The blessing of being homesick

This is a column I wrote for my international journalism class and will be published in the campus newspaper:

Having lived in the Netherlands for three months I expected to feel very settled, but the closer it gets to Christmas the more homesick I feel. Culture shock is said to go in phases, first the honeymoon period, then disintegration, re-integration, autonomy and independence. I am firmly stuck in the disintegration period at the moment.

Homesickness creeps up on you when you least expect it and about the weirdest things. Having lived away from home for three years now and not once getting homesick – it’s strange that I am suddenly afflicted with it. It’s not family I miss particularly, nor friends, it’s just that feeling of home.

It’s going to work and getting a Boots meal deal, it’s mince pies and brandy butter, it’s walking to university, it’s fish and chips and being constantly offered a ‘cuppa’. I’m not patriotic, I’m not particularly proud to be British but right now I have a yearning to be back with the familiar.

To hear British accents when I go outside and to understand what is being said in shops and on buses – to not feel like I only understand half of my surroundings. It’s the language barrier that makes the experience of living abroad so lonely. It’s not until you can’t do something that you realise how important it is – listening to grannies having a natter on the bus is one of those things. Knowing what to say in shops is so undervalued, I constantly have to pray they won’t ask if I want a receipt – however hard I try I cannot remember that vocabulary. I miss understanding everything and being understood and not feeling like people have to go out of their way to accommodate for me.

I love it here. It really is starting to feel like home, it’s not that I’m miserable. That’s the thing with homesickness, everything can be great but still you know something is missing. A nagging feeling reminding you that this isn’t home and that is what makes it so difficult. There is the desperate desire to seize every opportunity and make the most of the time you have. Realising sometimes you need to sit out and let yourself be homesick feels like a waste of valuable time – but what it does is makes you realise what you’ve got.

Feeling homesick is horrible – but it forces you appreciate everything just that little bit more and really that’s a blessing.

The 1975 & International Journalism

A while back (4th October) I went to go see The 1975 in Utrecht and ended up reviewing it for my International Journalism course. I thought I would post it here as well, so here goes (apologies for the shocking headline). Many thanks to the very lovely Anna for buying these tickets and super sorry you couldn’t come – next time!

2.5 bottles of wine later: an incredible performance by The 1975

Emma Healey reviews the 1975 in Utrecht.

“I’m sorry I don’t speak Dutch. Please don’t see it as a reflection of my ignorance, see it as a reflection of your intelligence.” – Matt Healy

With a sold-out performance at TivoliVrendenburg as part of a world tour, it is clear that The 1975 have burst on to the music scene – a far cry from the years of rejection by numerous record companies, and even last year performing at the Camden Barfly. These years of hardship however have only served to improve them as a band and their time experimenting with different genres have left them with a sound that bridges the gap between pop-punk and indie- and electro-rock. A blend that situates them perfectly as a band for the millennials – but it is a testament to their talent that their appeal stretches beyond this. They have been well-received by music critics and their self-titled debut album reached number 1 on the UK albums chart.

As the latest export of Manchester’s music scene, The 1975 step in the footsteps of artists such as Oasis. Whilst they are an extremely talented foursome, it is clear that the androgynous, tattooed front-man Matt Healy is the shining star and heartthrob of the group. As the son of Denise Welch, Coronation Street and Waterloo Road, and Tim Healy, Auf Wiedersehen, Pet, he is no stranger to the lime-light and from his performance it is clear that he thrives on the attention and the adoration of his (largely female) fan base. Whether he is dancing, smoking or drinking copious amounts of wine (a total of two and a half bottles during the two hour set), he is met with screams – something Healy hugely plays with in his interactions with the crowd.

Photo by me

At a sold-out gig consisting predominantly of well-established fans, the atmosphere was fantastic, particularly during their hits such as “Sex” and “Chocolate” which the crowd enthusiastically sung along to. The electricity during the better-known songs as well as the skill of the tech team succeeded in carrying this atmosphere through slower and less popular songs that otherwise could have fallen flat.

The lively atmosphere, charismatic performance and raw talent make The 1975 one to watch out for – if this performance was anything to go by, it shouldn’t be long before they are selling out stadiums.