Monthly Archives: December 2009

New Years Eve in the airport

Posted on December 31, 2009 by | 1 Comment

I am sitting in an extorionately priced internet terminal in Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne. Waiting for the boarding call for the flight to Hong Kong, and then back to London. Something like 20 odd hours ahead of sitting, watching and attempting to sleep.

It has been blisteringly hot today in Melbourne, but the cool change arrived just as the taxi hit the freeway. The rain has been tipping from the clouds and the lightening has been streaking across the sky.  

And as I type this sentence the clock has struck midnight, the people in the bar (a few festive beers in) have just cheered, the charming lady who has been delivering bad news for the Qantas passengers (something about the tarmac being closed -odd and how does that happen) has just wished us all a Happy start to 2010.

How odd! By far the most strange of places to be on this night. And have had a few. As 1999 became 2000 I was in Sydney, treating a guy with cystic fibrosis, I have been up mountains, in parks and on beaches but never in an airport.

So to all those who have been kind enough to read this blog in 2009 thanks. And I hope you are having an exciting and fitting start to 2010.

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Aussie Aussie Aussie

Posted on December 29, 2009 by | 1 Comment

I have definitely been away for a long time. I know this because I went to the supermarket the other day and was suprised when the check-out chick packed my bags for me.  For those that don’t know in London you do your own packing pretty much, very rarely is there an exception. So as I stood there watching this uber-efficient 16 year old, scan and pack I was unsure what to do.  Should I chat? Comment on the weather? I couldn’t pay as obviously the transaction was not complete? Stare into space. Hard to know. I had completely lost the notion of correct check-out ettiquette. 

There have also been some other subtle reminders that I have lost the edge on my Aussie self. I now try to kiss people twice. Australians are strict on the kissing thing. And are infact not much into it and if forced into a kiss definitely never go back for the other cheek. Embarrassing as I lean in, they lean back and quip about how ‘english’ I have become. hmmmmm……

However, it has been heartening to realise that there are some things I have not lost, forgotten or changed. I can still get to the middle of the road and deftly angle my bare feet in such a way on the white lines to relieve the soles briefly from the scorching black road. I will never stop loving vegemite in the morning, the warble of a magpie and that crunchy feeling you get as the salt dries on your back after a dip in the sea.

I am sure I am not alone. When you come home after time away it gets really confusing about where is home and where is habit. At the moment  I feel quite certain I am floating 1/2 way between the northern and the southern hemispheres. A place where the sun shines, people eat vegemite and kiss people twice in greeting!

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yes? no? maybe?

Posted on December 18, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Sometimes the best decision is not to make any, or at least to say no instead of yes. Those who talk to me often will know that I have been threatening a move from the UK. Each time something tempting has appeared in a small enough bite that I can say ‘yes’ without really having to say ‘no’ to something.

As this year is coming to an end I am hoping to stick fast to my latest decision.

And that decision is to say ‘no’ to any new contracts that come from my current employer.  Now this is not because I loath my job anymore, in fact it is a pretty decent, most of the time interesting thing and I guess it is ever so slightly mad to make yourself unemployed in the middle of a recession.  But it is more that I want to say ‘yes’ to doing something different.

However, this is where the ‘maybe’ comes in. The world is a pretty enormous place, and so within that there are 100′s of 1000′s of choices and things that in concept could be pretty great.  It will not be shocking to confess that I like to plan – I do like to have an idea about what is going to happen next. But my plan for now is quite cunning.

The answer to every opportunity, for which I have to think of an answer will be maybe. If it is not an obvious ‘love to’ or ‘hate to’ then it will sit in the maybe pile.

So there you go my world is one big maybe for the next little while – and I must confess to feeling pretty excited about the potential!

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feeling lucky

Posted on December 17, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Tonight I feel lucky:

My Dad is okay, my Mum is looking forward to seeing me

I have caught up with friends who I find interesting and caring and kind, in  a spot I love in London

I have a message on the phone from a great friend who considers me like a sister

I have a parcel from a friend in Scotland, with a card designed by his son

And as I type the snow is falling to make London the quiet neighbourhood that I crave.

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christmas… ho ho ho… home we go

Posted on December 13, 2009 by | Leave a comment

I was hoping to avoid the long haul this Christmas, hang in London, maybe go to the sales. That kind of thing. However, stuff happens and it becomes important to get home and check on everyone.

So after some serious wrangling with the airlines in search of the perfect flight I am off down under for Christmas – a whole 7 days. It did necessitate a rethink of the Christmas present purchasing. God I wish I was one of those people who did there Christmas Shopping in June. They have such an easy time of it. There is not the complete horror of  realising that it will take the better part of an hour just to reach the cash register, that it is in fact possible to squeeze one more person into the lift, everyone just has to breath in at the same time, oh and then there is the never ending tinkle tinkle of a christmas carol gone wrong! It is honestly enough to suck any joy out of buying a present for someone.

So I had a plan to avoid the trauma and keep the ho ho ho in Christmas. I was the first person in the door of the department store and went from the top to the bottom. I had it all done and dusted by 11.30. Two hours and all names crossed off.

Now I can enjoy the next 10 days with the twinkly lights in windows and on trees and try to figure out how I get it all to fit in the case.

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a mandarine by any other name?

Posted on December 9, 2009 by | Leave a comment

What a nightmare the English language must be for those who are not native speakers. Goodness knows that I struggle – proof is scatter ed  all over this blog. In some instances it is tricky – there, their and they’re, where, wear and we’re!

My latest wondering is borne from supermarket shelves. I am pretty sure that at home we just have Mandarines.  

But Sainsbury and Tesco are full of Tangerines, Clementines and satsumas. I mean really what on earth is the difference. Then there are other permutations – easy to peel, no pips, organic, fair-trade, it is honestly never ending choice. And pretty much they are all orange coloured and smaller than an orange or a grapefruit!

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retail therapy

Posted on December 4, 2009 by | 3 Comments

Feeling a bit stressed? A little bit bummed?

The solution a new pair of shoes.

Yep better than any amount of psychology, bare your soul, confront your fears talking. Your mind can then complete the mental gymnastics required: what will they work with? How many times will I need to wear them to ‘break even’? Are they so fabulous, leg lengthening that they must be in the wardrobe at any price! Well I do have limits actually, but really filling your brain full of the number of possible permutations, can be so good that in the end you don’t even have to purchase.

Now many snear at the joys of retail therapy. Giving it the rather fancy title of Oniomania – This fancy title was first described in 1915. Strange really as I also thought that retail therapy was born out of my generations materialistic world.  But there you go!

So I wonder what the threshold is make it into this particular pathology? How often do you have to shop? And does buying a toothbrush or doing the fruit-n-vege shop count. Do you think it might be like alcoholism? It would seem that just about everyone I know is either an alcoholic or some sort of binge drinker. Due to the rather strict and somewhat prohibition-era definition, and of course the enormous wine glasses that we now all sip and slurp from!

Ah well …. I have some new boots to wear as I head out for a drink on this chilly Friday night! I guess that makes me an Oniomania alcoholic.

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bbbrrrrrr

Posted on December 3, 2009 by | Leave a comment

Brrrrr, It is chilly chilly at the moment – with I suspect worse yet to come.

The only thing to be done is to eat mounds of mashed potato, sausages, maybe some chips and hope that all the shivering and goose bumps burn the bonus fat off!

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