Minsk to Mist

I was once asked what Brits and Belarusians have in common. First thing that came to mind was that both nations like complaining. And that might be one of the reasons I feel so comfortable living in Britain.

Today, though, I’m going to pause that for a minute and focus on positives of being someone from a country with notorious reputation (or the name of which is followed by ‘oh, where is that?’) whose passport causes confusion mixed with curiosity wherever I go. Turns out, there are some secret perks to that.

You know everything about travel regulations, visas, etc.

You’ll never be one of those people who learn their passport is due to expire very soon right before you are supposed to board an airplane. Because you know by heart when your passport and all the visas you need to visit almost any country in the world are expiring. You check your passport regularly just to keep that knowledge fresh.

No country has invented a tedious enough visa application procedure to put you off. You have already seen it all, you can get all the certificates, confirmations, etc. very quickly and you are ready for anything.

And if you happen to plan a holiday and see ‘no visa required’ or ‘visa upon arrival’… ah, the happiness and joy! I once decided to go to Malaysia simply because a Belarusian doesn’t need a visa to get there. (Loved the country, visited twice more, would love to go again)

You are underestimated

Off the bat, people assume you came out of nowhere, never had any money or possessions, can hardly speak any language other than your native one and could probably only get a job waiting tables or cleaning toilets. It is very easy to surprise and impress them by simply telling the truth – that you have a university degree, a decent job in IT (otherwise, you would never have gotten a work visa to come to the UK in the first place), speak 5 different languages and was pretty well-off in your native country.

You always have a topic for a conversation

Asking a person where they are from prompts them to reciprocate, which is then followed up with lots of different questions about your country (some of which have been answered here). People are naturally curious, so when they meet someone from a country they have barely heard of, you are almost guaranteed a good conversation. Regardless of whether that’s going to be about the frequency of travel to your native country (and why exactly you don’t go there very often), the quirks of you being an East Slav or the language situation, escaping awkward silence is not a problem.

You are incredibly resourceful

Working 24/7 when your country gets involved in the attack on Ukraine and you need to make sure your co-workers back there are evacuated and safe and the customers don’t terminate their business with you? Not a problem. Learn a new language from scratch and practise it with any native speaker you can find? Thank goodness I live in London and finding people is not a problem! Using public shower facilities despite not having any towel, hair dryer or even slippers on you? Eh, I’ve seen and done worse…

When you constantly have to prove your worth and start your life almost from scratch in a new country, you don’t have time to be depressed or lost. You just get up and keep grinding. You can’t afford to be jobless or unhealthy. And when you are used to that, it doesn’t really seem hard.

You get a discount on private healthcare and beauty procedures (assuming you are OK to visit your native country for it)

My therapist, German tutor, beautician, hairdresser and dentist are all based in Belarus. You can imagine the rates back there are a bit more competitive than those in the UK. Thanks to the modern-day technologies, the former two are always a single call away. It’s a bit more complicated with the services that require your physical presence, but back in the good old days with direct flights between London and Minsk, a week-long trip to fix your teeth, get a couple of collagen shots and dye and cut your hair would pay for itself and even save you some money. It is way more complicated now, but when I do travel to my native country to see my mum, I do have my calendar filled up with appointments quickly. And boy does is save me money…

You keep your nose clean as you can’t afford to get in trouble

Even a minor transgression can cost you a passport of a first-world country that you have been dreaming about for years. A couple of speeding fines can get you deported or at least substantially defer the time for obtaining citizenship. When you apply for a citizenship, you have to disclose your parking fines, regardless of whether they have been paid or not. If there are a bit too many of them, you’re screwed!

Technically, you have the money to pay fines for misbehaving but, given you don’t yet have a property in your new country, need a lot of cash to pay visa fees and can’t rely on your parents to help you out, it’s easier to just not bother with being up to no good. You can still have fun, mind! You are, however, a haven for those who crave calmness and trouble-free pastimes. It’s surprising how many people actually find it attractive.

What would you say are the perks you got by being born in your native country? Do they make you happy or proud (or both)? Share your thoughts in the comments section, it appears we are about to learn a lot!