5 years and 3 months later in London....

And 5 years later….

"When a man is tired of London, he is tired of life,

for there is in London all that life can afford" S. Johnson

Today is the third day of my holidays (and it clearly keeps me busy as it took me 2 days to translate this post in English!), and that’s a pretty good news.

But I must also admit that it feels a bit scary, here I am, leaving everything behind and not knowing where the wind will take me after my trip in South America…

And I also feel quite sad and melancholic about leaving London, the city where I have passed the last 5 years and 3 months (and it is 3 months just today!). And only few more days to come…

Who could have guessed? Me who came here reluctantly, hating just the idea of having to speak English and wondering if I could become a mime artist just to avoid speaking at all…

But so much happened, I have lived so many experiences here that it feels sometimes like I have lived several lifes.

Because that’s London: Unlikely things happen to people all the time…

I still remember my first job, let’s face it, I was so lucky at the time. I gave only a couple of CVs close to my flat, one of them in ZARA shop. When they called me to arrange an interview, I almost couldn’t understand when and where. Ah what a start! I still see myself preparing my interview by learning by heart everything I had to say. But of course, you can’t think of absolutely everything! What a laugh when the manager asked me “Would you be able to manage…” and me thinking “Wow, she is already asking me to become manager and take her job!!!” (yes, in French manage is associated to manager hence the confusion, but then again you never know haha).

So for obvious reason, she gave the job to someone else – who was not looking to steal her job and who could speak – but, thanks God, it didn’t work out and they called me back.

It all started there and then.

So now, there is an important point to discuss.

You, English speakers, have to appreciate that it is not just about learning English, it’s about becoming a medium! Meaning you have to do things people are expecting you to do when you haven’t got a clue of what they have asked in the first place (so yeah, weird situation can happen), you have to laugh at the right time when everybody else does (but why???), or to say “yes” or “no” to someone who is clearly expecting one of the 2 answers – and generally you can quickly see when you have picked up the wrong one…  So all in all I laughed a lot but mostly people have laughed of me (well at least I brought some happiness!) but is was not not easy every day…

So it’s at this moment of my life that I have learnt something very important: Whatever happen, S-M-I-L-E, it makes things a lot better!

And I did apply this advise to myself when I did a £29,990 discrepancy a the cash desk - making a customer super happy by giving her almost £30,000 refund... I am not sure whether it was the smile or the luck, but even then I did manage not to get fired (maybe because we called the bank and they only gave back £29,99 that the customer was entitled for, and not the extra £29,970...). I can still hear my manager (who became a really good friend by then), laughing so hard and advising me to call the regional manager as she could not help...

8 months later, I had learnt speaking English with Italians, Brazilians, Polish, Spanish (half of the shop), Portuguese, in short I had an English with a “world” accent.

For my second job, I decided to go back to estate agency which was a job I had done previously in the South of France…  Again, I did prepare my interview as much as I could, again I did learn everything by heart. But this time I was not so lucky. That was a much more serious office job meaning 3 interviews to get the job and for the 1^st interviews 2 managers together just for me…

It went more (for me) or less (for them) well, until they asked me “So you are sailing?”. Oh God… Why did I even mention my sailing licence in my CV when I was totally unable to say anything else about it…?

After the interview, I ran into Ben Cookies (best cookies of London), I bought a 3 chocolates cookies (and 796 calories) and I cried thinking I will never be able to make it. Believe it or not, I had the job, they were looking for a French girl, well for this at least I was good!

From there passes about a year and a half, same story, some good laughs and I keep some funny anecdotes… Like for instance, when it was impossible for me to find the 2^nd bedroom in a flat (“But it says 2 bed in your description” – “Yes I know, I don’t understand really!”), but you should know that the 2^nd bedroom was hidden behind a James Bond door that look like book shelf (so by the way, if you are an estate agent, here is my only advise, ALWAYS view a flat before you show it to any potential buyer), or when the solicitor (but what the hell is a “solicitor” to start with?!) asked me if we were ready to “exchange” (in French it would be ready to “swap”), well I don’t mine, I am always ready, but huh, what do we swap???

But I worked hard, I didn’t give up, I was obstinated (even though people often think I am a pig-headed!) and it did pay. My time to laugh now, thinking about my old English teacher at school who was telling me I had better chance to learn Chinese…

So 3 years has passed by then, months of persistence along with some drinking session and other epic joyful English moments (another post to come for that), so yes, it was time for holidays.

I took a (long) break. When I came back I was super enthusiastic and I thought “Come on, in London everything is possible so just find THE idea and go for it!”.

I ended up selling “pan-bagnats” in Camden market with a friend of mine… (the pan-bagnats is a delicious sandwich from the south of France that we eat on the beach in summer time).

I am not sure it was THE best idea ever, but for the hysterical laugher we have been served! You should have seen us with 4 huge bags on each shoulder (of course wearing heels!!!), spending the day eating what the other traders were selling, and our cold sandwich in the middle of December… As it got too cold, we finally woke up and thought “Ok, let’s sell hot food”. But we had to keep the South of France in mind so we went for Merguez (a sausage from north AFRICA) with French fries and ratatouille… Oh well...

Years later, I still think that the idea wasn’t bad, but in term of commercial strategy, starting in spring or even in summer time, is surely a better choice.

After 2 months of giggles, eating pasta (or African sausages, chips and French baguette really), at almost losing our fingers and toes, and with Christmas on the way, we thought “Enough, we will come back in May… (or not)…”

You have to bear in mind that in London, either you are rich or you cant stop working for too long. The crazy city is an expansive one.

So back to square 2, as an estate agent, this time in really central London where I spent another 2 years. Not a bad experience at all, I ended up selling a £7,000,000 property, raher a nice achievementfor a little Frenchy. And this time, I knew the job and I could speak English so it all became much funnier. I had time to learn dirty English or to laugh at my manager by putting star stickers on his suit jacket and letting him go out on a viewing with it...

So that was my TRUE story!

On the top of that, I also gave French lesson to English people (that sounds ok), but also English lesson to French people (now, this still sounds really funny).

I also had an intense training to become a life coach, which I am now, I have been volunteer for few charities and to finish I did few dance shows (in particular one in Ronnie Scoots, the famous jazz club! Not bad! http://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/).

All this in 5 years and 3 months (and so much more)...

My final word is the following one my friends… If you decide to try London adventure, for few days or for ever, put in your luggage only 3 things: Dreams, determination and a warm jacket for the cold days…

My first estate agency, i was in the Times magazine!

Camden market!!!

My biggest deal ever!

Dancing at Ronnie Scotts!

Magic London....

Comments

[Monica]

Thanks to you!!! Amazing all these years and hopefully much more hehehe

[Simone]

And there's so much more... (inappropriate contents to share here)! :-)

[Natalia]

Without us it won't be the same!

[EmaNuela]

Well done baguette!

[Pia]

Love it!! feeling identified with so many of your stories! x

[Debbie]

Ahhhhhh how beautiful xxx

[Oksana]

Oh my god Cindy! Such a story I want to cry. I wish you all the best in the future! Keep in touch we are coming to visit u with Debbie Xxx

[Laura]

Good morning, I loved your post. I thought I was the only one (crazy) to have arrived here without understanding and without speaking English. I appreciate all the sacrifices you made to live in London. Thanks for this article is an incentive for "not to give up and move on!"