SaffasintheUK

So, our anniversary has come and gone.  It’s so hard to believe that we’ve been in the UK for two years already!  As I watch my Faceboook memories, it feel a bit surreal to think of how stressed we were, how terrified and how little we knew about what to expect when we landed. For us, it’s been an amazing time.   We found jobs easily, the kids got settled and we adapted quickly to our new life.   But we have learned so much along the way! I remember writing a list of things I had learned after 1 year in the UK and I’ll try find that list to share it again, but for now…here’s my list of the 10 things I’ve learned in the second year of life in the UK. 1.  Your speech changes Try as you might, there are things you just have to pick up.   This is partly to make yourself understood and partly to avoid being ragged for something that sounds hilarious to your British friends and colleagues.   One if these changes is that you’ll stop saying “dah-ta” and start saying “day-ta” in

So this week, I had the rather heady experience of spending a small fortune on a pair of Doc Martens.  I’ve always been a fan and my first pair lasted 25 years but my reason for purchase this time round was less about being cool and more about being ready for the winter ahead.  I have been saving for a whole year for these shoes and now…..they’re finally mine! Winter...these boots are ready for you! You might be wondering why a pair of clunky, masculine and rather heavy shoes might be so important, so let me share my thoughts about embracing all that the UK winter offers. When you leave SA you have this rather vague idea in the back of your mind that the UK winters are both to be feared and scoffed at – sometimes simultaneously.   But you don’t actually know what to expect until you start living through the winter.   Some of us have the pleasure of having travelled to the UK in the winter months and so have some experience…for the rest of us…well, we just wing it and bu

September has quickly become my favourite month here in the UK. The sunshine takes on a rather pretty light as it shines through leaves that are slowly becoming translucent, ahead of the fall.   The humidity drops so quickly it’s almost like someone flipped a switch. The days are warm enough for a t-shirt and to keep the office windows open but the nights are chilly and you definitely need more than a lightweight parka.   You can feel the season changing, every day it gets a little bit cooler as we inch towards winter. Which made me think, how my perception of British weather was so massively warped before we moved over. So what is the weather like anyway?   The Brits are quite obsessed with it, talking about it all the time.  When I first arrived, I remember that one of my colleagues used to open the door (as a temp I didn't have a key fob and had to buzz for someone to open) and immediately ask "is it raining out?" before he even greeted.  I used to puzzle ove

We’ve had a little celebration this week – after a few months of squirrelling away a bit of money each month, we’ve had a ridiculously indulgent and extravagant shopping spree!   The end result was a brand new set of pots and pans and a super fancy toaster. Yes.   Adulting sucks. It could have been something really decadent, but here we are…looking at our shiny new pots. OMG. This is me all grown up now. But, while we were contemplating our new purchases, it brought back memories of our plans to depart SA and the decision we made to ditch just about everything we owned.   The burning question of course is, what DO you pack to take with you?   But the thing is, you can never really ditch EVERYTHING, so how do you choose what stays, gets sold, donated or repurposed…and what you take with on your journey to a new country? Well, I had spent quite a bit of time trawling through the online forums before we moved and I already had a very good idea that our furniture woul

The one thing that surprised me about life in the UK, is the massive cost of childcare, specifically for younger kids and the very little ones.   Coming out of SA, we are mostly used to a nanny, or a formal childcare environment, but we seldom break the bank on paying for it.   The staggering cost of childcare if you have kids of an age that need care while you are working, is literally that.   Bank and wallet breaking.   If you read this article , you’ll quickly see how childcare can swallow up a major part of your income, if not all of it.   £1,200 per month, give or take, is a hard pill to swallow!    Depending on which part of the UK you settle in, you may earn higher wages but childcare will also be higher. But what if you need to work? What if you just can’t manage on one income? Well, you have a few options, thankfully the UK is a lot more progressive with offering work to families that have children to consider. NB – if you choose not to work, and you are here

The question I get asked often is “do you ever get homesick?” To be honest, the answer is actually no.   I don’t get homesick, I don’t long for Johannesburg or Africa at all. But I miss home anyway.   So what is it exactly that I miss?   It’s hard to describe really, and what I feel has been called homesickness I suppose but I don’t think that I’m really pining for the city I left behind.   What I miss is familiarity. Quirky traditions and behaviours that I know and understand. A collective understanding that makes you feel like you belong in a place.  Like you've always been there. I miss knowing every brand, and which ones I prefer in the supermarket.   When you first arrive it takes hours to do your shopping because you are browsing so much, and then it takes weeks to work out which washing soap you like the most because you have to try them all.   It’s tedious and makes you feel a bit like an oaf.   I miss knowing the chains – reading on a local FB community

Beach huts on Bournemouth beach Getting settled in the country means wanting to see more of it, travel a bit and explore, especially if you have an adventurous spirit like we do. But money is always the big hurdle, travelling is expensive and it can cripple your plans to get out and have a blast.   So how did we manage to enjoy a 3 day bank holiday weekend on just £200?   I’ll share a few of our tips, if you share your stories with us! Firstly, not included in this sum of money is accommodation and a National Trust family membership.   For accommodation, we booked early, and by that I mean we booked in the dead of winter when not a soul is even dreaming of sunny weekend breaks.   I start searching for self-catering accommodation in November and eventually settle on a privately rented mobile home in a resort park.   I negotiated with the owner to pay our booking off over a few months and managed to secure the brilliant rate of just £80 a night for a 6 sleeper.   I can also