Only 6 weeks left!

Less than 6 weeks until we arrive back in Chicago. I think I might actually miss the UK, and will definitely miss Europe, as the somewhat frequent trips I've been able to take here over the past few years are at an end for now. On the other hand, I won't miss the rainy English winters, and summer for that matter, and am actually looking forward the cold, (sometimes) sunny, snowy Chicago winter days. My Australian work holiday visa is in progress, and the New Zealand visa paperwork waiting to be sent off. New adventures to look forward to;)

How being an expat changes you

Been reading this fantastic book of short stories/memoirs of expat experiences. A recurrent theme is how being an expat changes you in that your perception of your home country changes. You move to get away from it, then find yourself becoming defensive of it (moreso for Americans perhaps as no one likes us!), seeing movies you wouldn't step foot in the cinema for previously, and craving products you didn't necessarily have a huge taste for beforehand. I was so excited to see Grape Nuts in the nearby Tesco this past weekend that I bought a box. Upon pouring myself a bowl this morning and taking a big spoonful, I remebered two things: 1) Grape Nuts aren't actually all that tasty and 2) They take fucking forever to chew!

Norway, Iceland, Australia said best places to live

Seems I'm moving to the right place;)

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061109/ts_nm/un_development_index_dc

Becoming Australian-ized

You belong in Australia

Ace! Sunny, upbeat, and cute

You make the perfect surf bum

Now stop hogging the vegemite!

(courtesy of Blogthings: What English Speaking Country are You)

...or should I say -ised. Either way, crap. I'm reading something my grandpa had written and in the bit about his 1st wife, he says: "Further discord followed my mate's conversion to catholicism." I'm sitting here wondering why he's suddenly begun to talk about his friends...doh;)

Tonight...

I'm going to see a movie alone for the 2nd time. It's called Ten Canoes, and is an Australian film that is part of the London Film Festival this year, so only showing tonight. If you'd like to know more about the film, click here.

Things I'd like to do...

Learning how to cook better lately has motivated me to compile a lost of other things I'd like to do/do better:

• Yoga
• Take a photo class
• Re-learn French, and do it better this time
• Take up gardening (landscape, plant some herbs & veg)

Halloween in London

Here's my gorgeous boyfriend, carving his first halloween pumpkin. He always gets shy when I call him gorgeous---rolls his eyes and calls me blind, silly man...

We went to a Halloween party Saturday night (my costume above). It was a bit lame--bunch of peeps making some attempt at costumes which ended up being none too creative, but I guess you can't blame them. Little did I know before coming over here that Halloween is essentially an American holiday, as far as being celebrated. The Australians, much like the Brits, don't do trick or treating or carve pumpkins much (at least Steve never has; the younger generation here are beginning to), therefore the peeps at this Halloween party didn't quite have the spirit of Halloween that we do. I don't think it is as 'magical' for them as they don't have the childhood memories to fall back on. It was more like a big drunk-fest, where, like everywhere else in Britain, the floor was covered in beer and everyone was staggering around by 11pm:(

British Workplace Oddities

1) The kitchen is labeled 'Tea Point'.

2) The fire hose closet has a sign on it which says: 'Do not enter. Asbestos closet'.

What's on the shelf

I haven't read anything good for a long while, so decided to pick up a few books, to learn about Australia and expat experiences in general. Here's what I'm reading:

• The Tree of Man
• A Secret Country
• Rabbit-proof Fence
• Expat: Women's True Tales of Life Abroad

Could also do with some recommendations, so if anyone has any... I'm also considering taking on a project---gathering short essays from expats to Australia and editing a book. Not sure it is something I could get published, although I have seen and read similar things for other countries. I'm still working on the criteria for submissions and I have to figure out how to even start going about getting something published. It would most likely be a couple of years before it would be finished, partially due to the fact that I need some time in Australia myself before I can do this credibly!

What I'm doing tonight...

"Ever feel like you’re constantly queuing for overpriced lunches that taste bad? What about being apologized to by a machine? How about turning up to a 24-hour supermarket, which is closed on Sundays, to find no bread on the shelves? Welcome to Brokeback Britain.

Australian Pete Jonas and American Erich McElroy moved to the UK with high expectations. They never imagined that the once mighty empire of Great Britain would be so, well, broken."

http://www.thecomedytree.com/brokebackbritain/