Home again…it’s just a day away

So here I am sitting in a hotel room somewhere in Chinatown in Singapore central, sneezing away merrily to a cold/flu type thing I picked up in E’s flat and that got passed around in a matter of a couple of hours to everyone. It’s 7.30 in the morning and the birds are out. I’ve just finished reading George Orwell’s ‘Down and Out in Paris and London’, which gives an interesting insight into post-war living for beggars and the whys and wherefores of poverty.

“A beggar, looked at realistically, is simply a businessman, getting his living, like other businessmen, in the way that comes to hand. He has not, more than most modern people, sold his honour; he has merely made the mistake of choosing a trade at which it is impossible to grow rich.”

I’ve been thinking about some of things about London and the U.K, and what would I take home back to N.Z with me from the place? Firstly, the diversity of life: how many other places in the world can you find just about every creed, race and nationality? Second, the currency: self explanatory really – the strength of the pound is unrivalled. Third, proximity to Europe: which is directly related to number two. Everything else is just a normal part of any community – the parties, lifestyle, food, entertainment (music, art, theatre) etc…they’re all their in abundance.

Conversely, there are also things I despised about the place as well. For instance, the selfishness of living: basically people don’t care about what you’re up to. The point and case example of this is just walking down the street and it seems as if everyone else expects you to get out of their way, especially if they’re on their mobile phone. It’s funny how people get completely oblivious to the outside world while in communicado. Basically London is a rat race, or a dog eat dog world, to use another animal metaphor. But you know these things before you get over there.

I’ve had fun. A whole lot of it in fact. I’ve been to Iceland, Greece, Scotland, Dublin, Mexico, Tahiti, Egypt, Morocco, Portugal, Spain a few times, Amsterdam and the south of France. But the ease of travel has put the idea in my mind that London and the U.K is not the only place to go…I think I’ve been angling for Australia for some time now, and even subconsciously making Australian friends to get myself prepared for it. Hence, studying in Sydney appeals at this time. Plus it gives me the opportunity to gain some in depth knowledge of an area of science which I can then use to make management decisions in a sustainable way. You know I’m a greenie at heart.

But I’ve also been thinking about Amsterdam zand the Netherlands as a place to live and work for a year or so. It’s just as easy to make a living over there. Sure the pay’s not the same, but the lifestyle is totally different again – liberating in so many ways, and the folk are very international and friendly. It would be great fun to live there for a year. Spain also needles away as a place to be able to eke out a living for a while. I’ve always wanted to learn Spanish, because not only is it relatively simple to learn but it is also widely used. So an idea that has crossed my mind is to teach English in the south of Spain, and then use that newfound knowledge of Spanish to travel my way through South America. These ideals are relatively easy to pursue and obtain methinks, so it is just a matter of time. For now, home beckons and the comforts that it entails, but most importantly it is the chance to see the family. It’s time for life on the road to take a back seat for a little break.