American expat Clare lives with her family in Wales in the UK, where they moved to in 2007. Here she describes aspects of her family’s expat life there, like how the children are learning to speak Welsh and how well they have been treated by the locals. She also has some advice on moving to and living in the UK.
Ohio, USA-In which country and city are you living now?
Dyserth, Wales, United Kingdom
-Are you living alone or with your family?
With my husband and 2 young daughters
-How long have you been living in Wales?
Since January 2007
-What is your age?
34
-When did you come up with the idea of living in Wales?
I was always open to it. When my husband had the opportunity to work for the International Division of the company – we jumped at it.
-Was it hard to get a visa or a working permit?
Not for us – the company handled it all. And since he has a work permit, I also am allowed to work here, although I haven’t done so.
Medical Insurance is free here under the NHS. Many people have supplemental private insurance but we don’t. In our first year we kept insurance in the USA until we developed a comfort level with the quality of care here.-How do you make your living in Wales? Do you have any type of income generated?
I don’t have a job here other than raising my children. Low-paying jobs are fairly easy to come by and part-time work seems to be plentiful.
-Do you speak Welsh and do you think it’s important to speak the local language?
Everyone speaks English but there is a large emphasis on Welsh. My children attend a rare “English” school in Wales – most schools are Welsh. That means the primary language of instruction is Welsh. At an English school in Wales – Welsh is taught as a second language. My 5-year-old knows her numbers to 20 the major colors and many phrases like “May I use the toilet” and “Put your coats on the pegs”.
-Do you miss home and family sometimes?
Sometimes I do miss home but less and less the longer I am here. The biggest adjustment coming from America was adjusting to the different levels of customer service (both expected & provided) and the conveniences (24-hour Wal Mart or Walgreens or grocery store, etc.)
-Do you have other plans for the future?
We will relocate again likely in 2009 to another foreign location – just not sure where yet.
-What about housing, have you bought, or are you renting a home? How much do you pay for it?
We have rented here. The current housing slump is in our favor. A decent 4-bedroom home here would rent unfurnished for around £1000 per month and sell for £350,000+.
-What is the cost of living in Wales?
It is much more expensive than USA. Gasoline is the biggest difference but almost every item is more than I would pay at home. It has really altered my consumerism – a good thing!
-What do you think about the Welsh?
We have been treated very well here in Wales. No anti-Americanism. People don’t seem to like the current administration very much but I think that’s probably true in America as well.
-What are the positive and negative aspects of living in Wales?
Pros: Slower pace of life, friendly people, great produce, cheap and easy travel throughout Europe, emphasis on family time
Cons: Poor customer service, expensive, the WEATHER!
-Do you have any tips for our readers about living in Wales?
Don’t assume that just because you move to the UK that it will be like America with different accents. It is a different culture over here and while maybe not radically different, there are differences and you need to come here (or anywhere) with a very open mind.
Universal Humor
I am an industrial mechanic here in Kentucky. My ancesters, as with most all of us here, of course, came from Europe. Mine from Wales, Germany and maybe Norway. I have no desire to live anywhere else but am curious about other cultures. The language issue makes it difficult to converse with the average Joe in Germany. I expect that I would also have a little trouble with Welsh. Fortunately for you, English is widely spoken there, granted the culture is an entirely different animal.
On several occaisions I have travelled to Mexico as “consultant” at one of our sister plants. I found that the shop humor among mechanics is largely universal. I am not bilingual and have sometimes resorted to drawing pictures to communicate, but most of the time language is not a barrier to get a laugh.
As humor seemed to be a common ground for me in Mexico, did you find it to be helpful in Wales?
English schools in Cardiff
Do you happen to know about English schools in the Cardiff area? My two sons and I have an opportunity to stay in Cardiff, Wales, while my husband works at the university for four weeks. We’ve stayed in Cardiff before but this is a much longer stay and I’m interested in getting the kids in a school while we’re there. Any resources you could provide would be greatly appreciated.