Hockley Heights Gazette

Well here I am now 3 months into the UK/European sojourn. Having now visited several countries I find each one a new adventure and always looking forward to the next one. Most recently I have found out that one of my work colleagues has a house that she rents out in Turkey, so I await the details for that!

What is a typical Monday like for me in the UK. Up at 6.20am, shower in our powershower...yes, it sounds like a lawn mower and it is in the master bedroom! Anthony drives me to the station to catch the 7.28am train to London Liverpool street (30 minutes), off at Stratford to catch the Jubilee line to North Greenwich (approx 12 minutes), then up the two elevators to catch either the 422, 472, or 161 bus to Woolwich (approx 25 mins), and walk to work to arrive about 8.45am. Not a bad start to the day but I am very glad I am not trying to negotiate the London public transport systems with babies...it looks like alot of work for new parents to negotiate the associated accessories! Work is going well for me, I am learning new areas all the time, and the academics do not mind being manipulated to make things a whole lot more efficient from my end! As I am currently working inside a new office 'cell' which is situated in the The Old Baths I have no natural light as there are no external windows, not sure that would be allowed in Australia! Anyway it is a strange sensation having no light to register the day and to emerge to total darkness each afternoon! But I am told we are through the worst of it so the days should start to lengthen again soon. Speaking of natural lighting, we are hopeful to see the northern lights some time before the end of the year.

Denmark was a great experience and is a very picturesque country. It is interesting to compare Copenhagen and Perth as both being of similar size, and yet I can see that more than 1500 years of history has left a much more complex side to Copenhagen and Denmark in general. I am enjoying the great multicultural aspect to the English population but I note that parents of neighbours of ours and their ilk would have a much different viewpoint on the diversification of the population. Interesting to see how the Bulgarians and Romanians cope as new members of the EU. I note a cartoon in The Times last week of a polish immigrant in the UK lamenting at the influx of 'foreigners!'

Anyway guys, shall catch you later, Cheers Kym.