Today is a day of mourning for the unbelievable loss of 15 students, teachers, and innocent bystanders in Winnenden, town in southern Germany. This morning a 17 year old student entered the Albertville secondary school with a gun and started shooting teachers and students, mostly women. Afterwards, as the suspect fled, he shot three other people, until he was killed in a neighbouring town. The event has left the entire country of Germany in shock, as well as many others in the rest of Europe and across the world. This event is so similar to the many school shootings that have occurred in the United States, and has similarities to the Montreal shooting at the École Polytechnique in 1989 in which women were specifically targeted. There are no words that can describe the loss felt in Winnenden. As with the Montreal massacre, people were left with many questions on how and why a single individual could been motivated to cause violence on such a massive scale. My deepest sympathy and condolences goes out the families of the 15 people who lost their lives today. These are losses that no one should have to endure.

Oh what interesting times we live in! By interesting, I mean of course the Bank of England prime rate of interest, which at the moment is sinking faster than a brick dropping to the ocean floor. Last week the Bank of England announced another drop in the interest rate to an astonishing new low of 0.5%. If that was not dramatic enough, the Bank of England also announced the new policy of quantitative easing. This policy allows the central bank to create new money to buy interest bearing assess such as government and commercial bonds. For foreigners living in the United Kingdom who depends on sending money bank to their home country, these two events are troubling. The Pound Sterling was a few years ago enjoying a very decent rate of exchange. With interest rates at 5.75% and the forecast of rates climbing higher, the Pound enjoyed an exchange rate of 2 to 1 against the US dollar. Today, that rate has long since evaporated along with any chance of quick recovery.

This week's rate announcement has important implications for those who have recently moving to or are thinking of moving to the UK. First, is that anything that you earn in the UK is going to be worth a lot less if you are planning to bring it outside the country. Second, the economic situation in the UK is still deteriorating. Every week is marked with news of more employment losses, property values falling, and bankruptcies increasing. Third, measures like quantitative easing will only add downward pressure on the exchange rate. Here is why: The Bank of England will create money to buy bonds. The prices of the bonds will then go up, reducing the yield, effectively lowering interest rates even further. This combined with the fact that more money now exists in the system, which increases inflation, puts a double hit on the exchange rate.

My advice for those thinking of coming: Think before you act! If you are just visiting, come (and spend you money too)! Exchange rates are good, and you will get better value for your money. If you are planning to live here, be sure about reasons for coming. It may be the case, that after you weigh all your options the UK is the best place for you. Just be prepared to take a hit on your standard of living, because the Pound will not take you as far as you will want to go.

Whether you are coming here to visit, study, or work for a short time or a long stay, living in a different country can be a bit overwhelming and daunting. You may be a bit unsure of the customs, local laws and procedures, and the culture. I know the feeling as someone who is a foreigner living in the United Kingdom. You will undoubtedly have many questions and few places to turn. I believe that part of making your stay an enjoyable one is to be familiar with the land you are visiting. The best way to get familiarized is to get hear the stories of people in a similar situation. I know there are many websites that offer information on this or that, but there are very few that give first hand experiences of what it is like to live in the UK. This website is designed to fill that void. Here, I will give my personal experiences and opinions of living abroad from a uniquely Canadian perspective. But whether or not your are coming from Canada to live in the UK, this site is for everyone who planning a short or long stay in the UK.

Over the next little while, I will be adding new features and content to the site such as a FAQ list and useful links. Please bear with me as I get the site to full running status. So again, welcome to England eh! I hope you enjoy your stay!