Not 'Farewell', but 'See You Soon'

One of the very few negative aspects of being
part of an expat community is that we are faced with ‘good-byes’ quite frequently. However, yesterday I came to realize that this has changed, and how we can turn this into an enriching, positive experience, as citizens of the world that we have now become.

Last night two of my FOCUS colleagues, Alessandra and Nancy, and I met with Nuria and Jesus, a couple of Spanish members, who are moving to the US. They had been with FOCUS

for over two years and during this time have always been very nice, fun and active members of our community, despite the initial language barrier. They kindly invited us for a 'Farewell to London Tea' yesterday and in the middle of packing and filling up boxes with the moving company, they took the time to meet us to say a 'proper good-bye'.

On the way there I was wondering how often we get exposed to this situation, after having been through the very same situation with

another friend whom I met at FOCUS, Natalia, and how it has changed for us through years of working with expats and being expats ourselves. Well, it turned out that I realized that these goodbyes have now developed into 'see you soon' situations. Of course, with Skype, Facebook, LinkedIn, WhatsApp and all technology based resources, keeping in touch with old (and new) friends, the ones who matter, is much easier and in fact much more natural than when I left my country (19 years ago) or even when I had my second relocation to London 12 years ago. But, I realized yesterday that by
being closer in the virtual world makes us promote

situations to be closer in the real, physical world as well. It seems that 'growing apart' is less common now, and what has been made so easy in modern life is staying in touch and continuing to share daily life. This new reality coupled with the fact that by becoming expats we also become 'citizens of the world', makes real reunions much more possible. The 'out of sight, out of mind' belief rarely applies anymore, especially for the FOCUS community. I could go 
on and on sharing recent examples of 

long lost family reunions, or primary school friends that I have met after decades, but I am sure you will all have your own.

So as we were leaving yesterday, wishing our friends all the best for their new experience in a new country, I realized that it was a different bye-bye, as we genuinely hope we will meet again. All I have left to say is, 'All the very best to you both, our dear members and now friends. You will be missed. So… see you again,  in Madrid, Dallas, Sao Paulo, New York, Hong  Kong, back in London, or wherever in the world, but see you soon!'




Written by Valeria Fleury. Valeria is FOCUS Director of Membership.

For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org

Should you wish to share your expat experiences in the UK, please contact us: office@focus-info.org

The Olympic Spirit Reignited!

I hear the roar of the fans chanting 'Go Team GB'
I see the smiles of friendly volunteers ushering me towards the gleaming venues. I feel the warmth of the summer sun of 2012 penetrating the clothes on my back.

Have I been transported back in time to the London Olympic Games of 2012? Oh, if only! Time travel aside, I am experiencing the next best thing- the chance to be a part of the legacy of 2012.

A step into the Lee Valley Velodrome is for me a step back in time. Back to the excitement of London’s very own state of the art velodrome being built, back to the resounding rupture of elation as Sir Chris Hoy cycles his way to three Olympic gold medals, back to the thunderous cheer as the diminutive 5’4’’ Laura Trott convincingly takes gold in the Women’s Omnium.  Although I never attended these events I was present at many other events of the summer games and certainly watched most of these momentous challenges televised. The spirit that enveloped all those who embraced the London Games was something quite special indeed.

When the games ended and the last of the Para
Olympians was on their way home a wave of sadness came over me, a feeling of loss. I feared what I had experienced was one of those a once in a lifetime emotions that could never be replicated. So it was with great enthusiasm and a glimmer of hope that I welcomed the opening of the various venues to the public, including the Velodrome in March 2014. Yes, some of the sites that witnessed Olympic dreams being made and broken were disassembled or are in transit to Brazil, yet a great many remain- the Olympic Stadium, the Copper Box, the Aquatics Centre and the Velodrome to name a few.

I recently returned to Lee Valley Velo Park for my second evening of watching  Revolution, a series of 6 rounds of competitive track cycling spanning several months and taking place in three UK cities. The series includes elite champions through to ‘Chris Hoy Future Stars.’ On both occasions I have been lucky enough to see Olympian Laura Trott working her magic on the track. It was at these events that the Olympic spirit was reignited. The spectators could not help but feel the spirit of the Olympics returning and the cyclists from the elite down to the teenage future stars most certainly had visions of one day achieving the Olympic glory in the fashion of Chris Hoy and Laura Trott.
 

Even though fairly new to the world of cycling I
found the Revolution events thoroughly intriguing. I was surprised at the number of races that called for stealth strategy in equal measure to athletic talent. The races covered an unimaginable spectrum of racing from outright sprints to 200 lap races where two man teams would lock hands and fling each other forward on varying laps. I even watched something called the ‘longest lap’ which I can only say is thrillingly exciting, quite contrary to its name!

When all the excitement of the cycling events was over I left the Velodrome with a great sense of serenity, an inner calm. The evening assured me that the legacy of the Olympics is indeed living on  in London. I encourage you all to pick a sport, find an event and be a part of keeping this sprit and investment of the Olympics alive. I guarantee you it is worth your effort!

Written by Nancy Dickinson.  Nancy is Deputy Executive Director at FOCUS.

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

 

Should you wish to share your expat experiences in the UK, please contact us: office@focus-info.org

Food, Glorious Food

When I first came to London, more than 20 years ago, it was difficult to eat a great meal unless you went to a Michelin starred restaurant – or cooked it yourself.  Much has changed since then and this city has turned into such a foodie heaven, and haven, that we are spoiled for choice.

In my family, we generally like to eat out in ethnic restaurants, and we have a particular passion for Asian food.  Of course we have our favourite local haunts where we are recognised at the door and that are easy to get to.  But since it was

Chinese New Year, we decided to look outside our neighbourhood and try something new. Some friends recommended A. Wong in Victoria.

We went for lunch on a weekday,
and hadn't booked in advance. Upon arrival there were only seats at the bar, so we took them. It turned out to be a great spot because I had a bird’s eye view of the kitchen. We ordered dim sum, and I was pleased to watch as they added the finishing touches manually to each and every dumpling and sesame ball that was ordered. We had a wide variety, including  63 degree ‘tea egg’ with shredded filo accompanied by a smoking piece of cinnamon bark; foie gras sticky sesame dumplings; Shanghai steamed dumplings with ginger infused vinegar; clear shrimp dumplings, sweet chilli sauce, citrus
foam; and many others which were divine. While I don't usually order desert in a Chinese restaurant, there was something very appealing about the Snow ball meringue, lychee granita, mango puree and lime sorbet that called out to me – and did not disappoint!

To continue on our Asian food theme, one of my sons loves to cook and came across a recipe on a site called Manila Spoon to make Filipino spring rolls.  Most of the ingredients were easy enough to find in our local super market, but we made a trip to a specialty market to find the ‘lumpia’ or pastry for the rolls. While time consuming, because you have to prepare the ingredients in stages, it was relatively simple to do, and the results turned out to be delicious! 

As I have recently learned from my Malaysian colleague, Chinese New Year celebrations last over 15 days. To ensure that we at FOCUS didn’t miss out on the celebrations, Irene arranged a New Year’s feast for lunch on Monday.  We were all instructed to bring a coin and to know the animal of the year of our birth. The room was decorated in red with paper lanterns and the infamous red envelopes. There was a magnificent feast on the table, including crispy duck, dim sum, Singapore noodles and other delicacies, lovingly prepared by Dragon 
Palace in Earl's Court. Irene entertained us with stories

of Chinese New Year traditions, and at the end we each read our horoscopes. 

It may have been a starving Oliver Twist who sang about food, glorious food; but little did he
know what would be available in London in the future!      

Written by Eva Stock. Eva is Director of Sponsors Relations at FOCUS.

For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org



Should you wish to share your expat experiences in the UK, please contact us: office@focus-info.org

                                  

GONG XI FA CAI!

Over the past 2 weeks, spring cleaning my flat was my top agenda item as Chinese New Year is approaching. It is imperative to have a spotless house especially in the kitchen, as the Kitchen God returns to Heaven to make his report on humans to the Jade Emperor. Thus many Chinese households have to ensure its cleanliness to ensure that the Jade Emperor will bestow good fortune and luck upon them for the coming year. It is also believed that cleaning sweeps away the bad luck and makes way for good luck to arrive. All brooms and other cleaning utensils are then put away as not to sweep away the good luck on the first day.

This year is the Year of the Goat or Sheep, and falls on 19th February 2015. There are 12 zodiac animals - Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Goat, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, and Pig, and 5 elements Earth, Wind, Metal, Fire and Water. Each element with an animal occurs once in 60 years, and this forms the basis for the person born in the year’s character.

I can remember my mother buying us new clothes before every Chinese New Year, and they had to be red as it the colour of good luck, and wards off evil spirits. It was important to be dressed from head to toe in new clothes as it symbolises the beginning of a new year. She also used to insist that we got our hair cut and chooses an auspicious day for us all to visit the hairdressers. On New Year’s Eve, we would gather with all our relatives for a reunion dinner, lighting firecrackers to usher in the Year, and ask for forgiveness from our elders for all the wrong doings or for being naughty the past year.

Our house would be filled with lots of different types of cookies, prawn crackers, oranges, tangerines and lots of scrumptious cooked food, ready to be served to our guests on New Year’s Day.

The giving of ‘red envelopes’ which contain money from our elders and married relatives makes it a very ‘profitable’ time for the children. It is customary and polite for children to wish elders a happy new year and a year of happiness, health and good fortune before accepting the red envelope. When we visited other relatives or friends, we would also take a packet of oranges/tangerine to their house as both words mean wealth and

luck. We would also wish them 'Xin Nian Kuai Le', Happy New Year in Mandarin, or "San Nin Faai Lok" in Cantonese.

Our New Year celebrations last for 15 days, and the Chinese Community in London will be celebrating by having festivities in 
Trafalgar Square, Chinatown and Shaftesbury Avenue.

Highlights on the event include a lively parade and a main stage in Trafalgar Square on 22nd February from 10am until 6pm. The day kicks off with the parade from Duncannon Street to Shaftesbury Avenue with floats, Chinese lion and dragon teams and more. Performances from local artists and traditional food and craft stalls can be found in various locations throughout the day. Follow these web-links below for more activities throughout the celebrations. Join in to celebrate and have a great weekend out.

GONG XI FA CAI- HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!

http://www.timeout.com/london/things-to-do/chinese-new-year-in-london
http://www.chinatownlondon.org





To find out your animal year check the table below with the year of your birth.
 
Rat: 2008, 1996, 1984, 1972, 1960
Ox: 2009, 1997, 1985, 1973, 1961
Tiger: 2010, 1998, 1986, 1974, 1962
Rabbit: 2011, 1999, 1987, 1975, 1963
Dragon: 2012, 2000, 1988, 1976, 1964
Snake: 2013, 2001, 1989, 1977, 1965
Horse: 2014, 2002, 1990, 1978, 1966
Goat: 2015, 2003, 1991, 1979, 1967
Monkey: 2016, 2004, 1992, 1980, 1968
Rooster: 2017, 2005, 1993, 1981, 1969
Dog: 2018, 2006, 1994, 1982, 1970
Pig: 2019, 2007, 1995, 1983, 1971


Written by Irene Kuan. Irene is Director of Finance at FOCUS.

For more information about FOCUS visit:  www.focus-info.org

Should you wish to share your expat experiences in the UK, please contact us: office@focus-info.org

Roof Top Tipple

I must admit I am lucky to receive invitations to many unique events as part of my role here at FOCUS. However, when faced with my third night out this week I was thinking how nice it would be to kick back at home with my two teens and husband and savour a nice family meal. This of course is a bit of an exaggeration, did I mention teens? And a husband home in time for dinner? Okay, you know what I mean.

While even the real picture seemed tempting, I was reminded of the advice from Adrian  Cassidy's Resilience seminar on Monday evening 

that everyone should have at least five networks
and, more importantly, that meeting new people is a key factor to being a resilient individual. With this in mind I put on my party shoes, some much needed cover up and I headed down the block from the FOCUS office.

Now prepped and ready for a sociable evening, I arrived at The Roof Gardens, a hidden treasure not visible from Kensington High Street, which has an amazing garden spanning 1.5 acres with majestic views of London.

The building originally housed the department store Derry and Toms until 1973, and then Biba until 1975. The Gardens were listed as a Grade II site by the English Heritage in 1978. There are in fact three roof gardens including a Spanish garden, a Tudor style garden and an English woodland garden complete with four flamingos named Bill, Ben, Splosh and Pecks! If the spectacular gardens are not enough of an attraction, the 6th floor houses a glamorous private members club and on the 7th floor inside the gardens is the elegant Babylon restaurant.

Having greeted our FOCUS members we headed up the express lift to the 7th floor and were graciously escorted to the beautiful garden terrace where the most divine warm cocktails adorned with a stem of currents awaited us. Taking in the view towards the London Eye I had to stop for a moment and reflect on just how fabulous a city London is and all the unexpected and unique experiences I continue to have even after 18 years of living here. Having paused for reflection and having been warmed by the first sip of my cocktail I was then consumed by the lively conversation amongst our 25 guests.

While there were several conversations in Greek, Spanish, Italian and French that I was not able to participate in, I am quite sure from their animated faces and volume of chatter that everyone was sharing experiences, their stories of what brought them to London, favourite discoveries and more. What was crystal clear is that bonds were being formed and friendships were in the making.

Just when we all thought things couldn’t get better out came inviting plates of baked cheese accompanied by a selection of artisan breads. Making our way to the various offerings gave us another excuse to move around and meet those we had not already. The evening continued with wine, adorable wire baskets of gourmet chips and continuous conversation!

Occasionally I stepped back to again take in the spectacular view of the skyline and listen to the happy chatter of the members around me and realised that even the serene family dinner of my dreams was no comparison to the fabulous evening at the Roof Gardens with an amazing group of talented expats all happy to be experiencing London!

Written by Nancy Dickinson.  Nancy is Deputy Executive Director at FOCUS.

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

Should you wish to share your expat experiences in the UK, please contact us: office@focus-info.org

‘En garde! Prêts? Allez!’

When I received an invitation to an international fencing competition at the Copper Box Arena in London, I did not have an hesitation: I love fencing which, despite its modern sophistication, remains one of the most ancient and complete physical exercises in the world. And this event was going to be THE opportunity to discover the first Olympic venue to have opened its doors at the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park: The Copper Box Arena!

For those who do not know the Copper Box Arena, it was London’s newest 7,000 capacity venue that hosted
handball and modern pentathlon fencing during the 2012 Olympic Games, as well as goalball during the Paralympics. Located close to Hackney Wick station, the Copper Box Arena, despite its bland and boxy-looking exterior, is considered as one of the Olympic Park’s greenest initiatives. Far from being a 'box', it is a terrific space for sport: the four outer walls of this square building are covered in recycled copper cladding which will change colour and get green as it ages; natural light pipes in the room illuminate the interior, reducing the need for artificial light; rainwater pipes recycle water. The interior is fitted with multi-coloured retractable seats which give the place a vibrant feel. The competition area, in the centre of the building, is covered with a state-of-the-art sprung wood floor which makes the place stylish and modern. Since the Olympic Games, the Copper Box has been transformed into a venue for a wide range of indoor sports as well as cultural and business events.

As a matter of fact, the Copper Box Arena was very well suited for the peculiarities of an international two-day sabre fencing competition. Perfectly organised by the British Fencing Federation and Camden Fencing Club, this competition welcomed teams and supporters from all over the world. No worry about fencing supporters! You will never hear shouts or see signs of over-enthousiam! Fencing is a combination of speed, agility, concentration and strategy. Timing is key in fencing; therefore it does not leave any room for supporters’ burstings! Supporters know it and behave!

This 2-day challenge was a real treat in a perfectly suited environment. The Copper Box Arena always brings brand new, top international events to London. If you do not know it yet, check their website: you will not be disappointed!

Written by Florence Tilkens. Florence is Social Media & Marketing Manager at FOCUS.




For more information, please visit www.focus-info.org 

Should you wish to share your expat experiences in the UK, please contact us: office@focus-info.org

Make the Most of London!

I never expected to live in London, and having the opportunity to experience British life is gravy. Every few weeks I make an adventuring to-do list. Museums, ice skating, palace visiting, gardens, shows, Parliament. We know from behavioural psychology that planning is half the fun, so I don’t lose any sleep if these trips are postponed.

Unfortunately my success rate at finding travel companions outside my own family is rather low. My friends politely decline museum invitations and suggest lunch instead. So I go alone, or take one of my daughters who is not sleeping or in school at the time. We see something interesting, learn something new, and smile all the way home, telling our stories over and over again on the tube.

When a girlfriend asked me to join her at FOCUS's seminar on Making the Most of London, I took a cue from my ladies and politely demurred, suggesting instead a visit to the Disobedient Objects exhibit at the Victoria & Albert Museum. Philosophically I could not justify the opportunity cost of two hours of exploration time for a lecture on how to explore.

Eventually I set aside my objections and headed to meet my friend at FOCUS. As luck would have it, I had the dates wrong: I was one week early. So I spent the next half hour chatting with the FOCUS

staff. I was heading to the V&A afterwards, I told them. They suggested I expand my visit to include the jewellery collection. On my way to the jewellery room (which you MUST see), I stumbled by a gallery of sculpture, stunning in scale and containing the bottom and tip of Trajan's Column, which we had just seen in Rome a few months back.

There was no longer any question that I would be at that next weeks’ seminar.

So what did I learn? Get outside your own neighbourhood. Sit in on Parliament, join the National Trust and visit palaces for free, see the Enchanted Forest at Syon Park, walk up the Wellington Arch, take a backstage tour at the Royal Opera House, see a Pantomime, visit Buckingham Palace in the summer when the Queen is on holiday. While you're at it, buy yourself an elaborate fascinator and book Ascot tickets through your home embassy. Or just buy a fascinator for the fun of it, because what woman doesn't want a loudly ostentatious headpiece?

An important and overarching theme was to plan in advance. Nearly everything in London can and

should be booked, often six or eight months beforehand. Checking out a museum this weekend? Book tickets online for popular exhibits. Visiting a garden? See if you can skip the queue with advance tickets. Often these are free and as valuable as gold when you would otherwise be queuing outside in the elements.

If you read this blog, you surely know how vast and diverse London is. Get out there. Eat something new, something delicious or gross or unusual. Take your kids to a new museum and teach them about artists and leaders of the past. See a show, plan a park walk. So much of London life is free and all of it is gloriously, uniquely and colourfully British.

Written by Susan. Susan is an adventurer, former lawyer, current 'trailing' spouse and constant mother of two daughters. She writes on her blog www.SmartlyMomming.com

For more information please visit www.focus-info.org

Should you wish to share your expat experiences in the UK, please contact us: office@focus-info.org