Situated in the trendy Soho district of London, Zebrano is the meeting point for the Facebook group, “London Language Exchange & Social“. Every Wednesday evening, you’ll see new faces at the weekly meet-up. Everybody is welcome to join the group, and I decided to check out together with a friend – arriving together with someone else always helps to make me feel less afraid!
We found the club easily, and a sign led us from the upstairs bar to the downstairs area, complete with a dance floor, seating on the left side, and a bar with many seats on the right. The right area has been reserved for the London Language Exchange & Social meetup. Before entry, I received a note with my name and home country on it – it kind of reminded me of a singles party! This way, I could instantly see where everyone was from, and who I could approach to learn my favorite language. The main aim of the group is for people to improve their language skills, but these meetings are also a good way of getting to know new people.
Thanks to Happy Hour, all drinks were 50% off. Awesome! £8.50 for a cocktail is kind of pushing it, even in London. £4.25 sounds much better. We bought our drinks and started looking for seats – we sat down next to some girls, and funnily enough, they all turned out to be German! It’s weird that Germans always tend to attract other Germans! We chatted for a while, but in English, so that everyone else could understand us and join in. After some time, more and more people joined our table – the occupants of the seats were always changing, and new people were always introducing themselves and making some small talk. It definitely reminded me of speed dating. I felt a bit shy, but the good thing was that I didn’t have to do much; the seat beside me was always occupied!
Occasionally, people exchanged phone numbers or Facebook addresses. In the meantime, I was forced to speak English, which certainly helped me improve my language skills. Others also approached me in order to practice their German. I was constantly being corrected by and correcting others! It was like school all over again – except in this case, we were surrounded by loud, throbbing beats and enjoying our cocktails. If only school had been this way!
Follow my Instagram at readthetrieb_uk to be first in the know about my upcoming adventures!
Image Source: Readthetrieb
