One expat to another: an interview
NS February 17th, 2009
My blogging buddy and fellow expat Charlotte, of the brilliant Charlotte’s Web, interviewed me for this meme making the rounds and so here are my answers to her five astute questions. If you’d like to be interviewed by yours truly, please leave a comment and I will email my own burning questions to you. Then answer them on your own blog, linking back to me when you do so. Here goes!
1. How are you finding the transition from being the parent of one child to being the parent of two?
Better than I expected, actually. I’m much more relaxed about the baby stuff and I’m used to the interrupted sleep this time around so number two’s arrival didn’t rock my world so much as number one’s did. One thing that I haven’t done so well with is not letting my temper flare when the baby is screeching and the toddler starts throwing a tantrum. When both are going at the same time I start to lose my marbles.
2. You took a blogging break for a few weeks at the beginning of the year. Did that ease your soul, or were you desperate to get back and see what was going on in your absence?
When I took that break it felt like a weight had been lifted from my shoulders. No blogging, no reading of blogs, no gathering of info for blog fodder…it was a vacation I needed. It wasn’t the blogging that was a problem, it was me. I’d gotten into a funk and it was manifesting itself as blog addiction – rooted to my sofa, unsmiling, going through my RSS feeds like it was my duty, not a pleasure. It was a way to avoid my real-life stresses. The mini-break was just what I needed to tackle those stresses, recharge and come back with a fresh outlook. I will not hesitate to do so again if I feel that I begin to slide back into that depressing pattern.
3. What do you love best about living in the UK? What do you love least?
I love many things about Britain but lately my favourite has been the sense of history one gets just looking around. Maybe it’s because I just finished reading ‘Pillars of the Earth’, which is set in the 12th century and mentions places and castles that are STILL here today. The other day I was in Richmond Park taking photographs of this massive, ancient, twisted tree and thought about the centuries upon centuries that people have likely stood in the same spot and wondered at England’s beauty. It’s an amazing, humbling feeling, one that you just don’t get when you come from such a young country as the USA.
My least favourite thing about Britain is the ‘mind your own business’ mindset that means neighbours never talk to each other, kids causing trouble go unscolded, and someone in need of help goes unaided. It’s immensely sad because the British are actually a very warm, caring people…they’ve just been conditioned not to show it too often.
4. England is a very small island. Discuss.
It is indeed a small island, which makes it all the more amazing that it has had such a global influence. It also means that distance here is exaggerated beyond all comprehension to someone from a more vast land. I remember when I first moved here and wasn’t very good on my geography outside of London, I would often ask someone how far away certain cities in the Midlands or the North were and I would be told “Oh, it’s faaaaar away. It would take you ages to get there.” With further probing I would discover it was all of a two hour drive. TWO HOURS. I used to drive that far just to get my favourite tacos for lunch. These people have no concept of real distance and open spaces. That’s how small it is.
5. Budget is no object. Describe your dream holiday.
Three days partying with my husband on a beach in Goa or Thailand in the warm sun with cold beer. Going barefoot in the sand, having hours-long philosophical and political discussions with interesting people I’ve never met and will never meet again. Immersing myself in music and another culture, completely hedonistic and with zero responsibilities. After three days I would tire of this, however, especially since I am not a huge ‘beach person’. I would indulge my inner introvert and jet over to northern Sweden in winter and hire a log cabin in a remote forest. A roaring fire, an endless library of books, good food and wine and a comfortable window seat where I can write and write and write while gazing out at snow falling on trees, completely silent. A bit of snowshoeing, long walks in the forest and the ocassional visit from friends who just pop in for a cup of coffee and a chat before leaving me again.
