The London Gambit and Coffee Chats
Today, I’m interviewing Priyanka, a friend I made at my social chess group (more on that another day), and who was wonderful and sporting enough to agree to this on a day’s notice. She’s currently working as a façade engineer and in her free time, likes to challenge people to team up as brain and brawn and play far more entertaining variations of chess.
Priyanka - All set for a candid interview
Without further ado:
What brought you to London? And when did it start feeling like home?
London is a cosmopolitan town, it’s a big city. There’s lots to do. Before moving to London, I was living in a very small town in the UK called Wolverhampton. It was nice, people were nice. But I somehow didn’t feel that me living alone in a small city would help me connect with a lot of people, because people there had their own individual families and lives going on. I thought it would be nice to move to London, and I come from a big city, Mumbai, and I missed the familiarity of living in a big city, so that’s when I thought of moving to London.
Could you describe a day in the city since moving here that stands out for you?
It was actually my moving day, when a couple of friends helped me set up my place. It was a very exhausting day for everyone but in the end when we moved all our boxes and suitcases, we finally ordered some pizzas, opened some beers, and it still reminds me how difficult the whole moving process was, but it was all worth it.
How do you find the cultural diversity here?
It’s amazing! I don’t think any other major city in the world has the kind of diversity you find in London. It’s very welcoming, even work wise. I haven’t come across any discrimination yet, in terms of age, gender, ethnicity. Everyone’s given an equal opportunity, even in meetings, where your skills and knowledge are valuable, and that just proves how culturally accepting the city is.
Can you give an example of one such opportunity that has helped in your growth?
In my previous job, I was working as an engineer, but my manager also included me in financial decisions like preparing tenders for the project and fee proposals. That’s how my knowledge about my own work expanded. Sometimes, when you are working as a technical consultant, you get bogged down with all the technicalities, but there is a balance between the project cost and the technical cost, and once you start understanding that and where the profits come from, you learn how to efficiently manage the task and find the right balance.
How do you find the workplace here? Is it different from your experience in other cities or countries?
Yes. I’ve worked in quite a few countries and cities. I’ve worked in Dubai, also in Thailand. I’ve been to Netherlands as a student. I would say UK is much easier, in terms of getting a job or having a work life balance. The work culture is very dynamic, so you are not always stuck in one position. I don’t see a lot of hierarchy, it’s more of open communication between the teams. Professionally, it has been excellent, hence the whole reason for me to settle and live here.
Have you found any hidden gems in your neighbourhood?
I love the cafes and the parks. There’s a park called Pinner Park in West London. I usually go there for walks or even on first dates. It’s really nice and comforting and makes me feel at ease.
The pond - Pinner Memorial Park by Stephen McKay
Nice. What on the other hand, are the more difficult aspects of living in London? Have they altered your perspective of the city?
I’m not a fan of the weather, especially when I compare it to some of the other tropical cities I’ve been to, but it comes with pros and cons. Apart from that, I don’t find any difficulty here.
Given it’s one of the more expensive cities of the world, asking more as a student, have you made any changes to your lifestyle?
Of course, even for people who are working, it’s an expensive city. To be honest, I had to lower my lifestyle to adapt to the expenses in London. Even after spending 6 years in the UK, I would say I haven’t got back the lifestyle I had in India. But I do feel there’s a future, there’s a scope and I minimise my spendings where I can. I try to live a simple life.
How do you build a social life in such a fast-paced city?
To be honest, it’s not been easy. I wouldn’t say I have a great social life here, but the work friends I’ve made in the past have been with me through thick and thin. Apart from that, it becomes difficult to meet and form connections outside of work. But I’m trying. Recently, I’ve started joining a few social meetup communities and that’s where I get to connect with a lot more people (same Priyanka, same!!).
How has living here influenced your values or outlook on life? Can you share a particular experience?
Back in India, I lived a comfortable life. We had house help and were dependent on our parents. Everything was easily available, I would say. Once I moved to London, or outside of India, it was more about becoming responsible, thinking about the future, saving up for mortgages to buy a place, and also in terms of career. Looking at other people motivated me to do better, to keep jumping, to keep progressing in my career and learning more and more. The journey has not been stagnant. I feel if I was still at home, I would have been just happy with the way things were and not moved out of my comfort zone.
Has moving out of your comfort zone had a significant impact on you?
I don’t really know. Maybe the drive to have my own place. It kept pushing me and let me not give up when things were getting difficult. I did achieve my goal and got my place (that’s so awesome!). It was a significant step that I took.
If I were to ask you about one of your happiest days here, would that day qualify as one?
I thought that would be my favourite day, but the joy was distributed across days I guess. I think just having friends over, us playing and chilling out or having people around is fun.
How do you perceive the changes happening in London today?
It’s scary, like the taxes, and the NHS. When I first moved to London, I thought this is the place I wanted to be and hence bought the house. But the way things are progressing, I’m thinking after 5 or 10 years, I may want to move out.
What’s the fear with NHS? I recently read a book, ‘This is going to hurt’ which was a love letter to NHS (because it wasn’t privatised, thankfully yet, and compared favourably to how things were in the US).
It’s not about privatisation. It’s difficult to get an appointment. I’m living here alone and tomorrow if I have an emergency, I may not get access to the medical care I require.
‘This is going to hurt’ by Adam Kay - a brilliant read recommended to me by my brother
When you think of your future here, are there any dreams or aspirations that you have (after buying your own house that is)?
(Laughs) Nothing that I can think of for now. Maybe finding more people and connections. I think that’s the only thing that’s missing when I compare my life back to India.
Thanks so much for your time, Priyanka. Here’s to making more connections in the city and feeling more at home.
