People feel sometimes in their home lands like their don’t match to the standards of their town. They don’t feel accepted – the way they think, the way they look, they way they want to live their life. Tiia from Finland, 9 years in London says:

“There was no room to be different and if you were, you were just plain weird. In London, people are different and weird, and it’s wonderful!”

A home town may have its own life and young people may not feel like being a part of it. Or may not want to become like everyone else around. They may want to be individual, see the world, do things in a different way. They don’t want to be part of all the same routine they see in their family and friends’ life.

Then, there is growing frustration with people, neighbours and colleagues. They get tired of them being nosy, conservative, afraid of new ideas. There is no other option but to leave.

Aska from Poland, 6 years in London says:

“What I didn’t like most about my home town (small town south of Poland) was the narrow-mindedness of the people. They always wanted to know your business and always wanted to judge you. If you were not willing to follow the only ‘right’ path (finish school, get a job, get married and have kids before you are 27) you would become an object of constant head-shaking and pity. Londoners are much less bothered about how you chose to live your life and no-one brands you a lost cause if you’re still single in your 30s!”

Despite the cultural differences and totally different upbringing, the same topics were brought up when I asked some other expats from different countries around the world about what they didn’t like about their home towns and why they left them. All of them have met with and couldn’t accept – racism, homophobia, church dominance in public life, unfairness, prejudice, bigotry.

Mike from New Zealand, 4 years in London says:

“The place in some ways seems years behind the modern world and there is this feeling of isolation if you don’t follow the crowd, for example if you’re not a fan of rugby.”

In London they feel like people living here are more open for being original, they feel more freedom. Their creativity in how they look, how they behave, music they listen to is more valued and appreciated. No one cares about what religion they follow, if they are straight or not, if their partner has a different colour of skin, or if they choose career over family life.

Photo from Flickr by DrPleishner

London is an open place if you have the key. But how high is the price?

Flying from Seoul, South Korea, to London means 20 hours of flight and around £1000. To this, lets add £10,000 in overseas student fees for a master degree, £450 monthly for a flat and £100 for transport monthly. The student visa only allows you to work 25 hours weekly, on the other hand visa processing costs between £300 and £500. Is it possible to survive?

Jihee, 23, is Korean. She has been living in the UK since June, and in London since September studying Fashion Design. But on Wednesday she can´t attend her class. Instead she has to meet an immigration officer. There was a problem with her application due to the bank not stamping her bank statement.  “They can ask me to leave the country immediately. But I spent too much money to waste it because of a mistake with the application,” she said. Now she missed the deadline and has a risk of going home without finishing her course in the Istituto Marangoni, located on Brick Lane.

The Home Office assure that getting a visa depends on three elements: reason for visiting, country of nationality and current location. Eduardo, 20, disagrees. “They just want to know if you have money and if you are just staying here temporarily. Spend your savings then go away is what they seem to say,” he said. Eduardo is from Ecuador, South America. He has been working 45 hours per week during his one and a half years stay in London. His visa allows him to work just 25. “Working illegally in a relative´s factory is my only chance to survive here,” he said.

Before coming to UK, Eduardo was a medical student. Now he needs scrounge all the money he can get to eat and pay the rent which is only £250 monthly – “thanks to my aunt, who is living also here,” he said. The Home Office asks applicants to have £3,000 in their accounts for proving they can afford the costs of living. “Wake up. Nobody is going to give you the money for your visa. You have to save it all” said his aunt. Working for cash under the table is a response to a real need.

Eduardo’s motivation for coming to the UK was to study English and then medicine at university. His dream is now over. He is leaving the country in August.  “I feel disappointed and also kind of relieved… I am fed up of fighting and seeing people look at me as a cleaner but never as a doctor,” he said, “Britons say they are open-minded but I don´t know any single Latin who works in a field other than cleaning or babysitting”.

For him, there is no way to afford the undergraduate degree. He needs to study the whole day to pass the medicine exams but he needs to work full-time to pay for university. What does it mean? There are just two choices. One: don´t study and work illegally. Two: study medicine in Ecuador. What about a third option of studying here? It doesn’t exist, actually. At least, not in his case.  It is possible to obtain citizenship by marrying a Briton or by living in the UK for more than five years.

This is not without risks. “Nowadays, the marriage visa application is tightly controlled by the Home Office so it is more difficult to cheat,” said Diana Cárdenas, lawyer.  On the other hand, surviving in the UK for more than 5 years under the radar can be very tough. “There is an exception in the law that some people use. It means they can´t leave the country during the whole 5 year period, otherwise they will not be granted re-entry” said Cárdenas.

Adriana, a 24 year old Colombian, knows the difficulties some immigrants face only too well. She came to London six years ago and fell pregnant. Unfortunately, the father was a foreigner as well. “I couldn´t go home, I had no money and my family would have killed me. I came here to study English for six months and I have been here for six years. Even my mum doesn´t know her grandaugther yet,” she said.

“London is an open place” – states the tourism advert. But only if you have the key.

Photo from Flickr by gribblemonkey

• First off, ensure you have enough money to buy an excellent, not a good, dictionary. I would advise purchasing ‘the McMillan English Dictionary for Advanced Learners’ which will provide you with a large spectrum of clear definitions from the most informal slang to arcane jargon. As you might have guessed, the only thing you can do with your old tacky dictionary translated into your native language, is to throw it away period! Don’t look so sulky.

• Further, listen to the radio as much as possible. I would recommend to you BBC 4 Radio and LBC (London Biggest Conversation) to develop your listening skills. As a matter of fact, most of their programmes are based on debates, information and say of their listeners. Therefore, you will get used to understanding diverse accents from all over the UK which are often difficult for non-native speakers.

• Interestingly, keeping an up to date English note book turns out to be very handy. Indeed, like a witch who keeps all her spells as well as her magical tricks in a grimoire, make certain that you have a book which contains the words, the idioms, the verbs and the unusual phrasal verbs that you have come across, and that you want to use for different purposes. And as the old adage says ‘practice makes perfect’, so check it as much as you can.

• When living in a big city such as London, you might expect that you will easily find many English speakers up for helping you out with the difficulties you come up against. Au contraire, most of the people who live in London are very unlikely to spend time correcting you, especially if they don’t have any interest in doing so. Don’t wince like that! Instead, consider having some language swaps with somebody who cannot resist the prospect of speaking your native language. Go on Gumtree or Shared Talk websites for more information.

• Finally, attempt to socialise with as many groups as possible. In doing so, you will not only increase your network, you will also further your presentation skills and build up your confidence in English. However, if you are reluctant to mingle with new people, you can alternatively endeavour to take classes to overcome your fears. I recommend City Lit and Morley College. They both have courses based on personal development which hopefully will help you to sort out this problem.

So, let’s speak English more fluently now, shall we?

Photo from Flick by Blu Frog

Originally from Brussels Nabil Verdickt has been based in East London for more than one year and has gained expertise in various facets of London life such as the Non Profit Sector and Educational.Passionate about journalism and creative writing… Read more

“Every month I’d like to give you an update on what’s happening at Success Abroad behind the scenes.  So many expats in London, so many points of view.  That’s why we’re introducing new writers to share their experience and knowledge with you.”

Click here to view the embedded video.

“Can one person really make a difference?”

“If in some parts of Tower Hamlets borough there aren’t recycling bins, how a resident from Hackney with three different bins may not become sceptical about his recycling?”

“We’re told to go shopping with our own bags but then this bag is full of food wrapped in plastic packaging. Moreover, one big and low-priced superstore chain in London has loose fruits and vegetables more expensive than the ones in packaging. I can’t afford to be environmental friendly.”

These are the doubts I can hear all over London. Despite so much information in the media, adverts on the buses and phone boxes, there are still people who hesitate to believe that humans cause real damage to the environment. The fact is that humans have been changing climate through their emission of CO2 gases radicaly in recent years. Being environmentaly friendly is really easy and doesn’t have to affect highly your daily routine or your habits.

Simple examples:

• turn off running water when you brush your teeth;
• reduce heating and put on extra clothing instead;
• boil as little water as you need for your cup of tea;
• turn off the TV and computer overnight, don’t leave it on standby;
• unplug your mobile charger;
• eat more ‘greens’, less meat;
• buy recycled products;
• use energy efficient light bulbs;

These are just the basics, yet these all add up to make a big positive impact on the environment. Follow these links to find out more about how you can do your bit.

How to reduce your CO2 emissions:  www.realclimate.org

Climate change – the facts: actonco2.direct.gov.uk/actonco2

Easy ways for you to stop wasting energy: www.energysavingtrust.org.uk

Guide to recycling: www.recycling-guide.org.uk

Join the biggest UK’s climate change demonstration, The Wave: London, 5th December.
www.the-wave.org.uk

Photo from Flickr by CarbonNYC