WordPress tells me that it’s exactly two years since I started this blog. At the time, I was living near Copenhagen, contemplating a leap into the unknown as Mrs CBRbound and I planned a new life for our family in Canberra.
Established 1826
Only very occasionally do the various strands of my writing life converge. Usually, this blog about moving to Australia, my everyday work as a writer, and the various books I work on as side projects, all occupy different orbits. But on this rare occasion, I feel justified in allowing them to meet and to share each other’s space.
Hang out the flags
I have a difficult relationship with flags and the past few weeks haven’t helped. From the loutish behaviour of a few English football supporters in Marseille, to the feverish nationalism surrounding the Brexit vote, to the trampling of flags following the exit of the England football team from Euro 2016. Flags have a lot to answer for.
Awakenings
It’s 3.30am in Canberra, and I’ve managed the jet lag from my trip home badly. For an hour now, I’ve had this line from a song going round in my head: “Twenty-five planes this year, and it’s only July.” It’s from a favourite Everything But The Girl song and, as sleepless thoughts go, it took me on an interesting journey.
The long haul
The start of the long journey back to Europe.
There are few things guaranteed to grab my attention more than an article about some new type of aeroplane that has the potential to shorten journey times between Australia and Europe to a matter of two or three hours.
The recent test flight of a hypersonic rocket looks completely terrifying, but then I suppose rail travel struck the fear of God into many people too, when it was first invented.’
A taste of home
About a year ago, as part of a writing course, I was tasked with writing a passage about the food that most reminded me of being a little boy. I chose my mum’s rice pudding, the scent of which would fill the house for hours before it was ready. The wait was agonising.
A few weeks ago, Mini-CBRbound decided that, for his own school writing project, he would blog about his favourite foods from his childhood in Denmark. Watching him rediscover all those tastes has been a wonderful experience.
Comparing value: Phone and internet
Last week’s mini-rant about Australia’s dominant telecommunications company, Telstra, got me thinking. Are they really ‘behind the times fleece merchants’ or am I just looking back to Europe with rose-tinted lenses?
To check if my ire was justified, I decided to compare my experiences – of cost versus quality of service – to see how Telstra stacks up against companies of a similar type in other countries.
Caught in the net of Telstra
‘No internet’. Welcome to the world of Telstra.
There are still occasional elements of life in Australia that leave me befuddled. Like yesterday’s discovery that Woolworths, one of the big two grocery chains over here, is one of the most profitable supermarket businesses in the world.
Just think about that for a moment the next time you’re wondering why there are no cucumbers, or you are sorting through bags of limp pre-washed salad trying to decide which one is the least offensive – you are interacting with one of the most successful businesses of its type in the world.
A small indulgence
The Danish dish ‘fiskefilet’, which is bound to make an appearance on Mini-CBRbound’s blog sooner or later.
If you’ll permit me a small indulgence, 10 year-old Mini-CBRbound is going to be blogging for the next several weeks as part of a term-long school project.
Drive like a Canberran: 5 quick tips
Taking to the road in a new country can have its challenges. Imagine that you passed your driving test in rural Iowa and then move to Cairo, or that you grew up in the Welsh countryside and then move to the centre of Paris. Daunting, right?
Wherever you come from originally, there are bound to be some aspects of motoring in Canberra that catch you off guard, so here are my five top tips for driving like a local when you first arrive in Australia’s capital.
CBR bound 