Maidstone and The Journey Home

Sorry I haven't written last week. With packing and getting ready to head back to Canada things were fairly hectic. I have been back at my parents place for 5 days now and although I miss The Hubby dreadfully focusing on the next steps in the immigration and visa process helps keep me busy and allow time to fly by faster. Allow me to fill you in on my last week in England and all the interesting things that happened on the journey back to Canada.

For the last week in England The Hubby and I both had interviews with the National Insurance Number department in Maidstone, Kent. These were to issue us numbers like our SIN cards in Canada. We had separate interviews and they asked us basic questions about our plans on staying in the country ect. Boring red tape stuff, but it did allow me to take the bus there and back on two different days and explore the town of Maidstone.

The Hubby, Geoffrey and I all waited at the bus stop at the Royal Tundbridge Wells train station patiently and I kept my fingers crossed that it would be a double-decker bus. I have ridden one before in Ottawa, but I wanted to ride the iconic buses that one usually thinks of when they think of England. I was in luck the Arriva #7 was a double-decker and we got to ride on the top right at the front. It was exhilarating as your sense of space is very different up there so at times you are worried about hitting a bridge or a parked car...lots of fun. The ride took us through the country side past horses, cows, sheep and goats. Then we finally arrived at Checker's Mall and got ready to walk up to the Job Centre which was 15 minutes on foot.

The walk itself was awesome as the main road we needed to take Weeks was a pedestrian road, sort of like Spark Street back home. They have one in Tundbridge Wells as well, seems to be a British thing. As we walked past all of the shops it was nice to see other people milling about and getting ready for their day as well. We had a bit of time to kill so we stopped at the Poundland to check things out. The Hubby and I watch a guy on youtube called Ashens who review things from Poundland from time to time and he is hilarious so we could not pass up checking out this store. It was like our dollar stores back in Canada, but they had a broader selection. It was fun to see the subtle differences in stocked items.

Because we could not go to each other's interview we spent our time wiating for each other at the In Victa House. This is where County Council meets and it has a gorgeous front court yard with benches and trees so you can wait for people. After we were done we met up for lunch in a lovely park behind a local church. We tried their KFC the chicken was awesome, seems like they still have their transfat as it was just the KFC I remember having as a kid.

We ended up finding an awesome comic store  in Maidstone called the Grinning Demon. The owner was really helpful and friendly and you can look them up on facebook. I highly recommend this store to comic collectors in the area. At the Mall Geoffrey took a ride with Rupert Bear and we perused the toy store and the hobby store. It was a nice outing two days in a row and the pictures I got from the buses were awesome.

The journey home started off pleasant and emotional at the same time. The Hubby walked me to the front gate of the flat complex and I got the my first car for hire in Brittan. The driver was nice and made light conversation at the start of the drive, but once we hit the M25 I started to drift in and out. A nap was definitely in order after the tear filled night I had. I awoke when we were close to Heathrow and I was mentally preparing myself to deal with lines, ticket counters security ect. Heathrow was boring compared to the other airports. They had lots of shops, but nothing in the way of artwork or interesting items to take pictures of.

Security was interesting they decided after scanning my carry on that extra measures needed to be taken. I had to go to a separate counter and open the bag for them. From there they took out my e-book reader, camera and my journal and asked my permission to swab those items plus my entire bag. I had been watching Nothing to Declare a show about the Austrailian and New Zeland boarder control teams, so I knew they were looking for drugs. It made me laugh, but I was compliant and it went fairly quickly once they analyzed the swabs. I did have to wait for two hours in a main waiting area before they announced the gate my Iceland Air flight was boarding at. 

The first flight to Iceland went very smoothly. This time around my layover was only two hours, but we did not have to go through security for the connecting flight so I had sometime to read and try to clear my head of sad thoughts of being on my own. I really wished The Hubby was with me, I was missing him like crazy. However, I knew if I looked towards our goal of getting my visa and getting back to the UK it would make this time apart more bearable. You can see how tired I am in the photo below.

We arrived smoothly at Pearson in Toronto. Customs was a breeze and I was so happy to see my Parents and my youngest brother waiting for me at the arrivals section. It was a long day and we still had a four hour drive ahead of us, but I did manage to get a poutine at a rest station...I soo missed poutine. When we got home my second brother had taken my puppy downstairs to sleep with him so I didn't get to be reunited with Mr. Lister until the morning. It was a happy reunion though and the puppy has been sticking with me ever since.

So now it is time to start all the paperwork and work towards the goal of joining The Hubby again. If I take things one day at a time it will be done before I know it and I have a great support net of family and friends to see me though.

Until next time, keep on dreaming.

~Diligentdaydreamer

Tourist Sites Galore!

The third week in England I tried to fit in a few more tourist locations. I wanted to experience a bit of the British culture and since The Hubby had job searching and interviews to do it gave me a chance to go out on my own and get to know the streets better. The local museum had drawn my attention earlier last week and I decided that since it was free it would be a good place for me to start my cultural experience.

After the short walk through The Commons I find myself out side the museum and art gallery. Looking at the war memorial outside I had to stop and take a moment to think about the war from this side of the Ocean and how different the world wars must have been. With November coming fast it is not hard to reflect on the many men and women who have fought for the freedoms I enjoy. After my brief pause I was ready to see all the wonderful sights the museum had in store for me. 

The museum was amazing, the art gallery section was dedicated to water colours from artists who lived in Tunbridge Wells and capture the town in their paints. It was very tranquil and a lovely start to my time there. The object of the month at the museum was Queen Victoria's knickers. I have to admit seeing some one's undergarments was a bit of a funny shock. There were so many different items to enjoy though from games and dolls to a full butterfly collection. I have to say the room I liked the best was Tunbridge wears. In there they had a huge collection of ornate wooden boxes. The most elaborate one was a display case which was made for a family's beloved Lu Lu Terrier. This is a rare Chinese Terrier and the one in question was named Minnie. Minnie is still on display in the case and she captures the love her family must have had for her to spend so much on such a case.

My second touristy outing was to Tonbridge to see the Tonbridge Castle. The Hubby had an interview so I met up with him afterwards and we journeyed to the Castle together. It was an enchanting site standing out atop the hill side over looking the shops from the modern world. We walked past the gatehouse, moat, courtyard and the curtain wall. It was fun sitting imaging what the place might have looked like why it was in its prime. 

Behind the castle there was a creek and on the other side we saw some ducks and swans. The pigeons thought we were feeding them so we were suddenly surrounded by birds. It was quite a sight. I loved it when they took flight again as well.  It wasn't Trafalgar square, but it made me feel like I was there.

Saturday we went for our regular walk about and the in-laws took us out to High Rocks, which is a very rural area full of classic farms and quaint cottages. We walked past the Spa Valley Rail lines and saw a black train done up like Thomas the Tank Engine. It filled my inner child with gladness to see something from my childhood still going strong and in its original form. We stopped at the High Rocks pub for something to drink and a bag of crisps and then walked back to the flat. That night when we went to get groceries we ended up at the Sainsbury's beside the Spa Valley Rail Station and there was a proper Thomas, Diesel and the troublesome trucks. It made my day complete.

So as the sun sets on another week and I prepare to head back to Canada in 9 days. I want to wish all my Canadian friends and family and happy Thanksgiving. I am thankful to have had my dream of seeing England come true and I hope the the next 9 days are just as fun and fascinating.  I always wish the Hubby will get his national insurance number soon so he can get his job and that I find a job quick when I return so we can save up all the immigration costs and get me back to this wonderful country as soon as possible.

Until then you will get one more week of English tales and then it will be back to Canada for Halloween fun and hopefully happy tales of how I get all the paper work done. Keep dreaming

~Diligentdaydreamer

My Lovely Duckies!

Week two in England was a little bit more what the regular routine will be like. The Hubby searched for work while I worked on my arts and craft hobbies and surfed the web. Since I am only a visitor I can not apply for work, so I have to entertain myself while The Hubby does all the paper work to get a job for himself. I am lucky though as the tv shows over here are fun ( Dr Who, X Factor, Red Drawf, Only Fools and Horses and Downton Abbey.) So I think I have done a good job at not getting bored. When it was not raining we would make sure to take a walk down to the shops or the pond so we wouldn't become couch potatoes.

 As much as the week was spent indoors the pond was a great contrast. It was so nice to take a break from whatever we were doing and to go down to the pond to try and spot the residential urban foxes. We got to see lots of glimpses of them cleaning themselves, eating and running along the pond banks. I was worried the mischievous pair were going to eat my ducks so I jokingly called our walks duck public service as we shooed the foxes back into the bushes. I didn't have to worry though as the ducks thrive in this area and were quite happy to follow you about if you had a bit of bread. We got some lovely shots of them through out the week. The nature around the flat is just amazing, it is a photographer's paradise.

During the weekend we head up to Seven Oaks to do a bit of shopping and see a different town in the Kent area. Seven Oaks was quaint with streets lined with shops and cottage style houses. The Hubby didn't understand why I was taking so many pictures, but the architecture is so different from that in Canada I wanted to make sur eI captured it to share it with everyone.  I also could be found looking under trees for Conkers. Got a whole handful, now I just need to dry them out and find someone to compete with me lol.

To finish off the day of exploration we wandered down to Donorlan Park in Tunbridge Wells. There is a large pond and lots of interesting things to see and do. We got some ice cream and walked around the pond where people were using paddle boats, row boats, canoes and remote control boats as well. I loved all the geese and different ducks there were to see and the weather was lovely.  I still can't believe how much greenery there is. I enjoyed the break from the regular routine and hope the weather next weekend will be just as nice. 

All in all I have fallen in love with Kent. Sadly though it seems we are not going to be able to get around the new immigration rule and I will have to go back to Canada to fill out the forms and such. Not to mention we need to save 900 pounds to pay for my visa. So in 17 days I will be using my return ticket and going back alone. At least my parents will be there to meet me and take me in for a while so it won't be too bad. However, I am going to miss The Hubby terribly when I am away. It really makes this whole part of the move seem like a dream. Hopefully we can get the savings and the paper work done quickly so I can come back to England asap. My doggy Lister will be happy to see me though and that is always a good thing. I just take it one day at a time. Keep on dreaming,

~Diligentdaydreamer