Well, I've made it here to the UK, at last.
Having no commitments in NZ, it was the perfect time to go on the big kiwi OE. I could have done it much earlier, but some circumstances made it inappropriate to do so. And now that time was nearly running out, I finished everything I had in NZ and seized the opportunity with hands, feet and teeth before it got too late.
And now I'm here, and sometimes I have to pinch my arm to really convince myself that I am in the UK. Sometimes I have to take a little bit longer to look at things around me for my mind to register that I am in the UK. Though I do have the odd dream where images of home, family and friends flash in my mind.
Today marks 1 month of life away from NZ. The first month of life in a foreign country is actually very difficult. Rather than asking myself what country I want to visit and what places I want to see, I first had to cope with where to live, where to go to get things, money, bank accounts, national insurance, and buying items that you normally take for granted at home, e.g. a coat hanger, stationery items, etc. Fortunately I kept my wits, had time to get accustomed, getting my belongings (new and existing) in order, and generally starting life over again. At the moment I have done no travelling, just surviving and settling in, which takes more time than you think!
I'm currently based in Reading, which is a temporary arrangement just so that I can get settled in. I'm very keen to live in London as that is where all the action is. The place that I am currently staying in in Reading is very nice, a godsend! I am glad that I found it. If I could find a place like that in London I would be extremely happy.
Now that I've gotten myself the bare essentials of living in the UK, I've more or less started to live life again. I recently bought myself a pair of running shoes, and went for my first training run. I have entered Berkshire's premier road race, the Reading Half Marathon, and I am keen to do very well in it. But perhaps looking at the bigger picture, and one of the reasons in doing my OE in Europe, is that I can run those big marathons in all those big cities around Europe. London, Paris, Berlin, Rotterdam, the possibilities are endless. These marathons are run by the most elite runners in the world, which puts Auckland to shame. They are difficult to get into, but I can enter if I was given the chance. A great way to visit neighbouring countries and doing the sightseeing in the city holding the marathon.
I'm also very keen to get into the Indoor Cricket scene over here, and perhaps play the outdoor game as well. Indoor Cricket is quite difficult to find, but I have one or two places to check out. And I'd like to take up new activities and expand my interests. I have decided to take up snowboarding, something I've always wanted to do back home. There's so many things I want to do, and the thought of it can be overwhelming, especially when I'm still occupied with starting a new life in the UK. I have to keep telling myself: slowly, slowly, slowly, you will get there in time.
As for how long I would be staying here, well the visa is for 3 years. So I return to NZ in 2011, just in time for the Rugby World Cup held in Auckland. However, looking at the bigger picture again, I would like to stay here for the required 5 years to get residency in the UK, and a British passport which my children (if I have any) could possibly use. It's a tough decision, and one that I won't be making lightly.
That's basically my first month here in the UK. I have another month to go before I pass the mark as the longest time period I have spent in a foreign country. Will celebrate this occasion with a visit to the local pub. Or a quiet drink at home with my lovely housemate, Tina.
Finally, the title of this blog post was inspired by DEEN, a long-running popular music group in Japan, with their track also titled Starting Over.
Having no commitments in NZ, it was the perfect time to go on the big kiwi OE. I could have done it much earlier, but some circumstances made it inappropriate to do so. And now that time was nearly running out, I finished everything I had in NZ and seized the opportunity with hands, feet and teeth before it got too late.
And now I'm here, and sometimes I have to pinch my arm to really convince myself that I am in the UK. Sometimes I have to take a little bit longer to look at things around me for my mind to register that I am in the UK. Though I do have the odd dream where images of home, family and friends flash in my mind.
Today marks 1 month of life away from NZ. The first month of life in a foreign country is actually very difficult. Rather than asking myself what country I want to visit and what places I want to see, I first had to cope with where to live, where to go to get things, money, bank accounts, national insurance, and buying items that you normally take for granted at home, e.g. a coat hanger, stationery items, etc. Fortunately I kept my wits, had time to get accustomed, getting my belongings (new and existing) in order, and generally starting life over again. At the moment I have done no travelling, just surviving and settling in, which takes more time than you think!
I'm currently based in Reading, which is a temporary arrangement just so that I can get settled in. I'm very keen to live in London as that is where all the action is. The place that I am currently staying in in Reading is very nice, a godsend! I am glad that I found it. If I could find a place like that in London I would be extremely happy.
Now that I've gotten myself the bare essentials of living in the UK, I've more or less started to live life again. I recently bought myself a pair of running shoes, and went for my first training run. I have entered Berkshire's premier road race, the Reading Half Marathon, and I am keen to do very well in it. But perhaps looking at the bigger picture, and one of the reasons in doing my OE in Europe, is that I can run those big marathons in all those big cities around Europe. London, Paris, Berlin, Rotterdam, the possibilities are endless. These marathons are run by the most elite runners in the world, which puts Auckland to shame. They are difficult to get into, but I can enter if I was given the chance. A great way to visit neighbouring countries and doing the sightseeing in the city holding the marathon.
I'm also very keen to get into the Indoor Cricket scene over here, and perhaps play the outdoor game as well. Indoor Cricket is quite difficult to find, but I have one or two places to check out. And I'd like to take up new activities and expand my interests. I have decided to take up snowboarding, something I've always wanted to do back home. There's so many things I want to do, and the thought of it can be overwhelming, especially when I'm still occupied with starting a new life in the UK. I have to keep telling myself: slowly, slowly, slowly, you will get there in time.
As for how long I would be staying here, well the visa is for 3 years. So I return to NZ in 2011, just in time for the Rugby World Cup held in Auckland. However, looking at the bigger picture again, I would like to stay here for the required 5 years to get residency in the UK, and a British passport which my children (if I have any) could possibly use. It's a tough decision, and one that I won't be making lightly.
That's basically my first month here in the UK. I have another month to go before I pass the mark as the longest time period I have spent in a foreign country. Will celebrate this occasion with a visit to the local pub. Or a quiet drink at home with my lovely housemate, Tina.
Finally, the title of this blog post was inspired by DEEN, a long-running popular music group in Japan, with their track also titled Starting Over.
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