Rob (is no longer) in Europe

After submitting my PhD thesis I wandered around Europe for six months (way back in 2008–2009). I spent two years working in Paris and learning French (2010–2012) then two years in Durham, North Carolina (2012–2014) before returning home.

And I'm way behind in writing about my travels and other significant life events.

No pumpkin pie

Misc posts Oct 17, 2020

For the first time in six years, I didn’t have the time and energy to make a pumpkin pie for Canadian Thanksgiving. Melbourne has been in stage 3 lockdown since July 8 (101 days and counting). For us, the restrictions have primarily been inconvenient rather than truly disruptive or harmful. We have few friends within the 5km travel limit, and I’m unable to go to the gym and do rehab exercises, or to let off steam by playing ice hockey. There are many people in this city for whom the lockdown has been much more serious and damaging. With daily case numbers remaining low (and possibly decreasing) hopefully we’ll hear tomorrow that some restrictions will be eased. In the meantime, there’s still no pumpkin pie …

Le quartier francophone

French posts Aug 9, 2019

Last month, while visiting friends and family in Canada, we discovered that Edmonton has a French Quarter. Ça m’a surpris ! Especially since there doesn’t appear to be an equivalent neighbourhood in Calgary. We only paid it a cursory visit, long enough to enjoy a relaxed lunch in la cité francophone, but not sufficient for the French-speaking part of my brain to get out of first gear. However, last week we said goodbye to a French colleague who is returning to France to take up a permanent position, and despite some stumbles I was able to hold most of a conversation in French. So I just need some time to get back in the groove. Quel soulagement !

Is it funny?

French posts Nov 25, 2018

Given my time spent in North Carolina, and having recently spent a month in France and a short amount of time on London, I repeatedly ask myself a question that I cannot answer: “Why do I feel more at home in France than I do in anglophone countries that are not Australia?”.