Dave Ginn
I grew up always making things in my dad’s wood shop. When I came to Edinburgh, living in a small flat did not allow me to do that for quite a few years. Now I volunteer a lot of my time at The Forge charity. The charity allows people to use all the tools they have to fix broken items or build new things. If a person has an idea in mind it can be built there. I moved near the charity when I was in between jobs and it gave me something to do with my time and get back to making and fixing things. I help others with their projects, and also spend a lot of my time fixing the tools that get worn down by use of many. The Forge allows me to socialise, meet new people and continue creating things.
The first time I visited Edinburgh was on a trip to Europe in 2011. This was my favourite city out of all the cities I visited. I vowed to come back and after a few years of working and saving up I was able to return. Originally I came here to study and get my masters as sadly it is cheaper to pay for my masters and live over here than it is to pay for a masters back in the USA. Even though after my undergraduate I said I never wanted to do more school again, I decided to go back and it was an experience I shall always cherish.
I arrived on Friday the 13th (some consider unlucky!) but while it was stressful to pack life into 2 suitcases it has been for the better. After I came over here I finished my masters and got a job still within different visa constraints. My jobs were ok but I have felt stuck due to visa regulations not allowing me to go for the exact jobs that I want which has led to frustration and feeling stuck in a life rut where I can’t go anywhere.
I am not sure if I feel at home in Edinburgh. I love it and I feel very suited for this city. I am surrounded by great friends and a fantastic partner, but being so far away from family and old friends makes it feel sometimes that I am on a very long holiday/vacation of sorts and I would just one day get a return ticket home. Realistically this won’t happen due to many reasons: national healthcare, more holiday here, to name a few. Besides the distance there are times where I don’t feel home here due to the government push to get as many immigrants out as possible with layers upon layers of paperwork.
I have noticed many cultural differences that confuse me. The biggest misunderstanding is extra politeness, when people say things they don’t really mean. For example, if you run into an acquaintance, co-worker or old friend, you will both have a nice conversation, and most of the time they will mention they want to meet up and go for a tea/pub/dinner or some activity. They don’t actually mean it and never follow through with this. I have learned that this is a way to just break away from the conversation to be “polite”. I find it frustrating and confusing because I don’t understand why people say it. Why not just say “it was good to see you, bye”? If I suggest something then I follow through with it, and if I don’t want to do something, I wouldn’t suggest it.
Despite occasional frustration, I would say that life in the UK has changed me for the better. Edinburgh is an international city, and being around so many different cultures I have learned a lot about local and distant cultures. I would have never learned that if I was still in the USA. I have adopted some of the cultural items such as foods or traditions as I have found them great.
From the US I brought my granny’s candy dish as a memory about her. We would visit her many times a year and she always had this candy dish sitting on the table when you walk in with sweets. I have many good memories of spending summer holidays with her and I would always sneak way more candies than I should eat from that candy dish.