King of Snow

First for 2009.

Things have been pretty busy these last 6 months and I've been rather absent from the virtual world.

In the last few months of 2008 I was busy job hunting. After landing three interviews, followed quickly by three job offers, I had many choices and a hard decision to make. While holding the first job offer and contract in my hand, only requiring my signature, I managed to complete the writing test, interview and receive the job offer for the position I ended up accepting. Talk about moving fast! I think it was over a total of 3 days.

So now I am a Medical Writer in the editorial department for a Medical Communications Agency and I love it. Every day I am thankful for leaving the lab. It was strange for the first month being in a purely office environment after ten years in a laboratory but this didn't last long. I really like the crazy busy workplace I am now a part of. My PhD and medical research experience is very useful in this job this is a good feeling.

2009 has been good to us so far. G and I saw in the New Year at a Youth Hostel in Interlaken, Switzerland with DrN and many other happy people -what a party! Oh the big fat snow flakes that fell that night were amazing. Driving to Interlaken in the heavy snow fall however was rather scary.

This was not the most recent ski trip for G and I either. In February we met up with G's family in Japan for two weeks of skiing and other Japanese adventures. If I thought the snow was incredible in Switzerland, Japan was just a dream world. I was lost for words with the experiences we had at Rocky Inn, Appi Kogen. We were well looked after and spoilt by our host Tomoyoshi. We had the whole in Inn to ourselves and enjoyed meals prepared specially for us from food grown on Tomoyoshi's own farm (even the rice and coffee beans). Each evening, dinner was like a show. So entertaining. After our Appi experience we were worried the rest of the trip could not compare. However there was more beauty to see and I wasn't disappointed. The river cruise through the islands of Matsushima and climbing to the top temple at Yamadera, where the snow gave the mountain a majestic and mystical quality. Very spiritual and serene. Next was the Golden Temple at Hiraizumi, followed by a dip in the traditional Japanese Onsen (hot springs). At Nikko, we saw a traditional Japanese wedding in the temple complex (also home to the frieze containing the famous three wise monkeys). Our last few days together were spent exploring Tokyo and then I flew back to the UK on my own as Gareth stayed on for work, returning the following week.

Now we spend the weekends out riding our mountain bikes and generally looking forward to the days getting longer. Flowers are beginning to bloom and lambs are appearing in the fields. Summer is coming. We can't wait.

Back in Sunny England (well it was for 5 mins today...)

Arrived safely back in England on Thursday. Flight was okay and only 4 hours delayed (onya Qantas!) but at least I wasn't diverted to Frankfurt like another Syd-London flight a few days earlier (see a very disgruntled passenger's blog entry here).

I have spent the last few days catching up on sleep (oh so very jet lagged) and a spot of shopping and hanging out in Brighton with G. We also finally saw "The Dark Knight" on the world's smallest movie screen but at least managed to see it at the movies together before it finished and I managed to mostly stay awake.

Having been back only a few days, G informs me that he has a work training thing this week for a few days up in Burton-on-Trent (3.5 hrs drive north). So I asked if I could go too. G was worried I would be bored but with nearby Tutbury Castle and the 3 star rated St Mary's Church, as described in Simon Jenkins guide to England's thousand best churchs, I can easily find things to do. We are leaving tonight and will be back on Wednesday. We will be staying in Tutbury in a 500 year old pub called "Ye Olde Dog and Partridge". I am excited already!

Here's a pic of the pub:

Defying gravity!

Yesterday
I went to ...
London to see Wicked with H

We are enjoying ...
Having so many visitors. Hotel Milton!

We didn't like/missed/was perturbed by ...
Nothing! Having a really great time

We listened to ...
Wicked! "I'm flying high,
Defying gravity!"

Our flat is ...
Home to DrN for a while

We ate ... that was really yummy!
Pub Food; Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

I have been wanting to keep a log of things we have been up to. When Mr H stayed with us for a few days he came up with the idea to write a meme like summary. I normally struggle to write anything briefly and that turns me off. When it comes to detail I am all or nothing, I just can't help it. All takes too long and hence I never write so there is no record of what we are doing and no one hears about what we are up to (which is loads of things). We are very busy enjoying the great outdoors and taking advantage of the lovely summer weather. Mr H suggested 6 words for each answer. Though challenge for me! :) So here goes:-

Yesterday
We went to ...
Walked into Brighton to go shopping.

We are enjoying ...
Mr D staying with us; 2 nights

We didn't like/missed/was perturbed by ...
Still not finding the Chinese supermarket!

We listened to ...
Currently, Muse from D's ipod collection

Our flat is ...
Smelling of freshly ground coffee, mmmm!

We ate ... that was really yummy!
Salad wraps at the "Slug and Lettuce"

Okay so maybe 6 words misses quite a bit of detail :) but there you are...

Mr D is staying with us before he flies back to Australia tonight. Yesterday, while G was at work, we walked into Brighton via the fabulous little coffee shop we found with Mr H. D wanted to buy us a wedding present and was after a coffee grinder. I knew the coffee shop sold beans (many many beans) and all kinds of espresso machines and coffee makers. Unfortunately however, not the kind of coffee grinder D had in mind. More shopping needed.

On our walk we came across "Argos" which is a catalogue shop. You shop by reading one of the many catalogues attached to little stations. You make your selection, enter the catalogue number into a machine at your station and it tells you the price and availability, then you order it and someone goes and gets it for you from out the back I guess -or may be delivers at a later date. They sell everything!! But not a coffee grinder...

We walked all the way into Debenhams (DJ equivalent) in the Shopping centre of Brighton, and there we found the good coffee grinder. Beans were purchased on the return trip past the coffee shop and freshly ground coffee was enjoyed by all (but me, although I loved the smell). Both on the walk into and back from Brighton we looked for the Chinese supermarket that G and I have both seen on previous trips into Brighton. Never found it! I know it is on that street. Bah. Frustrating! We need Soy! The tiny bottle from our local supermarket is not enough!

We went out for dinner and found an Indian Restaurant that served quite a decent Butter Chicken (it was actually orange this time as apposed to yellow at a previous venue). Although Indian food here is so very oily. After dinner drinks was at the "Ginger Pig" -quite a nice pub if a bit fancy and trendy rather than old and typically English.