Chapter Two

It seems that nearly every blogger on the Internet at some stage apologises for neglecting his blog for a while. It's such a cliché that I'm not even going to do it. The reason for a shortage of new posts is usually one of two, either the blogger's life has become so boring that there really is nothing to write about or real life is keeping him/her so busy that spending time online to share his thoughts becomes less of a priority.

In my case it's currently a bit of both. I'm making a transition into what I call Chapter 2 of my London experience. I am now living in a completely different part of the City, getting used to new working conditions, enjoying having a bit more money and the changing of the season serves as a very visual metaphor for all the other changes taking place in my life. While flat-hunting, moving all my earthly possessions using public transport, learning new bus routes and getting lost on my way to the local supermarket is enough to keep me very busy, it's not necessarily interesting blogging material.

Also, going into this new phase makes one ask certain questions, like: “Where has the last 5 months gone?”, “What should I be doing with the next 5 months?” and “When my Visa runs out, will I be able to go home feeling that I have seen and done enough?”. I don't have answers to these questions, but at least I have pictures to show where I was while pondering all of this:



The sun broke through the clouds behind Lord Nelson on his Column. After a cloudy morning, Trafalgar Square was bathed in winter sun.



Everything had a fresh glow to it. I had to run up the steps of the National Gallery to find a spot to capture the almost surreal atmosphere. The unique colour of the light reminded me of the movie 300.



Click on this panorama picture to see more detail. The South African Embassy can be seen at the far left. I'm proud to say it's every bit as impressive as the Canadian Embassy on the right. This picture was taken around 13h00, but note how low on the horison the sun his hanging. Just about it's highest spot of the day...



The view towards Richmond Park from the balcony of my new flat, around 16h30. With a bit of imagination (or home-sickness) it almost looks like a winter sunset in the Bushveld back home...



Found in the garden of my old house-share home while visiting to watch the rugby over the weekend. Charming...



Autumn in Bishop's Park. Taking a walk after work early one morning.