One of the biggest challenges for me, living away from my family and, for the first time in my life, from the UK, has been a general feeling of being disconnected.
Everything here seems different. That's not a bad thing, I am enjoying the learning process but, just occasionally, I yearn for the more familiar. Mostly my family and, thankfully, through the phone, instant messaging and the web cam, I can keep in touch and see them when I am in the apartment.
But beyond the family, it has surprised me how much feels disrupted. I used to get ready for work listening to the Today programme on Radio 4, as I've mentioned before. At home in the evening, the TV showed programmes I knew, at times I was used to.
Here, all that changed. The only English language radio I could find was the BBC World Service news at 7am on YLE, for just half an hour. Not much news of home. On TV, it was BBC World or BBC Prime, which seems to specialise in shows I never enjoyed shown at unpredictable times.
So, I find myself grateful for the products of my industry. I can listen to Radio 4 live, using my multimedia computer (which many folk still call a mobile phone) connected over the wireless network in the flat. I can even use the BBC Listen Again service to catch up on shows I have missed. I can also use the pod casting software to download content from a range of sources.
With TV, I can use the Slingbox at home over the Internet to my PC, so that I can watch some of the programmes I know. As long as the family at home don't change channel, of course. And with the client software I can even watch on my phone.
This week, I have been trying out a dedicated Internet radio, a Logik IR 100. Though supposedly a Dixons exclusive in the UK, I saved a few pounds and bought it over eBay. Setting it up was very straightforward, even though the wireless network in my apartment is hidden and uses a WEP (security) key. Now I can easily listen to live broadcasts from around the world, as well as listen again services, using the Reciva service.
Older technology has also helped me feel connected. This morning, while doing the ironing, I was watching the DVD of series 2 of Extras, a funny, if somewhat painful, comedy from Ricky Gervais.
So, I now have only one more challenge to fix. Getting rid of the two hour time difference between Helsinki and the UK. I'm not sure which would be easier, inventing time travel or persuading the various governments to agree. I'm guessing the former.
1 comment:
We were the same in New York. What saved us was listening to BBC Radio via the Mac and using the "listen again" service to keep up to date with news outside the five boroughs of the city.
I also had a book called "100 Crap Towns in Britain" in my office. I ever felt remote from family or generally homesick for great British weather or fine cuisine (!), a quick flick through that book reminded me how lucky I was to be living/working abroad.
If you need a comfort parcel, just shout!
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