#tckproblems

[ltnt-vienna]

LTnT - Lifestyle, Travel & Technology Podcast Attention !! Season 2 Episode 22: TCK's - Third Culture Kids is now live!! In this episode of the Lifestyle, Travel & Technology podcast, the hosts Alexander, Garry & Nikki discuss something they all have in common - being TCK's - also know as Third Culture Kids. The term TCK is used to describe someone who is (or was as a child) raised in a country/culture different to the one of their parents. Alex having Austrian and Filipino parents, lived in various countries as he was growing up. The same goes for Nikki and Garry too. Nikki, having German parents, has spent a big part of his life in African countries, where as Garry, who has Russian parents was born and raised in Austria. In this episode the hosts look at common issues and problems TCK's have or experience on a regular and share whether they can relate to it and how. There many pros and cons growing up in different countries, which will also be discussed in this episode. Click the link in bio to listen to the full episode! . . . . . #projectsocialremedy #ltntpodcast #ltnt #micedup #podcasting #podcastlife #podcaster #podcast #podcastersvienna #podcastersofinstagram #tcklife #tckproblems #tck #thirdculturekids #thirdculturekid #vienna #wienerpodcast #wien #austria #österreich (at Wien) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDlhg8Rn746/?igshid=1k23e9anq1bc6

[montresssor]

an introduction

I write this unplanned, raw, and spontaneous; an introduction of sorts that should have been written years ago when I started this blog in the hopes that it can turn into something that would train me and nurture me as a writer.

(Better late than never?)

The basics about me are on every piece of social media I own. I don’t really have any secrets or anything particularly incriminating that have ever led me to consider having one of those closed or private Instagram or Tumblr accounts. I got nothin’ to hide: I’m 22 years old, freshly graduated from a British university up north (University of Leeds, like I said - it’s no secret), have been going through an identity crisis for the past four years (#TCKproblems), and am currently fighting a losing war.

All dramatics aside, what I mean to say is just this: I’m job hunting.

But as an international (int’l) graduate in the U.K. in an era of Brexit and Sorry, we only sponsor graduates who have the right to work in the U.K., it really does feel like a losing war.

Here’s the breakdown to keep it nice and simple. In order to work (read: stay) in the U.K. as an int’l, you need the following:

a salary that meets a threshold of over £20,800+ (depending on your field)

a job offer from a company with a license to sponsor you for a work visa

In other words, we can’t just choose any job at a convenience store or restaurant (see #1) and even if the salary is big enough, if the company doesn’t have a license, we wouldn’t even be able to get the visa to stay (see #2).

It’s actually way more complicated than that but those are the basics. And today, a graduate would be lucky if they got a role that paid over 18k, much less 20k.

So what’s the other option, you say? Well. There are multiple, but none of them are easy (I mean, we always knew this wasn’t going to be easy but that’s a blogpost for some other time when I talk about the values, consequences, and ups and downs of going to university abroad).

I’m originally from the Philippines, I have a Philippine passport, I’m a Philippine citizen. Couldn’t you go back to the Philippines then? I could! But do I want to? Smaller salaries, economic and political environment, and the national infrastructure (traffic? no gracias) aside, there is a very simple answer to that question: no. I don’t want to. As much as I love my countrymen and women, my culture, my flag, the food, my family, and my people, I’ve been physically detached from the Philippines for so long now and if it were my choice (hint: it’s not), I wouldn’t want to live there. Who do I know there? Not that many people. What do I have waiting for me there? Well … nothing! I’d have to start anew, build a new support system, make new connections, and figure my way around what will pretty much be a foreign country to me. Could I do it? Damn straight I could, but my point is: I don’t want to.

But something’s going to have to give, whether that’s the Home Office here in the U.K., or my stubbornness to return to a country that’s as strange to me as the next foreign state. And I have the feeling that the Home Office won’t be the one giving in, especially since I’m the one on a time limit. Most int’l students who graduated along with me this summer were given the same visa expiration date, and that’s November 1. That’s right kiddos, it’s the tail end of August and I have until the first of November to secure a £20,800+ job in the U.K., in a job market that’s (understandably) increasingly hesitant to hire int’l’s, much less give us a chance.

And I’ll be the first to admit my faults, the main one being that I didn’t start getting serious early enough. I started applying in December 2017 but only got serious this past March. The only few int’l grads I know who have managed to secure jobs here (I can count them on one hand) started back in September 2017, at the beginning of the school year, maybe earlier.

But that’s in the past. This is what’s happening now and I haven’t even gotten into the mess that’s my whole living situation, hah. That’s an entire series of blogposts that I’m not ready to get into right now when things haven’t even settled down yet.

Yet.

Something’s going to give, something’s going to change and perhaps that’s the scariest part of all of this. I’ve built a home and shelter and fort here in Leeds; I’ve made comrades, friends, mentors, brothers and sisters; I’ve only just gotten comfortable and just started to really appreciate being here, and in the blink of an eye, four years pass and everything starts to change.

And that’s a good thing. 

Well. You have to believe it’s a good thing, but I think it is. 

I went on a hike with a friend today and we almost didn’t go because we’re both generally lazy and amazing at sleeping in. Halfway through the hike and before a steeper portion, we were talking about the difficult parts of hiking – from dragging yourself out of bed, climbing up hundreds of stairs, foraging through rocks and cliffs and all kinds of foliage, dealing with the spitting English rain atop the Yorkshire moors – but then afterwards, when you get to the top and stand at the edge of a cliff with nothing in the way but the wind in your face … there’s nothing better.

[peponichild]

I think my biggest problem with girls is that my initial crush on one is also the first time I picture them as my wife... Too deep way to fast.

[nowiwonderhowwhatsherfacehasbeen]

Yaaaaaaas #bilingualproblems #tckproblems #mexicanproblems

[tcchronicles]

I’ve just realised that I keep converting Euros in Chinese Yuan when I’m looking at prices here in Dublin. Reminded me that when I was in China my Slovakian roommate would often try to convert things from Chinese Yuan into Euros for me and I’d get so frustrated =’D.

[thefickletck]

Aimless Rant. Breakup.

Why did we have to break up when all was going well?

When we were still in love?

Maybe there is no future, but can’t we live in the now?

Been crying for hours...Don’t know how to feel...

I miss her....But maybe she’s happier this way...

I was expecting a break up I just didn’t know it would hurt so bad.

7.26 

[eldritadh-a]

My mom and i hare having a snarkfest over skype trying to decide whether the WHO or the UN general assembly is more ineffective

she works for the WHO and she’s the one arguing against its effectiveness

i am laughing

[rrrrrrrrosa]

so fed up with moving to different countries yet so afraid to stay in one specific place for a long time.

[tcchronicles]

Jan 29

I’m curious to know if any other tcks out there have found a place (town, city, country, community, friend group) where they feel they can totally be themselves and feel comfortable enough to call ‘home’.

Please reblog/comment if you have any comments of this topic. :)

[tlmazumdar]

I found myself onboard one of these at the age of 7mths first and kinda never really stopped. Contrary to what many think, it’s not something I’ve necessarily enjoyed per se. Hours at an end on a flying fart-tube with restricted movement an groundnoise and guilt abt carbon footprint. Honestly, this is the part of growing up and living between multiple countries I just choose to delete from my memory mostly (except for a couple that are probably here to stay). I am looking forward to my teleporting days. Later. Xx #tck #thirdculturekid #tckproblems #nomadlife #musicians #tourlife #desi #indiangerman (at Flughafen Frankfurt International) https://www.instagram.com/p/BrnHiEYAVon/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1xbxl35fkyyib

[wandererwhoisnotlost]

When Things Fall Through

I just finished my last exam of 10th grade and that part feels great. It’s been a long year, starting with my move to West Africa and ending with my move back to the U.S., my home that hasn’t ever been my home. I’ve had a tough year and I’m glad to say that things are over. The part of ending 10th grade that I’m not excited about is what to do about my summer. My plan for volunteering at my local hospital has fallen through in that I will have my interview on the scheduled date but orientation will only take place in September. All the slots have filled up for the summer. I know, it doesn’t make sense but I don’t have the luxury of questioning. So I spent my last day of 10th grade filling out job applications. My plan was to volunteer but since that hasn’t worked out, I’ve decided to look at paying jobs at movie theaters and sandwich shops. I don’t have to tell you guys this but I will anyway; the job market is pretty slim for everybody. On the bright side, I have three hours left for my mandatory night driving and then I will have completed all my required driving hours. I’m excited about that and will call the driving school tomorrow to ensure that I will have a spot soon. I don’t need that to fall through also. Right now, things aren’t looking that great and the dreams of a fun summer vacation aren’t that promising but hopefully, things will work out. My 11th grade year looks hopeful and that is something I thought I would never be able to say. I have an intense schedule and some pretty exciting endeavors. I signed up to be on the yearbook staff and soon received an offer from the teacher of the class to be advertising editor. After, a week or so of consideration I decided to accept the offer. I will be working on advertising as well as taking photos and writing. I love journalism and this is exciting. Another cool opportunity is that my school is offering a radio class. We have a room that is set up with equipment but no person to lead us. The high school principal has built a partnership with a local radio station and they have agreed to teach us. At one point, I found that it was a working radio station with students hosting morning shows. I hope that it can be started up again. Radio broadcasting has always intrigued me and I would love to do that. It would be even worth getting up at 4 AM. Not a lot of things are worth getting up at 4 AM. - J.T.

[thewanderingheartblog]

Compulsively buying proud-Canadian items for your future expat home somewhere halfway around the world... #TCKproblems #expatproblems #wanderingheart #wanderlust #travel #truenorthstrongandfree #itwilllookgreatinmyfuturefarawaykitchen

[tcchronicles]

Jan 11

I turned 24 on Monday...gah!! I feel old. Actually I don’t feel old, my age sounds old to me right now. 

I’m still looking for a job here in Dublin (and elsewhere) and I’ve been to two interviews so far. Both went well and had me feeling confident. However....I decided on my birthday that I will not go back to work until next month. I am on a break and that break must continue! Work is a great thing and a job is something anyone is lucky to have these days. That means once you land a job you should respect it as much as possible and not ask for time off all the time. That’s why I’ve decided, since I have this time off for myself why not take advantage of it and enjoy it a little bit longer. So I’m doing personal projects everyday and looooving it. Makes me feel like a kid on summer break again :P.

There are still no friends/acquaintances in my life here in Dublin. Probably because I’ve mainly been at home, with family or just going to the shops (which btw close at 7pm on weekends, wtf!!!). I haven’t been going out of my way to socialise with new people and I’m fine with that for now. Having been home-schooled, I’m used to my own company and I recharge off of alone time.

Tumblr is a cool place. I like being back on here. Wheee! 

[sydholo]

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The closest I ever get to an open fire is sparklers & lanterns, but I'll take it cause it means I'm h o m e // Christmas can still be merry & bright even when it's 90 degrees out #chiangmai #thailand #tckproblems #happyholofdays (at Chiang Mai, Thailand)