[Pip]

I thought you might be interested in my experience!

I've just got back from two weeks in the Uk (landed 5am at Heathrow on Christmas day) and before I left Christchurch, was feeling very nostalgic for an english christmas, mulled wine, cold days, being dark enough to see the christmas lights by 4pm - the buzz of oxford Street/the shops!...

and in reality............

yes, it was lovely to see the villages lit up and my dad makes 'awesome' mulled wine. It was wonderful to catch up with friends and family, although the killer cold we both got 48 hrs after arriving made life pretty miserable and we're only getting rid of it now - 2 weeks later.

However, there was quite a few things I had forgotton about being in the UK, - it rained so much, and was so grey/dreary. One day it was definitely dark by 14:30 (although Stu disagreed - he reckoned it hadn't actually got light at any point that day). I'd forgotton how bad traffic on the M6 is (about 2 hours to go 20 miles). In towns/villages, the streets were so narrow, that everytime someone was parked on the pavement, all the traffic ground to a halt. I briefly visited Oxford Street and just couldn't be bothered with it.. way too many people, so much needless consumerism everywhere and found people generally to be very rude. The one tube station I needed to go to had been shut for the afternoon with a replacement bus service and you have to pay for public toilets (not good when you are pregnant and haven't got any english change!)


This was our first visit back and I was wondering what I would feel, would I get a massive urge to pack up and head back ?. Well the answer is a resounding no. It was really lovely to see our UK friends and families and nice to have a pub lunch and other 'english type things', but it also reminded me of why we left. I realise that its very easy to feel nostalgic for something you can't have, but sometimes when you get it, - its not quite as good as you remember!. In fact, I was quite jealous getting New Year texts from several of you having various BBQ's/picnics and camping down in Wanaka while I was inhaling hot water with olbas oil with a towel over my head!

We flew in yesterday, friends picked us up from the airport - complete with a box of groceries and a homemade pie so we didn't have to go shopping. The sun was shining, the customs and immigrations officials were friendly and we were in our house with a cup of tea 45 mins after landing.

next yr - I'm embracing the kiwi christmas! - bring on the camping and the BBQ's !

Anyway, I guess what I wanted to say was those of you who were feeling a bit down and missing an 'english christmas', in reality, it might not have been quite as great as you remember it - or at least that was my experience!:D

[benandclare]

Great post Pip :yes

[LesleyS]

That was lovely to hear Pip, even tho it probably wasn't the experience you anticipated. Welcome back!

[holland]

What an honest post Pip..certainly has given me food for thought! Thanks

j x

[The Hodges]

We really enjoyed reading your post Pip. Am to believe from reading it that you are pregnant.??????:raebanana. If so congratulations!

[nippa&pippa]

Am to believe from reading it that you are pregnant.??????:raebanana. If so congratulations!

Oh yes, you are right there!

Welcome back Pip & Stu!!! Shame you miss our BBQ party :wah
Now when we will meet up??????:laugh let me know ;)

[Sam B]

I really needed to hear that, thanks.

[vixxann]

Great post - makes me realise why I want to go and I'm still in UK!!

[shakyle2906]

Lovely post Pip!

We found it 'strange', our first kiwi chrsitmas, but must say we enjoyed! It was 'different'. I remember us 3 sitting by Lake Tutira on 2nd January, having a picnic in the boiling hot sunshine........... something you cant do back there!!!

We did talk throughout the day 'we'd be doing this now.....', but have to admit, apart from the family, we didnt really miss it that much!

hubby has said he would like to go back one year for Christmas, and perhaps we might, just better start saving as prices were through the roof when we last looked - who did you fly with if you dont mind my asking ??

Sharon
x

[thezorbster]

Lovely post - great to hear your feelings about your trip and reassuring for all those of us who have just experienced our first, very different Christmas over here.

Plus- Congrats on the pregnancy!:)

[Pip]

Thanks all for your comments/congrats.. and yes, I can confirm, baby is on the way! due June 1st - just in time for winter..thank goodness we finally got the log burner installed.

as for flights, we flew singapore airlines, but had return tickets from when we came out in Feb (I think about £700 for a return but obviously booked out of the UK at the end of 06). Our original return date was in August, but we decided to go back in Dec instead. we made the decision in June and even then were told the flights were full, but went on a waitlist and that cleared at the end of July. (its always worth asking to be waitlisted if your intended date of travel is still several months away)

flight from CHC to Singapore was full, but singapore to heathrow was a 747 which was less than a third full... bliss! we all had a row of seats each. According to the cabin crew, most people don't want to travel so late, so that flight is nearly always empty. Christmas day with jetlag was a bit of a killer though. I would recommend trying to go for as long as possible ( we were in the UK for 12 days), - the downside is everyone wants to meet up and if your friends/relatives are scattered across the UK as ours were, it meant a lot of non stop driving, visiting etc and we were exhausted by the time we left. Mind you - its made me appreciate days like today - glorious weather, impromptu invite to a friends for lunch and a swim in their pool.. I've noticed that I've finally stopped referring to the uk as home! I'm still not sure whether this is for ever permanent, but definitely for the time being, NZ is where we would rather be. :yes

[vixxann]

Hi Pip - congrats on the news:clap Hope you are feeling ok.

Can I ask about your flights - presumably singapore allowed the change in dates for your "return" flight to UK - did they charge?
Then did you book a single flight back to NZ? How did that compare?

we are coming on tourist visas and sorting rest out when there so we'll obviously have to book return flights and I've been wondering how you go on changing dates etc.

Vicki

[StevieD]

good post Pip, and congratulations on the impending arrival :nice1

I think you always look back at things with nostalgia, and often find as you did that it just isn't the same when you look at it from a different perspective. I always remember returning to Liverpool after a long spell at sea, and couldn't wait to go back to the local to see everyone. When I did get there they just looked at me as if I was an outsider, got back to doing the horses or whatever else they do all the time and that was that!

I too don't consider UK "home" any more, my home, as in the dwelling we live in, is in Cambridge, NZ. I do not posess anything in UK, and apart from family and a few friends there is nothing that would make me rush back there.

We too are going back in June for a family wedding, and it will be interesting to notice the differences with our current lifestyle and that which we left behind. But reading the local press online, I can tell you now I know where I would rather be as a family.

Good luck for the next few months.

Steve, Jan

[LesleyS]

Who's Paddy? :confused:

[SNK05]

:raebanana Congrats Pip

I'm a nurse and can't remember the last time I had a proper Christmas with my family but never-the-less, still hoping that Kev and I will be in NZ by this Christmas!?

I've had my fair share of being 'Baa Humbug' for various different reasons but since I met Kev, I love the whole shabang, tree up, ribbons n bows stuff!

It would be weird to have a bar-b on the beach instead of your traditional roast turkey but what the hell, I'm up 4it....lol, and so's he! It actually made me feel good to hear that your visit didn't live up 2ur expectations. I also know 4a fact that my Mom, stepdad and Nan would kill 2have a Christmas out there!

Thanx for the honest post.......

Sue n Kev

[StevieD]

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e397/bluekiwi100/DSCF1158.jpg

Paddy when we bought him

and in festive mode...... :laugh

http://i43.photobucket.com/albums/e397/bluekiwi100/DSCF1670.jpg

[Moorf]

Gawwwjus!!! :nice1

[LesleyS]

Is he a 'Kiwi'?

And before anyone says.....I mean born here? LOL

[Familyofmonkeys]

Awwww...thats so cute!

And congratulations Pip on your pregnancy. Hope it all plain sailing for you. Maybe we will get to meet next time we are visiting the area :)

[alan999]

I thought you might be interested in my experience!

I've just got back from two weeks in the Uk (landed 5am at Heathrow on Christmas day) and before I left Christchurch, was feeling very nostalgic for an english christmas, mulled wine, cold days, being dark enough to see the christmas lights by 4pm - the buzz of oxford Street/the shops!...

and in reality............

yes, it was lovely to see the villages lit up and my dad makes 'awesome' mulled wine. It was wonderful to catch up with friends and family, although the killer cold we both got 48 hrs after arriving made life pretty miserable and we're only getting rid of it now - 2 weeks later.

However, there was quite a few things I had forgotton about being in the UK, - it rained so much, and was so grey/dreary. One day it was definitely dark by 14:30 (although Stu disagreed - he reckoned it hadn't actually got light at any point that day). I'd forgotton how bad traffic on the M6 is (about 2 hours to go 20 miles). In towns/villages, the streets were so narrow, that everytime someone was parked on the pavement, all the traffic ground to a halt. I briefly visited Oxford Street and just couldn't be bothered with it.. way too many people, so much needless consumerism everywhere and found people generally to be very rude. The one tube station I needed to go to had been shut for the afternoon with a replacement bus service and you have to pay for public toilets (not good when you are pregnant and haven't got any english change!)


This was our first visit back and I was wondering what I would feel, would I get a massive urge to pack up and head back ?. Well the answer is a resounding no. It was really lovely to see our UK friends and families and nice to have a pub lunch and other 'english type things', but it also reminded me of why we left. I realise that its very easy to feel nostalgic for something you can't have, but sometimes when you get it, - its not quite as good as you remember!. In fact, I was quite jealous getting New Year texts from several of you having various BBQ's/picnics and camping down in Wanaka while I was inhaling hot water with olbas oil with a towel over my head!

We flew in yesterday, friends picked us up from the airport - complete with a box of groceries and a homemade pie so we didn't have to go shopping. The sun was shining, the customs and immigrations officials were friendly and we were in our house with a cup of tea 45 mins after landing.

next yr - I'm embracing the kiwi christmas! - bring on the camping and the BBQ's !

Anyway, I guess what I wanted to say was those of you who were feeling a bit down and missing an 'english christmas', in reality, it might not have been quite as great as you remember it - or at least that was my experience!:D

How strange, I've been back to the UK for the Christmas fortnight too, with a quite different story. I wasn't looking forward to any aspect of it apart from seeing my wife and three sons for the first time since April. I found I slipped into UK mode very easily, didn't even feel cold! I was surprised at how my disillusionment of the UK had waned and any rose coloured outlook of NZ (I don't really think I ever suffered from one) reduced so that the two were much closer than I expected. A couple of things brought me up sharp, how fast the traffic was (when it wasn't queuing) and how a cheery hello at the B and Q checkout was greeted by silence from the checkout girl and raised quite a few eyebrows. Of course the traditional snowy Christmas didn't happen but because I haven't totally lost grip of reality, I never expected it to. All I expected was dark, damp, dismal drizzle.
And then it was over. Landed at Auckland and called into Countdown on the way home. I'm pleased I went back, even more pleased to return. Emigrating for us has always been about the future, for us and our children.

[ellenmelon]

AWW paddy is CUTE. i dont get clucky for babies, i get PUPPY CLUCKY!