Friday, April 15, 2011



Why do I have a heartbeat in both armpits?













Because Love Chunks has won a transfer to Geneva.


Sure, the selection process took five months so I spent the best part of that realising that there were two paths ahead of us and the local high school issue for Sapphire wasn't going to go away just because Switzerland were not living up to their reputation as being expert time keepers....


But now we have one path.


And of course Geneva were cheeky enough to try it on and ask LC to turn up in four weeks' time.


NO WAY we both said; me leaning weakly on the door frame with my bowels about to throw a noxious tantrum for the seventh time that morning and he fretting about the World Meteorological Organisation bureaucracy and only having a one page emailed letter of offer and a one-liner twelve hours later to go on.


STICK TO YOUR GUNS I said, my air of authority quite literally reduced with the now-permanent fug of Lavender Loo spray clouded around my head.


I SURE AS HELL WILL he said, climbing onto his bike and pedaling off to the Docklands. Nothing says A Man With A Mission more than bike shorts, a fluoro-yellow safety vest and a helmet shaped like a melted choc drop.

So, we've negotiated for six weeks time. In the past four days, we've decided that it's a good thing that apart from my great grandmother's piano, the oldest thing we own is LC's CD collection and my photo albums. They'll hide somewhere at my folks' place in South Australia but everything else must go.


The house will be rented out, we're looking for a loving home for Skipper and Milly will be flown over by the too-cute-to-be-true 'JetPets' the second we've found our new address. Thank God that Geneva is 95% surrounded by France and doggies are a way of life. "Madame, domestic pets are tolerated by all," said the google-translated email.


School for Sapphire is likely to be an English-speaking campus that has the UN in view that specialises in expat kids who also need to learn French and have skiing as one of their official sports ....


and ....


and ....


and ....


.... my role will be to make several dozen lists, check them all thrice, go for another urgent crap and do whatever it takes to leave here in one piece and then see that the man, child and animal I love most in the world are settled, happy and ready for the adventure of a lifetime.


That's why I'm typing this still in my dressing gown, sweat stains appearing even though my hair is still wet from the shower and I'm crying with a big goofy smile on my face. Ready, Steady, Go!

24 comments:

franzy said...

!

I'll say that again: "!!!"

That is so exciting I have to go to the toilet!

What to name the blog?

I suggest 'Blürben aus den Bürben'!

Wait - do they speak French or German in Genievre?

WWHEEEEEE!!!!!!!

Elephant's Child said...

So exciting. So, so scary. For all of you. Heaps and heaps of good wishes are going your way for the chaos ahead. Which hopefully will v quickly resolve itself and become a wonderful new adventure with the frightening bits extracted.

Kay said...

Oh how exciting! Doesn't give you much time to get organised....do you all have passports? Does Millie need one too??

(Seriously, it is exciting when it's happening to someone else.)

Anonymous said...

Wow. Amazing. I am inclined to say I will miss you, but that would kind of silly, so congratulations.

Kath Lockett said...

Oh Franzy you've made me laugh so hard I've scared the dog *and* farted!

Thanks EC - it will be a wonderful adventure. But there's soooooo much to do – LC and Sapph are out to see a movie (“It’s still MY school holidays after all you know,” sad face, big pleading eyes and a slightly cheeky grin) and to see about some decent suitcases. I’m here supposed to be tidying up the garden, chasing down a financial advisor, surreptitiously sorting through some of Carly’s things while she’s out and replying to queries about our furniture and tidying up the tiny patch of vomit that Milly did last night that I’ve only just stepped into/discovered etc...... I feel so queasy and sweaty and dizzy and excited and overwhelmed!

Kay, passports are sorted because we needed 'em in 2008 for our NZ trip, plus we're going to Singapore for Easter next week (that was planned a few months ago when Geneva was a 'did you apply for it or not?' distant memory).

Andrew, I'll still be here - but I do like Franzy's new blog sub-header suggestion. It sounds far better than 'G'day from Geneva' !

franzy said...

Two things:
1 - I don't think "tidying" vomit is really sufficient for someone about to enter Die Schweiz.

2 - Don't you mean "G'day from G'eneva"?

Jilly said...

Too too too too sad for us here who will miss you soooo much! So I am sad first, and madly madly jealous second. What a great adventure!

Helen Balcony said...

Wish exciting things happened to me *grumps*
Any chance of a farewell bloggers pissup in some central location (Lane's edge in bourke st has been used before for this purpose and is pretty good - Caffeine at RMIT (licensed) is good too.
So Milly doesn't have to suffer 6 months quarantine at the Geneva end? That's good. I hope she doesn't return to Australia as an elderly dog and have to sit in quarantine. That would be very depressing for her. Don't forget now you're in Europe, she needs rabies as well as the usual shots!

*Jelus*

Anonymous said...

Wow! I love hearing of people taking leaps of faith!!

So much adventure, fun, learning and happiness....

and I too am jealous...one day I will take my own leap of faith!

Good luck with the preparations and list making.

PS.... amusingly my word verification is 'Sweat'.....

Hannah said...

So much adventure ahead of you, once the stressful anxiety of moving your family and life halfway across the world are through! I absolutely cannot WAIT to follow every step on these here blog - craps and all ;)

franzy said...

And if I could also jealous-stalk you, may I just say that A) most of these photos were taken in Switzerland: http://franzy.tblog.com/post/1969912069

and B) we WILL be coming to visit the moment you have digs.

Kath Lockett said...

Franzy LOVE the photos (Ein Farht is eerily prophetic)

Jilly the first thing we'll do (apart from, let's face it, find a toilet) is rent a place with that magical third bedroom, especially for visitors.

Helen, give me your deets and just pop on over to Chateau Lockett. I bet you anything you'll be sent home a few hours later with freebie books, DVDs, CD and crockery.....

"Sweat", health-with-happiness? Now it's just getting too eerie!

Thanks Hannah - this blog will continue, new title pending, but GoneChocco? Not so likely....

drb said...

No relocation fee? No shipment container back and forth?

When my bro relocated to France for 2.5 years, he was gien allowance for 1 shipping container.

Will be very expensive to give sell everything cheaply here and then buy everything brand new in Switzerland where cost of living is extremenly high...

Refer to this link:
Apartments are rented completely bare—no light bulbs or curtain rods; in many cases, a renter is responsible for buying a stove, refrigerator, as well as kitchen cabinets. A typical deposit is three to four months’ rent, which is placed in a trust until the end of the lease.

http://www.transitionsabroad.com/publications/magazine/0403/moving_to_geneva_switzerland.shtml

Marie said...

OMG! We'll practically be neighbours. And you're moving to the land of Toblerone - you'll be in chocoholics heaven. Bugger the ski-ing, you'll be toboganning down those chocolate slopes.

How exciting, wonderful and terrifying all at the same time. I bet the "what ifs" will start crowding in and you'll feel elated one minute and curled in a fearful ball the next over the coming weeks. But this too will pass. I know how that feels, having up sticks and moved to the other side of the globe.

I hope everything goes smoothly and that come early summer you'll be happily gorging yourself on Swiss chocolate. I heard on the EU economic news this morning that when Union libre des fabricants suisses de chocolat heard the news, they announced an immediate expansion program in anticipation.

Plastic Mancunian said...

G'Day Kath,

Or should I say "Bonjour"?

Wow - that's fantastic and just the sort of thing I would love to do. I've spent a lot of time in Switzerland (in Zurich) and I can confirm it is a wonderful and friendly country. Our company has projects in Zurich, Geneva and Basel so we occasionally pop over there - though I've never yet made it to Geneva myself. I'm used to attempting my pigeon German in Zurich but in Geneva they speak French (hard to imagine if you are used to Zurich).

I think you will have a fab time and you are right on the border of France so popping across will be really easy - you can actually leave the airport into France or Switzerland.

Certainly in Zurich, English is widely spoken and I would imagine it is the same in Geneva.

BTW - I would have thought that "Gone Chocco" would enjoy a new lease of life - have you tasted Swiss chocolate?????

Good luck to you, LC, Sapph and Milly - you will LOVE it.

I am a tad jealous ...

:0)

Cheers

PM

Jayne said...

Woot!
That is fantabulous news, congrats!!!!
I'll let you pack and get yourself sorted before demanding updates of your new abode, the neighbours, if you've found the nearest nude beach, does the neighbourhood allow nekkid balcony dining,has Milly settled in, will Skipper ever forget you and wtf can I make out of the WV nonsense of 'purnse' ?

Lidian said...

!!!! indeed - first thing I read this morning, too. Must go soak head in cold water then refill cup of coffee. Or maybe will skip the cold water. Congratulations aplenty to LC and - this is SO exciting and scary and overwhelming I can imagine. We moved across the continent once to Calgary but that was nothing compared to this...I am wishing you all kinds of great things and amazing adventures ahead and -

Also, just think of Swiss chocolate, Kath! Lindt factory! Closer to Belgium and Belgian chocolate, too. And those Mozart thingies from Austria...

Jackie K said...

WOW! That is very exciting!
SIX WEEKS - that's insane!
It will be FANTASTIC for your daughter, she will meet some like souls among the expat kids.
Congratulations!

River said...

Passports and innoculations all up to date?
Off you go then....have fun.
Don't forget to write.

I'm really happy for you all.
What a great adventure.

Chestnut Mare said...

Isn't it just fantastic?! I shall keep on watching this space & thank you for sharing your life with us thru these pages!I'm so jealous - my life has continued round the same circle for about 10 years now....

You crack me up constantly. Can't wait for it all to unfold! XXX

Conor @ Hold the Beef said...

OMG

I fail to check in with you for a little while, and this is what I have to greet me?! YOU'RE LEAVING US?!?!

You're going to do a farewell tour of the country first though, right? RIGHT???

Lynne said...

Kath - I was peed off when you left South Australia because we couldn't claim you as one of our own anymore. Now you're going to be a jet-setting international world citizen. What an exciting, scarey situation to be in. And what a fantastic opportunity for Sapphire. Please - keep blogging. You're a treasure.

Unknown said...

Oh my goodness! I am amazed. How did he 'win' it??

So many questions from this eternally curious blogger! (So glad you're keeping the piano!)

xx

Romana said...

Lordy Kath!!! Having been qrapped up in my own little move (country Sa to sydney), I haven't read your blog for a while! wow! I bet you head is spinning! Thanks for finding the time to still post, no doubt time will become a rare commosity for you in the coming weeks, and then getting settled over there. Good luck, can't wait to hear of your adventures :)
Romana