Juli goes London

About a year ago, I learned that I would get to go to London for an internship abroad. I still remember exactly how I felt hot and cold all at once when I found out. My brother was visiting me in Cologne at the time, and we toasted immediately with a Kölsch. However, I really realized that I would be living in London for two months only after I passed through customs at Düsseldorf Airport. Suddenly, it was no longer just an internship on paper, but rather a suitcase, a flight, and an unfamiliar city. A new life, at least for a little while.

Not long before, I had completed my bachelor thesis, so I was still somewhat in the university tunnel. My mother accompanied me during the first week, which made things much easier for me. We had a great quality time in London and already made the rounds of the first pubs. Unfortunately, we didn't do well in the pub quiz, but I hope to make it up soon. We tried our best, but it was English listening comprehension level 1000. With the microphone and so many people, it was really hard to understand everything well. For some questions, we just looked at each other confused. Nevertheless, we had fun. We also visited the British Museum. There was classic tea time with scones, cakes, and sandwiches.

I live in Lambeth, about 20 minutes away from my workplace. In many respects, I consider myself very lucky. My roommates are very, very nice, my room, and the area are great (comparable to Cologne-Lindenthal: quiet but central, many cafes, and excellent transport links). Only the initial struggle with the keybox almost made things difficult for me because I had tried to open the wrong one. I already feel very comfortable in London, even though I've only been here for two weeks.

Unlike Barcelona, this is not my first time living alone. I can manage the household more or less well. In preparation for my time in London, I took an English course at the university and renewed my Cambridge certificate. Additionally, I have provided tutoring in English. So, one could say: My English is the yellow from the egg. ;)

I am doing my internship at ZDF in London. On my first day of work, I had to take a second look. While I often walked past kiosks and tram stops in Cologne, suddenly Big Ben was right in front of me. It felt somewhat surreal to pass by a place on the way to work that I had only known from television. This way, ZDF is right at the scene, and we can report quickly if something happens. Just before my internship, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned. Unfortunately, I wasn't there when that happened. However, I was allowed to write an article about the by-election in Clacton-on-Sea, which I really enjoyed. Seeing my name under the article makes me proud, and I feel like I'm one step further on my way to becoming a journalist. https://www.zdfheute.de/politik/ausland/grossbritannien-nigel-farage-wahl-reform-uk-muelleimer-100.html

As an intern, I am entrusted with a lot of responsibilities and can take on numerous tasks. I have already helped with two reports, conducted an interview with an author who wrote a book about the Beckhams, attended several camera shoots, and was given research tasks. I am treated as an equal, and everyone is very helpful.

I often catch myself looking forward to returning to work after hours. Because I never know what awaits me the next day. Last week, I was spontaneously asked if I wanted to go to Bristol to help out for a live broadcast. Just a moment before, I was sitting back and relaxing with my sandwich, and suddenly, I found myself in a van on the English highway towards Bristol. This way, I had the chance to meet the president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy.

A highlight rarely comes alone, and this weekend, I had a visit from one of my best friends. Lorena and I met during the first week of college and have been pretty inseparable since then. Together, we significantly improved my step count, which had been really low due to all the sitting at my desk. On Friday, we attended a DJ gig by James Hype and Meduza after having delicious pie at a British pub. There, I tried the beer Neck Oil for the first time. Unfortunately, I didn't like it, but the waiter hadn’t charged it on the bill, something I only realized later. A stroke of luck in misfortune.

Arrived and ready for Meduza, only a drug dog stood between me and my happiness. For reasons unknown to me, it found me suspicious, and I was searched, only to be asked for my ID while buying a cider on the premises. But all this couldn't stop Lorena and me from dancing. I found the evening really cool. The music was more house music, and you could sing along. The next day, we visited the British Museum. The entrance was free, which is really nice in London since everything else is quite expensive here. After that, we went to a Japanese place in Soho. Lorena had sushi, and I had katsu curry. Soooo delicious.

Since we don’t usually treat ourselves, we then strolled through St. James’s Park with an iced latte to Buckingham Palace. Hello King Charles; unfortunately, he wasn't home. In the evening, we went to Duck & Waffle. Great view, great cocktails. We had a fantastic evening and were there for almost four hours. This way, we could see both the sunset and London at night. Today, we continued the sporty part of the trip to Tower Bridge, Greenwich, and a total of 20,000 steps. Tomorrow, unfortunately, Lorena is going back, but before that, we're going to have lunch and shop together. I hope you enjoyed my blog post and are eagerly waiting for the next one.

Greetings from London xx