{"id":195707,"date":"2022-09-07T09:35:16","date_gmt":"2022-09-07T07:35:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/out-and-about-email-from-england\/"},"modified":"2024-10-28T14:53:20","modified_gmt":"2024-10-28T12:53:20","slug":"out-and-about-email-from-england","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wereldwyd.co.za\/en\/out-and-about-email-from-england\/","title":{"rendered":"Out and about: an email from England"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

In Out and about<\/em> <\/em>we talk to people who currently live or have lived and worked abroad. This week, we chatted with Adriaan Laubscher, who lives in the New Forest area in the south of England.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Hello Adriaan, it is so lovely to meet you. Tell us, why did you choose to emigrate to England?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks for the opportunity. Wow, we have done proper research on different places around the world. We compared lists of the possibilities and decided that England would be the best. I visited England in the 1990s and really liked the country. The other day I came across a note I wrote to my wife Linda on the plane. At that stage we were both Kovsie students in Bloemfontein. I wrote, \u201cThis is definitely a place for us.\u201d I never thought we would, after all, end up here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The advantages for us were the language, the proximity to Europe and of course the fact that we got to know the country a little on previous visits and liked it. Initially, we strongly considered moving to Scotland and in 2015 spent around 5 000 km in the car exploring Scotland.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We moved here in 2017 and explored the country for about three months. We had a shortlist of possible areas we wanted to visit, and it was fun getting to know the country in such a way. It has also helped a lot with our consulting business, which provides guidance to people who want to move here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We came across a beautiful school here in Hampshire County and my son Lihan was immediately at home and happy. That is why we decided to settle near the school. I think three significant points need to come together. For us it was a good school for our child, a pleasant geographical environment, and of course, a place to earn an income. We had some business ideas and started with them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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How did you experience the emigration process to England?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

I think different people experience such a big move differently. It depends on the kind of visa you have. We applied for an entrepreneur visa, which sets specific requirements that a new business must meet before the visa expires. These criteria have changed a lot since we came to live here.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We were quite familiar with establishing a new business because we were also entrepreneurs in South Africa. I think our biggest advantage was that we asked Breytenbachs Immigration Consultants for help. We would not have been able to do this without JP Breytenbach\u2019s support and assistance. And despite that, we still lay awake a few nights worrying. It’s probably part of any move, especially internationally.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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What was the biggest adaptation for you abroad?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Now that is a nice question. I will have to do some self-examination before I answer. I don\u2019t think it is one specific thing but possibly different little tweaks. It also varies as we spend time here. We are a small family, and we increasingly realise the value of family around us. Of course, we miss our people. This will surely be the biggest adaption for anyone. Adapting to the language, new places, weather, and other rules and regulations are expected in new places, and they did not bother us. In fact, the great pleasure of new places is new experiences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always joke that if the weather is the worst thing people talk about when they talk about the UK, it sure is not too bad. I grew up in the Free State and rain has always been a blessing and a treat for me. However, here on the south coast we get a lot more blue-sky days than I expected. The summers are lovely with nice long days. The winters are cold at times, but they bring a different charm. The Christmas lights and markets are picture-perfect in December.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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A friend in South Africa and I have an agreement to say a brief prayer for each other every time we put fuel in our cars. I always send a picture and let him know when I pray for him. It is amazing what a photo or quick WhatsApp message can means when you are far away from people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Tell us more about your family. You mentioned that your son is an avid cricketer.<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are truly grateful for the grace and blessings we experience. We support each other a lot and it makes a big difference. Every parent will surely agree that if your child is doing well, you are also doing well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Linda and I met in Bloemfontein at university. She grew up in the Eastern Cape, and we moved to Jeffreys Bay after a few years in Bloemfontein. We lived there for about 15 years before moving to the UK.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

I always like to talk about Lihan\u2019s achievements with gratitude. He does very well in school. The school system is excellent, and the opportunities are endless. Lihan is in Ballard School, a private (independent) school. He enjoys all sports, and it is nice that the British consider us South Africans good sportspeople. They will often joke about being so lucky to have a South African in their team. One coach said at an award ceremony, “Every good England cricket team needs a South African.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Photo: Lihan at Ballard School\u2019s speech day<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n\n

Lihan is now 13 years old and was asked to start playing for the cricket club\u2019s adult team this year. He is also in the club\u2019s under 13A team and is privileged to be part of the Hampshire Cricket Player Pathway. It is a program that ensures that young talent gets good coaching, opening up possibilities for professional cricket in the County and country.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Of course, the schools also have their own sports programs, but here in England, children are invited to the sports clubs that have junior programs and teams. We are lucky that the club’s beautiful grounds are right next to the school. Cricket lovers will enjoy hearing how beautiful the small towns and cricket grounds are. Lihan was also privileged to meet some cricketers like Rilee Rossouw and AB de Villiers while they played County cricket here at the Ageas Bowl. We are very grateful for the time they always make to have a few words with him.<\/p>\n\n\n