tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-291039302009-07-24T07:49:37.681+01:00Thinking about moving abroad? I was born in Switzerland and settled down in UK nearly three years ago. I got my first job and moved in my first flat within just over a year. There have been quite a few steps for me to take in order to achieve this; this is my experience as an expat, share yours with us here!kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29103930.post-1149592844392622542007-01-23T12:20:00.000Z2007-01-23T12:09:00.554Z

I strongly believe that when one settles down abroad, one has to do their best to integrate in the country they have moved to, and get to know its culture. Failing to do so appears to me - as it does to many people - as an insult.This is the first post I am dedicating to this topic, and will eventually write more about it. There are indeed many ways to take part in a culture; and perhaps I can

kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29103930.post-1169480015586766572007-01-22T15:26:00.000Z2007-01-22T15:48:48.570Z

It has been a dreadfully long time since I last posted. I can only half forgive myself for one reason: I have been flat hunting. I still am, as a matter of fact, looking to move on. But it takes a lot of time and patience to do so, and many times I have been feeling discouraged.Flat hunting seems to me like a huge rat race in the UK. I know that I cannot even dream of buying a property, let alone

kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29103930.post-1151078615369176312006-06-28T17:15:00.000+01:002006-06-28T17:24:30.573+01:00

Another big thing to get out of the way once you are in the UK, if you already have a job or are about to start working, is to apply for a National Insurance Number. Some money is taken away every month from your gross salary to be paid towards National Insurance, and for the money to be allocated to you, you need as National Insurance Number.A NI Number can be obtained through any Job Centre

kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29103930.post-1151419935988481642006-06-27T15:33:00.000+01:002006-06-27T16:03:58.113+01:00

A quick note to mark the "end of the dream" for Switzerland in the World Cup; too bad the English commentators on the BBC made it even harder to swallow with unjustified and stereotyped comments! There really was no need for such arrogance... Comments such as "even neutral on the pitch" are appalling and particularly tasteless.I have to say I am very disappointed with such a display of

kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29103930.post-1149603336375337752006-06-06T14:21:00.000+01:002006-06-06T16:22:02.916+01:00

Opening a bank account in the UK was for me one of the longest and most frustrating challenge I went through in the last two years. But it is also one of the first steps you should take when you first arrive. Why? Because without a bank account, the numbers of things you cannot do is unlimited: move in a place of your own, rent a phone line, pay bills, get a contract mobile phone, and many more (

kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29103930.post-1149520370170624032006-06-05T15:34:00.000+01:002006-06-06T18:47:29.173+01:00

Darren, at ProBloggers, invites bloggers to share their blog goals on his website this week. This is the occasion for me to reveal a short list of the goals I would like to achieve with A Swiss in the UK.Defining the goals of some project is a very difficult exercise in my opinion, but it is also crucial, as is sticking to those aims; in making my list as short as possible, I believe I can make

kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29103930.post-1149162389676893112006-06-01T12:45:00.001+01:002006-06-01T18:51:25.453+01:00

Far from being an exhaustive list, here are a few tips I can give about being an au pair, as far as my experience allows me to speak. This is not legal advice, but only things that made my stay easier when I understood them, sometimes too late:1. Be yourselfI can hear you say "Yeah, right, I know that, thank you very much", but this is very important, so at risk of sounding silly, remember that

kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29103930.post-1149162346353396332006-06-01T12:45:00.000+01:002006-06-01T15:22:52.210+01:00

The next thing I remember is Caroline giving me a ride in her red mini around Windsor Great Park, up and down the roads, and up to Windsor. English roads are quite frightening when you first get on them; supposedly because they drive on the wrong side of the road, as we know, but I also found them rather... narrow, for some reason.Mobile phone - first item of a survival kit abroadFirst things

kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29103930.post-1149162296319078792006-06-01T12:43:00.000+01:002006-06-01T12:58:22.076+01:00

So, what have we got here:- toothbrush ... checked- a handful of t-shirts ... checked- half a dozen of trousers ... checked- some toiletries ... checked- half a dozen of pairs of shoes ... checked- knickers and socks ... checked- a couple of towels ... checkedBut also:- my guitar ... checked- my Swiss ID card ... checked- a few (quite a few actually) quid ... checked- and ... a few photographs

kimsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/11122393666480794851noreply@blogger.com2