There’s an article in the free Dharamshala community magazine, Contact Mag, about life in England. It’s headed: So you want to go to the west? and starts:

What about England? It’s a small island situated between the Atlantic Ocean and the North Sea with a population of 60 million. You could live a long life as life expectancy is 80 for women and 75 for men. There are 78 cell phones per 100 people.

It goes on to talk about the animals that English people kill in their gardens and homes, shops full of sprays and insecticides, how expensive a cup of chai is, and how carol singing has been banned.

Some quotes:

London is a frenetic fast-paced city which is competitive and materialistic. …it can be scary and lonely as everyone takes care only of themselves.

If you travel on the trains and buses, you are in for a treat. The trains, very often carpeted, are clean with upholstered seats, a restaurant and snack bar… If they are even two or three minutes late there will be an announcer over the intercom apologizing.

London is a very expensive city and accommodation is not easy to find. A shared room in a hostel could cost Rs 15,000 [£200] per month… So how will you afford these prices? You will have to work very hard and long hours. Sometimes you can get two or three jobs like waitering, selling or manual labouring.

The article ends:

When you are in England and your bad karma catches up with you, you might feel sad and lonely. Who will you turn to in a country full of strangers? Where will you go for help and spiritual guidance? Will you miss your friends and maybe family? Will you miss His Holiness [the Dalai Lama]?