Beer and Skittles?

It has been an interesting year so far. There have been some incredible positives, and some dreadful negatives. "Yin and yang, heads and tails, yes and no." (and bonus points if you recognise that quote)

It all balances out and counteracts each other.  What we have to do is learn to overcome the negatives and to focus on the positives.  Which, in my case, I have managed to do. And so I find myself in a really good place.

But things never go according to plan, do they?  I had set several goals for the first half of this year, and due to other things (life), they simply could not happen. But we need to be agile, to be flexible, to adapt and change and meet the challenges. And then we have to wonder where karma fits into it all.

And so here we are, almost 6 months into the year, and all is well.

No skittles around here, but there is beer. Pass me a pint!

Racing Around the Sun Again.

Another year is drawing to a close, and there is so much left undone. Not that I am one for resolutions, but like most people I have goals - either specific and planned, or vague and loose. I did complete some of my plans, but along the way other plans intruded in my life. And as I undertook those, other activites were pushed onto the backburner by necessity.

Yeah, that novel I never started at the beginning of the year never happened later either. And I doubt I'll have it done (or even commenced) by New Year.

I'm OK with that, because I have achieved other things this year I never thought I would. Big things. For reasons of my own, I'm not sharing these at the moment. One day, when the time is right, I will.

We've almost completed that arbitrarily designated end to yet another journey around the sun. Another year, another orbit, another winter.

It's getting darker and colder. I'm heading out to work and returning home with my headlights on. Soon it will be dark as I arrive and leave the office. For some people this is depressing. For me, and maybe because it's a bit of a novelty still, I enjoy it. It means Christmas is coming, and Christmas makes a lot more sense here than it ever did in Australia. The lights will be up in the streets, and we'll have warm cosy evenings snuggled around roaring fires.

Think about it. Christmas as a northern hemisphere celebration is out of place in Australia. Having experienced a few up here, it's obviously a transplant. I always enjoyed it, but it never felt right.

As out of place as a sausage sizzle at an English hardware store. Yeah, Bunnings tried that here and it failed. As did Bunnings as a store. They've pulled out of the UK, having bought Homebase for large sums of money and selling for next to nothing.

Guess I'll just have to go and buy a Bratwurst in a bread roll on the high street, all wrapped up in my scarf and jacket.

It's Those Little Differences.

Sometime the smallest differences are the ones that stand out the most. I'm talking here about life in the UK as opposed to Australia, and while I agree the weather, accents, building styles and so on are the most obvious differences, they're not the ones that make me ponder.

Those are differences you expect when you visit another country. The ones that stick in my mind are those you don't or can't anticipate. And so, to celebrate diversity and differences between these nations, here are a few things I find a little odd here.

Not frustrating, not weird, just interestingly different to what I'm used to.

Can I help?
This is the one shop assistants ask when you're waiting in line. Not Can I help you?, but Can I help? And this truncated form still sounds odd to me even after a couple of years.

Polite Notice
While a sign in an Australian car park might read "Warning: Private Car Park. Violators will be towed", in the UK the word Warning is likely to be replaced with Polite Notice. I'm still trying to figure out which part is polite, and why it needs to be declared. It's almost like those veiled threats in noir movies, a friendly warning.

Indicators
Apparently they are optional in the UK, and even the police and road safety people have told me you only have to use them in situations where you think it's necessary. So if you're in a turn lane, or there's no-one else around, don't bother. Of course that means sometimes people make turns (or don't) when you least expect it.

Street Names
There are many, many, many fine examples. Some are named simply because of their destination. In Heighington, the road that leads to Branston is known as the Branston Road. Once you're arrived at Branston, however, it's known as the Heighington Road. I've wondered if there's an official point at which it changes, or does it always depend on your destination? Other street/alley/lane names are simply weird or very, very naughty. Local favourites include The Smooting, and The Glory Hole.

Australian Preconceptions
While we all have preconceptions of the 'other', The UK have built their ideas on TV tourism ads, Neighbours, and Steve Irwin. No, we are not inundated with deadly spiders and snakes which we daily battle, we don't spend every free minute at the beach or having barbeques with shrimps, very few of us every drink Fosters voluntarily, and we don't all have glorious weather 365 days are year. Oh, and rugby. Unless you're from New South Wales or Queensland, very few of us even care. Many are surprised I don't know a thing about rugby, or that I saw my first game on TV when I was in my late 30s. And we're not even talking League here, they mean Union - which has even less of a following in Australia.

Just a few of the things I've noticed. There are more, but we have to remember that there are things about Australia the Brits find odd.

These tiny cultural differences are wonderful. They only enrich our lives.

Seeking New Opportunities.

Have you heard of the hidden job market?

It is believed as much as 80% of jobs are never advertised. These positions go to people through other means - usually networking, headhunting and referrals.

Of course this can make life difficult for someone like myself who has only been in the UK a short time and doesn't really have a local network. There are ways to grow a network and I am taking those steps. But it can be a long, slow process.

I have decided to take the slightly unusual step of promoting myself as a potential employee. No, I haven't splurged out and bought time on one of the TV stations, instead I've created a web page. Check it out here.

And if you know of anyone who needs a hard-working administrator, please don't hesitate to share the page with them.

The Stars Align.

 I love it when a good plan comes together, and my current plan to move to the UK in July is certainly doing that.

Everything, it seems, is simply falling into place. Selling our house here, finding a rental in England, flights for us, relocating our beloved dogs and shipping our possessions. And then last night one of the largest puzzle pieces eased into position.

After a telephone interview I was offered a teaching post at a school quite close to where we will be living. Not only is it fantastic to know I will have some income and job security upon arrival, but this is a school that was on my shortlist of places I would love to work. And this was a very short list of only two.

I submitted three job applications last week. Two were to schools near my future home that weren't on my shortlist, although I have no doubt I'd have been very happy working at either of them. But I am excited I was successful so early. Having employment already organised will certainly make our transition easier and less worrying.

There are other events occurring. Wheels are turning, cogs are moving, planets are aligning and signs are written in the stars. Strange things are indeed afoot at the Circle K. I won't go into details, except that even sceptical friends are shaking their head and saying this move is meant to be.

I feel energised, not only about teaching, but about my writing. A couple of rejections in the past week - personal rejections that were encouraging yet caused me to sigh with an "oooh, so close." I've been so busy with the move for the past few months that my writing (and this page) have been neglected. This, of course, will improve shortly. Before the big move even, as I start to wind down my life here.

But not this week. I still have too much to do before I can afford to relax too much.

The Countdown Continues.

I only have a few short months left before I make the big move over to the UK.

When my wife and I first decided to go, it all seemed so far away. As usual, however, time passes very quickly when there are deadlines and much to do. But we are progressing well, right on schedule in fact, and we'll be ready when the time comes.

There was a lot of culling - furniture, clothes and even books. There will be more items that need to go, but not until the last minute.

Our flights are booked, as are the flights for our dogs. They're getting used to sleeping in their crates and seem to quite enjoy them.

A lot of people have asked whether I have found employment in the UK. Not yet. It's still a bit early for that as their school year doesn't commence until September. But we have found a place to live, and I have made initial contact with a few schools in the area.

I will be at Continuum in June, for those who want to catch up and buy me a drink. I guess my next convention will be somewhere in the UK.

I'm excited by the prospect of the move. New life, new experiences, new people to annoy. And, I must add, a little nervous by venturing into the unknown. But I figure that if I can live in Japan for six years, I can manage a few years in my homeland.

Might Not Even Be Remembered.

It's March, which is autumn, but the weather hasn't turned yet. It's still hot and summery and uncomfortable. Today was well into the 30s, which is unbearable when you're working on the house to get it ready for sale. The big move to the UK is only a few months away, and the house needs to go on the market this week.

I had no idea how much work is deemed necessary these days in order to make the house sellable.

But we march steadily towards the UK.

I was informed on Friday that I was now qualified and registered to teach in England. I've accidentally networked a connection to a school near Lincoln. And I've copped a number of negative comments from people about the move.

So you had a bad experience teaching at your school? I won't be at your school.

So the weather's awful? I'm looking forward to it. I hate the hot weather here.

So English food/water/service is terrible? When were you there? The 1850s? I've had nothing but exceptional food/water/service in the past ten years.

I don't need naysayers on the sidecar of my motorcycle. I'm sliding around corners, running a few red lights, skidding into the driveway.

Thinkin' Of Lincoln.

This is a year of change.

One of the reasons I've been away from the blog and from writing is my attentions and efforts have been focused elsewhere.  In late June I will be moving, and this is taking a lot of planning, preparation and effort.

I have been granted a two year leave of absence from my school and so Lindsey and I will be moving to the UK - more specifically, a village just outside Lincoln, England.

Lincoln is a beautiful, historic city, with a magnificent cathedral, castle, and two magna-cartas. The city is also famous for Stokes High Bridge café, the Lincoln Steampunk Festival and Steep Hill.

Less well known are my in-laws, although a major part of this decision is to spend more time with them. Of course in return they have to put up with me.

Let the adventure commence!

Pasta, Wine, Schnitzel, Beer, Haggis, Whisky, Christmas Pudding And More Beer.

Congratulations to the Q3 winners of Writers of the Future. In particular, Brad R. Torgersen and Adam Colston, as they are both regulars over at the WOTF forums.

Brad has some excellent advice over on his website about writing, and what it takes to become a finalist at WOTF.  He should know, this was his second time in the finalist circle. Perseverance is one thing Brad has in abundance.

I have no hopes for my Q4 story. That was just an old one I posted off in order to ensure I submit every quarter. And it's certainly not the type of story the judges are looking for. The story I'd planned to send wasn't ready in time, so I decided to hold it over until I could spend more time on it.  But now I have to get myself into gear and finish it off.  I only have three weeks to get it polished and mailed.

Three weeks, I hear you ask. Surely the quarter finishes on the 31st December?

Well, yes.  But I won't be around.  My wife and I head off in three weeks time to Italy, Germany, Scotland and England for a bit of a holiday. Italy, just because my wife loves it and I've always wanted to go, Germany because she used to live there and wants to show me her old stomping ground, Scotland to spend time with her best friend and some of my family (I'm actually Scottish born!) and then England for Christmas with my in-laws.

We've organised sitters to look after the house and the dogs, and I'm currently mentally preparing myself for the gruelling task of eating and drinking my way across Europe.  It's a tough job, but someone has to do it. As for exact details of where we go and what we do?  I hope to keep this blog updated with all our travels as we go.

And Brad, since you won't be needing your Q4 story anymore, you can throw it my way and I'll re-badge it and submit it as mine.

p.s. Woah, Judge-type people.  I'm only kidding.