So, it’s wrap. After a nice long holiday and a week ‘working’ at home now I’m beginning te realise that I’m back. It is very comfy here, but I do miss the excitement of working and living in Glasgow. Time to wrap up this big adventure and get on with the next.
So here’s a wee list of stuff, ranging from vaguely negative to more positive:
– Emigrating back and forth in 6 months was hard work. The uncertainties of rules and regulations were nerve-wrecking at times. It has been hard not to get angry because some of the rules seem unfair or silly. Getting a bank account was a big pain, and took me 2 months to do. The key was to get proof of adress: a council tax bill that was sent to my Glasgow flat (of course!).
– Me and my partner are not made to live apart from each other. We knew it would be hard, but not that it would be this hard.
– I had never thought the Scots would take the divide between England and Scotland so serious. I admit, Dutch and Germans aren’t always friends. But that’s only serious when playing football. Many of the Scots truly mean the don’t like the English! They’re quite serious with their religious divide (protestant-catholic) too! I thought this was a civilised country!
– A lot of stuff went breaking in the flat I rented. It’s not handy when the lights are out, you didn’t bring your torch, and you don’t know where to buy new lightbulbs. It’s not comfy when you’re in the middle of your morning shower, and the warm water breaks down for the third time in the week. But then again, who needs warm water to shower? The neighbours were washing from a bucket for a month, and my flat was a good flat, for the ‘upwardly mobile’…
– Culture: I’ve always found UK people fairly normal (apart from the stuff they eat, and great sense of humour). They are quite normal, but still I got my culture shock. Working in the UK is truly different. The atmosphere is more about proving yourself amongst competition, as compared to the Dutch culture of cooperation. I’ve been spoilt in the Netherlands.
– I got a great feelings of pride and achievement after about 3 months to have most stuff sorted, having made a living in a completely new place.
– The location of the flat was great. Straight in the middle of merchant city. Look out of your window, and be amused. Next door was the biggest gay disco in town (I’m definitely too old for that) and Peckhams, a delicatessen shop, open till midnight, with great coffees and cakes.
– I’ve always had ‘a thing’ with Scotland, which has gotten stronger. Glaswegians are great, and the UK image of Glasgow being a ‘rough’ city is completely wrong. I’ve been ‘everywhere’, and the only bad experience I had on the streets was on the train from Largs. Glasgow is a poor city, that can do with a big cleanup, but I found the people to be honest and straightforward. And oh, Scotland is beautiful.
– I had a great way to update on my knowledge and skills, by working with fairly brilliant people at the Academy. I got in touch with some great new online tools and updated my knowledge on EU-bids, knowledge management, cultural differences, institutional politics, consultancy, and workplace learning.
– It was all so very interesting, and has provided source of great stories, and a place to re-visit. I now have a favourite loch (Little Loch Broom), a Glasgow local bar (the Waterloo), great ex-colleagues, new sailing friends, and a nice stash of single malt whiskies. I couldn’t help thinking: ‘when I’m old and grey, playing my billiards in an elderly home, this will make a nice story’ 😉
Weewinnips 