We finally got our shipment of boxes from the UK. Well, 8 out of the 9. The last one's due later today or tomorrow. These are the boxes that were supposed to arrive a week or two after we did.
Two of those were mine. It's nice to have winter clothing again - it's been getting colder here and, other than dress shirts, I haven't had anything with long sleeves to wear. Having winter coats is nice. So now we're no longer living out of suitcases!
About one in ten of my CDs got a bit munged, but only plastic cases - the CDs themselves are unscratched.
It's great to see some of these things again. Like our collection of flags, and my collection of beer coasters. And our Nelson coat of arms refrigerator magnet.
Wednesday, 1 October 2008
Sunday, 28 September 2008
Downtown Decorations
After about a week of clouds and rain, today we had a perfectly sunny day. I took another trip downtown to get more pictures.
First, I took the SeaBus across to North Vancouver to get a few shots of downtown from a distance.
Then I got on with my main, er, focus: I wanted to capture some interesting building decorations. You know, those bits that stick out that don't seem to have any useful purpose? I've been noticing lots and have meant to capture some of them.
"And for the kids, we also offer a roller coaster on the roof."
I sure could go for an ice cream cone. A waffle cone.
"What will we do with these leftover columns?"
"Hmm, I think I have an idea."
"Such a large piece of cheese ... if only we could grate it into thin slices ..."
"Well, I like the idea of a large pot of boiling oil on the roof to repel invaders ... but what if we get strong winds?"
"It's a nice building design, but where will we fit the cyclotron?"
"Hmm, I think I have an idea."
I love this: it's not just a tree on the roof ... it's a tree you could climb.
I also spent a bit of time inside the Vancouver Public Library, which has been used in Battlestar Galactica and The 6th Day.
First, I took the SeaBus across to North Vancouver to get a few shots of downtown from a distance.
Then I got on with my main, er, focus: I wanted to capture some interesting building decorations. You know, those bits that stick out that don't seem to have any useful purpose? I've been noticing lots and have meant to capture some of them.
"And for the kids, we also offer a roller coaster on the roof."
I sure could go for an ice cream cone. A waffle cone.
"What will we do with these leftover columns?"
"Hmm, I think I have an idea."
"Such a large piece of cheese ... if only we could grate it into thin slices ..."
"Well, I like the idea of a large pot of boiling oil on the roof to repel invaders ... but what if we get strong winds?"
"It's a nice building design, but where will we fit the cyclotron?"
"Hmm, I think I have an idea."
I love this: it's not just a tree on the roof ... it's a tree you could climb.
I also spent a bit of time inside the Vancouver Public Library, which has been used in Battlestar Galactica and The 6th Day.
Thursday, 25 September 2008
Home Sweet Home
Well, not until November 1st, but that was the move-in date we wanted. (We have committed to this rental until 26th November, so the move in date gives us plenty of time to transition and buy furniture etc.)
We've found a 3 bedroom + den unit across the street and up a couple of blocks from Sarah's school. This is a large home split into two separate units with separate entrances, and the owners occupy the upstairs suite. There is a very large open kitchen (!) with breakfast bar, a living room, three bedrooms and the den. Also some storage space outside and a long hallway to the garden. One bathroom. As is usual here, appliances are included, which saves us a lot of money immediately.
Although I liked (a lot) the home we applied for that had a view of the water and mountains, we weren't actually offered it, and this is better for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, we really like the owners, and since we will be living in close proximity, this seems ideal. The family are recently (4 years) arrived from Iran, and have had to make an adjustment to a new country. Both adults have attended or work at UBC. Their daughter is in year 7 at Sarah's school. So, despite being from very different cultures, we have a lot in common. Second, the rent at this place is significantly less expensive (even a bit less than the lower limit that we had expected) which means we can save more towards the purchase of our own home in a couple of years. Third, it is a few blocks closer to the bus stop - always a bonus when you are trying to manage without a car. (It is uphill from the bus stop, which will be a pain in the rear when I am hauling home groceries, but I suppose the exercise won't kill me.) Sarah will be able to walk to school on her own.
The house has a small shady patio in the back, and I am thinking of putting in large pots of ferns and hostas and maybe some shade tolerant vines along the wall. No room for a real garden, but less maintenance and at least if we are planting in pots, we will be able to take them with us when we go. There is space for a table and chairs and a barbecue, which will be nice for entertaining in nice weather.
For me, the only downside to the house is a lack of a real dining area - we will have to somehow carve space from the living room, and there would not be much room for anything but a small table. I'll need to think about how to make this work, as we do like having friends over for meals.
So - this is a big step for me in terms of finally feeling settled. Now I just have to organize getting everything moved from Portland in November.
We look forward to seeing our friends and family in our new home sometime soon! (And I am looking forward to Christmas in our own space.)
Love,
Margo
We've found a 3 bedroom + den unit across the street and up a couple of blocks from Sarah's school. This is a large home split into two separate units with separate entrances, and the owners occupy the upstairs suite. There is a very large open kitchen (!) with breakfast bar, a living room, three bedrooms and the den. Also some storage space outside and a long hallway to the garden. One bathroom. As is usual here, appliances are included, which saves us a lot of money immediately.
Although I liked (a lot) the home we applied for that had a view of the water and mountains, we weren't actually offered it, and this is better for a lot of reasons. First and foremost, we really like the owners, and since we will be living in close proximity, this seems ideal. The family are recently (4 years) arrived from Iran, and have had to make an adjustment to a new country. Both adults have attended or work at UBC. Their daughter is in year 7 at Sarah's school. So, despite being from very different cultures, we have a lot in common. Second, the rent at this place is significantly less expensive (even a bit less than the lower limit that we had expected) which means we can save more towards the purchase of our own home in a couple of years. Third, it is a few blocks closer to the bus stop - always a bonus when you are trying to manage without a car. (It is uphill from the bus stop, which will be a pain in the rear when I am hauling home groceries, but I suppose the exercise won't kill me.) Sarah will be able to walk to school on her own.
The house has a small shady patio in the back, and I am thinking of putting in large pots of ferns and hostas and maybe some shade tolerant vines along the wall. No room for a real garden, but less maintenance and at least if we are planting in pots, we will be able to take them with us when we go. There is space for a table and chairs and a barbecue, which will be nice for entertaining in nice weather.
For me, the only downside to the house is a lack of a real dining area - we will have to somehow carve space from the living room, and there would not be much room for anything but a small table. I'll need to think about how to make this work, as we do like having friends over for meals.
So - this is a big step for me in terms of finally feeling settled. Now I just have to organize getting everything moved from Portland in November.
We look forward to seeing our friends and family in our new home sometime soon! (And I am looking forward to Christmas in our own space.)
Love,
Margo
Sunday, 14 September 2008
News and Things We've Learned
I haven't written in a while, and I'm not sure where to start. So I think I'll write about lots of little things.
Close Call
I didn't mention this earlier, but Margo booked our flight from London on a budget Canadian airline named Zoom. She booked it many months in advance. Two days after we arrived, the airline was grounded due to unpaid debts, and it seems the airline is no more. That could have been bad.
School
Margo just got a teaching assistant position. She spends one afternoon a week with a graduate school class. Sarah is enjoying her new teacher. She's also making lots of friends. When I pick her up after school I keep hearing kids saying "Bye, Sarah".
Work
I keep having great interviews with really interesting firms but have received no offers nor rejections so far. I've been told that employers here take more time to decide on a candidate. Since I was hired so quickly in London and in the past, I expected the same here. I did visit a Vancouver Java User Group meeting last week and met some other local professionals. It's hard for me to adapt to having so much free time and to not having a work role. I know, it's a nice problem to have.
Housing
We decided to check out some local apartments on Thursday (both close to Sarah's school) and I left phone messages for two ground-floor apartments in houses. We were called back, and each had an open house Friday evening. The first one seemed a pretty good fit, though a bit smaller and darker than we were used to, and with less storage space. The second one we didn't like much. We left applications for both, not even being sure we wanted to really commit. But I spent that night researching others and the more I saw, the more I thought the first house would be a great fit, so I was quite disappointed when we didn't get it (though we were very close to getting it).
It's early for us - we would have been paying dual rent for two months - but once you realise you want something, it's sad to see it go. But we expect there will be some similar opportunities in the coming months. Alternatively, we may secure something in a completely different neighbourhood, which would be harder on Sarah with changing schools, but may have other advantages in terms of transit time and local community.
I'm still struggling with prices. Even renting, we'd be paying at least twice what our Portland mortgage was two years ago. But that's the key, isn't it - a lot has changed in the last two years, and there's not much we can do about it. In another year, Margo will be able to work full time, and we can start looking to buy then; perhaps prices will be even lower at that time.
I still often regret leaving Portland. We had so much: a great neighbourhood of close friends, family nearby, a good job (for me at least), and a relatively cheap, fixed-rate mortgage. But the price of adventure is giving up some security. And besides, we're in a beautiful city with nice people, we're well-educated, and we have a bunch of cash, so things could be worse.
Society
I know we've said it before, but people here are so friendly. It's really welcoming. Sometimes it feels like another planet. We've filled out many a form and visited a few government offices, but each one was modern, efficient, and friendly, a pleasure to work with, really. I've yet to meet someone who I'd consider a real jerk. It was rare in Europe, but even more so here. And unlike the reserved English, here people are more willing to make time for you and be genuinely welcoming.
The City
I've spent lots of bike and bus rides exploring our city. Granted, I've been taking in the most picturesque, touristy places: Gastown, Yaletown, Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, Granville Island, Kitsilano, Commercial Drive, Vancouver Heights. But it all seems so beautiful. I'd be hard-pressed to think of a single building that is truly ugly. There's little litter or graffiti. And almost all the housing I see looks appealing, like some place I'd like to live. I can hardly think of a house or flat I've seen that I couldn't imagine living in (well, except the second one we saw the other night). Though at times it feels like walking through Brigadoon, a landscape I can look at but not touch, prices being what they are (one can easily spent a million for a one-bedroom flat).
The one exception I know of is a stretch of Hastings between Gastown and East Vancouver. I don't know if it has a name, but when my bus travels those few blocks, it looks a bit like a post-apocalyptic film set. Windows are grilled if not boarded up. Litter is everywhere. And ill-dressed people shamble about, chatting, making deals. It's the area where the city's poor have been grouped with cheap hotels and government services. It seems having them in one place lets the rest of the city shine, and I suppose there has to be some place - you can't just ignore people and problems. But I wouldn't walk Sarah through it.
Politics
You might not know it unless you lived in Canada, but there's a lot of election news. Stephen Harper is calling for a federal election soon. There are also BC provincial elections, and Vancouver has a mayoral election. It seems the first few pages of the daily newspapers are given over to such news.
It seems the Conservative party (also known as Tories, as in the UK) has the most popular support at present. Other major parties include the Liberal, New Democratic Party (NDP), and Green parties (again, these are also present in the UK). There's also the Bloc Quebecois. I'm looking forward to learning about all of them. I could hardly begin to think who I'd vote for if I had to, so I'm sort of glad to be absolved of that pressure. (We can vote once we gain citizenship.)
Healthcare
We've learned that healthcare isn't exactly free. Healthcare is administered separately by each province, and households earning above certain threshholds pay regular fees. We expect to pay $108 a month, once we pass the three-month initial period. (We will have private insurance until then.) Also, most non-essential services are not covered. But serious accidents and medical conditions seem to be fully covered, and I think it's great that those who can't pay, don't have to.
Entertainment
Our vacation rental must have some form of cable or satellite TV, as the reception is fine. But the choices seem pretty rubbish compared to what we had in the UK.
The CBC seems to have some great programming. There's only one channel, and it does have adverts. But during the day there's mostly children's programming, some local, some from the UK, Australia, and perhaps America, and all of excellent quality. Evenings feature Canadian and some BBC programmes, though the BBC ones are from a much smaller selection, and are a season late. (Tonight is the Flood miniseries, which aired months ago in England. But it will be nice to get Doctor Who again, albeit late.) There are also Canadian comedy shows we're starting to enjoy.
Another channel we enjoy is the Knowledge Network, which is produced in BC. It features excellent documentaries and children's shows.
We do get some local stations from Seattle and perhaps Bellingham. There's also a country channel and some entertainment channels. I can't remember the rest very well.
But when we look at the newspaper's evening recommendations, they typically seem disappointing. Where are the family movies on Sunday afternoons? Or evenings for that matter? What is the must-see TV? I should be happy that there's less distraction, I guess.
I haven't spent much time getting to know the local radio stations. There are apparently several CBC stations but I only know of one at the bottom of the dial, which seems to be always announced in French. I also found a nice modern rock station out of Victoria.
I've been considering buying a game console, since I have so much extra time and there are some games I've been waiting to play. But that means we'll have to eventually buy a TV, which I'm not sure I want to do yet, and it seems silly to spend so much before I have any income.
And In General
I do worry a lot because our immediate future is quite uncertain. In the coming months, we'll have to choose another place to live, and probably another one a year later, both potentially meaning a change of neighbourhood and school. I expect to be working soon but I worry about not working. And I worry about our standard of living and our ability to retire when wages are a bit lower and housing and consumables are substantially higher. My engineer's brain keeps working on these problems, rotating them and looking for new angles, new information, new solutions. We have some big decisions to make in a fairly short time, and I'm afraid of making bad ones.
I really wish we had good friends here. It would be great to have people to guide us, ask questions of, and socialise with since we spend so much time on our own.
But these things take time. Margo's mantra is, "It'll all be fine", and she does have a good track record, though it's so horribly unscientific. Looking at it differently, we've just sat down to a big buffet, and though we don't know exactly what we will eat and how much it will cost, we do know that it will be tasty and filling, and so we might as well be enjoying it. Two million other people are getting by here, so it shouldn't be too hard for us either.
Close Call
I didn't mention this earlier, but Margo booked our flight from London on a budget Canadian airline named Zoom. She booked it many months in advance. Two days after we arrived, the airline was grounded due to unpaid debts, and it seems the airline is no more. That could have been bad.
School
Margo just got a teaching assistant position. She spends one afternoon a week with a graduate school class. Sarah is enjoying her new teacher. She's also making lots of friends. When I pick her up after school I keep hearing kids saying "Bye, Sarah".
Work
I keep having great interviews with really interesting firms but have received no offers nor rejections so far. I've been told that employers here take more time to decide on a candidate. Since I was hired so quickly in London and in the past, I expected the same here. I did visit a Vancouver Java User Group meeting last week and met some other local professionals. It's hard for me to adapt to having so much free time and to not having a work role. I know, it's a nice problem to have.
Housing
We decided to check out some local apartments on Thursday (both close to Sarah's school) and I left phone messages for two ground-floor apartments in houses. We were called back, and each had an open house Friday evening. The first one seemed a pretty good fit, though a bit smaller and darker than we were used to, and with less storage space. The second one we didn't like much. We left applications for both, not even being sure we wanted to really commit. But I spent that night researching others and the more I saw, the more I thought the first house would be a great fit, so I was quite disappointed when we didn't get it (though we were very close to getting it).
It's early for us - we would have been paying dual rent for two months - but once you realise you want something, it's sad to see it go. But we expect there will be some similar opportunities in the coming months. Alternatively, we may secure something in a completely different neighbourhood, which would be harder on Sarah with changing schools, but may have other advantages in terms of transit time and local community.
I'm still struggling with prices. Even renting, we'd be paying at least twice what our Portland mortgage was two years ago. But that's the key, isn't it - a lot has changed in the last two years, and there's not much we can do about it. In another year, Margo will be able to work full time, and we can start looking to buy then; perhaps prices will be even lower at that time.
I still often regret leaving Portland. We had so much: a great neighbourhood of close friends, family nearby, a good job (for me at least), and a relatively cheap, fixed-rate mortgage. But the price of adventure is giving up some security. And besides, we're in a beautiful city with nice people, we're well-educated, and we have a bunch of cash, so things could be worse.
Society
I know we've said it before, but people here are so friendly. It's really welcoming. Sometimes it feels like another planet. We've filled out many a form and visited a few government offices, but each one was modern, efficient, and friendly, a pleasure to work with, really. I've yet to meet someone who I'd consider a real jerk. It was rare in Europe, but even more so here. And unlike the reserved English, here people are more willing to make time for you and be genuinely welcoming.
The City
I've spent lots of bike and bus rides exploring our city. Granted, I've been taking in the most picturesque, touristy places: Gastown, Yaletown, Coal Harbour, Stanley Park, Granville Island, Kitsilano, Commercial Drive, Vancouver Heights. But it all seems so beautiful. I'd be hard-pressed to think of a single building that is truly ugly. There's little litter or graffiti. And almost all the housing I see looks appealing, like some place I'd like to live. I can hardly think of a house or flat I've seen that I couldn't imagine living in (well, except the second one we saw the other night). Though at times it feels like walking through Brigadoon, a landscape I can look at but not touch, prices being what they are (one can easily spent a million for a one-bedroom flat).
The one exception I know of is a stretch of Hastings between Gastown and East Vancouver. I don't know if it has a name, but when my bus travels those few blocks, it looks a bit like a post-apocalyptic film set. Windows are grilled if not boarded up. Litter is everywhere. And ill-dressed people shamble about, chatting, making deals. It's the area where the city's poor have been grouped with cheap hotels and government services. It seems having them in one place lets the rest of the city shine, and I suppose there has to be some place - you can't just ignore people and problems. But I wouldn't walk Sarah through it.
Politics
You might not know it unless you lived in Canada, but there's a lot of election news. Stephen Harper is calling for a federal election soon. There are also BC provincial elections, and Vancouver has a mayoral election. It seems the first few pages of the daily newspapers are given over to such news.
It seems the Conservative party (also known as Tories, as in the UK) has the most popular support at present. Other major parties include the Liberal, New Democratic Party (NDP), and Green parties (again, these are also present in the UK). There's also the Bloc Quebecois. I'm looking forward to learning about all of them. I could hardly begin to think who I'd vote for if I had to, so I'm sort of glad to be absolved of that pressure. (We can vote once we gain citizenship.)
Healthcare
We've learned that healthcare isn't exactly free. Healthcare is administered separately by each province, and households earning above certain threshholds pay regular fees. We expect to pay $108 a month, once we pass the three-month initial period. (We will have private insurance until then.) Also, most non-essential services are not covered. But serious accidents and medical conditions seem to be fully covered, and I think it's great that those who can't pay, don't have to.
Entertainment
Our vacation rental must have some form of cable or satellite TV, as the reception is fine. But the choices seem pretty rubbish compared to what we had in the UK.
The CBC seems to have some great programming. There's only one channel, and it does have adverts. But during the day there's mostly children's programming, some local, some from the UK, Australia, and perhaps America, and all of excellent quality. Evenings feature Canadian and some BBC programmes, though the BBC ones are from a much smaller selection, and are a season late. (Tonight is the Flood miniseries, which aired months ago in England. But it will be nice to get Doctor Who again, albeit late.) There are also Canadian comedy shows we're starting to enjoy.
Another channel we enjoy is the Knowledge Network, which is produced in BC. It features excellent documentaries and children's shows.
We do get some local stations from Seattle and perhaps Bellingham. There's also a country channel and some entertainment channels. I can't remember the rest very well.
But when we look at the newspaper's evening recommendations, they typically seem disappointing. Where are the family movies on Sunday afternoons? Or evenings for that matter? What is the must-see TV? I should be happy that there's less distraction, I guess.
I haven't spent much time getting to know the local radio stations. There are apparently several CBC stations but I only know of one at the bottom of the dial, which seems to be always announced in French. I also found a nice modern rock station out of Victoria.
I've been considering buying a game console, since I have so much extra time and there are some games I've been waiting to play. But that means we'll have to eventually buy a TV, which I'm not sure I want to do yet, and it seems silly to spend so much before I have any income.
And In General
I do worry a lot because our immediate future is quite uncertain. In the coming months, we'll have to choose another place to live, and probably another one a year later, both potentially meaning a change of neighbourhood and school. I expect to be working soon but I worry about not working. And I worry about our standard of living and our ability to retire when wages are a bit lower and housing and consumables are substantially higher. My engineer's brain keeps working on these problems, rotating them and looking for new angles, new information, new solutions. We have some big decisions to make in a fairly short time, and I'm afraid of making bad ones.
I really wish we had good friends here. It would be great to have people to guide us, ask questions of, and socialise with since we spend so much time on our own.
But these things take time. Margo's mantra is, "It'll all be fine", and she does have a good track record, though it's so horribly unscientific. Looking at it differently, we've just sat down to a big buffet, and though we don't know exactly what we will eat and how much it will cost, we do know that it will be tasty and filling, and so we might as well be enjoying it. Two million other people are getting by here, so it shouldn't be too hard for us either.
Friday, 12 September 2008
Sarah Biking
The other night I brought our camera when Sarah went biking in the nearby play fields ...
Tuesday, 9 September 2008
Getting settled - Slowly
Hello everyone. Thought I'd add my bit to the news that Mike has been posting.
We are starting to feel a bit more settled in our new city. Sarah has now been assigned to her classroom and teacher at her new school and seems very happy. She is in Grade 3 and it sounds like she has been making friends pretty easily - something that seemed to be difficult for her for the last couple of years. Unfortunately a few of her acquaintances here at the apartment complex are not the sort of friend I am thrilled for her to have. She has reported to me that the boys (Grades 1 and 2) have rather a colorful vocabulary, and it appears that they combine their profane words in creative and surprisingly offensive ways. So far Sarah has not shown, at least in my presence, any inclination to follow their example, but I am looking forward to meeting some of the other parents at the school, and (I hope) finding some other nearby children with whom she can play. She is definitely not playing at their house as I have to assume these children are learning a lot of that language at home.
Sarah has begun to walk to school by herself and to play outside unsupervised - one big step for Sarah and a gigantic step for her parents as she has never really been unsupervised by us or a trusted family member/friend/professional before. So far she seems to be using pretty good judgment, but we are only very gradually loosening the leash at this point. I remember walking up the street or around the corner to visit friends when I was quite small - 5ish, and certainly walked to kindergarten with other children and with no adults. It is strange how nervous I feel about letting Sarah - almost 8 years old - out on her own - nonetheless, she needs to learn to be a bit street smart and independent and will need to actually go out into the world in order for that to happen.
My return to school is also going well. I have been finding the shift from thinking about Social Work practice and practice theory to thinking about research and research theory a bit difficult and just getting back into the swing of academia has been tough; however, I am loving this opportunity to read and write and think about things that I find interesting.
Today I found a position as a Teaching Assistant for a course taught to Master's students: "Social Analysis for Social Workers". It looks quite interesting and is taught as a series of modules by a number of the professors in the department, so it will be a good opportunity for me to meet most of the faculty over the course of this year. It does look like some of the course material will be somewhat new to me, so I'll likely be just a week or two ahead of my students, so I am a little bit nervous. The format of the course is a three hour session every week, with the first half spent in lecture and the second half being a facilitated discussion of the lecture and readings- that's my bit, plus grading papers.
There are five students in my cohort entering the doctoral program this year and all have very different and interesting backgrounds, so that has been good - though I really miss my PSU friends!
We are already all feeling some pressure to publish and present original research, in addition to needing to apply for the various sources of funding that are available, so there has not been anything so gentle as a gradual process of easing into the program - everybody is feeling some pressure to get right into it all! The amount of reading is huge, but at least most of it is interesting.
We are still car-free and that seems to be working well so far, although I am a bit worried about the winter weather and how it will seem to be waiting in the cold and rain for buses on a regular basis. I do buy a lot less rubbish at the grocery store now that I have to actually carry it home!
We are looking forward to getting into a long-term rental and becoming re-acquainted with our belongings. I know that I should be trying to be less attached to my stuff, but I have to say that's not really happening. I can't wait to have my kitchen stuff and artwork and cookbooks etc back in my possession again. It will be fun to set up house for real again as it has felt for the last two plus years somewhat like squatting - we used cardboard shipping boxes as end tables for two years!
Well, I have an early start tomorrow as I like to leave early and miss the rush on the transit system, so I will sign off now. All in all, I feel that we will be content here and that the standard of life offered will be very positive for all of us. (And even though I am not driving at the moment, it is SO nice to be back on the right (as in non-left) side of the road again!)
Love,
Margo
We are starting to feel a bit more settled in our new city. Sarah has now been assigned to her classroom and teacher at her new school and seems very happy. She is in Grade 3 and it sounds like she has been making friends pretty easily - something that seemed to be difficult for her for the last couple of years. Unfortunately a few of her acquaintances here at the apartment complex are not the sort of friend I am thrilled for her to have. She has reported to me that the boys (Grades 1 and 2) have rather a colorful vocabulary, and it appears that they combine their profane words in creative and surprisingly offensive ways. So far Sarah has not shown, at least in my presence, any inclination to follow their example, but I am looking forward to meeting some of the other parents at the school, and (I hope) finding some other nearby children with whom she can play. She is definitely not playing at their house as I have to assume these children are learning a lot of that language at home.
Sarah has begun to walk to school by herself and to play outside unsupervised - one big step for Sarah and a gigantic step for her parents as she has never really been unsupervised by us or a trusted family member/friend/professional before. So far she seems to be using pretty good judgment, but we are only very gradually loosening the leash at this point. I remember walking up the street or around the corner to visit friends when I was quite small - 5ish, and certainly walked to kindergarten with other children and with no adults. It is strange how nervous I feel about letting Sarah - almost 8 years old - out on her own - nonetheless, she needs to learn to be a bit street smart and independent and will need to actually go out into the world in order for that to happen.
My return to school is also going well. I have been finding the shift from thinking about Social Work practice and practice theory to thinking about research and research theory a bit difficult and just getting back into the swing of academia has been tough; however, I am loving this opportunity to read and write and think about things that I find interesting.
Today I found a position as a Teaching Assistant for a course taught to Master's students: "Social Analysis for Social Workers". It looks quite interesting and is taught as a series of modules by a number of the professors in the department, so it will be a good opportunity for me to meet most of the faculty over the course of this year. It does look like some of the course material will be somewhat new to me, so I'll likely be just a week or two ahead of my students, so I am a little bit nervous. The format of the course is a three hour session every week, with the first half spent in lecture and the second half being a facilitated discussion of the lecture and readings- that's my bit, plus grading papers.
There are five students in my cohort entering the doctoral program this year and all have very different and interesting backgrounds, so that has been good - though I really miss my PSU friends!
We are already all feeling some pressure to publish and present original research, in addition to needing to apply for the various sources of funding that are available, so there has not been anything so gentle as a gradual process of easing into the program - everybody is feeling some pressure to get right into it all! The amount of reading is huge, but at least most of it is interesting.
We are still car-free and that seems to be working well so far, although I am a bit worried about the winter weather and how it will seem to be waiting in the cold and rain for buses on a regular basis. I do buy a lot less rubbish at the grocery store now that I have to actually carry it home!
We are looking forward to getting into a long-term rental and becoming re-acquainted with our belongings. I know that I should be trying to be less attached to my stuff, but I have to say that's not really happening. I can't wait to have my kitchen stuff and artwork and cookbooks etc back in my possession again. It will be fun to set up house for real again as it has felt for the last two plus years somewhat like squatting - we used cardboard shipping boxes as end tables for two years!
Well, I have an early start tomorrow as I like to leave early and miss the rush on the transit system, so I will sign off now. All in all, I feel that we will be content here and that the standard of life offered will be very positive for all of us. (And even though I am not driving at the moment, it is SO nice to be back on the right (as in non-left) side of the road again!)
Love,
Margo
Sunday, 7 September 2008
Things I'm Happy To See Again
- A sunny September. Sure, the UK gets some sun now and then, but not like we do in July, August and September. Of course in October it'll be wet and getting darker.
- Bran muffins. I missed these. If I could have found any muffins in the UK that were remotely healthy I would have chosen them for breakfast more often.
- Bike lanes. They were hard to come by with those narrow Medieval streets.
- Northwest beer. There's something unique about our micro beers. They're served a bit colder than UK ales, but there's also something to the taste. Maybe it's the regional hops, or something about our brewing technique.
- Shops with attitude. Bike shops, coffee shops, music shops staffed and patronised by Bohemians who are proud to be weird.
- Maple syrup. Okay, not that I'm having any these days, but in England we had to get by with honey or "golden syrup".
- Omelettes. They don't seem to offer them in the UK.
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