Interviewer: Where in London do you live, Elena?

Elena: I'm renting an apartment in Hampstead. It's a really nice area in the north
of the city, but it's very expensive.
Interviewer: And how long have you lived here?
Elena: Well, I first came to London seven years ago - for the summer, but I didn't
decide to actually move here until last year. I'm planning to spend five years here
- but we'll see.
Interviewer: What do you enjoy about living in the city?
Elena: Well, there are a lot of things to do here. There are fantastic plays and
musicals on in the theatres. Of course, I hardly ever see any of them because
they're expensive and I'm busy working in the evenings. But it's great to be in a
big city where these things happen. I often meet friends in local cafes and
restaurants. There are some wonderful places to eat and drink in the city. And, on
sunny weekends, we go to a park and have a picnic. People think that London is
polluted and full of traffic. That's true, of course. But it's also a very green
city with wonderful parks full of trees and flowers.
Interviewer: And are there any drawbacks?
Elena: Well, yes. The cost of living is very high. I can't go out as often as in
Spain because everything is so expensive. And the weather is, well, typically
English. I didn't know it could rain so often. A lot of days are grey and cold. You
need a good coat and an umbrella here.
Interviewer: What do you miss about Spain?
Elena: The weather. My mum. I still miss having her around. I don't miss my two
crazy brothers at all! When I first arrived, I used to miss good strong coffee.
English people drink a lot of coffee but they like it very weak. It's like water.
Anyway, now I've stopped drinking coffee and I've become a tea drinker. I'm
starting to feel very English!