When I started ms_havachat the timing was perfect because it coincided with our transition from Japan to UK. My goal was/is to share with you the good-the bad-and the so-so of expat life (plus whatever else popped into my head that I thought someone else might be interested in)
How we going so far?
In between posting WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES and going to bed at midnight, DH and I discussed the pros and cons of MissM and I moving Sept 17 without him vs. Oct 8-ish with him
The conversation went something like this but maybe not this order:
- We might be able to set up a UK bank account quickly with a phone call to our wonderful global banking partner, but won’t have any UK money in it.
- We could draw on Aussie funds, but with up to a 24-hr lag in transferring funds (not taking into account time zones) I’d have to be really efficient in watching the draw down so as not to be caught without money.
- Would our global banking partner be able to issue credit cards in time? Probably not cos we don’t have a residential address.
- We’d be in Oxford, in a hotel or serviced apartment for 5 nights as a family before DH flew back to Japan on Sept 26 for two weeks.
- If ‘we’ found a house after DH was gone, could I sign the lease with out him, as I don’t hold the ‘main’ visa? Could we scan the lease and email to DH to sign and scan/email back and finalize things with the original paperwork on his return? (Emailed relocation people and the answer was YES)
- Doesn’t DH want to see the school at least, and be part of that discussion?
- How long will we look for a local school before placing MissM in a private school – the whole school/house/area thing sounds a bit of a hassle to be honest.
- Happy to look-see at houses and make a short list for DH to see so we can decide together. He found us a fabulous home in Dublin and sent me thru photos so it’s not unheard of, tho sharing the WHOLE experience is my preference.
- As we wouldn’t have time to buy a car in the 5 days together (did I mention DH would be AT WORK and not with us looking for house, school, car, buying new mobile phone etc?) we’d have the huge added expense of a hire car for me. (That reminds me to Google ‘Japanese – UK drivers license procedures)
- MissM and I would not, could not be looking at houses/schools every day for the 2 weeks DH is in Japan – we could do a w/end trip to Dublin to see friends, explore the neighborhood but would MissM really enjoy being schlepped around a new place with a disoriented mother?
- We've friends in and around London to visit, but the kids will be at school, and parents at work, or doing their thing so not really convenient to visit mid-week.
- If MissM and I stay in Japan til Oct 8-ish, we are AT HOME, with our things, with our friends, MissM is at school, we have our car, access to money it’s life as usual right up to the last day.
- DH can come HOME between Sept 26 and Oct 8-ish rather than stay in a hotel again (remember he’s already done 2 weeks in one)
- We can pack our suitcases together
- We can sell the car together
- He can go to work, MissM can go to school and I can work with the packers on our last 2 days here
- We all leave Japan together
- We arrive in the UK, together
Can you guess what our decision is?
DH flies tomorrow morning and will be in the UK til Sept 26 at which time he returns to home. We ALL have about 2 more weeks here to share with friends before packing up and flying TOGETHER to the UK on/around Oct 8.
Well, that’s today’s plan but I’m fairly confident it’s the one we’re going with.
With friendship
X
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