More BIG life decisions

Yet more big, and once again we mean proper BIG, decisions are looming (or should that be have loomed, hit us on the head and we're now standing watching the bluebirds fly around our heads?).

This time it is regarding what we do next year. As most people know, Em applied for Jersey to do her second year of her training, what they call F2 (Foundation year 2). Well the good news is that she's gone and beaten the competition and has got the place in Jersey. The bad news, well potentially bad news, is that we have started looking into the whole living in Jersey thing and things couldn't really be much worse! If, and it is a BIG IF, the hospital can get us a place for both of us to live - not hugely common for them to put couples up apparently, then we'll be fine. If they can't do this, then we will have to go and rent a place ourselves. Now this wouldn't normally cause a problem, with our track record of 7 places in the last 8 and a bit years we are used to going through the rental loop. However, Jersey being Jersey, a place where you have to live there for 10 years before buying a place, the rental propery market is extremely complicated with the VAST majority of households being open to those people who have lived on the island for at least 5 years, or if not, then extortionately priced - I've never seen as many 1 and 2 bed apartments over £1500 per month (and that's the cheap end!!!)

Now if we can find somewhere, then if we scrimped and saved then in theory at least we could do £1500 - wouldn't leave much in the coffers at the end of the month.

Now here comes the good bit!! Em has a job. All good. I haven't.

I've looked on the 'jobs in Jersey' website where the government puts all the jobs up for grabs at any given time and have discovered something that could be a massive problem. As I haven't lived in Jersey for more than 5 years, I'm only going to be able to look at around 5-10% of the jobs on there. They give preference to locals. Local jobs for local people. This leaves all the dross in terms of jobs :-( I may well end up being a barman or a taxi driver for the year getting paid peanuts!! There are only 2 engineering companies on the island that I've found so far, so if I can't get anything with them, and if we don't get hospital accommodation, then we are technically buggered as we'll have to do it all on Em's salary. Possible but not preferable.

Haven't discussed this with work (GEL) yet - trying to get my head around everything first, but I severely doubt that I could continue with them but it is a path I can try and look at if I have to. It may also be a good time to reassess where I am and decide if there's another 40 plus years in engineering (seeing as most in the business agree that over the next 20 years the jobs are going to move steadily eastwards as China and Indian graduates come through the system). This would be a fairly easy thing to do in any other country, but again, all trainig posts are open to people who have lived on the island for 5 years or more. Do you get the feeling they don't want immigrants in their country?!?!

We do have a fall back plan. As Em's been given Jersey, under the NHS rules she has got to take it. However, as we are now in Oz and Em's in the Australian system, she has gone down the route of getting an F2 year sorted out here as a backup in case she decided that this is where she wanted to stay. We had decided not to bother with Australia as she'd got Jersey, but now this back up has come back to the table. If she stays here, she has a job in a hospital she knows, we have a place to live, I have a Visa that allows me do work in any industry I fancy and the Engineering jobs (although not on our doorstep) are out there and pay pretty well.

As you can see we have a HUGE amount to think over.

And now for the REALLY good bit.

We have to decide by Tuesday night.

Hope you all have a more exciting weekend!

Tootle pip,

Rich