[helene_t]

new job. principal statistician at dpt of conservation in nz!

will be calculating the standard deviation of the size of kiwi eggs and such

This is really a dream job, at least I think so

[Zelandakh]

helene_t, on 2017-April-11, 04:31, said:

new job. principal statistician at dpt of conservation in nz. will be calculating the standard deviation of the size of kiwi eggs and such

Sounds like the perfect job for Easter!

Are the effects of Brexit so bad that you had to leave the UK?

[y66]

Hope the new job and change of scene are challenging and fun for you Helene.

[blackshoe]

Congrats on the new job!

[awm]

Since people seem to announce moves on this thread, I will mention that my wife (Elianna -- another sometimes forum poster) and I are moving to Zurich, Switzerland in a week (June 26). I'm still working for Google (just switching teams/offices); we are hoping to have some fun exploring Europe with many fascinating places within range of a weekend trip! We should have some time for bridge in our new home, and will also play the occasional NABC (we already have events lined up for fall in San Diego). Elianna will be taking some time off from work to decompress from her very stressful teaching job, and may find more time for bridge playing (and/or knitting, her other favorite hobby).

[y66]

awm, on 2017-June-16, 02:13, said:

Since people seem to announce moves on this thread, I will mention that my wife (Elianna -- another sometimes forum poster) and I are moving to Zurich, Switzerland in a week (June 26). I'm still working for Google (just switching teams/offices); we are hoping to have some fun exploring Europe with many fascinating places within range of a weekend trip! We should have some time for bridge in our new home, and will also play the occasional NABC (we already have events lined up for fall in San Diego). Elianna will be taking some time off from work to decompress from her very stressful teaching job, and may find more time for bridge playing (and/or knitting, her other favorite hobby).

That is exciting news. What a good time in your lives to be doing this.

[helene_t]

Zelandakh, on 2017-April-11, 04:38, said:

Are the effects of Brexit so bad that you had to leave the UK?

No they haven't kicked me out yet but I do have a thanks-for-all-the-fish feeling and obviously NHS funding and research grants are getting scarcer. The UK govt doesn't want foreigners and that's ok. We can pay our taxes elsewhere.

[RedSpawn]

awm, on 2017-June-16, 02:13, said:

Since people seem to announce moves on this thread, I will mention that my wife (Elianna -- another sometimes forum poster) and I are moving to Zurich, Switzerland in a week (June 26). I'm still working for Google (just switching teams/offices); we are hoping to have some fun exploring Europe with many fascinating places within range of a weekend trip! We should have some time for bridge in our new home, and will also play the occasional NABC (we already have events lined up for fall in San Diego). Elianna will be taking some time off from work to decompress from her very stressful teaching job, and may find more time for bridge playing (and/or knitting, her other favorite hobby).

Congratulations!

[Phil]

I guess its appropriate I also let you all know about my move too.

After spending 29 years in California, I received an offer to join the PMO for Toyota as part of their move to Plano, TX. The kids have all flown the nest, so Kimi and I bought a home in Frisco.

My first tourney will be with Mr Ace in San Antonio in a few weeks. He is being kind enough to play my utterly impossible system. Other than that, I do not have any live partners in the Dallas area yet. I do miss my so-cal bridge friends however.

We live on a golf course and my morning ritual is mocking the hackers on the 1st hole before I go to work.

I can handle the heat and humidity without incident. The bugs are a different story - the critters seem to have followed a shorter path through evolution than the ones we had in California.

The cost of living here is ridiculously cheap and our home would cost 3-4x in Orange County.

I doubt I will adjust to the politics here, and I predict I will get into a fist fight with some redneck within my first year over their obsession with guns. There is more culture shock for me moving to Texas than I had moving to California from Missoula, Montana in 1987. At least once a day, one of us will get cut off by a large pickup truck as we scurry around in our electric cars. No problem, we kick it out of ECO mode and return the favor.

I am shopping for a set of steer horns for one of the electric cars which I think would be awesome. I may also get a set of chrome testicles below the rear license plate frame.

[mike777]

Phil, on 2017-June-22, 20:59, said:

I guess its appropriate I also let you all know about my move too.

After spending 29 years in California, I received an offer to join the PMO for Toyota as part of their move to Plano, TX. The kids have all flown the nest, so Kimi and I bought a home in Frisco.

My first tourney will be with Mr Ace in San Antonio in a few weeks. He is being kind enough to play my utterly impossible system. Other than that, I do not have any live partners in the Dallas area yet. I do miss my so-cal bridge friends however.

We live on a golf course and my morning ritual is mocking the hackers on the 1st hole before I go to work.

I can handle the heat and humidity without incident. The bugs are a different story - the critters seem to have followed a shorter path through evolution than the ones we had in California.

The cost of living here is ridiculously cheap and our home would cost 3-4x in Orange County.

I doubt I will adjust to the politics here, and I predict I will get into a fist fight with some redneck within my first year over their obsession with guns. There is more culture shock for me moving to Texas than I had moving to California from Missoula, Montana in 1987. At least once a day, one of us will get cut off by a large pickup truck as we scurry around in our electric cars. No problem, we kick it out of ECO mode and return the favor.

I am shopping for a set of steer horns for one of the electric cars which I think would be awesome. I may also get a set of chrome testicles below the rear license plate frame.

Congrats...if you are moving to Plano be sure and check out Kim...I guess he goes by Kimmel(he is great) now that he is older and mature...) who taught me bridge way back in early 71 when I was 16 and his partner Hugh....I am sure you either already know them through Alex or will get to know them very soon....again congrats and best wishes.

I very much look forward to hearing about your deals and your wins!

[Phil]

mike777, on 2017-June-22, 22:34, said:

Congrats...if you are moving to Plano be sure and check out Kim...I guess he goes by Kimmel(he is great) now that he is older and mature...) who taught me bridge way back in early 71 when I was 16 and his partner Hugh....I am sure you either already know them through Alex or will get to know them very soon....again congrats and best wishes.

I very much look forward to hearing about your deals and your wins!

Yeah Alex mentioned Kimmel. Heard of Hugh and a few other locals too.

[PhantomSac]

Congrats Helene, Adam, and Elianna!

@Phil pretty crazy you're in Frisco and work in Plano, I'm sure if I move back to Texas at some point I will be in one of those 2 places. PM me if you need a bridge scouting report of the locals

[Phil]

PhantomSac, on 2017-July-12, 09:40, said:

Congrats Helene, Adam, and Elianna!

@Phil pretty crazy you're in Frisco and work in Plano, I'm sure if I move back to Texas at some point I will be in one of those 2 places. PM me if you need a bridge scouting report of the locals

Thanks haha Alex K has given me a good rundown and introduced me to a few characters at NABCs.

Hopefully I'll have an opportunity to play with one of them soon since my live bridge play has trickled to...none.

Selfishly - I hope you come back to TX.

[helene_t]

I will be moving back to the UK on 8 September.

It is a bit of a weird decision given the Covid situation in UK and New Zealand, respectively. But it has always been our plans to return if we couldn't persuade any friends and relatives to move with us, and everyone seems to have some lame excuse for not moving to New Zealand. Especially for my partner it has been four long years to be away from her children.

I will keep my New Zealand job for the moment, when the clock changes in October it will be more doable to do New Zealand work from the UK. And it's good not to burn too many bridges in case we regret. I can easily imagine returning to New Zealand next year if the UK zombie apocalypse turns out to be too much. But we shall see. In any case it will be good to see friends and family in Europe again.

[helene_t]

Accepted a job as lead statistician at the Cancer Research UK centre in Glasgow. Not sure if I will actually move to Glasgow or commute from Lancaster.

[Winstonm]

helene_t, on 2021-November-30, 16:31, said:

Accepted a job as lead statistician at the Cancer Research UK centre in Glasgow. Now sure if I will actually move to Glasgow or commute from Lancaster.

Congrats, Here’s looking at you, kid,

[gwnn]

Hi gwnn again. I will start regularly posting again. Since I last posted, I have moved to Göttingen, Germany and then Ghent, Belgium. I work for a smallish comp chemistry company. I started playing bridge regularly in the Belgian and Dutch league systems and I'll even (hopefully) go to Phoenix for the Nationals!!

Also come watch me on Twitch, https://www.twitch.tv/gwnn_bbo

PS I also quit drinking alcohol 1.5 years ago, my posts should be 10% more reliable than before. !h everyone.

[helene_t]

New job. Will be a "consulting technical statistician" whatever that means for a UK detachment company, working for a couple of US based biotechs from the 1st of July. Probably remotely, I have no plans of actually moving to the US. But we shall see.

[pilowsky]

helene_t, on 2023-March-30, 02:31, said:

New job. Will be a "consulting technical statistician" whatever that means for a UK detachment company, working for a couple of US based biotechs from the 1st of July. Probably remotely, I have no plans of actually moving to the US. But we shall see.

Can't keep still for a minute!

[helene_t]

The job in Manchester (the one with the bus ticket issue) turned out to be a disappointment. It's a very ethical company (dog friendly, LGBT etc) but there was just nothing to do. A "bullshit job" as it's called in modern English.

So I quit early January and was unemployed for three months (well, I write self-employed on my CV as I did a few projects for various ex employees).

Since April 15 I have been working for Danone Nutricia Research in Utrecht, Netherlands. It's quite exciting, full of young people from all over the World, with a very fast pace and good team spirit.

I haven't found a place to live yet, this is a bit of a problem. Free-market rent is about three times as expensive here compared to the UK, and splitting up with my ex last year cost a lot of money so I won't be able to buy a house anytime soon. With some luck I will get an apartment in one of those semi-communes (cohousing) where you share some facilities with the neighbours. For now I am staying with a friend in Rotterdam.

I get to play a lot of bridge, that is one of the good things about Netherlands. You can easily get to play some 10 sessions a week without traveling too much, if you want. DavidKok and I play Cottontail Club at a students' club in Leiden. With Shogi I play Boring Club in BC Oog in Al in Utrecht, that is one of the stronger Dutch clubs. And then I play various ad hoc events at the Rotterdam Mindsport Center, that is where the Lombard (the club of the Swiss National Team) plays, but I probably won't run into them, I mostly play at the more mediocre clubs of the centre.