Life of Serial Ex-Pat - 20 March 2006

First off: Thanks to all those who have sent me a personal e-mail, e-card or card. It's nice to hear from everyone and I'll try to do a personal reply as I get time. I appreciate hearing from all of you.

Our week has been spent just sorting out the house and unpacking boxes. This makes our 10th move in 18 years. We thought we had really pared down all our stuff in the UK, but it was a surprize to see 80 boxes show up! We have now bought all new furniture. Next time we move, all of it will go with us. I can't bear the thought of doing this from scratch again. My photo of the week is the lamp hanging in our bedroom. I had to take two photos - just to be sure you could see the cherub close up. The things you see in a rental property. We are thinking about getting a new fixture, but this one might be just tacky enough to classify as "kitch." Use the comment box to weigh in with your opinion - keep the light or no?


We have a lot of things to have done to the house before we'll feel settled in. Tim went away for a few days last week. To show how desperate things got: I learned how to start the Air Conditioning and I set the clock on the microwave. The plumber came today and put in all new faucets. They are still working on a retaining wall in the garden and all the screens need changing. We discovered Bunnings Hardward store (like Home Deport or B&Q). All good Aussie men spend lots of time at Bunnings. Elliott didn't want to go, but I told him it would make a man out of him. The Australians seem to like their do-it-yourself projects. If you haven't seen the movie "The Castle", it's worth a look. It is a classic they show once a year about the little guy (who loves his home repair) fighting the big corporate powers...

No large animal sightings here this week. But we are learning to live with all sorts of other small things in our house. We have realized ants love it here. I'm starting to think of them as my new pets. The other thing we have come to learn is how cockroaches love the climate in Brisbane. There are 428 different species of Cockroach in Australia. We have at least two types in our house - the German Cockroach and the American Cockroach. Cockroaches are so pervasive in Queensland - they are a state mascot like the koala or the kangaroo. On Australia Day in January, they have cockroach races downtown. (Elliott wouldn't go because he thought it was inhumane.) So far I have managed to squish the small ones, but I haven't worked up the courage to smash a big one. That splat really puts me off.

We'll have to do something interesting this weekend so I'll something to write about!