2021 January 8th-10th Post Comment Love

Happy New Year and welcome back to Post Comment Love #PoCoLo a weekly linky run by Stephanie from Lifeat139a and I, where you can link up with any blog post written each week. We share the posts on twitter and comment on all linked up between us, we just ask that you Post, Comment then share the Love. 

Christmas was a strange affair for Peter and I, he spent it in Saudi and I spent it in a hotel on a beach. Due to the new covid strain in the UK, Saudi just closed their borders overnight without warning. We weren't happy especially as it had been hit and miss as to whether or not I'd make it back to Dubai at all this year, oh the irony, it turned out it was his travels we should've worried about.

Well 2021 got off to a fantastic start for Peter and I, he made it back from Saudi in time for the New Year which we celebrated by taking a midnight walk in our neighbourhood to watch the fireworks go off on the Atlantis and the Beach and spent New Years Day walking along the canal then seeing the fireworks again down on the beach followed by a drone light show. Dubai do everything so well, they even celebrate the New Year twice. 

I also started the new year off by getting the Chinese vaccine, Sinopharm, which is available to all residents and citizens in the UAE. I need my 2nd jab on the 25th January. I've blogged about why I chose these vaccine on this weeks link up.

Then disaster struck, I was admitted to hospital for 2 nights with severe lower back pain and no known cause, turns out I have a herniated or slipped disc and have been assigned 7 days bed rest as from today. I also have surgery on Saturday for an unrelated issue and I have a full time job ahead of me when I recover filling in all the medical calm forms as so much wasn't pre approved so you pay up front and claim back later. 

So I'm no confined to bed till next week, I've plenty of blogging and reading to do and have a whole back catalogue of Crimewatch from the mid 1980's on youtube lined up to watch, it's frightening just how many murder cases are still unsolved from those times.

I know 2021 is going to be an up and down year for us, regardless of Covid, I turn 50 this year, I'm unsure where I'll be living for most of this year, UK or Dubai but I'm grateful to have a secure home in both countries, who knows when borders will shut again and where I'll be, I was shut out of Dubai last year. If I'm honest I don't mind if I get shut out of the UK, it's tough being there, so near, yet so far, from family I'm usually separated from due to being an expat, it's harder when I'm only a few miles down the road and can't see them. But I'll take what I can get, be grateful for our health, the covid vaccine and the medical aid.

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How tolerant are you?

I bought a MacBook Air this week and Microsoft Word for Mac.

They offered to install it there and then but I requested an appointment to come back this morning to have it installed to give me the opportunity to play with my new toy and put a list together of things I needed some help with.

So I transferred files from the hard drive, some are corrupted, photos were moved over, the iPhone wasn’t authorised and I couldn’t find the hash tag key #### I also didn’t know how to open a download to have it installed and where to store files and where the search function was. Otherwise I’m more than happy with my new toy.

Now at 42, I know my adult kids think I’m past it when it comes to technology and my 14 year old certainly thinks I shouldn’t be allowed access to the internet, however my Mother thinks I’m a genius in all things technological J.

So when I’m greeted for my 30 minute tutorial by an employee the same age my eldest son, I must admit my hackles were up and I was ready for a fight, but I was so very wrong. He first asked me if I had any experience of Apple OS and I replied ‘other than my iPhone, no’. He then offered to file, move, sort everything for me, authorised my iPhone, discovered he didn’t know where the hash tag #### key on a UK keyboard was located (we found it together) He gave me instructions on how to migrate files so they weren’t corrupted, rather than just copy them across from the hard drive.

He demonstrated the click, 2 finger click (right click) how to close a file, rearrange my icons, open downloads for installing and not once did he demonstrate any kind of frustration with me or make me feel as if I was stupid and shouldn’t be allowed near technology.

Now this is how things should be isn’t it? I have a lot of knowledge about a lot of things and an awful lot of experience, which I use to help others on a daily basis. I’m often approached for advice from child welfare through to international shipping and I give my knowledge and time freely, to strangers off the net and to friends of friends etc.

However I often find I’m on the receiving end having asked for information on how a product, service works and if I can’t get the assistance I need from people who have personal experience I do what we all do, I turn to the professionals, often a free service, they call it customer care on the end of the phone, face to face in a store or via email, letter or telephone and I often find that these people just sometimes don’t care, treat you as if you’ve asked a stupid question or that you are actually stupid.

I tend to find that most visits that involve any kind of request for help for medical aid, cell phone contracts, opening bank accounts, registering a vehicle start like this:

I’m NOT South African, I know how things work in the UK, because that is where I was born, raised, have experience of things. I know in the UK how to phrase questions correctly to get a response, but here I don’t. If I want to ask for a mobile phone contract or ask for a demonstration on a sat nav or god forbid not understand how medical aid works, because where I come from it’s free, then I’m going to ask aren’t I? How else do I learn?

I don’t expect to be laughed at any more than I’d expect you to know how things work in my country either. So that’s why my hackles were up this morning when I entered the Apple Store, but I couldn’t have been more wrong.

Travelling Light, currency, plugs and other tips

I know many people who buy new clothes, shoes, make up when they go on holiday (Mother) and pack an iron, hairdryer and 2 full sets of clothes, just in case, every toiletry item they think they’ll ever need and end up bringing most of it back unworn and/or unused.

I’ve known people to pack coffee, crisps, nappies and even blocks of cheese as they’re going somewhere new and foreign and are afraid they won’t get a few of their ‘home’ comforts while they’re away for a fortnights break.

There’s a big difference though between being a tourist and an expat, once an expat you’ll NEVER holiday or travel like a tourist again, trust me.

As an expat I’m a regular flyer, back and forth between South Africa and the UK, I however DON’T travel light, with all the family, 5 kids, 2 mums, a dad, siblings, nephews and nieces etc along with friends, my case is ALWAYS full of gifts and a ‘little touch of home’ for some South African friends, there is often little room left for clothing and I tend to pack bulkier stuff as after all I’m travelling to a colder climate. I do have a store of items I leave at my mums, that I’d never wear back in SA, winter coats, thermals, etc. However, this does leave room in my case for the return trip, where I stock up on the ‘home comforts’ such as tea bags, make up and aubergine pickle and pick up Summer sale items of clothing for wearing back in SA.

I’m currently on holiday in Dubai, just a holiday for me, hubby is working and we are extending the stay for a few days, so he has packed work clothes and leisure ware, including a suit that found it’s way into my suitcase. Hmmmmmmm

This trip I’ve only packed for me. I won’t be buying souvenirs or trinkets, in fact I won’t be buying much with the exchange rate as it is, other than a thank you gift, from the airport as we leave for my friend for dog and cat sitting for the week.

My case only weighs 19kg was extremely out of shape, hubbies suit took a battering, and when plastic wrapped to guard against theft at OR Tambo it and most of that is in the form of toiletries, half bottles of stuff such as shower gels and shampoos to use up, although believe it or not, most hotels these days do provide things like this without additional charge.

There are a few things I can NEVER travel without and these are all hand luggage items. For starters it’s a ‘no, no’ to pack anything of value in hold baggage, especially coming out of South Africa.

•   Laptop, charger, Iphone and cables.

·         Plug adapter to convert from South African to British, Plugs in Dubai and at most airports use British plugs.

 Although I do have a laptop cable that has a British plug also.

·         Cable ties – for return to South Africa to use on the cases.

·         Luggage tags x 2. One used with destination and another with home address to use on return. (Don’t want people at the airport when you’re leaving to see where you’ve come from and that the property is going to be empty for a while)

·         Eye mask and inflatable pillow, not just to use on the plane, but whilst waiting for transfer, the bus and taxi ride to the hotel also.

·         Ear phones, preferably noise reduction for the plane, iphone etc.

·         Spare cell/mobile phone and charger, in case of theft and I also have 2 South African SIMS and 2 British SIMS, as I’ve discovered my SA SIMs on PAYG don’t work in Dubai. Roaming and cellular data switched off the second one boards the plane.

·         Bank cards, South African and British, already had one card declined when checking in at the hotel.

·         Local Currency, not a lot but at least enough to buy a coffee and tip the porter. I’ve always found a few pound coins help for tips, especially in Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia and don’t be afraid to say ‘no thank you’ to someone offering to help with your cases at the airport. I chased a thief for hubbies passport, end of last year, who helped himself when ‘helping’ us.

·         Medical aid card or Insurance, don’t forget to inform your medical aid company before you travel.

·         I also pack a face cloth, change of top and under ware as well as a toothbrush and paste, facial wipes and a pair of socks to wear on the flight, a book and some sweets.

How to do......... as an expat in South Africa

First thing if you want to do anything here is start the conversation with...

'I'm not from round these parts, I'm British, on a visitors visa (can't work) and I would like some to explain to me how to open, set up, tranfer, apply for, find...etc'

Don't be embarrassed to ask to speak with a supervisor, hang up phone again.

From personal experience it's better to actually go to the shop/government building/municipality department and speak with someone face to face, there will be long queues so top your phone up and take a book. No need for snacks, they usually have food vans and drinks as they know how long these things take to do.

Whenever I need to do anything I take with me the following documents. You will need all of these photocopied and verified. To do this go to your local SAPS (Police Station) Don't confuse this with the Metro police they can't and won't sign documents.
I spend a lot of time at OR Tambo airport with visitors, dropping off and fetching hubby and find the Police very helpful there.

So here goes

Passport.
Copy of Passport and Visa.
Medical aid Card and copy of hubbies Passport.
Proof of Residency (something with your address on, in your name, spelt correctly.
Letter from hubby to say he gives full permission for me to deal with these things on his behalf (preferably on headed works paper).
Copy of employment contract (Yes they do require the full 27 pages).
3 months of pay slips (of course when you arrive you don't have this, banks, etc will tell you what to provide instead, as each place is different)

A vial of the kids blood is often useful to offer, no one takes bribes here, you'll just end up in jail.

And when all else fails, just return with hubby, him muttering 'can't you do this yourself?' when all else fails and they need to see him, after you've completed all the forms, had everything stamped, signed in triplicate and queued for an average of 4 hours a day for the past week.

NHS versus Private Medical Aid

For 39 years I was only aware of the NHS. Yes, there was private care available at a cost in the UK, but it usually came with a benefit package or the rich used it. Despite needing hospital care in the UK the private scheme was only ever used the once by hubby as in the past treatment needed hadn't fallen into the right category. I've had a few stays in hospital with viral meningitis and pneumonia and other things and all of them were 999 calls/emergencies so never really stopped to think about using the private care and apart from service in the NHS being slow, there's never really been an issue. On moving to South Africa less than 2 years ago, our only option is private medical care, so we've been told and although its part of a benefit package hubby still has to contribute 50% of the monthly cost and it's a taxable benefit. There was the cricket ball in the throat incident, pay cash up front, claim back from med aid, bills sent directly to us to pay, but not receiving them so issued with court orders to pay as the med aid wasn't linked to the emergency hospital son was taken to. Emergency surgery after the heelies accident, now apart from the cast being too tight, that all worked out well, from A&E to surgery, to ward to discharge, less than 24hours. There's been a CT scan after I was dehydrated, numerous dental treatments and doctor’s appointments. We've certainly had our monies worth from it but what has been the real cost? I personally think Private medical care is a waste of money, time and effort and so far it has caused me more stress than any of the treatments, surgery and emergencies that have happened so far. When admitted to hospital you have to set up an account, so your child is separated from you while you complete paperwork, provide copies of ID and med aid, know your hubbies works number off the top of your head as in any emergency you're never prepared. Did you know you can request which hospital you want the ambulance to take you to? Then the hospital will ask you after they've carried out initial treatment what scans/tests etc do you want? You're the bloody experts, you tell me. Do you want to be admitted? I don't know how much does that cost? Then of course you say yes to the tests and no you'll take child home if the hospital say it's ok to discover that now you have to phone your med aid and ask permission for the tests, you discover the hospital you are at doesn't meet with the med aids agreed prices and you have to then hand your bank card over for them to take the necessary payments, because they don't tell you this until afterwards or unless you ask, keep the receipt and spend next 6 months arguing with the med aid for a full refund...It was an emergency. Oh and don't forget the payment gap you'll end up in, the what? Exactly. You go to the Doctors or are half way through dental treatment and your funds run out. Yes seriously and the first you know about it is when a bill arrives or you get a phone call demanding payment. It's even more annoying when you explain to the med aid that you don't know how any of this works, as you are only used to free treatment as you're from the UK, you finally get informed that there's a drop in centre nearby where you can ask to speak with someone to explain all of this to you. So you visit every time you ne something or you get a bill and they are very good at reading off the computer, emailing you cut and paste and putting you on the phone to someone above them who is more qualified to answer your question, when all they then do is read off a piece of paper. This week I was admitted to hospital for day surgery. It was 6 weeks from referral by doctor to appointment and the actual procedure. Which compared to the NHS is bloody brilliant, but the stress of organising it was immense. R500 payable on initial consultation, claimed back from med aid. Completion of consent forms for surgery and all med aid details including car registration numbers for both myself and hubby (no parking permit was issued) details of next of kin in South Africa and as we are immigrants, contact for family members in the UK. Then there was approval from the med aid, the hospital contacted me to say I'd need to pay R3500 towards the treatment, so a visit to the med aid drop in centre, a phone call to discover that they won't pay for two treatments in the same year. But I wasn't having two treatments in the same year, but according to med aid level 1 injection were the same as level 2 injections. The physio and anaesthetist come to see me, told to refrain from driving for 48hrs and my neck may be sore for a week. At the consultation I was informed I'd be sedated and a needle would be inserted into my nerves on both sides of my neck from C1-7 and an electrical pulse would stimulate the nerves. I was put under and the procedure lasted 90 mins, I came round and my blood pressure was 57/40 something, I was dehydrated and it took 2 hours for the drip to pass through and I was discharged at 5pm. On arriving home I stepped out the car and collapsed on the drive, I've been in bed ever since with this (sat pm) being the first time I've been able to sit up for more than a few minutes without incredible neck pain. On calling the hospital on Friday I was told I had to have complete bed rest till Tuesday, take the meds as prescribed, despite instruction on box saying 'when needed' and to drink caffeine, coke and eat chocolates to keep my blood sugar levels up, my feet elevated and not to attempt to stand unaided and not to be left alone. Now hubby wouldn't have gone to Cape Town Thursday till Saturday had we been given that information at the hospital. And thanks to med aid company I now have to go through the whole procedure level 2 again in January when the New Year starts which will mean with the costs that we will be in the payment gap sooner than we want. In the meantime I'm trying to find a perodontist that works within the med aid figures and despite requesting that the med aid company find me one, I'm still waiting for the surgery I need to resolve and slow down the bone degeneration I have and prevent my teeth from falling out. I'd rather have the NHS any day, thank you very much. I may have to wait longer but from previous experience, there is less stress prior to the event and after. My father had a heart attack in June, the only option he had was the NHS, their care during and after was fantastic and the help he receives now is amazing. No wonder I'm suffering from depression, most of it caused by my lack of knowledge and the medical aids lack of understanding in response to 'I don't know how this all works, please help'

When no one stops to help

I think it's such a shame in this day and age that the days of the good samaritan have passed us by...I'm not going all religious on you here, but what with it being Easter and living in a religious country, I half expected better.

Now it turned out this was nothing more than a drunk, passing out on the side of the road, but how are you to know that? He could've been diabetic, he could've been attacked or anything.

Yesterday I was out with my youngest and his mate nearing a 4 way stop, so I'm travelling at next to nothing. I see about 10 cars ahead of me a young man on the pavement, I don't notice him stagger i just see him crash to the ground and smash his head on the kerb. What do i do? I live in South Africa, one doesn't stop for anyone, ever, not even a female in distress as it could be a ploy to rob, rape or murder you, yes I'm being serious. No one else stops, no one else even pays attention, and as I drive past I notice he's vomited, yes he may be drunk, but he could also have a head injury. So what do I do?

I don't know the number for a government ambulance, in fact I dob't know the number for our medical aid ambulance either, so I pull into the garage, I tell the manager what has happened, he says I've done the right thing and he grabs a worker and they run off to help. As I leave the garage, having sone my bit, I glance up the road, he is still unconscious and no one has stopped to help.

I called back into the garage today to find out what had happened. The manager told me he was drunk, he was wearing a uniform for another petrol station, they had phoned them and said this guy was an alcoholic and they were trying to help him. The guy had come round and had refused any help, so they took him back to the garage where they let him sleep it off.

I apologised to the mananger he said 'what for?' 'you did the right thing and no one else did anything, thank you for stopping'

I will do the same again, from a distance and I must call my medical aid company in the morning to get the number for an ambulance...just in case.

I have new skills to offer, but I do require payment

This morning I emailled my CV to a relocation firm here in South Africa. My back ground is teaching in Special Needs and family support as well as two years spent as a Child Welfare Officer with a large sporting organisation.

All the skills I've gained over the years through work and studying were all put to good use with relocating our family to South Africa.

I'm pimping for work and have discovered it's every man/woman for themselves so I thought I'd blog a round up of what I've achieved here in the past year, who knows? at the very least I might get a book deal or even better paid employment in this area of work.

So here goes...

I arrived in Centurion in January 2010 with my Husband who is on a Inter Company Transfer Visa and my now two children aged 13 & 17 both on student Visas. I am here on a visitors visa of which I had hoped to obtain a work visa, based on information given prior to leaving the UK. My Husbands company are in the process of extending the visas.

Prior to our arrival I had not visited the country, we arrived within 4 months of the job offer being made and upon our arrival discovered that apart from a 6 week rental contract in the company name, nothing had been organised for us and there was no support available. Completely unfamiliar with South Africa, I made it a priority to settle the children and within 42 hours they were in school. My eldest was playing football with Birmingham City prior to our relocation and I found a football club for him, TUK's, to train with prior to leaving the UK. The school was chosen for us by the company as they had to have an offer place prior to the visas being issued.

In regards to the application for visas, my Husbands company provided the necessary paperwork for the transfer, but I was left to communicate with the school and arrange for their current schools to access their learning abilities and starting dates. I also made all contact within the UK in regards to where and when we submitted forms, chest xrays, police checks with out any support.

I then had 4 weeks upon arrival to open bank accounts, obtain proof of residency, register with RICA to obtain SIM cards, apply for a loan, purchase a car all necessary items in order to enable us to find a property to rent. We had no telephone or access to the internet in the apartment rented for us, which made the whole task a rather unpleasant, frightening and time consuming process. We further discovered to our alarm, when the eldest child recieved an injury on our 2nd week in the country that our Medical Aid hadn't been properly organised. This took several months of threatening phone calls from the hospital before we were able to sort it out and reclaim our payments. During this time we couldn't get a credit card or loans (other than the car, which due to the 2 year visa restriction meant a heafty deposit and high payments) all inital costs were made from our UK bank accounts. We did make plans with a UK bank offering all the services we needed but they failed to deliver, including cancelling my bank card in the first week due to 'unusual' activity.

After finally renting a property, I then had to find out how to get the water and electricty connected, telephone line and internet installed along with DSTV and sort out car and contents insurance. My husband was travelling abroad during this time and due to me not having proof of employment this was a difficult and long winded affair. We also had problems with customs in regards to releasing our container and this involved trips to SARS with additional release papers that the UK agents had failed to comply with. There were issues in regards to additional payments and with persistance and many visits this matter was over come and our furniture was only delayed by 2 weeks. However, during this period items were needed to be purchased which meant going places during the day unaccompanied in a foreign, unfamiliar and dangerous company to obtain.

It wasn't until April/May last year that I then turned my attention to Doctors and Dentists, familiarising myself with the Medical Aid, how to call an ambulance which hospitals, doctors, dentists met the payment requirements for the Medical Aid.

Now a year on I have started to build a support network, any help I have recieved has been via a network of people in the UK other expats all over the world and people I've met in South Africa, all online on social networking sites. I joined an expat group in Pretoria called Internations, which helped me to get out and meet people, but I've yet to meet anyone that has been in a similar situation. Everyone I've met to date has had help with all of the above to the extent that their companies include utility bills as part of the rental payments and cars and cells phones and medical aid cards have been handed over on arrival. Also most expats are not paid in local currency meaning that they still have credit history in their original country.

I feel now that the time is right for me to start to look for employment, I had intended to continue with my UK studies, but this impossible with sorting out all of the above and distance learning required the use of the internet which, other than 3G on mobile phones, we were without.

I feel that my ability to do the above has come from my sheer determination to succeed and to make a life for my family out here. My skills from my previous employment have been used to their fullest, communication, organising, negoitiating, overcoming hurdles have been best tested in this area of my life. My ability to remain calm and focused in some of the most difficult of situations has paid off and has enabled me to be very familiar with Centurion, Pretoria and most parts of Jahannesburg. Within 3 weeks I was driving after dark for football training, locating government buildings, improvising, adapting everything I know to help me be understood in such a different culture.

The biggest battle I face and still struggle with is the feeling of lonliness, lack of employment and a social life, which I feel should have been addressed on our arrival in order for me to have met people to have been offered support in regards to settling here. A simple list of properties to view, doctors, dentists an appointment to have the Medical aid explained, contact numbers for the municipality departments, telephone, internet, recommendations for car insurance companies, tourist leaflets on places of interest and more importantly a contact person in case of emergency especially when our eldest was injured and again when the youngest broke his arm and required surgery in July.

Having achieved all of this and alone, I feel I am in a good position now to offer support and guidance to other families relocating to South Africa and I would like to use this knowledge and experience to gain employment in this field.

I look forward to hearing from you and to potentially discuss a way forward.