Well, it's been over a year since I last wrote something on here. I'm too busy, working full-time and keeping my TCD review website afloat. It's not easy to be fair, because I still do this as a hobby and make literally f**k all out of it. But I do it because I love the music, and love to share my passion.
My life in the UK. Pff, where do I start? This has been an incredible journey so far. To many it might come across as a normal and not exciting thing to do, but you can not be more wrong. This has been really difficult from time to time. First getting a job in the UK whilst still living in the Netherlands. That took me a few years to achieve, but thankfully I managed to find a job. The journey over? That must have been easy peasy? Well, yeah. The journey. Not the actual hassle that comes with it.
My flat had to be emptied, and that's when you find out you've got way too much stuff in your already small flat. At first glance you don't notice at all, but once you start clearing and cleaning stuff you do have bits and bobs everywhere. The tip, they were very happy with me. My old junk must have pleased them. But that wasn't all. Making sure everything would fit in boxes, and to rent a van. That was a hassle and a half! Also putting it in a van, that wasn't easy. I've dislocated my shoulder many times and had surgery done to it. So picking heavy items up, that has to be done with care. I'm not the Rock.
Renting a van? Done. Packing the van with pops? Also done. Driving to London from Kerkrade? Okay, not a big thing. But at Calais things went wrong: we drove into the section where the trucks are, and because we thought we had to be there, to get through security was a ball ache. Let's not mention the fact that truckers were pressing their horn constantly.To them I say f**k off. We've never done it before like this, and like you haven't made mistakes in your life?
Unpacking? Wow, that took a while. I think we lived with boxes for a few months. Even putting the bed and the sofa back together wasn't easy (thank God I was still at that time in the Netherlands, making sure everything was left behind correctly. Also saying goodbye to the family. That's never a nice thing to do, but at least they were pleased.
Once I started living in the UK I had to sort out a few things. First of all, a National Insurance Number. Many had adviced me that this was not the easiest thing to do, but to me it was okay. The woman who served me did her work properly, and only a week or 2 later I received mine in the post. Setting up a bank account? Check. Making sure I've got a doctor and a dentist? Check.
Work! Let's not forget about that. I started back in May back in 2016, and I still work here with a lot of fun and pleasure. I've met so many new people, made new friends, and the knowledge I've gained is tremendous. If I show you what I do on a daily basis, you wouldn't believe it. I work as a dealer assistant advisor/consultant for General Motors/Opel/Vauxhall. And that I do well. If I was crap, they would have sacked me. But I'm not, and now I am the one who maintains the whole of the Netherlands. Not today, but from tomorrow on I will do it again.
Why not today? Because I'm regaining my strength after surgery. Surgery? Yes, kidney surgery. Throughout 2016 I've visited the hospital and my GP several times, due to blood amongst my urine. Or shall I say urine amongst my blood? That wasn't good, and it turned out that I didn't have cancer (that's a bonus) but there were some issues with my kidney. So they planned in an operation for the 7th of July, which was last Friday. It wasn't pleasant but well needed. It's not like they've openend me up like a tin of spam, but it felt like it.
But not only have we done that, but also bought a foreign car. Well, it's foreign to me. A nice Mazda 2, and yeah, it's an old people's car, but do I care? It takes me from a to b, and I'm dry. Do we need and expect anything else from a vehicle? I don't need all those extras, I'm pleased with the basics.
Every day I feel less Dutch, and many things I normally have craved for, are slowely going down the drain. Even the language I sometimes struggle with. English is now my main language, and I maintain my Dutch language by speaking to my colleagues at work. But I feel now more at home in this country with my missus and her family, and our friends. We've experienced a lot, and we are still happy together. Some have said that this might not work out, but we proved them wrong.
The only thing I miss is the Dutch chippy. If you don't know what I mean by that, don't comment. It's the best thing God has ever created. Yes, I do eat British food, but some things aren't the same. Why are the chips soggy and not thin and crispy? Why haven't you got frikandels or spoetniks or anything you can get from a chippy? Bitterballen? Kroket? Yep, I miss the greasy food.
And of course my family. Friends? I didn't have many friends, they were mainly work colleagues. But only a handful keep in touch with me and visa versa. The majority move on, and so should I. I am not coming back to the Netherlands, my heart lies here. Yes, I've still got the Dutch nationality, but give me around 3 1/2 years and I will get the British citizenship. Yes, I will do the test. Even though it's not even interesting (I don't know who was the 4th King of England, or who was beheaded, or when the British armada went to Spain and killed many). I will do the test, and pass.
This is the country I should have been born in. But it's never to late to accept reality. I wasn't born here, wasn't educated here, and I wasn't raised here, but I'm going to live here now and die here. My heart beats whenever I speak in English a tad faster, and I roar like the three lions. Or are they leopards?
I'm signing off now. Got other things to do. Mainly relax. Hopefully it won't be another year before I write another ridicilous blog.
Ps. yes, I might be Dutch, but I don't stick a finger in a dike, wear wooden shoes, love tulips, or live in a windmill. Accept that. Thank you.
Martin a.k.a. The Crazy Dutchman
