It's interesting comparing the governance of schools in the UK and Australia (or, more precisely, in England and New South Wales). The headline figures are that only 7% of children in England attend private schools whereas more than 30% of children in Australia do so. But examination of the details makes the difference much less: many state schools in England seem closer to me to Australian private schools than to Australian state schools.
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I am now a British citizen, after a pleasantly low-key ceremony last Thursday in the County Hall. more
Coming out of the Cowley Rd Tesco a few weeks ago, I ran into an old chess and bushwalking friend I hadn't seen more for more than a decade. more
On May 5th the UK will be voting on (among other things) a referendum to use "Alternative Vote" instead of "First Past the Post" in electing members of Parliament. more
Being in Oxford has made me think about one of the turning points in my life, which came when I finished my undergraduate degree. more
Utility costs are very different in Sydney and Oxford. Overall the UK is more expensive, even at current exchange rates. more
I've adjusted to thinking in pounds and not converting prices to Australian dollars, at least for daily life. more
As a citizen of a Commonwealth country resident in the UK, I am eligible to vote in UK elections. And I've just sent off a letter to the Oxfordshire Council registering as a voter so I can do that. more
After a drive down to Canberra and back with my father and step-mother, I finally have my visa! A big thank you to the visa unit staff who took pity on me and put my visa into my passport on the same day - Australia Post probably wouldn't have been fast enough for me to make my (already delayed once) flight. more
I was supposed to fly to the UK on January 25th, with C, but with no news about my visa application since December 17th that didn't happen. more
Today was my last day at work. I've been working at the University of Sydney, first for Anatomy and then for Medical Sciences, for sixteen years, so it's a pretty big change for me - I don't think I've lived in a house as long as I've worked in the Anderson Stuart building. more
