Back in the UK with 1 month to go

Well as of yesterday I am now home in the UK.

Its been a strange few weeks bringing 13 years of expat life overseas to a close. For the past couple of years I have spent an increasing amount of time in the UK but, even so, my rented house north of Bangkok had felt the most like 'home'.

That home is no longer, however, so I must now focus fully on coming to terms with the inevitable 'reverse culture shock'; which in many ways is worse than the original 'culture shock'.

For a start there are so many more rules in the UK (more than 13 years ago anyway) and by and large people stick to them, which is definetlly not the case in Asia. Moreover, people here get far more upset here when there is a transgression! .... Thailand is much less agrressive, particularly on the roads. However, I dare say within a few weeks i will have adjusted and be ranting & raving with the best of them.

One of the things you notice straight away is the lack of staff & the level of automation. This hits you as soon as you try to get your cases in Manchester airport. No staff in sight & the baggage trolleys are all securely locked with a automatic baggage trolley securing thingy ... The only way to release them is to put a pound coin in the slot ...

Now how many overses travellers come ready prepared with a pound coin, very customer unfriendly.

** warning Victor Meldrew moment coming! **

Come on Manchester airport, it doesnt take a focus group or online survey to work out that this is a daft idea - look at life through your customers eyes!

By contrast in Bangkok airport, there are lots of gainfully employed staff collecting trolleys that people have left randomly all over the place, putting them in nice neat rows in convenient places where they can be collected for free and dumped wherever - the price of progress?!

Anyway, having luckily found a pound coin cleverly hiding in the lining of my hand luggage, I load my 68kg of luggage onto the trolley & head for the exit. A few minutes later I realise that they've stuffed up the collection & parking arrangments too, in the name of efficiency & income generation presumably.

No longer can you be picked up at arrivals ouside the terminal building, as private cars aren't allowed in. Instead whoever is picking you up has to park in a nominated car park, pay extortionately for the privaledge and then help you lug your cases in your non- refundable £1 trolley back to the car!

Somewhat jet lagged & annoyed, I beifley consider getting a coffee from the conviently placed italian sounding coffee shop, but then see the price £3.45!! ... OMG!, thats nearly three and a half trolley's!

I should add that this is another bit of reverse culture shock. In Bangkok coffee shops such as Cafe Amazon or Black Canyon, for the equivalent of about 90p you get a cappuccino, a small glass of jasmine tea and a buiscuit snack, served to your table by a smiling waitress - ah well, it was nice while it lasted!

Anyway, all is not lost, using the much observed Asian skill of 'restrictive process circumvention' , I plot my escape. I simply take the lift up to departures and walk outside to the conveniantly placed 'drop off only' area & call my better half to pick me up there. Take that Manchester Airport!

Small victory under my belt & out of the confines of Manchester (raining as usual!), the countryside starts to open up & the green rolling hills, fresh air and sunshine, all serve to lift the spirit. I start to remember all the good things about being in the UK & look forward to finally getting home.