By Melina Filippidou

19+1 things London’s taught me so far

1. A 30-minute-ride distance is a small distance.
2. Vinegar is a sauce (apparently).
3. There are never enough ways to eat processed pork.
4. Sandal weather is boots weather later that same day.
5. Clouds that bully you and then chicken out: EITHER RAIN OR GET OUT OF MY FACE.
6. When you’re in the tube and your phone’s dead, pick a spot on the floor, pretend it’s telling you something very sad and serious, and stare at it until you hear your stop*.
7. *Unless a dog walks in, in which case let your heart melt and act all human again.
8. You thing airport security is bad until you try get into a pub on Saturday night.
9. If you take the night tube on a weekend night sober, you’re the weirdo.
10. If it doesn’t rain, it’ll shower.
11. The reason 5 pm is said to be tea time, is probably because all the other hours are owned by beer.
12. Waiting for the bus might take less than waiting for the traffic light to turn green.
13. The secret pleasure of choosing the right tube carriage so when you get off you can go straight to the exit.
14. If you have that sexy London accent, you are allowed to say shitty things more often than the average person.
15. “Lollipop ladies” is a completely normal name for a completely legal job.
16. You’re not supposed to throw stuff on the street. Unless it’s chicken bones.
17. Sorry is another word to say hi.
18. If you see a fox on the street, it’s fine. If you see a stray dog, you’re in another city.
19. The best English food comes with curry.
20. There’s nothing more humble and more beautiful than a multi-ethnic city.