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Rob and I have just arrived back from yet another trip to Sheffield for a job interview with a private laboratory. I did two jobs on the bench before they decided to pull me aside for a little chat. The upshot is that I believe a letter of offer is on it’s way via the good ol’ Royal Mail! Hallelujah! I am not gonna say “it’s about time” because I know that I need to learn to be more patient, so I am just gonna bask in my relief and gratitude, and say “Praise the Lord!”

The job will require doing a mandatory 10 week trial, so the first obstacle to overcome will be finding some temporary inexpensive accommodation (likely impossible but we have faith!) as we think it would be presumptuous to sign a longer term lease. The laboratory have offered to help find something so we are hoping they will have some success with that.

In the times that we have visited Sheffield I haven’t been able to look around much, but yesterday I got to see a bit more of it and I am well impressed. It seems like such a thriving metropolis, with no shortage of cafes, restaurants and entertainment venues, not to mention the masses of new uni students beginning the term giving the whole place a very social and festive feel!

Well that’s all I have to report for now! Thanks to all those who have offered up prayers for my employment situation - I am very grateful. Will try to keep you posted of further developments!

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Autumn is on it’s way, it’s getting dark earlier, and it’ll soon be Christmas! Well ok, it’s still about 14 or so weeks until Santa uses the chimney as a door, but it’ll soon be getting much colder! On the upside though, at least we won the Ashes in the Cricket!!

Recently we spent almost 2 weeks on the road, being in Sheffield for a day or so, and then Glasgow for the remainder of the time. It gets very wet and windy in Glasgow, and it wasn’t too warm - you actually have to wear a jacket half the time in August! I managed to get a short trip to Edinburgh one day when Dawn was working, and also saw parts of Glasgow that I hadn’t before. Check out our Photos section for a few pics I took!

On Saturday we both spent the day in London - Dawn at an interview, me just wandering about - catching random tube trains and buses! Currently Dawn is waiting to hear from a couple of labs in London, and one of the Glasgow labs which may be opening a lab in London. So maybe we’ll end up in London - or if that doesn’t work, maybe we’ll look at something else.

I’m hoping to send off my visa application in the next week so maybe we’ll end up downunder at some point soon. As you can tell, things are still very much up in the air here!!

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Since my last entry, we got to the show (The Producers) without too many problems - the tube in London at the time still had a number of lines either not in operation, or partially working. We enjoyed the show, and the fact we had box tickets given to us made it even better! However, if you’re ever in the theatre district of London, do not go to the Indian Restaurant opposite Theatre Royal, on Drury Lane! We had a curry there, and it wasn’t that good. In our photo section we have a couple of photos from the evening - Elliott, a friend from uni, was playing drums in the band that evening.

We made a trip to Glasgow on Wednesday - it was my first time to Scotland. We were following some potential employment leads, and it looks like we’ll be making another trip there next week, as well as to Sheffield. The overnight bus coming back was a killer, so I think we’ll make that a day trip next time! Currently there is a Piping Festival in Glasgow, so every where you walked in the city centre you would hear bagpipes being played!

It’s my birthday coming up on the 27th, and it looks like we will be in Scotland that weekend. We have also now put together our Wedding Photo Album! We were given an album as a present, which we have used to put 72 photos into it from the Wedding & Reception in England, and the 2nd Reception in Australia. The Australian Spouse Visa application is still being worked on, and I hope to be able to submit my application in early September.

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The process for my Australian spouse visa has officially got underway now! Just a short while ago I went through the medical required by Australian immigration, which included x-ray, blood test, and general prodding here and there.

It wasn’t such an ordeal as I thought it was going to be, though it was the first time I’ve had blood taken from me. After getting there early I was in and out within 40 minutes - and now have a slight bruise and plaster (band-aid) on my right arm!

Things for the application are generally coming together now - a few more pieces of evidence to get, and then hopefully in a few weeks time it can all go to the High Commission in London. The clinic I had the tests today will send the forms straight to London in a couple of weeks when the blood test comes back. I’ve also found a forum recently with people who are applying or have applied for Australian immigration - in some parts helpful regarding evidence, in other parts not helpful as some people who reply to posts aren’t totally clued up on all the requirements, and ins and outs of it all. (I’ve spent a lot of time looking over the DIMIA website in great detail, like I did with the IND website for Dawn’s UK visa)

No news on the job front from either of us just yet. We’re hoping to see a show in London tomorrow - the tickets were given to us as a wedding present. A friend from uni, Elliott, is playing drums in the band for the show! Hopefully we can still get there with the recent additional developments on happenings in our capital.

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