A little late this time, but here is the latest news from Birmingham.
We were sitting in the cold! Our heating system did not pass the control a few weeks ago and we had to wait three weeks before our landlady finally decided about the replacement of the boiler. Lucky we have an electric heater that we could use to heat the living room, but for the rest it was cold in the house, around 8-9 degrees. It were just the coldest weeks we have had this period. Besides that we had both had a cold for several weeks. We both have stayed one day at home. The cold house not really helped to get rid of it. Why do they do these kind of checks in October/November and not during the summer??
At the end of October we went a few days to Holland for a wedding of friends and used to opportunity to visit some family and friends. Of course it was much to short......
At the beginning of October I have joined a Polish course organized by the University of Birmingham. It is really time for me to learn more Polish so I can understand the rest of Ania 's family. I missed the exam last week because of a headache, the result of new glasses. They have solved this problem today by reshaping the frame, something they had forgotten to do after replacing the glasses. I also joined the University Choir. The fifth of December we gave a concert. We performed 'Gesang der Parzen' (Song of the Fates) from Brahms (op. 89) and Mendelssohns' 'Walpurgisnacht' (op. 60). Both pieces with text from Johann Wolfgang von Goethe. I am specially looking forward to the concert in spring which will be in the large Symphony Hall of Birmingham.
In November we spent a weekend in York, visiting a friend from Wageningen. York is a gorgeous, old city, which history goes back to ancient Roman times. It is particulary beautiful now, with all decorations for Christmas . York Minster is very impresive. Pictures will be loaded on our homepage in short time. In the evening we joined one of the famous ghost walks, as York is said to be the most haunted city in Britain. We had a lot of fun!
St Nicolaas could even find us in Birmingham, although he did not bring the sweets himselfe but used the Postman for it. Now it is almost Christmas and most cards are already on their way. The Christmas dinners are coming and the world famous pantomime of our department. Last years it was very nice so we have already bought the tickets for this year.
Ania has finally started to get some results from microsatellite liberary! A have already a few ones completed and more DNA fragments are being sequenced. Good feeling just before Christmas. Now we have to be in time with buying Christmas presents.