It's my party, I'll say goodbye if I want to.

So we had a leaving party at the weekend. I really overextended myself and made far too much food, and was busy most of the week leading up. On Saturday my minions* were still helping me prepare food and as we got to the pub where I hired a function room, guests were arriving as we were setting up - thanks a bunch to everyone who pitched in!!

I was stressed out for a while and not a very good host initially but as I relaxed in the presence of good friends and some delicious spit roast lamb, I did enjoy myself.

Poor Steve had one hell of a time getting music playing after he had severe electronic gremlin issues. I think he did enjoy it for the most part but I think the party was the point where it dawned on him that he's moving permanently and it had a very real effect on him. He had some anxiety issues and got really emotional. He will miss his friends very very much. I will, too, but I've been mentally preparing myself where he had been largely in denial. This is also the reason there is much he didn't sort out before he went.

He's safe in SA now, and settling into the apartment we're renting until the end of November (because we'll be spending most of December in Velddrif with my parents and then renting a house).

This is hard bloody work, I'll tell you. More on packing and arranging the last few things later.



* Many, many thanks to the friends that helped out, you know who you are, but especially to Matt and Toby who helped in the kitchen. Matt especially was subjected to my frantic running around as soon as he woke up and did a great job helping out and making me slightly calmer. Slightly.

Bye bye love

Steve flew to SA last night. He arrived safely but we're both quite emotional. For him it's the realisation that this isn't just another business trip but that he's left the UK. For me, it's missing him, worrying about him and thinking about the metric FUCKTON of things I need to do in the next three weeks or so.

More later about the leaving party but right now I'm just feeling sorry for myself.

You make me feel like a natural woman!

Previously I had just been informed that my British citizenship application was successful, but that didn't make me a citizen yet. I had to attend a ceremony to swear allegiance to Queen and country and receive the naturalisation certificate.

Initially the invitation from Essex County Council was to attend a ceremony on 2 December, but that would have been well after I'd hoped to be in South Africa; luckily they were very helpful and let me attend the next available one, namely yesterday (Wednesday 4 November). Thank God it has all worked out so well.

So after setting off horribly late (as is my habit), and getting stuck behind miles of cars and trucks on a small country road through a small country village with one way traffic due to road works, I got there just as the ceremony was starting (and not 45 minutes early as instructed!). Luckily they quickly checked my paperwork and let me in, for which I was very grateful.

I am not sure what I was expecting, or whether I was expecting much at all. I definitely thought it was just a formality I'll be glad to be over. However now I feel that if more people had to attend ceremonies to affirm their citizenship, they'd have a much better sense of community, pride and patriotism. I can't quite tell why but I left feeling quite sentimental and both proud to be an official citizen of this country, and aware of my responsibilities to it.

I suppose it's because we live fairly isolated, self-centric lives these days with little sense of community and the only pictures we get about both our government and our society is from tabloid newspapers, angry bloggers and columnists and from expose type programs. However the Lord Lieutenant of Essex, the Queen's representative at the ceremony, spoke so passionately about the country, it's rich and proud history, and the county of Essex that you couldn't help but feel the presence of all of that history, pride, and regal power present. It painted a picture of a Britain I am proud to be a citizen of (although no more so than to be a South African citizen), rather than the doom, gloom and social decay presented everyday from other outlets.

It was also a privilege to sit in the Essex County Council chambers, what a fantastically beautiful room. A few pictures from the ceremony should arrive soon in the post, I'll add a few when they do.

Now I can apply for a passport but I'm not sure when I'll be able to do that, as it takes six weeks and I'm going to need my passport well before that to travel to SA. Luckily I'm not reliant on it for anything except easier European travel at this point.