Back to work ...

Leaving behind a cold and wet Cape Town I arrived back in the UK soon after the first week in July. I stayed with friends in Bedford and had set up a couple of interviews before I arrived.

Updating my CV was a shock to the system - I did a webinar through the accounting course I have been doing - and realised that I was waaaaay behind the times. I was extremely sceptical at first but after a glass of wine (the advantage of doing webinars at home in the evening) I realised the logic behind the changes they were suggesting. The next morning, in the cold sober light of day, I actually remembered what had been said and redid the whole document - not just editing what was there before, actually rewriting it!

Well long story short, I went for my first interview on the Friday after I arrived, with an Accounting firm in Burnham, Buckinghamshire. I liked the company, and the situation and on the drive home was called by the Agency saying that I had been offered the job. After some negotiation and an increase in the offer, I accepted.

Job, tick. Now to find somewhere to live - back to Burnham on Sunday and next tick. That decision didn't work out that well, but more about that later. It was somewhere to stay seeing that I had to start work on Wednesday and it was less than 2 miles from the office. By the way, the office is in a manor house in park like surrounds. Think Downton Abby on a smaller scale, but including servants corridors and a ball room - which is actually our office.

Car - I'd hired a car to attend all the interviews I now didn't have to attend - big relief that. But I needed to buy a car. The price of cars is considerably less here than in SA - at most a quarter of what I would have paid back home. So, next tick. I got a Peugeot 307 with a fair amount of mileage but I suppose the necessity of an annual MOT and compulsory insurance ensures roadworthiness. I hope so. Insurance is pretty expensive though, considering they won't take into account your no claim bonus in SA. Swings and roundabouts.

So all set, just now to get to Burnham on Wednesday morning. The motorway was quite an education, but with the advantage of a (loaned) GPS, I got there. 

And that's where I am now, 3 weeks down the line and I'm really glad about this job. Good people, interesting work, good conditions - I struck it lucky.

Not so much with the accommodation though. The house share was in a pretty nice house, but the entrenched housemate was a hoarder! I was probably in too much of a rush and just looked at the structure of the house, though she did say that she would be moving all the boxes out. Well, that didn't happen, so when the landlord arrived with the lease to sign, we had a bit of a blow up and I think I was fortunate to get out of there with the deposit. It wouldn't have been a good year if he'd held me to it.  I've found somewhere better suited. It's not ideal but will do for 6 months while I find my feet.

Now that all the excitement is over, real life is happening. I find myself at times intensely homesick - hence the incredibly long post - sorry - I miss you all. No photo's this time round. I have been out doing some stuff, posts about that later, but at the moment it's about settling in.  Hope you are all still with me after this. Thanks for listening (I know, you are reading but I'm actually talking). xxx