1st Month

Well I've been here a month now. So now is a good time to reflect on how thing are going. 

I'm just about still doing the blog, though I'm struggling as after a while one begins to realise how very dull the daily routine of life can be. Or maybe it's just my life.... Anyway, After a week or so (and you blog addicts can check the archives) I believe I did a bit of a UK/Australia comparison. In a similar vein, it's time to see how things fair now (other than the obvious "the weather is great" and "I miss home") - with a 'in no particular order' top 10.

Ok, the good stuff:

1. The weather is great. (Look, it IS great - there's no getting away from it)

2. The weather is great. (At the risk of sounding like a broken record, it was 25 degrees on Sunday, the sun has been out every day bar one since I arrived, and that day we had a decent storm. One where, had I been prepared, I should have done the Aussie thing of getting a carton beer, sitting up on the verandah (balcony in our case) and, as they say "grab a beer, sit back and watch that shit roll in").

3. The weather is great. Ok, I've made the point. It's as warm as it is in the UK and it's mid winter.

4. The food. Beef, lamb, chicken, all are top quality, very cheap and huge. I may have to buy a wheelbarrow to get the veg back from the grosers. 

5. It's not as far away as New Zealand.

6.  Living near the water. I loved being near the Thames, but this water is clear and blue. The Harbour Bridge is such a great sight too.

7.  The Bush. I haven't been out to it yet, but I'm really looking forward to getting out there at some stage soon. It's there, anyway. Apparently.

8.  Laid back, fewer people, lots of cafes - you have to go to Cornwall in mid January to get that back home.  Balmain is also only 10 minutes by bus from the city centre.

9. Fancy a night in? Typical evening tv schedule: rugby, rugby, Tri-Nations, rugby, Premier League. Followed by re-runs of the rugby. And on Fox Sports 2 AFL, AFL, etc. Oh, and they always have cheerleaders. For some reason they don't seem to be able to afford many clothes and parade around in their underwear, to provide half time 'entertainment'. If you go to a game they're worth the entrance fee alone....

10. Did I mention the weather?

And the not so great:

1. Tv adverts. They're bad. No, they're diabolical.

2. The beer. I won't labour the point, or indeed the pint. But those of you for whom this matters don't need me to explain it, and the rest of you don't care.

3. The birds. Great to have different birds with their loud, exotic noises. But not at 4am every day, and not outside my window.

4. I'm afraid I am actually talking about birds. That's not a euphemism.

5. I don't mind a bit of Cold Chisel from time to time, but the music here is still somewhere around 1985.

6.  The Ashes. Enough said. If things go badly this weekend then this could make life intolerable.

7. The exchange rate. Less than 2$ to £. That's not good.

8. The National Theatre is easy to get to in London, likewise the West End - and there's always great stuff on. Melbourne is a 12 hour drive away.

9. I still don't know how to answer the question "How y'going?". Advice welcome.

10.  People on the tv being interviewed answer a question with "awwww, look", or, worse, "aww, yeh, no..."

I'm sure there's more, but that'll do for now....