Glimpses of homesickness

I am very surprised about myself. I feel perfectly fine here in London and am still enjoying every minute although daily routine is starting to kick in and is keeping me on the chouch on the weekends rather than letting me explore the still very deep unknown depth of London's bits and pieces.
But sometimes a tiny little hint of homesickness is dripping through the umbrella of having a wonderful time. The other day I was queueing in the post office to return a dress I had ordered online. Post office queues in the UK do not in any way vary from those in other countries. They are long, slow moving and only a few counters are open during lunch break. But I did not know how much the parcel or the envelope that transported my dress would be and because I am still not understanding every single word of Carribean spiced Cockney I was also a little afraid that I would get a gruffy customer service (lol) person again. Anyway I was standing in that line and just wishing I was home. To be precisely not home as in Paradeplatz Post office blinded by yellow light and a clumpsy post horn but in an environment where I knew exactly what to expect. Since these feelings occur in situations that would be gone if I had lived here for a couple of months I am not worried about them or my ability to get along in a rather unknown environment. But it reminds me escpecially of one thing. That the concept of home is something I am unlikely to experience for quite some time. I do not know how my life will be after the end of October. Where I will go, what I will work and even not the country I will live in, let alone the city or flat. And this is what I am missing. A prospect of my future. Where I can create a home in.
I am not really worried about this. This is a time everybody goes through more or less. And it gave me a new definition of home. Home is where the heart is. Sometimes it is in a stupid German Post office queue.

Cheers, Tini

Maintaining living standards

Hello my fellow Non-London-followers (the London people too of course),
as I have mentioned about a zillion times before, I love London. And yet, I came to wonder about something a couple of times last month. It is really really hard to live organically.
I come from a German city that is plastered with organic supermarkets on nearly every corner, so I am sorta spoiled in being able to find everything one needs to live an organic life (which as most people know I try to do). I know at least five places where I can get organic fruit, vegetables, dairy, noodles, toiletries, cleaning products etc in one shop.
I mean I am living in one of world's most exciting cities with nearly 9 million other people. I´t is therefore easy to assume I wouldn't have any problems maintaining my organic living standard I have developed in Germany. BUT no. It took me nearly a month and some half-decent google research to find a shop that is selling organic soy yoghurt that is not literally on the other side of the city. There should be other lacto-intolerant people here right? At least some vegans? Come on people where are you hiding (and more importantly: where are you shopping??)?
I can get organic food in Tesco's or Sainsbury's but just carrots (sometimes), milk (sometimes) and yoghurt (sometimes). But I cannot eat that much dairy so I have to rely on soy products. And here come the problems.
I can live without organic supermarkets. But the little nice shops that are selling organic goods are all on the North of the river (I am not) and close when a working person is leaving the office. There are a lot of delivery services for organic veggies but they are not worth the trouble for just three months.
So I keep on searching.


Cheers, Tini