London, the city that the entire world knows. The city that the entire world wants to see. The city filled with history, cultures and stories. A city that suffered, a city that fought, a city that grew, a city that thrives. It hardly represents just England besides being its famous capital, it now represents the world. Life does not stop for a single second in the city that attracts people from all over the world to work, live, perform, thrive. To experience excitement in a way only London can provide it, with its endless mix of cultures that are free to be performed anywhere. With its possibilities laying around waiting for people to grab them. With its tolerance for anyone to be anything they want to be.
And that is where I will be living for the upcoming 6 months, this is the city that I get to call home, my honoured host. If London has a beating heart, which it certainly does, I’m finding myself right in its aorta, and I’m constantly pumped through the veins of the city as it is simply full of life. People rushing to find their perfect store on Oxford street, filled with either the stores so fancy you could lick the floor but wouldn’t dare to check the price tickets, or messy stores that at least feel more comfy for people on a ‘normal budget’. For me, it is full of other temptations such as Hamleys, the biggest toystore in the world that just triggers my childhood happiness more than anything, or Kingdom of sweets, that triggers my neglected love for sweets which is showing up annoyingly often now that I had to leave my beloved cheese stores behind. Then we have Camden town hippy town where the party vibe is always present in between the colourful buildings and tasty foodmarkets, where time stood still but people most certainly didn’t, streetart has become the pride of this neighbourhood. The famous squares of Piccadilly circus, trafelgar square and Leicester square, the fancy names within London, recognizable to all as THE photogenic spots of the city. Notting hill, where Julia Roberts and Hugh Grant did quite the marketing for once a peaceful rich people hood, now still a gorgeous colourful perfect neighbourhood but then with quite the tourist attention. And let’s not forget, the street so bright a song got called after it; Portobello Road (Southern Europe vibes).
As mentioned, London is the city where each culture can flow, which is proven in China town, where you literally enter China in all its glory. Southbank, where you level with the Thames to look up to the NYC-alike skyline that forms the financial heart of London, logical when realizing London is the 2th biggest financial city in the world. But Southbank self is the once so neglected industrial part of the city, nowadays a beloved place to be for typical English bars so old that they look like they’ve been preserved from the stone age. Another reason that it’s very beloved (at least by me) is because of its Harry Potter vibes. Justified as well, as many shots for these epic movies were actually taken in London, and at southbank you really enter a Harry Potter atmosphere more than I ever experienced it anywhere else in the world, and trust me, I always look for harry potter vibes. Last but not least there’s SoHo (non-New York), where the old English culture still rules and emerges in small alleys, brown brick buildings with many chimneys (I sometimes truly wonder why they need so many) and colourful front doors. No big stores for soho, noho, here only sweet small ones allowed that offer something unique that’s not offered on each corner. Then in its heart, Carnaby street, a beautiful contrast with the rest of SoHo, as if a paint-bomb exploded graciously. And I have access to all these places within half an hour of strolling around.
Fanciness, authenticity, coziness, happiness, mystery, it all comes together in London where history and the future meet which shows in the both old-fashioned and futuristic architecture, both just as impressive. And then I did not even yet speak of its icons such as the always slightly terrifying London eye (still a huge challenge and goal to get in), the golden big ass, big Ben (alltho forever suffering renovation), or Buckingham palace, which by now I really should go visit. I’m not even talking about the scarily high red double-deckers or the gorgeous buildings of which all of them received special attention to all look gracious in their own way. The highlights of London, to me aren’t even the main reasons that I chose this as the city to live in for the upcoming months. It is the way of living the London life. The cosy pubs, the authentic stores, the way I get nervous watching how the traffic manages (while driving on the wrong side of the road), the lovely food from all over the world, but most of all: how the preservation of history and allowance of culture to mix in, created a city where anyone can feel home, without damaging the true DNA of the city. English breakfast, English pubs, English history, it still rules the city more than anything as it should, being the proud capital of an impressive country. The hospitality of the olden golden English days is still very much appreciated and shown in ‘I’m so sorry – bless you darling – hello my dear’, which is basically the reason I chose to do my hotel internship in this city: hospitality is England’s true treasure, and therefore a way to market yourself in London, where competition literally hides in each street.
Amba Hotel Charing Cross, is the hotel where I will be working fulltime until the end of August. Don’t even get me started on how much I look forward to picknick in the parks in summertime, to watch the sun set behind the Thames or to try ALL terraces and ALL their food. Of course, no need to mention, I am also extremely excited about the golden opportunity to gain work experience at a hotel this perfect. Besides the wonderful location that makes my time here better than I could have asked for, I get to work with absolute professionals that have been working with internship for years. Their patience and hospitality is absolutely amazing and therefore I feel more than welcome to take my time and ask my questions, in getting to know the hotel industry. I will be working behind the reception, so checking people in and out, dealing with requests or remarks, safely guarding payments and personal details, and so surprisingly much more, appears on a daily basis. This hotel is absolutely golden, in my opinion it offers the perfect location, the luxury stay and, what I’m interested in learning about most; the optimal hospitality performance.
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