Cultural Learnings

I have discovered some curious terminology and dialogue from our 'mother country' which I feel we would be well served to embrace with 'viv':

* 'Innit?': from what I can ascertain, this is a word which can be added to the end of any sentence, regardless of whether or not you have a need to confirm your views.

Example: This pie is so hot I burnt the roof of my mouth, innit.

* 'Malarky': an old favourite, and one which I'm sure I've used in the past, but on hearing it used frequently and with liberality last night in the pub, I've decided I'm all for it

Example: So my time is spent diving wrecks and all that malarky, it's a right laugh

* 'All right?': why go to the trouble of saying to someone - 'hi, how are you going?', when you can say it all with two easy words? Saying 'all right' is the answer to all of your verbosity problems.

Example: Woman in shop: 'all right?' Me: 'yes' (accompanied by a raising of one eyebrow blank stare)

London on Thursday was wonderful, except it got me to wondering where all the pigeons that used to live in Trafalgar Square have gone. Have they re-homed them like the bats in Melbourne? Or have they gone underground to form some unholy alliance which is tilted at bringing down western civilisation with all of its trappings?

Either way I'm sure we'll find out soon. I'll keep you posted.

good afternoon

Well this will be the first of a (potentially) long line of posts about not a great deal in particular. I hope that boredom doesn't set in upon review of my musings, but should it do so, feel free to go and look up websites of cats with melons on their heads (Exhibit A)...

Anyway, I've lodged in the UK after a long journey from Melbourne, and am thriving in the cold conditions. I'm not going to harp on about the flight from Melbourne to KL with the exception of noting that my knees were so hard up against the seat in front of me, that if the flight had have been a few hours longer, I may well have fused together with the Malaysian gentleman in front of me in some weird 'conjoined twins' situation. Think Danny DeVito and Arnie in 'Twins', but conjoined.

Well upon landing in London, my Blackberry began to play mind games with me, involving the 'pick up' key, the 'hang up' key and the letter 'a' not operating. Which is fine, so long as I'm OK to not answer any calls or hang up from them. And typing emails to work clients back home without the letter 'a' anywhere requires quite the mental gymnastics! I've come to realise that you use the letter 'a' all the time (61 times in this post so far, in fact). This probably can't go on - it's time to embrace the iPhone.

We've been really lucky to stay at Nicola's Aunt and Uncle's house as we get settled, which is in a wonderful spot. I've got a mobile number, which I'll circulate, but I wouldn't recommend trying to ring me, as I can't answer you.

Right, well that's enough for the moment, I'm off to try to get a bank account and look for some jobs (or one job at least). I'll update this page from time to time so stay tuned...