This is the second episode of London Calling, a series of posts about my experiences in London accompanied with a short soundtrack. Press play and start reading.

“Are you mad, kid?” asked the taxi driver when I told him I moved away from Amsterdam and I was on my way to my new home in London. “You’ll probably want to go back there in two days” he said. Well, this is my third day here in London and, luckily, I still feel like staying. Although I miss some things about Amsterdam London seems to be the right place at the right time for me. In the first days I discovered that comparing both cities and focussing on differences doesn’t get you anywhere. So, while sitting in Russell Square Gardens and writing this article, I decide to stop comparing. But I suppose I can tell you the differences I noticed in the last two days. One of the most obvious differences is that London is much more crowded than Amsterdam. Even in quiet places there are still a lot of people, but the weirdest thing is Oxford Circus at peak times, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a place more crowded. Being in Oxford Street near Oxford Circus is like standing front row at a rock concert. Another thing in which London stands out is a total lack of service. On my first day I said “bye” to the cashier at Tesco’s and she looked at me like I just insulted her. They don’t smile and you shouldn’t smile to them. Although at Marks & Spencer the cashier was much nicer, I guess it’s all in the price. A third thing is the ‘mind your own business’ mentality of  Londoners. In the Netherlands it’s quite common to greet someone you meet at the lift (elevator is American) or in the hallway of your flat (appartment is American too), but in London you just mind your own business. Ok, that’s it, now I will stop comparing and start romanticizing, that feels much better. Let’s start with romanticizing one of the lions at the London Bridge with the picture I took on my first day in London. I love lions, leo is my sign.

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