Why now? Here's why...

Things have been coming to a head for the past eight years or so, since before blogging was invented. And so, at long last, I find myself writing my first post in April 2006. Better late then never.

I've been meaning to start a blog for ages, but the final straw came last night while trawling on amazon.com. I found a self-published book called 'Enfin un boulot,' ('At last, a job') written by Vladimir Cordier, a Frenchman who left his native country eight years ago for the UK. He left because of the lack of employment opportunities in France, and, after changing jobs frequently in London, found his way and is now earning a tidy sum. I was struck by the reverse symmetry of our lives (where 'struck' equals 'repeatedly struck my head against a wall').

He left university in the same year as me and is the same age as me (well, a year younger, just to be annoying). He chose Britain, I chose France. My story is the 'revers de la medaille' (the other side of the coin), to use a phrase that I always wanted to fit into my A-level French essays but could never quite work out how.

Mr Cordier, I have ordered your book and will duly force my husband, who is in great need of its wisdom, to pretend to read it. I will also, really, read it, and tell him about it whether or not he wants to hear, always taking care to show my native country in the best possible light.

Because I can no long live in France. The time has come to say it: I give up. And hubski and my two kids, who have never lived in Britain, and I, their great leader, who has, will shortly go back 'home,' just as soon as we can arrange it, to begin a new adventure.