Article from Jan - ex-pat "kiwi" in the United Kingdom.

Hi, I'm Jan, another intrepid Kiwi who "flew" all the way to the United Kingdom - so don't believe all you hear about Kiwis being flightless ! Well, I DID borrow the plane's wings, as mine would not really have made it off the ground…

My two young Kiwi children and I arrived in Folkestone on the Kent coast, in August 1977, ready for what we hoped would be the beginning of an exciting adventure. However, had I known in advance quite how "exciting" this adventure would become I would probably have turned tail and swum all the way back to the familiar security of New Zealand...but that is another story.

Folkestone, to us, was like stepping into an English comic book summer paradise, with its cobbled streets, real English fish and chips, and sticks of rock candy! We all loved it, so we stayed on in a "Bed and Breakfast" for a few lazy days, before continuing our adventure into the big city of London, to make our fortune (...?).

My intentions were rather different from those of most other young intrepid pioneering-spirited Kiwis. We had arrived in the United Kingdom via Switzerland, and I needed to find an apartment, settle the children into school and then find myself a job. All this I presumed to be pretty "easy-peasy", with my renowned Kiwi naivety, and a huge dollop of innocence!

London city amazed and bewildered us, with its teeming masses of people like ants, dashing all over the place, so busy and stressed-looking; the huge ancient gray buildings, rows of Coronation Street-type houses with chimney-pots; it was daunting, even frightening to three insignificant travelers from what seemed like another planet!

Enter Stage left, one rather reluctant Guardian Angel!

From this moment - with his brief to watch over us - life became hectic for our Guardian Angel. Not his own, but he came up trumps, and somehow on that first day he shepherded us to the head of a queue of fellow Antipodeans waiting for temporary accommodation. We were given the last "B&B" (Bed and Breakfast) available for that day!

The "Bed and Breakfast" was in the upper class Kensington area of London - a fact of which I was acutely unaware - to the extent that my snooty landlady rebuked me for decorating my upstairs bedroom windows with our washing. I had thought this would be a good way to dry our clothing! Not quite "done" in leafy Kensington, so I learned.

Not surprisingly we did not last too long there, and my harassed Guardian Angel soon found us a huge old house in another London suburb - a house which we shared with a group of other "Kiwis" and Aussies. The children attended the local school, and here we spent two happy years.

To cut a long story short I eventually I obtained a permanent visa, and we moved into our own home. The children have now grown up and flown the kiwi's nest. Somehow they have survived our various escapades, seemingly without a scratch, and we are all very happy living here in England.

The English people, although fairly reserved, have come to know and like us, with all our antipodean idiosyncrasies, and thanks to our ex-pat forbears we seem to be universally liked in this part of the world.

I love the people and the land, especially the vivid city life which is so different to life in New Zealand - but you cannot compare the two. They each offer different things, and life is what you make of it wherever you are.

I have been back to New Zealand a few times recently, but something always draws me back to the United Kingdom...possibly a lot to do with the fact that my close family is all now in this part of the world.

What about my poor, overworked, stressed-out Guardian Angel?? Well, I imagine I have used an army of them!

I believe I have blended in to the local scenery fairly well.

I have been back to New Zealand several times in the last decade, partly due to the undeniable "tug" of roots, but mainly to visit family. I will go back again, to visit family, as the roots are always there.

Every now and again when I hear beautiful Māori music, or watch the All Blacks perform the Haka... the roots start tugging away at my heartstrings, and I make up my mind to save up and return, for yet another visit...

I have now lived almost half my life here in England, so I feel a bit of a mongrel, part English and New Zealander! I find that when I am back home, I quickly feel that I have never been away, yet when I'm back in England I feel attached to this lovely country as well. I have a foot in both worlds, a privileged situation in which to be, so I really try to appreciate the best of both of the worlds I'm lucky to be in.

The children are all settled happily here, but the older ones do travel back to New Zealand, where they were born; whenever they can. Roots again!

I will always miss certain things about New Zealand which I had been brought up with, and which are as far as I know, not available here. Kumara potatoes, chokos, and tree tomatoes (Kiwis will know what I mean!).

Other absolute essentials are available, such as Vegemite, (listen to the Vegemite song here :) )kiwifruit, Manuka honey, New Zealand sweets and other products, for when the inborn cravings surface - which they will always do!

I can never forget I'm a Kiwi, but this Kiwi has made a nest here in a lovely place called England. As many other ex-pats have found, if you are prepared to assimilate you really can enjoy life in a new country.

Jan - UK