First Week of Actual Work

      So it is Christmas Eve and I have now worked my first week at my new job. Things are falling into place. For starters I now know what I am exactly doing for my research. Basically it is a very natural evolution of the work that I did for my PhD. It's going mean I have to learn some new concepts with regard to Density Functional Theory, but the basic concept is really cool and might offer a route to doing the same sort of work but applied to the stuff I worked on at Warwick.
     I've almost settled into my new office. Getting music onto the computer there, setting it up how I like, getting back into using Linux (a good thing), have a play with LaTeX, Jabref, and I now need to convert my Endnote bibliograpy over to Jabref. I have also sorted out a few basics, like running the program I will be mainly using.
      On the subject of technology I have given up on keeping a paper lab book for ntoes and results, and have now started using Evernote a lot. Works perfectly, and for any written notes I take pictures of the sheet and store it there with the typed up notes.
      Also this week were are getting more used to shopping for food. There are a few shops we like shopping at, and really it is not any moe expensive that the UK. Just seems buying healthy is considered a bit weird over here. The assistants in the health food places are really nice though. I guess they are happy that we 'strange young people' want to shop there.
      We have also been to Essen, which is quite modern, and has a lot of shops there, including a Lush which Sam gets cosmetic and bathroom washes from. So we will be going back there for hopping in future.
      Also it looks like we now have two rpg groups. Or at least one and one in the making. One will be a semi frequent group playing Dresden Files (which is a pretty good system). But we will also soon be setting up a new WoD group. On that note Darker Days 32 is out where myself, Mark and Mike are joined by Vince, who with Mark, set up the podcast to begin with.
      This Xmas then is going to be spent watching Xmas films (Batman Returns, Gremlins, etc) and having our mate James stay over, as he has been in Germany for a month now and is working up in Hamburg.

First few days of the new job

So loving my new job. I know it has really been 2 days there but the thing is I can make more immediate contributions. Right now I just have to get familiar with the code, since the methods it is based upon I know inside out (shit I get asked to review papers on the subject as I am an "expert" on it). So instead the challenges are more related to the applications of the methods. It just feels like it will be less of an uphill battle.

Add to that I will be getting a decent wage for which my previous experience counts for a lot. So I being paid what I am worth. This means finally I can save money, while paying off the credit card, and in the next 10 months, finish paying off my loan to the bank.

This is weird. I have never been in such a scenario. Even better it looks like renting over here will actually give you good value (seriously our flat here is as big as our old one but we are paying less and bills are included).

Other plus', I feel like my work drive has been renewed, plus I like the atmosphere of living here. Not worked out what is different. Maybe it is the cheap, but excellent food.

Add to this I have a conference in Berlin at the end of March, and I can take my wife with me. So basically we just have to pay for her train ticket. :D

To finish off we now have almost everything ready for Venice for our 3 year anniversary. And well being married is great, and in Germany you get a tax break for it :D

My first week in Germany - Bochum, University and living in another Country

      So a week has gone by. And it has been my first week living in Germany. Where to begin?

      Well the week before the move was spent in Manchester with Sam's mum, and so we had a week with our cats. They are now justover a year old. Sam realised that the date that we got to Manchester to see them was a year to the day when we first got them. They have been living in Sam's old room, and seem very happy with that. They were unsure at first when we arrived, but then caught our scent and were back to their old selves, following us around and as a result, they were more brave and so ventured downstairs more often, with Yamato not bothered by the other two cats that are there. Yamato I think has got slimmer, but that is more than likely due to him being more powerful, as he seems to like running up and down stairs.

      That week we got the chance to catch up with family, such as Sam's aunts, my sister and her partner, Sam's brother and his partner, and also Kat and Dave from my year of chemistry at UMIST and PhD at Manchester. It was a hectic week, and flew by, and soon enough we were off to the airport for our flight to Dusseldorf.

    The weather that day was shit. We were able to get all our luggage on, with out paying for any excess weight. When we went to the gate to get on board we saw the air strip and well, it as crazy. The wind was blowing rain across the tarmac, and the plane we were flying on was a propeller driven thing. Needless to say it looked a little dodgy, but was in fact quite a good flight. However, take off was bad, with the plane having to wait as the rain and wind made zero visibility.

      Arrival at Dusseldorf was fine, and we got a taxi all the way to Bochum. The taxi as fine other than the driver taking the wrong way into the uni, and so this cost time getting the keys. Instead we went straight to the guest house and then I had to walk and get the keys. Not great when it was freezing.

      The apartment is pretty good. A nice big corner sofa, a fully kitted out kitchen area, a coffee filter machine (that made me happy), and a good bed (I've slept well on it, must be a firmer mattress). We should have the rest of our luggage arriving Friday, along with a new TV. We have internet and so we have been able to skype, but of course we have no new mobile number as it takes, and costs Orange, a lot to unlock my phone ust so I can use a different SIM card. Sigh.

     Anyway, Saturday we went to Dusseldorf, which was very busy and and found a nice tea shop there, and on the way back got stung on the train fare. We didn't get our tickets stamped properly. :( Oh well the money lost we have got back on our power bills from the old flat (we were in credit).

     Sunday of course was quiet. With everything shut we had little food in the flat. It's been a bit hard to know where to go shopping, more so when your phone is useless and has no access to google maps.

     Monday we went into the office, and from there were taken by one of my boss's students to register as living in Bochum, get our tax card started, get health care organised, and of course open a bank account. Fun day.

     So Tuesday was quiet as Sam has had a cold, which is a bit strange for her. We later went to the department Xmas party, where we met some of the others of the Theoretical Chemistry department,  and today I had my induction at the department. Looks like I need to learn how to use LaTeX and so forth. Fun!

    So tomorrow is the start of my new job.

    Other things to look forward to are joining a new RP group, and of course James is coming to stay over Xmas.

     Expect a few photos soon and more as I stumble through the German language.

5 days left

So in 5 days time I willbe flying over to Bochum, Germany, where I will be working for the next three years. Over the last month we have had a computer game cosplay themed leaving party, friends staying over, our friend James leaving for Hamburg to start his new games design job, and we have said farewell to a number of others.

Leaving our flat involved large amounts of books being packed and things being thrown away/given away. We got the flat nice and tidy in the end but of course there will be deductions from our deposit. Anything we get back will be a bonus.

Everything easily fitted into the moving van, and so we travelled up later on Thursday with the last few things, mainly laptops and electrical things.

Now we are at my mother-in-law's place, with boxes of our stuff everywhere. We will need to sort through it again so it can take up less space. We have also been reunited for a short period with our cats. They seem to have become even more friendly and are quite happy and get on OK with the two older cats that are already here.

Yesterday we had the chance to meet up with my wife's brother and his girlfriend. We had food at quite a hip pizza restaurant, with pizzas like brie and duck, or wasabi prawns. Today, later on, my sister and her boyfriend are turning up, and will be dropping off a suitcase for us to use, as we will be filling that one so that it can be sent so it arrives just after we get to Germany.

Overall it has been a bit draining the move. I will tired, mainly in my legs and back as muscles feel well and truely stretched. I'm also wheezing a little, but I think that is a combination of muscle tiredness, dust and also the fumes from the oven cleaning spray.

Tonight we will be going to Black Planet, a goth/industrial night. It is a special event in memory of a local DJ who passed away, but it will also then be a good chance to catch up with those we have not seen much of for the last 3 years.

Tuesday will also be a busy day as in the morning I will be popping into my old research lab and in the evening going to watch my wi'fe brother's band playing.

Right. I need to have breakfast and relax some more.