Gary Benham

223 days to go - Britain thru Mo's eyes

When the captain's voice boomed over my head that we were about to land at Heathrow airport, I actually pinched myself because I had fallen asleep and had had a strange dream about me in some big plane going to a foreign place...strange hey!?

I looked out of the window and realised that the sun was about to come up! A clear sky? My first fear of the UK had been the weather...I had been regaled and scared silly with tales of hardly ever seeing the sun, yet it was a clear day outside not a single cloud in sight - a good omen!

Going through customs was not bad at all and not even as scary as when I went through Jo'Burg's OR Tambo airport, where I felt like I was actually thinking of hijacking the flight I was about to board (but that's a story for another day).

After breezing through customs I went to the counter where I had been told I would collect promised cash.  Again, I was rather nervous because I kept thinking, what if they say I actually have to go into town for that!! Silly of me, I know...There I actually met two other Chevening scholars who had just landed...the UK is really smiling at this Mosotho girl eh?!

The drive from the airport to Winchester was uneventful. I kept looking around trying to see all the things I had seen on TV, but I saw green lush beautiful, big pastures. We arrived at Winchester and I felt like I had stepped into an old English movie...the houses looked so old and so beautiful, and so very close to the street...? ha! That is when I learned that old towns were built that way...strange! At the University, registration up until getting my room was a breeze, less than 20 min, (our universities should really adopt these methods; life would so much easier)

I have not seen much of the country because I have a hectic timetable, but I do intend to explore though I saw a bit of Milton Keynes, thanks to my loving friends residing here in the country.

The people here are quite nice, and I realised that the small stretched smile I used to see back home is actually what people do here to acknowledge that they do notice you...

I wonder how bad or good the crime rate is here...has there ever been cases of people walking out of stores without paying or leaving after filling their tanks?? I ask because I was rather impressed with the self-service filling stations and counters that you pay without help from  a teller...mmmhhh

It is early days to say much, but I really have to say I feel welcome, even though I am the only black kid in my class and in the university residence I stay in -there are very few in Winchester!!! ( Do not get me wrong, just remember I come from a region where I grew up being treated different when in a place full of those not your colour - believe me it still happens)

I will keep you updated and give you a glimpse of my life in Winchester as time goes. Halloween is coming up, I can't wait!!!

Mo is one of the 2009 Chevening Scholars.

Happy Halloween to all!

Posted at 09:09 30 October 2009 by Gary Benham  |  Comments[0]