Week Twelve - Another Chapter begins (& another one & another one)

ONE CHAPTER ENDS...Well here I am back in the UK; something I didn't think was necessarily going to happen as I left Dubai on Friday.  I have never experienced half an hour of turbulence like it in my life...there was screaming and crying and vomiting (funnily enough no-one else around me seemed to feel it!! Joking).  I genuinely thought the end was upon me which would have been a real travesty given all the wee ideas I've come home with that I want to try out on the British public (well the Glasgow one to start with anyway).

The whole week was spent reintegrating from the South Island of NZ to London with an acclimatisation stop in Melbourne.  What am I on about...well after two and a half months of rural living, no traffic lights (in fact barely any traffic) and the peace and quiet of the beautiful countryside, beaches etc it was quite startling getting back into city life...people scowling and banging into you if you were in their way (forget it if you expected a smile and "good morning"), the hustle, bustle and my very jittery driving as it felt like cars were coming at you from everywhere.  Oh yes and going out at night involves putting on high heels...something I did in Melbourne for the first time in 2014...no wonder my back has been perfectly fit and healthy since I started this trip.

I had a great time as always in Melbourne catching up with some of my dearest friends and also some new.  Without fail they all make time to catch up (even if it's only brief) when I'm there and for that I am very grateful.  It also made me realise one of the things I can be grateful to my old employer for; with only a couple of exceptions, the great friendships I have in Melbourne are with people I have met through NAB; either through working with them on the good old SAP project all those years ago, or the UK crew who've migrated. A good reminder that work isn't just work...it's a conduit to so much more.

ANOTHER CHAPTER BEGINS - In a bid to stay awake on Friday having arrived back at 7am, I took myself into the City to meet Lindsey for lunch....a combination of jet lag, buses, bikes, taxis and cars led to a couple of freaky moments...next time I'll confine myself to the suburbs.

So I'm now officially reintegrated, even taking on London's rush hour commute this morning...I'm so brave.

And why was I in the rush hour commute? Well today was the start of my Level 3 Wine Society Education Trust course.  In true "me" fashion, instead of doing it over an eight week day release basis, I'm doing it in 4.5 days with a full on exam on Friday afternoon (50 question multiple choice, 5 short answer questions and 2 blind tasting notes).  It may not sound like much and it's not that complicated (especially when you've submersed yourself in it for the last few months).  What it is though is volumous, extremely detailed and theoretical.  The five short answer questions are the hard part as you're required to apply the theory and the questions could be on any aspect of viticulture, winemaking, wine style, pricing etc for any part of the world.

I've put the work in (the text has been read from cover to cover and two notebooks have been filled) but retention at this point is minimal so I am relying on the next few days to bring it all to life. 

Those of you who know me well know I push myself to succeed.  I want to do really well at this not least for the opportunities it affords you if you pass with distinction. That said I'm being realistic and recognise I'm doing it the hard way.  A pass will be good enough and for the first time ever failure is a real possibility...something I may have to adjust to if the future is about trying out a few business ideas.

So for the next few days it's head down and focused.  Look forward to telling you how I did in next weeks blog. Wish me luck!!

Whilst in Melbourne I...

...HUNG OUT AT Montalto winery and olive grove for what turned out to be my last Southern Hemisphere winery trip.  I was there on the way out but the wines and the scenery are just stunning...

...WINED ON...as many of my collection I could before I had to leave.  This included a stunning Framingham F Series Pinot Noir...

...DINED ON...a beautiful burger and chips at the pop up Stokehouse restaurant in St Kilda with the Australian franchise of the First Thursday Club (for those of you who don't know, c. 15 years ago I set up the First Thursday Club (FTC) with some of the girls I worked with and got on really well with. The premise is you know you meet up every first Thursday of the month for chat, food, wine etc.  It is still going strong and has seen all of us through major life events over the years.  When one of our members Hilary moved to Melbourne she established the Melbourne franchise.  I have big plans for this network but more to follow on that in later blogs).  

The story of the Stokehouse is amazing. The Stokehouse is a beachfront institution amongst the diners of Melbourne.  When I arrived at the start of my trip it had burned down the previous weekend. Immediately they decided this was not going to set them back and within three weeks or so they had a fully functioning pop up restaurant up and running again.  Other than the slight bounce in your step as you walk you'd never realise it's a massive tent. An amazing effort by all involved and I would argue a much nicer venue!!

So that's me for now.  Off to bury my head back in the books. I'll let you know how I go next week.

Have a good one.