First week at work and a new identity

This is a picture of Dunedin from Signal Hill, taken last Saturday. Isn't it lovely? It was warm and sunny and we were walking about without coats on. More later...

Well, the first week at work was good. I get to go to a lecture every day at 11 o'clock, and hear about molecular genetics. Actually I've learned a few things I didn't know before, mostly about Drosophila... lucky me. On Wednesday I took my lab, having shadowed on Monday. I think it went well, and I have to say a big thank you to my demonstrators who were stars. I couldn't have done it without you. The students were also very nice, and apart from not knowing their names, it was pretty much like Glasgow. This week was also momentous in that I got an IRD number, a bank account, a staff number, a staff card and a new identity. That's right, the University of Otago thinks my name is Margaret. Well, it is, at least that's my middle name. So if you want to email me at Otago, send the mail to Margaret.

What else have I done? Got a bit further forward with transcribing the student interviews, watched four episodes of "Third Rock from the Sun" (which I first saw, in New Zealand, 12 years ago, along with my first encounter with "Hercules - the Legendary Journeys" and "Xena, Warrior Princess"). I also met my landlady, Pip, and her three children, Nick, Maddy and Charlotte, who are lovely. And Bill, who's renovating the staircase, and Leica, who is from Braintree and teaches physio at the uni. Went out for dinner to Starfish on Thursday night, and was exhausted at work on Friday, where I spent most of the day preparing material for Microbiology study groups. (ha ha).

On Friday, after work, I went to the Zoology Department with Lisa to the pre-graduation gathering, and met someone (I thought his name was Matt but it might by Marty) who knows Jo and Dan and all my demonstrators from way back. And yet we'd never met! So he caught up on all the gossip from Glasgow. Then we met Lisa's friend Kate and went to the South Bar and met some botanists (!) and Graeme, Lisa's other half. Then we went to the Thai Tom Kar Cafe and had some really quite nice food. At this point I should talk about the weather. On Wednesday it started raining, then it got colder, so on Friday night, we had rain, hail, wind and sleet. We sat in the cafe watching the weather get worse and worse...

I now have a dehumidifier, which has made a terrific difference to the house. The house was bitterly cold (I may have already mentioned this) but mostly because it was quite damp. The dehumidifier has been working its little socks off to dry up the air in the house, and I take it from room to room. It's quite funny - it sits in the corner, purring away, and every so often has a little widdle to itself, as it pours water into the reservoir. It's quite unnerving.