Life Abroad

Both cities contend to be the world’s best, but which really is? I have the absolute pleasure of living in London and recently had the equal pleasure of visiting New York City. I thought it was blog-worthy to share the points that differentiate the two cities in my mind. As a heads up, this comparison isn’t based on a standard set of indicators, but more my rambling observations – five differences that stuck out for me :-) Let the games begin… Music My first impression of NYC was a delightful one. When I stepped into the immigration hall at JFK airport the sweet sound of music filled my ears. MUSIC! It was a bit of light jazz, nothing special, but mixed with the chatter of recent arrivals and the colourful space, it completely lifted my mood. I think the reason it had such an effect on me is because you will not find life in many public transit spaces in London. For tube stations, it’s usually the march of footsteps laid over a background of silence. In addition, the newe...

Well I did visit Lisbon, but I can’t say I’m staying there currently… read on to find out how I discovered a home there ;-) I’ve been thinking about the concept of “home” recently and what that really means. I reckon the reason why it’s prevalent to me is because I moved around a bit last year which didn’t make me feel “settled”: Sydney – Auckland – Sydney – London. Today marks five months since I arrived in London. I’m starting to feel settled, but is London home? What do others think Speaking with fellow Sydneysiders in London, the generally feeling is having one foot planted in Sydney and the other in London. Their upbringing and connections anchor them to Sydney and their living in London is a temporary escape. I totally get this mindset, it makes logical sense, but I don’t particularly like it. The notion that staying in London is temporary, however, ironically lasts at least two years, is unsettling. It feels fleeting and not entirely real (cue Neverland),...

Living in a foreign land has got me thinking about who I am – where I’ve come from and where I’m going. Deep, introspective questions which I managed to rationalise into a game of pinball. Read on if I’ve piqued your interest with pinball ;-) Establishing my identity   Everyone has a unique set of parameters that makes them who they are, that forms their identity. The two cultural influences that have shaped me the most are being Parsi and being Australian. I’m incredibly proud of both and only recently realised just how significant the combination has been in forming who I am. On being Parsi – yeah, it’s great. Being part of an ethno-religious group that can trace its roots back to the first ever monotheistic religion, around 2,700 years ago, is not something many people can lay claim to and I’m incredibly proud of that. Damn. Just typing “2,700 years ago” triggered something in me – like that weight of all my ancestors preserving their identity is still sitting with...

Happy New Year! I hope you’ve enjoyed the festive season and that you’re feeling excited for 2018! I wanted to reflect on my bumper 2017 in this post. I didn’t know how to collect my thoughts, so I’ve grouped them under eight random headings :-) Here we go – Karl Desai on… On travelling I’ve been lucky enough to visit seven countries (lived in three) across three continents this year. Yeah, it’s been great! I guess what I enjoy most about travelling is the personal journey. You get to spend time with yourself removed from the constraints of your routine life. You’re exposed to new experiences and forced to live outside your comfort zone… I think I might have said this stuff previously, so let me get to the point. The point is that although I’ve explored quite a bit of the world this year, it’s really been the exploration of myself that’s been the most enriching experience. Woah, this post got deep real quick. Hold your breath, because it’s only going to get deeper… Me ha...