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Saturday, October 28, 2006

Canberra update

I was just thinking that since returning from overseas I haven't told all my mates what I'm up to. It seems that ordinary life has taken over, and things aren't as exciting as they were but a month ago when I was travelling Europe.

Well things are good, but in different ways of course.

It took me about 3 weeks to get used to being back in Australia after 18months away. I had culture shock in the country I'm from - a very odd feeling. I was surprised by how friendly shop assistants were to me, how fresh the air is, how the sun here burns you so quickly, and how much things cost (I'd totally forgotten what your Aussie dollar gets you). It was fabulous to see family and friends again. Soon my overseas travels went from feeling like a very long dream I'd had to a distant memory. Now I'm just so happy to have travelled, and to have such great memories and have met such awesome people. It sustains me through the dull bits.

I've almost finished my first week of work! I'm a communications officer, in case I haven't mentioned that you yet. I like it so far - really nice people, interesting work happening around me (don't have much to do as yet though), and I have my own rather large office! The location is lovely too - out at Gungahlin. It is a collection of buildings surrounded by paddocks and bushland a little bit out of town.

I just found somewhere to live - with another girl in Dickson, in a nice apartment with all the mod cons, including my own ensuite.. Bring on the luxury living. I just have to walk down my stairs to choose from heaps of yummy restaurants in Canberra's 'china town' (I use the term china town loosely as its the smallest china town I've ever seen!). I move in there on the 11th, and till then I'm staying with Chris in the south of Canberra.

Last weekend I went to Canberra's version of Oktoberfest and drank lots of beer, chatted to lots of people, watched some German folk dancing and ate pork. All good, healthy, excessive drinking type fun. Reminded me of Europe in many ways... :)