Two homes
Occurred around January 2008
We returned to Western Australian for three weeks during the Christmas break and stepped off the plane into the glorious warmth of Perth. My brother took us back to his place where we showered and changed and then announced it was time for the beach. What better way to throw off the effects of 25 hours in transit? The beach with its attendant rituals of beach cricket followed by a long swim in the ocean is nearly a religion with my family - Sundays were not for dressing up and going to church, rather for dressing down and heading for the beach.
With our two year posting to England half over it's interesting to return to Perth and notice the changes. And there are so many changes. Everywhere we went there were new buildings, new roads, everything booming due to the wealth flowing from the vast mining industry of the state. And yet when I think back to where we live in London with our corner pub basically unchanged in the last 400 years there is something very appealing about a lack of change.
In the evening the BBQ on the veranda was lit and some lovely fresh seafood grilled to perfection. Add some cold Aussie beer and life is good. I wonder why we ever agreed to a two year posting in the UK. But then I think back to a few months earlier in London when we suddenly decided that we'd like some fish and chips and Tim, in his usual impulsive way suggested we go to Rick Stein's café, "Excellent fish and chips, so I hear."
"But that's in Padstow, isn't he?"
"That's right. Cornwall, our favourite part of the UK." He didn't mention that Cornwall and Devon were the only parts we knew even slightly, but we both loved what we'd seen of the area and so the following weekend drove 250 miles for some fish and chips.
We took a day to get there. So many interesting detours and stops along the way. And when we got there had a wonderful seafood meal and an equally wonderful stay at the Coswarth House B&B. Yes it was more than simple fish and chips and while Rick also runs a chippery where you can go to get some take-away we'd booked at the restaurant.
As the family gathering at the BBQ wound down and the sunset faded to black I thought how wonderful it would be to slip down to our local; a pint of best bitter for Tim and a G&T for me. There would be the sound of a dart match from the public bar, the same old characters occupying the corner of the Snug, the same low oak beam that Tim kept knocking into. But that was half a world away!
"So," my brother enquired, "you missing home yet?"
"Yes, that's the problem. I'm missing both my homes!"
Submitted by Robyn - 18 Feb 2008