And how are things in London?

A few weeks ago, I left the local Eindhoven University of Technology behind to conduct a research project at London’s global university, UCL. The distance isn’t that big, but the rest of the differences certainly are.

A shop to get coffee every 50 meters, free magnificent museums, the craziest pop-up stores and the best spontaneous events are alike the most common things here. To get to your destination within 15 minutes or to spend less than your entire Erasmus Scholarship on only 3 weeks of rent  is rather unusual.

Already at my first day I was confronted with the international character of London and especially UCL, since there is not a single British person in my research group. This made blending in very easy, since everyone has been new once. The British I did find in other groups are very fond of the international character of the university. It came therefore as no surprise to me that they, and actually most of central London, has voted against the Brexit.

Unfortunately for them, the people Up North decided otherwise. The Londoner has lost its trust in the political understanding of the fellow British and is anxious for the coming elections at the 9th of June. I, on the other hand, am looking forward to it. The chaos around this election could result in a fall of the Pound, which for me would be more than welcome.

There is enough to see, go astray and especially to do in London. The big advantage of the many inhabitants, is that you’re always able to find people who have the same idea. Would you like to experience new cultures? Would you like to try new dishes? Would you like to go to the club? Or maybe dance with football fans in the fountain of Trafalgar square? You can find it all in The Capital. And that ocean of endless possibilities makes the sky high rent prices totally worth it.

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