WHY I MOVED IN
I have long wanted to complete a master's degree in Scotland, but the British visa requirements are very strict, especially with regard to the financial part, and include numerous stages. Therefore, it took almost two years to consult, raise money and participate in various grant programs.
Visas are often opened (or not opened) a few days before the start of their studies, so the last days in Russia were very nervous and tense. Buying tickets, saying goodbye to friends, flying is now remembered as a fast rewind cassette film.
ADAPTATION AND SEARCH FOR HOUSING
There was almost no cultural shock. First of all, I already had similar experience (Work and Travel in the USA), and secondly, the British are very friendly people - ready to help or advise on any issue.
On arrival, I stayed in a hostel - renting a university campus is no less expensive than studying, so I decided to find something cheaper on site. But there was no budget housing and I had to stay in the hostel. To save a little more money, I switched to a weekly payment, and after 3 months the owner offered me to work at the reception twice a week on the bill of accommodation. I now live in Scotland for free, which is very good news.
STUDYING AT UNIVERSITY
Student life in Britain is not very different from that in Russia. The day can be divided into lectures, self-study at the library (which takes much more time), cooking and free time. As far as I'm concerned, Russian student years are more fun, but only because of the large number of friends and relatively low prices. I think a longer life abroad and paid work can correct this imbalance.
ABOUT PRICES AND PURCHASES
Great Britain is rightly called one of the most expensive countries in Europe. But if you want, you can find cheap goods that are not inferior in quality to expensive analogues. For example, my favorite grocery store TESCO together with expensive goods offers its own alternatives, and not one position, as the chains in the Russian Federation do, but two or three in different price categories.
Taking into account the numerous promotions, sales and "happy hours", one can spend with little effort not much more than in Moscow.
HOW FRIENDS APPEAR
The circle of my communication is mainly students and residents/employees of the hostel. Due to the large number of foreigners at the university, I have to communicate a lot with different people and cultures. I have no more than 5% Europeans in my flow, the rest are from Africa and Latin America.
The hostel's population is another matter. I was struck by how many young Europeans travel to other EU countries. They just stay in the hostel for a week or a month and work in different shops to earn some money for living, and thus get acquainted with the country, and then move on.
BRITISH CUISINE AND DIET
The legend of the absence of British cuisine has been confirmed. There are practically no national dishes, and pork sausages in apple sauce I haven't dared to taste yet. Sometimes I joke that I have to buy Italian pasta, German beer and Danish sausage, because there is nothing else in the shops.
The famous Scottish Hagis turned out to be surprisingly similar to our blood - very fragrant and delicious. That's why I improved my cooking skills abroad. Besides, thanks to the large Polish diaspora, it is easy to find kefir, sauerkraut and boiled sausage in Scotland.
LANGUAGE BARRIER
They didn't joke about the Scottish accent except the lazy Irishman. A week later, I confidently distinguished the accents of Scots, English, Americans, Australians and Spanish-speaking classmates - it's not difficult. It's much harder to understand what a local has to say.
When I first came to the supermarket, I couldn't understand what a cashier wanted from me for a long time. It turned out he was asking me if I needed a package.
MENTALITY
Either because of the imperialist past, or because of the significant development of society and politics, public policy and private habits are aimed at correcting the mistakes of the past. This is manifested in many ways, for example, in the crazy, almost maniacal trend of recycling and green energy development.
In this way, Scots compensate for the environmental damage caused by the British industrial revolution.
Scotland is also working to revive the local Celtic languages, contrary to previous attempts to unify the entire British population with the British. In other words, the British have moved to the next stage of development: having received a stable welfare of the population, they spend their own resources to improve the world around them.
I've always been a big fan of Britain and I'm very glad the Scots didn't ruin the show. What I like most is the very clear and understandable limits of my freedom and that of others. Mutual respect is felt in everything: in the high traffic culture, in the hundreds of "sorry", "thank you", "no worries" and "cheers", in the smiles, in the smiles, in the queues, in the heroic patience of the fitting rooms in the shops. We often miss it.
In Scotland, we are very concerned about security. Warning signs on the doors, reminders to look in different directions on the road, and the beginning of any event indoors begins with a briefing on fire exits. In Britain, you feel like a three-year-old in a house with no corners, although sometimes it feels too strange.
LIFE LEVEL
Living standards in Scotland are best characterized by the word "enough". Everywhere people live very similar: a private home, often old from the outside, but cozy and energy-efficient inside. Even on remote islands, people live no poorer and have the same opportunities for development. The broad powers of local communities, highly paid intellectual work and a stable agricultural market give people the opportunity to live their full lives where they were born. I think this is what we need to know what we need to see and build here.
OUTPUTIVE
"A Scotsman comes into the pub somehow..." - is not only the beginning of half the jokes in English, but also a description of 90% of the traditional entertainment in Scotland. All pubs are full on Friday. Periodically their doors open, and to the sounds of loud music and screams of dozens of people someone falls out on the street and uncertainly walks home. The doors close, and again silence, seagulls.
This is how Scotland has fun.
I tried my best, I hope you enjoyed it!