that was big enough, but it’s just a suburb for London,’’ she said.
‘‘I got to a point in New Zealand where it felt like I knew more people who were over here than I did in Wellington, so the pull was only getting stronger.’’
Job-hunting involved delving into the world of recruiters.
‘‘The career opportunities here are great, but it does take a while to find a job and you need to be prepared for that.
‘‘London is fantastic for generalists as it’s big enough to have companies offering all manners of roles.
‘‘Recruitment companies dominate the job market, unlike back home.
‘‘So you need to be clear on what you want and proactive with your job hunt.’’
For Mcgrath, the move was to
As you try to sleep in an aeroplane seat, you wonder what on earth would persuade someone to leave behind the laid-back life of New Zealand for the hectic life of London.
experience living in another culture and another country.
‘‘When we left New Zealand we hadn’t settled on what country we would move to.
‘‘But when we visited London it seemed that everyone we met loved living here.’’
Despite living 18,700 kilometres away from ‘‘home’’, he acknowledged you canspend a lot of time with other New Zealanders and Australians. ‘‘Which is ironic, considering the original reason I wanted to leave was to live in a different culture.
‘‘Even so, we are meeting other like-minded New Zealanders that we wouldn’t have met otherwise.’’
The culture change was still evident, though.
‘‘The longer we’re here, the more differences we notice.’’
Mcgrath said it took about six months to feel settled and to sort out their lives.
‘‘I was lucky and got a job very quickly, but we have met people who have really struggled to find work.’’
So if London is calling, will you pick up?