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Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Hi,
My husband Mike and I (and our two young daughters), are friends with Paladin and Mrs. P (and their two young daughters). They seem to have gained infinite wisdom from this site, so we thought we should join as well. We have only just applied for British Citizenship though, but we are Expats (from the States) and will hopefully become British Expats as soon as our EOI is accepted... so hopefully we are still welcome? Sarah |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by vander
(Post 4441606)
Hi,
My husband Mike and I (and our two young daughters), are friends with Paladin and Mrs. P (and their two young daughters). They seem to have gained infinite wisdom from this site, so we thought we should join as well. We have only just applied for British Citizenship though, but we are Expats (from the States) and will hopefully become British Expats as soon as our EOI is accepted... so hopefully we are still welcome? Sarah Welcome to the mad house Sarah How long have you been here?? I'd be very interested to compare the 2 countries on how easy/hard the process is :unsure: :unsure: What are your reasons for choosing the UK??? ( sorry if I'm being a nosey cow!!) |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Welcome Sarah! And the other Sarah's right, it is a madhouse here. :D
Whereabouts are you from in the US? I'm an expat Brit and live just outside Chicago. We still have a ton of snow on the ground, but at least it's got above freezing in the last couple of days... ;) |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Hi.
Thanks for the welcome! I grew up in San Diego, but lived (during University) in San Francisco, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Maryland (where I was born) but we have family in Chicago and the surrounding states. Maz -- how do you like it? You moved from cold to colder weather-- why? We've been over here for 5 years and choose it because Mike studied Physio in Aberdeen, Scotland and really wanted to practice in a socialised system. It's been a really great experience living over here. There is really no comparison on getting into the UK and NZ -- it was so easy to come over here. Mike just called up a recruiter and said he wanted a job and they told him he could work in Swansea, Blackpool, or Liverpool. We choose the first and they handled the rest. NZ on the other hand feels like it is taking years and costing a bundle.... Sarah -- where are you living now? |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by vander
(Post 4441993)
Hi.
Thanks for the welcome! I grew up in San Diego, but lived (during University) in San Francisco, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Maryland (where I was born) but we have family in Chicago and the surrounding states. Maz -- how do you like it? You moved from cold to colder weather-- why? |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by vander
(Post 4441993)
Hi.
Thanks for the welcome! I grew up in San Diego, but lived (during University) in San Francisco, Santa Fe, New Mexico and Maryland (where I was born) but we have family in Chicago and the surrounding states. Maz -- how do you like it? You moved from cold to colder weather-- why? We've been over here for 5 years and choose it because Mike studied Physio in Aberdeen, Scotland and really wanted to practice in a socialised system. It's been a really great experience living over here. There is really no comparison on getting into the UK and NZ -- it was so easy to come over here. Mike just called up a recruiter and said he wanted a job and they told him he could work in Swansea, Blackpool, or Liverpool. We choose the first and they handled the rest. NZ on the other hand feels like it is taking years and costing a bundle.... Sarah -- where are you living now? Still stuck here hun :frown: Hoping to get blue stickers in te passports before long & then we're off to Blenheim, just east of where Paladin & co. fancy. Are you still in Swansea?? |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by kev&sarah
(Post 4442262)
Still stuck here hun :frown:
Hoping to get blue stickers in te passports before long & then we're off to Blenheim, just east of where Paladin & co. fancy. Are you still in Swansea?? Watch out for the coppers in Renwick. pulled me over for not going fast enough:frown: |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by SirEglamore
(Post 4442891)
Watch out for the coppers in Renwick. pulled me over for not going fast enough:frown:
:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Welcome to the forum Vander :)
I'm not a British citizen, although lived in the UK for a few years before moving to New Zealand....hence joining the forum ;) And I'm also American on my mom's side, even if not born in the US so I also see it as my home. Enjoy the forum and all the best, Jen :thumbup:
Originally Posted by vander
(Post 4441606)
Hi,
My husband Mike and I (and our two young daughters), are friends with Paladin and Mrs. P (and their two young daughters). They seem to have gained infinite wisdom from this site, so we thought we should join as well. We have only just applied for British Citizenship though, but we are Expats (from the States) and will hopefully become British Expats as soon as our EOI is accepted... so hopefully we are still welcome? Sarah |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by vander
(Post 4441606)
Hi,
My husband Mike and I (and our two young daughters), are friends with Paladin and Mrs. P (and their two young daughters). They seem to have gained infinite wisdom from this site, so we thought we should join as well. We have only just applied for British Citizenship though, but we are Expats (from the States) and will hopefully become British Expats as soon as our EOI is accepted... so hopefully we are still welcome? Sarah |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Thanks again.
The more I read of this forum, the more it plays on my insecurities about going to NZ. We have been thinking about Wellington, since it looks like my job will require us to live in one of the bigger cities, but after reading how bad the weather has been recently, it doesn’t sound much different from South Wales!? I also get the impression from some of the posts that having bbq’s and going to the beach are the main reasons for immigrating to NZ or OZ and you might be belittled if you want to discuss any other than sports? Is this true? Where can I find views on the main benefits people have experienced from immigrating to NZ -- especially from people who have opted for an improved lifestyle over financial security? |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by vander
(Post 4456157)
Thanks again.
The more I read of this forum, the more it plays on my insecurities about going to NZ. We have been thinking about Wellington, since it looks like my job will require us to live in one of the bigger cities, but after reading how bad the weather has been recently, it doesn’t sound much different from South Wales!? I also get the impression from some of the posts that having bbq’s and going to the beach are the main reasons for immigrating to NZ or OZ and you might be belittled if you want to discuss any other than sports? Is this true? Where can I find views on the main benefits people have experienced from immigrating to NZ -- especially from people who have opted for an improved lifestyle over financial security? the problem with this site is that it is all people's own opinions and you will tend to pick out the bits you want to listen to (the nice bits). I was in Welly for just over 3 weeks - 26degrees everyday. If you had read that first, would you still think it was South Wales? The slower pace of life became very apparent to me within a week of getting there (and emphasised even more when we returned to the UK - got such a culture shock). There are subtle differences that makes the country a very pleasent place to live. Cant quite put my finger on it - and I only went to 2 BBQs and the beach about 4 times! You have to check it out for yourself - dont solely rely on what you read in this forum. :) Kate |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by vander
(Post 4456157)
Thanks again.
The more I read of this forum, the more it plays on my insecurities about going to NZ. We have been thinking about Wellington, since it looks like my job will require us to live in one of the bigger cities, but after reading how bad the weather has been recently, it doesn’t sound much different from South Wales!? I also get the impression from some of the posts that having bbq’s and going to the beach are the main reasons for immigrating to NZ or OZ and you might be belittled if you want to discuss any other than sports? Is this true? Where can I find views on the main benefits people have experienced from immigrating to NZ -- especially from people who have opted for an improved lifestyle over financial security? Hi Vander, today is quite cool - thank god because the last 4 weeks with the exception of a couple of odd days has been scorching hot. Wellington is windy - is the weather one of your reasons for emigrating? We go to the beach several evenings a week - it allows our kids to run around, let off steam after school and explore the natural environment - we didn't spend thousands of pounds to emigrate specifically to go the beach :) but one of the things on our list was to spend more time together as a family and to have a more outdoor life - we also go for walks in the parks and to the lagoon at the bottom of our road. We are not sun worshippers and dont go and sit on the beach day in and day out, we tend to go early evening, collect shells and watch the sting rays playing in the bay. We have had one bbq since we got here and have been to one - I personally am not mad about having bbqs but they are a nice way to entertain people without having to do a ton of cooking and they are very social occasions, people bring a "plate" of food and everyone seems to muck in. It's also nice to be able to take advantage of the nice weather. I haven't personally seen many posts about people having / going to bbqs. I know nothing of sport but have not been socially isolated because of this - my husband was an avid football fan in the UK and talks about footie when he meets like minded people but it doesn't rule his life. In fact he is less into sport here than he was at home. Rugby is obviously the bigie here but again no-one expects you to talk about it, in my experience you will not be belittled for not talking about sport. It might be worthwhile starting a thread asking your question about the benefits but from my (short) experience : We're earning less than we did in he UK but that's fine because we accounted for that and the cost of living is less. My kids are extremely happy at school, they are allowed to be kids and take more risks than they did (or were allowed to) at school in the UK. They have made lots of friends and are socially accepted by their peers. The kids here are pleasant, respectful and just nice kids - even the ones who appear to be bit more streetwise! As someone pointed out recently even the "scallies" say thank you to the bus driver:) There is so much to do and see that we are rarely in and my kids do not sit and play on computer games after school / at the weekends because they are at friends / out with us / playing in the street (which they couldn't do in the UK) or doing homework - of which there is more but it is actually interesting to the kids and encourages more parent participation.There is no pressure on kids (or adults) to have the most trendy designer labels, the most recent computer consoles, best mobile phones etc. The view from the window of our new house is of the bay and the mountains, we couldn't have afforded a similar house in the UK - despite being on more money. Our view in the UK was of a row of houses just like ours! We have met lots of like minded people and there is a real community spirit here, more so than what we experienced in the UK and we lived in a decent community in the UK. NZ has exceeded our expectations and I have to say a positive attitude is one of the most important things. We plan to spend our future holidays exploring NZ, we don't feel the need to go abroad (but that may be because it is all new to us). I even sugested yesterday that we buy a tent in the sale - I spent all my childhood on camping holidays and said "never again" but I am now looking forward to doing the same with my kids. My kids are thriving, my husband and I are very happy. We couldn't comtemplate returning to the UK at present. I must say not long before we came out I got really worried after reading some posts - I thought we'd have no money, be living in a damp, bug infested shack with no mates and no food working all the hours that God sends for no extra money and paying through the nose for childcare, I stopped reading those posts in the end! It may be worthwhile scrolling back and reading the positive New Zealand thread, it might give you some idea of the good things here and I look forward to hearing your reasons for wanting to emigrate to NZ (if that's not too personal).:D |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by donnaf
(Post 4458372)
Hi Vander,
today is quite cool - thank god because the last 4 weeks with the exception of a couple of odd days has been scorching hot. Wellington is windy - is the weather one of your reasons for emigrating? We go to the beach several evenings a week - it allows our kids to run around, let off steam after school and explore the natural environment - we didn't spend thousands of pounds to emigrate specifically to go the beach :) but one of the things on our list was to spend more time together as a family and to have a more outdoor life - we also go for walks in the parks and to the lagoon at the bottom of our road. We are not sun worshippers and dont go and sit on the beach day in and day out, we tend to go early evening, collect shells and watch the sting rays playing in the bay. We have had one bbq since we got here and have been to one - I personally am not mad about having bbqs but they are a nice way to entertain people without having to do a ton of cooking and they are very social occasions, people bring a "plate" of food and everyone seems to muck in. It's also nice to be able to take advantage of the nice weather. I haven't personally seen many posts about people having / going to bbqs. I know nothing of sport but have not been socially isolated because of this - my husband was an avid football fan in the UK and talks about footie when he meets like minded people but it doesn't rule his life. In fact he is less into sport here than he was at home. Rugby is obviously the bigie here but again no-one expects you to talk about it, in my experience you will not be belittled for not talking about sport. It might be worthwhile starting a thread asking your question about the benefits but from my (short) experience : We're earning less than we did in he UK but that's fine because we accounted for that and the cost of living is less. My kids are extremely happy at school, they are allowed to be kids and take more risks than they did (or were allowed to) at school in the UK. They have made lots of friends and are socially accepted by their peers. The kids here are pleasant, respectful and just nice kids - even the ones who appear to be bit more streetwise! As someone pointed out recently even the "scallies" say thank you to the bus driver:) There is so much to do and see that we are rarely in and my kids do not sit and play on computer games after school / at the weekends because they are at friends / out with us / playing in the street (which they couldn't do in the UK) or doing homework - of which there is more but it is actually interesting to the kids and encourages more parent participation.There is no pressure on kids (or adults) to have the most trendy designer labels, the most recent computer consoles, best mobile phones etc. The view from the window of our new house is of the bay and the mountains, we couldn't have afforded a similar house in the UK - despite being on more money. Our view in the UK was of a row of houses just like ours! We have met lots of like minded people and there is a real community spirit here, more so than what we experienced in the UK and we lived in a decent community in the UK. NZ has exceeded our expectations and I have to say a positive attitude is one of the most important things. We plan to spend our future holidays exploring NZ, we don't feel the need to go abroad (but that may be because it is all new to us). I even sugested yesterday that we buy a tent in the sale - I spent all my childhood on camping holidays and said "never again" but I am now looking forward to doing the same with my kids. My kids are thriving, my husband and I are very happy. We couldn't comtemplate returning to the UK at present. I must say not long before we came out I got really worried after reading some posts - I thought we'd have no money, be living in a damp, bug infested shack with no mates and no food working all the hours that God sends for no extra money and paying through the nose for childcare, I stopped reading those posts in the end! It may be worthwhile scrolling back and reading the positive New Zealand thread, it might give you some idea of the good things here and I look forward to hearing your reasons for wanting to emigrate to NZ (if that's not too personal).:D |
Re: Is it ok that I'm not British... yet?
Originally Posted by vander
(Post 4441606)
Hi,
My husband Mike and I (and our two young daughters), are friends with Paladin and Mrs. P (and their two young daughters). They seem to have gained infinite wisdom from this site, so we thought we should join as well. We have only just applied for British Citizenship though, but we are Expats (from the States) and will hopefully become British Expats as soon as our EOI is accepted... so hopefully we are still welcome? Sarah Um.....Is there any reason why you are applying for UK citizenship, then going to do the whole process again to come to NZ? :confused: Donna, what a lovely post! Glad you guys are happy and loving it! :D |
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