In Australia I took the last term of the first year of high school again, due to the school years being out of synchronisation and not being able to convince my parents that I would benefit from six months of school holidays. Thems the breaks.

After high school came university, and I acquired a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics. A bachelor of engineering degree has no direct equivalent in most countries, it is a four year engineering qualification which most nearly matches the Swedish "Civilingenjör" qualification. The Swedes normally translate it to a Master of Science degree, which is probably the closest you can get. A master of science is normally a four year qualification in the sciences.

What do you do in Australia after you've received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Electronics? Well, in 1980 you went into one of the thrilling fields of installation, or service. I managed to corner Telecom on the issue when they tried to employ me, and asked when I could expect to start development work. Their answer - I might get to work on small projects after five years at either installation or service.

At that time a number of English companies recruited engineers in Australia. From our point of view it was considered a way to see Europe and get paid for it at the same time. I accepted an offer from British Aerospace to work in their space program (very romantic) and left for England. At least, I left for England six months later when the work permit finally came through.