What’s your name and where are you from?

My name is Dietlinde (‘Diddie’) and I am 25 years old. I was born in Tirgu Mures, in Romania. My mother is Hungarian and my father is German. My family and I lived in Romania until I was 8 years old, when we moved to Germany. My parents, grandmother, brother and sister sill live there in Stuttgart, which is where I lived for 15 years, went to school, university and met my best friends.

When did you come to the UK?

I came to live in London two years ago. And I had already been to the UK in the summer of 2004 when I spent 3 months as an intern in Cardiff.

Why did you choose to come to England?

Because I like the UK and I wanted international experience on my CV - I wanted to improve my English, broaden my horizons, and learn independence skills.

I was interested to see what life in a vast metropole like London was like, and I had a desire to take advantage of the exciting opportunities that this city has to offer - in many aspects like career, culture, entertainment and meeting people from different backgrounds.

Did you have a job arranged before you came?

Yes. I only moved country after I have accepted the job at Jacaranda Recruitment where I started as an international recruitment consultant. I’m still with the same company, but have developed in my career.

Around one year after I started I got promoted into middle management, and I’m now partly doing staff management, and partly running recruitment campaigns, as I did before.

How did you plan and research your move?

I did research on the internet (mainly for jobs) and I did have some sort of idea of life in the UK through my stay in Cardiff in 2004, which was useful.

Furthermore I spoke to my manager, and asked for tips and things I needed to consider when moving country.

I had a book that was about life in the UK, but I have to say that was more for entertainment rather than really useful tips. The internet was the best source for information, really. If I were moving now, I would be using OKinUK!

Did you find somewhere to live before you arrived?

I searched for accommodation online and arranged appointments for viewings before I came to London. When I arrived here I had appointments lined-up for viewings and found a good shared house to stay on day one. I lived there for 1.5 years before moving into a place of my own in South London.

What have been your experiences since coming here?

It’s been a great enrichment to live in London. I have learned a lot about the different cultures that live here and share the city peacefully. I learned very good independence skills, organising life, making decisions about how to spend your time, who to spend your time with, how to spend your money, how to stay in touch with the people who mean a lot to you and are far away, etc.

You obviously like it then. Did you end up staying longer than you originally intended?

Yes, I love it. I came to stay in London for 2-3 years and 2 of those have gone now. My original plan was to go and live and work somewhere else after my time in London. I was thinking of UAE or New York. But now that I understand how much hard work it actually is to settle, make friends and start up a new life in another country I don’t want to move again yet.

I feel I’d lose more than I’d gain if I did that, so I’ll stay longer than originally planned.  My career is going well and I’m happy in the job, which helps me feel comfortable and settled in London.

Will you stay here permanently?

Quite possibly yes - at the moment I’m thinking of staying another 4-6 years, depending on how my job and private life go.

What do you like about England? Are the people friendly?

Yes, the people are nice. I find that Londoners in general are friendly and very skilled when it comes to small-talk. Still I think some communities prefer to stick with their kind of people, and it’s not always easy to get in contact with everyone, especially if you’re from abroad and not part of the group. Meeting people is easy, but it often stays at a shallow level (small-talk level) and making really good friends is much harder.

How does life in England differ from Germany?

There are differences of course, but I wouldn’t say it’s completely different. There are differences in the ways people go out together, differences in the way people keep to times when it comes to "appointments" with friends, etc. - I would say that life in the UK is more relaxed in that regard.

Also, in the UK people are much more open sharing information about their financial situation - their salaries, how much rent they pay - than in Germany. But I never found the differences overwhelming, just sometimes amusing...

What is your advice to anyone thinking of coming to the UK?

Don’t moan about things that are different from what you’re used to. Don’t hesitate forever when it comes to doing new things. Just get on and do it. You’ll be right or wrong, but you’ll definitely have the satisfying experience of having done something.

Learn how to make decisions.  Just do it - and don’t waste your time being scared of new things – fear’s the most counterproductive emotion in the world.

Is there anything you would have done differently if you had the chance?

I should have moved into a place on my own much earlier, because that’s just great. But no major regrets yet...

What’s your name and where are you from?

My name is Paolo Valente and I’m 43 years old.  I was born in a small village called Torano Castello in the province of Cosenza, Calabria in the South of Italy, which the British call the ‘toe of Italy’.

How long have you been in the UK?
It will be two years in January.

Why did you choose to come to the UK?

It wasn't my first time in England. I’ve been here about 10 times in previous years and I really liked it, so it was easier for me to go somewhere I already knew. Also, since I could speak English it was easier rather than going somewhere else and start from scratch.

Did you have a job arranged before you coming?

How did you plan for the trip? Did you do lots of reading and research about Britain?

What have been your experiences since coming here?

I quite like it here. I would say that it's a bit like the place where I come from - a poorer area, where people are more friendly.

People sometimes are a bit surprised to see me here, when they learn I'm Italian. The typical question is: “What are you doing in a place like this?”

It's difficult to explain because it's not the beauty of a country that makes you feel more comfortable - you don't make a living out of a beautiful landscape!

Anyway, I've always thought that it's better to live reasonably well in a place like Stoke-on-Trent than just survive in a place like London! I think I’ve found everything I need - I’ve got my local pub, got quite a few friends, every now and then I can play my music live in public, which is what I like most...everything is fine...so far.

What do you think of England as a whole?
I've liked England since the first time I came over. I still remember that occasion in 1986 - I was really impressed and took to the country immediately. Also, I've got lots of friends throughout the UK and that was another reason to be here. I reckon England is the best place to live at the moment from all aspects, considering the state of confusion that reigns in Italy and in general throughout Europe.

Is it very different from Italy? If so, why?
Yes, it is different in so many ways, but that is what makes it interesting to live in another country. Differences mustn’t divide, but help unite by understanding each other, which is always a means of learning and growing from a cultural point of view. If you're able to get the best of the two different cultures, then it's never a problem.

Will you stay here permanently?
That's a really difficult question to answer. I don't really know, a few years ago, I've never thought of leaving my village in southern Italy, but as you can see, I’m in England now. At the moment I would say ' Yes' but... who knows!

What is your advice to anyone thinking of coming to the UK?
No special suggestions. You just have to be convinced of the choice you make when moving to any another country, because such a move involves a series of difficulties that sometimes seem very difficult to face. You have to be open to trying and accepting different things: different food, like fish and chips, and different ways of thinking.

Anything else you want to say?...
Yes, one thing I’ve learned is that wherever you go, you can say that there are good things and bad things and that no place should feel superior to another. It’s a privilege to take the best out of different cultures and make it a part of yourself.

To be listed here click

USEFUL WORDS

intern = a student or new graduate who is getting practical experience in a job, usually over a fixed period of time
broaden your horizons = increase the limit of your knowledge or interests
vast metropole = a very large city
get promoted = to move to a more senior job
accommodation viewing = to visit and look at a place to live
enrichment = improving the quality of something, often by adding to it
feel settled = comfortable and happy with your home, job, way of life etc.
small talk = polite conversation about ordinary or unimportant subjects
moan about something = complain about something which other people find annoying
hesitate = be slow to act because you feel uncertain or nervous
counterproductive = having the opposite effect to the one which was intended
impressed = feel admiration for something because you think that it is particularly good, interesting etc.
reckon = think (informal)
convinced = completely sure about something
superior = better
privilege = proud or lucky to have the opportunity to do something

Friends

She comes from the same country as me. She’s a compatriot.
We carried on a friendship through letters.  He was a pen-pal.
I’d rather not make the journey alone.  I need a travelling-companion.
He and I own this business together.  He’s my partner.
She didn’t know what the homework was so she asked a class-mate.
Tom Smith wants the manager’s job and so do I.  He’s my rival.
She teaches at the same school as I do.  She’s a colleague.
If you can’t afford to live on your own, you’ll have to find a flat-mate.
I don’t really know him very well.  He’s just an acquaintance.
He’s the person to whom I tell my most personal thoughts, problems and fears.  He’s my confidant.