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- Amy - Andy - Anthony - Ben & Carly - Damien - Elena - Elizabeth - Gerald - Helene - Jason - Jason T - Josh - Liv - Lucy - Marco & Maryam - Maxi - Michaela - Milan - Pablo - Ross - Simon - Tanya & Scott |
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| INTERVIEW WITH... Marco & Maryam |  |
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Names, ages, job titles, places of origin. Where do you live in London. MS- Marco Konrad Karl (not kidding - having three first names is fun :-)), 35, Team Manager for Rackspace IT Hosting (have a look at the website, we're constantly hiring people!), am from Germany. Living very close to Angel (I stopped saying Islington, not because I'm a snob, the reason is that someone replied at one point "Oh, I'm living in Islington, too... right by Holloway prison!" - that's the dark side of Islington!). MF- Maryam / 32 / fine artist, Iran. We live near Angel tube station. When and why did you come to London? MS- Maryam and I were living together in Germany for 2 years and for various reasons it didn't work out (it worked out between us, but not in terms of location/country!). I had the next best job prospect lined up here, so that was the obvious choice. MF- We came to London in 2003 to further career prospects because I couldn't grab hold of the German language, unfortunately. How was it starting from scratch being a couple? Where did you stay at the beginning, how did you find a job, what were the obstacles? MS- Coming here from a country like Germany is quite a shocker. At home you don't have to worry about your health and social security much (we pay higher taxes for that kind of support, of course!) and paying rent isn't really an issue either (unless you insist on living in the middle of cities like Hamburg or Munich!). Here all of a sudden the money seemed to disappear into a black hole. On top of it it turned out that the company that had hired me was not as successful as they pretended to be initially, so after a year I had to go out and find a new job. Working in IT this is not too difficult in London. I'm on my 3rd job in London now and I hope I don't have to switch jobs anytime soon, it's exhausting to me... MF- The beginning was tough. We started out living near Elephant & Castle (otherwise known as the area with the big, red eye-sore of a shopping centre). Luckily, Marco had been offered a good position with a small company before we entered the U.K so there weren't any major concerns. How long do you plan to stay? Do you depend on a VISA permit? MS- We don't have definite plans. I like where we are and what we do for now, but if the opportunity arises... :-) MF- I'm pursuing my artistic endeavors a bit further before moving on. The thing about London is that years fly by like hours. Almost everyone we've known here have claimed to have outstayed their initial allotment. What are the advantages and disadvantages of coming as a couple? MS- Disadvantages - none, but that depends on your partner of course. Advantages - I wouldn't call this an advantage (it sounds opportunistic!), but I can imagine that one can feel alone in London at times without a partner... I also love coming home after a long day knowing that Maryam and Honey (our cat) are awaiting me :-) MF-Security & companionship Some couples arrive together into the UK but then find that they break up after a while. You came here quite some time ago and you have managed to make it work. What do you think your secret is? MS- Maryam stole my joke down there :-) I don't think there is a secret. I've always been as understanding and as open and as respectful as possible and I think that's the recipe to make it work no matter where you are. MF- Are you serious? FINALLY - A GOOD EXCUSE! What is your favourite thing of London? MS- I love that I just need to walk down the road (okay, by bus 20 minutes, on foot 45 minutes) to visit some of the best museums there are (National Portrait Gallery, National Gallery, etc.). The cultural offerings in London are just amazing. People love bashing on public transportation - oh dear, you had to wait 10 minutes for the bus or the tube... well, where I'm from there were two buses per day! I know that it can be frustrating when the system fails and trains are cancelled, but overall it's very impressive in my opinion and it takes you at any time of the day from A to B. MF- There is always something to do, multiculturism/understanding, great transportation and being called "Love" by encountered strangers. Best places to eat, drink/party and relax in London? MS- When we used to live Souff of the river I enjoyed the Wholemeal restaurant in Streatham (believe me, it's worth trecking out there!) and the Escape bar in Herne Hill. Ever since the smoking ban is in place I started discovering pubs like the lovely Angelic close to Angel tube station (behind the Sainsbury's). Gourmet Burger Kitchen is a killer if you like burgers (even the veggie ones are mind blowing!). Relaxing... well, I do that at home usually... Hampstead Heath is definitely good for that. Or in our backyard, lying in the hammock :-) MF- Best eats - various turkish restaurants throughout London, Best drink/party - The Pigalle Club, Best place to relax - various coffee shops 9 months out of the year, and strolling about Hampstead Heath for the remaining 3. << |
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