Q2 ANNIVERSARY: 6 months and counting

This anniversary is definitely more special than the first one. The thing about these last three months is that they involved all very good things, with the exception of a few disturbances. And to continue with what is now my quartelry anniversary tradition, these are the highlights:

• Best days: my birthday :) , the day I finished my thesis proposal, the week I spent in Brno and the workshop, the day I got my iPod.

• Worst days: the first night and first few days I moved to the flat, and the days of the bombings in London and Sharm el Sheikh.

• Exciting things: the first time I walked down Snakes Lane while listening to my iTunes :), the day I went to Oxford (although I like Cambridge more), and the day I knew about my paper being published in the conference proceedings.

• Cutest name for a bus stop: Ye Old Cherry Tree

• Cutest name for a pub: The Occasional Half

• Where I live: same old Ponders End till 26/6 when I made the big move to the city, you know, where life is. The best thing about this flat is the fact that I have my own space, the loneliness issue was very bad at first but I think I have come to realise its good side too. It's also nice to have a bakery right across the street owned by a Sudanese guy with Arabic written on its sign.

• Best joke I heard on TV: Q: what is the first thing the Brits will buy if money was not an issue? A: France, just to close it down :)

• The people: I have been meeting more and more people. One of the most exciting things was meeting a bunch of people from all over the world in the Lexicom workshop who were fascinated by the idea that I can actually write from right to left :) yeh, language people!! :)

• What I really want to do tomorrow: get on that plane and fly home.

• What I really look forward to: coming back to London to start the real work (dedicated, aren't I? :) )

• Best way to celebrate this anniversary: to end my online chat with mum, dad and miro by saying: see you tomorrow :)

So, after 6 months on my own in London, how do I feel? Well, I can say I've changed a lot. I learned a lot, laughed a lot, cried a lot, read a lot, went out a lot, stayed alone a lot, worked a lot, played a lot, stressed out a lot and walked a lot (I have a record of 12000 steps to prove it too :) ) To tell you the truth, I never thought I could actually stay away from home for whole 6 months, but I did it. And if I can do this, I can do anything :)

Mai