It’s been a hot minute! I started writing this post the day after my birthday, July 31, and clearly, it has not materialised in its fullness until now, almost midway through the month. Never mind. It’s a long one as I catch up here on the year so far.
London updates
For a bunch of homebodies, we have been really taking massive gulps of this incredible city. It’s been only 5 months since we moved here, and I am in love with the place. I expected to feel homesick for Bangalore, but funnily, while I miss the people – my friends and family, I don’t miss anything else about it. I may change my mind once winter hits. But summer has been so glorious, and the adjustment so seamless – the lack of red tape in London is welcome and I love the transparency of it all – especially when I compare it to how miserable all my exit formalities were when I left India. I still feel resentful and angry comparing the suspicious quizzing I got from the emigration folks in Bangalore airport when I was leaving the country to the easy immigration process in Heathrow airport. The folks at the Bangalore airport pulled me aside to a small room (I could just feel the eyes of all the people behind me in the immigration queue judging me for holding them up, and wondering what I was up to) and asked numerous questions about my passport and visa. In London, it was all over and done in less than 5 mins.
Things only got better from there. I ended up renting the first house I saw in London, despite all the warnings I got about the lack of good houses and the astronomical rents. And it’s been a joy to live in – tucked away in a tiny, out-of-the-way corner of London. Not very convenient for commuting – it’s a 20-minute walk to the train station, but the walk has helped us keep fit, and we love the greenery around, and our backyard and the sun streaming through all the windows give me pure joy every morning when I open the curtains.
Apart from the joy in the house, it’s also been wonderful to see the boy bloom in his new school. I was a bit hesitant about the move – overthinking it, I now feel, worried that he wouldn’t adapt to the different curriculum, or that he would be bullied, or feel out of place – especially since he’s at that early puberty (and super-sensitive) stage. But, school was really easy – much easier in fact, than getting him his first grade admission in Bangalore. I worried about school entrance exams, but it turns out all they do is a school interview, and that was that. He got admission in the second school we applied for, and he’s been super enthused and happy here. It helps that the academics are not as pressure-cooker as in India; there is less homework, and more extracurricular activities, and it’s been wonderful to see how much he likes this new setup. I am now looking forward to the same enthusiasm and excitement when Snubnose starts university in September.
Every weekend has been a joy, as we have explored all that the city has to offer (see all our travel posts here). But we are starting to settle down now, more focused on day-to-day work and less sightseeing. The honeymoon glow has started to fade, but I don’t think I will ever not be in love with this city, or even the country.
Birthday updates
Birthdays are a funny thing, aren’t they? I have learnt over the years to keep mine as low-key as humanly possible; otherwise, I get too overwhelmed by it all. It’s so wonderful to be showered with kindness and love, but equally, I feel undeserving of it, and very anxious to make sure that everyone knows how grateful I am for their cards and gifts and lovely messages.
This year, I took my family to The Wallace Collection the weekend of my birthday, and then we popped in to Fortnum & Mason to get the most delicious treats for myself and the family
It was a wonderful day of culture and shopping and eating, and I feel so lucky and happy to be able to celebrate in such a wonderful way that felt so true to me.
Talking about Fortnum and Mason, yes, it is a touristy thing, yes, it’s a lot to pay for biscuits and chocolates. But also, after tasting their biscuits, I genuinely cannot stand any other brand, and because this stuff is expensive, I hoard it like a miser.
A wonderful end to the last six months
Yesterday, Snubnose and I went to catch a concert by Enhypen. This is a K-Pop group that Snubnose had been following for years. And one of her conditions to move to the UK (yes, she actually needed convincing!), was that we take her to their concert. So, we did and we went, and she had the best time – screaming and dancing to their music.
I confess I didn’t have much expectations, but it was quite nice. Yeah, it’s not my genre music-wise, but they danced well, the production quality was fab, and everything was super well done.
The concert is now a clear marker to the end of our idyllic Spring and Summer in UK. Now with the fall terms starting for both the kids, the weather starting to turn, it’s time for us to get a bit more serious.
We have some big life decisions ahead of us – looking into buying a house, setting down roots more permanently, sorting out investments and taxation, and that is going to be our focus areas for the next 1-2 years, so it looks like we will be going back into homebody mode for some time. But these six months have permanently made a stamp on our lives and hearts. One of the best times in all our lives!
