The last time I wrote here was over three months ago. I have been busy, but I have also been neglectful as blogging is no longer considered fashionable. Vlogging is. Facebooking is. Instagramming is. Thus, I have hardly visited my own blog here.
A lot has occurred in these three months. This includes the near completion of my working as a full-time registrar in Blackpool, the launching of my YouTube channel, my experiments with cooking, my visit to Mumbai in late May, and my waiting for my family to arrive next week to the U.K.
In the job, I have been working hard, doing a full rota. This has been very educational. I have learned a lot, some of it by asking people around, and some, through trial and error. The biggest challenge has still been communicating in an appropriate manner, and there are small incidents where I find myself struggling. Hopefully, this will all be behind me and I will be able to advance in the system. I suppose that calls for more hard work getting used to the British culture.
My Youtube channel has been around for long. I just hadn't looked at it professionally. I have now done that - sort of. I have put up long videos there - mostly on advice, and a few recipe- and cooking- stuff that I think will help people who are looking for answers or for delicious homemade food. Guys, it would be marvellous if you visited my channel and liked my videos.
Facebook has evolved so much in the last few years. For those who want to get customers, it has really good marketing and advertising options. But, for those who are potential customers, it does get a bit annoying when FB will interpose your friends' posts with ads. These are so frequent that one almost wishes one wasn't on it at all.
But this is even more alarming when one gets on Instagram. It doesn't help that both are owned by the same entity! There are just too many ads there as well. And they are quite effective, to be honest. Made by professionals, they make you buy everything from tacks to diamonds!
I have come to realise that in this marketing-savvy world, becoming successful at what one is doing is not easy at all. In the past, one sold locally, hence word of mouth was the most important way to build your custom; now, the world is your stage, and how far you will go will depend upon how far you are willing to stretch your resources, and who you want to be the agent to sell your product to.
Not that I am selling anything. Not today, at least. But a day may come when the skills you learn today may help you sell yourself as a marketable/dependable commodity! And that is why I keep trying.
It is now over 2 1/2 years since I came to the UK. I have around the same more time to go before I can apply to the UK government for an "indefinite leave to remain" card. This, the ILR, is similar to the American Green Card. One needs to have stayed for 5 calendar years - not the whole time, but at least more than 180 days - to be eligible to apply for it. It does imply that you understand the UK system. This means that you would have to give an exam called "Life in the UK" before your eligibility is confirmed. My five years complete in November 2020, while my work visa is valid until July-end 2021. Thus, I will have about 8 months in which to apply and get the ILR - between the 15th of November 2020 and the end of July 2021.
So, this will be my first goal. Armed with the ILR, more options will open up for me to live and work in the UK. I don't even have to work around the year. Let's see what happens.
I want to talk a bit about my life here. It is now well-settled. I will stop being on the full rota from the beginning of the new 6-month term starting the 5th of September, and work the 40-hour week from Monday to Friday, 8 hours per day. I can, therefore, do some locum jobs on weekends.
One of the big problems here was the enormous amount of money I was paying to British Gas for the electric supply they were providing me. Therefore, I decided to switch over to another Gas company called "Enstroga". The switch will save me about 350 British pounds per year! This is something easily doable. You just need to be proactive or else you will continue silently paying for the high bills.
Everything else is quiet. No stresses. Thank you for reading this long post. I am sure some among you won't care; some will continue to follow me and stay invested in my life's happenings.
Bye!
A lot has occurred in these three months. This includes the near completion of my working as a full-time registrar in Blackpool, the launching of my YouTube channel, my experiments with cooking, my visit to Mumbai in late May, and my waiting for my family to arrive next week to the U.K.
In the job, I have been working hard, doing a full rota. This has been very educational. I have learned a lot, some of it by asking people around, and some, through trial and error. The biggest challenge has still been communicating in an appropriate manner, and there are small incidents where I find myself struggling. Hopefully, this will all be behind me and I will be able to advance in the system. I suppose that calls for more hard work getting used to the British culture.
My Youtube channel has been around for long. I just hadn't looked at it professionally. I have now done that - sort of. I have put up long videos there - mostly on advice, and a few recipe- and cooking- stuff that I think will help people who are looking for answers or for delicious homemade food. Guys, it would be marvellous if you visited my channel and liked my videos.
Facebook has evolved so much in the last few years. For those who want to get customers, it has really good marketing and advertising options. But, for those who are potential customers, it does get a bit annoying when FB will interpose your friends' posts with ads. These are so frequent that one almost wishes one wasn't on it at all.
But this is even more alarming when one gets on Instagram. It doesn't help that both are owned by the same entity! There are just too many ads there as well. And they are quite effective, to be honest. Made by professionals, they make you buy everything from tacks to diamonds!
I have come to realise that in this marketing-savvy world, becoming successful at what one is doing is not easy at all. In the past, one sold locally, hence word of mouth was the most important way to build your custom; now, the world is your stage, and how far you will go will depend upon how far you are willing to stretch your resources, and who you want to be the agent to sell your product to.
Not that I am selling anything. Not today, at least. But a day may come when the skills you learn today may help you sell yourself as a marketable/dependable commodity! And that is why I keep trying.
It is now over 2 1/2 years since I came to the UK. I have around the same more time to go before I can apply to the UK government for an "indefinite leave to remain" card. This, the ILR, is similar to the American Green Card. One needs to have stayed for 5 calendar years - not the whole time, but at least more than 180 days - to be eligible to apply for it. It does imply that you understand the UK system. This means that you would have to give an exam called "Life in the UK" before your eligibility is confirmed. My five years complete in November 2020, while my work visa is valid until July-end 2021. Thus, I will have about 8 months in which to apply and get the ILR - between the 15th of November 2020 and the end of July 2021.
So, this will be my first goal. Armed with the ILR, more options will open up for me to live and work in the UK. I don't even have to work around the year. Let's see what happens.
I want to talk a bit about my life here. It is now well-settled. I will stop being on the full rota from the beginning of the new 6-month term starting the 5th of September, and work the 40-hour week from Monday to Friday, 8 hours per day. I can, therefore, do some locum jobs on weekends.
One of the big problems here was the enormous amount of money I was paying to British Gas for the electric supply they were providing me. Therefore, I decided to switch over to another Gas company called "Enstroga". The switch will save me about 350 British pounds per year! This is something easily doable. You just need to be proactive or else you will continue silently paying for the high bills.
Everything else is quiet. No stresses. Thank you for reading this long post. I am sure some among you won't care; some will continue to follow me and stay invested in my life's happenings.
Bye!
