Thanks to all of you for cheering me up. It is a lovely reminder that the Internet is not all pervy types but full of very dear family and friends. You are much cherished and thought about in this cheese-soaked land. (Even if, as I think about you, there is probably banana in my hair.)

Re: the homesickness. Right now it is as though my feelings about being in Switzerland have reached a plateau. I am definitely not miserable, but I am not thrilled either. I have my two favourite people in the world sharing the experience; we have a nice flat; we have enough money and don't need anything in material terms; I've made some friends, some of them I would call good ones, to whom I can reveal proper stuff to in spite of the language barrier. I have alot of blessings to count and before I know it this whole experience will be over - return is scheduled for 2006, though this is not set in stone. I'm determined to make the most of it.

It's just that nagging ache for my little corner of earth and more importantly, the other people who live there, is a constant feature of my day. Sometimes I barely notice it, and sometimes it drowns out the present things I know I should be enjoying. This is all normal, I'm sure. But I'm intrigued as to why it is still knocking around...I half expected to wake up in the morning one day and go "Hurrah! Adjustment period over. Full ex-pat identity assumed. Proceed!" (and yes, my brain does sound a bit like Knight Rider.)

I've never felt very British, I am not particularly patriotic. I would like the Royal Family to give all their money away, ditch the titles and move to the suburbs - for their own sakes. I don't like grubby, polluted London, the trains, the inferior recycling schemes or warm beer. Our quality of life is better here, though I make an exception regarding the stomach-flipping quantities of dog poo on Swiss pavements. But this place doesn't have my heart.

It's also made me think a lot about being foreign somewhere, and how I didn't really notice foreigners very much back home. There was a Somalian family living opposite in Tooting; we were there when they moved in and I didn't say 'hello' to them, not once. Now I really value it when strangers come and just introduce themselves. I hope I will behave a bit differently towards foreigners when I get back home.

Home, see. That's what it's all about.