I think this week I should speak about getting in touch as this seems to be something that we all seem to have to and want to do. These days all you hear is, I must get in touch with…” and if it isn’t trying to make contact with another, then it is trying to get in touch with yourself. I have reached a time in my life where I am no longer going to apologise for not getting in touch with anyone. The reason being, that I am so in touch with the fact that I am not in touch, that the guilt racks me daily. This makes me acutely aware that on a daily basis we just need to think of two people and we have made a connection and if you think that when you touch, you are making a connection – hence, I am getting in touch with dozens of people on a monthly basis.
Now that my mad and unintelligible reasoning is done I think some news from this side of the globe is in order…as usual starting with the weather. The reason I start with the weather is because that was the one issue that everyone questioned me on before I left. I can’t tell you how many times I heard, “it is so miserable there” or “the weather is so grim” and “why go there when it is grey most of the year”.
It is getting colder here now but not as cold as Bloemfontein (now THAT is a cold place in winter). Our temperatures are dropping to about 3ºC and rising to about 14ºC. The rain hasn’t really started yet and if you sit in the office, looking out of the window you are easily duped into thinking it is a spring day. It is only when you open the door to leave the office that the cold hits you. At least I only have to walk from the office to the car and when I get home, the parking is underground, so a quick dash to the lift means that I don’t really get the full impact of the weather.
Work is progressing nicely. I was made permanent last week and am now a full employee, contributing to a pension and death scheme – isn’t that a great way to start. The parameters have been set for my job and I am quite excited and optimistic at the opportunities.
From the end of this month, the cash flow should be better. This affords me the opportunity to follow some of my interests such as theatre, sport and some other cultural things. I am arranging to go and see Madame Butterfly with some colleagues and there is a Yoga class I want to begin. I have also been invited to play Squash with a colleague of mine. Another colleague and his wife have extended an invite to dinner at a seafood restaurant in Leeds. I guess the social life will pick up but I need to keep the reigns on a bit.
Other than that, I am drawing in my free time, reading quite a bit. For those of you who enjoy reading books with substance, try Kite Runner. I thoroughly enjoyed it. My next book will be Icy Sparks – so if you have read it, your comments are welcome.
For now however…I’ve got to dash…be back in a flash.
