The beauty of London: Through an Indian's perspective

A teenage boy who emigrated to the UK for work shares his insights about the differences between the countries

Intro: This post is guaranteed going to make you think twice. Read it now.

The eco-friendly metro buses and clean pavements

Ever since I moved to the United Kingdom on the 5th of April 2019, life has been completely different for me. Firstly, the homesickness has got the better of me. I miss my mom and dad, my Royal Enfield and moreover, my freedom to take my ride and wander wherever I want. Now that I've been in London, its been more of a hassle to hustle and earn a living. But that's not what life is all about, or is it?

My life has been all about jolly good stuff back in the days. I completed my engineering, so you can relate! It's been hell of a ride, but I made it through. Phew! But on a serious note, I do miss my childhood like every other human. At times, I just sit around and reminisce about the beautiful memories at the beach, parks, etc. playing different fun games that caused us to sweat like a pig.

But that's not what this blog is about. It's about how London is different from India. Now, we may all have conflicting opinions, but I respect yours as much as I respect my statements. Whatever I have written is basically from my outlook.

To begin with, London is beautiful. I could never imagine London to have such good greener cover around. I mean, sometimes, it makes me wander if India has less of a green cover than the UK. I say this because everyday you find trees being slashed in large numbers in the name of development. Is building 4 by 4 lanes through the village really development? If that's a yes then I beg to differ. I believe development starts from the people; catering to their basic

The London Eye from a park

necessities of food, water, shelter and education. One thing that really bothers me is the thought of a country run by greedy and venal leaders who sell the country and its land for money to the wealthy contractors. What is more disgusting is the fact that the project gets passed on, even without the necessary documentation, because the bribe has been paid in full amounts already to the person needed. But luckily, there are some countries who don't let the corrupt system get the better of nature.

The air looks so cleaner here! I don't know why these vehicles have exhaust in the UK - there is no black fumes coming out! Don't they use the same fuel as us? Or you think we might have been served with adulterated fuel? I'm just saying this because all of us in India have pollution certificates but our vehicles blow toxic black exhaust whatsoever. Also, the people seemed to be saving up their battery by not honking at every passerby here. In some places, it doesn't even feel like they have a horn for their vehicle. People just wait in the traffic like they don't care about reaching home. Back in India, we all are in a hurry, isn't it?

What I found amusing was the fact that you don't find roads with potholes here in London. I mean, I've been told all my life that the roads get worn out within a years time due to the rains and heavy vehicles, but that isn't the case here. Maybe they make them out of some secret ingredient to lower its brittleness. To me, London is more of a cell, with stringent rules and customs to take care of the bad guys and fully working traffic signals. Woah! I wonder what kind of batteries do they use in these signals to last perenially. In India too, we have traffic signals you know, but not the working ones. A thing to worry? Nah! The Road Traffic Officer's Department put up officers at the junctions to replace the defected signal lamps. Isn't human power the best option rather than relying on the machines? Forget that they get weary standing in the scorching sun and the torrential rainfalls. That's their duty. I don't think they would have saved up on their manpower and energy by assigning these officers elsewhere. Like what other jobs do they even have?

Oh, well! We haven't talked about the tax system yet. Do we get our provident funds back? Last time my dad checked, they kept procrastinating it for 2 weeks time till he finally found his annoyance, not the amount. Just too many formalities and running around, eh? I guess it's same everywhere. Oh wait No! One of my relatives went back to his native country after working for 5 long years in the United Kingdom. He said he got a lumpsum amount in return for the tax he had paid as pension amount. Dang!

Well, I guess I was biased. Let me tell you what I food that India has to offer. The food that I had in India is unmatched here in the UK. The homemade food has no replacement. The kind of food that I had UK just include artificial flavors and sauces. No wonder chefs and food connoisseurs from all over the world travel to India to witness the divine recipes from the streets of India.

A steak from one of the Portuguese restaurants

miss about India now. Firstly, you can't deny the

The second best part are its people. We Indians are outgoing and lend a hand for our brothers and sisters. We be their arms when they are brought up and stand up for each other. You don't see that much in other countries, do you?! Thats one reason I'm proud to be an Indian.
Work might separate us from our mother, but the heart always cries to get back to her.