One of the questions I am most frequently asked when I meet someone new is: "How long are you planning to stay in Cambridge?"
This is a perfectly legitimate question but unfortunately it's one that I can't actually answer. The answer is: 12 months; or, two years; or, somewhere in between; or, longer. In case you plan to ask the question, this is the detailed answer:
12 months is the term of my contract with Cambridge University Press, so I have actually made a commitment to live in Cambridge until at least October 11th this year.
Two years is the length of my visa; so if I'm able to stay on at the Press longer than the term of my contract, I am entitled to stay in Cambridge until October 2014.
But this is where the uncertainty comes in. If I finish out my contract and can't continue working at the Press, there is no other publishing house in Cambridge where I can work. So I might stay on, but might look for work elsewhere - plenty of publishing work in London, or I could round out the Oxbridge experience with a few months at OUP. Or I could temp in Edinburgh. But what if I'm homesick? I could just head back to Australia.
But then - what happens in Australia? I don't know if you keep your eye on publishing positions in Sydney but there are none. So do I move back to Sydney and hope? Could I end up living in Melbourne after resisting it all these years? Will I go and teach English in Japan, in a crazy turn of events that catches even me by surprise?
And what if I do stay on at the Press and have the chance to extend my stay in the UK past my original two years?
Here's the thing: I hate uncertainty. And the worst kind of uncertainty is the kind that I can't do anything about. The problem is that I can't know what will happen this October. I can't know what will happen next October, or in between. I don't know how to be practical about my current state of affairs - whether I should put down roots or be looking forward to the next thing.
Now if you're worried that I've finally lost the plot, it's ok. Most of the time I'm just enjoying myself and not worrying about the future. But these thoughts crop up now and then and there are people back home who like to know where I am with them. The plan is, I've decided that I'm going to love being where I am right now, and I'm going to love the people in my life right now and try not to think about the Octobers until they're in view. At the moment they're just a blip on the horizon - but if a mad gleam comes into my eye when you ask me what my plans are for the future . . . It's because I've just caught a glimpse of them.
Tuesday, 26 February 2013
Thursday, 14 February 2013
Things I Miss
I just read a post by a fellow travelling Australian in which she listed all the things she loves about being overseas, followed by all the things she misses about Australia. I feel like I only ever talk about the things I love about being here (which is pretty much everything) and the things that I emphatically do not miss about Australia (bugs, hot weather, long distances).
Perhaps then it's time to acknowledge that there are one or two things that I miss about my home.
**Post-publication update: I should add that these are frivolous things I miss and that other important things like family and friends and compulsory voting I genuinely deeply miss as well**
1. The sun. Having said which, I don't really love either the sun or summer - I get burnt and I don't like being overheated. I love the winter and its potential for snow. But there is something lovely about sitting in the backyard with a cup of tea and a book, with the sun on your face, on a Saturday afternoon. I've been pretty lucky here - it hasn't rained too much and the sun has been visible a lot of the time - but the English winter sun just isn't the same.
2. Coffee. I'm sorry. I know that it's poor form to be a snob about this when the problem isn't that Australia is better, it's just the English coffee is different. Having said which, Australia is definitely better and coffee here is, in general, extremely poor. I miss knowing that every single cafe in Sydney makes a genuinely good coffee, and the only difference is between good and excellent. Costa is not a substitute for Campos.
3. Standard dancing songs. You know when you go to a wedding, or something similar, where there is a standard list of songs that everyone dances to? The list is different here and it's confusing. I'm very happy to dance like a fool if everyone else is, but there's extra fun in dancing to a song that you actually know.
4. Dairy milk chocolate. It tastes different at home. And for different, read better (however Terry's Chocolate Oranges make up for this 100 times over).
5. The metric system.
6. Living near Sydney Harbour. I never really made the most of it, but Sydney Harbour is amazing! Catching a ferry to Manly on a sunny day with a few big fluffy clouds in the sky has to be one of the most beautiful things you can do in Australia. Also living just up the road from the Bay Run was amazing.
7. Wildlife. I've actually been missing this ever since I left Adelaide, because we lived in a very wildlife-rich area. I miss driving home and worrying that a kangaroo would jump in front of me. I miss the occasional koala sighting (in the main shopping street, along the side of the highway, wherever). I miss that time I almost ran over an echidna but very importantly let's all remember that I didn't hit the echidna. I miss the sound kookaburras make, except when you're trying to sleep. I almost miss possums. But actually I don't because when they're outside your window it's like having a heavy breathing stalker outside your window and that's just creepy.
8. The way that eucalypts smell after it rains.
9. Summer dresses.
10. Not having to wear a coat.
11. Food that isn't packaged in seven layers of shrink wrap. Why can't you just buy a capsicum separately? And refer to it as a capsicum, rather than a pepper? In fact, I miss knowing what fruit and vegetables people are talking about because I can't come to grips with any of the following: satsuma, tangerine, squash, pumpkin, pepper, courgette.
And then here is a quick list of things I like: the word 'faff' or 'faffing', Terry's Chocolate Oranges (yes, I really really do like them), mail on Saturdays, regional accents, green grass, deciduous trees, Europe is right next door, cottages that have been around since before the first fleet, and lots of other things.
Perhaps then it's time to acknowledge that there are one or two things that I miss about my home.
**Post-publication update: I should add that these are frivolous things I miss and that other important things like family and friends and compulsory voting I genuinely deeply miss as well**
1. The sun. Having said which, I don't really love either the sun or summer - I get burnt and I don't like being overheated. I love the winter and its potential for snow. But there is something lovely about sitting in the backyard with a cup of tea and a book, with the sun on your face, on a Saturday afternoon. I've been pretty lucky here - it hasn't rained too much and the sun has been visible a lot of the time - but the English winter sun just isn't the same.
2. Coffee. I'm sorry. I know that it's poor form to be a snob about this when the problem isn't that Australia is better, it's just the English coffee is different. Having said which, Australia is definitely better and coffee here is, in general, extremely poor. I miss knowing that every single cafe in Sydney makes a genuinely good coffee, and the only difference is between good and excellent. Costa is not a substitute for Campos.
3. Standard dancing songs. You know when you go to a wedding, or something similar, where there is a standard list of songs that everyone dances to? The list is different here and it's confusing. I'm very happy to dance like a fool if everyone else is, but there's extra fun in dancing to a song that you actually know.
4. Dairy milk chocolate. It tastes different at home. And for different, read better (however Terry's Chocolate Oranges make up for this 100 times over).
5. The metric system.
6. Living near Sydney Harbour. I never really made the most of it, but Sydney Harbour is amazing! Catching a ferry to Manly on a sunny day with a few big fluffy clouds in the sky has to be one of the most beautiful things you can do in Australia. Also living just up the road from the Bay Run was amazing.
7. Wildlife. I've actually been missing this ever since I left Adelaide, because we lived in a very wildlife-rich area. I miss driving home and worrying that a kangaroo would jump in front of me. I miss the occasional koala sighting (in the main shopping street, along the side of the highway, wherever). I miss that time I almost ran over an echidna but very importantly let's all remember that I didn't hit the echidna. I miss the sound kookaburras make, except when you're trying to sleep. I almost miss possums. But actually I don't because when they're outside your window it's like having a heavy breathing stalker outside your window and that's just creepy.
8. The way that eucalypts smell after it rains.
9. Summer dresses.
10. Not having to wear a coat.
11. Food that isn't packaged in seven layers of shrink wrap. Why can't you just buy a capsicum separately? And refer to it as a capsicum, rather than a pepper? In fact, I miss knowing what fruit and vegetables people are talking about because I can't come to grips with any of the following: satsuma, tangerine, squash, pumpkin, pepper, courgette.
And then here is a quick list of things I like: the word 'faff' or 'faffing', Terry's Chocolate Oranges (yes, I really really do like them), mail on Saturdays, regional accents, green grass, deciduous trees, Europe is right next door, cottages that have been around since before the first fleet, and lots of other things.
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Culture Clash
Let's be completely honest: there isn't one. A culture clash, that is. But for some reason, people seem to keep expecting that I'll be astonished and confronted by the huge change in culture between Australia and England. Here's a hint as to why England might not be such a change of pace: the Australian language, legal system, head of state and basic form of government are all inherited from England. Also I'm an Anglophile so I suppose I'm a special case. This, however, seems to surprise people - I had someone who had just returned from living in central Asia for 15 years actually say to me, "But in some ways, it must be more of a culture clash coming from somewhere like Australia."
It's not.
However, here are some things that are different, confusing or amusing:
- "All right?" This universal greeting stumped me for weeks. Correct me if I'm wrong, Australians - but if someone said that to you, would you not interpret it as "Are you all right? I have reason to suspect that you're not, and would like to enquire further." In England, it means "Hello" and the only correct answer is "All right?" I have moved to a new level with this - the other day, I greeted someone with, "All right?" and he said "Yeah, all right, you all right?" But I had NEVER GOT THIS FAR with that particular conversation so I then became confused and couldn't finish the conversation with credit. Also when I say "All right?" it comes out either fake cockney or fake Australian. There's no good option there.
- Public school: It means a school that is publicly run. End of debate. I will not even present the alternative argument, which is rubbish.
- White-out: When asking for this in the office, blank looks will be your only response. Instead, ask for tippex.
- Sticky tape: This is referred to as 'sellotape'. As a fellow Aussie and I discussed today, this makes the Harry Potter invention 'spellotape' turn from a makey-uppy word into a pun.
- Parallel parking: Why would you EVER parallel park against the flow of traffic? It is stupid and wrong. However, when reading a British-written article about Australians and how we are over-legislated, the writer referred in particular to our quaint law that you must parallel park in the direction of traffic. But WHY would you ever do anything else? Absurd. It leads to confusion when cycling and general untidiness on the side of the road.
- Talking about the weather: All the time. I don't mind this. Everyone can talk about the weather. It truly is the one thing we all have in common (if you're talking to a person standing next to you). However, the English seem to be utterly fascinated by the weather and will talk about it in detail, and at length. A Cambridge person has tried to tell me that this is because England has particularly changeable weather. I would assert that English weather is no more changeable than Australian - however I didn't assert it out loud because it would probably amount to an insult.
- Pennies: I would suggest that these are not necessary. But to lose the 1-p and 2-p would also mean losing the joy of giving a handful of 1, 2 and 5-p coins to a shop assistant and being left with a completely empty change compartment. So on reflection: I quite like them.
- Central heating: Australia should have this.
- Total lack of bugs: Bliss.
- Accents: This isn't really a culture clash thing but I find it interesting. I've now been told by all the Australians I've spoken to that I definitely sound English. Every English person has said that I still sound completely Australian. I think that I'm now too English for Australia and too Australian for England, and that the Australians can only hear the English and English can only hear the Australian. Don't worry if you skimmed over that sentence, it wasn't my finest.
To sum up: come to England, you'll notice the difference but not like going to Mongolia.
It's not.
However, here are some things that are different, confusing or amusing:
- "All right?" This universal greeting stumped me for weeks. Correct me if I'm wrong, Australians - but if someone said that to you, would you not interpret it as "Are you all right? I have reason to suspect that you're not, and would like to enquire further." In England, it means "Hello" and the only correct answer is "All right?" I have moved to a new level with this - the other day, I greeted someone with, "All right?" and he said "Yeah, all right, you all right?" But I had NEVER GOT THIS FAR with that particular conversation so I then became confused and couldn't finish the conversation with credit. Also when I say "All right?" it comes out either fake cockney or fake Australian. There's no good option there.
- Public school: It means a school that is publicly run. End of debate. I will not even present the alternative argument, which is rubbish.
- White-out: When asking for this in the office, blank looks will be your only response. Instead, ask for tippex.
- Sticky tape: This is referred to as 'sellotape'. As a fellow Aussie and I discussed today, this makes the Harry Potter invention 'spellotape' turn from a makey-uppy word into a pun.
- Parallel parking: Why would you EVER parallel park against the flow of traffic? It is stupid and wrong. However, when reading a British-written article about Australians and how we are over-legislated, the writer referred in particular to our quaint law that you must parallel park in the direction of traffic. But WHY would you ever do anything else? Absurd. It leads to confusion when cycling and general untidiness on the side of the road.
- Talking about the weather: All the time. I don't mind this. Everyone can talk about the weather. It truly is the one thing we all have in common (if you're talking to a person standing next to you). However, the English seem to be utterly fascinated by the weather and will talk about it in detail, and at length. A Cambridge person has tried to tell me that this is because England has particularly changeable weather. I would assert that English weather is no more changeable than Australian - however I didn't assert it out loud because it would probably amount to an insult.
- Pennies: I would suggest that these are not necessary. But to lose the 1-p and 2-p would also mean losing the joy of giving a handful of 1, 2 and 5-p coins to a shop assistant and being left with a completely empty change compartment. So on reflection: I quite like them.
- Central heating: Australia should have this.
- Total lack of bugs: Bliss.
- Accents: This isn't really a culture clash thing but I find it interesting. I've now been told by all the Australians I've spoken to that I definitely sound English. Every English person has said that I still sound completely Australian. I think that I'm now too English for Australia and too Australian for England, and that the Australians can only hear the English and English can only hear the Australian. Don't worry if you skimmed over that sentence, it wasn't my finest.
To sum up: come to England, you'll notice the difference but not like going to Mongolia.
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