All Posts in "My Journey"

My first advice for anyone planning an overseas move is to make preparations well ahead of time, by months.  This will enable you to find a good moving company.  Because you really need to research several different companies before deciding which is the right one for you.  There are some good ones and some really awful ones out there.  Some of them are real scam companies, preying on vulnerable customers.  After all, you are in a very vulnerable position.

Word-of-mouth reputation is better than anything that the company can say for itself.  But, you do have to be careful because some companies may print up false or paid testimonials.  If they are members of certain professional organisations, you should try and discover if any complaints had been filed against them and what the final resolution, if any, was.  There are certain memberships and licenses that they must hold and you should check to make sure they do hold these.  The internet is a very useful tool, so get on it and find out if anyone has complained via the internet.  There are forums, such as MovingScam.com and others, where members can discuss issues involving moving and moving companies.

I have since discovered that it is best if the company does a visual inspection of the goods before giving you a quote.  However, it is not always a guarantee that services rendered will be the best.  I will say that IntlMove did not do a visual inspection.  They contract with various companies to do the work for them, therefore, they cannot send a representative out to give a quote, because it might not be the same one to load up.  What they do is provide a computer calculator to estimate your weight and volume and they quote from that.  The problem with their calculator is that it is not accurate and does not account for real-life items.  In addition, IntlMove only quote for volume, not weight.  Yet, if you exceed the weight limit, you pay extra.  Next time, I would find a company that provides a quote for both.  Bear in mind that for international moves, you will probably be given non-binding quotes.  That means, that if you exceed weight or volume, you pay the extras.  If anyone knows of an international mover that provides binding quotes, I’d really like to hear from them.

Find out what’s included in the quote.  Usually, it includes all fees at the point of origin.  We were told up front that all destination charges were extra – that included port fees, customs, etc.  What we were not told was that fuel charges for the ship were not included – we do not know if we paid a portion of the charges (because I’m sure the ship carried more than one shipment) or the entire fuel charge.  I don’t know if you could possibly ask for a receipt of actual fuel charges.  What we were also asked to pay from the destination agent was x-ray fees.  Because different ports have different policies regarding x-rays or manual examination, I would check with the ports before paying these.

Find out the whole process of payment.  We were very uneasy with the way IntlMove did it, but since we were pressed for time by that point, we had no choice.  They liked to do everything by email.  They sent you a form, an agreement to sign.  You had to fax or email a copy of your deposit as well as signing an authorisation form for them to cut a draft from your bank to pay for the move.  Then you had to mail them your check.  This is in addition to providing a copy of your passport and other personal information.  I refused to provide them with my social security number because they were getting too much information that I thought was unnecessary.  After they receive your deposit, they ask for the remaining balance before they will call the pick-up agent.  They stipulate that the pick-up agent cannot pick up the shipment until they have your check for several days.  Yet, then they explain that you and the pick-up agent can negotiate the pick-up date.  If you get confused, don’t worry.  I don’t think they mean for you to understand.

The pick-up agent takes it to their warehouse and weighs it.  Supposedly, moving companies need to inform you of when and where the shipment will be weighed and give you the option of being present.  Also, the scales used need to be certified.  IntlMove does not do this, and I have been told this only applies to interstate moves, not international moves.  If anyone knows differently, let me know.  I find it unfair that you cannot witness the weighing because it gives them the freedom to make up a weight and get extra money out of you.  A second weighing takes place just before the shipment gets loaded onto the ship.  If it is less, they will not inform you (because that means a refund).  But, if it is more, you will have to pay another fee.  Now, IntlMove did tell us that after we made our payment, we may receive either one or two more bills.   The first will be after the first weighing, the second after the second weighing. We got both, of course, though the second bill only contained fuel charges and charges for the supposed additional packing done by the pick-up agent.  As I said in the other post, they did not put on any additional packaging (and they defaced legal documents to say that they did).

Now, if you don’t pay the fees like IntlMove want you to, they send you threatening emails saying they will hold your shipment hostage until you pay the ransom.  (Never mind that you paid for 30-days warehouse storage in case you needed it.)  This is ILLEGAL!  If any company ever does that, warning bells should start ringing and you should start making plans to report them.  However, since your belongings are in their hands, you will have to pay the ransom and deal with this after you receive your shipment.

I should mention that once you agree to use IntlMove, the person you talked to no longer is involved.  You have to deal with Administration, Accounts, and Operations.  And, those three don’t always work together, even though my husband suspects it’s all one and the same person.

In future posts, I will address insurance, packing, etc.

Yank by — May 6, 2009 in My Journey 1

It’s all over the headlines.  You can’t turn around anywhere without hearing about the swine flu epidemic.  Will it turn pandemic, do you think?  The number of suspected as well as confirmed cases have risen.  How scared are you that it will become a serious crisis?[ad#ad-1]

Some people were speculating that the swine flu is really just another “wag the dog” to get us off the topic of the economy and global recession.  However, the swine flu is worsening the recession by hurting the travel industry.

Maybe I’m a little complacent about this epidemic right now because of my location.  We live out in the villages, away from densely-populated city centers, so the risk is rather low.  No one around us has been on holiday in Mexico and if they had, we hardly come into contact with anyone except through school and the gym.  Am I reasonable or is this just a false sense of security?

I’d like to know how my colleagues out there feel about this epidemic.

Yank by — April 30, 2009 in My Journey 4

Our oldest daughter had an eye exam yesterday.  She had been complaining of not seeing far very well.  At first, it seemed like she was pretending, just to get glasses.  But soon, she started to complain more.  Finally, we booked her in for an eye exam.  Before we could get in, one of her teachers noticed that she had trouble seeing the board from her seat, which is located near the back.  (She was placed there due to her academic abilities.)  So, I was prepared to hear that she would need glasses, at least for distance vision.

And she did.  What I was not prepared for was the NHS benefits for those under 16.  Not only was the eye exam free, but she automatically qualified for a voucher for her glasses.  This entitled her to free or reduced-price eyeglasses.  There was no paperwork to fill out, no claims to make, no declaration of financial need.  All children under 16 have these basic entitlements.  It was wonderful.  It wasn’t too long ago that I had my own eyes checked at the optician’s and had to buy new glasses, so I was well aware of the costs involved.

I completely understand the attraction of free medical care and it is a big plus in the UK. I have not experienced medical care here, so I cannot comment on the quality.  However, I wouldn’t expect it to be any different from the US.  The natives may complain of the wait in some cases, but that does not sound too different from the US, either.  Of course, there are lots of taxes over here.  But if you expect certain fundamental benefits, that is one of the things that must be accepted.

The other thing I was not prepared to hear was that she will need an eye exam every 6 months until her vision stabilises.  Apparently, children’s eyes can change quite drastically in a short time. (Sigh.)  I can’t imagine going through childhood with glasses.  I know many do, but in my family, those of us wearing glasses did not need them until adulthood.  She can’t wait to get her glasses.

Yank by — April 29, 2009 in My Journey 3

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Flying into England during the summer months, we could see fields of yellow interspersed in the fields of green.  We have never been able to identify the crop.  As we drove around the countryside, we saw that the yellow plants were flowers of some kind.  Sometimes, those plants can be scattered along the roadside.  My first impression is that they looked like some weeds, or wildflowers that used to grow in our backyard in America.  But I can’t believe that farmers would be planting fields and fields of them.  As we drive by, sometimes we can detect a fragrance from them, but it’s hard to say whether it was actually from the plants.  You see, it’s not exactly a pleasant fragrance, like you would expect from flowers.  (Then again, I don’t think all flowers have pleasant fragrances.  Take marigolds, for example.)

Now that spring is here, I’m starting to see those yellow fields again.  During the winter months, those same fields looked fallow and I never suspected that they would be growing these plants in the spring.  So, what are they?  I haven’t found anyone who might know.

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Yank by — April 23, 2009 in My Journey 4

As the green campaign is very important in the EU, we’d like to do our part.  Our grass, which stayed green throughout the whole winter practically, shot up in the last month.  It is nearly a foot in some areas, with the weeds even higher.  We don’t have a lawnmower and it seems a waste to get one.  We would have no place to store it anyway.  The edge of the lawn by the fences are nice and trim due to the sheep sticking their heads through and feeding to their content.

We had considered letting the sheep graze on the lawn to keep it low.  We see that they are doing a wonderful job along the edge.  But we worry about the smell and mess of sheep manure.  After all, the kids still like to run around in their barefeet.  The landlord had even suggested this option when he saw the lawn, so he would have no problems with it.  It’s been rather tricky catching the farmer, though.  He visits once or twice a day, very briefly to do what he has to do.

In the last couple days, one of the lambs has found his way outside of the gates and was grazing on common grass areas.  I was tempted to lure him into our yard and let him feed, but the sheep and lambs are still somewhat wary of us (except for the flocks that chased us in the fields).  Even the ones feeding on the edge would turn and rush away when we open the front door.

As I said, we’d like to do our part to reduce carbon emissions and there’s no greener lawnmower than a sheep or goat.  We just need to resolve the manure issue.  Oh, and get the farmer’s permission as well.  We wouldn’t want him to think we were stealing his animals.

Yank by — April 22, 2009 in My Journey 4

It’s funny to think how my perception of size has changed. Perhaps, I am starting to really adapt to the British system. Everything in the US is “huge” compared to here. No where is this more obvious than on the roads. However, even those narrow roads aren’t so “narrow” anymore. Oh, yes, they can be quite cramped in some places, and no one, not even a native Britisher, will deny that. Yet, many of what would be construed as “narrow” by a new American coming on to the scene are now viewed as “normal” to me. I tried to picture the width of the US roads the other day and found that I really couldn’t – without imagining that they were the same size.[ad#ad-1]

Not only that. It seems the sizes of cars are different for me now. The SUVs and American pick-up trucks are humongous, especially next to the little cars. I think I’ve finally fallen for the Minis – I’d seen quite a few in the US but they just seemed “cute” there. Now I see these little toy cars as perfect for travelling these roads. Not only that, our Honda, which would be considered a small sedan in the US – not big enough to be a mid-size and not small enough to be a compact – is considered full-size over here. Imagine what a full-size sedan in the US would look like over here. Some of the same models you’d find in the US are scaled down over here. And I have become used to seeing them. These little cars that looked funny when I first came are now normal.

Land is scarce, so many properties have small yards. That is one thing that I am able to compare in my mind when it comes to size. We’ve always been fortunate (or unfortunate, if you are looking at the angle of maintenance) to have had large yards in the places we’ve lived. The kids appreciated being able to run around the house. Now, we’re living on a large estate and the house is surrounded by yard. (But this will probably change soon as we’re considering a move.) So we have not had to face the change of having a small yard yet.

But my perception of housing sizes have already changed. What would have looked small and cramped to me when we first arrived now appear adequate. What would have been normal, in comparison to US houses, are now seen as huge. It is very strange. It makes me wonder what it would be like if we were to move back to the States.

Yank by — April 6, 2009 in My Journey 2

Visiting the websites of other expatriates had made me consider what I missed about my former country. Before I left the US, I knew there were certain things that I would have to readjust to. For example, driving on the left side in cramped conditions. I also knew there would be fewer conveniences, such as 24-hour shops. There are a few around, but they are “few and far between”. But many of my expatriate colleagues mentioned food. Now, that is something that is different.[ad#ad-1]

Some Americans think that there are more restaurants in the US. Maybe they’re right, but the variety of food is probably no different. I’m not even going to get into which side of the ocean provides more authentic, tasty ethnic foods. But there are definitely fewer drive-thrus over here. Oh, yes, you have McDonald’s but that’s the limit. The US is full of drive-thru restaurants. Very convenient.

But perhaps the one single food item that I miss and knew I would miss is iced tea. Yes, the all-American favourite drink in restaurants. Some Brits know about iced tea but there is not much interest in it. My father-in-law said he tried it and liked it, but you can’t really get iced tea over here. We thought we could try to introduce it to more people, but how? My favourite was Arizona’s Green Tea – I could really use some of that right now.

I bought green tea bags and have been brewing some with honey. Not bad, but not what I’m used to. I tried to chill it in the refrigerator, but still, it wasn’t the same. (Sigh). Well, it’s the best that I can do from that front. Anyone with any suggestions?

Yank by — April 1, 2009 in My Journey 10

The ubiquitous gorse

My favourite season has always been fall, followed by spring. I love the changes that come with these two seasons. In the fall, nature winds down in preparation for the winter slumber. In the spring, nature reawakens and preens herself for the magnificent festival that is summer. Of course, all of nature does not follow this pattern, but for the most part, the trees and flowers do. The weather is relatively temperate compared to the extremes of the other two seasons.

I decided long ago that I could only live in four seasons. Having grown up in it, I could not give it up. I don’t think I could ever be induced to live in a place where it is practically one season, with some variations. Even if that season was either fall or spring. It just doesn’t work.

The places that I have lived in the US had satisfied my need for the four seasons, though some not as dramatic as others. I loved the autumnal colour changes, especially in New England. It was always the highlight of the fall, of course. But the smells of the autumn harvest were also extremely pleasant. Then when spring came, I looked forward to seeing the flowers pushing through the ground, the buds on the trees and bushes opening up.

I am very glad that England has four seasons, though the fall had not been very dramatic this year. Also, it was so short-lived. Perhaps, it was because we had so much on our minds that we could not fully enjoy the change in the season. However, this spring has proven to be quite wonderful. The daffodils that are spread everywhere provide such a beautiful landscape. Add to that the rustic scene of sheep grazing and lambs bleating.

But the scene I will probably always remember as being uniquely English in my experience is the blooming of the gorse bushes through the Ashdown Forest. The gorse is really an evergreen as it thrives, even in the winter. It even has flowers in the winter, but not to the extent that it does in the spring. Driving through the Ashdown Forest every day, I have noticed that the rich golden colours of the blooms rival those of the forsythia and daffodils, both of which are abundant in neighbourhoods around here.

I have never seen gorse bushes anywhere I’ve lived until now. They are not well-known for being pleasant because of their prickly nature and the fact that they are highly flammable. But I’ve learned that they are good for land reclamation. So, it has its uses. More importantly, I love viewing the splashes of colour that it provides to the forest.

Yank by — March 31, 2009 in My Journey 2

I never thought there would come a day when I’d miss my gas stove. Yes, we call it a stove in the US, but the English like to call it a cooker. Even the electric cookers over here are not quite the same as in the US.[ad#ad-1]

Growing up, we had gas stoves but I was always scared of them. There was that “pop” just before the fire was ignited and sometimes it seemed the “pop” was very loud and the flame was going to come at me. Of course, it would be terrifying to a latch-key kid of 8 or 9 who was also responsible for the care of her younger siblings. I eventually got used to it and sometimes would get a rush of anticipation for the “pop”.

Later, we had electric stoves and I used electric stoves pretty much up until my last house, when renewing my acquaintance with the gas stove caused a little anxiety. Not to mention frustrating. I worried about gas leaking. I hated lifting the top to clean underneath. We had had various styles of electric stoves – some with flat tops that were easy to clean, others with the coils over a metal dish that can be replaced if it could not be cleaned.

I’m no gourmet chef, and my dinners are unimaginative, but they are usually edible. In the US, I may have messed up on recipes and infrequently, I may have been distracted and allowed a dish to burn. But I am finding that with the electric cookers here, I am more often than not, burning everything. Is it the cooker? Is it the pots and pans I’m using? Is it because I am not vigilant? These cookers are like hot plates that heat up quick but do not cool very rapidly. So if the directions tell me to bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer, I end up boiling and not simmering. So everything burns.

I know it will take some getting used to, trying to find the right setting to get the right temperature, knowing when to turn down the heat (before boiling), etc., but it is more frustrating than it should be. If I slowly heat, starting with the lower settings, it takes forever to get to boiling. If I start at a high temperature to reach boiling sooner, I can’t cool down fast enough. I will have to experiment with the different settings – perhaps start at a high point but quickly turn it down. I find that I am baking more – making casseroles and such, as I really can’t mess with the oven settings.

Yank by — March 27, 2009 in My Journey 0

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It seems that spring comes much earlier here. The days have been getting warmer, although the last few days have felt a bit nippy at times. The flowers are growing. Every spring I anticipate seeing them, and the snowdrops and crocuses have lived up to expectations. Not only that, the daffodils have come up, though they have not bloomed yet.

If I were in the US, I know that I would be speaking too soon. Very often, we would get a spring snowstorm sometime in March. It never seems to fail. Yet, the weather has been too nice for me to believe that any such thing would happen here. I will have to wait and see. For now, I am content and look forward to spending time outdoors again.

Yank by — February 27, 2009 in My Journey 0