Robert and Vicky
This is Robert and Vicky, the lovely couple whom I stayed with while I was in London last week. Robert works as a computer engineer and project manager at EDS, the software company. His specific account is to work on the software for the London Underground. He is the guy who has to personally put in all the new prices every time the Underground wants to hike the prices. (Just so you know :-)

Vicky is his long-time girlfriend and the love of his life. Her ambition is to be a teacher and is currently trying to get the qualifications for the job. With her brightness, I think she would make a wonderful teacher.

Both Robert and Vicky are members of a playgroup called the Woodhouse Players. Incidently that's how they met... through mutual friends connected to the Woodhouse Players. Vicky is currently an actress with the troupe, while Robert specialises in handling the stage lighting. But sometimes he gets to direct which he would very much prefer.

I met Robert several years ago in Melbourne. I was there on college internship at ABC Radio where I helped to produce a morning drive time programme called the Terry Laidler Show. I met Robert while looking for things to do after hours and I was into role-playing games at the time. So was Robert. He was a member of the Wizard's Council gaming club which a shop manager at a gaming shop suggested I look up if I wanted to get a few gaming sessions.

All would-be members of the Wizard's Council are subjected to stand in a row in front of all the current members for a question and answer session on the rules and regulations of the club. It's merely a formality actually. The last question the Wizard's Council asked all the initiates was "What is the fourth requirement of all members at all meetings?". For the life of me, I couldn't remember. And neither did any of the initiates as one by one made wild guesses. I was the last one in the row and when it came to my turn, I did the usual. I played stupid. "What fourth rule?" I said. And the entire Wizard's Council burst out in laughter, "Ok, who gave him the answer!" And Robert reminds me of that moment till this very day.

I spent a fair amount of time together with Robert and his friends. They invited me to a variety of activities they enjoyed including roller blading, cross-country skiing and a long session of Civilization at Robert's parent's house.

After I got to the UK, I took out Robert's last letter to me which was dated in 1994 which said that he moved to London to look for work. I called his number and luckily he was still at the same address! Five years and 15,000 miles later, we were back together again!