I've been back in London it's been a mixed bag really. In the last week of my holiday break I was notified that my VISA would expired in I we a month. I need/should apply for Indefinite Leave To Remain in the U.K before that. That sorta didn't worry me too much as I thought I'd just do that when I got back. But what I didn't quite foresee as it happens is I only have limited window before my visa expires to do that, apply no less than 28 days before its scheduled to expire. Ah -
That initially got me a bit panicked. I downloaded all the forms from my parents cottage on the East Coast and read it with a rather intense attention. From what I had worked out, roughly, was that I had about a 6 day window in which I could make the application once I had made it back in the UK(I have 1 month left on my visa still) which seemed good and everything except that as part of that application I needed to pass a "Life In the UK test" which I always knew I needed to do at some point but that point just made itself abundantly apparent! Doing it within a week and studying for it seemed a little outside my cautionary and comfort boundaries. Adding to that, I needed various original documents that I didn't immediately have. Thankfully I was able to arrange for these to be with me on my return to England, either arriving after me or coming with me. Getting better? Yeah maybe; that still didn't sort the fact that I had no pass mark for the test. I had 5 minutes to think about it, figuring that surely there must be another option...There was.
I could've apply for an extension on my visa which was pretty great. That said, I would still cost me £700 and wouldn't require the test to be taken. The ILR costs £900 plus I needed to take the test. So initially my plan was to extend my visa and then apply and study at a later stage, during the extension. I booked an additional week off work when I got back to the UK. That was to get my application in order and underway and I figured that with this additional week I might as well study for the Life In the UK test...I thought having a week to prepare documentation might as well be a week studying - it's good to give yourself options, I learnt that recently - I booked one sitting for the week after. During the week I realised that if I could pass the test, then the extension would not be necessary and the ILR really was what I wanted anyway. I also figured that if I made my application for ILR on the same day that I pass the next week, I'd meet the deadline. If I failed, I could still apply for the extension.
So I studied and passed the exam, applied for ILR with my shiny new pass certificate and well that was last week.
I knew that about a week later, I had to submit another varsity assignment. I did that too.
On Saturday I had a fantastic day of exercise. I had s rather sluggish 6km run but a great gym session coupled with a great 20 minute swim. I think my swimming technique is getting better. I still can't quite swim lengths back and forth without stopping. I need to practise on my endurance but I'll get there. Having my new watch is so great for this, especially as my stats say that I'm a wuss in the water, though I feel somewhat like a hero.
I watched a movie at the cinema also on Saturday: Hotel Transylvania. I enjoyed it. I think I should grow up more but I've always known that so whatever, I liked it. Cool thing about doing stuff like this, and other tendencies and stuff that just feels inherently you, is to really enjoy these things that might be suppressed if you don't give yourself an opportunity to experience them. For example, being serious, worried, concerned and limiting oneself to ones circumstance might prohibit this.
It's definitely getting colder now, I battled to escape my warm cacoon of a bed this morning and now I know that I'm going to have to come around and figure out how the heating works in my new apartment. I'm going for another run tonight from work which after my day of study is, for lack of a better word, sorely needed. I got my beenee out too so I do t get too cold. I'm really looking forward to the run - its feel good and liberating and as I mentioned earlier, it's an option I've given myself. I also brought in my kindle today into the office as I got a new book to read: Shantaram, which was recommended by both my mom & dad so thats something. I think I'll start reading that...
I had soup like most of the weekend and well if that doesn't say it's winter then well I guess it doesn't but I'm pretty convinced: this morning while walking to South Wimbledon tube station, I wore a beenee... Maybe I'm being accustomed to being warm, I dunno. That's an adaption right there.
I've been scouting about rather casually for a BMI type of body composition monitoring machine. I think that with me monitoring my running stats, the prospect of gathering more is just too good to pass. It's only recently that I started to watch my weight as a result of my regular running change and now actively monitor my VO2 max values. Pretty interesting, well for me anyway.
Cut my hair in the weekend. Now the length of hair on the top of my head matches that which is on the bottom and well, I liked it. That or my I don't care adaption has kicked in :-)
The other day I finished up at gym, got to the front door - no keys! Searched frantically for them. Niet. Nadda - nothing! Thankfully I had the foresight to make backup copies and keep them at the office. But I had it to travel to Liverpool street London at 23:00 on a Sunday when all i wanted to do is have a shower and goto bed! I had my access cards and ID badges with me so I could get in when I got there but that wasn't the real concern. That was missing the last tube back home. Luckily that didn't happen and I caught the 2nd last one. Some careful planning and scheduling saw to that.
Today I learnt how the Japanese language works, pretty interesting.
That initially got me a bit panicked. I downloaded all the forms from my parents cottage on the East Coast and read it with a rather intense attention. From what I had worked out, roughly, was that I had about a 6 day window in which I could make the application once I had made it back in the UK(I have 1 month left on my visa still) which seemed good and everything except that as part of that application I needed to pass a "Life In the UK test" which I always knew I needed to do at some point but that point just made itself abundantly apparent! Doing it within a week and studying for it seemed a little outside my cautionary and comfort boundaries. Adding to that, I needed various original documents that I didn't immediately have. Thankfully I was able to arrange for these to be with me on my return to England, either arriving after me or coming with me. Getting better? Yeah maybe; that still didn't sort the fact that I had no pass mark for the test. I had 5 minutes to think about it, figuring that surely there must be another option...There was.
I could've apply for an extension on my visa which was pretty great. That said, I would still cost me £700 and wouldn't require the test to be taken. The ILR costs £900 plus I needed to take the test. So initially my plan was to extend my visa and then apply and study at a later stage, during the extension. I booked an additional week off work when I got back to the UK. That was to get my application in order and underway and I figured that with this additional week I might as well study for the Life In the UK test...I thought having a week to prepare documentation might as well be a week studying - it's good to give yourself options, I learnt that recently - I booked one sitting for the week after. During the week I realised that if I could pass the test, then the extension would not be necessary and the ILR really was what I wanted anyway. I also figured that if I made my application for ILR on the same day that I pass the next week, I'd meet the deadline. If I failed, I could still apply for the extension.
So I studied and passed the exam, applied for ILR with my shiny new pass certificate and well that was last week.
I knew that about a week later, I had to submit another varsity assignment. I did that too.
On Saturday I had a fantastic day of exercise. I had s rather sluggish 6km run but a great gym session coupled with a great 20 minute swim. I think my swimming technique is getting better. I still can't quite swim lengths back and forth without stopping. I need to practise on my endurance but I'll get there. Having my new watch is so great for this, especially as my stats say that I'm a wuss in the water, though I feel somewhat like a hero.
I watched a movie at the cinema also on Saturday: Hotel Transylvania. I enjoyed it. I think I should grow up more but I've always known that so whatever, I liked it. Cool thing about doing stuff like this, and other tendencies and stuff that just feels inherently you, is to really enjoy these things that might be suppressed if you don't give yourself an opportunity to experience them. For example, being serious, worried, concerned and limiting oneself to ones circumstance might prohibit this.
It's definitely getting colder now, I battled to escape my warm cacoon of a bed this morning and now I know that I'm going to have to come around and figure out how the heating works in my new apartment. I'm going for another run tonight from work which after my day of study is, for lack of a better word, sorely needed. I got my beenee out too so I do t get too cold. I'm really looking forward to the run - its feel good and liberating and as I mentioned earlier, it's an option I've given myself. I also brought in my kindle today into the office as I got a new book to read: Shantaram, which was recommended by both my mom & dad so thats something. I think I'll start reading that...
I had soup like most of the weekend and well if that doesn't say it's winter then well I guess it doesn't but I'm pretty convinced: this morning while walking to South Wimbledon tube station, I wore a beenee... Maybe I'm being accustomed to being warm, I dunno. That's an adaption right there.
I've been scouting about rather casually for a BMI type of body composition monitoring machine. I think that with me monitoring my running stats, the prospect of gathering more is just too good to pass. It's only recently that I started to watch my weight as a result of my regular running change and now actively monitor my VO2 max values. Pretty interesting, well for me anyway.
Cut my hair in the weekend. Now the length of hair on the top of my head matches that which is on the bottom and well, I liked it. That or my I don't care adaption has kicked in :-)
The other day I finished up at gym, got to the front door - no keys! Searched frantically for them. Niet. Nadda - nothing! Thankfully I had the foresight to make backup copies and keep them at the office. But I had it to travel to Liverpool street London at 23:00 on a Sunday when all i wanted to do is have a shower and goto bed! I had my access cards and ID badges with me so I could get in when I got there but that wasn't the real concern. That was missing the last tube back home. Luckily that didn't happen and I caught the 2nd last one. Some careful planning and scheduling saw to that.
Today I learnt how the Japanese language works, pretty interesting.