A Year in Belfast

So, today marks the end of my first year in Belfast!

I'd thought I would have more thoughts on reaching this milestone - if I can even call it that - but my head and heart are surprisingly empty. I feel like I've been here for longer, and seem quite settled into life here, at least for the moment.

An example of some of the gorgeous weather we've been having - this from Feb 2013

Whenever people discover that I'm a (relatively) newcomer to Belfast and ask how I'm finding it, the answer always involves a moment's reflection, followed by a slightly surprised "It's better than I'd thought actually". E had set the expectations quite low, and we've been blessed with pretty warm weather for Belfast the entire time I've been here. I'm not at all missing the crowds back home, and although there's the occasional complaint that the few shops there are here aren't open for long enough to sell the limited range of items that they have, I quite like living without the the constant bombardment of materialism and consumerism I'd get at home.

On cold, rainy days I might think about how nice it'd be to feel warm again, warm all the way through, but I know that the moment I step out of the plane at Changi Airport I'll be roasting and disliking the humidity of Singapore, even when I'm indoors with air-conditioning. Indeed, I do get hit by sudden and strong cravings of all the local goodness of dishes such as laksa, char kway teow and nasi lemak, yet at the same time I'm quite happily eating my way around Belfast, exploring restaurants in a way that I couldn't really do back home for a multitude of reasons.

One of my first nice meals in Belfast - Valentine's Day dinner last year at Zen.

The main thing that gets to me about life here is the lack of a career - what little that I had back home has all but disappeared. Belfast, unfortunately, has no need for the few skills that I have, and the job market is incredibly difficult. It seems unreal, thinking about the amount I was earning versus wages over here, and it makes me appreciate the immense opportunities that fresh grads in Singapore have, as well as the willingness of our government to hire people with the capabilities but not necessarily the experience. This, undoubtedly, is the one thing I'd like to change the most about moving here, and I need to be more motivated and disciplined about using my time well and finding new opportunities.

Apart from that, things do seem quite good. I'm learning how to drive, and although that's taking about a third longer than I'd expected, I'm inching closer to acquiring a practical skill and greater freedom of movement here. I'm starting swimming lessons tomorrow; hopefully I'll keep it up and attain yet another useful skill and an exercise alternative to jogging, which I hate. I've kept up with the ballet, which is going nowhere but had never been going anywhere - nor had I ever the intention for it to develop into something more than a hobby to stay toned and flexible. I've also been introduced to a hot yoga place near work( only 30deg but it means I can wear just a leotard and leggings and not feel cold at all), which I plan to go to more frequently during the breaks in ballet between terms.

More free time means the opportunity to explore things like sand dunes on the beach of Newcastle, Co. Down

I definitely have much more free time here then I ever did back home. I'm not sure if the amount of time I have is on the right side of the balance - already, I feel myself being less able to multi-task or focus on a task at hand and push it through to completion; I'm also less efficient and don't deal with stress as well. I do feel that stress in small amounts is good; humans require some stress to push them to do things better and quicker - that my best results at university were in the semesters I was most busy is a case in point, as is the fact that I could do ballet twice a week (same as now) and maintain all those social commitments while in a job that had a 48hr work week back home. 

This means, however, that I'm reading more and enjoying life a little more. I have the time to cook most of my meals - which, combined with the additional exercise I've been getting from walking to work in my previous and present job, has resulted in me being slimmer than I've ever been since I left jc. I probably am slightly fitter as well, in that I can walk longer distances at a certain pace without tiring as easily as before. Also, I think my tastebuds are becoming a little more sensitive to salt, which can only be a good thing in the long run. My house isn't as clean or as tidy as I'd like it to be, but I've learnt to do the things that really matter to me, and to let the rest go 'cos they don't matter anyway.  

Did I also mention that yours truly, who killed many plants (including cacti) in Japan, has successfully kept a plant alive for a full year?

I think this can, overall, be considered a good year. Financially and professionally it's rubbish; on the bright side I'm employed and in better employment than the first job I had here, and am slowly (and hopefully surely) climbing up into the black following this move. Here's to hoping that the second year will bring opportunities for me to progress professionally, grow financially, develop personally and perhaps even give us the chance to move somewhere that will benefit us both! :)