The Reason I Hate The UK But Don't Want To Leave.

What I’m about to write almost feels like a plea for help. Begging whoever reads this to miraculously come up with an answer to my problem and the problem of so many others who choose to live in a different country to the one they were born in. The problem is with the visa requirements. I am currently living and working in London on a Tier 5 (youth mobility) visa which allows me to live and work in the UK for 24 months. Sure, two years in great when all you want to do is travel and make some money, but what about those of us who want to stay? Those of us who have partners and friends and jobs which we have to leave behind with no foreseeable opportunity to return to live in the UK because the visa laws are so strict. Some of the most skilled workers, and people whom contribute most to society and the economy cannot remain here because we aren’t married to someone who has residency in the UK. It’s now 2016, the ideal of marriage is outdated. Creating these restrictions and forcing young people to marry one another before they are ready, assuming they want to marry in the first place, is only contributing to higher divorce rates.

But if you have a partner, why not apply for a partner visa you say? Sorry but no. You can currently only apply for a partner visa if you can prove that you have lived together for more than two years. Hang on a second, doesn’t the Tier 5 visa only entitle you to 24 months at which point you must return to your ‘home’ country? Right you are. Even if I had met my partner the day after I got to the UK and we immediately began living together, I still would not qualify for a partner visa. These are ridiculous and unrealistic standards, which are impossible to meet. I know people who have been together for shorter amounts of time that already have a child together. Why does the government not recognise a relationship as credible if you haven’t lived together for 24 months?

I am also aware of the new visa laws which mandate how much money you must earn to be able to remain in the United Kingdom. Whilst this is not a primary concern of mine, it is for many others living in the UK now and in the future. The amount of Australians, New Zealanders and Canadians coming to the United Kingdom is going to significantly drop and considering the amount of visas issued to people from these countries, who are currently working and paying taxes in the UK, must be cause for concern in the government.  The UK is no longer as desirable a destination and its reputation as being one the most sought out destinations for Australians is being harmed. In fact the number of Australians heading the UK to work has dropped by 50% in the past 2-3 years.

We need to see a change. Australia, New Zealand and Canada, to name a few, are all part of the Commonwealth, yet we are still held under these strict visa laws which are separating loved ones and creating tensions between these countries. As part of the Commonwealth we should be working together to allow our citizens the right to work and live where they please rather than forcing them to leave. 

Please click here to sign a petition promoting the free movement of citizens between the UK, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

Sun's Out

The sun is out in London, finally. On Wednesday the 8th we took a trip to Greenwich Park, and despite the skepticism of the local ice-cream man, we did walk the 2 miles from North Greenwich. Showed him. Imagine sitting with a fresh baguette, some dip and strawberries and looking out onto the London skyline. For Thor fanatics (Dad, this means you), you should recognise one of the buildings from the movie.

Maritime Museum and London Skyline

Despite the picturesque views, the best part of the day was definitely when we stood in Tesco for 15 minutes disagreeing on what drink to get. For anyone interested, we went with a mango and passion fruit juice. 

Wow, this blog post is interesting....We also saw a really big dog or a very small woman. What a great day.

In Bruges

First time to mainland Europe. A two hour drive through the UK, two hours on a ferry and an hours drive through France and Belgium to Bruges. A weekend full of Belgian waffles, chocolate and beers. Over the last weekend of February I travelled to Bruges for a few days. It was incredible. Obviously the line 'It's a fucking fairtale' was quoted one too many times over the course of the weekend, but it really is. 

Belgian Waffles

Belgian Beer Wall

View of Bruges from the top of the Belfry.

Bruges Carnaval and the Belfry

Mouthful of bread at De Hobbit

Whilst away in Bruges I definitely got more touristy than I normally would tolerate. We took a boat tour around the canals and visited the Salvador Dali exhibition. Climbed the well known belfry made famous by the movie 'In Bruges' and on our last day took a bike ride around the cobbled streets and Minnewater Park.

On our walks around the town we did stumble across some pretty wonderful places. The restaurant De Hobbit is just one place. It's menus and decor was modelled on Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. It has all you can eat ribs and giant 'pints' of beer! 

't Brugs Beertje is arguably the best bar in Bruges. It has over 300 different kinds of Belgian beers. The bar staff were super friendly and we met a few locals and others from the UK while we were there. It's also a fantastic place to get inherently drunk on beer which is twice as strong as beer from the UK.