The unspoken etiquette of the London transports

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I am writing this post because of sheer frustration with some of the commuters I meet on a daily basis hence the angry tone of this post. I actually wrote most of this on a number of frustrating train journeys. After getting annoyed with others on the tube, I express it all by noting how courteous people need to be. Mastering the art of London transports needs time, practice and care for your fellow Londoners. 

The London transport system can be very confusing at first, but once you get the hang of it then your understanding of the city gets much better. This little guide will give you few pointers that you should be reading before you even get to London. I am hoping this guide will make you a pro London commuter. 

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Nine Unspoken Etiquette of the London Transports

1- Know your route

Before you set off to use the public transports, make sure to actually know the route you will be travelling through as in check Google Maps or City Mapper and TFL. Get a clear idea and go. It might help taking a screen shot of the route or right down the stop names if you get easily confused and you probably will be if it’s your first few times. I think it took me a month to understand the system. I still make mistakes and get lost, but it’s only the odd time every few months when I am distracted. 

2- Scan & get a green light

Make sure you have money on your Oyster card and have it in a separate sleeve away from any other magnetic cards so you get a green light when you scan it and Wizz through the barriers. If you get a red light, the army of people behind you won’t be happy. Sometimes even when you get it all right, you still get a red light but these errors are beyond our control. 

3- Stand on the right, walk on the left

I don’t know how many times do people need to hear the poor automated message getting replayed over and over before they fully understand this. To be fair most people adhere to this, but you still get the odd people who do it anyway. I don’t mean the  tourists who might not get it yet, but I am talking about some locals who like to challenge the little rules that ease life. 

4- Don’t cause traffic

Using your phone while you walk isn’t a reason to slow down, but if that happens please stand on the side. Finish your text or whatever then carry on walking. The path is for serious walkers and if you want to stroll and have a chat the underground is not the place for you. Being slow because you are on your phone is super annoying to the people behind you who might miss their next train. Thoese little seconds here and there add up!

5- People can’t pass through you

Ok. I am sure you all learnt about body mass in physics class back in school, so if you stand in the middle of the door, people won’t be able to go pass through your body. You aren’t a gosht so stop acting like one. If you want to get in, stand on either side of the door to let people out of the tube FIRST then you can get in. It won’t leave without you. Pushing everyone to get on first before people get off is just bad manners. 

6- Just sit down or get out of the way

This is not a fun bus ride from school days. It’s a transportation system and everyone getting on it is probably tired and grumpy. Under no circumstances would anyone wait for you to reserve a seat for your bestie who is riding with you. Just grow up and let everyone sit in the available place and if your friend is quick enough she will get her seat too. I got the death stair for sitting when another girl was trying to hold the seat for her friend. The tube isn’t the place to bond & as girls they should understand that I might have been on my period and not able to entrain their behaviour physically or emotionally. 

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7- Move along the carriage

This is another message that every train driver has to announce about 50 times a minute. Just do it. When it’s busy people want to pack themselves in like sardines & you just standing in the middle and not moving along the carriage is inconsiderate. I sometimes have to jump over people who aren’t willing to move so I get some space. 

8- it’s probably safe not to smile

Ok, I am joking. You can smile if you want, but everyone just looks awkward if you even catch their eye. I like to always have a book with me and just read it to avoid awkward moments. I do politely smile sometimes because I think my London commuting face is a bit scary lol. 

9- Everyone wants to get somewhere

No one rides the tube just for the sake of it and everyone one is in a hurry to get home for dinner or whatever commitments that people have, so, please be nice to your fellow commuters. There is no reason to be rude. You can make the journey pleasant for yourself and others by being considerate and polite. 

Happy tube-ing everyone and God help us during rush hour in this heat. 

Over to you: Do you have any more advice to make the London commute more pleasant? 

Interesting Books about the London underground: 

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How can students live a cheap life in London?

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Although London is a very expensive city, being a student in London gives you a lot of perks that can make your time in this city really pleasant and even more affordable. Any full time student can take advantage of all the ideas listed below including mature students who are over 25. This applies for international students too. Most of these tips and ideas have changed the way I live in London for the better. It’s actually tempting to be a student as long as possible! 

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Get London transports for cheaper in London

Before we mention anything, let’s talk about transportation and how you can actually get to places for cheaper while living in London. As soon as you enrol for your full time course in London, fill your student oyster form, have a personal photo ready and get it verified with your university or institution. Having your ID oyster will give you a third off of weekly, monthly & annual travel cards, which makes getting around so much more affordable. 

Travel by rail for a third less than everyone else

The transport discount isn’t only limited to London, you can also apply for a rail card if you are 16 to 25 years of age or if you are a full time student even if you are over 25. This process can be done online and you will have to pay £30 per year. This gives you great national train discounts so you can explore so much of the UK for reasonable prices. For example, my open return ticket to Manchester is £54 unlike the regular £84 ticket that adults have to pay. My Cambridge ticket with a same day return is £16.50 instead of the £30 adults pay. I really love this discount. I usually use this card for the train mostly, but having this card also gives you other offers on popular attractions such as: 

Shop until you drop with student discounts

When you enrol in your full time course, make sure you get a confirmation letter from your university because you will need it as prof to apply for the NUS card, which gives you lots of discounts on selected stores in person and online. You have to pay an annual fee of £28. This card is also handy as a proof if your student ID doesn’t have an end date. Another account you need in your life as a student is Uni Days and it’s similar, but completely free and only requires a university email to get started and approved. It’s really handy.

Pay less for food as a student in London 

A lot of the main stream restaurant chains like pizza express, Zizzi, GBK offer student discounts either through via uni days and the NUS card or via their own apps. You can also get 10% off your groceries at the co ops with the NUS card. 

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Always ask about student discounts! 

I went to get my hair cut in Rush and randomly asked about student discounts and they had one!! This actually happened a few times. Sometimes places don't advertise or have a clear sign. Doesn't hurt to ask! 

Enjoy London museums and galleries as a student

Yes most London museum and art galleries are free in London, but even the free ones have changing temporary exhibitions and those always require a ticket. As a student you get it cheaper than adult tickets. So unleash your inner art critique because there is so much you can see and enjoy! 

Victoria and Albert Museum

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Over to you: What other advice do you have for students to live cheaply in London?

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How to survive the heat in London?

I don’t think people realise how hot London gets in the summer when we have a heatwave without rain. The first few days are glorious. Everyone is happy, all the summer outfits are out and ice creams are everywhere. Fast forward three weeks, people get grumpy, their skin is mostly red and burnt with very random tan lines and the moral gets a little low. All the misery happen because this city isn’t equipped to deal with a hot summer so it's a constant feeling of heat. Being Saudi, people are surprised that I even mention the heat because the Saudi summers reach to 55 C -131 F-, but in Saudi 98% of places are completely air conditioned and we don't feel the heat, but in London you feel it everywhere. I still enjoy the London sunshine though and I follow the tips included in this post to stay cool. 

How hot does London get in the summer? 

The average so far has been 26 C -78 F- and the hottest it got was 32 C -90 F-

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Six Tips to Survive the Heat in London: 

1- Avoid the tube

Honestly getting the tube in the summer during rush hour (17:00-19:30) is disgusting. Just try to rearrange your routes to involve more walking and overground trains. If you have complete control over your schedule I would avoid any mode of transport at rush hour. It’s hot during freezing winter days let alone in the summer. The Central Line and Bank station are the absolute worst! There is no such thing as air conditioned underground *yet*. 

Source

2- Stay Hydrated

Have your bottle water with you at all times. Get at least the one Litre bottle because you will drink it all without even realising. You can cool your water in the fridge then pour it in a thermostat to keep it cold! 

Another great thing that will keep you hydrated is fruits or vegetable with high water content like cucumbers and melons. They will keep you hydrated for longer as well. 

3- Plan Cooling Stops

Some big grocery stores or luxury stores are air conditioned, so if gets too hot, plan a mini cooling stop to the big Sainsbury’s near you and get cool again! I know this might sound silly but it works for me when I am walking long distance from one place to another! 

Some Londoners were even trying to compile a list of air conditioned spots on Reddit! Their list didn't go very far, but it might be entertaining to read.  

4- Cool yourself from the inside

This is the best time of the year to drink all the iced teas and to eat all the ice creams in this city. I love making my own iced teas since the cafe bought ones are usually very sweet. If you want to make your own, these recipes from Eating Well might help you. 

When it comes to ice cream there are so many yummy places to choose from. My usual ice creams stops are Chin Chin Labs, Snowflake gelato, Gelupo and Amorino. If I am not around those spots, I go to any local corner shop for ice cream. I am also developing a love for vegan ice creams! The Alpro vegan ice creams are so good! Especially the coconut *DROOL*

5- Shade is what you need

Seriously, being in the shade makes all the difference. So, when it gets too hot, go to the very shaded part of the park or better yet take a woods or forest country walk. I know most people want to hit the beach when it's hot (including me), but going to places like Epping Forest or Ashridge Estate is actually a good idea to stay cool. It might help to wear a sun hat or carry an umbrella to create your own little shade. 

6- Get a fan

I know summer is short and it’s not worth investing a lot in it, but you need to get a basic fan or the heat will keep you up all night. I only use my fan two months a year, but it’s so worth it!! Having a hand carried paper or electrical one might also be good at times. 

Although, there were moments where I completely melted in London and it’s only the beginning of July, I am very grateful for all the sunshine! I am able to wear all my summer clothes now and enjoy the many beautiful parks around. I hope you found these tips useful and please comment below if you have any more tips to stay cool this summer! :) 

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First Time Weekend Guide to Leicester

I was never enthusiastic to go to Leicester. I didn't even look it up once in my eight years living in the UK. All I knew is two of my Saudi friends are doing their PhDs there and sometimes graffiti writers go their for a pint. That's it. I got invited to tag along with one of the writers and I just agreed because I thought why not go somewhere new in the UK just to see more of England. I was pleased to see there was a "Visit Leicester" website, which helped me plan my long weekend there. However, I was still not very excited about it UNTIL I got there! I was welcomed by the old English architecture I really like; red brick buildings with columns and towers. They just don't make them as good anymore. I also noticed all the halal signs outside of restaurants and that got me excited too! I wouldn't say Leicester has become a favourite of mine, but it shouldn't be dismissed as a place to visit. I think it's worth going there for a weekend, especially a sunny one! In this post, I will tell you about how I spent my weekend in Leicester as a first timer!   

Piece by hombre and boogie #homboog

How to get to Leicester form London?

I bought my train ticket online from National Rail. I got the direct train from St. Pancras train station to Leicester and it was only an hour. The train was PACKED, so if you are going on a bank holiday weekend, I would recommend reserving a seat online when buying your ticket. The train price for an open return ticket was about/just over £50.

St. Pancras train station

Main Highlights

As I mentioned at the start of the post, there are a few things that stood out to me when I visited the city that I wanted to highlight in this section before telling you about the things I did in details.   

• Architecture
  The thing I enjoyed was the informative signs near the main architectural buildings they have telling you the story and history of the building. Most of the gorgeous buildings are now banks, but it's still nice to look at them. 
• Graffiti
  This was the main reason I even visited the city and I was not disappointed! I especially loved the big scale pieces I saw in the area behind the curve theatre. 
• Halal food
  There is a big Muslim population in Leicester from what I have seen and that means halal food! Although, it's mostly Indian and Turkish halal rather than anything else, but I loved a few of the spots they have on the London Road, where it's higher standard halal. I listed the restaurants I tried with photos below!

Things to do in Leicester

• Appreciate the Architecture of Leicester
  As I mentioned above I was impressed with the architecture of the city and it's fun to see some of the building they have. I was interested in the 19th century building the most, but they have a few impressive stone churches to visit as well.  If you are interested in earlier architecture, they have a full functioning Tudors house to see called the Guildhall. I wasn't very impressed with it, but if you are in the area you can stop by for half an hour.  

• Learn all about Richard The Third
  One of the big draws of  Leicester is Richard the third since discovering his body under a car park in the city! Now, there is a Visiting Centre in the same place of the car park made of two stories. The first telling you about the history and the life of Richard the third and the second telling you about how the body was found and the role of science in all of it! Afterwards, you can stop by the Leicester Cathedral to see the new burial place.

• Follow the graffiti trail of Leicester
  A good place that can give you some information about where the main pieces are located is the Graffiti store: Graff HQ since it supplies the spray paint. If you are keen to see artists in action, you can schedule your trip the same dates as the annual Bring The Paint International Street Art Festival. 

Where to eat in Leicester?

I was only there for the weekend, so I didn't have time to fully indulge in food and eating out, but I proudly managed to eat at four different restaurants! PS. A lot of recommended food spots were closed on the bank holiday Monday, so double check before you go! 

Breakfast in Leicester at Kai

I only went out for one breakfast while I was in Leicester and I am happy it was at Kai. The location itself is really nice. It's basically in a court yard that felt like the equivalent of Neal's Yard in London minus the crazy crowds. I noticed that this hip little courtyard doesn't have specific halal restaurants, but they have really cute independent stores and cafes. The breakfast at Kai was nice and filling. Nothing to rave about, but still nice to go to. 

Ice Cream in Leicester at Gelato Village

28 degrees in Leicester calls for a serious ice cream session! My friend recommended this place and said it was the best in Leicester and although I haven't tried the rest of the ice cream places I think she is right! The long queue outside of it was a good sign. They also have five vegan flavours if this matters to you, which I personally prefer because I don't love the milky taste of some ice creams. 

Lunch in Leicester at Boo Burgers and German Donnar Kabab

I appreciate all my three meals a day and since I was treating myself, I went out for lunch as well, which is a luxury for me because I usually skip that for a very cheap alternative when I am travelling. It helped that the food was affordable there though! 
For my first day there, I had a yummy sandwich from the German Donnar Kabab. I am usually not a fan of Donnar (the very thin layers of meat), but the photos looked too good. It was cheap and cheerful.  

Dinner in Leicester at Konak and Paddy Martin Inn Curry House

Dinner time gets really busy especially on the weekend. I noticed that the locals love to dine out and so I would recommend that you book a table either earlier in the day or a day in advance before you go anywhere or you will be waiting for at least 45mins. My people were smart and booked in advance, so I didn't wait at all and I liked that! As I mentioned before, most of the food I found was either Turkish or Indian, so I tried both when I was there! 

The Turkish restaurant Konak is halal and located in London Road. I really loved the food and their grilled kababs with bread and yogurt YUM! Thinking back to it makes my mouth water! The service was quick and good as well. If you are in the mood for something Turkish this is a solid option! 

The other dinner restaurant I tried was the Paddy Martin Inn Curry House, which sadly was not halal, but I heard soooo much amazing stuff about it I had to go try it. I had their prawn curry and vegetarian starters, which both lived up to the reputation and were very filling and delicious.  

Where to stay in Leicester?

• The area near the Victoria Park seems really nice and quiet and you get access to the lovely park. 
• If you want to be near the town centre, the area around the curve theatre is really good and central and that's where I stayed. I found a cute one bed apartment on Airbnb. 

Get £25 off your next Airbnb booking and give me £15 by using this affiliate link. 

I usually use Booking.com to book my hotels as you see in my posts, but because I left booking for this weekend very late and it was a bank holiday weekend the prices were very high for below average options, but if you are booking a bit early, you might find a good deal on there. Here's the deal finder box to help you with your search. 

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I hope you found this post useful in planning your trip! Let me know your thoughts in the comments below!

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Day Trip From Vilnius To The Trakai Island Castle

One of the major things I kept seeing when I was researching Vilnius was the castle in the Island near Vilnius and I really wanted to go see it in person. I am so happy I went. It was only a half day trip and getting there was easy and comfortable. 

Post Content: 

• History of Trakai
• Getting to Trakai from Vilnius with Public Transports   
• The Trakai Island Castle
• Other Sights in Trakai

History of Trakai (Why go to Trakai?)

There were two reasons that lead me to Trakai. The pretty castle on the island and the remaining population of the Turkish ethnic minority known as Karaimes, the people who followed a branch of the Jewish faith Full History of Trakai. Both of which date back to the 14th century.  

Getting to Trakai from Vilnius with Public Transports

More information on this map

I took the 12:21 train from the train station in Vilnius straight to Trakai. It was a comfortable and warm double decker train. Each way was 1.80 euros and the journey was 40 minutes. I bought my tickets on the way there from the Vilnius train station. One the way back the station in Trakai was closed, so I just got it from the train for the same price. I got the 17:15 train back. Make sure you check the train times because they aren't very frequent. It's an hour or two wait between them. In worst case scenario, you are able to get two buses to Vilnius, but that's going to take much longer (an hour and a half). 

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The Trakai Island Castle

Entry: €3.50 Student/ €7 Adult ticket + Photography permission €1.50. 
It takes half an hour of walking to reach the castle from the train station, but it's a pleasant walk that could either be done inside the village or alongside the three lakes on the way. 
The castle was even more impressive in person rather than photos. March this year was unexpectedly cold and even colder in Trakai. It was so cold that the lake was completely frozen. I even walked on the lake to the castle rather than taking the bridge. Once you get there, it will take you between two to three hours to see it all, photograph and read most of the information. The structure of the place is what interested me the most. You can clearly see how the castle was rebuilt. the old part was the grey stones and the new one was the red bricks. The inside rooms where well heated and have various exhibitions related to the history of the area. One of the last ones was a little one specific to the Muslims who used to live there and their customs. It was such a good experience to see it. On a side note, the cafes directly around it are over priced and not that great. I went to the traditional one, but it wasn't all that. I would skip them and get something on the way back to the station. 

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Other Sights in Trakai

I am starting with the other sights in Trakai because they all come before the castle on the way to it. You can also see them after the castle, but I didn't have patience and wanted to see everything that was on my way. 

• Orthodox Cathedral
  This is actually one of the first sights I saw walking from the train station (15mins after walking). It was very quiet and there was only one lady observing the space. It was lovely to see. It takes between 5-10 minutes to see and photograph. 

• Wooden Houses
  As you walk to the castle, you will pass by the wooden colourful houses along the main road. It was cool to see them. If it wasn't for the cars parked everywhere I could have taken some amazing photos of that part. 

• Kraimi House of Worship
  As mentioned above the Kraimi is a minority ethnic group in Lithuania. I first thought they were Muslims because of how similar some of their traditions seems, but then realised it was a branch from the Jewish faith. The word used for thus house of worship is kenesset, which means church in Arabic. The location has always housed a place of worship, but this one was rebuilt only in the mid-nineteenth century. It's a square yellow wooden house. Sadly it was closed when I got there, so I couldn't see it on the inside. It should be open during summer times during the week.

For more information check the official tourism website of Trakai

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Islamic History in Lithuania

Just before my trip to Bosnia two years ago, I spoke to Tharik Hussain, a Muslim travel blogger focusing on documenting the European Islamic heritage, who told me over twitter about some of the rich history of Muslims in Europe. Since then, it has been on my mind. I was very busy prior to my Lithuania trip, so I didn't plan it fully, but when I got there, I remembered the European Muslims and looked into the Islamic history of Lithuania further. I looked up the closest mosques to Vilnius and it was the Nemėžis mosque. It was 5km from the city in a little city. I was very tempted by the history of the area that I decided to just go for a visit. I asked my hotel to call the number online and they said they will be open. 

The heritage of the Muslim in Lithuania goes back to the Turkish Tatars that were invited to help in the war because of their warrior reputation. Since their moved, they have preserved their Islamic practice and are spread around Lithuania in specific areas such as Nemėžis and a few others. 

Getting to Nemėžis mosque from Vilnius

Luckily, I was in Vilnius on a Friday, which means that the mosque will be open during prayer time. Finding the right bus and directions was easy through Google Maps. There were two bus options from the main bus station in Vilnius. The journey was half an hour on the bus.

Going back required a bit of wait in the very cold weather though, so plan your return according to the bus schedule because they aren't frequent. 

Nemėžis mosque

The Nemėžis mosque is located 5km from Vilnius and it went through a series of event. The same location housed a place of worship since the 14th century. In 1684 a wooden mosque was officially built. The building itself have been burnt with wars then rebuilt in 1909. It was reopened after the Soviet wars in 1993. Some part of the structure such as the dome are new and from 2009. I was just really curious to see the sight and the simple wooden square that is the mosque. I liked the simplicity of it and I felt nostalgic to what the community once was. There is a graveyard outside of the mosque and I walked through it to see how it was put together. Some graves had pictures engraved on them, which is something I haven't seen before. 

Anything else to see near Nemėžis mosque?

The village is tiny and I didn't find anything else to see or do, so I went back to Vilnius right after the prayers. Maybe I would have walked around it more if the weather was nice, but it was extremely cold and I just left. I was a little shy to approach the men in the mosque that's why I couldn't have asked about other spots and sadly there weren't any women there. 

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If I had more time and connections, I would have gone to the Keturiasdešimt Totorių meaning 40 tatars because the history of it is even older. I couldn't figure out how to get there with public transports and I decided last minute so I had to miss it. Tharik Hussain has written about it though and it's worth a read. 

Click on the image to read it in larger format. It's page 22-23. 

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Best Travel Vlogging Camera

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Last year, I wrote about the Canon vlogging camera I swear by and use for all my travels. Almost an exact year ago actually! I used my previous camera, Canon G7X, for two years and it is still functioning well, but my needs as a vlogger developed the more I created travel content and I felt that it was time to upgrade. Canon has released the EOS M50 in March and after reading about it and watching the available video reviews, I decided to go ahead and get it to improve my filming game.   

Travel Vlogging Camera requirements: 

Most of my videos are about my travels and explorations around the world, so I have a set of requirement that any camera of mine should have. These are my own personal choices that I feel help me with videos. 

• I wanted something light and compact.
  My second camera that I ever bought back in 2013/14 was the Nikon D7100. Although the quality was fantastic, the heavy camera meant that I hardly use it. It was also big and bulky.
• A Camera that Can go without notice.
  I travel a lot of places solo and I didn't want to be a target because of my big fancy camera. My big DSLR has always given me the wrong kind of attention and with a little mirrorless camera it wasn't a problem. People only notice it when I add the mic, but I take lots of footage especially in crowded places without it!
• Flip Screen is a MUST
  As a vlogger, I HAVE to talk to the camera and see myself to make sure I am presentable and more importantly "in focus". Pervious Canon cameras that had a mic input, had the screen flip where the mic would go. Although I watched lots of hack videos that work around this issue, I feel like the flip screen possibilities in the M50 are much better especially that I can close the screen so it doesn't get so scratched up!  
• Mic Input NEEDS to be there
  This was my biggest issue to change the whole camera. Having a real mic seriously makes a difference to the audio quality and now with the light Rode mic (pictured below) this doesn't have to be a heavy set up at all!  
• Camera with Great Quality  
  Good video quality is essential if all you are creating is video and I love the colour that Canon gives me and the over all quality. 

The Canon EOS M50 ticked all my boxes and I made the decision to get it and I can already see the difference and hoping that you can too! I know I sound like an advert, but when you spend nearly £700, you make sure you love that product already before investing! 

Below are some unedited photo examples from the Canon EOS M50:

Added bonus of the EOS M50: The viewfinder!! Which means I don't always have to flip my screen and waste the battery life to take photos. Also I can switch up the lenses! I don't think I would any time soon, but planning on that for next year! 

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Canon EOS M50 unboxing and test video: 

Over to you: what do you think of the Canon EOS M50? And what would you say a very important requirement to you in terms of travel vlogging? 

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