London Diaries Part 1

Today was a relaxing day for me, making the best of this time off before busy life kicks in again. I did some painting (can't wait for the masterpiece to complete), reading ( I literally finished the book I bought 2 weeks ago today and I bought 7 new books because there was a major sale in a new bookstore I discovered only a few days ago. If you know me, bookstores are a haven to me! I like the smell of books and everything about a bookstore. I can stay there for hours. And now that I discovered a new one, this is ultimately good news), went to the park for a walk, fasted today, chores and some catching up with friends. A friend had a favour to ask for like totally urgent, 2 hours before and luckily I was free at that time to create a short speech for her. The weekend is usually busier for me, so today (Monday) I get to wind down a little and get a few extra hours of sleep and relax. I totally need this rest after a hectic time this year juggling so many things, wrapping up my life in London after many years. 

I have been meaning to write this post for some time. I find it easier to write about something once it is done or when I have completed it. These London Diaries' blog posts are about my opinions/advice about different aspects of studying abroad and life in London as a student.
So I will arrange these blog posts in sections and elaborate each section as I go along, some sections I will include are:

• First impression of London
• How perspective changed about London
• Food
• People
• Adapting
• Accommodation
• Transport and how to get around
• Tips on saving money
• How Year 1,2,3 and 4 differed
• What was special about London
• Best things I like about London

These are just a few topics that I plan to write in these London Diaries. There may be changes or additional topics later on. Today I will start on my first topic:

First Impression of London

The first time I visited London and the UK was in 2013 and that was the same year I started university in Imperial College London. I have never been to this country before so it was both exciting and overwhelming! So much preparation was needed beforehand; visa, accommodation, university admin, health checks on TB, IELTS, A-level results and the list goes on. I did not really research much about the UK before coming and I wanted it to be a surprise with no expectations beforehand. I wanted to discover new things and learn it by experience. When I arrived, I signed up for a British culture class that taught me so so much, more than I ever knew. It was part of the journey, learning as I went along. I did not know that British drank alcohol a lot and that was a common thing. This surprised me the most. Drinking culture seemed so common and people getting drunk was the topic of conversation everywhere I went. This was new. Odd but true. My first impression about the people was that their mood reflected the weather. When the weather is gloomy and dark, people are always frowning, in a rush, pushing, looking stressed, rude, unfriendly and unapproachable. That was the public. People at the university were not too different but better. Many people seemed to already know each other from the Open Days and interviews which I did not attend and only had a telephone interview from Malaysia. People did not seem as friendly as how they would be if I were a new student at a university in Malaysia. I also noticed everything, buildings, roads, gardens seemed very clean which was good but some aspects seemed artificial and less natural. These are just some of my observations. To be honest, I did not really like it all at first. I could not wait to go back to Malaysia, just counting days. Then I looked at my university. That, I really enjoyed. I liked my campus, I like the lecture halls, I like what I was learning, I liked most of my lecturers, I like how Imperial is so organised and has everything up-to-date, I like the food, I like the fact that my university is near Hyde Park, I like the South Kensington area and the security I feel there. I liked the study aspect mostly and because my main aim there was to study and get my degree, I told myself it will be alright. You will do well and you will stay until the last day and excel. Do not mind the external factors too much and focus on the main thing. That was my first impression of London. 

Stay tuned for London Diaries Part 2

XOXO