It could have been anywhere – it just happened to be in Mexico. Despite loads of bad press, the vast majority of people here are good, hardworking, decent folks. But the exceptions can be exceptionally bad. The Hidalgo market is a crumbling structure about twice the size of a high school gymnasium. It sits on … Read more
Winter got here before official winter time this year. L’heure d’hiver (winter time/hours) began on the last Sunday of October (when the clocks go back an hour) but the cold weather got here the day before. The clock-changing charade is a complete pain. It began in France in 1975 as a fuel saving measure during … Read more
Living in the UK doesn’t necessitate much emergency planning. Usually, the only thing to prepare for is a disappointing summer. If snow’s forecast panic buying might leave supermarkets devoid of bread, milk and lager – but British weather is generally best described as “nondescript”. The rare exception to the rule will follow meteorologist Michael Fish. … Read more
We’ve been in the UK for 4 weeks now. No, we haven’t moved from New Zealand. At least, not entirely and not yet. We’re in England for 2 months while my husband does some work here. All of our things in New Zealand have either been sold, put in temporary storage, or put in long-term … Read more
We who have our own blogsites know how fascinating it is to read the statistics section. Mine is a blogspot.com freebie (a Google service, I think), whose stats are brief, basic and misleading, but even so… All my posts are written for residents of Cayman – or at least with them in mind – but … Read more
I must confess upfront that autumn has always been my favourite season. I used to think that it was because of the softer sunlight, fields of green and gold, forests ablaze in vibrantly coloured leaves It might have been the weightier bracing air ripe with the mingling scents of pine cones, apple cider and smoke … Read more
I’d never heard the term “Framily”, until recently when we encountered a problem and needed help. One morning our car without any pre warning refused to start. There was not even a gurgle or splutter from the starter motor, just a deathly silence. We looked at each other in disbelief then panic. What on earth … Read more
Sometimes when you’re an expat you want to blame whatever trouble it is you’re having on your expat life. And sometimes it is indeed the case that being an expat may be the cause of or at least an influence on your situation. Certainly some marriages come under a lot of stress with the expat … Read more
Long before we moved to our mountain village in 2004, Joe’s been forgetful. Before now, he’s put the phone in his sock drawer, and locked the keys in the boot of the car many a time. He’s left the chickens’ gate open, allowing them to range freely through my precious raised flower beds, leaving nothing … Read more
Prevailing wisdom says that an international assignment is a great time to start a family, particularly when the accompanying partner is not able to work or has decided to take a break from working. For a couple who are about to embark on an overseas assignment, the decision may seem straightforward. After all if you … Read more