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We’ve been back in England for a whole week now, and somehow it feels much longer. Probably because everything is still so familiar, and we’re perfectly at home here. The girls just walked through the door, and it’s as though they’d never left the place, and we’ve already seen a lot of our friends, who Read more

Ah, can’t beat a bit of holiday blues…. Arriving back from a week on the beach in Mexico to rain and grey skies was not good. But 2 days later, the sun came out again, and we’re enjoying California once more, at least for a few days before making our big trip across the pond Read more

Summer has finally arrived in California, and it’s just wonderful. Gone are those long weeks of grey skies and – for this area – freezing temperatures (it’s been snowing in Tahoe the last few weeks). Back are the technicolor sky, the yellow and green hills, the slight breeze in the air. Driving along the most Read more

As you probably know, there are some topics I never tire of, the first being bilingualism and language acquisition, and the second, cultural identity and clashes. I could read and write about those forever, and probably will, given the fact that I’ve chosen to change my cultural surroundings from time to time. Anyway, I just Read more

This is the time of year that California really shines (and in the autumn again). It’s warm but not hot yet, jasmine is in full bloom, and wherever you go, that heady scent fills the air, occasionally mixed with the more tangy smell of eucalyptus. There are a few eucalyptus trees right outside my balcony, Read more

So, yes, I slept all night. Sorry! I did not set my alarm for 3am to watch the big spectacle, but I did go online first thing this morning to check everybody’s FB comments and of course to see Kate’s dress! And now here I am, at midday, enjoying the footage all by myself, with Read more

I went to see this film yesterday, Race to Nowhere. And now I know I’m not alone with my views on the insanity of our children’s lives (read my recent blog). The film pretty much stated all the items I wrote about, sometimes even verbatim. They were talking about the “robotization” of children, their incredible Read more

It’s sunny again in California, finally. I feel so much better, it’s like looking at everything with rose-tinted spectacles. The light in this part of the world is amazing; it blows me away again and again. I went on a long hike this morning (yes, actually an actual “hike” rather than a walk) with a Read more

Yes, it’s been almost a year since we left the UK…. What a strange feeling, and I can sense a whole torrent of emotions building up and rolling towards me (the PMS doesn’t help). Of course, the insanity that has been ruling our planet those last few weeks doesn’t help either; rather, it makes we Read more

I could just fill this entry with words like “hiss” and “spit” and other angry, angry stuff. I am angry. I wish I could push a button and transport myself and my family somewhere else, possibly into a parallel universe. This world is worrying me and stressing me out.I’m not sure if it’s just this Read more