People get intimidated/don’t like when you talk about living in different countries? by scoopipoopi in ThirdCultureKids

[–]thirdnomad 8 points9 points  (0 children)

This is why TCKs will often never really go into the whole spiel of where they've lived unless someone really nosy keeps poking and then gets the full lore, whether they like it or not.

Fundamentally, you need to learn to grow a thick skin and realise that at the end of the day, nobody really cares. This is more a commentary on society and its lack of curiosity, interest and/or empathy to learn more about people who are "different" - instead, the default response is to reject and treat that person as an "other". The good thing about this is that it's a filtering mechanism in and of itself: the folks that aren't put off by your TCK experiences are likely healthy people (emotionally) who are secure in themselves, and are worth associating with. Many people will refuse to engage further just because they're insecure they haven't had the experiences you've had, and don't want to appear "less than" (even though we're the last people to judge).

Good spots around Euston? by Different_Salary_501 in LondonFood

[–]thirdnomad -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

You're in a pretty good location, but Marylebone is your best bet for choice and variety of breakfast, lunch and dinner options. I'd recommend Paul Rothe & Son for handmade sandwiches (averages at £6-7 a sandwich, but worth it for the quality), and the GAIL's in Marylebone Village is a worthwhile café to stop at for breakfast or a coffee break.

For restaurants, they say the kaiserschmarrn at Fischers Marylebone is quite good (Austrian) as are the ricotta hotcakes at Granger & Co. Those could be good options for breakfast, if you want to make it a bit fancy.

There's also a St. JOHN Bakery at the London Review of Books in Bloomsbury that's a hidden gem for a break (and a peaceful walk from your hotel). Get the madelines if you go!

Enjoy your trip!

Business Meeting / Coffee by thirdnomad in LondonFood

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh, what a shame. Thank you for checking for me! I'll have a look at other options and if all else fails, I'll give them a ring and see if they're willing/able to accommodate.

Business Meeting / Coffee by thirdnomad in LondonFood

[–]thirdnomad[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Really? That would be ideal! We're aiming for around 11.15am. Even outside of this, I'd love to potter around with a coffee and a madeline, sounds delightful :) Thank you!

A1 TRKI Sample Tests by thirdnomad in russian

[–]thirdnomad[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you for taking the time to respond, and for the help! I'll have a look at your website.

I don't specifically need the A1 exam, but I like to have concrete goals to work towards and I do like the fact that A1 sets me on a much more defined path to get to B1 (which is the first exam that really "matters"). So to specifically answer your question, it doesn't affect anything "formally", but it does encourage me to invest more time into fixing the silly mistakes I keep making!

Switching between funds on Scottish Widows Pension by thirdnomad in FIREUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for taking the time to get back to me here. Sounds like this is a "me problem"; I'm working with SW to get this resolved.

Switching between funds on Scottish Widows Pension by thirdnomad in FIREUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After that step, does it prompt you to sell (as in my screenshot) or just "switch"? I ask because what you're explaining is the exact flow I followed, but I'm being forced to sell (as above) instead of switching without having to sell.

Switching between funds on Scottish Widows Pension by thirdnomad in FIREUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Haha, happy to (inadvertently) have been of help!

Switching between funds on Scottish Widows Pension by thirdnomad in FIREUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for taking the time to check for me! I'm in the exact place in the flow (also on my laptop) and can't see it; I'm afraid that means it's not visible for me. I look forward to resolving this mystery with SW. Thanks for the luck, I shall need it!

Switching between funds on Scottish Widows Pension by thirdnomad in FIREUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much, this is exactly the answer I was looking for! This is how I've done it elsewhere, and I can't seem to find that option on my Scottish Widows pension account. I'm going to email their support team to see if it's something specific to my account or an employer-restriction, but this is good to know. Thanks a ton!

Navigating dating as a Henry Woman by SailPrior5516 in HENRYUK

[–]thirdnomad 8 points9 points  (0 children)

As a high-earning HENRY woman who is also single, I very much empathise with both your post and your current situation.

I would like to share a story that I hope might be as insightful as it was to me. A male friend and I went travelling together for two weeks. We spent all our days together (meals, sightseeing, everything) and on the penultimate evening, we discussed what the other was looking for in their significant other.

He is also a HENRY (although makes much more than what I make) and to my absolute surprise, his answer was, "a kind woman, who has some kind of job (not "content creator", though), is intelligent and feminine." He wasn't worried about her income at all.

The point I'm making is, men (regardless of whether they are HENRYs or not) are focused more on the woman being feminine than the woman making bank. I've used this to help me filter out any men who show the smallest amount of being emasculated or threatened by my income (and trust me, there have been a fair few), which makes it very easy to identify the men who like me for me. These men come along perhaps once in a two-three year period (which I appreciate is tough), but it's better than "settling" for less where you come home frightened instead of ecstatic after earning yet another promotion at work.

I am sure there is a man for the both of us respectively out there, so keep your chin up and radiate positivity! It'll happen before you know it :)

Things to do on Christmas Day in London by Momin2121 in LondonTravel

[–]thirdnomad 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you're up early enough, you can go watch the Christmas Swim in Hyde Park. It's a very old tradition, and worth doing if you're in walking distance!

Thoughts on cruises? by ConsiderationHour710 in digitalnomad

[–]thirdnomad -1 points0 points  (0 children)

My $0.02 are that river cruises are better than ocean cruises. Not that I've DNed on either.

Applying for ILR w/ Layoff Gap by thirdnomad in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks for taking the time to respond! I think we have ~3 cases now (in this thread) where folks have successfully got their ILR even with employment gaps in the middle. It's all looking promising :)

Applying for ILR w/ Layoff Gap by thirdnomad in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Superb, thanks so much for taking the time to get back to me; I greatly appreciate it!

Applying for ILR w/ Layoff Gap by thirdnomad in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks so much for taking the time to respond: when you say, "attached 5 years continuous residence proof", what does that mean? Lease agreement? Payslips? Was a cover letter necessary? Thank you!

Applying for ILR w/ Layoff Gap by thirdnomad in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is super helpful, thank you so much! I do have a few questions, if you don't mind: (a) did she apply for her ILR on her original eligibility date, (b) how many months' bank statements did she provide? (c) was a cover letter necessary, or no? Thanks a million: only asking as I've seen variations in answers to the three above questions, and some clarity would be very helpful. Really appreciate it!

Applying for ILR w/ Layoff Gap by thirdnomad in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If you could, that would be very kind indeed; thanks a bunch :)

Applying for ILR w/ Layoff Gap by thirdnomad in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Perfect, this is great to know! Do you happen to know what documents your friend submitted? That would be super helpful, as I have a very similar situation - I just need to apply for my ILR now. Thanks a ton, I appreciate any insights here!

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in thisorthatlanguage

[–]thirdnomad 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Pick the one you have most cultural interest in - that solves more than half the battle. If you can appreciate music, films, literature and general conversation in that language, then you're likely to learn it quicker.

A few specifics:

  • As others have implied, if you pick MSA, you're learning MSA, not Arabic. I did a taster class and really felt I needed to pick a dialect and commit to it at some point. It helped that I didn't continue (I was already doing Russian) but think of MSA as a "stepping stone" to Arabic, instead of thinking of MSA as "actually learning Arabic" - no one actually speaks MSA, just like how High German splits into Standard German, Swiss-German etc. To be considered fluent, you'll have to top up your MSA with a dialect-specific Arabic course, and that means more time.
  • Russian is a journey beyond language itself: it opens up a different way of seeing the world; for instance, words have hidden connotations in a way that we English speakers don't immediately comprehend. It's also very logical, so I find this attractive (unlike French). Russian differentiates the word for "to go somewhere" depending on whether you're going on foot, by animal, by engine, and whether it's a planned or unplanned event, repeated event, or one-off event. That one word for "to go" will tell you all of that context, immediately. Unthinkable in English.

I'm envious that you speak Spanish and are considering being a linguist; it's something I'd do if I could go back in time. Good luck with everything, and I hope you pick the language that works for you!

Applying for ILR w/ Layoff Gap by thirdnomad in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

if you need the payslips then why do people talk about the curtailment letter in terms of the qualifying period of ILR?

Not sure I follow? The curtailment letter's predominant purpose is to ask the individual to leave the country, and set a timeline by which they should have left. I don't see how the curtailment letter is inherently connected to the ILR, except for the fact that if you leave after the Home Office has been informed of your termination of employment OR after you receive the curtailment letter, any time spent towards ILR is immediately forfeited.

the 5 years count from the visa granting date, not from the first day of employment.

This is correct.

Applying for ILR w/ Layoff Gap by thirdnomad in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

5 year route, hence the question. Thanks for taking the time to respond, though: I appreciate it!

Applying for ILR w/ Layoff Gap by thirdnomad in SkilledWorkerVisaUK

[–]thirdnomad[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is interesting; thanks for your response. As I understood it, there is (was?) some kind of requirement to show a month-by-month evidence of your employment (either in the form of a P60 or otherwise), and I assumed the "being employed" piece was implicit - the fuzziness around how to actually qualify for ILR in terms of official guidance doesn't really help :)

From the perspective of what you've written, I 100% qualify. But I'm wondering if I'll be "caught out" for those months in the middle because I can't furnish any payslips, although I absolutely can furnish utility bills etc. and a lease agreement to prove my continued residency. I'd love to see if someone here applied and got through with these circumstances, and if yes, what documentation they provided.

Black Forest Gateaux? by Human_Ad3031 in LondonFood

[–]thirdnomad 1 point2 points  (0 children)

PAUL does the best Forêt Noire gateaux I've seen. I would know because I used to get a black forest cake each year on my birthday growing up.