The National Health Service and other diseases – how to find a doctor in the UK
Finding a doctor is one of the first things people usually do when relocating to another country. It may be for different reasons, not necessarily an actual need for one, but most of it for peace of mind, especially if moving with children. Signing up to a General Practitioner (family doctor) in the UK is even more important because it simply makes your life easier in case you end up in hospital or look for a specialty doctor. This article is about the NHS and will tell you how to deal with your medical needs when living in the United Kingdom as an expat. This post will be dead serious,…
mindfulness practice for expats’ families
Being an expat is tough, but it’s even tougher to be the expat’s partner, no matter how we would call them (my preferable term is “a trailing spouse”, but I know that for some people it sounds belittling). When I train, mentor or coach accompanying partners I encourage them to incorporate mindfulness practices into daily life. The purpose is to bring one’s attention to the present moment. There is no judgment involved, your present is neither good, nor bad – it just is. You learn to accept it, but it doesn’t mean that you stop being proactive, by the way. The perfect summary of this practices can be found in…
Kyiv, not Kiev: pre-war thoughts
A post about Ukrainian capital was on my list for quite some time. You see, I have always felt strong affinity towards the Ukrainians and the truth is, I have no idea why. Western Ukraine used to be part of Poland until WWII and, especially in my region, which was close to the new border, everyone still remembers the atrocities done by Nazi collaborating Ukrainians against their Polish neighbours. I definitely wasn’t born to be a Ukrainophile, just like most of my compatriots I supposed to be a Ukrainophobe instead. But since it’s pointless to talk about being oppressed and offended by someone whose life you practically owned (yes, the…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 3
This is the third part in my Korean trip cycle. To read the previous parts, follow the link below: This is probably the only post which I write with no pictures on the subject. The answer’s simple. That was my second day in South Korea and apart from taking pictures with my friends, I didn’t take any others. And I do not really want to post pictures of other people. They are not even on Facebook!!! the wedding Anyway, I’m not sure if my friends’ wedding was typical or not. I did some research and it seems that it was not that different from what other couples would do, so…
questions my clients ask – part 1
I have been working with expats relocating to other countries for many years and even though they come from different cultures, they actually ask very similar questions. They check my website, so this post is written to answer some of their questions beforehand, maybe even give you and them some insights about my work too, and will be one of many. It’s not possible to cover such a vast subject in only few minutes read, it would simply be too much for you to digest in one go. Trust me, you do not want to feel overwhelmed. If you have questions which are not answered here, let me know in…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 2
This is the second part in my Korean trip cycle. To read the previous parts, follow the link below: As I mentioned in a previous post, we flew with Asiana and it was a great choice. Because it’s a Korean carrier I was a bit stressed about the food or the amount of space aboard the plane but it was way better than my British Airways experiences so far. I’m a rather tall person and I could easily stretch my legs, which is of the utmost importance if you’re forced to sit in one spot for 11 hours. The food was very tasty, you could choose either Western or Korean…
our big fat Korean wedding – part 1
Before I share with you my thoughts and memories from Korea, a few words of introduction are needed. The trip happened in 2019 and, as always, I took plenty of notes during and shortly after my travel. I started to work on my new website, where the Korean journey was supposed to be one of the first posts published. I also started studying ILM Level 7 Diploma in Executive Coaching and Mentoring which proven to be more time and effort consuming than I planned, especially with the pandemic hitting the world. And in my area of expertise, it hit really hard. There were not too many people moving around the…
My intercultural journey
Hello, My name is Konrad Wdowiak and I was born in Poland in 1976, when the communist regime realised that it is supported by less and less Polish citizens. At one point they decided to introduce Martial Law, blocked the borders so no one could leave the country; not too many people could come in neither. And Lublin, my hometown, is the place where people of different religions and nationalities used to live together for hundreds of years. The remnants of its former burghers’ cultures are still there. During communist rule they were kept timidly hidden and never praised like those people have never existed. But they were still there:…
