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We've been rubbish at keeping in touch. Absolutely rubbish.
If there happens to be anyone who has been been waiting desperately for updates from the travails of WillandMaria, we're desperately sorry.
The first good news is that we're not dead. Secondly, we're healthy, with a warm Aussie glow to our skin and no tropical illnesses (well, maybe one). Thirdly we're still happy, even in the face of some adversity.
It would take many hours of writing classes, followed by many days of writing to convey even a sense of all the sorting out, sorting through, swimming, exploring, sailing, walking, biking, driving and flying we've been doing. So I'll pick out some of the highlights.
Firstly, our home. It is finally taking shape. After the gigantic box from Norway arrived and we had spent an hour trying to open it, we now have a spartan but respectable apartment replete with books, music, pictures and kitchen machinary. It's strange how important all these middle class comforts are to a man..
We've spent a lot of time with the family too. Old Bill (Will's Grandfather) passed away a couple of weeks ago, sadly. He was very old, and we'll be
thinking of his wife, Camilla, an "Aussie battler" if ever I saw one, who we saw at her home in the middle of nowhere near Beechworth a few weeks previously. We've also seen quite a bit of the wider Yates family; At Oliver and Mark's gob-smackingly wonderful beach houses, at Camilla's 80th and around Sydney with Susan, Victoria and Tim, showing us what's hip and what's not. Great to have the family to lend a hand...
We've made some chums too. Mainly English but, ahem, better than nowt! There's some pics of the sailing trip we made last weekend with Bert, the very relaxed banker, his girlfriend Lucy and some accountant friends that also break the mould of accountancy, thank God.
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Talking of boats, we've got ourselves one too (see picture)! Or rather we've got a 50% share in one. It's a 12 foot aluminium dingy moored in a little cove in the harbour. We're sharing it with some friends, Chris and Helen, and it's just perfect for taking out on fishing trips or visiting one of the 10 or so beaches on the harbour. We can even cart it out of the city for a real
adventure, once we get a car!
So what else would you like to hear about?? Maria is now working three half days a week at UNSW, teaching the spotty undergraduates about microscopes and enzymes and other things I think I know about but actually don't really. That keeps her out of trouble some of the time. Also, after a long "barren patch", for want of better words, she's getting some real interest from one of the universities in respect of a PhD position (fingers and toes crossed).
I've had one work trip so far, jetting off to "sunny" India and Pakistan, seeing my team in Delhi, partying with the Norwegian ambassador and visiting chemical factories in Punjab. All very busy and intense. The highlight of the last visit was probably crossing the land border between India and Pak just north of Amristar. I was the only person, the entire morning...Both countries are so friendly and enterprising , it's depressing that such acrimony seems to exist although I am of the opinion that most of it is an artifice created by politicians as a distraction against internal problems and their own corruption. In any case, enough of my opinions.
Man and his boat
Moored on a private beach in the harbourAnd enough of me for now. Give us a call (+61 450 922 481)/skype/email when you have a spare moment, we'd LOVE to hear from you!
STOP PRESS: We're also coming back to England/Norway for the summer. Flights have just been booked 14th - 29th July. See you then!
XX
Will and Maria
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Dad
non-member comment
Well done
Keep the blog news coming. Your old man needs fuel from time to time!