今日はブログのタイトルとれーアウトを変えてみた。”さよなら日本、Ow do ヨークシャー”になった。"Ow do"というの、北イングランドの挨拶。元気？かこにちわ！みたいな表現です。
昨年日本から出て、ヨークシャーまで引越しした。最近、ヨークシャーの観光地かイギリスの生活についての発見について書いているなので、このタイトルはブログにもっと合うかな。
バイリンガル子供育ち体験と英会話・英語の教え方をもちろん、続いて書きます。
よろしくお願いしますー
You'll notice I've changed my blog's title and background today. It's called Sayonara Japan, Ow do Yorkshire. "Ow do" is a greeting from the North which means, "How are you?" or "Hello!".
As I left Japan for Yorkshire last year I thought it is a good title. I've noticed my writing these days is about discovering new places in Yorkshire and learning new things life in the UK.
I'll continue to share experiences of raising bilingual children and ideas for home teaching, especially English and Japanese.
Thanks for continuing to read!
Showing posts with label gaijin returns to UK. Show all posts
Showing posts with label gaijin returns to UK. Show all posts
Tuesday, 28 February 2012
Saturday, 13 August 2011
Reverse culture shock in England
I had heard about reverse culture shock but I didn’t think too much about it as we landed at Manchester Airport in May. I was anticipating a new challenge to start our lives in my home country. I wasn’t overly sad to leave Japan or overly happy that I was back on British soil. Of course it was super to see my family again and sit on the sofa in my old home, drinking tea and watching TV with my parents.
Soon after arriving we started to make our imprints in the British system. We tried to open a bank account for my husband. It seemed to take forever. We also applied for Child Benefit and Child Tax credits as well as my husband’s National Insurance number. Suddenly there was form filling, telephone calls and visits to tax offices and job centres. As recent news reports confirm, the slow and inefficient service provided by the HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) was a real rude-awakening for us.When asked to do duplicate paperwork, send off passports that were then untraceable for two weeks, followed by being put on hold on 0845 numbers with very high rates, our tempers were frayed to say the least.
I felt a lot of anger dealing with all this. Already my husband is pretty negative about the UK work-ethic.This was not what I had promised my family when we planned to move to the UK. I imagined a better family life, with more leisure time spent enjoying lovely summer evenings. A bit too idyllic a dream on hindsight, as neither of us can enjoy much leisure time in the evening looking after two little kids! British friends advised us to wait and be patient, things will get done, people are busy. And slowly things are moving for us. Our passports have been returned, Child Benefit has been approved and deposited in our bank, my husband has his National Insurance number. The slowness of bureaucracy is something we have to deal with.
It’s still early days and I’m sure more hurdles as well as idyllic summer nights(!) will be waiting for us down the road. It’s a challenge, and that’s part of what I came home for. Seeing my parents play with their grandchildren makes me smile and realize yes this is the main reason why I am back home.
Soon after arriving we started to make our imprints in the British system. We tried to open a bank account for my husband. It seemed to take forever. We also applied for Child Benefit and Child Tax credits as well as my husband’s National Insurance number. Suddenly there was form filling, telephone calls and visits to tax offices and job centres. As recent news reports confirm, the slow and inefficient service provided by the HMRC (Her Majesty’s Revenue and Customs) was a real rude-awakening for us.When asked to do duplicate paperwork, send off passports that were then untraceable for two weeks, followed by being put on hold on 0845 numbers with very high rates, our tempers were frayed to say the least.
I felt a lot of anger dealing with all this. Already my husband is pretty negative about the UK work-ethic.This was not what I had promised my family when we planned to move to the UK. I imagined a better family life, with more leisure time spent enjoying lovely summer evenings. A bit too idyllic a dream on hindsight, as neither of us can enjoy much leisure time in the evening looking after two little kids! British friends advised us to wait and be patient, things will get done, people are busy. And slowly things are moving for us. Our passports have been returned, Child Benefit has been approved and deposited in our bank, my husband has his National Insurance number. The slowness of bureaucracy is something we have to deal with.
It’s still early days and I’m sure more hurdles as well as idyllic summer nights(!) will be waiting for us down the road. It’s a challenge, and that’s part of what I came home for. Seeing my parents play with their grandchildren makes me smile and realize yes this is the main reason why I am back home.
Friday, 24 June 2011
Getting ready for work and moving house 仕事の準備と引っ越し
reイギリスに引っ越して一か月以上たちました。
仕事決まりました。9月から小学校で、アシスタント教師になります。
そして Sowerby Bridge と言う町に、引っ越しは後ちょっとで決まりそうです。(West Yorkshire のHebden Bridge と Halifaxの間です）
することが沢山で、毎日かなり忙しいけど楽しい。
仕事は子供と一緒に働くなら、ＣＲＢチェックが必要。（Criminal Records Bureau Check） このチェックは自分のcriminal record があるかどうかを検討します。ずっと日本に住んでいましたなのに、日本の警察に自分 のPolice Clearance Certificate を頼みにしないといけないです。
そのために、ランカシャー本部の警察官まで行って、申し込み書に指をプリントして、次の日に、ロンドンにある日本の大使館まで持って行きました。
これから二か月かかりそうだ。
気づいたこと：
日本の早いと丁寧のサービスはすごい。大使館に入ってから自分の種類と主人の免許の切り替えの種類を出して、15分くらいかかりました。（早） （笑）
ところで主人のイギリス銀行口座を開くまでは一か月くらいかかりました。（遅） （怒）
It's been more than a month since we moved to the UK.
I've got a job as an assistant teacher in a primary school from September. It's just a year contract so I can get some U.K. classroom experience. I'm thinking of going to university again to train to be a U.K. teacher next year.
We are also nearly ready to move to a place called Sowerby Bridge. It's near Halifax in West Yorkshire. I can't believe how busy every day is, but it's fun and challenging.
As my new job is working with children, I need to get a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check. I need to prove I'm not a criminal so I can work with children. As I've been living in Japan, I need to ask the Japanese police for a Police Clearance Certificate.
So I had to get an application form from the Japanese Embassy.
Then I had to make a reservation at the Police HQ in Lancashire to have my fingerprints done.
Then I took my fingerprints in person with my passport to the Japanese Embassy.
Next I have to wait two months for it all to be checked....
London was really rainy. I spent two hours there....
I realized.....
The service in the Japanese embassy was super. I submitted my application and my husband's translation documents all within 15 minutes.
Lloyds TSB took more than a month for to open my husband's bank account here (!!)
仕事決まりました。9月から小学校で、アシスタント教師になります。
そして Sowerby Bridge と言う町に、引っ越しは後ちょっとで決まりそうです。(West Yorkshire のHebden Bridge と Halifaxの間です）
することが沢山で、毎日かなり忙しいけど楽しい。
仕事は子供と一緒に働くなら、ＣＲＢチェックが必要。（Criminal Records Bureau Check） このチェックは自分のcriminal record があるかどうかを検討します。ずっと日本に住んでいましたなのに、日本の警察に自分 のPolice Clearance Certificate を頼みにしないといけないです。
そのために、ランカシャー本部の警察官まで行って、申し込み書に指をプリントして、次の日に、ロンドンにある日本の大使館まで持って行きました。
これから二か月かかりそうだ。
気づいたこと：
日本の早いと丁寧のサービスはすごい。大使館に入ってから自分の種類と主人の免許の切り替えの種類を出して、15分くらいかかりました。（早） （笑）
ところで主人のイギリス銀行口座を開くまでは一か月くらいかかりました。（遅） （怒）
It's been more than a month since we moved to the UK.
I've got a job as an assistant teacher in a primary school from September. It's just a year contract so I can get some U.K. classroom experience. I'm thinking of going to university again to train to be a U.K. teacher next year.
We are also nearly ready to move to a place called Sowerby Bridge. It's near Halifax in West Yorkshire. I can't believe how busy every day is, but it's fun and challenging.
As my new job is working with children, I need to get a CRB (Criminal Records Bureau) check. I need to prove I'm not a criminal so I can work with children. As I've been living in Japan, I need to ask the Japanese police for a Police Clearance Certificate.
So I had to get an application form from the Japanese Embassy.
Then I had to make a reservation at the Police HQ in Lancashire to have my fingerprints done.
Then I took my fingerprints in person with my passport to the Japanese Embassy.
Next I have to wait two months for it all to be checked....
London was really rainy. I spent two hours there....
I realized.....
The service in the Japanese embassy was super. I submitted my application and my husband's translation documents all within 15 minutes.
Lloyds TSB took more than a month for to open my husband's bank account here (!!)
Friday, 27 May 2011
イギリスの帰国生活・Gaijin returns to the U.K.
 |
| Clitheroe Castle grounds |
 |
| View from the top |
 |
| The Castle Tower |
 |
| View of Pendle Hill from the archway |
一週間以上にイギリスの生活。。。
毎日雨だ！！
毎日仕事を必死に探している
子育てちょっと大変になっている。上の子は毎日おお泣きかおこったりする：（
とにかく今は大忙し！！
でもイギリスは本当に綺麗！！緑が多くて、空気も美味しいし、食べ物もおいしい。
落ち着いた生活早く手に入れたいなー
またね！
After more than a week in the U.K...
It rains every day!
I'm looking for jobs every day like mad.
Bringing up the kids is becoming hard work. My eldest has tantrums every day. It must be all the change she's experiencing.
We are just so busy.
However, England is just so beautiful. There is so much greenery, fresh air and lovely food. I'm visiting local towns with my family that I've never seen before. Villages and towns like Whalley and Clitheroe are so beautiful. I can't wait to get a job so we can settle down.
Tuesday, 5 April 2011
そろそろさよなら日本
先月末ほとんどの仕事は終了しました。今月は引っ越しの準備と友達との送別会。毎日ネットでイギリスに仕事を探しています。モンッテソーリの保育士か英会話の教師に迷っています。今までは二件のモンッテソーリ保育園から興味が示されて、イギリスに帰ったら、直接話しに行きます。一つは故郷の隣の町、Clitheroe、そしてもう一つはYorkの郊外にあります。
Thursday, 24 February 2011
UK Visa Application
We were very excited for this day. My husband has spent more than two months collecting paperwork for his visa application for the U.K. Today was the day to submit them to an application office in Shimbashi, Tokyo.
However....
I was not too surprised when he called quite quickly after his appointment time to say there had been a few problems. A missing paper, a wrongly-colored background of his ID photo and an application form that was a few weeks out of date.
So near yet so far!!
He hopes to apply again next week.
Fingers crossed all goes well next time!!
Have a look at his blog for those interested in visa applications to the U.K.
http://noriintheuk.blogspot.com/
However....
I was not too surprised when he called quite quickly after his appointment time to say there had been a few problems. A missing paper, a wrongly-colored background of his ID photo and an application form that was a few weeks out of date.
So near yet so far!!
He hopes to apply again next week.
Fingers crossed all goes well next time!!
Have a look at his blog for those interested in visa applications to the U.K.
http://noriintheuk.blogspot.com/
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