My wallet is a bit lighter and I get the feeling it is going to stay that way. The prices on pretty much everything looks the same as you would expect; Fast food combo meal 5.50, Bottle of water 1.10, Starbucks blackcoffee 1.45…. But then you remember that it's in pounds so youhave to multiply by 1.9 to get to US dollars. So a plain black coffee atStarbucks (or any of the competitors) cost me about $2.75 - ouch! I havehad to stop converting otherwise I think I would starve to death. (I saw aTGIFridays.. A burger=10.95= $21 US!)
My first couple of weeks I am not working. I am staying in a serviced apartment paid for by Deloitte while I look for a place. I have toured the neighborhoods a bit. Then went out with estate agents looking at places. They quote the rent here in weekly amounts (even though you pay monthly). I think it is a way of making it sound cheaper as a small weekly diff can add up to a big monthly diff when you multiply by 4.33! Additionally occupants get to pay "counsel tax" which as far as I can tell is like property tax..but they may have that too. The fun starts again when you convert to US dollars!
All of the estate agents spoke English, and were young… but hell if I could understand everything they said, between their accents, different terminology, slang, etc… I started getting a little frustrated with the process by the end of the week, because every agent will listen to your particulars then show you 3 (always 3 for some reason) properties that are the closest they have to what you want… even if the closest they have doesn't match at all! Argh! Salespeople!
I eventually wound up "letting" (renting) a "flat" (apartment) in Bayswater which is next to Notting Hill. It is within a 10 minute walk of 4 tube(subway) stations servicing 5 lines. It is also about a 10 minute walk from Hyde park or the shopping, bars, clubs and cinema's of Notting Hill and not too far from the west end. My flat backs up to a beautiful communal garden(to which I have access), and faces a building across the street with nowindows facing my direction and a big tree! (A surprising amount of privacyfor the city) I am guessing my commute to work will consist of a 10 minwalk to the tube, a 10-15 minute tube ride and a 5 min walk to the office.
My flat is furnished (many are), somewhere between 400-450 sq ft, and a third floor walk up. To you that translates as 4th floor (they start with Ground here) no "lift" (elevator). Anyway.. all those stairs offset the price of being in a desirable area to a mere 300 ppw, plus annual counsel taxes of "only" about 800 per year. For those non-accountants that's about:1,365 "quid" (bucks) a month or about $2,600 US. Now ask me how I am coming up with a6 week deposit and the first months rent?!
What else have I been up to besides calculating how much everything costs in $$? I went to the Tate Modern (museum) yesterday. Today I wandered around the Portobello street market in Notting Hill and saw the house where George Orwell lived. Monday I am going to the Templar church for a tour and talk on the Da Vinci Code. Tuesday I am going to Greenwich to visit the observatory and see the point where 0 longitude was established (woo hoo!). Wednesday I am going to Stonehenge. Thursday/ Friday I am moving in to my new place! Anyway… I have bored you all enough.. Expect an update when I feel like I have something to say or some pictures to share.
Until then,
"Cheers"
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