Back into work

We came back to London from Vancouver and spent the rest of the week unpacking our shipping from New Zealand, setting up our flat and catching up with friends in the sun. It was back into work for me on September 4 which was a real change from our general lack of routine from day to day for the last 7 months. Having to focus was definitely a difficult task for the first week. The transition from a New Zealand firm to an English firm has been very interesting - the office in London is far more quiet than in New Zealand, there is a very clear heirachy within the team and there is sure to be far less socialising with the team then there ever was in New Zealand. Still, everyone in the new team is extremely nice and I have been lucky enough to start with a couple of other kiwis which is great. The firm is right in downtown London and has its own restaurant (a common theme in english law firms) from which you can get fantastic food, all subsidised, for breakfast, lunch and dinner. You have to wonder why they need an eatery serving breakfast and dinner rather than letting its staff eat at home - perhaps a sign of things to come - never being let out to go home. It is 30 minutes walk from our flat and only 10 minutes on the bus which means that I don't have to catch the tube (yay!). In his usual style, Grant managed to land a brilliant job (with the help of our brilliant friend, Lano) at American investment bank, Morgan Stanley, within a week of starting his search. He is based down in Canary Wharf, one of the large financial districts in London, and started work on September 12. He has been working late and very hard and we have been seeing less and less of each other as the days go by which is a big change to spending 24/7 together for the past 7 months. Still, we are both enjoying getting back into work and will love it even more when we get our first paychecks in pounds!