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You can see from the left sidebar that I have been tweeting about running and work and life in general. The integration between Facebook and twitter that is possible – and Audioboo too for that matter means that I seem to be able to manage these three types of communication on a much more frequent, light-touch basis than I do this blog. Maybe all those people that say we will shortly witness the death of the traditional blog are on to something. You’ll see that I update this much less frequently than I used to. But there is still something quite special about having the space to reflect on things at little more at length that a Facebook status or series of tweets and links.
Running through recent events – Kate and I spent a couple of nights away in the New Forest National Park over the new year weekend, staying at a country inn and going for a couple of nice long walks. The weather has been icy for 4 weeks pretty much non-stop in London – and much worse in other parts of the country. This weekend has been a welcome respite from the relentless ice and snow, but it looks like the temperature will drop again later this week.
Work has been interesting again – I have joined the Quality Framework team at the Department of Health, which is much more NHS facing role. All the action in the NHS over the next five years will be about delivering consistently high quality services in a fiscally challenging environment – it will really be the story of the entire public sector as a result of the events of recent time. The next few months should prove an interesting challenge, and I’m looking forward it.
I’m stepping up my running again after some more physiotherapy. Things are easing up in terms of pain, and my current physio seems confident that the problem is located more in more lower back than elsewhere. I have a challenging race next weekend in Portland, Devon. The last 10km I ran was completed in 54 minutes. The average time for a man in this race is 1 hour 24 minutes! And the elevation map of the course looks positively horrific.
The latest on the accommodation situation is that we are still out in Hayes, staying at my parents’ place – who are kindly let us stay with them while we try and figure out something more permanent. As I think I posted previously, I bought a house (!) in Wellington, and this is now going through the final stages of the purchase. We’re also in the preliminary stages of nailing down a flat to buy in Isleworth – more of a modern pad for when we’re in London, in a reasonably accessible and nice part of town. I thought we were there but we might have a last minute change of mind – we’ll see what the next day or two brings.
You’ll be able to tell that I’ve got a lot on at the moment. Apart from the running, not a whole heap of travel lined up – but we’re only just back from NZ really. We’ve a trip to Amsterdam booked in for the end of this month, and then probably India on March on some frequent flyer miles, if I can get the right dates. After that – I’m not really sure. Possibly back to NZ for a visit / work in August – maybe New York somewhere along the way.
And that was the news, for now.
I find myself sitting in bed in London this Christmas eve – very different to arriving in Whangarei at Kate’s parents’ house with my friend Rob, this time in 2008. Different side of the world, opposite season, and very urban compared to what is pretty rural in New Zealand.
And much has happened this year:
- I have moved from NZ back to London – not sure how long for, but I’m here for now
- Kate came too
- I had a month long Fellowship in Japan
- I ran workshops all over New Zealand and went back in November this year to run some more
- I wrote, produced and was the talent for an educational DVD that has distributed all over the emegency management sector in New Zealand
- I have started work at the Department of Health in the UK as the Swine Flu Vaccine Policy Coordinator, while maintaining my business in New Zealand
- I secured a promotion at the Department of Health to Policy Manager in the Quality Framework Team, starting in the New Year
- I have secured honorary positions at the School of Psychology, Massey University, NZ and the National Centre for Neurology and Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan
- I attended a training course at Fordham University, New York
- I had a paper published in the New Zealand Medical Journal
- I bought a house in Wellington (subject to various conditions being met) and am looking to do the same in London
- I turned 40
- I took up running, with some gusto
- I played a lot of cricket, both in NZ and in the UK
- And best of all, Kate and I got engaged to be married.
Along the way, I have met some fantastic people, traveled all over New Zealand, to Japan, the USA, Sweden, the Netherlands, and France. I have renewed old friendships and rekindled connections with my family through being back in London. I think this has probably been one of the more eventful and satisfying years of my life. In fact, the decade started with my clinical training at University College London, which was one of the better decisions I have made in my life, as was my decision to go to New Zealand. But more reflections about the decade in another post. For now, I feel happy to be alive, to be sharing my life with wonderful people, satisfied with my achievements for the year and challenges for the next, and grateful for the privileges that my life has afforded me, compared to many, many others.
A whistle-stop trip back to Wellington and NZ for two weeks for a bit of work for Massey University and MCDEM, as well as catching up with my old Ministry of Health colleagues and H1N1-buster counterparts. The trip couldn’t have gone much better from a professional point of view – the workshops went well, though attendance could have been a little better. I’ve had a bit of input intosome research proposals – which we’ll wait to hear back about. It was also great to be valued again from a work perspective – something that I am sorely missing in London
From a personal point of view, it has been a brilliant trip too. Kate and I have had some fun in Wellington – though I was working much of the time. I got a good game of cricket in – we lost, but I bowled well and hit an unbeaten 19 coming in at No. 9 trying to hit 30 off 7 overs to win. We fell 9 short, but I did enjoy pulling a big 6 over deep square leg with Josh’s new bat. I completed by Triple Continent Challenge, running a 10km cross country race in England before I left (in hail, thunder and lightning), a 5km race in Santa Monica on the stopover to NZ (finished 7th in my age group, 41st out of 447 runners), and then a 5km race in Wellington.
Then finally, a lovely side-trip to Taupo, where I caught my first trout and had a great time with Kate’s family. There’s more – but I think we’re boarding soon, so I’d better shut up shop. Until LA.
My inner government geek is getting nourished at this residential course I am attending at the National School of Government in Sunningdale, near Ascot. The course is designed to give a detailed working orientation into the machinery of Government that is the parliamentary democracy of the United Kingdom. Much of it is taught here in Sunningdale, but we’ll be off to the Cabinet Office on Wednesday as well as a pressure group to see how they can influence Government policy. I will be off to visit the Green Alliance. Next week will include a full day at the Palace of Westminster, including a tour with Jeremy Corbyn MP, a talk with ex-Minister Charles Clarke MP and attending Departmental questions in the Commons and general questions in the Lords.
So far so good – the instructors and knowledgable and great presenters, and the exercises have been fun and thought-provoking. The food is great and the campus is very pretty. If only I could run …
I don’t talk about my relationship with Kate much on here – mainly because she prefers her relative obscurity on the net. But I am very happy to post that we got engaged on October 25th in Paris. It was a cold day, with a queue that looked around 3 hours long at the Eiffel Tower. I mistakenly gave Kate the choice and she opted out, which kicked my Plan A into touch. I re-grouped and asked her in the gardens, and she said yes.
Last weekend, we went ring shopping in Hatton Garden. For those who don’t know, this is the Jeweler’s Quarter of London, and almost gave me a heart attack as soon as we stopped at the first shop. There were rings at over 10,000 pounds. That is about NZ$25,000. Way too rich for me. However, we did choose a magnificent, which I duly took out a mortgage for – and it will be ready to pick up in a couple of weekends time. I’m sure those of you who know me will see it in due course.
Thank you, lovely Kate – you’ve made me very happy 
I think I need to see a doctor and / or a physio. I’ve had something of a sore hip for a couple of weeks now and I think I need to get it looked at. I tried a week of no running whatsoever, and a gradual re-introduction to a bit more running, but I think it is getting worse. A few more stretches were working to help it feel better, but seem to be getting a few more problems in my left calf now – probably because my gait has changed in order to try and protect my hip. I’m not sure what is going on – possibly something in my back, or my hip joint as I was experiencing something like sciatic numbness that I have experienced before from a cricket injury.
Will get it checked out before we’re off to Paris for the weekend on Oct 23rd.
A busy couple of weeks at work as the swine flu vaccine programme finally swings into action as the European Medicines Agency (EMEA) license the vaccines and the manufacturers actually start delivering vaccine. They’re in the distribution chain now and will be delivered to the their destinations from this week onwards. Work has been very busy as I one of the policy coordinators for the vaccine programme – but we’re hoping that things will start to calm down. Unfortunately, I think this might be wishful thinking as Parliament has returned and we have a steady flow of PQs from both houses. I also imagine some parliamentary debates coming up soon, for which Ministers will require briefing.
I’m not sure how long I’ll stay in this job though – I have opportinities to move on to do things other than the repetitive briefing and correspondence work I have been managing over the past 3 months. I should be in a position to something more about that in the next week or so. Until then, more of the same next week.
Cold. Expensive as hell. And I didn’t think people were all that friendly. In fact, Kate got positively shoulder-barged out of the way on a couple of occasions on the street. Not sure if they were natives or tourists, but hey, we’re leaving with a less than friendly impression of the place. Don’t get me wrong, we had fun, despite staying in a museum prison hostel with a very small living space and where the whole town seems to want to charge you for every little thing you do, including taking a pee. I mean, where was the last place you went where even McDonalds charged for you to take a pee? Left us unimpressed (and busting), to be sure.
People avoided eye-contact as a rule, and even if you said ‘Hej’, or whatever, you tended to just get a puzzled look in return. Not really teeming with positive vibes. Of course, it is hard to make a rounded judgment after only 4 days. But we spent almost 500 pounds on a budget that included sandwiches for packed lunch and self-made porridge for breakfast. I only had 2 beers out, and a few coffees & hot chocolates with Kate, and we stayed in a twin bunk in an ex-prison cell. Hardly what I’d call extravagant.
We spent a lot of time in Gamla Stan, scene of the Royal place and Bloodbath Square. The Swedes seem to have a touch of the dark about them. We certainly noticed it.
Although I’m a big fan of the iPhone, I don’t think it’s fantastic as a runner’s tool – especially now I’m starting to run a bit longer and further. I was running on Sunday and my battery for the iPhone was only at 37% after leaving fully charged with RunKeeper Pro on the whole time I was running – a GPS mapping and tracking app. And that was after about 1 hour 20 mins of running.
So I have succumbed and bought myself a Garmin Forerunner 405 bells and whistles GPS watch with heart rate monitor on eBay. It’s pretty pricey, but I think I’ll get a lot of wear out of it to be honest, the way my running is going. Will be fun to have it with me when out and about hiking and traveling about over the next few months overseas too, without having to worry about racking up data costs if trying to track my path using the iPhone.
I’ll post about how I get on with it.
I seem to be spending quite a lot of my spare time traveling. Either to and from work, or some kind of weekend activity. Unfortunately, quite a lot of the latter trips are tedious detours because the state of London and it’s transport infrastructure is so shockingly awful for a city of it’s stature. I think I preferred the far nicer trips I used to get sent on when in Wellington. Ah, managing a project budget – happy days.
I’m also traveling quite a lot by my legs as I’m really liking running at the moment. And my capacity to do so seems to be improving nicely. I’m able to knock off 10km pretty easily and have run about 38km over the past 5 days, including a recovery day with no running. I have developed bits of my calf muscles I have never had before. And my knees are perfectly fine. Running is also proving really effective in countering my post-40 slowing metabolism and as stress relief for the slightly unsatisfying work conditions I find myself in. Never thought I’d say it, but I think I’m hooked. Trying to make the running thing a habit, and I think it’s working.
A day out of the office though tomorrow. Gives me small relief from the swine flu vaccinefest.
It has been some time between posts, hasn’t it? That usually means that time has been at a premium. What with Kate arriving in London and setting up our lives here, that has certainly been true.
What can I catch you up with briefly before I make a better stab at keeping the blog up to date?
- The new job has been somewhat underwhelming. The title of Swine Flu Vaccine Policy Coordinator at the Department of Health in the UK seems to indicate some kind of policy development might be involved. Truth be told there has been scant trace of that – it has been mainly reactive briefing and correspondence duties so far. If it continues for much longer, I don’t know how long I will stick it.
- London life and how much energy it takes, with travel and trying to do interesting things has been revealed again to me again, somewhat shockingly. I don’t know how long I’ll be able to take it, especially if the job doesn’t pick up.
- I joined a cricket club and had a few lovely games of 20 over cricket at the end of the season. Missing thr old crew back in Wellington, though it was nice to be playing and bowling on grass wickets again
- Joined the Serpentine Running Club, and regularly managing 6-7km runs, and the odd long one thrown in too – including a 10.5km run tonight. Also ran my first 5km official event, which was a trail run in the middle of a hot day – clocked 23:58, which I was very happy with. I’ve also dropped down to 78kg – which is the least I’ve weighed since I was a about 30 – I’m also very pleased with that too. The aim is to try to do a few more 5km events, a 10km event before the end of the year, and then start a training programme for a half marathon in the spring.
- Kate and I have managed a bit of travel – as well as a day-trip to Calais and a weekend in Amsterdam (where Kate ended up in A&E – but that is another story), we also got down to Avebury, Bristol, Lewes and Seaford, St Albans, and Bournemouth. In the new few weeks, we have Stockholm and Paris lined up, as well as possibly Brussels, and a trip back to NZ via a weekend in LA for me to do some work.
- I now have a Visiting Researcher role at the National Institute of Mental Health, where I did my JSPS Fellowship earlier this year.
That’s enough I think – live blogs start again forthwith.
Almost a month has passed and it’s been so busy. Work continues in my new role, and I’m off to Amsterdam for a long weekend break with Kate early tomorrow morning. She has just completed two weeks working for Barking PCT which has been really challenging at times, but getting better.
Will post more with pics and background from the last few days and weeks over the weekend.
If you’re wondering why I’ve been so quiet, it is because I’ve been so busy. The new role, and getting used to the new way of doing things at the Department of Health for the UK Government based here in London is taking some getting used to, let alone commuting again. The commuting isn’t so bad as it takes about an hour. But still, I haven’t done this for years and am finding it quite tiring. Will aim to post more detail about life and its current pleasures and challenges later this week.
Finally sorted it out – will be joining the UK Department of Health Pandemic Influenza Immunisation Team in London, starting 20 July. Again, more later.
It’s been an interesting couple of weeks in the USA. First, visiting my old school friend Saideep and his lovely family in Philadelphia, and then a ‘Mental Health in Complex Emergencies’ certificate training course for 9 days full-time (plus a weekend off) at Fordham University in New York City. The highlight has to be the last three days where I have taken a specialist module called Training Others, with Dr Nancy Baron – a very experienced and incredibly competent international trainer. I’ve really appreciated her critical but caring approach and learned a lot over the past few days – both personally and professionally. A definite highlight of my professional development so far in my various careers.
Met some great people too – especially my room-mate (dorm accommodation at Fordham), Niroshan – a retired Sri-Lankan Army Major and Drew, a teacher and clinical social worker in NYC. It was great fun to hang out with Drew and his girlfriend, Erin at the weekend, watching a Minor League Baseball game out in Coney Island, Brooklyn, and then hanging out over 4th July weekend. But now, I’m at the airport preparing to head back to London. I arrive at 10am on the 9th of July, and Kate arrives at 10pm – she’ll be in the air right now en-route to London and about to land in Singapore.
More later.
The last time I was in London in June was in 2004. That’s quite a while since I had a summer in the UK. Having left NZ for at least 5-6 months before I get to go back, it feels quite surreal. Especially leaving Kate. I am so looking forward to having her arrive in London on July 9. The last week or so has been manic with getting her flat packed up and ready to let, getting out stuff into storage and getting packed ready to leave. What with the pandemic situation and all the practical things we have had to do – the last few days have been a blur. I will also be in London for less than a week before I’m off to New York for a 12 day course. In the meantime, I have a meeting with the Department of Health to find out about a possible job there. I’ll post more when I know.
Missing Wellington already (but it is nice to be warm).
I’m writing this on the A380 in economy class from Singapore to London. To be honest, the 777-200ER from Auckland to London was looking pretty tired and a little dated, and was very full. I didn’t sleep much, but about as much as I needed to get through the next day. Killed 6 hours at the airport by lounge-hopping and going for a swim at the rooftop swimming pool in Terminal 1 at Changi Airport. However, the A380 is a different beast altogether. The flight is still pretty full, but I think it feels quite roomy. I am on the main deck but might try and go for a look around in a short while, perhaps to the upper deck economy section. I’ve been pretty lucky to get 45D, and though i have a sleepy infant in the bassinet just next to me – they seem very quiet and haven’t heard a squeak from them …yet.
We’re about 3 hours into the flight and I have watched Watchmen, which for an unfilmable graphic novel I thought they did a brilliant job. The soundtrack was very good too, though it was a little spooky when they played ‘All along the Watchtower’ at a key point in the movie. Kate and I have watched all 4 seasons of Battlestar Galactica over the last 3 months. If you’ve watched it, you’ll know how key that particular song becomes as the series unfolds. It has become a bit of a fixation of ours – although the BSG franchise seems to favour the Bob Dylan version, and Watchmen uses Jimmy Hendrix. Still, when I heard the first few riffs, I sat up bolt upright and expected to see Saul Tigh grimacing one-eyed into the camera, muttering, ‘…it’s coming from the SHIP!’
I don’t think this A380 is talking to me quite yet, though it has managed to keep the door to Singapore Airlines open. After the flight from Auckland to Singapore, I had decided to stick to Air NZ pretty much exclusively. However, if prices were considerably different, or Singapore airlines manages to smarten up the 777 Singapore – Auckland leg, they could be back in the game.
God, I hate packing. But pack we must. And we’re making slow and steady progress, tortuous though it is at times. I have 6 days to go and this is my final weekend in Wellington until December. Very peculiar to be leaving work on the day a global pandemic phase 6 is declared by WHO. A job in emergency management for over 3 years, and I leave on that day. Ah, the hollow irony!
It looks like New Zealand authorities are beginning to pick up their first cases of community based transmission of Influenza A (H1 N1), and some of those cases are in Wellington. So, it looks like scrupulous hand-washing and hygiene practices for me to keep myself well before I go to the UK – though cases are increasing rapidly there too.
I still have relatively little idea as to the exact role I will be going into when I arrive in the UK, after my course in New York. I am slightly disappointed in the level of communication I am receiving from the Department of Health over there. I am now technically jobless and don’t know what I’ll be doing after I arrive in London – and from Tuesday, Kate is in the same boat. I’m sure it will all come out in the wash, but the uncertainty is a challenge that adds to the turmoil of the move.
Car and scooter on TradeMe (that’s the local eBay for you non-NZers), as are the plethora of excess music players that I have.
Is it really happening?
Took an old TV and excess clothes to the recycling station at the city dump.
Is it really happening?
Putting our clinical papers and books into the storage locker.
Is it really happening?
Pulling out the suitcase and trying to see how much might fit in it.
Is it really happening?
Emailing London to try and sort out a job and meeting people again for perhaps the first time in years.
Is it really happening?
My mum asking what Kate likes for breakfast.
Is it really happening?
Mailing people to arrange to say goodbye.
It is really happening.
June already. Hard to know how that happened. Time, as always, speeds up as you approach a deadline.Apart from the dreadful weather, it’s been a lovely weekend. I had a good cricket net for two hours with some of the lads and I feel like I’ve kept a bit of the form I was starting to show at the end of the season. Later that day, a few bits and pieces around the flat before heading off to the Gurdwara on Sunday morning for the first time in weeks.
I had a surprise in store. As the shabad are sung in the Gurdwara, there is a now a big projector screen on which a computer projects the shabad lyrics in both pubjabi, gurmurkhi and english scripts. Quite amazing. It was nice to catch up with people and I definitely want to be back there at least one more Sunday before I go to London. The rest of the weekend was in in Waikanae with Kate and her father Tim – and a cold night it was too. Winter really has hit New Zealand over the last week, blowing autumn aside with a cold blast up from the antarctic.
I’m still unsure as to what work I will have when I get to the UK. At the moment, it looks like nothing. I hope I’ll be able to sort something out over the next 6 weeks or so which is when i will be available for work. And Kate is in the same position. I have two weeks left at work in NZ, then off to the UK briefly before the course in New York, and then … uncertainty. We’ll have to ride that out for a few weeks yet. Until then, packing, making the most of what Wellington has to offer, and getting to the finale of Battlestar Galactica. It’ll be good to have certainty in that at least.
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