Tuesday, January 02, 2007

A year in review, 2006

2006 started well, with news that I had a permanent job in the town where I now live. It was welcome news, after months of slogging around London looking for a decent job.

I view it now as a "sliding doors" scenario, as my life has completely changed because of that job offer, for the better.

It could've gone so completely differently. The obvious scenario would've been returning to South Africa with my tail between my legs, beaten on my quest to start again in England. Moral support from my Brother in South Africa and some financial support and advise from my Mom over here saw me through the tough part.

The first month of January was pretty hellish, the only thing keeping me going was knowing that I was now employed. I commuted from Wimbledon to Odiham (Basingstoke). I was living in a shared house in Wimbledon with 5 other people, one bathroom and next to no privacy. I'd awake at 4.30am, be at the station for 5.30am and finally arrive at work at 8.30am. I'd arrive home around 9pm eat and just crash. Often I'd drink a few cans of cider on the train journey home, listening to my CD walkman. Very surreal - Gorillaz, Nick Cave and Green Day inside the vacuum of the train reflecting on itself in the windows.

It was dark when I left for work for the entire journey except the last half hour and dark all the way home. Winter in England can get very bleak at times.

My next break came when my Mom agreed to loan me the money to put a deposit down on the High Street flat where I now live with Cathy, so on the 27th of January, I finally had a place to call my own, four long months after arriving back in England.

To say I was in absolute heaven at the time of moving in would be an understatement. A picturesque little town, my own cool little pad right on the High Street and a great job - there was only one thing missing - friends!

The next five months were all a bit of a blur. I went up to London several times, up to Warwickshire to visit Mom and generally enjoyed the freedom of my own place again. I didn't really meet anyone, aside from a few nods here and there in the High Street and my work colleagues.

I suppose around April/May I was noticed by Cathy. I have no idea what she thought of me then, but she said she liked my bum. Not too long after, she discovered my Blog and I clocked on that the girl in Number 81 and Wine Rack was Cathy after discovering her Blog.

An interesting turn of events took place whereby Cathy was determined to get me to notice her. She invited me to a barbaque at 81. I got ready that evening but for some reason chickened out - I got all the way to the door, got stage fright, went home and Blogged about it. As luck would have it, Cathy and Garrett were online at the time, saw my Blog post and came around and knocked on the door to fetch me.

The Barbaque was fun. The next month or so, I kinda played "hard to get" and Cathy, bless her, was patient. I wanted to make sure I didn't rush in head first to a relationship.

Since then, Cathy (and Smodge cat) has moved in with me and life has been very interesting. Cathy's year has been really trying as has the life of her friends. With the loss of a business and the numerous upsets and issues that go along with it, 2006 was hardly a good year for her.

For me, it's been very interesting. Life changing in many ways, but then, that's what I set out to do when I left South Africa late 2005.

What 2007 will bring, I have no idea. One thing I do know, I'm back at work tomorrow and I'm starting to think a change on that front is due at some point this year.

Sliding doors - how strange that a simple phone call "you're hired" can so completely change things. Destiny?

Then again, I suppose leaving South Africa in the first place was opening a new door - a daunting and exciting action I'd heartily recommend to anyone!