- Hello, I'm Gill at www.engvid.com and a
slightly different experience today, as we're not in the studio at the moment, but you may
have seen a previous interview that we did awhile ago. And we've decided to do another interview
today, partly because we're currently, here in the UK, still under partial lockdown because
of the COVID-19 pandemic. So, I thought it would be good opportunity
to invite someone to be interviewed, and Hara has very kindly agreed. So, welcome Hara, thank you for coming. - Thank you for having me, Gill. - Digitally. And thank you for being here, wherever "here"
is. And so, so let's, let's start and - would
you like to tell us something about yourself, where you're from, your profession? How things have been going recently? - Yes. So, my name is Hara. I'm from Greece. My hometown is Saloniki in the north of Greece,
and currently, I live in London. I'm working for NHS. I am one of the NHS researchers, and I specialize
in dementia studies at the moment. And as you said, we are still currently in
lockdown, so I don't have - there are not a lot of things going on at the moment, so
I try to enjoy some time with my dog. I try to take the time to do some things around
the house. So, yes. - Okay, okay. That's great. So, I would imagine that, as you speak English
very fluently, you must have been in the UK for quite some time already. So, how long have you been in the UK? - It's going to be seven years this September. I moved into the UK in 2013 to do my Masters
Degree. So, it's been a long time. - Okay, wow. That's quite some time. - Yes. - And gone through a lot of changes. - Yes. - Of course, in that time. - Yes. - And did you learn English in Greece? Maybe at school originally? - Yes, yes. English is taught as compulsory subject in
public schools, and I started having English classes in primary school. I think second or third grade. And, at the same time, it's very common, people
in Greece, to have additional English classes in private teaching centers. So, I did the same as well. So, yes. I think during my - all my education, English
was one of the subjects that I had to do. - Yes, and was it a subject that you enjoyed,
or did you find it difficult? Did you feel, you know, just it came naturally? - Unfortunately, the English language classes
in Greece are very based on textbooks and they're very focused on the grammatical rules
and the vocabulary. So, it was more - it wasn't that easy, in
a way that you have to memorize so many grammatical rules. But - and they're very focused on English
grammar and spelling rather than be fluent. But the thing is, it was a very interesting
subject, because you know, of the music and the movies, it was really nice to be able
to understand English as a second language. - Yes, oh, that's great, yes. And I think that's true in a lot of countries
where they teach English, but it's mostly done from books, you know. It's a lot of reading and writing and not
so much speaking and listening. - Exactly. - So, okay. So, did you ever visit the UK, sort of on
holiday or anything like that before you came to actually live and work here? Did you come for a holiday just to, you know,
just to see what it was like? - Yes, I visited London, I think, two years
before I moved in. So, I think it was around 2011. And yeah, I just came as a tourist to see
London and visit London. - Okay. And what did you think of it? Your first impressions? - Oh, I think I found it really busy, really
crowded. Everything was in a very fast pace and I was
really impressed from a - ethnical diversity I could see around me. People from all over the world, just walking
around and I found it fascinating. But I just - I think coming from a Mediterranean
country that it's more everything's more slow. Everything's more relaxed. I just found it very, very busy, crowded and
a bit like, chaotic. Especially in very popular places like outside
Buckingham Palace and all these tourists attractions. So, but it was very - it was a very nice experience
because, after two years, I moved in, so... - Yes, great. And I also - because I'm not from London originally,
so when I first came to London from the north, I noticed immediately how people seemed to
be walking more quickly, traffic seemed to be moving more quickly. I thought, "Oh my goodness, I need to speed
up to keep up." - Yes. - So, I think that's my impression, I think. Okay, so, when you first came here to live
and to study initially, was there a culture shock? What was it like when you first arrived to
actually live here? - Um, I think arriving to the airport I was
really overwhelmed. I felt exposed to so many different information
and new information that I have to learn really quickly. I just felt that I'm really slow for this
city, to be honest. But because I have travelled before, I was
- and I had been here in the UK and in London before, I think it was a bit easier to adjust. And also, because I travelled in the past
in different countries. So, I think it was fine, but I felt a lot
of pressure to catch up with all these things around me, but yes. - Yes, I can imagine a lot of, sort of, I
suppose, documents and things. - Oh my god, yes. It was - yes. Now, it sounds really funny because I use
these things every day in my life. Like, even just, you know, apply for an Oyster
card. It seemed such a big thing, but now I'm just
like, I can't believe I'm using an Oyster card every day. - Yes, so the Oyster card that people use
for travelling through - - Yes, they are the student card that you
just tap so you can go inside the underground station, yes. So, even that, it was on my list that I have
to do. - Yes, it must have felt a bit overwhelming,
having a long list of practical - - Documents and tasks, yes, that I have to
do, yes. - Able to function each day, and get places
and do things. So, yeah, wow. So, okay. And then, are there things that you like about
the UK that maybe you don't have in Greece? Different things? - Oh yes, of course. I think I really appreciate the fact that,
in the UK, there's so many career opportunities and you can do whatever you want to do, even
if you want to do it was a hobby, you can always find classes. You can always find new things to try, and
there are - you have access to so many museums, art. You have access to festivals and also, I think
people in the UK, given that it's a multicultural country, they are more open-minded and you
can be yourself. And I think that this is something that maybe,
in Greece, given that we don't have so many people from other countries. We're so used to seeing just Greek people
around the city. But here in the UK, you can be yourself and
you always feel welcomed. - Oh, okay. Well, that's nice to know. That's good, because London is such a cosmopolitan
place. - Yes, it is. - So, okay. So, but is there anything that you miss about
life in Greece? - Of course I miss the weather! - Yes! - Yes! I think, no matter how many years I'm going
to be in London or in the UK, I think I will always miss the weather, the Mediterranean
food, and - I mean, you know, people are more relaxed and they are more - you can feel like
everyone is enjoying life a little bit more. I think people in the UK, they're very focused
in their careers. They are very - they are very busy doing so
many different things every day. But the thing, in Greece, we're a little bit
more slow and relaxed. So, yes. But it's, I mean, you know, two different
countries and yes. But the weather is always on the top of my
list. - Yes, yes, absolutely. I mean, we've been having quite nice weather
recently, but it feels very unusual. - It feels weird in the UK! I can't really enjoy it the same way I used
to enjoy this warm weather in Greece. But yes, of course, family and friends are
in Greece. I always miss them. But yes. - And I think you're right about people in
London. I think the word is "driven". People feel driven. They're always pushing themselves, you know,
to achieve the next thing. I think maybe outside London, in other places,
maybe smaller towns or villages, there may be, you know, more relaxed. More relaxed atmosphere. But London, being what it is, everybody's
out there to, you know, get in there - - Achieve something, to achieve something,
yes. In a rush. - Pushed all the time. - Yes. - Some people like to be like that, but I
think we all need a bit of a break sometimes. We need to be able to relax occasionally,
so - - Yes. - So, okay. And so, would you say then that there's a
difference in personality, really, between people in the UK compared with people in Greece? - Yes, as I said, I think people in the UK
are more open-minded. I think they're more used to be exposed to
people from other countries. And also, again, as we said, I think they're
more driven to achieve things. They are - I think they are happy to talk
about their careers, money, and the next step and what job are you doing. So, they are very interested in these things. I think in Greece, people are more relaxed. Everything's moving slower and people, they
enjoy having just a coffee or lunch by the sea, and they - after work, so it's very easy
to see people after work in Greece. Just going for a coffee. I think here, it's more different. You have to plan it a little bit, you have
to make a booking, you know. I think everything here is a bit more - has
to be more organized and plan given the distance as well, in London. If you want to meet someone, you need to know
the time of the commuting. Where do you live, where your friend lives. In Greece, we don't have these problems. So, it's easier. - Alright, okay. So, and then, so when you first came to the
UK, you came initially to study. You said you came to do a Masters degree. So, did you have to first take any sort of,
like an IELTS exam to get a certain level in IELTS to be able to study at a UK university? - Yes, exactly. As you said, I first came to do my Masters
degree in Southampton, so I lived there for almost a year. And then, I came to London for my PhD. And of course, I have to pass an exam, the
IELTS in Greece, because it was one of the entry requirements to apply for my Masters
degree. And I think I did a couple of months before
I submitted my application. - Right, okay. So, you did your IELTS in Greece rather than
- - Yes, I did my IELTS in Greece. - Oh, okay. - Yes. - That's good, that's good, lovely. So then, you came and you were at Southampton
for your Masters, which is on the south coast, isn't it? - Yes. - South coast of England, for anyone out there
in another country who doesn't know. So, what was it like, Southampton? What was Southampton like as a place? - I think it was a very nice place to start
with my experience in the UK. It was a very smooth transition for me, coming
from Greece to the UK. So, I think it was a very wise choice for
me to not do my Masters in London and go to Southampton, so I can have a more - first
of all, less expensive start - starting in the UK. And then also, being more relaxed within a
smaller city full of students from all over the world. And yes, I think it was a very nice - it is
a very nice city. - Okay, yes. So, then you came to London then after the
first year? - Yes, yes. - To do your PhD? - Yes. I finished my Masters and then I got a scholarship
in the University in London to do my PhD, and then I stayed. The plan was to stay, you know, for three
years to finish also my PhD, and then I got a job in NHS, so yes. - Okay, so had you sort of thought that far
ahead about thinking you would do two post graduate degrees and then get a job? Or, had you planned that or is it just how
it worked out? - No, I never planned it. I mean, I just came for a year to do my Masters
and then go back to Greece. And then I really liked the part of conducting
my own research, so I really enjoyed the part of writing up my thesis and doing my own piece
of research. So, I found out that if I do a PhD, it's three
years of doing my own research. So, I applied, I got the student residency,
and I thought yes, of course, why not? I'm just going to stay three years more. And then, one thing led to another and then
I really - I thought, okay, I'm just going to try to apply for a job. I really wanted to have a job in NHS, and
work in research department. And yes. So, I never planned it, but yes. Several years later, I'm still here! - That's amazing! So, it's all worked out really well, and the
NHS, National Health Service, which the UK is sort of rather famous for, because... - Yes. - It's a government supported health service. It's not a private health service. Everyone has access to it, so - - Yeah, it's great. - It's one of the things that the UK is very
proud of. And of course, it's been incredibly important
recently during the pandemic. You know, people have, I think, realized again
just how important it is to have the NHS, you know, service that we have and that people
working, you know, doctors and nurses especially, are on the front line. - On the line, yes, exactly. - Are absolute heroes, you know. And it's great that you are also able to make
your contribution as well, through research, which will benefit people for many years to
come, I'm sure. So - - Yes, I'm really grateful, I'm really grateful
for - and I'm really honored to be part of NHS and be one of the people that are working
for the research department. And I contribute, as you said, in even a tiny
bit of the research that's happening out there for people with, even with dementia. So, yes. - Yes, and because dementia is increasing
as well, you know. We have an older population. - Exactly. - The average age, it's older. So, you know, it's an important thing to have
research on, so that's great. Thank you. So, I guess - I'm sure that you probably feel
that your English must have improved a huge amount over the years, because you'll have
had so much more opportunity for conversation and for speaking and listening. So, I guess these things happen very gradually. So, I don't know if you can tell, you know,
that some area that you feel so much more confident in now. But, can you say a little bit about how your
English has improved over the years, and how that's happened? - Yeah, of course. I think, as you said, it's something that
it's happening gradually. I didn't wake up one day and I realize, "Oh
my God, I'm speaking English!" Of course, I'm still learning and I will always
continue learning. But I think I'm really proud of myself. Like, I am able to speak a little bit -- compared
to the past - fluently. And also, I'm not that shy to introduce myself
or do a presentation or join a conversation. I'm more confident to speak to other people
and I think being exposed to so many different experiences living in the UK, I think, my
vocabulary is better now. And I have read - even just reading an article
in the newspaper, I'm still learning new things, new words every day. And yes, I think that's the things I realize,
especially when my family visits. When my family visits, it's more obvious for
them that, "Oh my God, you speak English so good!" And I'm like, "Yes, do I?" But you know, because I don't realize that
there is progress. I'm sure there is progress, but you know,
it's - - It's something that happens so gradually
that it's hard, you know, for you to notice. - Yes - And I think a lot of people say that, at
some point, they realized, "My goodness, I'm not just speaking in English, I'm thinking
in it." - Thinking in English, exactly. - You found that happening at some stage? - Yes. I definitely - when - everything work related
or everything that has to do with if I go to the bank, or if I go for shopping, I think
my brain thinks in English. Of course, when I go back to Greece or when
I speak in Greek, it's definitely Greek. But yes, I can see that everything work related
I can only think and speak in English. I think I found it so hard to explain things
I do in Greek, because I'm so used to presenting myself as an NHS researcher and talking about
my research in English that when I go back to Greece, I'm trying. "Oh my God, I do not know how to explain this!" So, yes. - Yes, that's a good point. So, your technical vocabulary is, you know,
in English. - Yes. - So, I can imagine that must be tricky to
try to translate into Greek. Yes. So, what would you say - what's the most difficult
thing about the English language in your experience? - I think the hardest part was the pronunciation,
because I - even if - sometimes, I know what the word means and I can spell it correctly
and I can use it correctly, when I try to pronounce it, because you have so many silent
letters, I'm getting really confused. And I - especially when I am talking very
fast or I'm nervous, sometimes my pronunciation is not that good. And also, being able to understand so many
different accents. Because you meet people from all over the
world, everyone has a unique accent and even people in the UK, British people, depending
where they live in the UK, they have a different accent. So, yes. I think that was the - I think that was the
hardest thing about the English language that I had to experience. - Yes, yes, that's true that even within the
English population, there's a wide range of accents. And, as you say, you get other accents from
other countries in London and also, yes, English spelling. It's crazy! English spelling, it doesn't give you any
clue - - No. - About how to pronounce a word. It's not phonetic. - No, it's not! - It's such a mixture. But - you almost have to learn each word separately
and how to pronounce it. - Yeah, there is no rule for the pronunciation,
so -- - No, no, that's right. So, what advice would you give to someone
who is thinking about coming to the UK to live and work, or to live here and study? What sort of advice would you give? - I would definitely suggest just, if you,
if it's possible to visit with friends or family. If you want to visit the city that you're
planning to study or the city that you're planning to move in, that would be great. I think it would be so much easier. Because, you know, when you don't know what
- where you're going, you imagine things and you're getting really intimidated about the
unknown. But if you go over there and you see the city,
you realize it's not that scary and maybe it's going to be easier for you to imagine
your life there. Also, I think now there are so many YouTube
videos about English language. You can see vlogs of other people visiting
the city that you're planning to live. So, I think you can do your own homework and
you can watch a couple of videos. You can watch a couple of videos around English
language and accents and also just practice your English. I think I would suggest use English subtitles
when you watch a movie. And if you have friends that you can do Skype
or Zoom meeting or anything like that, that you can speak English, I think it's very,
very helpful. - That's really helpful advice. That's true, and to actually just use the
language and say it. Even I say to people, you know, just talk
to yourself in English. - Yes, yes, I used to do that. I used to do that. I used to read aloud a book, a newspaper,
something that I could find online, just to get used to my voice also. Because people sometimes, they are so shy
and I think the more you speak English, the more you're exposed to English, I think it's
easier. But the thing - people nowadays, they have
the social media and YouTube is a platform that people, they use a lot. Sometimes even more than TV and anything else. So, I think nowadays it's much easier to get
an idea about English and life in the UK. - Okay, well that's really helpful, thank
you. So, okay. Well, Hara, it's been really fascinating. Very enjoyable to hear your thoughts and information
about your experiences in the UK. And I'd like to wish you well with all of
your ongoing work, and also let's hope we get out of this lockdown soon and hopefully,
you know, start to get back to some sort of normality. So - and I know you've been able to work from
home during the lockdown. - Yes, yes. - So you can continue with your work, which
is good. - Yes, I was one of the lucky ones, and I'm
really grateful that I have the change to stay home, be safe, and work from home and
yeah. Now, there's people are using a lot of online
programs and it's much easier to do things online. So, yes. So, I'm still working from home. - Great. Well, all the best with your ongoing work
and everything that you're doing and all of your interests as well. And thank you so much for taking time to come
and to chat with me and help us to make this interview possible. - Thank you for inviting me, and I'm really
happy that I had the chance to do this interview with you. And I'm really happy if I Can help anyone
with my interview if someone sees something or hears something, that they find it interesting
or helpful, I'm glad. I'm glad if I can help anyone with this interview,
to motivate them to live in the UK or study in the UK. - Okay, that's lovely. Thanks very much, Hara. You're very, very welcome. So, thank you for being here. So, just to say to everybody watching, thank
you for tuning in, and please subscribe to my channel if you haven't already. And please have a look at - there's another
interview that we did some time ago, so - which was also someone talking about what it's like
to come work in the UK. So, do look out for that. We have another couple of interviews in the
pipelines, so please look out for those as they come through. And also, if there are any questions you'd
like me to ask people in the future, if we carry on doing interviews like this, please
put in the comment section on YouTube or on the www.engvid.com website. Please let us know if there are any particular
questions you'd like us to ask. So, okay. So, there we are. That's it for today. Thank you for watching and please subscribe
and I hope to see you again soon. Okay, bye for now! - Bye!
