6 things that struck a resident of Novosibirsk who moved to England

A Pikabu user under the nickname SweetSummer has been living in Britain, near London, for about three years. The stories of this Siberian woman about life in the Foggy Albion have already gathered a lot of subscribers, and we also did not remain indifferent.

When you get to a new place, you get used to everything over time and you are not surprised by much. A native of Novosibirsk , SweetSummer emigrated from Russia in early 2015, after her beloved man proposed to her and took her and her teenage son to England. Her impressions of life in a new place are an attempt to share impressions, but not a comparison of where it is worse or better to live. Next — the words of the author.

1. The cost of cigarettes

I was shocked when I decided to replenish my stocks of cigarettes. On average, the price was higher than in Russia, 10 times! But, as far as I know, this is the norm for Europe — it's expensive to be a smoker here.

Marlboro packs of 10 and 20 pieces

The design of cigarette packages has recently been changed, and even more frightening and unpleasant pictures have been added.

Maybe something else has changed now, I haven't been a smoker for 5 years and I don't follow this industry.

2. Public transport

Public transport in England is expensive. Travel around our town will cost about two pounds per adult per trip, a subscription for a day — 4.6 pounds, for a month — 61 pounds, and for a year — 610 pounds (1 pound = 77.6 rubles).

Double-decker buses run mainly only in large cities, there is a metro only in London (the oldest in the world), Liverpool and Newcastle.

London Underground Map

Bus with Wi-Fi and USB charging

As a mother, it shocked me very much. Quite often you can see children in the cold season in some T-shirts, shorts. Babies in strollers with bare feet and without hats in the average winter +5 ° C are also not uncommon.

I will also mention here the abundance of children several days old in shops and other public places. They are still purple, and the mothers are already showing them to others with might and main.4. Higher education "on credit"

A very convenient scheme: the state pays for your studies at any university (you can add a loan for accommodation if the educational institution is located in another city), and the debt is paid after graduation.

And not immediately, but as soon as you find a job and your annual income exceeds 21 thousand pounds. And only then you will be charged 9% of your monthly salary. After 30 years, the loan is canceled, it does not matter whether you have paid it or not. So if after training you did not work or worked with a salary below the required one — consider that you studied for free.

5. There are no mosquitoes here

At all. Nowhere. Not in the woods, not by the river, not in a room with an open window and a light on. For the first time in my life I was able to enjoy a trip to the forest for mushrooms, when I was not devoured by clouds of midges and other midges.

The only thing you can get into is a web, because there are a lot of spiders here. Maybe that's why there are no mosquitoes?

6. About mushrooms

Nobody collects mushrooms. Well, except for Russians and Poles. Therefore, the competition is minimal — collect as much as you like. The season starts in July and lasts until December. There is everything that is in Siberia is growing, and there are more interesting comrades.

In the process of collecting mushrooms, the knife has to be constantly hidden, because rare and random passers-by will not believe that it is for mushrooms, and they can call the police.6. Nature

I was very surprised by the abundance of wild animals in close proximity.

We live 40 minutes from London. And over the past year, without going anywhere on purpose, but just walking around the surrounding area, I met: three foxes (one of them used our yard as a toilet), many, many hares, deer, several pheasants, partridges, a couple of peacocks. And I'm not even talking about ducks, geese, swans — they are everywhere here, in every pond.

In addition to wild animals, it was unusual to see such an abundance of blackberries — they grow everywhere like a weed here: on roadsides, in forests, in fields. If it is shallow and dirty in the city, then it is very good in the forest and by the rivers. Also, my son and I collected hazelnuts and chestnuts in the fall for a trial — I liked it.