I have a wish list of places I want to visit and I have every intention of seeing these places, just not in the next 3 weeks!
I am very grateful that I have had the opportunity to live and work in the UK, an Ancestral Visa is great luxury, something I only realised as the rules regarding living and working in the UK become even stricter.
My colourful CV is proof that finding a job hasn’t been easy. I can only hope that the combination of surviving, moving to random places, meeting loads of new people and making the most of every situation will make me a little bit wiser and at the very least entertaining at a dinner party!
Necessity is the mother of invention…or in my case the reason why I did a TEFL course (teaching English as a foreign language).
Unlike pretty much every other human being on the planet who does a TEFL course, I received my qualification and applied to work in the UK, anywhere and everywhere in the UK. (As opposed to teaching in Thailand or Vietnam or China) There are loads of Language school in the UK. It is a hugely popular and successful industry, teaching foreign students English. The difference between me and all the other TEFL teachers that I met was that they taught in England during the summer and then went to teach for the rest of the year in Europe or Asia. I decided not to jeopardise my eligibility to eventually apply for a British passport, which is why I only got as far as Kent and Wiltshire.
I accepted a position at the first school that offered me a job. I knew nothing about Broadstairs except that I could get there by train. Public transport for a South African is still a hugely romantic ideal…catch a train you say, anywhere…oh my, where shall I go next!!So I organised my accommodation (over the phone) and set off for a summer by the sea.
Broadstairs is a ‘typical English Seaside town.’ Or so I have been told because what do I know about anything typically English. The beach is sandy, a huge plus. There is a bandstand on the seafront and during the summer there is usually some form of entertainment; those who prefer to, listen, and those who want to, dance!
There are loads of ice-cream parlours! It is quite a small place, so the number of ice-cream parlours does seem a bit out of proportion. But hey, I guess you can never have too much ice cream! The biggest find that I made in Broadstairs was the Ritzy Retro Boutique. I actually had no idea that was the shop’s name until I decided to write this and had to look it up. I must admit it is not a great name. And the whole shop is painted purple, which may put some people off. And it is only open a few days a week at very specific times, so you have to check before you go. But when you do….
The vintage clothes inside this shop may possibly be the best I have ever seen anywhere. I love vintage clothes. My sister and I spent about two hours in that shop and I still think we missed some finds. I tried on at least 10 items, but the problem with vintage is that it is custom made, so when you find the piece that fits it is a sign from the Gods that you were meant to own it! Or that you did in fact own it in another life!
Unlike me, there were a few purchases made that day by my sister, amoung them a camel coloured coat that had recently been featured in Vogue and a silk scarf from India. Little did I know that silk scarf was my birthday present, so I actually do own something from this amazing shop after all. If I wasn’t a mere tefl teacher (we do it for the love of teaching, not the money) I would have gone crazy buying belts, bags, hats and gloves. I also think I made the very silly assumption that I would go back again to get the things I was having a think about, which I never did, sigh.
Unlike me, there were a few purchases made that day by my sister, amoung them a camel coloured coat that had recently been featured in Vogue and a silk scarf from India. Little did I know that silk scarf was my birthday present, so I actually do own something from this amazing shop after all. If I wasn’t a mere tefl teacher (we do it for the love of teaching, not the money) I would have gone crazy buying belts, bags, hats and gloves. I also think I made the very silly assumption that I would go back again to get the things I was having a think about, which I never did, sigh.
Apart from this vintage jewel, Broadstairs also hosts the biggest folk festivals in the world. Well maybe not the biggest in the world, but it is very impressive. During Folk week you can walk into any pub and enjoy an impromptu gig made up of Folk enthusiasts or you can buy tickets for the various events held all around town. It’s a very busy, fun, colourful week. There are loads of visitors and accommodation gets booked up quickly. Next year’s festival will take place from 5-12 August 2011.
Kent School of English
Ritzy Retro Boutique
4 York Street, Broadstairs, Kent CT10 1PD
01843 600737
