Part One: Culture Shock

Cruising at 600mph and 33,000ft above Germany, I am gradually warming to the idea of leaving everything I know and love for the next eight months.

I think that both of us are terrified of the unknown and it is some comfort to know that C. is as nervous as I am. After all the jokes about Gulf Air and Saddam 'n' all that, I've been pretty impressed with the service so far – even showing us Dragonheart instead of Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves or something equally dodgy...

The food's not so bad either.