Getting Up

2003-03-26T10:03:00.000Z

I have decided that I need to make my own hooves. What with my desperate urge to buy horns, I could be a woodland creature in no time. This might be handy as I am homeless but due to stint of living in a land bereft of creatures of any kind I might end up being chased by hounds. What to do.

Still no luck on the house hunting front.

2003-03-24T16:51:00.000Z

Another week begins.

Last night it was a boozy night at the pub catching up with Mel who I haven't seen in absolute ages. Spent a good few hours sinking pints and catching up. Spent the earlier part of the day in another pub watching a bit of the World Cup, celebrating the win, eating thai and playing with Grace.

Babysat on Saturday nigt while Jane and Ash went out. Had a sneaky one on the roof and then freaked out thinking I'd set the building ablaze. Luckily the fire crew didn't seem to suspect me and left without unrapping the hoses.

Still haven't found anywhere to live. Am starting to get desperate.

2003-03-19T14:30:00.000Z

Saw this amazon thing which caught my fancy. And in not exactly earth shattering news the yanks geography looks worringly bad. And they call themselves journalists.

2003-03-19T14:27:00.000Z

Am working again, however much I wish it wasn't so. What's been going on in my life - well bugger all really. Laying low and trying to not spend any money. I spent 5 days hanging round at Dave's which went amazingly fast during which time I did jack all. After this I moved to Jane's. She has been just so good. Am still there. Now that I have a job I am looking around for a place to live. I see my first place tonight. Disapointingly that is about all. It is concerning when the most intimate contact you have is with strangers on the tube. Dave has emigrated to Hungary. Jimmy is leaving the first week of April to go back to Oz. In a bid to replace these I catching up with Mel who has just moved back from Berlin.

London however is beautiful (god I so have been here too long). It is getting into spring and it almost seems as if you can see the days getting longer everyday, daffodils are sprouting and you can see the shoots starting on the trees. Soon it will be green again. I think that spring is my favourite season as it is so exciting to know that the gloom of winter is coming to an end. The fact that I missed most of winter is neither here nor there.

2003-03-07T10:54:00.000Z

Well I'm back in London.

Typically I just want to go back on holidays - who wouldn't. Met up with Dave at Heathrow to get his house keys which was handy. I was disappointed that I didn't see any tanks at the airport. In fact I didn't see much security of any kind. Maybe it was a bit early. Have not done so much since I got back. Moped round Dave's a bit, napped, went and got some of my stuff from my old house, arranged for Jane to feed me tonight.

2003-03-04T07:53:00.000Z

The safari was excellent. I didn't climb the active volcano that I was going to and went to the Serengeti instead (as well as the crater). It was cloudy so I was unsure if the view would be any good. Also my converse might not have been so good on all that shale.

The country is so beautiful there that it makes you feel great to be alive. It is also a slighty unreal feeling, like omg I'm walking in the Serengeti. The plains stretch as far as the eye can see and there were animals just everywhere. The migration was in the plains whilst I was there. In the Ngorongoro Crater it was just as beautiful with the crater walls rising to surround you. It was like a petri dish. Forest (quite small though) on one side, grass land and lakes. I saw all of the big 5 except the leopard (not that I knew what was included in this listing before my trip).

So after coming back from safari and getting very drunk at a party at the campsite (loads of people from town) I have moved onto Nairobi. It seems so modern after the rest of Africa. I have changed my flight to tomorrow and have sorted out a places to crash on my return. Now all I need is a job!

2003-02-25T17:48:00.000Z

I'm in Arusha!

So the night ferry went remarkably fast. There was a cool Jet Li film shown and then when I woke up we were there. Staggered to the bus station and got the bus to Arusha, all 9 hours of it. They also had a film on "Mr Deeds". It was ok. So found a place to stay in town but am moving tomorrow to a camp site 3kms out of town I think. Sarah, the girl I am travelling with at the moment will stay on I think. Where we are staying has no water at the moment which is a shame as I haven't showered now for some time.

I am going to have a look around tomorrow and sort out what I'm going to do. I think after I go on a safari here I will be out of money so will most likely go straight to Nairobi and move my flight forward a week. I want to do loads of other things (who wouldn't) but fear that things will be very tight when I get back to London as it is.

2003-02-24T09:51:00.000Z

I have spent a few days up north on the beach. It is really beautiful up there. It has a very strange atmosphere on Zanzibar though, just like a dream. Soon I will be returning to the real world. I will miss it.

I am getting the night ferry around 10pm tonight. You will love this. You board at around 10pm, around 11 or 12 it moves off .... to the middle of the harbour where it stays til 3am when it heads into Dar es Salaam arriving around 6am. Just in time (hopefully) for the early bus to Arusha.

My plan to not drink went badly and indeed went to the bar every evening again. The full moon party was however last weekend - this is what comes of not knowing what day it is.

2003-02-19T17:18:00.000Z

The spice tour was good , but as I was a trifle hungover it was sometimes a bit of a mission to sample all of the spices. I also had a swim in a beach that looked like it should have been on a bounty commercial. I feel that I am on some sort of pub crawl through africa the amount of bars I have been to lately. I have now resolved to try and stay away from them until at least saturday when I have already resolved to go to a full moon party on the beach up north. I'm leaving at 8am tomorrow to head up there.

Last night I had my palm read by a guy called Mohammed in a bar in the indian restaurant I went to for dinner. It was quite a bizarre experience but he did get this Italian guys kinda right which he was pretty impressed by. Personally I would have been a bit more worried if I was him as it was: you are going to have 4 serious accidents and you have already had one, which was in a car (head shaking and grinning), one will be in a plane but none will kill you. I mean how does he think he is getting home but then at least he won't die.

2003-02-18T12:01:00.000Z

Oh and I saw this on Hot Buttered Death which is pretty amusing.

2003-02-18T11:47:00.000Z

I am now in Zanzibar. Email is really cheap in Tanzania and the air-conditioning can be so good after walking around in the heat for a while. I meet some german catholic missionaries (who knew there was such a thing) on the boat over and am going on a spice tour of the island with them tomorrow and then to the beaches up north. There are a fair few people around and is very relaxed. Watched the sun set last night with a beer in my hand. How could things get any better.

2003-02-17T07:44:00.000Z

Well what a difference a day makes. The streets are packed today and I have adjusted to the "Jambo Jambo" wherever I go. It really is quite a cruisey little town. I found a different boat to Zanzibar from the norm from a recommendation and am now going on a combination container ship/passenger boat. I can almost hear Caitriona sighing as I type this (he he he). It is US$5 cheaper and I get to go 1st class not just ordinary. I've heard that it has lounges and dubbed Kung Ku movies to watch and only takes 4 hours. Can hardly wait.

The hotel I stayed in last night is all class. Everything is covered in heavy duty plastic and even recommends locking up your clothes while away from the room. Classic. This morning I went and got some american dollars. More difficult than you would think. And credit cards do not work in Tanzania which is a bit of a bummer. Lucky I have some money in my British account. Really should have been a bit more organised on the money front. Maybe from Zanzibar I will go to Mombassa (where I can use my Aussie card) and then pop down to Arusha. Who knows.

2003-02-16T15:31:00.000Z

Well I am in Dar es Salaam in Tanzania at the moment. I had a bit of trouble through my own stupidity getting here but my luck held. While getting a visa I did not need (the Tanzanian one) the moral is that I should have checked how my Zambian visa was going. I still can't believe that I did not check as I usually laugh at people who got caught like I did. Anyhow it is a scam at Livingstone that instead of giving you the time you are meant to get (in my case 90 days) they only give you a visitors visa of 5 days. So I overstayed.

This is the catalogue of errors.

The train doesn't go from Lusaka. It goes from Kapri Mposhi which is about 2-3 hours from Lusaka (its an African thing - don't ask me why). I get up at 5:30am to get my tent packed up and get ready to be at the bus stop at 7am. And I make it on time, amazing when I think how much I hate early starts. Then I have to wait for the bus to fill up as they don't leave until they are full. This takes until 10am (but if everyone had turned up at 7am it would have left then). The driver breaks a bottle on his hand and has to bandage it up. The bus won't start. Soon enough the guys who are pushing it all over the carparky place (and I use this term loosely) that the bus stop is in (oh and there are 6 different long distance bus depots in Lusaka! - it's not a big place) manage to get it started. The bus does not stop again. Not even when we get fuel. All my life I have been told you should stop at the bowsers but apparently it is not essential. So I'm thinking well it might be a little close but I should get there in time. At this stage my biggest worry is that they have held my ticket. About 20 minutes from Kapri Mposhi (which is basically just truckers and hookers - its not a "real" town) there is an immigration check. This is where I find out the bad news on my visa front. So I get pulled off the bus which promptly drives off. I have a sinking feeling in my tummy watching it drive off. So me and the immigration guy go head to head for a little bit with me all the while being aware that a) the next train is in 4 days, b) the train will be leaving shortly, c) I have no idea where I am as its not even a town just a customs shack on the road. Eventually I crack, after witnessing him harrassing two nuns that he pulls over, and hand over 5 pounds as I know that this is what he wants. Apparently I got off lightly, as this is under 40 000 kw's and the offical fine is 2 million, apparently me pleading poverty for half and hour against his threats of jail worked somewhat. So now I am free to go, but how.

This is when my luck suddenly changes for the better. The next person who is pulled over is a British expat (who is married to a girl from Queensland) and he is going further up north and in fact will be stopping in another town about 3 hours further up that also has a Tazara station (which is a couple of kms out of town) and he'll drop me at the station. Also he happens to know the immigration guys in his town (well he lives 70kms away but it is the closest town) who end up backdating a visa for me. And for nothing.

So after that is was just the next 48 or so hours on the train.

The train was built by the chinese in the 70's. It still has all the orginial fixtures. When I say that I mean that they haven't even changed the lino. It really reminded me of the train I got from Bucharest to Istanbul. Might be some sort of old communist thing I guess. After making a pact with my body to need to use the bathroom as little as possible I settled in. It really is amazing how dirty you can get just sitting on a train for a couple of days. But there was no way I was using the "washroom" as it could also be used as a toliet via the attractive hole in the floor. Despite all this it was definitely one of the highlights of my trip. Maybe I just like train travel but watching all the different landscapes pass my window was wonderful. At every stop or even when the train slowed down villagers came out with food to sell to the passengers. The train also goes through a national park and I saw giffafes, zebras, warthogs, buffalo, antelopes and heaps of different types of birds. Incredible and all for less than US$20.

Now I am in Dar es Salaam. It is totally different from the rest of Africa that I have seen. Very arabic. Even the buildings look a little like Cairo but obviously not so many people. It is the biggest city except Jo'berg so far. The streets are pretty deserted today, just people sitting around waiting for something to happen. When I was walking around it was like I had a spotlight on me. Everyone on the street wanted to talk to me. I thought that I would be used to this by now from everywhere else. I read this about Arusha which I am going to after Zanzibar "here more than almost anywhere I have been in Africa, you feel like a walking bank rather than an individual - relentless hassle from safari touts, and street venders who will stop at nothing is coupled with comparatively expensive accomodation and food", great but it does decribe a little bit of what it is like!

Tomorrow I am off to Zanzibar for a bit, how long depends on how much everything costs but I have heard it is cheaper and you can bargin as there are fewer tourists with the terrorist threats and all.

2003-02-12T11:43:00.000Z

The Falls are gorgeous and so massive. Monkeys everywhere though (and I'm so scared of monkeys). Spent the day there and also checking out some markets down the road from Livingstone. I caught the bus from there to Lusaka where I spent last night. Quite a few people that I met in Livingstone hanging about there. I'm waiting in town til Friday when I can get the train to Dar es salaam. Hopefully I can get a seat. I went today and no 1st class available but maybe someone will not turn up. Its 36-48 hours then on the train til I get there. And its about US$20 with my out of date student card (hope they except it). Lusaka is a pretty boring kinda of town even if it is the capital. I have to go back and try and get my visa for Tanzania again tomorrow as it was a public holiday there today. They have some markets which I might check out and may also go to my first museum of the trip.

2003-02-09T12:56:00.000Z

The Mokoko trip was ace. Kinda wish that I had splashed out and went overnight though. The guys who went overnight saw loads of hippos and I didn't see any which was a shame. But then they did almost get charged ("I thought I was going to die") and another one of them got stung by a scorpion so I guess it wasn't all fun. Saw a few elephants and giraffe whilst wandering through the bush.

I got a bus from Maun to Nata intending to get another bus from there to Kasane but hitched a lift with an overland tour company and stayed at their campsite in Kasane overnight. Met a few locals in the bar and played really bad darts.

I got a ferry over to Zambia the next day and sneaked on a bus which was going through Livingstone (its amazing how easy this is even if you are the only white kid on the block). The bus broke down but luckily enough for me in the main street of Livingstone. So I went rafting yesterday (by coincidence with the tour group that gave me a ride in Nata - it really is a small world) which was brilliant. So much (very expensive) fun, I wish I could do it again. I went out last night with one of the guides from the rafting company to this bar up the road. Great fun, even if I am feeling it today.

2003-02-04T10:36:00.000Z

On a different note - my fake birthdays came and went. Am recovering from a few drinks last night to celebrate.

2003-02-04T10:26:00.000Z

Well I'm in Maun.

Had a great time in Durban. It has a big Indian population so it seems a bit different from the rest of SA but then all the places I went were way different from each other. Much like anywhere I guess. I saw a woman with the biggest arse I've ever seen in Durban. I was going to take a photo but I thought that it would be rude. From Durban I caught a bus to Pretoria, I wandered round for a bit there before getting a bus to Gaborone. There is an amazing amount of bible bashers on the streets in Pretoria, it is very disconcerting first thing in the morning. Got into Gabs fairly late. Had to stay in a fairly expensive hotel as the other ones were closed (!). Met this Brit on the bus (Phil) and we had a few drinks in the hotel bar where we meet another Brit or expat really (Mike). He took us to a casino in town, thereby proving that casinos the world over are dominated by the same decorating code of practice. Lots of mirror and brass fittings on the bar in this instance. I think that I was the only woman there not "on the game". It was a good night. I slept in the next morning so got into Francistown too late to get another bus to Maun. I camped for the first time at a hotel called the Marang just out of town. It was really nice. From there I got a bus into Maun. I was almost left behind at the foot and mouth checkpoint. The customs guy took ages with my bag and was chatting me up when the bus just left. This other guy and I managed to hitch a lift up to where the bus was luckily. I am camping at the Audi Camp now and I've just popped into town to email my folks. It is pouring with rain, I mean bucketing down. I hope my little tent is ok back at camp. I am beginning to wish I had splurged and brought one with a fly.

Tomorrow I am going on a Mokoko trip on the delta (if it is not still raining) which should be great fun. From here I'm heading to Kasane and then Livingstone.

2003-01-30T08:10:00.000Z

Well I had a great time in Cape Town, went out clubbing and drinking all night before getting (very sleepily) onto the bus to Jefferys Bay. It is a small beach town and it was great to chill out there for a few days. Skipping stones and popping bluebottles with feathers. I am now in Durban. I got in last night and have just gone down to the shops to get some supplies. Then its off to check out the indian market and as always the beach. From here I'm going to Botswana. I'll have to see what kind of connections I can get from here but I want to end up in Maun.

2003-01-25T10:43:00.000Z

Table Mountain is so gorgeous. You could spend a whole day up there. There are loads of walking trails around the place and when the clouds come over you are walking in the middle of them. Just magical. I seem to be forever heading for high places, maybe I'll get over this pesky fear of heights this way. I am heading to Huansdorp tomorrow and will try to get a lift/ride into Jeffery's Bay from there. It is meant to have great beaches. I haven't been to the beach here yet as I'm waiting for my previous sunburn to recover. I would get burnt the only day I'm not totally covered in factor 30.

2003-01-24T09:42:00.000Z

Cape Town feels really safe and although I haven't been walking around at night I hear from others its not that bad then either. I am going up the cable car to Table Mountain this afternoon although there are no clouds which is a shame. When there are clouds they come over the top like a tablecloth and you can really see how it got its name.

2003-01-23T11:00:00.000Z

I got in the other day to Jo'berg and have started the "hmmm really should've's" already. The flight passed fairly uneventfully and got in around 4ish SA time. Got a lift down to the bus station downtown and there it all started. No buses to Jo'berg. All sold out. Really should have booked. No trains the next day - all booked. "Well it is peak season". I ended up booking a bus the next day and got a cab to the hostel recommended in the Lonely Planet. It had closed down 2 years earlier. It reminded me of Greece all over again. My guidebook is coming up for renewal soon just like then so I guess I will have to take what it says with a grain of salt. I was told of another one tho' so headed there. It was pretty chilled. So had a beer and then headed to the mall (?? I don't know what I was doing maybe I was jet lagged or something). Jo'berg is a bit of a wierd place. I didn't see one "white" person walking anywhere in the streets (and indeed I didn't either so I guess I'm not really one to talk) but hell the mall was obviously where they all were. Bizarre. Thrashed a few people at pool - thanks to my partner and not sadly any ability on my part, sank a few beers and crashed. Spent the next day getting stoned and waiting for my bus. The journey was 19 hours. The guy sitting next to me smelt really really bad. But after a while you know I didn't even notice it. He also had a bit of a grope whilst I was nodding off so the chit chat wasn't really there. He did apologise which I must say I was not so gracious in accepting. "I'm sorry, blah blah blah" "good". On the bus there were monkeys crossing the road on the highways - it felt very "I'm in Africa". Now I am in Cape Town which seems much more mellow than Jo'berg. I can't wait to look around.

2003-01-20T11:21:00.000Z

Perth is beautiful and so are the people.

I got in yesterday and went for a walk through the gardens which were gorgeous. In fact they made me really regret not going to a national park while I was in Queensland. But then there were a lot of things I didn't get round to really (Rainbow Beach was another). It rained while I was up there (the park is on a cliff overlooking the city) and the smell of rain was something I've missed as you can't smell it in London. As I was walking through the park I could smell all these things. The plants all had that "home smell" I miss so much. It was wonderful. And I thought that my sense of smell had got from all these years of smoking. I was childishly facinated by all the familiar natives and couldn't help but stoke a few of the magnificent gum trees they had up there.

Today I went to Fremantle and Cottesloe Beach. I got burned! The beach to my biased mind does not match the ones I have just come from. Mainly as there is no surf - I would have had to go to Margaret River or further up the coast and that was just a bit far to go just for the day especially as I wanted to go to Fremantle. So all in all a brilliant day.

So tomorrow it's back on the plane and into Africa.

2003-01-18T14:20:00.000Z

Well I'm leaving in the morning. I have that Jefferson Airship (?) song in my head on repeat.
I'm leaving on a jet plane
don't know when I'll be back again

2003-01-16T14:45:00.000Z

Had a fab day with Caitriona today. She came up from Brisbane to visit me. We went yabbie hunting for bait for the fishing we were going to do later (but never got round to). Had a great swim in the surf, hung out and had dinner before she headed back. It was so very nice to just chill and yak about nothing and everything.

Tonight entaled another internet lesson for my folks, which worringly was JUST like the first time all over again. For bright people they are sure picking it up slowly.

Saw this cute website on bar signals which I liked although I do work in bars.

I've also managed to scan some more pics which are here.

2003-01-15T14:05:00.000Z

Have been trying to teach my parents to use the internet so they might finally email me. I suspect that it will be a futile effort.

I have seen some cute things on the net tonight courtesy of some of the links to the side. These dildos are pretty out there. I liked this news story also for its general oh no value. And I also like this just cause. And I think I've been hanging out with way too many kids lately cause I found this funny too.

I have been looking at these to take my mind off less amusing (ok so I laugh at old people being burned - what can I say I'm a sick sick woman) stories such as how my trip to Zanzibar might be more exciting than expected. But on the bright side it should be less crowded than normal and hell I'm sure this will drive prices down. Stories like the one about Victoria Falls, one of the other places I'm going are a bit freaky too. But mustn't dwell on the negatives really - on the bright side my dad brought me a tent yesterday, I got a new drivers licence and washed my sleeping bag (for the first time in 3 years - people had been changing seats rather than sit next to me which I don't think is such a bad thing). Have a few other things to do and only a few days left to complete them all. God its gone so quick.

2003-01-13T12:34:00.000Z

Well I have spent all last week in Brisbane. Saw Kate, Caitriona, Fiona, Andy and Shannyn which was grand. Spent the rest of the time with my sister. God I'm going to miss her when I head off. But then I'm going to miss everything and everyone. She left the coast today and I was in tears. I think it's going to be blubber city at the airport.

I put some new photo's on my website just for the homesickness I anticipate (and I haven't even left yet). Just so I can look at them when I get sad in England. I think it will be even worse now than before. Now I can remember more clearly what I've been missing. What gets me though is the "I can't get attacted to you cause you are leaving" comment I get wherever I am. I've gotten this now in every country I've been in. I am starting to get well sick of it.

2003-01-04T07:07:00.000Z

Well I had a good New Years. Went into the Empire. I have been down the beach all day and now my brain has turned to mush. Must try and drag myself up to Brisbane again tomorrow to see Kate before she heads back to Sydney.

2002-12-27T12:25:00.000Z

Whilst I have been home I learned that Doug's (my sisters husband) friend Damien is going to die. It is quite sad really. He is only 30. He thought that he had a stomach ulcer. But he has stomach cancer instead. He collapsed and went to hospital for tests on Thursday by Tuesday (Christmas Eve) he was told he had two months to live and there was nothing the doctors could do. Imagine that. It's pretty full on.

In other news my family has lost (although I still live - in fairly vain - hope) all my photos from birth to 25. I almost feel like my past has been erased.

Other than that Christmas was pretty ace. Dad's birthday was great and got through Christmas with only one fight (over my photo's) which was pretty minor. Maybe I really am becoming a mature adult. My mum's idea of gift giving has not changed - I got the same lipstick that I've got last year and the year before but this time the second one was not the same which was a bit of a surprise. Usually I get the same two. I guess I should have been happy to get a different one but it is a pale lilac colour. Good for Halloween next year I guess.

2002-12-23T16:09:00.000Z

It is late at night here and I am musing on life. Maybe it has something to do wiith the Jack Daniels. It is my dad's birthday now but a few hours til it is time for everyone to wake. He is 60. That used to seem pretty old but now I don't like to think of him like that. Maybe cause I am also getting old too.

I don't know I used to be so passionate about life. Sometimes I wonder where that has gone. Now I seem to be much too sensible for my liking. Maybe Africia is my way of getting that back or just maybe I'm not chasing risks and taking chances the way I used to. I guess that you can't always go for life in the same reckless abandon all the time. Sometimes you need a break. I think that this is coming to an end for me, at least that is the way I feel at the moment.

I saw my best friend today. It was so good. 3 years is a long time, not that we have lived in the same place for years or anything.

2002-12-21T06:44:00.000Z

Well I am now back home!

I ran around New York like a mad thing and saw everything that I wanted to see except the main one - MOMA which sadly had been temporarily moved to Queens whilst I was there so I might have to go back in the summer time. It was a blast though. Went to the Empire State, Statue of Liberty, Little Italy, Soho, Chinatown, Greenwich Village, Times Square and Central Park. Pretty good for just one day and naturally went out for a beer too. Got a few Christmas presents on 5th Ave too. My flight out was at 8am so you can imagine how early I had to get up to go to the Airport. That was the worst part of my trip - JFK airport sucks big time. All these people were going to Puerto Rico and my god I've never seen so many bags in my life. I thought that I was bad when I moved from Ireland, man I was so an amateur. And no free alcohol when you fly American - what a rort.

Hawaii was such a party town. Strange though to think of it as American so far away from their mainland. It was brilliant to get into the surf again. I spent a lot of time on the beach. Some guys I met had a rental car so we drove over to the North Shore to watch the Pipeline Masters and check it out over there. Just beautiful. It is just a shame about the coral reefs! I ripped up a bit of my feet on it having a swim with some people I met after we had been to a couple of bars. And I sang (if thats the word) karaoke - oh the shame.

The flight from Hawaii was delayed by 2 hours which was a bummer and its not as if the actual flight is very exciting either but there were a few people from where I was staying going on the same flight as me so that helped past the time. It was so exciting getting off the plane and thinking wow here I am. Mum, Dad, Jo, Doug, Bridget and Lachlan were all at the airport to meet me which was really lovely. Jo's kids are really sweet. Lachlan doesn't do much tho.

Then it was off to have lunch for my Grandma's 90th. Being my parents naturally we all went to a steak house. I had a vegemite sandwich at Jo's place on the way so didn't succumb to the lure of meat. All the grandfolks were looking good actually. The last few days I've just spent at the beach. Surfers kicks arse over any other beach but then I am biased. Caught up with Andy and gave back some of his stuff which my parent had at their place. Went to the RE a pub near Andy's place and had a few drinks with him, his brother and his girlfriend. I cracked and had a meat pie on the way back down the coast. It is my Dad's 60th party tonight so that should be fun ish.

2002-12-10T02:57:00.000Z

Tonight I am in New York.

I went to a bar off Broadway and met this guy who was very old in an "old mans pub". It is nice to know that some things don't change. America is very different from England. I felt (only briefly) like I was in an episode of cops when an cop car went past. The bar that I went to had a sign in the toliets that said "Friends don't let Friends go home with ugly people - be responsible" the most sensible sign I have seen in toliets yet. The streets are so wide here and there is snow on the footpaths. It seems strange to hear people talk with their accent. I have realised since I got here that I will only have one day to explore the city. I really should have been more organised. I like it here already and want to stay longer.

Tonight was so much fun. Talking bullshit to John in the Bar and meeting a few other people. Roaming the street - tho very briefly (its too cold). My hostel is very expensive and is the same as elsewhere even maybe more rundown. But at $27 a night. If I had been more organised I could stay in a run down hotel on the outskirts for this. But then I don't even have a guidebook. I do however now have a subway map. People seem cvery friendly on the whole. It is very different from what I expected to be honest. Maybe I have been in England for too long. I can't believe that I only have one more day - I only got here today. But then it is another day closer to home I guess.

Did I mention it was -3 when I got off the plane.

2002-12-06T16:27:00.000Z

Did I mention that I'm going to New York. If it's not too hot somewhere then it is too cold.

2002-12-06T12:39:00.000Z

Today is the last day of my 9-5ish existence for some time. I only have tomorrow at the pub to go and I suspect that this will mainly involve drinking shots with the boss. God it feels good. I so was not meant to work.

So where will I be?
Monday at 11am (good thing I looked I was under the impression that this was at 9) I fly to New York - on Wednesday 11th I fly to Honolulu and from there it is back home arriving on 16th - which is just in time for my Grandma's 90th birthday which was actually just a coincidence but hey I'm not telling her that.

I'm hanging around in Surfers and Brisbane until 19th Jan. I'm going to try and get down to Melbourne and maybe Sydney but I don't know if this will actually happen. Then I'm going to Perth for 2 days to check out where my sister used to live and from there it is onto Jo'berg. I'm not planning on spending any time in Jo'berg really as I want to head straight to Cape Town and make my way up to Kenya. I have booked my flight back to London but I may or may not change it. At the moment I'm getting back on the 12th March.

2002-12-05T13:17:00.000Z

Well only one more day here at the office job and then another day at the pub and then no more work for ages. Yay! I don't think that I will be posting as much then as I obviously won't be getting paid to surf and do fcuk all.

Today I am worried about:
a) being sick for 4 whole days (a bit of a record)
b) the weather back home
c) the state of airline repairs (thanks to Zannah)
d) typing things with a), b) etc in them - have I been working in an office just a little too long.

Tomorrow - the itinerary

2002-12-04T17:57:00.000Z

I have been sick.

It has been a bit of a shock cause I don't think that I have been sick when it hasn't been self-inflicted since I was Egypt and that was last year. And I don't know if a day really counts. Andy was really sick there but I did tell him not to eat the oysters from the really polluted looking beach but would he listen - no. But I guess it is good practice for Africa. So haven't been up to a lot - dragging my arse to my various jobs then hanging out in the loos for ages then sloping off home. Been drinking a lot of ginger beer. Actually this is pretty much my entire diet (listen to me you would think I have been sick for weeks). I have to go to the pub tonight and I really don't think I can have a drink - not even a white spirit with ginger ale. Yes I have been thinking about it.

2002-12-02T18:05:00.000Z

Yay! Only 1 week to go. It's countdown time.

I am also now a godmother to another child! And I saw a friend (Maree) that I haven't seen for about 10 years. It was weird seeing her again. She hasn't really changed. But maybe I have - I don't know. I just didn't feel as clicky with her as I thought I would if you know what I mean. We did go for a drink after though. So I guess some things really don't change.

I have a real urge to ask people if they think that I have changed at the moment - no guesses where thats coming from. I wonder how much my sister has changed. It has been 3 years and she is a mum now. And what is Brisbane like now. What if I don't like it anymore.

2002-11-28T13:44:00.000Z

God the week is going so fast. My flatmates have found someone for my room but they want to stay for good not just for 3 months with is a bit of a bummer but oh well now I don't have to be back anytime certain. I have been going through people's cupboards to borrow clothes for the Christening on Sunday to no satisfaction. Am going shopping after work tonight to look for something to wear. It seems ridiculous to be buying stuff a week before I go but the kids not getting a present and I do have to look somewhat presentable. Also somehow need to get my hands on a very warm jacket for New York, long sleeve pale shirts and pants for Africa, Christmas presents, first aid kit, light weight tent, sleep sheet, mozzie net, deetish stuff and I wouldn't mind a water purifier but may have to go the charcoal tablets cheapo route.

2002-11-25T14:12:00.000Z

Another weekend over and another week closer to leaving. My feet are getting itchy and work is just starting to seem too much.

At the moment working in HR I'm scoring MBTI's here is mine. And no this is not the offical work one - that one is a bit boring. Here is another.

Am still trying to organise my life - without too much success I must say. Things are all very much up in the air but I am full of hope that it will all come together nicely.

2002-11-21T13:41:00.000Z

Buying bread from a man in Brussels
He was six foot four and full of muscles
I said, "Do you speak-a my language?"
He just smiled and gave me a vegemite sandwich

~ from "Down Under" by Men at Work

Yes, the homesickness is kicking in now.

2002-11-21T11:20:00.000Z

From Thursday Thing

1. Which would you prefer: a wild, turbulent life filled with joy, sorrow, passion, and adventure -- both intoxicating successes and stunning setbacks? Or a happy, secure, predictable life surrounded by friends and family, without such wild swings of fortune and mood?
I think that I chose a long time ago and its certainly not secure. I think that any other life would be deathly boring and anyhow it is the way of things to never be predictable however much you might want an inkling at the time.
2. Sometimes whistles are blown to warn us or get our attention. When would you most like to have a whistle blow to alert you?
When I really should not drink anymore.
3. A picture is worth a thousand words. What is one place you have seen that only a picture can adequately describe?
I am of the opinion that words can describe places better than pictures (and not just my dodgy photo's either).

2002-11-19T12:44:00.000Z

I've changed jobs and now I actually have to work!! It is a hard ajustment to make. I'm working right up to the day I go away which is good for my bank balance also. went and saw Bowling for Colombine on the weekend with Dave - it was quite good. Also saw my little god-daughter which was lovely. Not a lot else that I want to put here.

2002-11-13T14:30:00.000Z

Well the firefighters go on strike tonight for 48 hours so I hope I can get home from work (some trains won't be running if the staff feel that they are at risk). Might have to be a bit careful when smoking in bed too. Also have noticed that apparently war will start on the day before I fly out. Great its not enough to have strikes and general terrorism to deal with but now a war too. I worry as I write this that I am becoming increasingly self-centered. Loads of people might die but my flight will be delayed/cancelled!

2002-11-12T10:13:00.000Z

I was reading Kate's blog about clothes and getting rid of them and that book "Fabulous Nobodies" which I haven't thought about in years. It is so sweet too. I have it back home - have a real urge to reread it now. And I have bags of clothes back home - I can't wait to get my hands on them. I used to love when Kate, Deb, or any of those guys got rid of clothes. Especially Caitriona.

2002-11-12T10:02:00.000Z

There are airline strikes about to start over here. Luckily one is the day after I fly out. Hopefully won't be too much of a disruption. And have been having a bit of a look at this spoof kiwi site which is quite funny. So my morning is sliding along nicely.

2002-11-11T17:23:00.000Z

Well its another Monday.

They seem to be coming around way too fast for me at the moment. I have less than a month til I go now. I worked out my budget on the weekend. It is looking grim but still do-able. May not get to do everything I want but hey I should be used to that by now. Have been sending emails to all the stay at people's places for free websites I can find.

The weekend (like all weekends until I go now I guess) was not very exciting. Am trying so very hard not to spend money. And worked a fair bit. Was so tired also maybe I am getting low on iron or something. Or maybe I should just go to bed a bit earlier.

2002-11-07T13:35:00.000Z

The Thursday Thumb-Twiddler

1. If you could change anything about the way you were raised, what would it be?
I don't know if I would as part of that made me the person I am today. My folks aren't perfect and there were some things I would do different myself but I wouldn't want perfect parents just ones that loved me like the ones I had. Even if we don't get on all the time and they can still piss me off from thousands of miles away.
2. Have you ever displayed in your home a hated, ugly, and useless gift, just because the donor happened to be paying you a visit?
I can't remember to be honest - I assume so.
3. If you were writing a new children's book, what might you choose for the setting, and who might the main character be?
I have actually thought of this and am thinking of doing a powerpoint (yes I have worked in an office way too long) slide thingy where Bridget (my niece) can discover where I live at the moment and where it is in relation to her home.

2002-11-06T15:46:00.000Z

Well the week is flying by as usual. It seems as if I am only just waking up. I have been feeling very tired all week. It has been a fairly good if dull week. Monday I just went home, had a bath and went to bed. Oh and watched the final of The Office which I have really been getting into. Last night I worked in the pub which was pretty good cause it was totally dead. Had a lovely drink with the governor after work and a good chat. I might go back and work there when I get back into town after my break. Tonight I shall be hitting the hay early I think as I feel knackered and I have to work Thursday too. But I have Friday off which is kinda exciting. I was thinking of offering my services to Jane as a babysitter so her and Ashley can go out. This seems so dull I know but I have Saturday off too and have already made plans for that. And it is a good way to save money!

2002-11-04T10:05:00.000Z

Had a good weekend.

Worked on Friday night at the pub. It was Anita's last night (she is going back home for Christmas) which was sad as she is really nice and good fun to work with. I guess I'll be going soonish too. My house party was on Saturday night. It was loads of fun. People really went to a lot of trouble with their costumes. Took some photo's so can't wait to get them back. Was up dancing at 5am. It was hell at work last night. Just felt like a zombie. It was deaf mute night at the pub too. This was great in a way as it was nice and quiet but challenging to get the sign language right.

2002-10-31T17:11:00.000Z

From Thursday Thumb-Twiddler
1. Would you prefer to have had more or fewer sexual partners in your life?
More. I have a sadly limited sexual history and I sometimes wonder what I do with my time. However being single at the moment it seems that only sad losers come on to me or people I like don't like me or it is the wrong time/place/both.
2. You accidentally come across your teenager's diary. If you choose to, you can read it without anyone ever knowing. Do you? What if it were your spouse's?
Yeah I most likely would but I wouldn't tell them and it wouldn't matter whose it was. I mean I love reading diary's. I know that it is meant to be private and cause my folks would rummage through all my stuff I have a fear of putting too much down on paper to this day so I know how it feels but I would still do it.
3. You work for an ad agency, and the assignment is to come up with a slogan to get people to eat more fish. What would you suggest?
I don't know something along the lines it was healthy and not mentioning all the heavy chemicals.

2002-10-30T16:18:00.000Z

So it is Wednesday already.

Found out that Jane's other Godparent owns a nightclub in New York. I'm going there soon. Maybe I can be a VIP! Must remember to be nice. Nothing else really happening in my life. Going to work, coming home - just the usual. Working at the pub tonight that sort of thing. Am either going to the movies with Dave tomorrow night or having dinner with Jane. I will wait and see if Dave is still keen to do something.

Saw Donnie Darko the other night with Jimmy it is really good.

2002-10-28T15:01:00.000Z

From Monday Mission
1. Ever do anything over and over just to make someone else happy but discover you actually hate it?
Yes when I was a kid I used to do Ballet, Jazz and Tap Dancing even though I hated it cause my sister liked it.
2. What kinds of obligations do you enjoy?
Pleasant ones
3. What are your feelings about celebrating Halloween?
I'm excited about it as I've never really celebrated it before, we are having a party and dressing up - should be good fun.
4. Are there any stories of bodily functions you would prefer people not share with you in conversation?
Yes, I am only interested in ones of a sexual nature and then the juicier the better.
6. Ponder the thought of being forever young, living on endlessly, being immortal. What would that life be like for you?
I would live in every country in the world and take the time to learn things that now just seem too hard like other languages however forever is a long time but I guess it would be fun checking out the family tree every once in a while. The death of everyone else would be a bit wearing after a while.
7. What's the last thing you felt was "worth fighting for?"
My ideals
BONUS: Sooner or later, they all will be gone...why don't they stay young?
It would be no fun if nothing changed
Today's comment question: What is the last thing you do before going to bed?
undress

2002-10-28T10:44:00.000Z

Well its been a fun week.

I had the week off my day job as I've changed departments and had a list of things to do with my time. Did none of these but had a good time.

The most exciting of which was being asked to be a godmother! And I found out I was already one! I am slightly concerned that I had forgotten but it was more a matter of mistaken identity. My sister was just getting my mum to fill in for me when in I thought she was doing it for real. I think my sister was a bit miffed that I didn't know. And now Jane has asked me to be godmother to her kid. Just think - me responsible for anothers spiritual and moral guidance.

So spent a lot of time with Jane as she has just moved to London from Japan. She is staying in a really scrummy appartment which I am very jealous of. It is a few doors up from Harvey Nicks on Sloane St. Her baby is hell cute too.

Spent a bit of time trying to go to the doctor without success. The NHS is a shocker. What else - hmmmmm well still only a man magnet to drunken bums (no change there). Jimmy and I are back to being friends. I saw the Queen (kinda by accident - was walking past Buck Palace with Jane to get to the park which is near my work). Chatted to Caitriona and got the exciting news that she is moving to Brisbane! I won't be there for most of it and she is only moving to London now that I'm on the verge on moving back home but it is still exciting. Not really a lot else. Oh and wondering what Fiona is up to as I haven't heard from her in ages.

2002-10-17T11:14:00.000Z

From Thursday Thumb-Twiddler

1. You're at a friend's house for Thanksgiving dinner. You find a dead cockroach in your salad. What do you do?
I would probably not eat much more salad. Actually I would most likely give all the food a miss and just say that I was "full". But these things happen.
2. What particular historical document (or portion thereof_ do you think every person (or at least every citizen of your country) should know by heart?
The Man from Snowy River by Banjo Paterson
3. A follow-on to last week: what five TV series have or had the best theme song with lyrics?
The Mary Tyler Moore Show, Laverne and Shirley, The A-Team, Fraggle Rock and The Banana Splits. All very old school I know.

2002-10-17T11:07:00.000Z

Am feeling sorry for myself (again) today. Have a hangover and did not get to bed til quite late. Wish I could just pop my head on the desk and have a wee kip. Alas I don't think that this is possible. It would at the very least draw comments.

2002-10-14T11:20:00.000Z

Well another fairly boring weekend. Spent most of it working. Went to 'Euphor!um' at the Roundhouse in Camden on Saturday with Dave and Jimmy. It was good but personally a bit depressing. I have realised that Jimmy does not *like* me and our friendship is now awkward and weird. It was kinda strange as we have always gotten on really well but it was hard to look him in the eye and I noticed that he seemed to have the same problem. And he mentioned in an email this morning that he had gone on a blind date with a Polish girl. Bloody men and their Eastern Europeans. I am now listening to a lot of empowering girl power sounds - listening to Independent Women as I type.

2002-10-09T16:01:00.000Z

Well Caitriona has restored my faith (once again) after yesterdays blue mood as to the state of men's minds with a most excellent rebuttal. Other than that the day has passed in a bit of a haze. Mainly listening to Hip Hop (Its hot in here).

Still have another 6 hours of work to go *sigh*. Its bad when you start counting down the hours when you haven't even started THAT job yet. Hopefully will not be busy and will be fun as it often is mid-week. Must check to see if there is any soccer on. It sometimes seems as if there is not a moment of the day when they are not broadcasting some form of soccer over here.

2002-10-08T09:58:00.000Z

I read with dismay this article. Is it really like this? Maybe I should only date women from now on.

Here is a fairly clear webcam of my area. It's just down the road, more in Streatham than Streatham Hill but out of interest this is down where I go to yoga. You can also have a look at Brixton which is up the other end. This is where I do aikido.

2002-10-07T09:15:00.000Z

I haven't been to the movies for ages - and I won free tickets so I have no excuse really but what I really want to go to is this.

It just looks fab

Ireland was good but bittersweet, caught up with Fintan which was nice and saw the rellies. Old people food digested out of politeness: roast lamb with 3 veg one of which was mushy peas and canned pear halves in about 2 cups of cream. They were lovely though but had to go to a funeral the next day so just stayed for a little while.

It was sad though as I don't think that I will be back (unless Mum and Dad come over which is looking unlikely - Mum doesn't want to leave her team). In the last 3 years Ireland is the only place that I have returned to. So it was a strange feeling to be walking in the city I used to live in and knowing that this might be the last I saw of it.

When I was walking up my namesake street I also thought of the last time I was there with Andy. He kissed me goodbye there on the way to the airport and this trip I was meant to see him again. It was very nostalgic in a way. It was like closing a door if you know what I mean.

2002-10-04T14:42:00.000Z

I have popped some new photo's onto my home thingymabob. My dad sent some of them over to take to the rellies. Flying out tonight - can't wait!

2002-10-03T12:06:00.000Z

Am getting a haircut tomorrow, am a bit nervous. I always have a really bad time when I go. I always give off the wrong vibes to them and they don't like me. I think it could be cause I don't like the head massages. And my hair always looks soooooooo bad afterwards. By the time I've gotten used to it it is time to go back. You just can't win. And then of course there was that time they burnt my hair off.

2002-10-02T15:58:00.000Z

There is a tube strike today. There is a cute picture here.
The office is very quiet - yeah! Even the game is down. I am working tonight so have to walk to Victoria, luckily it is not far and I can get an overland train home.

Am feeling a bit down as I finish up at work on the 11th. I will have to find another job pretty fast. But then I am kinda glad as my job is very boring. But then my new job is sure to be too. Maybe I won't notice for a few days though. Heard from my ex Andy - was good to hear that he is ok. For some reason I always think that my ex's are going to end up dead in a ditch somewhere and worry if I haven't heard from them. I don't know why this could be!!!

Didn't go to yoga last night - stayed home and drank beer. It felt good.

2002-09-30T15:52:00.000Z

well its not liking this again so I guess it will be the last one.

2002-09-30T14:33:00.000Z

From the Promo Guy's Monday Mission
1. Who has authority over you?
No one - I can be guided by others but ultimately I'm the one responsible for my own life.
2. Where do you go to get a feeling of community?
When I'm with people with the same interests and goals, however this does not happen very often as I (like most people I'm sure) usually have a feeling of "otherness". I remember once I went to a rally in Brisbane and the atmosphere was amazing and I really felt part of the group in a way that doesn't usually happen for me. It was at a time when John Howard had just gotten into power and he was wanting to break up othe union movement and had gone for the biggest in the country - the maritime workers. There was a rally on Labour Day (or May Day as it can sometimes be known) and they were handing down the court decision during the speeches. Everyone was nervous as if the biggest union went then no union would be safe. When the judge ruled in favour the crowd just went wild - it was an incredible feeling.
3. What do you do, or have you done, in your life that "goes against the tide?"
I remember once my Dad said to me that I would always take the hard option in life and he was sad when he said it and so was I as we both knew it was true.
4. Guilt can be a powerful weapon. Those who have mastered its power can very good at getting what they want. Have you ever used guilt to get you what you want? Have you ever had it used on you? How did you react?
Growing up Catholic I know all about guilt.
5. I was walking through the mall Friday night and saw a lot of teenagers who dressed really wild and just acted like idiots - not caring who was looking or what others thought. And I remember being that way, having that kind of freedom. I must have looked like a fool then too. Did you ever do anything in public with your friends as a teenager that you would never do today? Tell me about that.

6. I don't watch the television show "Survivor," but I did notice they allow each contestant to bring one "luxury item" to the deserted island with them (make-up, a book, etc.). If you were to go to an island for three months, what five "luxury items" would you bring and why?
The keeper, a radio, leatherman, a hammock and a lighter.
7. If you would have had a choice, in which time period would you have like to have lived? Why?

BONUS: Where do you dare me to draw the line?
Nowhere

2002-09-27T09:46:00.000Z

I have now paid for my flight! So exciting. I now just have to save so I can do stuff whilst not on a plane.

This weekend is not looking so exciting what with all my money now gone. Next week is rent week and I'm going to Ireland so can't spend any money - well for ages and ages. I guess not til after my trip now. Am really looking forward to seeing Fintan. His accent is so nice. Talking to him on the phone really reminded me. Don't know how things will go with Jimmy. I haven't seen him but then he only got back from Munich yesterday. I just think that it is all going to be weird and awkward between us now. I often wonder why I do these things to myself but I think it is just to create a bit of excitment.

Have gone back to wanting to stay single for a while. It is all too much work.

2002-09-25T11:44:00.000Z

Found an article on my fav graffiti in London - its pretty wicked. There is some more on him here and here. Oh and also here. Also am thinking that as I have Saturday off work I might go to this. Caitriona is talking of being more bachelor orientated which made me think of her ex Dave which naturally enough led me to this. I love the thread idea - that is pure genius - might have to try that one myself. Saw this other site today that was kinda cute with cars. And this sex site is kinda cute too. Totally different is this weird christian website - love the I'm a better christian than you one. I never knew that there was more to groin kicking either. I haven't heard from Andy (my ex) for a while. I wonder what he is up to? Maybe I'll just have to ask. If you haven't already noticed today is just one big link fest. and what haven't I covered - evil lair's. What more could you want.

2002-09-24T11:43:00.000Z

My computer has really been hating me these last few days. Maybe it is possessed by the devil. Nothing would surprise me anymore. But I do know that the server at work has been having problems.

All my department have gone on a mystery trip today and tomorrow so I am practically the only one in. It is great.

2002-09-24T11:30:00.000Z

From Monday Mission from the Promo Guy

1. When I was young, my Mom would always drink a cold Dr. Pepper in the morning. Me, I can go either way. I like a Cold Frappucchino in the Summer months and switch to warm Mocha Espresso in the Fall. Do you like to drink warm beverages in the morning or do you prefer yours cold?
Cold everytime. Maybe this is from growing up in the tropics but there is nothing better than an icy cold coke to kick start the day. Of course living in England this is often not possible because of the pathological fear of icy cold drinks thus all drinks served luke warm.
2. Have you ever been so upset with someone that you wanted to get revenge? What did you do? Or if you didn't, what would you like to have done?
Yes all the time, however my intrinsic laziness always seems to get the better of me coupled with my appalling memory. Which often means 10 minutes later I have forgotten all about it.
3. Sometimes I can look back at my past and see so many things that I was too naive to take advantage of. A time where I could have moved ahead in my career if only I'd chosen to move, the High School girlfriend who said she would do anything if I just asked, and so on. Looking back, are there any opportunities you missed out on that you can see now but didn't realize then?
Yes, I look back and see things that I could have done differently or opportunities that I just didn't notice. But to be honest I'm pretty happy with the things that I've done in my life and wouldn't do it any other way. Even if it might have been "better", I mean who can tell!
4. Today I tried on my black slacks, and they are just a skosh too tight (yeah it's a real word, look it up). Of course, I wore them anyway. Are there any clothes you refuse to throw away even though they don't (and never will) fit? Why do you keep them?
Definitely, loads and loads of clothes like that. Not so many with me now though. Have kept a couple of sackfulls back at my folks place in Australia but I suspect it will be easier to part from them after 3 years + separation. I have learnt since moving around so much over here (and when I moved to Dublin and back the most) how to stop clinging to my favourites so much. I do still have a shirt from when I was about 6 though and it is hell tight.
5. Although my speech classes eliminated most if it, I still have a little Okie accent left. I say "Git" instead of "Get" and "Collar" instead of "Colour." Do you have an accent? Are there any phrases or words you say that tip folks that "you aren't from around these parts?"

2002-09-23T09:41:00.000Z

And my tax cheque arrived! £468 enough to ensure that I can buy my ticket this week. Am looking for insurance now. Also I found out on the weekend that the pub I work in used to be an IRA target.

Didn't do too much on the weekend. Worked friday night at the pub and had a bit of a lock in as Matt (pub landlord dude) came back from Ireland. It was a bit sad as Matt was still down about his dad's death. So stayed up drinking with him and a few others til 3am and ended up staying in the spare room. And it was back downstairs the next morning to work again. That night I went to bed early (so dull but was pretty tired). Sunday I worked again and it was so busy as there was a massive protest in the city. Dave came round after that for tea and we both got a little swify.

2002-09-20T09:02:00.000Z

From Friday Five
1. Would you say that you're good at keeping in touch with people?
It depends - sometimes I'm really slack and other times I'm calling people all the time, writing and generally can't get enough of them. Living so far away from home makes you better at this however especially if your parents are even worse than you are at staying in touch. But in general I think I'm pretty good. It helps when most of your friends are as nomadic as you are. God knows my best friend and I have rarely lived in the same town since high school but we (I hope) are as tight as ever.
2. Which communication method do you usually prefer/use: e-mail, telephone, snail mail, blog comments, or meeting in person? Why?
Well I email people more just cause it is more convenient (blast those long distance phone charges). But I do like talking to people on the phone about more emotional stuff. I have turned into a crap letter writer in recent times and have been meaning to put pen to paper for the longest time but Royal Mail over here makes it a real gamble that anything will get there anyway. I haven't given many people my blog address and I don't know how effective that is as a communication tool especially as I don't always write my innermost thoughts down all the time but maybe I will more - will have to see. But yes meeting in person is my fav - how could it not be.
3. Do you have an instant messenger program? How many? Why/why not? How often do you use it?
No. The firewall at work is resistant to these but I must admit I have thought more about downloading a program to get around this but am still resisting.
4. Do most of your close friends live nearby or far away?
A lot of my close friends are back in Australia. But it is nice to have a few around me in Streatham (I am so lazy sometimes).
5. Are you an "out of sight, out of mind" person, or do you believe that "distance makes the heart grow fonder"?
People who have a place in my heart I always think about. Even people I'm no longer friends with.

2002-09-19T15:26:00.000Z

you're high art. you're about lesbians and heroin and take place in new york. how trendy.

take the which prettie movie are you? quiz, a product of the slinkstercool community.

2002-09-19T14:23:00.000Z

The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that, the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

2002-09-19T11:30:00.000Z

Not a lot happening in my life from now on. Must only go to work in order to save money. At least til 2nd October anyhow. Then I'll be off to Ireland and I guess I can splash out slightly then. Other than that I am trying to organise my life a little. Royal Mail is the bane of my existence. Am still trying to track down the CDs I ordered over the internet 2 months ago. Now they have lost my tax cheque. But on the plus side today I got a fold up frisbee from work. Admittedly I cannot fit it back in the dinky little container it came in and it is covered in corporate logos but still.

Oh and proxy boyfriend is not looking so platonic no more.

2002-09-17T10:17:00.000Z

OMG!!!!

Have put a deposit down on my flight! Total cost £1107.20 Yikes!

I have to pay for it all by the 2nd October. Can't go to Melbourne unfortunately as am over my miles limit. Itinery is London to New York to Hawaii to Brisbane to Perth to Jo'berg overland to Kenya then back to London. I so hope I will have enough money for all this. But hey you just have to say sod it sometimes don't you!

2002-09-13T10:28:00.000Z

Had a chat to the folks this morning. They pretty much said that if I can only afford to go to either to Africa or Australia I should come home for Christmas. But I really really really want to go to Africa. I can maybe get a flight now and will need to put a deposit down. It is £1033 plus tax. So in the time between today and tomorrow I have to decide a) do I still want to do both b) should I do a tour of Africa after Christmas instead of before so I can stay working for an extra month and get more money together c) if this is the case I have to go with a more expensive company as the one I was going with don't travel from Jo'berg to Kenya d) should I not do a tour and travel independently through Africa and wing it.

I should start looking at vacinations too I guess.

2002-09-13T09:01:00.000Z

From Friday Five
1. What was/is your favorite subject in school? Why?
Art mainly cause it was the most fun.
2. Who was your favorite teacher? Why?
I don't know really - I was never one of those kids that was great mates with the teacher. On the whole I stayed away from them. My favourite would be Mrs Jackman as she was the most "good" person I have ever met. She was interested in social justice issues and implemented them in her everyday life which would have been very difficult.
3. What is your favorite memory of school?
Hanging out with my friends.
4. What was your favorite recess game?
In Emu Park there used to be really cool Red Rover games where kids just appeared and disappeared in the most dramatic manner.
5. What did you hate most about school?
The rules - some things haven't changed I guess.

2002-09-12T12:13:00.000Z

Well another boring day at work

I have been in the dullest meeting all morning and have only a break at lunch to content me before I have to go back. I'm so tired too. Worked at the pub til 11:30pm last night and then rang my darling sister when I got in. As a result didn't get to bed til really late. It was great to chat though. It made me miss her so much. And it is my mum's birthday tomorrow so it was good that I rang as I might have forgotten and I would never have lived that one down.

Have tonight off! Yey and what will I be doing on a night off from the pub? Yes, going to my local for a pint.

2002-09-11T16:01:00.000Z

Which Alan Rickman Character Are You?

2002-09-10T09:59:00.000Z

Noticed that my old doctor is in the news again. Everytime I see stuff like this it just makes me think hmmmm thats a bit weird. He was a weird doctor anyhow when I was going to him. The doctors I used to go to were better but they specialised in treating people with Aids so if you went to your appointment and the person ahead of you had "issues" it could take hours to get in. So after a bit of this I changed to Dr Reece known to us locals as the christian doctor (he told one of the guys over the back that he was sure to have Aids cause of his "lifestyle"). I must admit I was a bit iffy about going to a christian doctor but the only other one close by was up the hill and if I was sick I just didn't think I would make it up there. At first it was bliss as no one went to see him so you could just pop over. After a while however I noticed that the waiting room was getting fuller and fuller. Suddenly appointments were as bad as the Aids clinic. What was going on. Then found out that he had become a drugs doctor - I should have known he was heading that way when I went in with a cold and came out with a controversial asthma ventilator that my dad who actually has asthma told me not to take. The "exorcisms" bit just is the icing on the cake.

2002-09-09T15:16:00.000Z

Again it is Monday. I can't believe that it is September either. Where does all the time go. I am worried that I will not have enough time to save before my trip. I realised today that It is less than 2 months til 4th November and it will be nigh on impossible for me to save the £3000 that I need. I am not giving up all hope however. I dream of a fairy godmother plush with cash. Maybe I'll go on a diet and become a stripper. I just don't think I have the right personality however.

With these ideas in mind I spent all weekend working. Unfortunately for very little money in a pub. All my tips are in beer. I can already see the beginnings of a beer gut. It is quite fun however. Maybe the tax department will be kind and send me my refund soon so I can buy my flight ticket (£1200). After my tour (£600) plus spending money (£700) I will still need money for Oz at Christmas and money for when I get back to London while I get a job. It seems quite daunting today. Maybe I can get another job on the days I have off.

2002-09-06T11:20:00.000Z

From Friday Five

1. What is your biggest pet peeve? Why?
Bad manners. As far as I'm concerned if people just behaved with decency towards each other the world would be totally different. However it is very hard to live your life by this. Principles are expensive.
2. What irritating habits do you have?
Loads. Smoking is one that my non smoking friends would pick. I could go on but I don't think it is healthy to over anaylse these sort of things. As Popeye would say "I yam what I yam"
3. Have you tried to change the irritating habits or just let them be?
No not usually, I mean no ones perfect.
4. What grosses you out more than anything else? Why?
Foul smells. I mean you can look at things that are gross but if you get the other senses involved it gets so much worse and sometimes you can't help but rench.
5. What one thing can you never see yourself doing that other people do?
I never say never. And anyway what one thing do other people do. Everyone is different and so too are their lives.

2002-09-04T11:20:00.000Z

I am going out of my brain with boredom at work today. Am just not in the mood. I think it is cause I know it will be going on for a while. And I finally got through to the tax office after trying everyday for a week (constantly engaged) but alas the computers were all down. They said they would ring me back. I'm not holding my breath. I've already been waiting for my refund since April *sigh*.

2002-09-03T15:30:00.000Z

Well no longer meeting up with Joan on Thursday. It is so frustrating as I have been trying to meet up with her since I got back into London. It has now been a good 3 months. Thats pretty bad isn't it. And we only live down the road from each other.

Joan can't meet up on Mondays as that is her netball night. I have yoga on Tuesdays. Then I work on Wednesdays. She has squash on Thursdays. I'll be working Friday nights. And I am now also working either Saturday or Sunday. She is going away this weekend. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

I feel bad about this as I was meant to meet up with her in October (!!!) and stood her up (very hungover - didn't wake up in time). And as Andy and I went travelling for 3 months and then onto Ireland to live I haven't seen her since then. It just gets easier and easier to put it off. And if I'm in town for the weekend then she is not. Though she went to Birmingham last weekend (why).

2002-09-03T11:40:00.000Z

Well I actually started work at my new job last night. Just popped in to grab a shirt and stayed for two hours just to get a feel for it. It seems pretty cruisey I must say. I always feel so old though when I do bar jobs. Everyone else is so young! I guess I'll have to get used to it.

So it was not that exciting a night really. Went to work x 2 then watched the last 6 foot under. Not real exciting stuff. Tonight I am going to yoga after work. Then work x 2 again on Wednesday. Meeting up with Joan after work Thursday then work x 2 on friday.

Must must must but a deposit on some sort of flight this weekend before I can't get one at all. So expensive though.

2002-09-02T12:19:00.000Z

Well a bit of a so-so weekend.

Got a second job which I start on Wednesday. Will see how that goes. Trying to get a flight home for Christmas which is proving impossible. I think every expat must be flying and have nicked all the seats. Maybe boat will have to become an option!

Had a bit of a crisis on Friday which I am trying to handle. Oh and watched a few video's the rest of the time.

2002-08-30T13:48:00.000Z

1. What's your favorite piece of clothing that you currently own?
The reindeer booties I just got in Finland
2. What piece of clothing do you most want to acquire?
a black leather jacket (I only have a dark brown one) oh and maybe a new winter coat
3. What piece of clothing can you not bring yourself to get rid of? Why?
The australia top that I've had since I was about 6 - I wear it when I am homesick (although it is pretty tight)
4. What piece of clothing do you look your best in?
Black dress from Ghost which incidently I haven't worn yet as I want to make it a bit shorter
5. What has been your biggest fashion accident?
Wow so many to count maybe when I went to work so hungover one day that I wore a long black skirt with fluffy thick bed socks and dm lace up shoes with a particularly bad top. No makeup and bed hair. My boss took one look at me and brought over a big jug of water.

2002-08-29T12:42:00.000Z

Yeah

My best friend Caitriona is putting up some photo's on her site soon! I can't wait. We haven't lived in the same country for yonks so I am really looking forward to seeing them. Ditto for Debs but it seems like I've been waiting for hers for ages. Kate's were well cool. I *love* looking at photos.

And if you want to look at mine here they are.

2002-08-29T11:54:00.000Z

Well today might be reminisce about old times day I think.

I have been thinking about an old friend of mine Paul. I used to know him from when I was a scamp. Paul, Jane, Amber, Chris, Mick, Steve, Nathan and a few others were one group I used to hang out with fairly often way back when (like when I was 16). It is scary that this is over 10 years ago now.

Paul was another of my proxy type boys. He was cute, funny and just on the right side of dangerously self-destructive. We were bestest mates for ages and used to get up to loads of mischief together. He was a big truck mechanic and thus after a while took off to Kalgoorlie with his new fiance (on off childhood sweetheart Kim) to work on the mines. The last time I saw him was at his engagement party.

It was down the Gold Coast (where my folks live and where a load of us used to pretty much pack up camp to in the summers) at Kim's parents place. It was a fairly wild party with Chris making the most blatant play for Paul I have ever seen (despite it being his engagement party and at his future wife's parents place). This was after Chris had had a series of disastous relationships (not really surprising as he mainly went out strippers) and gone off women and decided to try out the other team.

Kim and Paul left straight after for the mines. I was still really good friends with one of his best friends from primary school Steve and we wondered why we hadn't heard about the wedding. I heard later that he had a nervous breakdown there and I never heard from him again.

2002-08-28T09:32:00.000Z

Went to yoga last night! Feel very virtuous.

2002-08-27T15:53:00.000Z

Well the last long weekend til the end of the year is now been and gone.

Went to the Swan on Friday night. Had a good time. Danced, drank and generally made merry. Spent the next day recovering.

On Sunday I went to the Church a very aussie yob pub near Kings Cross. It was toally packed. Sweaty people everywhere. Met some nice people tho'. Heard Khan San in the first time for a long while. Should have been wearing a flannel. Went to a few other pubs after that and yes the next day was spent playing cards and recovering.

2002-08-23T12:04:00.000Z

Which Winona Are You?

2002-08-23T09:13:00.000Z

From Friday Five

1. What is your current occupation? Is this what you chose to be doing at this point in your life? Why or why not?
I work in an office at the moment. Yes it is what I choose as it pays quite well and funds my travels. In the future I want to do something else that I enjoy more but not right now.
2. If time/talent/money were no object, what would your dream occupation be?
Travel writer? No Prime Minister maybe. No I think an explorer, that would be fun (but not as socially responsible).
3. What did/do your parents do for a living? Has this had any influence on your career choices?
My parents had their own business and yes it has had an impact on my career choices. A few people have offered to set me up in a business but I have said no as I didn't want that responsiblity. My parents are working class made good and I guess that has made me want to be more of a white collar worker. In the future I want to go back to uni so I can become a "professional" but as I get older I think that running things my way could be good and not a chore.
4. Have you ever had to choose between having a career and having a family?
No I have neither
5. In your opinion, what is the easiest job in the world? What is the hardest? Why?
The easiest job in the world is doing stuff that people want or need and the hardest would be taking that away.

2002-08-21T11:25:00.000Z

Matthew Broderick has a mustache - it looks great! I used to so *heart* him when I was a young one. Ferris is such an 80s film. That and Sixteen Candles were maybe my favourite "teen" films of that time - oh and Valley Girl of course.

2002-08-21T08:51:00.000Z

Another terrible day in Australian politics with my favourite politician of the moment resigning. It is times like this that I am glad that I am not living in the country. John Howard was one of the reasons I left and I think that people like Scott Despoja can make a real difference. The Democrats used to be one of the parties that kept the faith but it is starting to look a bit grim.

2002-08-20T15:13:00.000Z

It has been a very dull day.

I have been musing on my past relationship history for wont of anything else to do and have noticed some patterns. It is quite alarming really to think that my (what I thought) aimless drifting may have a discernable thread.

Friends of mine may greet the news that I am looking for a mustached paramour with cynicism as I have just realised that in the past I have (usually when coming out of my single phases OMG!) expressed desires to go out with - deaf mutes (remember that Caitriona, those were the days) and cripples (just leg problems - and a nice walking stick - no people in wheelchairs as I have had bad experiences there).

Also I seem to remember that whilst in single mode I have also had other proxy boyfriends. Steve and Mark where are you now? I feel a bit bad about the way I treated Mark (maybe). I think (but am not sure) that he fell in love with me. He did mention this once but at the time I thought he was having a laugh. Looking back I am not so sure.

And of course there is the guy that I already like (and he would still look good if he grew a mustache - maybe I should ask). However he lives in another country. We don't talk so much now that I've moved to England.

2002-08-20T13:38:00.000Z

From This or That

1. CandyLand or Chutes and Ladders?
CandyLand
2. Barbie or GI Joe?
Barbie
3. Play-Doh or Silly Putty?
Play-Doh
4. Lincoln Logs or Tinkertoys?
Tinkertoys
5. The Game of Life or Monopoly?
Monopoly
6. Etch-a-Sketch or Lite-Brite?
Etch a Sketch
7. The Slinky: metal or plastic?
Metal only - the plastic ones just aren't the same
8. Easy-Bake Oven or Sno-Cone Machine?
Sno Cone
9. Hot Wheels or Matchbox cars?
Matchbox
10. Spirograph or Paint-by-Numbers?
Spirograph

2002-08-20T09:27:00.000Z

Well it is Tuesday.

Not a very exciting happening day really. The woman I am relieving at work has come back reminding me that shortly I will have to get another job. Not a lot else except that I think that I am over being single. I did think that after such a long relationship I would desire more time on my own but am now thinking that I can have both. Have decided that this time I want to go out with a guy with a mustache. I think that this could possibly limit me to guys coming out of homosexual relationships but hey I like the village people as much as anyone (well maybe a bit more).

2002-08-16T13:30:00.000Z

Well bad news on the Aikido front. The instructor is going on holidays for a month so start date is now 24th September by which time I will most likely have forgotten all about it. Oh well can always try for yoga on Monday.

Going out for cocktails tonight and going to a Stop the Hiding type thing in Streatham Common tomorrow. As mentioned in the BBC my area is not known as the best. In fact is the worst in London! The up side of this is that there are loads of community outreach programs in my area such as the one I'm going to tomorrow.

2002-08-15T12:46:00.000Z

Tonight might (yes not entirely positive) start the beginning of my life as a fit person.

I am beginning Aikido tonight. I have wanted to learn a martial art for ages but the lazy aspect of my personality has always triumphed. It is not really the one that I have most wanted to learn (which is ninjitsu) but is instead the closest class to my house. It should be interesting as I am not known for my co-ordination skills but maybe this will improve. Not that it has in the past from other attempts at fitness (ie boxing - quite fun, general yukky gym stuff - very dull and loads of lycra). I may also take up yoga. It does seem a bit poncey in some ways though.

2002-08-14T08:53:00.000Z

Last night I saw Moulin Rouge for the first time. It is a bit slack of me to have not gotten around to seeing it earlier. It was a very beautiful story and now I am plunged into a must see loads of Ewan McGregor vids mood. My favourites and the ones I am going to hunt out at the local rental place are Lipstick on my Collar and The Pillow Book

2002-08-12T14:26:00.000Z

From Monday Mission

1. If I could guarantee that the Fashion Police would not lay the smackdown on you, which favorite out-of-style article of clothing do you wish you could wear right now? (and if you have photos of you wearing it, post 'em)
Well I'm afraid that everyday is a bit of a fashion disaster for me. I don't really care if something is out of fashion or not if I like it thats what counts. But I do wish that right this moment I was wearing a little house on the prairie Laura Ingalls type dress.

2. In your opinion, who is famous but shouldn't be?
Any member of a Big Brother house

3. Are there any new movies or TV shows that you are forward to this fall?)
No, I've not been watching a lot of TV lately so I don't even know what is on or anything anymore. I'd like to see the new Lord of the Rings film when that comes out. That is the main one.

4. If you had a time machine that you could use only one time (there and back), where would you go and what would you do?)
I will have to muse on this one. Maybe advise Hitler's mum to be more prochoice? But then what about Stalin. Watch the building of the pyamids? Hmmmmmmmmm no I would like to go and live amongst the Amazons maybe.

5. What cologne of perfume do you like to wear? Which brand do you prefer that your partner wear?)
My favourites are Chanel No 5, First, Anais Anais and Zen (which they have stopped making unfortunately). However at the moment I am inbetween Green Tea Scent Spray, Romance and CK One (all gifts). I like Safari on Guys.

6. Do you recall your first "French kiss?" Tell me about how that felt, and how it came about. Do you like them?)
Yes, I do remember it. It was at the Nudgee Post Formal party. I had gone to the Formal with Caitriona's cousin's friend and then gone to the post with her cousin who was trying to "win on" to me. However I was interested in this other boy (who I have sadly forgotten the name of) and he gave me my first kiss. I never saw him again after that night and actually Caitriona's cousin was a bit miffed as we took off on him. I remember that it felt incredible, très sexy.

7. Excluding your partner...If you had the opportunity, who would you most like to Frech kiss?)
Someone cute obviously

BONUS: Can't you see that it's late at night?)
well no it is the middle of the day here