Well, do you know that this time last year, we were holding our leaving party at the Clock? As usual, we’ve packed a hell of a lot into twelve months and we’re exhausted for it! It only seems like yesterday in some ways that we were in WGC, walking round John Lewis and enjoying the delights of the town centre – yet in other ways, it seems an age since we last saw family and friends. So, on the whole, what are our reflections?
Firstly, the month before we left England was hell on earth! It was a complete nightmare of trying to sort out six month’s worth of packing, selling, winding down the business and goodbyes into the space of less than four weeks! Hand on heart though, I don’t honestly know if it would have been any easier if we had more time to do it – it may just have prolonged the agony and made the goodbyes even longer and harder…. It’s just a shame that some relationships suffered even before we had made the move. There just weren’t enough hours in the day to fit everything in!
The kids have been stars! They have settled better than I ever could have hoped. They have jumped feet first into the Aussie way of life and seem to be really enjoying it! I know that academically, they are way behind the UK (Darcie for instance would be reading by now, whereas she hasn’t as much as been given a ‘reading’ book yet and is still ‘playing’ really in class). Sam too would be completing much more difficult work at Templewood and has struggled a little to go backwards (i.e back to using pencil and not being allowed to do joined up writing until at least Year 4 when he can try for his ‘pen licence’!). However, his confidence in other things has grown enormously. He has performed in an assembly in front of 300+ children, competed in the Sports Carnival and numerous other activities that he wouldn’t have got to attempt in the UK – all of which he has tried without fear and given them all a bloody good go. I’m very proud of both of them and the way they have coped with it all. Obviously, Mr Cheese has just bumbled about in his usual two year old fashion, but he is a happy little chappy who enjoys the weather, going on the boat and looking for ‘dolchins’. I do appreciate that had we still been in WGC, he probably would have been starting pre-nursery in January, and that galls me a little as he is more than ready for ‘something more’, but over here the system is different and they won’t even think about enrolling him in Kindy for at least another 12 months! I think he’ll have taught himself to read in that time if it means he can be more like his older siblings. He can already put on a video and operate the DVD player, so how hard can a bit of phonetics be?
When I look back at the blog, it makes me realise just what we have achieved in twelve months. Set up home in a ‘foreign’ country. Acquired all the ‘essentials’ without readily knowing where to go to obtain all these things (more difficult than you would imagine!). Started a business from scratch that is starting to look quite promising (o: Signed to have our house built and all the associated stress and bureaucracy that accompanies it! Bought a boat and had a year’s enjoyment from it without killing ourselves or drowning! Managed to avoid any creepy crawlies or snakes. Visited some beautiful places, many of them less than an hours drive from our house. Realised a dream to move to another country – lock, stock and barrel and made some good friends along the way!
The other day on the way to the hairdressers, I passed some people on the foreshore feeding pelicans. Just casually – like we would feed the ducks at Stanborough. Its things like this that we are already starting to take for granted! WA is beautiful. It’s a stunning place to live and only today as I was walking Darcie to school, I realised how lucky we are to be living a stones throw from the Indian Ocean on a golf course estate surrounded by such beautiful scenery. I know the kids don’t often appreciate it, but small things (like a stick insect landing on Darcie’s leg this morning as she walked into school – or a flock of colourful parakeets flying over the house, making more noise that a team of motorbike riders – or going to the park in Mandurah and seeing wild dolphins swim casually up to swimmers), do make an impression with them and cause the odd comment.
It’s not actually been as bad as I thought it would. The homesickness and missing friends, I mean. I really thought I would suffer badly and miss Mum terribly, but with the wonder of the 3p phone call and Mum’s Red Cross parcels, we still talk every day and manage to keep up with all the goings on on both sides of the globe. In fact Paul has found it harder than me, which I certainly wouldn’t have expected! I have also managed to withdraw from Eastenders! It is on UKTV here, but it’s so far behind I think Dirty Den’s only just died (for the first time 8-) Although I do find myself watching ‘Engie Bengy’ with Adam just to hear Ant and Dec’s dulcet tones! We get pretty much the same crap telly programs as you – mainly American imports between the hours of 7pm – 11pm, but we are starting to familiarise ourselves with the Aussie personalities and the equivalents to Eamonn and Fiona. We get ‘Deal or No Deal’, but without Noel (not necessarily a bad thing!).
As Paul says, the line between the UK and Oz is starting to blur a little now and sometimes memories overlap and you can’t remember how certain things were done in the UK (because we’re used to the Aussie way!). Things like being able to buy wine in the supermarket. A postman that used to walk on his round (rather than a kamikaze idiot on a scooter who REFUSES to get off his bike and drives over things instead!) and having a postbox at the corner of most streets – oh, and a letterbox in your door, rather than one at the end of your drive! Seeing kids on their bikes, riding to the beach with a surfboard attached to the back. Seeing teenage boys in wetsuits on skateboards carrying their boards to the beach! Being able to pay all your bills over the internet with Bpay and not actually receiving a paper bill – just an email when you have a new invoice to pay. Mobile speed cameras everywhere, with articles in the paper the day before telling everyone where they are going to be situated (they even announce them on the TV!). Double ‘de-merit’ points on all speeding fines over a public holiday weekend. Fines for travelling as little as 2kms over the limit! The price of petrol changing depending on the day of the week (always dearer on a Friday as people may want to fill up before going away for the weekend – always dearer before a public holiday weekend too :o( Free BBQ’s everywhere in the parks for all to use. Banks that charge for EVERYTHING! Getting asked ‘cheque, savings or credit’ when you go to pay using a bank card (and not having a clue in the beginning which one to pick!). Pet shops that still sell puppies. Being able to have a hermit crab as a pet (yeuch! – they are like spiders with a mortgage!). Oh and if I ever hear you moan about junk mail, I will post you a weeks worth of ours! We get four weekly free papers, and enough junk mail flyers every week to wallpaper a small downstairs loo!
I’m still getting email reminders from Ocado to place my on-line shopping order; Grant Shapps (local MP) has me on his mailing list from when I signed a petition (once!) and I get emails with special offers from Butlins and Center Parcs! In fact, I’ve had more emails from Grant Shapps than some of you lot!
Silly things we miss – like a Sunday morning stroll into town with the kids on their bikes, a quick coffee in Costas and then home again (yeah, right – how many times did we do that exactly??) I also confess to missing the shops. The fact that I know if I want decent quality stuff I can go to John Lewis or M&S, but if I want cheapy, I’ve always got Poundstretcher or Primark. There just doesn’t seem to be the choice over here. Supermarkets are dire! The aisles are too tall and too close together and they play crap early 80’s music whilst you are shopping, so that I’m distracted from the groceries and the trip turns into a game of ‘Never Mind the Buzzcocks’ trying to guess all the obscure music. (God, today, I took the kids to a Castaway Kids-type place and they were playing ‘Seven Tears’ – do you remember that song? How naff???)
Strange as it may seem, I would still like to be standing round the bonfire in Burnham Green next Saturday getting smoke in my eyes and dodging the fireworks! They don’t do firework night here – makes sense really given what it’s all about (in fact it’s illegal to purchase fireworks for home use anyhow). Halloween was strange too as we got trick or treaters calling in glorious sunshine wearing hula skirts and bikini tops – I think it’s only scary for the Dads who realise that’s what their daughter will be like in 8 years time (more terrifying than someone dressed as a devil, I think you’ll agree!) I still made Paul get a Pumpkin although it was the equivalent of £10, so he wasn’t chuffed!
So what else is different about life down under? I think we enjoy our weekends more and get out and do stuff together more as a family. Even if it’s only a trip to the beach, or the park, at least the weather’s usually nice and you can plan stuff without everything being called off at the last minute. We’ve socialised more – OK, maybe out of necessity in the beginning to get to know people and stuff. That in itself can be hard – sometimes you don’t feel like making an effort to get to know people and make friends, and it’s hard that no-one knows you or your family, so can’t sympathise or take the piss out of you (you have to get to know someone well before you can take the piss and that’s my sense of humour – OK, I know it’s childish!!) It’s still a huge emotional rollercoaster, but then life is I suppose. We all have ups and downs and the trouble is we don’t actually appreciate the here and now while we are in it and living it – we always seemed happier when we were younger / when we were thinner / before we had kids and had money! Trouble is, when we are in that position, we don’t appreciate the simple things and we always strive for more. I am making a promise to myself to try and be happy for NOW, with what we’ve got and count our blessings, because, god knows with all the stress we’ve been through in the last twelve months, I think we’ve done alright! We’re in a good place. We’re happy (relatively healthy (o-: ) and we’re all still together. Can’t be bad!