Expat Life

You may think that the London Underground offers up the ultimate in awkward or unpleasant experiences when it comes to public transport travel, but maybe that's because you haven't yet experienced the latest craze in Aussie comedy: public transport pranking.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK I With 960,536 followers, "The Queen" is treating a lot of lucky tweeters to her innermost thoughts. Let's take a look at what our Elizabeth Windsor (@Queen_UK) has been up to this week.

Billed as the “contemporary art event of the year”, GARETH MOHEN searches for meaning at London’s Freize Art Fair.

ASTUTE AUSSIE IN LONDON | Picture this. You are on stage presenting. And then it happens. You are looking out at the audience and your mind goes blank.

ASTUTE AUSSIE IN LONDON | Just the idea of speaking in public is enough to make many of us break out into a cold sweat. But what are we actually so afraid of? Here we highlight some of the common reasons why we become so scared of public speaking, and...

ASTUTE AUSSIE IN LONDON | If you have ever been told to stop monkeying around at work, it may be harder than you think. Are we a bunch of chimpanzees running around the office?

TUBE TALK | London: I’m coming for you. But Australia, I will always call you home.

Prime Minister Julia Gillard addressing Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in the Australian Parliament, accusing him of sexism and misogyny - full transcript of the speech.

ASTUTE AUSSIE IN LONDON | My English friends always point out how easy going we Australians are and how happily Aussies say “yes” to most things. However, whether at work or at home, always saying “yes” can sometimes put us between a rock and a hard place. Learn how to...

One can only imagine the distress and heartache that Jill Meagher’s family and friends surely experienced in the long days following her disappearance. Not knowing what may have happened to her, who might be involved and when they may see her again, there was, in that time nothing for them...

Recently we saw some idiots in the Sydney CBD run amok, damage property, hold up offensive slogans and generally look ridiculous. For me, this brought up memories of 2005 when some other idiots trooped down to Cronulla and did the same.

ASTUTE AUSSIE IN LONDON | One things Aussies like is a good conversation. We are a curious bunch. We love to ask questions and find out about others. But there is an art to asking questions that goes beyond just the words we say. Sometimes questions can sound like an...

ASTUTE AUSSIE IN LONDON | We Aussies love getting up close and personal: throwing a thumbs up as a true blue way of showing we are happy to be around someone. However, despite our best intentions, our message may not be making the right impact.

Sadly, the time has come for me to farewell the Aussie Times faithful and hand the reins of our wonderful publication over to our fantastic new Editor — Alexandra Ivett.

On any other day, the image of a man carrying a furry gorilla head in an Iceland shopping bag on the London Underground would be a cause for concern.

LOST IN LONDON | The Lonsdale, of Notting Hill, is like the mullet of English pubs. It’s all business out the front, party on the inside.

Italians swinging punches and using headlocks in front of aghast schoolchildren. Greeks throwing glasses of water in each other faces. And Australians pointing fingers, shouting taunts and calling each other names. No, this isn’t a schoolyard. It’s just schoolyard politics. On a global scale. And it no longer has my...

Our resident adventurer takes advantage of London’s ‘Open House’ weekend to find out what really goes on behind this city’s closed doors, and manages to cross both #16 King’s Place and #10 Wigmore Hall off her Top 100 list along the way.

TWEETS OF THE WEEK | Twitter trends hot for Julia Gillard's smackdown speech about Tony Abbott's misogynistic and sexist behavior.

After so much online debate, I finally caved and purchased Fifty Shades of Grey. Based on the Twilight series with beginnings as a work of fan fiction, it is fair to say I had low expectations for this book which has been widely branded as ‘mummy porn’.

Ah, the London dating scene. Scary, intimidating, so many rules… And there’s a fair share of players out there too. Luckily there’s enough dating events in London to keep even Hugh Heffner happy.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | Nine months. That's how long it takes for a fetus to grow into a baby that is ready to leave the womb. It's also the title of a 90s rom-com featuring Hugh Grant.

BRON IN THE DON | For our resident London adventurer, going to the movies is one of her all-time favourite activities. That’s why, when offered the chance to tick #18 of her London Top 100 list and visit the BFI on the Southbank, she jumped at the chance and busted...

ASTUTE AUSSIE IN LONDON | Your contract has been going along smoothly. An initial three month contract has rolled over and 12 months later you are still with the same organisation.

BRON IN THE DON | With the Carnival madness behind us for another year, our resident adventurer looks back at Europe’s biggest street party — and #99 on her London Top 100 list.

LOST IN LONDON | For those of you that know me, you’ll know that sometimes the mere act of standing upright is a challenge, let alone propelling forward in a horizontal motion (otherwise known as walking). And that’s when there is a clear path ahead of me, and the occasional...

In it’s 48th year, the popular festival that celebrates London’s diversity turns quiet Notting Hill into a sea of sequins and coloured feathers.

BRON IN THE DON | Everyone who has visited London has heard of Westminster Abbey, and rightly so - the building itself is stunning, not to mention all the Royal goings on that have happened there over the years. However not many people have heard of the Westminster Cathedral, #60...

ASTUTE AUSSIE IN LONDON | One of the many qualities that make Australians popular bosses, colleagues and employees is our self-confidence.

LOST IN LONDON | Yes, I know the Jubilee was months ago. And yes, there has been, oh I don’t know, the little matter of the Olympics in the meantime to help delete the collective memory of the BBC's coverage pondering how many toilet breaks the Royals would have needed...

BRON IN THE DON | One of London’s more famous and alternative suburbs — Camden — gets the going over by our resident adventurer, who enjoyed a fun filled night out on the Camden tiles and got to tick off #81 of her London Top 100.

LOST IN LONDON | Back in Australia when I was picturing myself in London, in my imaginings I was always excellently dressed.

TUBE TALK | “The world is our home; the Tube is our hallway to the rooms; so strut baby strut!”

Sometimes it can be tough living so far away from home and family, but for MELISSA SHORTAL who has lived in London for quite some years now, she has become acclimatised to being away from Australia. There are however, some Australian bits and pieces that she just can’t live without...

It’s over. The summer Olympics is done and dusted. My Games Maker uniform is washed, folded away and sitting in storage. The atmosphere was jubilant, encouraging and supportive. We clapped and cheered until the last person crossed over the finish line. I felt a sense of solidarity with athletes, volunteers...

Empty your pockets and get ready to swim, cycle, run — it’s time for SEPI ROSHAN to take you through her amazing experience of being a London 2012 Games Maker.

TUBE TALK | Lately I’ve been paying extra attention to my fellow commuters and have come to the conclusion that the Tube has a special affect on people. It’s almost like a trance.

LOST IN LONDON | “Salty nuts … who wants a big bag of my salty nuts?”

BRON IN THE DON | Our musically talented London adventurer indulges in London’s annual cultural festival — The Proms at Royal Albert Hall — and ticks #30 off her Top 100 list.

RIGHT SAID ED | On the eve of the 2012 Olympic Games, I was walking through north London in a pretty and unobtrusive back alley, when out the corner of my eye I spotted a very familiar sight.

Hello fair people of Great Britain! Greetings from the azure skies and jonquil-yellow beaches of Australia, jolly John and Jane Bulls! Yes, you know who you are; cheeky chappies and lasses who have been naughtily skipping your studies for intense sports training!

TUBE TALK | For the last few weeks, I have been unfaithful…There, I said it.

ASK THE EXPERT | What is the new criteria for the dependency visa?

BRON IN THE DON | With Olympic fever officially gripping absolutely everyone inside the English capital (and possibly the world) our resident adventurer set off to explore the vibrant hub of London 2012 - Olympic Park - and mark #7 off her London Top 100 list.

Moving to the UK from Australia is therefore easier than moving to any other European country.

THE HARD WORD | A recent study found travellers who go on camping holidays in the UK will find their break less stressful than those who head abroad. So why such vehement opposition to the whole thing? Why do some deplore the idea of finding the camper within us all?

TUBE TALK | CAN I get in? Move down a little! Oooh, watch your hands.

ASK THE EXPERT | Will new family migration laws affect my spouse visa?

BRON IN THE DON | London is world renowned for its comedy scene, so when our resident adventurer went to tick #6 of her London Top 100 list, The Comedy Club, she got a barrelful of laughs and a whole lot more.

LIFE AFTER LONDON | When the tram pulls up, the doors open. The stairs are crowded with people. You step up and shuffle your way into the tiny space the stair dwellers have made for you.