Tuesday, February 27, 2007

I'M STILL ALIVE

Right, after putting off writing for far too long I'm attempting to sum up the period of inactivity on the blog with my actual activities since the last post.

Quite a lot to update on really, first off my trip 'home' meant I'd actually covered more mileage in 2.5 weeks than 11 months of me messing around with my backpack.

To do my best to escape the trap of falling into 'band camp' mode when describing the trip LA as my first stop was pretty much just LA - as you think of it really, lots of things to look at, but little depth.

The blonde bimbo of destinations really, although my main reason was to catch up with 'Super' Dave en route to Germany.

Dave's very hospitable nature combined with his job of bar and restaurant manager meant that a good time was had by all.

I enjoyed the many products that the bar and restaurant had to offer, as well as being paraded around as the 'English' guy much to the entertainment of budding directors, singers and actresses who unfortunately are using all creative talents to serve drinks, wait tables and generally anything but their ideal job until that big break comes.

After the first evening of festivities, a combination of airplane food, jetlag, alcohol and artery clogging cuisine got the better of me, after crashing in the spare room roughly 2 metres from the bathroom I got up and wandered into Dave's room, eyes closed looking like I was awaiting a tap on the shoulder from Paul Mckenna.

Although rather than being tricked into to being a chicken, fall in love with a mop or anything like that a rather startled and confused Dave asked me like a 3 year old if I needed "to go toilet" I promptly nodded, walked straight past the bathroom, into the living room, opened the front door and proceeded to use the front step and driveway as my bathroom before walking back to bed and sleeping for a total of 14 hours!

Sorry Dave.

All the usual stuff was included on my brief trip in Beckhamtown, an NBA game, Rodeo drive, Sunset Blvd and all that kind of thing (that really isn't worth typing too much on) before leaving the many hours in advance needed to clear US Customs ahead of my flight to Germany.

Customs procedures and baggage check in at LAX alone are worth an entire entry, although to leave the story short at this point the basic result was waiting 1 hour for a 'pre check' before I could even check my bag in, in a system that made me think baggage handlers are on a 'per bag thrown' bonus, looking more like a game of suitcase rugby than one of the worlds busiest airports.

Christmas in Germany was very good as expected, standard Christmas type stuff so no real entertainment value in telling you how mine slightly differed from the rest, although the language gap (or chasm) between myself and Kristin's parents was pretty amusing from time to time, especially for Kristin and others who spoke both languages!!

Slightly more bizarre highlights were playing hide and seek (childish but still fun) with 12 others in a large house that also doubled up as a doctor's surgery, complete with atomic proof bomb shelter!! You cant make that stuff up, but it would appear that wealthy, paranoid hippy doctor houses make for good hide and seek!

Time in the UK was short, appointment like but also well worth it. Good to catch up with everyone if only to prove that neither myself nor anybody else has changed in the 12 months I've been away.

Although to be honest, if homesickness draws others back to where they began, awaysickness started to get hold of me and I found myself looking forward to getting back to Sydney, not that it particularly represents 'home' at the moment.

But since then, strides have been made in making Australia a more permanent settlement beyond my 1 year visa, more of an official route than the previous overstays I've enjoyed in other countries, but also more rewarding as well. To prove the theory that anyone can make it work over here, my current employers appear to be oblivious to my bungling and slacking and look set to grant sponsorship when my initial contract period comes to an end in March / April. Result.

That at least guarantees me another year and one more summer out here, with Kristin's visa lasting until March 2008. Although I must admit, having an immediate future secured it does then start to provoke thoughts of the longer term.

Whilst my stay here has been the good experience I expected it to be, I often find myself planning my next escape route to somewhere next!

Not to get carried away or let all the sunshine frazzle my head, things here are officially settling down now that I have crowbarred my way into a football team.

Not being much of a popular sport out here (world cup run aside), I had one of two contrasting images in my mind of football leagues out here, either leagues swamped with foreigners taking over, or a more local version with guys perplexed at the shape of the ball let alone not being allowed to use their hands.

The reality though is a mixture of the two, with it being an even mix of invaders and local Aussies, who incidentally can play as well as anybody else. Through luck or judgement I currently find myself with Sydney University's first team (of 8 - check me out!). My current poor form really does make me wonder whether 8th team games to actually get broken up with fouls called against players accidentally picking the ball up and running with it!

It has been quite a shock to the system to be in a team where nobody is hungover from the night before, still drunk from the night before or still drinking! We actually do pre season training that involves training, fitness and ball work, again a far cry from 'the cross bar challenge' or just hoofing the ball around.

Further shocks to the system have been the youth of the team, never before have I felt like the old (and unfit) one in the team but it culminated in one conversation I had where I asked if one of the guys was up for a few beers that evening, when I promptly got the reply "I'm not 18 yet".

So besides feeling extremely young at work and extremely old in my football team, there has been little else of note to report in recent times, besides spending a walk to work with an umbrella the size a saucer during a downpour meaning I spent most of the day actually dripping on my desk, much to the amusement of my car driving colleagues.

I'm too cheap to buy a car but also too cheap to buy a decent sized umbrella it would appear. Lesson learnt and I know walk to work ready for a random downpour with an umbrella looking more in place in a pub beer garden than under my arm.

Rain aside, all these distractions have meant the time until Kristin (finally) arrives out here has flown by, which as I type is just 2 days away.

Possible topic of the next post will be Kristin's subtle culture shock experiences, and with a bit of luck some comedy misfortune along the way to balance things up a bit!

Until then......

Tuesday, February 06, 2007



NEW YEAR, OLD HABITS

Sorry, extreme laziness being the old habit referred to above.

After attempting to crowbar something slightly entertaining from my less than entertaining life (all be it in nice surroundings) I'll be posting at the end of every month now.

Much easier for me as I can slowly muster something to write, easier for anyone still reading it that you'll know when to log on to read something.

Until then, here are some pics from my Dec trip back to UK, via Germany and the US.
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