London (England)

It is about as I expected including the relatively easy transition to London life. The differences between culture, or at least on the surface, are few and the winter weather appears to be more generous than I had at all imagined. At least in comparison to Auckland the clear days appear more numerous, the rain less persistent (with the obvious exception of the floods up north) and having a view from my office window with some countryside makes it positively bearable in spite of the shorter days than I am used to.

Isn’t it a strange sensation when you do something for the first time, walking at dawn to the train station, jostling through the crowds, finding your seat on the appropriate train, shifting the free news paper from the seat and taking your place across from the guy with their headphones up too loud. Walking from the train station to work and turning on your computer and making a cup of tea while it whirs into life before checking your email and you’re your calendar. In the afternoon it all happens in reverse and so the cycle continues.