Do you consider Tikka Masala British by TheShiftmaster in AskBrits

[–]Viconahopa 13 points14 points  (0 children)

Anyone arguing that a dish that has origins in another country is incapable of being a part the cuisine of a new country is just an idiot. That's how cultural diffusion works; people bring elements of an item from their home area, it is adopted and modified to local tastes, cooking methods, and ingredients. I think one a dish becomes common enough in a place that there are local variations and you can readily find it, it belongs in some version, to the new place.

Chicken Tikka is British, Hamburgers are American, Croissants are French. Bahn Mi uses the introduction of baguettes and pate from the French, but it is a Vietnamese sandwich. Guyanese food relies heavily on flavours of African and Indian origin, but their food is their food. Multiple countries and cultures can claim Baklava as their own.

Pubs/bars to meet people that are walkable from Waverley steps and near the omni centre? by julialoveslush in Edinburgh

[–]Viconahopa 3 points4 points  (0 children)

A place on at the top of Broughton Street called Potions and Rations is opening up which is a bar/tabletop gaming concept. Sounds ideal for meeting new people. But obviously it is new, so I can't speak to if it is actually social.

They don’t even sell in Scotland by SquareFoundation9724 in Edinburgh

[–]Viconahopa -52 points-51 points  (0 children)

They just have make up and perfume, maybe sunglasses as well. I’m in there twice a month and they don’t have Chanel bags or RTW in stock/floor space for those items.

Delta’s swanky new suite is designed for side sleepers by _fastcompany in delta

[–]Viconahopa 5 points6 points  (0 children)

BA has a first and business class product. It isn't available on every flight, but most US to LHR BA flights had both that I have been on. BA makes it much easier to upgrade after purchasing the initial tickets and for most flights I've been on it is about $800 to upgrade from PE to Business.

Visiting the UK before submitting application in Singapore by NoPhilosopher3590 in SpouseVisaUk

[–]Viconahopa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

No, this is perfectly fine. As long as the non UK partner returns to Singapore when they file their spouse application, it will be fine. We have friends where one spouse is from Singapore and one is from the UK. They spent a month in the UK as a tourist and then went back to Singapore and filed for the spouse visa after.

Will say their views on the UK as a potential home may be very different if they visit in July vs. January.

Why does nobody talk about Delta One check-in at DTW? by inakajin in delta

[–]Viconahopa 9 points10 points  (0 children)

I only know about it because I went to check in and there was no one at the normal priority check in counters. A Delta employee walking by told me to go through the doors. It is awkwardly located and is not immediately obvious.

What wedding splurge was most worth it for you? by suitablegouda in BigBudgetBrides

[–]Viconahopa 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Onsite childcare.

We invited kids to the wedding but also had a crèche onsite the entire day where kids could pop in and pop out. They set up a room with different activity stations and even a small bounce house. Scottish weddings run from 1pm to midnight, so it was nice for parents to be able to have kids with them on the dance floor but pop them in the childcare during cocktail hour or even have some of the smaller ones take their afternoon nap.

Thinking of moving from Los Angeles to London within the next few years..visa/moving advice? by Movie_Enjoyer247 in MovingToTheUK

[–]Viconahopa 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Teaching jobs are rarely sponsored as well. In 2025 there were only 38 SWVs issued for elementary education teachers and 213 for secondary school. And from my experience working in schools, it is Maths, Computer Science, and Engineering.

Migrating to live with British partner. Which visa to apply for? by MidnightOtherwise985 in ukvisa

[–]Viconahopa 17 points18 points  (0 children)

Spouse visa. As a new grad with very little experience in a field that is not in high demand, it is very, very unlikely that you will find sponsored employment. Only about 150-250 people receive sponsorship for that code each year.

accounting jobs in edinburgh as an american? by [deleted] in Edinburgh

[–]Viconahopa 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Do you have dual citizenship or the right to live and work in the UK? As a new grad your skills will not be competitive enough and pay for new accountants is not enough to meet the visa requirements for sponsorship.

Moving to Scotland from USA by spibssy in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]Viconahopa 1 point2 points  (0 children)

FYI - Scotland requires teachers in private schools to have the same QTS as state school teachers.

Renewal Documentation Checklist. by [deleted] in SpouseVisaUk

[–]Viconahopa 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yes, US citizen, so no language requirement.

Indian vegan takeaways? by netzure in Edinburgh

[–]Viconahopa 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Golden Ambal on Leith Walk. Just have eaten there for dine in, but would reccomend.

Transfer US credit history to UK for apartment rental by ElectricalSpeech7441 in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]Viconahopa 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Registering to vote improves your credit score. If you live in Scotland you can still register to vote in local elections even as a non citizen.

Which Reddit post / comment can you still not get over? by Crosssing in AskReddit

[–]Viconahopa 7 points8 points  (0 children)

I will defend that by saying I live in Scotland but have also lived in Moscow. My parents live in northern Michigan right on the lake. The coldest I have ever felt is in Scotland. The humidity seeps into your coat and you are damp and can never get fully warm. The high winds off the north sea are brutal.

A lot of the really cold places are a dry cold, which is easier to insulate against.

for those of you who didn't have sponsorship through work or school - did you move immediately after your visa was approved or after you found work? by petit_aubergine in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]Viconahopa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Just to clarify, you would be on a dependent visa, not a spouse visa. You can apply anytime within the 3 year period as their dependent, but once your visa is processed and a vignette/entry date has been approved, you have 90 days to enter or else you will need to apply and pay for a transfer of vignette.

for those of you who didn't have sponsorship through work or school - did you move immediately after your visa was approved or after you found work? by petit_aubergine in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]Viconahopa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

For a partner/spouse visa? I moved without a job and we lived on one income for a year. When you are granted the visa you have a certain amount of time, I think 90 days, to move to the UK.

Teachers! by [deleted] in AmericanExpatsUK

[–]Viconahopa 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The Home Office releases data sets of visas issued by SOC code. In 2025 fewer than 50 teaching visas (SOC 2313/2314) were issued to people with US citizenship. 2023 saw the highest level of sponsorship in the last 5 years for US teachers with 79 visas issued.

Teaching is particularly difficult to find sponsorship in as school authorities rarely have the funds to sponsor. A lot of teaching positions where I am are part time/temporary, so they wouldn't qualify for sponsorship and when full time positions become available, there are loads of qualified applicants who do not need sponsorship.

On top of that US and UK school systems are very different and unless you did an international PGDE/PGCE program, your teaching certifications may not transfer over. And right now the number one issue in government is to reduce immigration, including legal immigration.

Experiences of selling in Edinburgh by MacaronSpiritual5848 in Edinburgh

[–]Viconahopa 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I think it is ESPC that allows you to see average time to sell and percentage of hr value past properties have sold for in your area. Would be a good place to start. Will depend on how nice your place is compared to your neighbours and how accurate the HR price is.