Friday, April 27, 2007
Two Years
Wow. I've just worked out that I've been here, on and off, for two years.
TWO YEARS!!!
That's a long time! That's two years I've been away from my friends and family, two years my career in the UK hasn't been developing, two years of music to catch up on, and two years of denied oggling at the girls in Hollyoaks.
Blimey. When I first came here, I didn't have a plan. Now, two years on, I still don't. But two years! That's incredible.
In that time we've seen 7/7 on the underground, the asian tsunami, hurricane katrina, and Daniel Craig becoming James Bond. He was born in Chester, you know.
Now I'm used to life that involves automatic cars, donuts as an acceptable breakfast meal, temperatures above 20c to be expected, sales tax to be added at the till, nights to be as warm as days, strangers to say "gee I love your accent", and TV shows to have more commercial breaks than I ever thought possible.
Am I becoming accustomed to the American ways? Yes, I think so. Is it a better lifestyle? On the surface, yes. But underneath I still look back to the English ways of life with rose-tinted glasses. I still read BBC News and Guardian Online every day.
And in many ways, I appreciate the UK more than ever. I didn't realise the incredible range of history on our doorstep until it was missing. I never grasped how amazing it is that you can drive 50 miles in any direction and you're somewhere completely different. Here, you could dive for 500 miles in some directions and it'll look as if you've driven 20. My friends and family mean more to me now that I can't be with them.
And life in general gets a good once-over. Why are we doing what we're going? Who gains? Are we being selfish? What will the next generation think? Was I a horrible child? Will the BBC get to keep Neighbours on BBC1? Why did Hugh Grant think that baked beans would be a good weapon?
To do something different is good. Whether you prefer it to your past life, or whether it makes you realise how much you had, it's a positive experience.
Mine is a mix of the two, and for me, that's just fine.
TWO YEARS!!!
That's a long time! That's two years I've been away from my friends and family, two years my career in the UK hasn't been developing, two years of music to catch up on, and two years of denied oggling at the girls in Hollyoaks.
Blimey. When I first came here, I didn't have a plan. Now, two years on, I still don't. But two years! That's incredible.
In that time we've seen 7/7 on the underground, the asian tsunami, hurricane katrina, and Daniel Craig becoming James Bond. He was born in Chester, you know.
Now I'm used to life that involves automatic cars, donuts as an acceptable breakfast meal, temperatures above 20c to be expected, sales tax to be added at the till, nights to be as warm as days, strangers to say "gee I love your accent", and TV shows to have more commercial breaks than I ever thought possible.
Am I becoming accustomed to the American ways? Yes, I think so. Is it a better lifestyle? On the surface, yes. But underneath I still look back to the English ways of life with rose-tinted glasses. I still read BBC News and Guardian Online every day.
And in many ways, I appreciate the UK more than ever. I didn't realise the incredible range of history on our doorstep until it was missing. I never grasped how amazing it is that you can drive 50 miles in any direction and you're somewhere completely different. Here, you could dive for 500 miles in some directions and it'll look as if you've driven 20. My friends and family mean more to me now that I can't be with them.
And life in general gets a good once-over. Why are we doing what we're going? Who gains? Are we being selfish? What will the next generation think? Was I a horrible child? Will the BBC get to keep Neighbours on BBC1? Why did Hugh Grant think that baked beans would be a good weapon?
To do something different is good. Whether you prefer it to your past life, or whether it makes you realise how much you had, it's a positive experience.
Mine is a mix of the two, and for me, that's just fine.
Tuesday, April 17, 2007
Alan Johnston
Monday, April 16, 2007
Trees
Yesterday, I had a tree in front of my house.
Today, I don't.
I noticed this when I got home at around 8ish this evening. I was walking to my front door, when I realised that something felt different. Then I realised that my front garden (well, front grassy area) was covered in woodchips. Then I realised that there was a missing tree.
I don't know why it's gone, or where it's gone, or how it went.
But I do know that I have one less tree than yesterday.
Which brings my total number of trees to... zero.
Today, I don't.
I noticed this when I got home at around 8ish this evening. I was walking to my front door, when I realised that something felt different. Then I realised that my front garden (well, front grassy area) was covered in woodchips. Then I realised that there was a missing tree.
I don't know why it's gone, or where it's gone, or how it went.
But I do know that I have one less tree than yesterday.
Which brings my total number of trees to... zero.
