Friday on my mind

Hello gentle reader,

A long and important day yesterday as I worked with our Faculty Senior Management Team on a series of significant issues (including discussions about TEQSA and the new Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF)) in the morning, and then met with the Vice Chancellor, Deputy Vice Chancellors, and my Executive Dean and Director colleagues in the afternoon, to discuss common faculty level matters.  Managed to progress a series of initiatives through other individual meetings in between and after, then it was a couple of hours in front of the computer responding to emails that continue to come through, and a later evening walk back down St Kilda Road to the apartment.

Joining the Education Management Advisory Committee (EDMAC) meeting this morning and then back to South Melbourne, grab the travelling gear and then off to Malaysia to take part in our graduation ceremony for our students taught in partnership with Sunway University.  No time for the "touristy" stuff though - meetings tomorrow, graduation on Sunday and back on a plane on Monday for meetings in the office on Tuesday.  Still, graduations are a very important part of the life of the university - they are a celebration of the success of our graduating students and an opportunity to reflect on our role as scholars and educators.

As result, I'll be out of town for the Australian Formula One Grand Prix and the miss the opportunity to see Mark Webber (hopefully) continue on his winning way.  It seems my travel schedule finds regularly out of town when the "big acts" are on - a commentary on the regularity of the travel, but also an indication of the extent to which Melbourne really is an event city.

Ah well, off we go!

wednesday morning 3am

Well not exactly dear reader.  I've determined over my various blogs during the last several years to try and name every post after a song title and, since it's Wednesday night, very late and another song title doesn't come to mind (and I haven't touched this blog since some time in June 2010), this is as good as the song title is going to get.

Arrived back in my South Melbourne digs after an enjoyable evening with our colleagues from Le Cordon Bleu at Cutler and Co (the pork belly was absolutely 5 star yum!) and thought I might resurrect my attempt to chronicle my time in Melbourne, albeit briefly and intermittently.  Perhaps it is merely a chance for some catharsis; an immodest effort at sharing my view with "the world".  Ah well.

I certainly enjoyed the chronicling of my time in Vietnam and then in India (perhaps on different "missions") and maybe I'll look to do the same thing here (not that anyone is likely to pay the least bit of attention :-)).

Listened to a couple of recordings of songs I laid down about a year ago (not very good at all; but again, it's about my attempts to connect with the world) and was, for some reason, inspired to move to the keyboard and type these few words.

A big day ahead tomorrow, meeting with my Senior Management Team in the morning and then with the Vice Chancellor and my colleague deans and directors in the afternoon, so I'd better be heading off before it is thursday morning 3am.

Harken back dear reader; there may be something worthwhile to read again after all.

another saturday night

What a delightful interlude I've just had with my colleague from VU - another Scotsman who not only knows of Catterline and the Creel Inn (which was established by my great, great, great grandfather William Stephen, fisherman and curer, in 1841) but has lifted the odd pint there in his time!

We had the opportunity over the last couple of hours to explore a number of issues, but most of all it has been a great opportunity for us to get to know each other better - and I am reaffirmed in my decision to come to Melbourne and VU as a result. 

So now,  back to the emails and other matters with which I am confronted in the settling in process that I am undergoing.

saturday in the park

Greetings from Melbourne gentle reader,

Having abandoned Lamond of Nottingham in March last year (and then leaving Nottingham in March this year), I've little confidence that this attempt to do some more chronicling will have much success, but let's see how we go.

I continue with attempts to capture the mood of the blog in the title of the post, by way of a well-known (or even less well known) song title, and today's is no different, although it has been more a case of Saturday walking past the park rather than in it as such. A friend from Sydney came visiting and so we met at Southbank for lunch and the obligatory coffee thereafter, while enjoying the sun that flickered between the clouds over the couple of hours we ate, drank and chatted.

In keeping with my determination to get fitter and lose some weight (so far so good in this regard), I continue with my walks into the city and today was no exception - a 4 km round trip to balance the delicious seafood laksa that punctuated the walk.

So, here endeth my first (last?) post on the new blog.  Off to meet up with a work colleague nearby so perhaps there will be more to add later in the evening.