A mini-post from the city of mini-cabs

My move to London was smoother than expected. Not that I had anticipated pain! I had some anxiety about how my life in Boston would map to my life in London. For example, where would I find a wash-and-iron service that would be as cheap as my drycleaners in Boston? Would my flat have air-conditioning? And would there be a Starbucks within walking distance of LBS? Here is what I have found thus far.

In the “Plus” column:

London architecture, walking everywhere and liking it

I couldn’t have asked for better B-school colleagues

LBS is every bit what I had expected it to be, and I’m glad that its not part of a university campus (easier to recognize LBS students in the neighborhood)

I have fantastic flat-mates and a fantastic flat in Marylebone, a minute’s walk from the school and 221B Baker Street (Holmes, Watson?)

Even though delays and cancellations on the Chyube (a.k.a. Tube) are common, what’s entertaining are the reasons given – signaling problems, power grid failure, labor strike (Seriously, on just one short section of Jubilee Line between West Hampstead and Swiss Cottage?), sheep crossing holding up train traffic, endangered frog species mating between train tracks causing delays


The colorful and sometimes eccentric denizens of London – for example a Dickensian man with a scruffy jutting chin who marched into the bank in a purple velvet full length coat, top hat and cane and proceeded to cackle and talk with a heavy Cockney accent – could have well passed for Fagin from Oliver Twist (the pic btw is Ben Kingsley in Oliver Twist, the movie)


In the “Negatives” column

I can’t for the love of God make out the announcements on the Chyube, and when I finally figure out what they are saying, I feel incredibly stupid for not have figured it out first time the squawk-box squawked

The concept of filter coffee does not exist, even the Starbucks near the Baker St. Chyube stop has had a broken filter coffee machine for five days

Everything takes twice as long, finding a flat, getting any kind of service or a phone line or opening a bank account

There is more to report. Look for more mini-posts.