UK hasn`t changed a bit!!
#1
UK hasn`t changed a bit!!
We have just returned from 12 days in the UK (to see family and friends) then 4 days in Spain (in laws) and finally 4 days in Hong Kong(pleasure). Despite all the doom and gloom from people that we know that have been back and some posts on BE , i have to say that the part of the country that we were originally from hasn`t changed a bit. For some reason I had this image of a rubbish filled graffiti ridden, immigrant filled hell hole. But our sleepy little village is still just that. It was great to catch up with friends, real friends, the type that have known you all your life.
We deliberately cut the trip down to 12 days as we didn`t want to go through all that raw emotion ,like when we left and thought that we would have had enough after 12 days. We thought that we could slip in and out under the radar and just see the people that were important to us. We made a point of not going round visiting as we felt that we had made the biggest journey so if people wanted to come see us, they would come to the house that a good mate had given us for our stay.
We set aside the 2 Saturday nights that we were there to go to 2 of our local pubs. We e mailed a few people to let them know that we`d be there. This worked really well, especially the second Saturday as there were about 20+ people that came to see us. We were blown away by how interested some people were. As a family, before we arrived in the UK, we agreed that we wouldn`t blurt on about New Zealand as we knew that some people didn`t really want to know. We would wait until someone asked. That Saturday night, I felt like an advert for immigration NZ, I was however pretty honest about some of the problems that there are here, even if they don`t affect me.
I guess my conclusion would be that , all though we were all dreading our trip back, we all really enjoyed it and the memories are all good ones. Next time we will be looking forward to it and will definitely go for longer.
Spain is a great big unfinished building site.
Hong Kong is an amazing place and a great place to stop.
Cheers
Ash
We deliberately cut the trip down to 12 days as we didn`t want to go through all that raw emotion ,like when we left and thought that we would have had enough after 12 days. We thought that we could slip in and out under the radar and just see the people that were important to us. We made a point of not going round visiting as we felt that we had made the biggest journey so if people wanted to come see us, they would come to the house that a good mate had given us for our stay.
We set aside the 2 Saturday nights that we were there to go to 2 of our local pubs. We e mailed a few people to let them know that we`d be there. This worked really well, especially the second Saturday as there were about 20+ people that came to see us. We were blown away by how interested some people were. As a family, before we arrived in the UK, we agreed that we wouldn`t blurt on about New Zealand as we knew that some people didn`t really want to know. We would wait until someone asked. That Saturday night, I felt like an advert for immigration NZ, I was however pretty honest about some of the problems that there are here, even if they don`t affect me.
I guess my conclusion would be that , all though we were all dreading our trip back, we all really enjoyed it and the memories are all good ones. Next time we will be looking forward to it and will definitely go for longer.
Spain is a great big unfinished building site.
Hong Kong is an amazing place and a great place to stop.
Cheers
Ash
#2
Re: UK hasn`t changed a bit!!
Glad you enjoyed being back and feeling positive about next time!
Totally agree ... HK great for a stopover! and most of Spain an un-finished building site!!
Totally agree ... HK great for a stopover! and most of Spain an un-finished building site!!
#3
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,787
Re: UK hasn`t changed a bit!!
We have just returned from 12 days in the UK (to see family and friends) then 4 days in Spain (in laws) and finally 4 days in Hong Kong(pleasure). Despite all the doom and gloom from people that we know that have been back and some posts on BE , i have to say that the part of the country that we were originally from hasn`t changed a bit. For some reason I had this image of a rubbish filled graffiti ridden, immigrant filled hell hole. But our sleepy little village is still just that. It was great to catch up with friends, real friends, the type that have known you all your life.
We deliberately cut the trip down to 12 days as we didn`t want to go through all that raw emotion ,like when we left and thought that we would have had enough after 12 days. We thought that we could slip in and out under the radar and just see the people that were important to us. We made a point of not going round visiting as we felt that we had made the biggest journey so if people wanted to come see us, they would come to the house that a good mate had given us for our stay.
We set aside the 2 Saturday nights that we were there to go to 2 of our local pubs. We e mailed a few people to let them know that we`d be there. This worked really well, especially the second Saturday as there were about 20+ people that came to see us. We were blown away by how interested some people were. As a family, before we arrived in the UK, we agreed that we wouldn`t blurt on about New Zealand as we knew that some people didn`t really want to know. We would wait until someone asked. That Saturday night, I felt like an advert for immigration NZ, I was however pretty honest about some of the problems that there are here, even if they don`t affect me.
I guess my conclusion would be that , all though we were all dreading our trip back, we all really enjoyed it and the memories are all good ones. Next time we will be looking forward to it and will definitely go for longer.
Spain is a great big unfinished building site.
Hong Kong is an amazing place and a great place to stop.
Cheers
Ash
We deliberately cut the trip down to 12 days as we didn`t want to go through all that raw emotion ,like when we left and thought that we would have had enough after 12 days. We thought that we could slip in and out under the radar and just see the people that were important to us. We made a point of not going round visiting as we felt that we had made the biggest journey so if people wanted to come see us, they would come to the house that a good mate had given us for our stay.
We set aside the 2 Saturday nights that we were there to go to 2 of our local pubs. We e mailed a few people to let them know that we`d be there. This worked really well, especially the second Saturday as there were about 20+ people that came to see us. We were blown away by how interested some people were. As a family, before we arrived in the UK, we agreed that we wouldn`t blurt on about New Zealand as we knew that some people didn`t really want to know. We would wait until someone asked. That Saturday night, I felt like an advert for immigration NZ, I was however pretty honest about some of the problems that there are here, even if they don`t affect me.
I guess my conclusion would be that , all though we were all dreading our trip back, we all really enjoyed it and the memories are all good ones. Next time we will be looking forward to it and will definitely go for longer.
Spain is a great big unfinished building site.
Hong Kong is an amazing place and a great place to stop.
Cheers
Ash
but it was horrible coming back to the winter I must say and add to that I have been Ill since being back hope its not wine flu! oops I meant swine flu ha ha
#4
Re: UK hasn`t changed a bit!!
Sounds like you had a good trip after all gawgus? You missed out the bit about "Other than missing Loolah so much I was in physical pain ..."
#5
Re: UK hasn`t changed a bit!!
Know what? I missed you so much that we are talking about moving from all the way over here, back to, all the way over there just to be close to you!! Well that and i might be opening a business in the Mount.
#6
Re: UK hasn`t changed a bit!!
Oooooo, you sooooooo have to phone me tomorrow!