Meet Glynis, A Filipina married to a British citizen who now stays with her husband in England.
Glynis owns a bag business and the first to introduce our very own Philippines Bayong to the U.K., see more of her gorgeous products from the links below:
Moving on to my interview:
Q: Where you from ?
A: I’m from Manila and I’m now living in Suffolk
Q: What’s the reason of your migration?
A: I moved to England 3 years ago. I’m married to a British citizen and we decided to settle here for good
Q: How long you’ve been here in the U.K. ?
A: 3 years
Q: if you come here as Spouse of British National , how did you meet your spouse?
A: I met my husband in Abu Dhabi where I worked and lived for 10 years.
Q: Any struggle you experience on preparing your settlement visa?
A: I think the settlement process is pretty straightforward so, no. I have not struggled at all.
Q: Would you mind sharing your career path?
A: I’m a hospitality graduate and worked as an Office Manager for different sectors in the UAE. In the UK, I am a full time Data Analyst and I have taken a Degree level CIPD HR Qualification. I also own a bag business while juggling both my full time job and studies.
Q: Did you have a hard time finding job here?
A: no, not really. I found a job 3 months after arrival in the UK as an Office Manager for a food production company.
Q: How do you deal with homesick?
A: I’ve been away from home since I was 22 and I have lived an independent life so I really don’t feel homesick at all. Maybe foodsick sometimes (missing asian food) and so I just try to cook as homey as I can.
Q: What do you miss most in the Philippines?
A: food definitely! And the beach and the fine sand that they don’t have here!
Q: How did you adjust here (in the U.K.)?
A: well. I have lived in a very diverse country (UAE) and I am well traveled, been to the US, Europe, Asia and the Americas and I guess anywhere you go, being able to go with the flow is a must to adjust in a new place while keeping your ground. Having an open mind helps a lot in adjusting to a new place or environment and that’s how I adjusted here.
Q: Did you experience a culture shock ?
A: Yes and No. shock in the sense that some people in this country, especially in the isolated countryside can be quite ignorant and are not used to seeing people of colour.
Q: How did you deal the expectation of others being married to Foreigner ?
A: I never really felt being pressured of being married to a foreigner. I guess, we all have our lives to deal with and so for me personally, it doesn’t really matter what people say etc.
Q: How do you find life here compare to the Philippines ?
A: this is one tough question as I haven’t lived in the Philippines for more than a decade and only went home to visit which lasts maximum of 10 days. I guess life in the UK is much more relaxed and laid back for me. The UK is much more organised in a lot of ways but life in the Philippines is something special as the warmth of love from friends you grew up with and family is definitely priceless!
Q: What is your greatest challenges in moving here (in the U.K. )?
A: settling in to the countryside is quite a challenge for me because I grew up in a city and lived my entire life in big cities so to move and live in a countryside was quite tough but I have fully adjusted now - it’s always good to have your own car and able to move around freely.
Q: Where do you plan to retire and why ?
A: not really sure. Maybe in the Philippines?
Q: Do you have tips or words of wisdom to share with our readers of how life in the U.K. is ?
A: Life in the UK in general is like living anywhere new. You have to make sure you are able to adjust with the western culture and respect the country and people as a whole. My advice to Filipinos when it comes to work is to never settle for less. Don’t ever think that because we are Filipinos, we can only do low paid jobs as it is not true. If you have the experience and the knowledge aim for the gold! Be confident and be proud of who you are!
Q: Anymore tips on what to expect in moving to the U.K. ?
A: expect that the weather changes dramatically!
That's all for now folks! Thanks for reading and thank you so much sis Glynis for unselfishly sharing your wisdom and life in the U.K. Lovely to know more about you!
The U.K. 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 here. If you are immigrant in the U.K. and would like to be featured on Annefinity and beyond, give us a shout! Cheers!
xxx
No comments:
Post a Comment