Your basic flutuante

Lots of people have asked me about this floating bar and seem to think (not unreasonably I suppose), that it will be some sort of boat. So I thought I should clarify. What we're talking about is what they call a "flutuante" in Portuguese (that's flootoo-anchee). Something like this, in fact:

The principal difference will be that ours will be painted GREEN and will say MAGUIRE'S on it somewhere. It will also be on black water, not the "white" water you see here. Black water, being more acidic, generally has less bugs and other animal and insect life in and around it. This suits me fine, and you will be especially grateful when you come to stay.

Organisation

Well, we're getting ready to move out now. Just a week to go and I'd like to say we're totally organised. But here's 2,000 words worth of pictures to give you an idea of what total crap that would be.

Never mind. I'm sure we'll get there. Not that Ozzie's too bothered....

The CELTA clan

Leaving work isn't the only recent news. In March, Naice spent 4 weeks in Edinburgh doing her full-time intensive Cambridge CELTA course, which was a traumatic experience (for both of us!). She has now passed it, and I think she can consider it a major achievement: not only is it considered a post-graduate qualification, but it is generally only completed by native English speakers. I'm very proud of her, and it also means we are now a TEFL family, as I got my CELTA in 1995.

So at least we can expect our children to be able to speak reasonably good English...!

I am unemployed

Following an evening out at the Cafe Vaudeville and the Northern Whig with colleagues I know I will soon be missing, and now that the hangover has finally cleared, here I am watching the start of the 2007 London Marathon on a Sunday, knowing that I won't ever be going into work again. I'm finding this somewhat unnerving, but I suppose I'll get used to it in due course.

The roll of honour for Friday was as follows:


Stephen Baker, Deborah Burrows, Simon Burrows, Paul Campbell, Joanne Caughey, George Crawford, Sinead Dillon, Alison Gibson, Betty Grant, Sarah Jackson, Kirstie McAllister, Jennifer McDowell, Sarah McAndrews, Stuart McAtee, Hilary McVitty, Peter Ruddell, Millar Selfridge, Angela Woods.


And they're all quite mad of course.

I will be sure to put the leaving prezzies to good use at Maguire's Irish Bar and Cultural Centre. For those who didn't see what will probably be the centrepiece, here's a photo (I've cropped out the frame). Naice hasn't stopped laughing at it since I got it home.



There were lots of other goodies too, and all very much appreciated. I hope everyone will come over to Brazil to see them in their new home.

Thanks for everything guys!