Part of the decision on where to rent a house (and, actually, which ones to visit) was always which primary school is in the neighborhood for our kids to go to. With the house question settled, it was time to visit the local school and take a look. Continue reading “Going to school”
It’s been four weeks since I stepped on a plane in Düsseldorf to begin my journey to Melbourne. Four weeks of getting to know the new city and new country that we will call home for the next few years. Four weeks of working together with my new colleagues and meeting new clients.
The impressions I have collected in these past weeks have been quite intense. From the tranquil mornings in the parks of South Melbourne to the parade on ANZAC day, from the copious amounts of – quite good – coffee being consumed here to the many houses and apartments I have seen, from footy to driving on the wrong side of the street.
But, besides all of that, I think what has struck me most is the open and friendly people I have encountered along the way. Striking up a conversation in the elevator and sharing a few comments about footy, or the pizza you are carrying, is the most normal thing in the world. The pinnacle of that was the border guard checking our passports when we left Melbourne. He actually engaged us in friendly conversation and we shared some jokes. I did not know border guards with a sense of humour were even allowed into the force. 🙂
I am very much looking forward to living in this far-away part of the world and I cannot wait to bring the whole family there. I hope that the kids will enjoy it as much as we have.
After getting the good news, we decided that it was time for some R&R downtown.
After a long flight, Willemijn has arrived safely in Melbourne. Slightly tired and red-eyed, but in good spirit. Continue reading “She has arrived”
Today is Anzac Day. One hundred years ago today, during World War I, forces from Australia and New Zealand landed on the peninsula of Gallipoli. Continue reading “ANZAC day 2015”
Coffee culture here in Melbourne is something to behold. There are little café’s and coffee shops on every corner, and everywhere you look there is someone walking around with one of these little cups, for which they just spent in excess of AU$ 3,50. Continue reading “on coffee”
The weather here in Melbourne is really… interesting. I had been told that “four seasons in a day” is a common occurrence, but I did not really want to believe it at the time. Continue reading “on weather”
My introduction to the Australian culture progressed another step: last night I was invited to go and see a game of Footy: Continue reading “on footy”
Just a very short warning: don’t try driving in downtown Melbourne during rush hour. The traffic is really bad. Continue reading “on traffic”
Today I have taken half a day off of work to start looking at housing. Not so much because I think that I will find the one right off the bat, but more because I think it’s a good idea to get into the swing of things and see how they work. Continue reading “Inspections”
europe2australia.com 