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