UK Immigrant's Interview Series : Carol's Life in the UK
I'm so grateful to Carol for sharing her life in the U.K. here in my wee space in the web. I met her in Facebook group The Luckiest Filipina British Wives/Girlfriend/Fiancee, we had a chance to meet when we were still in the Philippines and glad to still be in contact inspite of us being from the different side of the U.K.
She's a wife, a mum, a care assistant, and a YouTuber. She is fond of sharing her family videos here.
Let's find out more about her life experience from my interview.
Q: Where you from ?
A: MALABON PH/ NORTHERN IRELAND UK
Q: What’s the reason of your migration?
A: MARRIED TO NORTHERN IRISH MAN
Q: How long you’ve been here in the U.K. ?
A: 3YRS IN DECEMBER
Q: if you come here as Spouse of British National , how did you meet your spouse?
A: THROUGH OKCUPID DATING SITE
Q: Any struggle you experience on preparing your settlement visa?
A: IT WENT SMOOTHLY ON MINE COZ I WAS FOLLOWING THE FB PAGE/GROUP THAT I AM WITH FOR VISA APP PLUS I HAVE A GC THAT HELPED ME SORTING WHAT DOCS I HAVE TO SUBMIT
Q: Would you mind sharing your career path?
A: I AM CURRENTLY WORKING AS A CARE ASSISTANT IN A CARE HOME SET UP
Q: Did you have a hard time finding job here?
A: AT FIRST YES ALTHOUGH MY FIRST JOB IS MY JOB NOW LOL. JUST KEEP SEARCHING KEEP APPLYING AND KEEP PRACTISING ON WATCHING JOB INTERVIEWS ON YOUTUBE HEHE
Q: How do you deal with homesick?
A: YOU JUST HAVE TO DEAL WITH IT. ALTHOUGH IT’S HARD MOST OF THE TIME. JUST PRAY AND PUT YOUR ATTENTION TO SOMETHING YOU ENJOY TO DO.
Q: What do you miss most in the Philippines?
A: FOOD DEFINITELY SPECIALLY MY MUMS UTAN/VEG DISH
Q: How did you adjust here (in the U.K.)?
A: WELL IN TIME YOU’LL GET USED TO IT. ME I TRIED NOT TO TALK TO LOCALS LOL COZ MY ENGLISH IS ONLY LIMITED HAHA BUT I AM SO LUCKY MY HUBBY IS ALWAYS TO THE RESCUE IF THERE ARE WORDS THAT I DON’T UNDERSTAND SPECIALLY THEIR SLANGS.
Q: Did you experience a culture shock ?
A: YES BUT YOU JUST HAVE TO GET USED TO IT IN TIME. SO MANY DIFFERENCES THE WAY PINOYS DO “PO AT OPO” OR THE WAY WE TALKED TO WITH RESPECT ON PEOPLE OLDER THAN US AND TO OUR BOSSES HERE THEY JUST TALKED TO THEM LIKE ONE OF THEM OR JUST ON THEIR NAMES NO RESPECT. For me lang
Q: How did you deal the expectation of others being married to Foreigner ?
A: WELL I DON’T CARE IT’S MY LIFE I AM THE ONE THAT CONTROLS IT AND YOU CANT PLEASE EVERYONE SO AS LONG AS YOUR HAPPY THAT’S THE MOST IMPORTANT.
Q: How do you find life here compare to the Philippines ?
A: LIFE IN THE PH IS MORE RELAX IN MY OPINION, IN THE UK YOU CAN’T RELAY ON SOMEONE ELSE ASIDE FROM YOUR SELF AND YOUR HUBBY FINANCIALLY UNLIKE IN PH DAMI MONG PWEDENG TAKBUHAN HIRAMAN DITO NGANGA AND IT’S ALWAYS MORE FUN IN PINAS
Q: What is your greatest challenges in moving here (in the U.K. )?
A: KNOWING YOUR HUSBAND’S ATTITUDE/FLOSS EVERYDAY AND SPEAKING IN ENGLISH EVERY SINGLE DAY LOL
Q: Where do you plan to retire and why ?
A: NOT SURE YET MAYBE IN PINAS OR HERE IN NORTHERN IRELAND PAG MAY SARILI NG BAHAY
Q: Do you have tips or words of wisdom to share with our readers of how life in the U.K. is ?
A: THE LIFE IN THE UK IS NOT EASY. HOMESICKNESS, CULTURE SHOCK, FINANCIAL CRISIS, PERO BASTA MASIPAG KA MATYAGA AT MADISKARTE MAKAKAYANAN MO DIN LAHAT NG STRUGGLES MO AT HIGIT SA LAHAT PALAGI MAGDASAL AT MAGPASALAMAT SA KAY GOD. And Always be HUMBLE
Q: Anymore tips on what to expect in moving to the U.K. ?
A: MONEY NOT COMES FROM THE TREE THAT YOU CAN JUST PICK WHEN YOU WANT. YOU HAVE TO WORK WITH IT. SWERTE KA IF BIGYAN KA NG ASAWA MO AT KUNG MY PERA ANG MAPANGASAWA MO.
Thanks very much again Carol for unselfishly sharing your life in the U.K.
The UK Immigrant's Interview Series was created for us to know more about life in the U.K. from the Immigrant's perspective. Hopefully can help others to know more of how is it to live here especially for those who are planning to migrate in the U.K. If you are immigrant in the U.K. and would like to be featured on Annefinity and beyond, give us a shout! Cheers!
xxx