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PATRICIA LAPAGE in London
Published Date
21 September 2009
Home Town in SA
Benoni, JHB
Now Living in
London, UK
Occupation
University graduate
Best Thing About the Country?
Definitely the diversity, I have found this country rich in history and modernity, as well as people. I have met people from all over the world, including Barbados, Bulgaria and Iran. There is always something different to see, from the quaint little English village, to the bustling streets of London.
Biggest Cultural Difference?
There have really been two big cultural differences for me, first is the multicultural society. South Africa is known as the rainbow nation, but to me the diversity I have experienced in London alone far exceeds that in South Africa. The second is the ‘living history’ that surrounds you every day. Walking around the town of Canterbury and you walk along an ancient Roman wall that surrounds castle ruins, opposite which is the movie theatre showing the latest movies. Everywhere you go there is a touch of history and a selection of people from places you have never been. My advice… be brave and take a minute to talk to them, you never know what you will discover!
Top Things to Do or See?
I really enjoy history, not so much the textbook, learning-for-exams type, but being able to physically see and hear the stories of the past and this is definitely something you cannot escape in England. The first on my list then, is definitely the Secret Wartime Tunnels at Dover Castle. They were used during World War II and are fascinating. The Tower of London is also good and this includes the Crown Jewels which are mind-blowing and definitely worth a look. Apart from that I suggest to anyone to experience the nightlife, particularly in London – its different from SA but always a good time. Try the local pubs or music festivals, you will meet new and exciting people from all over the world.
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Well… I am originally from Zimbabwe, but have been living in South Africa for the past few years, which I now consider home. I have recently graduated from University and part of my life’s dream was to travel and see as much of the world as possible. So I came over to the UK about two months ago to work to fund my travels.
Things didn’t turn out quite as planned, the recession threw a bit of a spanner in the works and finding work in England proved more difficult than expected. Even so, I managed to find a job packing fruit for a few weeks (which was an experience in itself), and have just recently moved into London with the possibility of better work, and where I will be for the next few months.
From here I am hoping to travel Europe as much as possible, and then slowly make my way to places like Australia, Thailand, China and Canada before heading home. I’m loving every minute of living in the UK, my problem is I have ‘itchy feet’ and want to go and experience as much as possible. Two philosophies I live by which have helped me make the most of these difficult times, being the recession, are ‘Anything worth doing is difficult’ and ‘Go for it – why not?’
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