Things have been quiet on the blogging front for a number of weeks. Essentially my creative abilities deserted me.
When I lived in the Sudan and the Gambia long, long ago I came to realise that how much one enjoys life in a foreign place does not depend on how interesting/glamorous/exotic/warm/etc the place is but on the quality of everyday life, as determined by work and personal relationships.
When coming to a place like Budapest, which actually ranks fairly well on those criteria, I wondered whether that early lesson would come back to prove to be true. And it has done.
The last six weeks at work have proved pretty challenging. What I was recruited to do was effectively to make a fairly significant culture change in the way things work, and implementing this has proved difficult. Then, at the end of each day, rather than coming home to a partner and a social life where I could talk about things and keep it all in perspective, I have been coming home to an empty apartment. Skype and phone calls help a bit, but they don't make it easier to go out and do something different. I guess I've become a bit tired of my own company and going out to restaurants or bars alone no longer appeals: although there are some interesting places, having sampled some I am looking for more to an evening than observing other people's behaviour.
So life has been come rather introspective.
However, after what seems like an eternity this first stage in Budapest life is coming to an end. Helen will be coming out in May to join me, and I'm really looking forward to getting back to exploring the city with a fresh pair of eyes alongside me. I'll also be able to grumble and groan about work and have her great wisdom to connect me with reality again.
I may even be able to start writing again.
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