According to wikipedia "Emigration is the act of leaving one's country or region to settle in another. (..) There are many reasons why people might choose to emigrate. Some are for reasons of religious, political or economic freedom or escape. Others have personal reasons such as marriage. Some people living in rich nations with cold climates choose to move to warmer climates when they retire."
Well, neither of these reasons apply to me, but nevertheless I decided to move from Germany to England where it always rains and the men are not really classified as the most attractive ones in the whole wide world. When you have lived in a foreign country before, you might know how different, awkward, funny and difficult your daily life can become.
Here are some highlights of my life in London Town.

July 25, 2011

Brick Lane

Brick Lane in East London was once associated with poor slums and prostitution. It's known as the area where Jack the Ripper (also called 'The Whitechapel Murderer') was up to mischief. Nowadays nothing in this vibrant and colourful neighbourhood reminds you of its old, dark days.
In my opinion Brick Lane stands for street art, galleries, markets and vintage stores. Oh, and it's also called "Banglatown" due to its large Bangladeshi-Sylheti community. If you wanna have a real Indian curry, you should go to Brick Lane.

The first time I became really interested in Brick Lane was when I watched a documentary called "Graffiti Wars" that featured Banksy and Robo - 2 rival Londoner graffiti artists. I found out that Brick Lane is very famous for its graffiti which features artists like Banksy and D*Face. This is one of my favourites:


Graffiti belongs to pop culture and pop culture has always been influenced by popular TV shows such as Sesame Street. For instance, The Simpsons and Family Guy have spoofed Sesame Street. And since Brick Lane is full of pop culture it kind of makes sense to have Sesame St E1 right in the beginning of this street in East London. Brick Lane has also been used in music videos such as "All these things that I have done" by The Killers:


As I've mentioned before, Brick Lane is furthermore famous for its vintage stores and food. Here is a culinary tip (no, no Indian curry): You should go to Brick Lane Beigel Bakery which is a local institution. It's rated by some as the freshest  and most delicious bagel you will ever have and is highly recommended by my friends for a post-clubbing snack.

I couldn't really find something weird or unexptected about Brick Lane to be honest. It just reminded me of Berlin with all its graffitis, street markets, vintage clothes and street artists. The East End felt exactly like Prenzlauer Berg or Kreuzberg (with the Indians replacing the Turks).
There is so much to discover, though! At every street corner you can find something worth seeing:

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