Travel and Transition

Hey all! I made it! The travel was easy, I made it through Dulles security in 15 minutes. That must be some sort of record. Then the flight only took 6 hours, 20 minutes. All these time savers was made up for by my 1.5 hour wait through immigration. But all my bags made it, customs in the UK is generally a breeze, and the drive to Nottingham was fine.

I have 11 keys to my apartment. Yes, 11. 3 for my balcony doors, 2 for the bathroom, 2 for the bedroom, 1 to the building, 1 to the mail, 1 to the trash area, and 1 to the apartment itself.

I had to ask my realtor for a crash course on how to actually use my apartment. There are so many switches.... Every outlet or item must be turned on being before actually being used. 

I tried to get Internet, a phone, and a tv license.... I can't do any of that until I have a UK bank account, which should hopefully be the beginning of next week.

I bought a tv with a DVD player thinking I can rent videos to watch. I asked the woman at check out where I could do that and she suggested I go to the library. So I did. I registered for a library card, but you can't take DVDs until you receive the physical card which could be 3-4 weeks.

I know it seems this time in solitude would be nice for soul searching, but I'm pretty in touch with my soul. We have regular reunions and life evaluations. Right now, I just want to be distracted. So I asked the guy in Starbucks and he told me about a second hand video store. I bought 5 DVDs for £9 (about $15).

Tuesday started my international student welcome week. I am not staying in the campus accommodation on as I have my apartment. The first day was mostly business items: student IDs, bank accounts, health services. Turns out I have to register with a general practitioner near my apartment which I haven't found yet.

I have made several friends, 3 American and 3 Australian. Next week I'll get to do more specific things with my department and I'll be able to branch out some more. At the moment it is nice to have some girls that are going through the exact same things I am.

Perceptions and Thought Processes

Well I'm into my last month in the US. It's exactly 30 days until I land in the UK. I received my visa today! I bought my ticket and I paid my rent. I will post another entry about the practical processes of every thing shortly.

Now that all the basics are covered I'm able to spend more time and energy thinking about the day-to-day ways my life will change. The main thing I've been thinking about lately is how I'll be challenged to think differently. I read an article about the top 11 greatest things about the UK, written by a native professor. One point talked about the women. The article compared UK women to that of other regions/cultures. It said that American and German women are too ideological. That got me thinking. I'm well aware of the fact that the article was a personal opinion, but I can't help but wonder how I'll be received in this new environment. I can be pretty opinionated; however, I basically have a personal mantra of live and let live. So what did the author mean by ideological? I started thinking about every way I've been socialized into thinking... values based actions, stand for something or fall for anything, 

The goal of moving abroad is not to change myself, per se. The goal is to enhance myself, to expand my world, to grow. And half the fun is to share my culture, my norms, my ideals also; cultural exchange, as a matter of term. Nonetheless, as a social creature I still want to be accepted.

I don't think I'm so bad of an American. I'm relatively open-minded and tolerant. Except for elected ignorance. I enjoy embracing other worlds. My bachelors degree is in international relations, so in multiple classes we discussed American stereotypes. I keep those (or at least the most significant ones to me) in my mind constantly. I try to break the stereotypes. I've also recently watched a documentary called The Listening Project where four Americans travel to different countries on different continents to interview strangers about their perceptions of American people. Many were congenial sentiments, though some were negative, centered around our publicized image of being rich. Of course, I would say that I am not rich.  By American standards I am far from rich. My annual earnings are not enough to support myself and I buy things on credit from time to time. But compared to many I most certainly am rich. However, it's an inadequate comparison. Standards of living are vastly different, as are cultural norms. I did not choose to be born and raised in America, and standards are always going to be partial to the circumstances. However, I am aware that my life is incredibly comfortable. 

I am very interested to continue this social research of cultural stereotyping, as I am just as guilty. And it should come easily, because I've been told my program is 80% international students, mostly from Asia and Africa. I've also been informed that many of these students are at the University studying on grants from their governments because they are recognized as the top people in the their respective countries, having previously run things like TB clinics. Well upon hearing that I was intimidated. The most I'm done is be a receptionist at a doctor 's office! But I've been trying not to look at it that way, instead look at it as I bring a different perspective and they'll be intrigued to hear more about the American health system. And I'll certainly have a task at hand trying to explain it to any one!

Applying for My Student Visa

So I will be in the UK on a Tier 4 Student Visa, this is for students studying more than 6 months in the UK. There are several parts of being eligible and applying for a student visa.

Step 1: Becoming a Student Again

To be able to apply for your student visa you have to have been accepted to a university, and received a form from the University called a Confirmation of Acceptance for Studies (CAS). You can only apply for your CAS 4 months in advance of your start date, and I had to pay my deposit first. My deposit was £1000, approximately $1500.

Step 2: Finances

You have to be able to prove your financial standing whether it be a sponsor, scholarship, or personal funds. Presently the standard is your tuition and then 9 months of living expenses; the UK Border Agency deems it necessary to have £800 per month outside London or £1000 per month for London and metropolitan area. Every thing must be listed in British Pounds (GBP), and the UK Border Agency uses a particular website for conversion.

A scholarship through your university will be listed on your CAS, as will any payments already made like your deposit. These amounts can be deducted from your minimum required amount of financing. If using personal funds a bank statement must be provided and you must have held the minimum required balance for at least 28 days. 

Step 3: Applying for Visa

A. Application

You must submit your online application, pay the application fee (which is approximately $500), and choose a date for your biometrics meeting. The online application is your personal information. Then for US nationals there is a paper component that covers the program you'll be studying and the finances. You must include a recent passport photo on the application, no more than 6 months old.

B. Biometrics meeting

This is an appointment at an immigration office near you. Mine was about an hour away from my house. At this appointment they take your photo and all 10 of your finger prints. I had to schedule a meeting time, however upon arrival I was placed into a queue of people and had to wait for my number to be called. The only rationale I could come up with for having a scheduled appointment time was for them to ensure that a manageable amount of people showed up during each hour. Once I was called back the process of taking my information took all of 5 minutes. You have to take a specific form that is printed with your online application and then they stamp it and it must be included in the application that is mailed to the UK Border Agency.

C. Mailing It In

For US nationals it must be mailed. And they tell you where to mail it. I had to send mine to the British Consulate in NYC. Inside must be:

-your printed online application

-your paper application including recent passport photo

-your CAS

-your financial proof

-your stamped biometrics form

-your passport (yes, the real thing)

-a prepaid envelop to mail your documents back to you

This must all be mailed within 2 weeks of your biometrics meeting. I had mine mailed overnight priory there, which included $100 of insurance. I received an email stating that they had received my application the next day. I had heard a few different time frames to hear an approval or denial, somewhere between 8 and 21 days. Well I received an email after 1 week that it had been approved and was in the mail back to me. Two days later I received my passport and visa inside. My visa is actually a sticker on a page in my passport.

With my Tier 4 Student Visa I am able to work up to 20 hours per week during term time. Personally, I have not decide yet if I want to work. I am going to wait to see how intense my program is first and I also want to find an internship like opportunity before taking a menial waitressing job or something similar.

Monumental Moment!

I have officially secured my first big-girl apartment!  I feel like I can compare this feeling to that I will have when I purchase my first home, it's that monumental to me.  This is a really big deal because I still have almost 2 months to go and so many realtors were telling me that it was too soon.  Well my incessant need to plan every minute detail is not compatible with this response.  I still checked the rental market every day, just to keep an eye on what was available.  I happened to be browsing Zoopla (the UK's rental website) one evening before bed and came across the apartment that is now mine.  It was beautiful and perfect and I immediately told myself not to get too attached because chances were it would be gone before I would be considered.  And then I read the note on the property, "available September 1."  THIS CANNOT BE REAL.  I emailed the realtor company that moment.  They responded two days later.  I called that morning, received the application, sent it off, and paid the application fee literally within six hours.  It took them about seven days to contact my references and run my credit check.  Finally I was approved to rent a fantastic one bedroom apartment in Nottingham.  It is so much more than I expected to have for my first real life apartment!  There are photos included below so you can imagine my new home along with me!  But let me just tell you what you can't necessarily see... It's top floor (I didn't require top floor, just not bottom floor), it is fully furnished which was a requirement, it's only maybe 2 blocks from the bus I need that goes directly to my academic building, the grocery store is equally close, it is neutrally decorated so I have practically a blank slate for decorating, and it has excellent space for entertaining.

I have a budding hobby/passion for home decor.  Thus I have been ravaging Pinterest for inspiration of how to make my home "homey".  I'm so looking forward to shopping around the stores and markets for some unique finds.  I'm also hoping shopping around the city will expedite learning my way around.  Then I will just need to make some friends to invite over for dinner!

I am elated about my find and I absolutely cannot contain my giddiness over moving in!

And then my absolute favorite aspects....

THE KITCHEN! Aka heaven for person who likes to cook

THE BALCONY!

Only one thing in life is certain: change.

I am revealing the official countdown... I am moving to Nottingham, England in 100 days!! For those unaware, I will be attending the University of Nottingham for my Masters in Public Health, specifically international health. 

Moving in general is not easy, but moving abroad is even more challenging. I'm totally up for it though!! I have a checklist and I'm moving through it steadily to make the transition as smooth as possible. Outside of the business stuff like my visa application I have been doing tons of research on the city, specifically trying to educate myself on social aspects. I read the UK headlines on BBC every day. I certainly don't want to want to look uninformed upon arrival! I have also been researching things to do in the city as far as public events. I downloaded the app for the local newspaper to keep up to date on markets, festivals, and such.

I visited Nottingham in March, which was great to get a basic introduction to the city, see my campus, and meet with some professors. I left feeling very excited for my future! I've been wanting to move to a city for years and I genuinely feel like this will be the perfect fit. It's like the porridge in Goldilocks, not too big, not too small. There is a great music scene, trendy shopping, and a young population as it is home to two Universities.

Things I'm most looking forward to:

1. Markets - buying local items, especially food, and thrift shopping. 

2. Living alone - having my own quaint, English apartment. I'm looking in the Lace Market area which are old factories converted into apartment buildings. The romanticized image of exposed brick walls, gas stoves with tea pots, and huge windows for natural light all comprise my ideal home. I've already mentally sketched my decor and schemes! It'll just be charming.

3. Learning about/experiencing first hand a Nationalized health system - having spent the last seven months working for a doctor and seeing first-hand our health system I am thoroughly intrigued to see a different take on it all. As I will be in the UK for a year I will be allowed access to the NHS. From what I know now I register with a doctor during my first week. Past that it'll be an adventure!

4. European fashion - I love studying people. History, politics, culture.... Part of my sincere interest is fashion. I may not always be the most daring, up-to-date, or trendiest person, but I enjoy observing the styles and what it imparts about ideals. One of the things I'm enamored with, yet intimidated by, is military-style boots. They give off a more aggressive feel than what I'm used to, but they're versatile and I'm intrigued! We shall see what other things I find to obsess over.

5. Public transportation - Finally!! I cannot fully express how fond I am of public transportation. I am so excited to not own a car. In six months I may be eating my words and missing the convenience of coming and going whenever I please. But right now I do fully expect public transportation to be an easy transition for me.

Things I'm most nervous about:

1. Relearning how to spell English - We speak the same language, which was one of the main reasons I applied in England and not elsewhere. However, we spell things differently and within my courses I will be expected to use UK English. So far I've narrowed it down to two rules to live by: when in doubt substitute s for z, and always add a u.

2. Making friends - I've always made friends easily, so this may seem silly. But I've also always been in circumstances where I'm forced to socialize. And by this I mean, when I moved to NC for college I had a roommate, who thankfully I got along with splendidly and we were fast friends! Since I am choosing to live alone and away from campus it will just take more effort to put myself in situations to meet people. We do have a welcome week for international students where I will have ample opportunity to meet other foreigners. And of course I have my classmates. At this time I don't think I am particularly interested in student organizations. I do intend on finding a volunteer opportunity, internship, or some kind of job and maybe I'll befriend some coworkers.

3. Deciding on a dissertation topic - Aside from the fact that my dissertation is a minimum of 10,000 words, which will break the record for the longest paper I've ever written, it also needs to be a topic I can maintain interest in researching for a year. And then thoroughly defend upon submission. I am interested in so many things that its hard for me to narrow down a subject area. I'm hoping that one day it will strike me... Maybe some class topic or guest presentation will grab my attention.

I have endless ideas of how the year abroad will go, but (other than my education) my two main goals are to travel around Europe on the cheap as much as possible. Might as well take advantage when you don't have to pay for a plane ticket! And then also to blog about my life there.  It will be impossible to keep up with every one regularly, and blogging will be the easiest, most comprehensive way to fill all my family and friends in on my year in England.

I'm also very interested to read how much my blog posts change throughout my time there! Talk about self growth.

Home is where... my bed is.

We have returned from Germany!  The flight was easy, though I was sick so not entirely pleasant for my sinuses.

We arrived in Raleigh yesterday evening and I was greeted by two of my lovely sorority sisters.  We stopped for a snack at a frozen yogurt shop and they prodded me for information of my time in Berlin, though they had also been following my blog.  I shared with them some of the details I have not shared with you yet, but will now.

Berlin has a strange social culture that I could not get a beat on.  It's like 90s grunge has made a come back in Berlin.  But no two people look the same.  The United States (especially rural and/or suburban areas) is not particularly individualistic in their style, most people are just cookie cutters of jeans and tshirts.  In Berlin I saw middle aged women with bright red or purple hair, all kinds of piercings, gages, tattoos, combat boots, stockings, camouflage, cut off jean shorts, half shaved heads, mohawks, faux hawks, etcetera.

Germany is also very liberal in many different ways.  It's perfectly acceptable to pick up a beer on the way home and walk around the street or the subway drinking it.

Sex is an accepted act.  Katie and I spent an afternoon lying in a park and people were incredibly friendly with each other knowing that there were hundreds of other people just lounging close by.

Dogs may as well be humans in the city.  They are every where, and are perfectly behaved in public.  I only heard one dog bark the whole time.  They sit in cafes, they ride the subways, it's totally normal.

English is very widely spoken.  Almost all signs are in German and English.  It made it easy to get around, but also gave us a crutch on which to lean.  It was rare to find someone who did not speak at least functional English.  In the US it's rare to find someone who speaks even a little of another language (if they're native).

All in all I loved Berlin.  I can't see it as a potential place to live.  Even though many people, especially our tour guides felt that Berlin was a great city option because it has every thing to offer but is slower paced and cheap for a capital city, I just couldn't see myself fitting in there long term.  However, it was a fantastic visit and I feel like I got a great perspective of the culture!

I am slightly jet lagged from the trip.  I literally fell into bed last night and was so thankful at how soft it was.  I woke up at 5:30 this morning, unable to fall back asleep I went to the gym, grocery shopping, cleaned the kitchen, made all my meals for the week, finished my book, and then went to work.  I am hoping that by tomorrow I'll be back on a relatively normal schedule but I do have to work early most days of the summer so it's not too far off.

In the news today there was a headline story about a US Airways flight from Paris to Charlotte that was forced to make an emergency landing in Maine because a woman was claiming that she had a device implanted in her.  Thankfully that was not our flight yesterday!!  We did have two slight medical emergencies on two of our different flights, both just people passing out for an unknown reason.

Wandering in Berlin

So to wrap up our trip we had a night out on the town!  We left the hostel around 1 am, arrived in line for the club at 1:30 (this is when US clubs are doing last call normally).  The club, Berghain, was recommended by two different and one said it was the best club in Berlin.  We waited an hour in line outside, just looking at the building which was an old warehouse.  The music was loud enough for us to hear outside and the windows were flashing purple, red, blue and green.  We got to the front and the bouncer asked how many, I said 6, and he rejected us.  We asked why and he responded, "we don't give a reason."  So we trekked back to the club that was right across the street from the subway station.  It turns out that place was great!  The cover charge was half the price, and there were three dance floors with different styles of music at each one.  We stayed in the one with the most people that was playing mostly American dance music, with a twist of 90s throw backs: the Spice Girls, the Macarena, and the Fresh Prince of Bel Air theme song.  We watched the sun rise from the dance floor of the club and at 4:30 decided to make our way back to the hostel.  It was full daylight by the time we laid down to sleep at 5:30.

Luckily the next day was our free day.  Katie and I decided to spend the day going to a museum.  We chose the Pergamon museum on Museum Island.  We got the full access pass so we were able to see the special exhibit that was a panoramic view of the ancient city of Pergamon that was located in present-day Turkey.  We entered the special exhibit, walking up 5 stories of a scaffolding type tower in the middle of a round room.  At the top we were greeted with a life-like portrait of the city in its hay-day.  The exhibit went through the day, getting light and dark.  In the dark you could see fires glowing in the piece.  There was also a soundtrack that went through the day also, peaceful noises at night and bustling noises during the day.  It took the artist 11 years to create the view.

We continued through the museum viewing sculpture pieces, like the ones below recovered from the ancient city.  There was also an entire section on Islamic art which I found very beautiful.  I have a fascination for Middle Eastern culture.  I wanted to take Arabic in college, but UNCP didn't offer it.  Realistically I will probably not be able to work in a field that allows me to experience the Middle East, but I find it interesting to learn about regardless.

I'd also like to say that visiting a museum is on my 101 in 1001 Challenge!  So, yay for marking off #11!!!  And I learned something while I was at it.

We wrapped up Sunday evening with our farewell dinner at another traditional German beer garden getting our last fixes of sausages, strudels and beer (for those who enjoy it).

And then auf wiedersehen, Berlin!