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This week I have seen the best and the worst of Britain. Sometimes I really despair of the country of my birth, and some of the people who call themselves so-called patriots. Before I delve into the darker side of Britain, I wanted to mention 'Best of British', a British shop in Joondalup.
Ever since moving to Perth, I have tried to hold on to the British customs and foods that I hold dear. This can be a difficult task, especially with limited choices in Australian supermarkets. Most of them, including Woolworths, Coles, and IGA, have an international food section, but the offerings vary from store to store. Items I have always bought here in Perth will be on sale one week and not the next. For that reason, I tend to buy in bulk when my favourites are in stock.
Until about eight months ago, Coles stocked Scottish Oatcakes, then suddenly they were gone. I have eaten these for as long as I can remember, and I can't get enough of them. Could I find these anywhere in Western Australia? Could I hell! After writing to the manufacturers, they informed me of a small independent shop in Joondalup, where I could hopefully buy some. So, with Christmas looming, last Monday, Darrell and I made the half-hour trip to this oasis in Perth city, and I wasn't disappointed.The Oatcakes were $8.95 a box, which, considering the price in the UK, is rather expensive. However, you are paying for the luxury of having items you can't get anywhere else, and there is no price on a box of oatcakes in my humble opinion. I was just delighted to have found them and include them in my daily diet. To all of you, this must seem rather strange, but unless you have ever lived abroad, you really won't understand how the little things make all the difference! I did, however, draw the line at paying $99 for a tin of Quality Street; despite being tempted - One look from Darrell and I thought better of it!
Equally, when I lived in Spain, there was a similar local shop selling British consumables. Like 'Best of British' in Joondalup, 'Quick Save' in Gran Alacant also sold a variety of other items celebrating Britain. This, for me, was the highlight of my visit, and I loaded up with various souvenirs that I wouldn't be able to get anywhere else. I suppose the pricing in Australia was comparable to Gran Alacant, although I haven't lived in Spain for a few years now, so I can't be sure. Brexit would have changed this, I have no doubt, but the fact remains that as an Expat, we expect to pay a premium for goods that are not readily available down under. That isn't a problem for me, certainly when wages are substantially higher here than they are back home.
Quick Save, Gran Alacant
Whether you live in Australia or, like many of my friends, live in Gran Alacant, it is important to keep links to home alive. Small local Expat shops not only sell goods to people like me, but they are also the hub of local communities and play a role in all our lives. I have many happy memories of 'Quick Save' in GA, and I'm sure I will also have many more from 'Best of British' in Perth.
I will always remain British at heart, wherever I am living in the World, it is a part of every aspect of my being. The words I speak, the accent I have, the way I dress, and the morals I hold dear will not change, despite residing in Australia or indeed Spain. The British are a stubborn lot, and we like to keep our bonds with home strong. Food, for me at least, has emotional relevance - from Oatcakes, a bar of Yorkie, or a box of Milk Tray, there is a connection that can never be broken. Life is better when you have the things you love, so I can only thank the lovely ladies at 'Best of British' for their help and hospitality and look forward to seeing them again soon!
With the best bits of the UK out of the way, I just wanted to mention the precarious state of Britain, as I see it right now. Social media is a great place to understand just what is happening in the UK, and it is full of unhappy people demanding that the British PM Sir Keir Starmer, resigns. Not living in Britain, I am not sure just how bad things are and if Starmer is a bad Prime Minister or not, but judging by the dreadful comments I have seen, he isn't popular and has the lowest approval rating of any PM in history.
Speaking as an Expat, with limited access to news from home, relying on Sky and GB News for my daily dose of political debate, I can only recall what I see and hear. The Labour Government appears to be shambolic and chaotic, changing their minds frequently and in part targeting people who can ill afford to pay for the Tory mistakes of the past. Of course, they are constrained by the promises they made to the British electorate before the general election, but they seem tone deaf. Unwilling to listen to voices of discontent, they are stumbling from crisis to crisis, making up policy as they go along, and most importantly, facilitating the rise of the far right and Reform.
The only British news channel I can get on my Aussie smart TV, is GB News. Yes, I've mentioned it before, and I know what you'll say, but I actually enjoy watching it. However, I am under no illusions as to its affiliations and understand the close links it has with Nigel Farage and the Reform Party. For that reason, I am aware of how popular Reform has become, and that shocks me. I may well watch GB News, but I am not far right and detest Reform as a party. It is truly scary to think that Nigel Farage could be the next Prime Minister and all that that entails for the future of my home country.
Farage and Co. lied during the Brexit Referendum, and he continues to lie today. His beliefs are far right, and all of you should be aware of the consequences of your actions. If you vote for this party, you are voting for your own demise and the end of British values as we know them. There is no place for the politics of division in any country, and Britain appears to be more divided than most.
Nigel Farage stokes up hate; you can see it on the news every day. On the surface, he comes across as your friend, but in reality, he is not. Unless you are rich and of his ilk, you will suffer under any Government led by him. You will lose your precious NHS and end up paying for treatment like me. Farage preys on ignorance and stupidity - by smoking a cigarette and drinking a pint in a pub, you think he is like you! HE IS NOT, and you will rue the day you vote for him.
Britain does feel dark, falling apart, ridden with crime and anger. Immigration is out of control, and people are poorer. The cost of living is high, unemployment is rising, and taxes are likely to rise even higher, as the chancellor looks for money to fill the legendary black hole - I am aware of all these things and many more! Farage will not solve these problems; he will add to them. Brexit and the lies he told are responsible for the state of the UK today, not Starmer. The Tories' disastrous time in office has made Britain poorer, the rich richer, and people like you and me looking for alternatives. I still vote in the UK and I have no idea who to lend my vote to next time, but one thing is for certain, it will not be to Reform, their fascist agenda and the politics of hate - the World has seen enough of that!
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I have a feeling, I'm not in a great place at the moment. Generally I am feeling pretty unwell — nothing specific, but just a feeling of constant malaise. I just can't put my finger on what is wrong, but I get like this from time to time. IBS has once again reared its ugly head and overtaken my life.
I have suffered from this bloody condition for years; I have great periods when I am pain free, as well as deeply difficult days. I say days, but these flare-ups can last for months, and they really do knock me for six. It's just a feeling, but I think this is going to be a long one for me. I have already begun the process of eliminating certain foods, looking for suitable medication, and more importantly, trying to deal with this god awful thing once and for all.
Being very bodily aware, I knew something was wrong a little over a week ago. I have been having real problems sleeping, so I bought some Magnesium Glycinate to help. I have never tried this stuff before, but after reading about it, it appeared on paper at least, to be just what I was looking for. Surviving on just a few hours sleep each night, even though I am using Melatonin, has been debilitating. I am still waking up at 3am every morning, unable to get back to sleep. This form of magnesium is highly recommended for an insomniac like me, but it just hasn't agreed with my IBS and I have been left doubled over in pain.
Today I awoke at 2.30am and have been awake ever since. For this reason I wasn't even going to blog today, but I felt I had to, just to get some feelings off my chest. A few days after taking the magnesium supplement, I have feeling terrible. My body literally feels like it is shutting down. I have severe abdominal cramps, pain under my left rib, nausea and terrible backache. I have felt this bad before, but not for a long time. As someone who suffers from health anxiety, I have been googling, trying to find answers, to my current state of health and this has just made me feel so much worse.
From kidney failure, gastritis and pancreatitis, to cancer, I have died multiple times this week, as I try to find out why I am feeling so bad. I am sure deep down this is IBS, but as ever, something is telling me to delve deeper, nothing is quite as it seems.
One of the biggest problems with IBS, is the inability to believe that the pain you are suffering from isn't causing physical damage to your organs. The discomfort is that bad at times, you feel like you are dying. I have had every test going over the years, yet Doctors have found nothing. I am just left with a nondescript, vague diagnosis of IBS and told to get on with my life, no matter how hard that is.
This week I have been tired, fatigued, in tremendous pain, and in a very bad place mentally. IBS isn't psychosomatic as many would believe, it is a real, debilitating, agonising diagnosis that never gives up. Unlike other illnesses, IBS has no cure or end date. There isn't even a test to tell you, you have it. The whole diagnosis is based on a process of elimination. When everything else is ruled out, including the more sinister diseases, you are finally given your IBS label. This is a tag you live with for the rest of your life. You have good days and bad days, but when they are bad, they are the worst — nothing compares to IBS pain, and you never truly learn to live with it.
With this terrible week at an end, I am able to lay here on the sofa, with a water bottle on my belly, writing my thoughts down. The best medicine for me is the ability to share my musings with you. The release I feel as I write is unbelievably healing, and I am just grateful to be able to do it.
If you suffer from IBS, like me, you'll understand my pain, and if you ever need a chat, just drop me a message, I'm always here. Chatting about this condition with people who understand the symptoms, is a lifeline at times of great stress. Nobody, including my husband, really understands just what I am going through and for that reason, my writing has become a catalyst for getting well. My ability to blog is a tonic at times when I need it most — without it, I would feel even more alone than I do today.
IBS encompasses so many disorders and defects, that it becomes an almost impossible problem to solve. Failure is my biggest enemy, so as I battle this dreaded indisposition, I am reminded about the time before I was diagnosed and the happy, carefree World that I used to inhabit. This is the marker I need to push me ever onwards, towards a cure, and the ability to exist comfortably, without pain. This is the goal I am determined to achieve, to finally live stress and pain free, and be happy again like I used to, in a time before IBS!
