On Monday I move to North Woolwich. Different from Woolwich, which is south of the River.

All the flat hunting stress is now over as we decided on a flat in North Woolwich. Yesterday morning I phoned up and discovered it still available and Val quickly put down a holding deposit before anyone else gazzumped us. 3 weeks and 13 viewings since we started. What a pullava!

Now feel more relaxed and human again. It’s a lovely flat, new build so modern, clean, double glazed etc. You enter into a hallway which goes past a large bedroom, decent bathroom and then onto an open plan living room with a full fitted modern kitchen attached. The living room has a large patio door, which goes out onto a balcony overlooking the river. Lovely views are to be had.

It’s in North Woolwich, which is North of the river (not to be confused with Woolwich, which is South of the river). It’s all part of the new Docklands Development going on near City Airport. Its in zone 3, a few minutes walk from King George V DLR station, which goes direct to bank, or 4 stops to Canning Town on the Jubilee line, so transport connections are OK. Downsides being that there are no supermarkets nearby and the nightbus connections are shite. So, if I’m out in town, late at night, I might ask to kip at your house! Or I'll have to brave the mothballs in my pockets and stump up some cash for a taxi!

Unfortunately can’t move in till Monday as they are painting it over the weekend. So hiring a van tomorrow then I’ll drive down to my nans in Surrey to pick up some of my stored possessions. Sunday I will return to Holloway and on Monday collect all Val’s stuff and then unload all our possessions and move into our new flat.

Stag Do

Something else to write about today, apart from bloody flat hunting. Went to Prague on Chris Marshall's stag do at the weekend. Was brilliant, 3 days of having fun, letting hair down and being able to catch up with some old friends.

Arrived in Birmgham airport 9am Friday morning and got a couple of pints in. This set the tone for the weekend, why does a lads weekend have to be so unhealthy? 3 days of constant binge drinking and eating fast food. Oh well, it was a stag do.

Get to Prague and its 40c and humid. Ooh soo Hot! Whilst England is having torrential downpours, here the trouble is too much heat. Prague is a stunningly beautiful city though and there's a good atmosphere in the town. We walk round Prague stopping in at random bars to sample the Czech beer but by 5pm the tiredness (ridiculously early start at 5am) & dehydration (oppressive heat and lots of lager), have us beat a little. So we go back to the hotel for a little bit of a lie down. After resting and freshening up we head off out back into town.

End up in a cocktail bar and sample many of the cocktails plus a few shots. Stumble out of here and into a place which does stag do stuff, enough said really. All goes a bit hazy from here , remember spewing on the floor of the club after downing a double shot of absinthe and getting home at 5am after eating yet another macdonalds. I don't wanna see another macdonalds for a while thats for sure.

Saturday wake up still pissed, only a few hours after going to bed, can't go back to sleep so me and Chris go down for the free hotel breakie. Pile my plate full of eggs, sausages and toast, have a few mouthfulls, feel sick, stare at it for a bit, ditch it and have yoghurt and orange juice instead. Freshen up, walk round town, have a kebab and then everyone else starts getting the beers in again.

I'm thinking sod this, bile keeps coming up into my throat and I don't want another stomach ulcer, so I go home, drink lots of water and have an afternoon nap. I need to sort myself out a bit for another big session tonight. After a few hours kip I eat a salad to counteract all the shit thats gone inside me, then spend a few hours walking round town buying Chris's outfit for tonight.

Around 9pm all the lads are together in the hotel again, and they're all hanging from a second day of drinking and I'm all fresh and chipper, hee hee. However we get rounds of absinthe in again which perks them back up. And also we dress up Chris in a kids size (he's a big lad) Czech footie shirt, tight lycra shorts with a bannana stuffed down them. He looks as camp as a carry on film.

It's a funny night. Eastern Europe is a little more conservative so there's a few heckles of the Czech blokes and lots of stares. But Chris is a champion, on form. He "High Five's" everyone in a Borat accent with lots of "You like". Its funny as. Back in the cocktail bar its drinking games and shots and I'm on the Strawberry Colada's to cancel out the acid and stop the bile coming up.... it actually works! Chris gets up on stage and puts his finger on these random blokes heads and makes them pirroette. Priceless. They look very confused but eventually do it. I think its only the fact Chris is so big and looks like an absolute nutter that he doesn't get a smack. He eventually gets everyone on stage dancing madly. The girls are well up for it.

But after this things go a bit pear shaped. After two hours of lovely sunshine it starts pissing it down and in the early hours of the morning we all lose each other in the streets. Me and Rich are together but we're cross because two of the lads have pissed of with our kitty (over £200) which we've all chipped into. But when drunk logic doesn't apply. We miss phone calls and end up stumbling round for hours getting lost. Oh well. Get home 5am again.

Sunday wake up and feel like death. Manage a ..... yes you've got it, Macdonalds for breakfast. Hang around for hours in Prague feeling sick, flight, then miss my network rail bus connection from Birmingham to Rugby, bit of a panick, but hassle the staff enough that they put me in a taxi all the way to Rugby, go the Virgin Rail lady. Eventually get back past midnight shattered, and today back to the rigmarole of flat hunting, packing, work but also Val :-)

Tag

Val has tagged me.

The Rules:
1. If you're tagged, you must post the rules - which are:
2. You post your 8 random facts.
3. At the end of your blog, you tag someone else and they must post their random facts.
4. You leave your chosen people a comment telling them they've been tagged.

8 Random Facts
1) I worked for 2 years packing pies in a pie factory
2) After this I got myself a maths degree
3) I spent 2 years of my childhood living in a caravan
4) I’ve seen 4 of the new 7 wonders of the world. The Taj Mahal in India, Christ the Redeemer in Brazil, Machu Pichu in Peru and The Great Wall in China
5) I love drinking beer, eating curry and junk food
6) I also make sure I eat lots of fresh fruit and veg
7) I often watch trashy TV
8) I prefer most arty farty films to most blockbusters

I tag Bill and Ben

Flat hunting

Just saw another flat, big, bright, airy with a balcony overlooking the river, lovely place. OK in North Woolwich, zone 3, at the end of the DLR line, but we thought, hmmm maybe we can cope with this. Then walked to the local supermarket, which the estate agent said was 10 minutes away and no, it was 30 minutes away! No bus that went there or anything. Also noticed all the cars parked in the parking spaces, clear that most people here have a car. Grrrrr. Has anyone lived off internet shopping before?

Friday - Chiswick, Saturday - Stepney Green & Bromley by Bow, Monday - Stoke Newington Wednesday - Wood Green, Saturday - Whitechapel, Monday - North Woolwich.

At least I'm getting to know the obscure parts of London again in this flat hunt, just like my wanderings in my early London days. Oh well we'll have to settle on a place soon, only a few days till we're kicked out of our current place.

Also got to apply for my current job (am temping) so I've got full time work guaranteed. Should be applying tonight really, but too tired. Then when full time work and flat sorted out, career is next. Hmmpphh!

Anything fun to write about. Nah not really, maybe I should give up this blog thing. Now I've come back from my travels I haven't really got much to say. I'm just writing for the sake of it.

Flat Hunting

Well had my little rant about terrorists last week. The ridiculous political correctness and human rights bullshit in this country got to me a little bit and I needed a vent. Give human rights protection to those that deserve it and punishing hate preachers is not discrimination, punishing innocent people is. Anyway no point storing up too much anger, it’s bad for you.

Quite a trying week has just passed. Me and Val are looking for a flat to rent, seen five places so far and they’ve all had fatal flaws. We’re looking at one-bedroom flats for £850 a month or less and they are all tiny dingy shitholes or miles away from tube stations/supermarkets etc. or without crucial things (last flat no cooker or washing machine). London is so ridiculously expensive, it’s even worse than when I looked a couple of year’s back. In Sydney/Perth I earned the same wages as here and I could rent a big beautiful light airy flat for a third of the price!!!!! London is getting me down, it’s no good unless you’re wealthy. I can’t see myself making a life for myself here anymore, how am I going to afford a house? So basically I don't really wanna stay here anymore, But Val's life is here and she wants to stay. And I wanna be with Val, so I'm gonna stay in London. Anyway it'll take me a few years before I can buy a house.

Trying to flat hunt whilst working full time, applying for jobs and sorting out a career, its all getting a bit hectic. Plus shit summer weather. Hmmpphh

But as Monty Python said "Life’s a piece of shit, when you look at it"…….. "But Always look on the Bright side of Life". So keep smiling. Still extremely happy with Val despite the stress and everything’s good really. Had a lovely steak courtesy of Andrew last night, keeping in touch with my bro more now, which is good, and fitting in a social life somehow :-) Bring on a flat and bring on a job.

The Legal System in this country is Total Bollox

With all this terrorist stuff rearing its ugly head again, I thought I’d have my little rant, what with these idiotic gullible do-gooders doing my fucking head in. Even the government is stopped in its tracks by this crazy legal system. Tony Blair despite being a total dickhead, for kissing Bush’s arse and going to war with Iraq, actually wanted to do the right thing and kick all these foreign Terror Preachers out. But no, these clueless brain dead lawyers and judges have blocked him time and time again; citing ridiculous human rights bollox.

I think human rights lawyers have been perverting the course of justice for far too long! Terrorist’s, preachers of hate and terrorist sympathisers are attacking the very system that gives them their human rights. If they hate our country and what it stands for and are willing to kill innocent British civilians why are they protected by our system and welcomed into our country. It’s absurd. If they are foreign nationals, then deport them.

A more controversial idea, but one I’d support, is that people who frequent terrorist websites should be prosecuted and locked up in a similar way to paedophiles who look at child porn sites. These websites foster hatred and breed terrorism and interacting with them ensures their popularity. Hence these people are contributing towards terrorism. The argument that you are not committing actual child abuse by looking at child porn websites does not hold with the law so nor should there be a right to interact with terrorist sites.

Why has the USA had no terrorist attacks since 2001? Because they are far tougher than we are and would not put up with the above. This country needs to aggressively target the roots of terrorism. Then it won’t be left to the right wing papers to stir up hatred towards these communities, leading to discrimination against innocent people. Be harsh with those that deserve it, but don’t take it out on the Muslim community as a whole.

Westminster City Council

Well it’s my 4th day working as an administrator for Westminster City Council’s libraries department. An unglamorous job but it’s A OK. I get paid a ridiculously good amount really for such a lowly role, maybe because of the Council’s prestige as the London borough which encompasses Buckingham Palace, Soho, Hyde Park, Oxford Street and Leicester Square. It’s also piss easy work in a low stress environment because essentially it’s local government and therefore civil service; No 70 hour weeks here, you can take the City and shove it where the sun don’t shine! Even my manager works a 35 hour week and its strictly 9 to 5. The canteen is subsidised and produces edible meals of decent portions for around £1.50. For the rest of my lunch hour I can stroll round St James Park or walk along the river. My manager seems like a nice bloke, laid back and good to work for and the people in my team seem jovial enough.

Mmmm I bet in a few months time I’ll be moaning about how boring it is and bitching about the wankers that I work with! The maximum I’ve ever stuck with one job so far in my 15-year employment history is 1 year.

And could I cope with being an administrator for the rest of my life? Surely I need to get a better career, something more glamorous? But if it low stress, not too boring and it pays well, who cares, does anyone else ever think that careers are overrated?

A little sleep deprived this week, too many late nights, but then I’m always sleep deprived. Maybe I don’t need 8 hours sleep anyway, I never seem to get it and seem to have coped OK. I think I think about sleep too much!

I’ve been dead classy lately, went to Yate’s Wine Lodge in Stratford Friday Night with Bernie and Jo, my teacher friends. Paid £3 to get in and shout at each other to try and be heard over the loud R&B music. Managed to pursuade my friends that we should accept our losses (£3) and move onto a quieter pub where we could sit and chat. Was much happier sat in a cosy local pub and caught up with all the gossip. I’m bored of going to loud bars, maybe I’m too old? If I’m not going to dance then I want to be able to talk! Otherwise with nothing else to do I simply give up shouting and straining my ears, prop up the bar and start necking drinks very quickly. This always results in me waking up the next day feeling sick with a big hole in my wallet.

Looking forward to going on my friend’s Stag Do in 3 weeks but worried about wearing a kilt for his wedding in Scotland and doing the Best Man’s Speech. I’ll probably write it the night before, like at my brother’s wedding.

On another note me and Val must start looking for a flat soon, otherwise we’ll have to stay in a Youth Hostel or something – Shudder!

Back to work

OMG - please ignore that hideous pic of me with a beerbelly and a can of booze that I posted yesterday by accident. (It was a test. I was trying to replace the old photo on my profile).

Anyway 4 days sorting thousands and thousands of Pink Forms into piles according to date and other variables and then filing them into folders has introduced me back into the dreaded world of work after a 2 month absence. But mustn’t grumble, I’m able to surf the internet when the managers aren’t around and then work fast when they are, so it breaks up the tedium of the day quite nicely. And there’s people to chat to and the tea room to visit every hour or so. And there’s absolutely no stress or brain strain whatsoever!

And the reward is that next week is my first paycheck – Woohoo. And hopefully soon my tax rebate of £678 should come through, that is if those bastards of the Inland Revenue decide to pay me what’s rightfully mine. I’m still owed Tax and Pension money from Australia too, but it’s such a hassle to sort it all out for just a few hundred quid, maybe later in the year, maybe not.

Tonight I'm meeting up with some of my old buddies from my PGCE Teacher Training course. This might help me decide whether I should do my NQT year in September or not? Basically either this year or 2008-2009 I have to do a full year as a classroom teacher, otherwise my PGCE qualification becomes void. So just one more year then I’m a qualified teacher for life. I don’t want to do classroom teaching, but if I stick it for a year it will open up other career opportunities (E.g. full time tutor) in the future. But can I hack a year of classroom teaching, I hated it!!!!!!!!!!!!! Dilemma!!!!!!!!!! Well a bit of a natter over some drinks tonight might help me decide.

Maybe it’s the best thing to do after all? Whilst I think of another career to undertake, I may as well sort that one out. I still haven’t thought of another career after all. Journalism would interest me, but it’s difficult to get into and often shit pay. Accountancy, easy work, good money but so Boring. Classroom Teaching, tried that, I think not. Social Worker, I like helping people, but not ungrateful bastards who don’t deserve to be helped, and again shit pay. Psychologist, well I’m not spending 3 years doing another degree. An author of a book. Won’t earn money for years. Hmmmmmm....

Oh why couldn’t I just win the lottery or marry someone rich and not have peasants for parents, all these horrible thoughts about careers etc. I suppose I’m just not the typical bloke. I don’t want to have a career. I don’t need success in work to prove my masculinity. I would be just as happy being a househusband or something. Sometimes I think us blokes have it hard, all this expectation put upon us. OK enough of the whinge :-) Nothing like work to bring out a good old moan!

Otherwise everything is good. Domestic bliss between me and Val, so nothing I’m going to report here :-) It’s also a good thing that it was the summer solstice last night, as I’m stuck working in a room with no natural light, so when I come out of work, my eyes hurt and I’m blinking like a mole whose just broke out of the soil. So I’m appreciating the fact that its light till late, had some lovely evenings lately with Val. Mind you last night I was disappointed that I didn’t spot any druids when I went for my evening stroll around the quaint streets of Finnsbury Park. It's glad to see that over 20,000 people made it to Stonehenge for sunrise, it's comforting to know that so many nutters are out there. Maybe one day I'll join them.

Right gonna go try and get a little shuteye before I head out for a few bevvies, can't seem to get an early night of late ;-) Ta ra.

Home Sweet Home

Well I’ve been back home in London for two and a half weeks now. Had a wonderful reunion with Val and we spent our first weekend together catching up with each other. Then the last 2 weeks have seen her go off to work whilst I spend the day busy sleeping, erhum, I mean doing chores. Been job hunting, registering with agencies, deferring my student loan, trying to arrange Chris’s stag do, sorting photos out and catching up with people. Most evenings we’ve been staying in together relaxing and the weekends have involved seeing friend’s, drinking and generally having fun..

Start working again tomorrow full time - boo hoo.

We are actually getting on very well and it's been happy days. Only problem being both of us living in her bedroom in a shared house with no living room. So space issues. Val, being a woman; has a ridiculous amount of clothes. I reckon if she wore a different outfit every single day for a whole year she still wouldn't get through them all. So clothes are spilling out of the cupboards and drawers all over the floor. She's also messy and just leaves everything lying around and never clears up. So its mess & chaos in her bedroom and no matter how much tidying I do nothing's ever in its right place. My poor OCD brain can't cope! I'm fighting a losing battle to impose orderliness and organisation into the room, so I’ve accepted that only my two draws will be tidy and organised. Still it’s only a temporary measure, this sharing of her room.

Despite all this I absolutely love living with her and its great being back home. I can't believe how lucky I am to have had Val wait for me. We are getting on better than I ever thought and she is an absolute gem.

On another note I’ve started to upload some photos from my travels

Here are the photos from Last Summer before I started my journey
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dizeestroudy/album?.dir=/265fre2&.view=t

Here are the photos from the start of my travels, my month in the United States, Sep 06
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dizeestroudy/album?.dir=5dccscd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dizeestroudy/my_photos

I have yet to upload the photos from my 2 months in New Zealand, Oct& Nov 06 but here are my photos from Perth Nov 06 - Feb 07 where I lived with my Dad, his wife Lilian, my Nan and my 5 year old brother Josh.
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dizeestroudy/album?.dir=/e07are2&.view=t

Photos from New Zealand, Sydney and China will be uploaded at some other time.

Right gotta go now, do some shopping, cook dinner and then chill out before my first day at work tomorrow - Ugh. Basically agencies got me a week’s work of data entry before I start a 2 month contract doing admin work for Westminster City Council yet again, this time for the library service.

Hanging Wiv Da Hippies

Life's certainly got easier lately :-) Instead of being at freezing cold high altitude towns with rough and ready accommodation and infrastructure, I'm now in tropical Yunnan hanging with the hippies sampling the local herbs.

After whacking my head we moved on to the town of Lijang, heart of the Naxi ethnic minority tribe. A nice relaxed place. We stayed in a place called Mama's Naxi. Quite an experience, Mama Naxi was quite a character. Like tucking you up in bed, fussing over you, kissing and hugging you goodbye, a right livewire. My head wound has healed sufficiently at last to take all bandages and plasters off and let nature do its healing work. So thats all sorted.

Monday started trekking the Tiger Leaping Gorge with 5 others I met in Lijang, all good fun people, English, Scottish and Dutch. Intended maybe 2 days, but took 4 days to do it, as did it at a very slow place, stopping frequently to soak up the stunning views and staying a few nights in lovely guesthouses with nice beds, hot showers and stupendous views of the mountains. The accommodation also offered "Happy Shakes" of which, me being me, I consumed quite a few. This possibly slowed down our progress a little! Quite funny really the Tibetans would ask if we wanted our shakes and pizzas, "Happy or No Happy". All this herb grew locally on the roadside, tons of the stuff, and the Chinese turn a blind eye as the Tibetans use the seeds for their tea! But none of them actually smoke it, just the foreigners! So its a very HAPPY VALLEY indeed. Oh yeah its also the steepest gorge in the world! The views are breathtaking, so its quite a place!

Anyway had a brilliant time. Thursday arrived back in Lijang, and yesterday have arrived at another hippy place in Dali City. So gonna have a chilled out last few days before I arrive back in London!

Had a bit of a pullava Thursday. Barclay's are basically a complete bunch of wankers. And one of their employees is a useless, lying, incompetent piece of scum. I won't go into details but I now have no cards in which to get money out so am stuck in China with no access to money. Thankfully a lovely girl called Kirsten took out a wad of cash for me and I transfered money to her via my internet bank.

Just seen some bloke on the street with huge bowls of fish about two feet long and then a bowl with these MASSIVE toads/frogs in, must have been over a foot long. Anyway had better go and ummm chill out.

Scarface

I'm gonna have a scar on my face I reckon.

Got it in a brave way of course. Defending a woman's honour! These blokes were teasing this woman, grabbed her and started feeling her up, she screamed and whilst everyone just watched I jumped in, punched one in the face, flooring him, the other pulled a knife, I dodged but it scraped over my forehead, and blood began gushing out.......

Yeah right!

I was walking down the street chatting to my friend my head turned sideways so not looking where I was going and suddenly

BANG!

My forehead smacks into this large metal sign dangling down from a balcony. It didn't hurt anymore than usually when I bang my head and just thought bollox, maybe I'll get a bruise. My hand went automatically to my forehead and when I pulled it away it was covered with blood and blood began gushing out onto the pavement. Shit. And I'm in bloody China too. I immediately pressed my hand hard to my forehead to stop the bloodflow and didn't take my hand away till I got to the hosptial. I was mostly trying not to get blood on my white jumper, which miraculously got no blood over it :-) My friends were panicking and shocked, apparantly it looked pretty bad, my forehead split open. The trouble was at the bottom of this sign was this sharp jagged bit of metal. To be honest its a good thing that I never saw the wound and this is why I remained so cool.

Thankfully a chinese shop keeper came out and led us to a clinic, but they were shit and wouldn't take me in, so the shop keeper took me in a taxi to a hospital up the road bless him. There a nurse stopped the bloodflow and put stuff in to sterilise it (stung a lot) and bandaged up my head. Then gave me antibiotics. When it came to pay it was 36 YUAN (2 pound 50p) - not bad. Service was great, no waiting at all, and praise to for the shop keeper, what a gent.

The first lovely sunny day I've had in China and what do I do first thing in the morning, go and split my bloody forehead open, silly me!!!

But I'm fine, lay in bed for a couple of hours after being bandaged up, then thought I don't walk on my head do I, and its stopped bleeding. So went for a walk around town and stuff but was carefull not to move my head to much or run or anything. And its fine, bandaged up so it's all sweet. The doctor who sorted it said to go to a hospital tomorrow to check it hasn't got infected or anything, but should be fine.

Otherwise actually having a great time. Yesterday a 12 hour bus journey wedged in this tiny cramped seat next to some Tibetan dude. But the scenary was stunning, we drove accross high passes through the snow, saw jagged peaks and deep valleys. Met some cool people and hung out with them in the evening. And have crossed over into Yunnan where its warmer and more touristed so can get menus in English etc. So after roughing it for the last week or so its nice to have a bit of easy travelling.

Snow in the tropics

As my friend Chris said "Chin Up". I've been having a bit of a whinge of late so thought I'd write a more cheery entry.

Arrived in Litang Monday and its a lovely place. Amazing scenary and friendly people. I think I've now got used to my own company now too, you may as well make the best of what you've got!!

Arrrived 3pm Monday, the Tibetan people seem to be extremely friendly with alot of them smiling big warm smiles and saying "Tashey Delay", meaning hello. Checked into a nice clean room with a clean bathroom and a hot shower. Went for a walk up a hill with the most amazing views of the town and the snow capped peaks surrounding it. Litang is 4014m (around 14,000 feet) altitude so really high up!!! Over 4 times the height of the highest mountain in England and 3 times the height of the highest mountain in the British Isles. The town is full of old tibetan stone houses with monks walking down the street in red robes and people whirling round their prayer wheels as they walk to bring them good fortune. Went for a nice meal in the evening with good company.

Yesterday got ill with a fever and was stuck in bed all day staring at the walls, but I shan't dwell on this, as it was only a day long fever and I am better today. Was going to leave today on the bus but its snowed all day and the buses are cancelled. And they're not sure when the buses will be running again so I'm not sure when I'll be able to leave? But still met up with some others today and despite getting wet from the snow, had a spot of lunch and went round a monestry and had a bit of a laugh.

Anyway I'm feeling more positive now. Having fun again, which is what its all about really isn't it.

The Final Straw

As you can tell I'm very bored, hence two blog entries today! Well otherwise I've got myself to talk to, or Chinese TV to watch. I wanna save the 50 pages left in my book for the 10 hour bus journey tomorrow. Oh and I can't drink tomorrow, better to be dehydrated on the bus than to wet myself (there are no toilets on the buses and they stop about once every 5 hours).

My patience is getting tested more and more. I handed in washing this morning to the ladies at the guest house I'm staying at. They know I've got a bus at 6am tomorrow morning to catch. At 2pm the washing had been done and was in a wet pile and I assumed they'd soon put it in the drier! Just got back at 8pm and the washing is still in a wet pile. Hmm obviously they don't have a tumble drier and didn't bother to hang it up. They don't speak Enlglish, me no Chinese so I don't blame them, they are really nice and smiley, and they just couldn't understand my gesticulations. Oh well.

But now my washing's soaking wet (all my clothes except the dirty ones i'm wearing, which are damp anyway cause its been pissing it down all day!) and there's no way it'll be anywhere near dry in 7 hours time. So i've got to go on a 10 hour bus journey to the middle of nowhere with all my clothes wet in a bag.

I feel the urge to either
1) Crumple into a heap, wail like a baby and burst into tears
2) Start screaming and smashing tables, chairs, windows etc.
3) Start headbutting everyone

Don't worry I'm not gonna do any of the above. I'm just going to remain calm and.......

I could really do with a pint or two of beer and a cigarrette.

This trip is really testing me and I think I might start smoking again just to calm my nerves a little.

Hmmm, why am I doing this again?

Oh yeah its adventure

Oh and I suppose the scenery is amazing, and the people are very friendly, even if I don't understand them.

I'm looking forward to civilisation more than ever!

I'd better get to bed, as gotta be up in 7 hours. So I'll head off and try to sleep in a hard bed with lorries constantly beeping their horns outside my window. Maybe its sleeping pills again tonight!

Will I arrive back sane? As sane as ever!

It's all Chinese mate

My 5th day in China now. The main trouble I'm having is the language barrier, even all the instructions on this blog site are in Chinese, so had a bit of difficulty finding out how to write an entry. Hopefully this will come out in English and not Chinese!!!!!!!

Well Tuesday night arrived just before midnight in Hong Kong, got accousted by some bloke in the street offering a private room at a reasonable price (10 quid a night) with air con and hot shower. He looked honest and friendly so I thought why not? It saves all the hassles of trying to find a budget place using my guidebook, trouble with directions etc etc. He was true to his word and room was OK.

On Wednesday I booked a flight to Chengdu, Sichuan province, in the Wild West, and flew that evening. Had to get a ferry accross the border into China proper because its cheaper that way. First panick at the airport, couldn't get money out, the cash machine was in Chinese and it kept spitting my card out. Thankfully got some chap to help me out using sign language, otherwise would of been in the shit!!!!

Arrived late that evening in Chengdu, the usual hassle explaining to the taxi driver (remember practically no one I deal with speaks any English except hello) where the hostel was but got their in the end. Checked into a grotty dormitory, where the bed had no mattress!!!!!! Just a wooden bed with a blanket on top. My room mates were two smelly unfriendly American snorers. Hmmm. Went out to a restaurant and had to point at other customers food to order, got some meat fat (yes just meat fat!!!) soup. Sort of felt obliged to eat it - Ugh, as the chef, waitress and half the room were intently staring at me. Then for seconds got some oily meaty very spicy (Sichuan is famous for its spicy food) noodle soup, which was actually OK. After the meal though I didn't really get any sleep so the next day was a bit tired and drained. In the morning thought sod this and checked into my own private room, and although the mattress was shit at least there was a mattress!!!!!

That day I wandered round town tired and alone. It was a serious pea souper that day, probably like London was 200 years ago! Chengdu has a serious smog problem, you couldn't see more than 100 yards and it wasn't fog because it stank of smoke and fumes. I sort of walked aimlessly around, getting totally lost and feeling very alienated. The traffic was mad of course, no one paid any attention to the fact a green man was telling you to walk, they just drove through the red lights. It was noisy, hectic, everything was in Chinese. I went to a restaurant and again had to point and got a greasy fatty meat curry. But no rice!!!! So had to pick bits of fat out with chopsticks. I then went and bought a packet of crisps!!!! Went to a temple and it was nice and they had food stalls so I could choose what to have. And that was lovely, ate a nice variety of tasty food, and chatted to a Taiwanese/Australian family. That evening decided to go on a panda tour in the morning and chilled out on my own.

Panda tour was ace. Only 1000 pandas left in the world!!! And I saw about 40 of them. Our tour guide was this very cute chinese girl who struggled with English but tried very hard. Got very close to the pandas, they are such cute dopey creatures, totally different from other bears because the bamboo they eat basically drugs them and slows them down. Why they evolved to eat bamboo I'll never know! They can't digest it properly so have to eat tons of it for hours on end to get any nutrients, then it just makes them dopey and slow and they spend the rest of the time sleeping. So they basically just eat and sleep.

Then got back around midday and thought sod it I'm gonna head off to Litan tomorrow. This is a remote tibetan place in the far West at an altitude of 4014m (over 14,000 feet). Whilst at the bus station to buy the ticket I thought I've only got today left here so I'll go to Leshan, 200km away to see the biggest buddha in the world, one of the highlights of China apparantly. So got a bus then a taxi to the ferry terminal (as my guidebook said the view from the ferry was the best). But after walking the docks for half an hour and getting barked at in Chinese and people shouting NO NO, I got pissed of and with time running out just got a taxi to the buddha site. Very frustrating as I could see groups on Chinese being allowed on, but they clearly weren't letting a "foreigner" go on!

It was stunning! A huge buddha, hundreds of feet tall, carved into the stone cliff. Absolutely amazing that they created this thousands of years ago. How did they do it. A bit like the pyramids or something. By the time I'd seen it it was 4pm and time to go (last bus being 6-7pm, and I had to meet my German friend who I'd met on the panda tour for a famous Chengdu "boiling pot" dinner at 8pm). But being a stubborn bastard and I bit dizzy I looked at the map and thought I've paid to get in I want to see the temple over the hill and get a ferry back (a ferry terminal also being over the hill). Saw the temple, got to the ferry terminal and it was dead. It was now 5.30pm and there were no roads in sight. Panick set in, I thought shit, I'm not going to make it home for the German girl. Errrr and also I've got a bus early tomorrow morning to Litang that I'll miss. And oh no, realisation hit me I hadn't paid for another night at the hotel (I was already 5 hours late with payment), they might throw my possessions out or something. Thankfully a saviour came along, a family where the teenage girl spoke some English. She was an angel and walked with me for half a mile or so to a bus where she talked with the driver and told me they would drop me off at the long distance bus station. Sweet.

Got to the long distance bus station and..... I'd missed the last bus to Chengdu. Arrggghhhh!!! But she said.... a little later, if I go to another bus station I might be able to get a later bus. It was a long taxi ride away, and spent 30 mins or so praying to the Chinese god, and thankfully there was a bus. A group of very dodgy looking lads outside the bus station said they'd take me to Chengdu in their taxi for 40 Yuan. This is 200km away, the taxi from the airport cost 50 Yuan for 15km. Something wrong there. So I declined their offer. I reckon they would have robbed me and left me in the middle of nowhere, if not worse. Anyway I did get home and straight away paid for another night, apologised to the German girl and went to bed.

Got up in the morning, packed my bags and checked out. Thought I'd better get a weeks worth of money out as they won't be any ATM's where I'm going, and my bank card didn't work!!!!!! Missed my bus, phoned up Barclays and they said they'd cancelled it for security reasons because of irregular withdrawels!!! I'd told them a week ago I'd be going to China so of course they're going to be irregular!!!!! I was furious. But got it sorted and got some money out.

So booked a bus to Kangding, halfway to Litan and as I found out it was a very good thing my card didn't work! It's an 18 hour bus journey to Litan so would have arrived there in the early hours of the morning and that would have been horrible. And its over 4000m, today I've been in Kangding at 2000m and I've struggled with my breathing a little. So good to acclimatise here for a day or else I would have been f*cked.

So yesterday got the bus at 12.00, got in at 8pm. 8 hours and no toilet on the bus and we stopped once. At that stop, once again I pointed to someone's food (well it looked OK from a distance!) and again I got served meat fat with spring onions. hmmmm I ate the spring onions and back on the bus ate my peanuts and biscuits (I've been forced into a shit diet here, if I see a bannana I eat three of them!). Also the bus had been waiting ages for me as I thought everyone in the restaurant were the people on the bus, but they weren't. Well they all looked the same to me to be honest. On the bus it seemed everyone's duty to make loud prolongued hacking noises and then spit out the contents of their throat onto the floor between the seats. It wasn't till halway through my journey that I realised my bags and food were on the floor. Hmmmm.

Arrived, it was dark, had a plan to go to a guesthouse in my book 3km away from the bus station in the hope of meeting some English speaking people. But waited 10 minutes and no taxis passed so again followed this kindly lady to a room, she didn't speak English but I used my phrasebook. It was 40 Yuan (2 pound fifty) a night for my own room, there was a mattress (albiet a poor one) - huray. The only trouble was the room stank of stale urine and it was on a very noisy main road - the Chinese almost constantly honk their horns. Oh well it had to do. Went out and walked round alone, again, and ate meat and veg on a stick, not bad actually. Then went to sleep.

Awoke this morning, found i'd missed the bus to Litang (only one was at 6.45am) so booked one for tomorrow. Its been raining all day but been busy all day regardless. Stocked up on warm clothes, was a bit unprepared for this cold, and Litang at 4000km will be bloody freezing. So bought a big thick puffer jacket for 5 quid and toiletries and other provisions. Then walked round a tibetan area full of massive temples and interesting houses. Went to a public toilet and was a little taken a back by the sight of men shitting into holes in one big room, not partitioned off or anything. Apparantly in China privacy doesn't have the same concept as in the west. Very true. This morning I handed my washing to the lady who owns the "Jinshan Hotle" (thats the name on the card) but just seen it and its 6pm and its still sopping wet, I hope she realises I'm off early tomorrow morning!

To be honest I've seen some amazing sights but I'm not really enjoying myself. I think I'm over the "adventure travelling" - well on my own anyway! It was fun with Kerry. And its fun when you meet up with other people. But I've gone to such a remote place that there are no other western travellers (didn't see a single non chinese person in town today). Its no fun spending days on your own, not being able to talk to anyone. I've got another few towns in the middle of nowhere before I hit (relative) civilisation again. I'll think I'll whizz through them, it'll be amazing scenery and an adventure, but I need to meet people or else I'll come home sooner than the 31st May.

The Chinese like anywhere are very friendly and helpful really, its just the language barrier. i've learnt hello and thankyou and tried to study it but I've got a crap memory. Also had enough of travelling on my own. But hey only a few more days in the wild and then if I'm still now having fun I'll come home. Ta ra for now.

Bye Bye Sydney

My time in Sydney is coming to an end! Last day at work today and then I leave Sydney on Tuesday for a quick 3 week holiday in China before having to get another dull boring job. At least the horribleness of having to work again after a 3 week holiday will be compensated by my reunion with Val. So I’ll be returning happily back.

Just had a leaving lunch where the office did the usual whip round, getting me a signed card and presents, pretty useful ones this time ($40 shopping voucher, tube of vegemite (copy of our marmite) & a packet of Tim Tams (like a penguin)). Then off to the pub with a few colleagues after work, after that a meal with a few friends and an option to go onto a nightclub with some more work colleagues. But I may pass on this as I’ve only got Saturday, Sunday and Monday to prepare for going to China and tying loose ends up here. Still it could be my last night out so we’ll see.

Otherwise had a good last couple of weeks. Kept my promise I made to myself in my last blog of seeing more of the harbour. One sunny Saturday I got the ferry all the way up to Paramatta (as far as they can possibly go) which goes all the way up to the end of the harbour and continues up the Paramatta river. My friend Arabelle accompanied me. Then last Saturday Matt and I went over the north shore and did a long harbourside walk. And on Sunday despite being hideously hungover I prised myself out of bed to get the ferry to manly with my sister in law Amy. If it wasn’t for her I would have stayed in bed all day, but I had an obligation to show her around and this was a good thing, as I felt much better for it!

I probably won’t continue with this blog when I get home as I’ll be back home anyway and I doubt I can be arsed to keep it up, can’t see the point really. But I’ll muster up a few entries in China where more interesting things will probably happen
Ta ra for now, I wonder who actually reads this blog? Would be interesting to find out.

Out with a Paddy. In with a Frog

I’ve at long last booked my plane tickets after weeks of faffing around! I finish work on Friday the 4th May, fly out of Sydney on Tuesday the 8th May and arrive back home in London on Thursday the 31st May. This has enabled me to give notice at work and I’m much happier that everything’s now out in the open. No more having to be cagey every time conversation moves onto my travel plans.

Two weeks ago the Irish girl in our house moved out and on Friday a Frenchman moved in. He seems like a decent chap so the good atmosphere in the house has been maintained and it remains a lovely place to live.

It’s been lovely weather here lately, clear skies and lots of sunshine, warm but not too hot. I’ve heard that it’s been the same in England, an early Summer, spreading its tentacles into Spring. Well here we are having a late Summer, rolling into Autumn. Anyway partly due to this I’ve had a nice laid back weekend leisurely sorting things out, doing chores and strolling around town seeing a few sights. Sunday got a ferry across the Sydney harbour for the first time and the harbour was so beautiful I chastised myself for not having done it so far. The harbour is one of Sydney’s greatest assets and I haven’t been utilising it enough. So before I go, I’m going to spend a few days getting ferries across the harbour and strolling along the shore.

Not much else to report of note. Oh yeah sort of related to the topic of the weather, the time zone in Sydney is all messed up and stupid. It gets dark here at 5:30pm, so I leave work and it’s dark. Absolutely Ridiculous! We are in a subtropical country not near the North Pole like England! At the equidistant point (where there are exactly 12 hours of sunshine in the day) – 21 March or 21 September in England it gets dark after 7pm, however here on the 21st March it was dark before 6pm and it gets light just after 5am. Clearly they’ve got it all wrong and need to move the clocks forward by an hour or two! Mind, my Aussie housemate and everyone at work all get up at the crack of dawn; it suits their cheery, wake up bright and early, positive attitude. This attitude is irritating and it pisses me off because I am no good at it! I’m always the last one in the office and I arrive in at 9am! In England there would always be a few late stragglers arriving in after me, but here no, they all get in at 8am. I am most definitely a Whingeing Pom!

Also the TV here is ABSOLUTE SHITE! Adverts every 5 minutes or so with total drivel inbetween. Mostly cheap crappy American shows, the only Aussie TV programs being Neighbours, Home & Away and a few shitty gameshow/reality TV programs. It makes me appreciate British TV a lot more!

But these really are minor grievances. If the only things I can find of fault in this country are its TV, time zone abnormality and oh its poisonous spiders and snakes then it has a lot to say concerning how nice it is here, don’t’ you reckon?

Melbourne, Trams and Fun

OK so was maybe being a little melodramatic in my last entry! I was overly paranoid and my housemates didn’t actually think too badly of me… as I found out later in the week. Still I do want to cut down on my drunken “episodes”!

And thankfully had a brilliant last weekend to make up for the previous one. Wednesday thought sod it I’m going away for the weekend. So booked some flights to Melbourne and off I went, straight after work on Thursday.

Arrived late Thursday and checked into a hotel and had a good long sleep. Therefore awoke Friday morning refreshed to a gorgeous day; blue skies, warm weather, trams pootling along historic streets. Thought I'd better go up the sky tower first thing as the weather might change (it didn't). So there I am taking in the marvellous panoramic 360% views when someone taps me on the shoulder, my friend Dani who I met in the United States, who also had just arrived in Melbourne for the weekend. How amazing is that!!!! So didn't feel alone and arranged to meet up with her and her friend Ian later in the day. So in good spirits I walked round Melbourne, taking in the piazzas, parks, Captain Cook’s cottage, and the Parliament buildings. Then met Dani and Ian and walked round the Exhibition centre, realised a comedy festival was on and bought tickets for the headline show “Ross Noble” live at the town hall. Before the show we had a delicious banquet at a Greek restaurant then proceeded to watch two and a half hours of hilarious stand up comedy. Had an early night in a hostel and even had 2 considerately quiet lads to share the dorm with; didn't even need my ear plugs. Met up again with Dani and Ian on Saturday and decided to buy tickets to an Aussie Rules Footie match, as the biggest stadium and most passionate supporters are in Melbourne (the game originated here). Again a gorgeous sunny day. The game was actually easy to follow and I learnt the rules and was very entertained!!! A close match and passionate support in a huge (95,000 - bigger than Wembley) stadium. Then met up with my friend Peta who I'd made friends with in Perth and she said you can stay at my house for the next 2 nights - Brilliant. So checked out of the hostel and made myself comfortable. That night we went out for a dodgy Chinese meal and then got taken to a lovely outdoor bar in one of the quaint old laneways, with a good lively atmosphere. Ended up at some nightclub, but I didn’t get too drunk and I remembered everything the next day! Sunday slept in till midday in my own double bed and then cooked Peta a fry up to thank her for giving me her friend’s room to sleep in. After a good feed of grease and meet I travelled out to St Kilda to meet Dani and Ian in the afternoon and it was hot enough to sunbathe on the beach. We proceeded to watch the sunset over the sea with the skyscrapers bathed in an orange glow and then walked round the lively streets, had some tasty fresh fish and chips and people watched. Went back to Peta's, watched a fun dodgy film called Merlin and then had an early night. Monday was spent wondering around the botanical gardens and along the river, again under a big blue sky.

So all in all a good weekend. Spent way too much money, in fact my entire savings of $1,100, so my bank is now empty again. But sometimes you just have to loosen those purse strings and have fun!

Back to reality today. After a dodgy nights sleep, a spider (potentially poisonous remember!) on the ceiling kept me from dropping off. Kept on thinking it would sting and kill me. Anyway after a dodgy nights sleep I arrive at work today to the same old bored, trying to look busy, time passing very slow, routine. Oh well, only 18 days to go! And then after a brief holiday in China it will be, no doubt, back to some boring job in London. Just goes to show really the grass isn’t really any greener is it, it’s the same bloody colour!

Forever Goodbye to a dear old friend

Today have had to cut ties with an old buddy. When we first became acquainted he helped me come out of my shell and overcome my shyness. I always seemed to have a lot of fun with him, and he introduced me to lots of new people. Hanging around with him, I was encouraged to do reckless things and take chances, but most of the time this was beneficial and it led to exciting adventures. However bad things had already started happening and the trouble was that whilst under his influence my friends and I didn’t even think of them as bad, we were just “having a laugh”. But I didn’t really realise this at the time and anyway the positives of his presence definitely outweighed the negatives.

But as the years have passed the benefits of spending time with my chum have waned and the pitfalls have increased. I’m not so inhibited anymore as I was when I was younger and I’ve got more confidence in myself now. I don’t need to lose my inhibitions so much anymore and now when I lose them I often go to far. And he’s addictive company. When I start spending time with him I can’t break away, I just want more and more of him. Now more often than not he just seems to have a bad effect on me. He can make me argumentative, defensive and sometimes angry. He can turn me into a bore who rants on and on about the same things.

We’ve had great times together and at one point you played an important role in my life. I don’t regret meeting you; I’ve had so much fun and so many adventures. But unlike most people I could never do moderation. I was too dependant and once I started I could never stop. I have tried for many years to just hang out with you for a little bit at a time but it doesn’t work. And you make me regress to what I used to behave like years ago, I’ve grown up and changed now and I don’t need to express myself that way anymore. I’m a happy person now, I’m not angry; I’ve come to terms with the past and all that. You make me go back to the past. It all came to a head last weekend when you contributed to me shaming myself in front of my new housemates. And now I feel like I’m walking on eggshells in my own house, unwanted and disliked.

I don’t want to get into fights and maybe one day wake up in hospital. I don’t want to be a wanker anymore. I don’t want to be ashamed of my actions anymore. And most of all I want to stop losing my friends.So Goodbye Alcohol. Goodbye forever.

New House, Boredom and Chance encounters

OK another week and my job has got soooo boring. It’s 2pm and I have had no work to do today or yesterday. Literally no work at all. Yet they are still paying me, and I’m pretending to look busy because I don’t want people to see me not working and then I’ll be out of a job. I’m only here for a few more weeks so no point looking for another one. And that’s the trouble – having to look busy. Otherwise I could happily sit here, read a book, surf the internet researching various topics, emailing etc. and be relaxed. But because I have to look busy, I have to surf the internet on a tiny screen and when someone walks past click out of it onto some database or something. That’s the trouble I’m not relaxed and am jumpy and constantly worried I’ll get caught doing nothing. What an absurd situation.

Oh well that’s why I’m writing a long blog entry, because I am so bored. I’m writing it on word first so it looks like I’m working and then will cut and paste it onto my blog website.

Moving into my new houseshare has been a brilliant move. All 3 housemates are really nice and chilled out and easy to live with. I’ve got a huge room with my own balcony, very quiet at night and on a lovely tree lined street of old houses with wrought iron balconies. And the best thing is I’ve got a kitchen! It’s so nice to be able to be able to cook at home, eat healthily and save money. OK the house may be a bit old and smelly and my room be a bit empty with none of my personal stuff in it, but for a short 6 week stay its hunky dorry. And nice to get out of that depressing run down and lonely hotel room.

So I moved all my stuff in first thing Friday, then rushed to the Chinese embassy, got my visa sorted and went to work. Saturday me and my friend Arabelle went on a Blue Mountains tour. Bit cheesy, would rather get the train and go on my own little walk but it was organised for me and I had good fun. Saw the obligatory kangaroos and a 3 foot long Iguana lizard. The tour guide was a bit of a character, ranting on about politics and other things, an interesting fellow, so when, as the last person to be dropped off, he asked if I wanted to go for a schooner (= beer) I accepted. It’s these little chance encounters that can often turn out to be a lot of fun and so it turned out to be on this occasion. 1 beer turned to 4. Then we drove back to his place, had more beers, lots of rum and a few sweet smelling roll ups. At this point we decided to cycle to this night club a few miles off. Not sure if drink driving applies to bicycles but who cares, was a right laugh. Managed to fall off a few times but arrived at the club alive and well. 4 hours passed, can’t remember much, but ended up getting a taxi home, leaving my new friend (I found out the next day) attempting to cycle two bikes home at once. He gave up after a while.

Good clean fun as they say. Sunday was quite relaxed and quiet as to be expected. And this week I’ve been bored at work but had quite pleasant evenings with my new housemates, cooking and watching TV, going to the cinema and generally enjoying my new environment. I’m gonna go now and try really hard to find some work to do, ask other admin people around the floor if they want help, because the top boss keeps walking past and I think it’s a bit obvious and sooner or later they could get rid of me! Oh yeah this Friday one of my housemates is throwing an 80s party, hmmm. I don’t really do dressing up, am too self conscious. Us blokes aren’t brought up to dress up, well only behind closed doors in secret, ooops. Dressing up is a girls thing innit?

Go and see Hot Fuzz

Last weekend I let my hair down for the first time since I arrived in Sydney. Got hammered and ended up in some interesting club with people dressed up in weird and wonderful costumes. Met lots of alternative people and had fun. Saturday I paid for my sins and remembered what it was like to be hungover again.
Yesterday evening one of my neighbours asked me “Got any spare change mate?” in the street. So not only do I live with the mentally ill but also beggars as well. Still even living with down and out alcoholics, druggies and beggars, nobody in the place seems menacing or hostile. Just shows how friendly Aussies are and how generally crime free the place seems to be. In a down and out hostel in London I reckon that there would be a lot more trouble. Thankfully in London I have more permanent accommodation to stay in so I don’t need to experience living in this sort of place.
All the other travellers always ask me how do you end up meeting these people, and I suppose it’s because I just talk to people and don’t put up barriers. I don’t look down on these people. Who knows one day I might end up like that. I certainly don’t think so but you never know.
It’s been a busy week this week. Working late every day to compensate for taking Friday morning off work to move into my new house, get a Chinese Visa, enquire about flights and do lots of other bits and bobs. Then on Saturday I’m off to the Blue Mountains.
Just looked at google earth for the first time. Wow, that’s pretty cool, a nerd like me could spend hours on a thing like that! Oh also saw Hot Fuzz at the cinema last night, funny as f*ck. Also I liked it because I grew up in a Gloucestershire “village” and this is where the film was supposedly set.

Dodgy accomodation

Solved my accommodation dilemma. Found some chap in a houseshare who’s going on holiday, so I can move into his place for 6 weeks to cover his rent. It’s a reasonable size room on a quiet street, fairly central and walking distance to work so it’ll do the job nicely. Only downside is one of the housemates is a young lesbian who bragged about her liking for expensive powder. So good bye to my rustic hotel. No more living of takeaways. And no more nutters? Last night hung out with a couple of the hotel’s long term residents. The bloke clearly had Tourette’s and would greet everyone passing through the door with a tirade of insults. The woman was insane and clearly delusional. She thought she was sophisticated good looking and rich. Errrr why then is she a permanent resident in this down and out hostel? Then some other bloke started shouting how he was going to have a bath in the ladies room, and stated that if anyone had a problem with this “They would have to deal with Ted the Butcher!” – Hmmm Okay. I soon left these crazy alcoholics. Oh sometimes I do wonder - what the hell am I doing here? Living in these shitty short term cheap accommodation places just to experience Sydney. Maybe I’m as crazy as they are.

I know we are all lucky really to be rich, have a roof over our head, food on the table, fresh water and plenty of material possessions. But living in Sydney has made me realise that the living standards in London are terrible. Doing an admin job in Sydney I am earning exactly the same money as I would be in London. However rental accommodation is less than half the cost. Buying a house is around a third of the cost. Transport and food is cheaper and so is everything else come to think of it. I’m much better off here. It’s true; it really is rip off Britain! I think that there is far too big a divide between high income earners and low income earners in the UK. They tell us that the average wage to living ratio is as good as Australia but it doesn’t paint an accurate picture. The average wage takes into account the many people in the UK on ridiculous earnings; stockbrockers, company director’s, footballers, celebrities etc. People working in bars, cleaning jobs, low level office workers and even skilled jobs such as teachers, nurses etc are far worse off. It’s just not cricket! It’s not balanced. We need to sort it out. And it can’t be right when middle income earners can’t even afford their own flat.

Taking a global view, the situation is even more absurd. Billions are starving; don’t have running water or electricity, when the developed countries just bathe themselves in unnecessary wealth. Its obvious capitalism/globalisation hasn’t worked! Well basically it’s worked for the developed countries at the expense of the developing / third world countries. But that’s not right is it? We’ve all got shit loads of stuff and sod the starving people. And charity doesn’t solve the problem, granted its better than nothing, but give a begging man something and he’ll keep begging. Fair trade, job creation and the sharing of expertise and profits to poorer countries is needed. It’s not difficult! Currently, for example, a jar of coffee costs $2 and the coffee grower in Bolivia or wherever will earn say 2p. What should happen is that the grower should get half the money and then decent wages should be paid. I know communism doesn’t work either, but neither does capitalism in its current form, as always some compromise is needed.

But I suppose it’s easy for anyone to sit on their arse and spout of shit like this. Nothing will change because there are too many parties with too much self interest at stake. Maybe I should do something, but I probably won’t, like most people I’ll put number one first. I want to get a house of my own and live comfortably and sod everyone else.

The Gods are smiling

Talking about my manic mood swings, I thought I’d write an entry today because I’m exceedingly happy. Woke up today without a headache and sore throat for the first time in 10 days, so looks like I’ve recovered at long last. Its so refreshing waking up feeling better when you’ve been ill for a while. Really makes you appreciate your good health! So the god of health has finally released me from my punishment.

The god of wealth has also given me a break today. Got paid so that my bank account no longer says zero. Thanks to Dean for lending me $200 earlier this week, otherwise I would have been out on the streets. Also they’ve sorted it out so I’ll get paid more than I did this week, hence should get paid a lot more than expected next week.

In addition the god of having a nice roof over your head has blessed me with some short term flat shares to look around on Saturday and Monday. This means I can hopefully progress and stay in a place with a kitchen, flatmates and closer to work.

And to pray to these gods as a way of thanks I’ve just spent my lunchtime meditating under a very large, old and wise tree, receiving the spirit energy from within it, so feel very refreshed. That’s what I like about Sydney, it’s old and haphazard enough to feel homely. White settlement (no disrespect to the aborigines who were here before) here started over 200 years ago so there is a homely feel about the streets and buildings. White settlement in Perth started much later so the buildings and layout of the place is too new and organised, grid plan streets etc. I grew up in a very old and extremely higgldy piggldy place so only seem to feel at home in old places.

And lastly it’s Friday! And I’m just looking forward to being healthy this weekend with some money in my pocket, footloose and fancy free. Although happily not totally footloose thanks to a special someone. Someone who has made me have a good week. Thanks.

Manic Moodswings

Had a permanent headache for over a week now, maybe related to getting the flu last Wednesday, which in itself was a bit of a nuisance since I’d just started a new job. Had to take Thursday off work as very sick but Friday recovered enough to struggle in so that they realised I wasn’t a skiiver! Shaken the worst of it off over the weekend but headache and general aches have lingered on this week and won’t seem to go away!

Rested enough to go out and see the mardi gras parade Saturday night. Highlight of the parade had to be the dykes on bikes, there were literally (tens of?) thousands of them. I’ve never seen so many lesbians. Also lesbians populate the gay bars much more here than they seem to elsewhere. Seriously Australia seems to produce more OUT lesbians than anywhere else in the world. Maybe the men here are less desirable? Or maybe they just come out of the woodwork more here and are more “loud and proud”? Who knows? Anyway on Sunday all the pubs were full of “after parties”, gurning party people that were still on it from Saturday night. The city was buzzing!

So despite being slightly ill I had a great “mardi gras” time. Maybe I ended up having more fun, because I didn’t get hammered and was “with it” enough to appreciate what was going on and I could remember it all the next day!

This week it’s been work during the day, then in the evening going back to my hotel room and then going out to eat a meal on my own. It’s a bit depressing really, living in a hotel room on your own with no one to talk to. It just doesn’t feel homely. And because there is no kitchen you have to “go out” to eat. And Coogee is full of young holiday people and couples wining and dining, and I’m the only loner sat at a table. Housesharing is difficult because I’m only here for 2 months and I’m not going to a hostel because, despite the social aspect; I refuse to share a room. I think I either need to be younger or have more money for this travelling lark!

Anyway Sydney is beautiful and the people I work with are lovely. And I’ve got people to hang out with; it’s just on those lonely evenings when I’m too tired to go out and “do” things. On another note the rain here is very different, it’s like torrential for about 10 minutes and then it’s sunny. No days full of fine drizzle. And the trees smell sooooo gorgeous after the rain, hundreds of different powerful organic type smells, nothing like back in England. And the birds make strange noises, that remind me of my childhood (used to watch neighbours and home and away). It’s weird the birds really do sound like they do on the neighbours and home and away sets. Well it’s not weird at all really, perfectly natural. But I still don’t like the fact that there could be poisonous spiders and snakes lurking anywhere, watch out! There’s no place like home and this week in particular I’ve really been looking forward to coming back!

Morning Tea

Pride always comes before a fall. Start job on Tuesday, get ill with flu Wednesday (yesterday). Felt like shit yesterday at work, aching all over, sore throat, hot and cold etc. Get home and veg out, wake up this morning and feel like someone's broken all my bones with a sledgehammer. Have to call in sick, doesn't look good in my first week does it really? Slept all morning, feel slightly better this afternoon. Will go into work tomorrow whatever state I'm in as I need to get my paycheck signed so I can get paid next week! Also if I struggle in ill tomorrow they will realise I'm not faking it and will see that I'm actually ill.

Its a shame as the jobs OK. Cushty admin job. They even have 15 mins break for "morning tea" and "afternoon tea". How civilised! Why doesn't this happen in England anymore?! Our society has become far too money grabbing for its own good!

Right had to struggle out of hotel for breakfast/lunch, thought would pop in and check mail, now off to go back to bed. Mardi Gras parade is in 2 days, and I'll probably miss it, ill in bed - boo hoo.

Beat the system, don't go with the flow

Do you remember that old happy hardcore song, "Can't beat the system, go go with the flow". If not why not! Obviously not cool enough! Errrrr anyway, in certain circumstances you should take the opposite view, beat the bloody system! I'm suprised by the amount of people who follow along like sheep and never question things. There can be a lot of gain to be had for very little work. For example all these stupid travellers who put down that they are a "non resident" for tax purposes as adviced by the employment agencies and tax offices. I did a little research the day I arrived in Australia, because I know the tax system is there to be blagged. You've gotta think sideways mate! There is nothing to stop you putting yourself down as a "resident" for tax purposes, its all a grey area. This means in Perth I got paid $521 a week from my $598 gross (only did 26 hr week). Every single traveller I've met in my situation would get $425. Unnecessarily losing $100 a week in earnings to tax. A sixth of their pay disappearing cause they just go along with the system. Gotta use your noggin. Some people say I'm always lucky and fall on my feet. Bollox. You make your own luck mate. Good luck is f***ing hard work!

Got myself a job today, thank the good lord. Just in the nick of time before my money ran out. And no it wasn't luck mate, it was cause I registered with 7 blooming agencies last week. Agency phoned me up yesterday morning saying got an interview in the afternoon. After the interview they said start tomorrow. Sorted. So today was my first day at work, cushy admin job, reasonable pay, full time, weekends free, nice people, its all tickety boo. Still in my hotel by the sea, the waves crashing as I drift off............. then a cockroach crawls over me and I stare at the peeling paint on the walls and grimey carpet and come back to reality.

Last week was basically just job hunting with a bit of sightseeing thrown in. Saturday was spent pilling in a pool. That was quite fun. A pool party. Tons of fit practically naked boys and girls either splashing in the pool, dancing to techno or chilling out under the umbrellas. Sunday was a little messy, ended up getting pissed and woke up very hungover monday morning with job interviews and started work today. So a little tired, but having fun and happyish.

Sydney though is so oh so humid. Perth was usually 30-40c during the day, but I didn't sweat when I was just walking and my clothes dried in about 30 seconds. In Sydney its been around 27c in the daytime. I walk fast and sweat is pouring off me. And my clothes are not dry even a day later! Its all to do with the humidity. Perth is desert like dry and Sydney is sub tropical and humid. So sometimes 27c can feel hotter than 37c. Otherwise I love Sydney, it feels like a proper city like London. Perth was much more laid back and relaxed and nicer in a different way, maybe a nicer place to live? But Sydney to visit has it all. About a hundred more things to do. The city centre is about a hundred times bigger, vibrant, huge skyscrapers going on for miles, amazing parks, hundreds of miles of beautiful harbour, amazing scenery, and suprisingly really historic too (its a lot older than Perth). Its beautiful, it really is.

But its hard work too, living in bloody squats, having to eat takeaways cause I've got no kitchen, being kept awake at nights, starting new jobs all the time. The stress has caused me to take up smoking again, mind you today have given up again. So its got the good and the bad all this travelling. A proper adventure. Really looking forward to coming home but also really looking forward to enjoying it for a couple more months yet, if that makes any sense?

Lock myself out of hotel at 4am. A blessing in disguise?

Have arrived in Sydney. Got in Saturday night and slept. Sunday met up with Brett's cousin Arrabelle and went to the Fair Day party in Victoria Park. Then met up with Marco's friend Michael. Had a good time. Went back to his mates flat with the most amazing views of Sydney harbour, the opera house, harbour bridge and the skyscrapers. Got home around midnight a bit drunk.

Woke up at 4am this morning feeling sick and thirsty. So thought hmmm I'll pop out to the 24 hr convinience store on the corner and get a litre of orange juice and then go back to bed. Go out of my room, and the instant the door shuts (& automatically locks!) I realise, shit, I've left my key inside the room. I go down to the reception which states no one will be there till 9am and if your locked out its a $50 call out fee. Must happen quite a lot! Must be quite a few dizzy idiots like myself! Can't really afford $50, its a nights accomodation and money is tight, so I'm out on the streets tired, hungover, feeling a little grumpy and at a loss of what to do. Oh well, I think, I may as well go to the beach and see the sunrise, its so rare I'm up in time to see this. So get a train and a bus to Coogee beach and watch the sunrise. Then I spy a run down looking hotel and find out they do rooms with a sea view for $230 a week. Thats $33 a night = 13 pounds a night........ For my own room with a sea view in the centre of Sydney! Brucie Bonus!! I don't think in London you'd get a room with a balcony with a good view for 130 pounds let alone 13 pounds. The main thing is that its the same price as a hostel dormitory, so it means I won't have to stay in a bloody dormitory whilst I'm looking for work, which I was dreading as I'm too light a sleeper. Today was supposed to be looking for work but I'm too tired so just done a coastal walk instead and then an early night tonight and job hunting tomorrow.

Anyway I won't update you on my last couple of weeks in Perth, because I'm too tired, maybe tomorrow.

My last post disappeared so just republished it - stupid computers

And just written this post and stupid keys thing happened and text disappeared - one of those days!

Still in alcoholic drink drivers paradise. All the liqour stores in this country have drive through's and sell wine for 50p a litre. Good job I'm not an alcoholic drink driver innit. Temptation would be too great.

Today my boss told me she's sacking me as off tomorrow. Next week is my last in Perth and I was hoping to save money for Sydney. Will now be $500 short. The silly cow went and cancelled my contract with the agency so she could pay me cash in hand for the last 2 weeks, saving herself $450 a week in agency and tax fees. Now she's paranoid she'll get caught and fined. But now she's only given me 1 days notice and not much chance of finding another job. But no hard feelings, she's just doing whats best for her, like what I did in taking the job in the first place. I still think she's a lovely woman. Business is business.

Otherwise last Wednesday had another insomniac night, drank almost a pint of wine to sort my head out and ended up getting drunk, emotional and irrational over a silly little thing.

But life must go on. Friday night went out with friends and had great fun, ended up going to 3 different nightclubs, with 3 different cover charges. Thankfully some bird from Melbourne paid for me. Got home 6am and get woken up 3 hours later to go on a family trip. Ugh! Felt like crap. But ended up spending the day swimming in a fresh water river (no sharks!) which was the best cure for a hangover. Got sunburnt though. Sunday went on another family trip to see the Pinnacles. Was OK. And this week back to work and now its Wednesday already and my last day tomorrow. Already phoning round agencies and asking mates to try and get some work for next week.

Then off to Sydney. Very much looking forward to it, although a lack of money will have me working within a week or two, so no prolongued holiday. But it'll be nice to say bye to family and sort my head out.

Things have got better

From bad to good. Had a wicked weekend. Friday saw the "Australia Day" fireworks, the biggest in the country. Sat on the river bank opposite the skyscrapers and watched them explode over the water, the reflections glittering on the glass of the buildings. Pretty good. Thankfully the police didn't enforce the "no alcohol rule" so me and me mate Dave were allowed to polish off a bottle of vodka between us. The night got a bit messy after that, but it was fun, and we didn't drown in the outdoor swimming pool, although we may have awoken some neighbours.

Anyway on Saturday it was down to Dave's mate's house. A nice chap called Craig who lived in a house with a speedboat moored on a canal at the bottom of his garden. The day was spent cruising along canals drinking beer, stopping off at pubs to drink wine and eat fish n chips and whizzing along at 55mph on a 10 mile wide inlet. Let me tell you 55mph feels a lot faster in a boat! It really feels like your whizzing! Then we swam with dolphins and generally had a stupendeously brilliant day.

Sunday chilled out and jogged for miles and miles to try and sweat out the alcohol. Then on Monday thought enough is enough and came out and told my boss that I was leaving in 3 weeks time. Definitely the best move I could make. Now I can sleep at night and don't feel like I'm being deceitful. I hate being dishonest. She was really nice about it but understandably gutted. However at least she knows where we stand and I don't have to keep avoiding certain topics of conversation. Slept fine this week.

Yesterday Lilian cooked a lovely "2 in 1 pie", made famous in a pub in Nailsworth (my home town, near Stroud in Gloucestershire). This was for some of my distant Pom relatives that have now settled in Australia. Had better go now, I'm off to watch "The Queen", my buddy Brett has got hold of a pirate DVD copy.

Anyway very happy here. I've started to really love Perth. People here are generally so much more friendly and down to earth than in London. And the weather's better and if you have a middling income you can lead a life you could never lead in the UK unless you were rich, ie have your own speedboat moored at the bottom of your garden. The standard of living is so much better here. Seriously thinking of one day emigrating, who knows? Can you tell I like it here?

Chronic Insomnia - What a Nuisance!

An irritating week. Firstly have to have a minor operation on Thursday which leaves me in slight discomfort over the weekend. Forced to spend Friday lying down which thankfully allows me to relax and watch 3 DVD’s. Also cause I’m on antibiotics this means I behave myself Friday and Saturday night. On Sunday night its role reversal and I’m the one looking after my tipsy friend. Nice to repay the favour.

Then Sunday night arrive home and confronted with the fact I owe $150 for the phone bill. My family doesn’t have unlimited broadband and had already used up their free megabytes or something. So when I downloaded those stupid USA photos to the yahoo website it ran up a $150 bill! So here is the link again, gotta get my money’s worth!
http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/dizeestroudy/album?.dir=5dccscd&.src=ph&store=&prodid=&.done=http%3a//uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph//my_photos

Then go to sleep and wake up at 4am and can’t go back to sleep, not one wink, so absolutely knackered at work on Monday but bumble my way through sales and frantic estate agent life. Do all the right insomniac things; don’t drink caffeine, eat healthy, go jogging after work and meditate. Feel like a zombie Monday evening and pass out around midnight then wake up at 3am and guess what…. Can’t go back to sleep! Argh! Déjà vu! Insomnia Insomnia there is no escape.

So at 8am after 5 hours of being awake, my eyes are itchy and gluey, my head throbs and I’m having slightly delusional thoughts. I can’t function decently at work so phone in sick. Another $150 (a days work) lost so my savings are dented again. Nobody I’ve ever known has insomnia so bad, so it’s not their fault that they can’t understand how I feel. So it’s the usual …. everyone has sleeping problems, people still go to work when they are tired, what’s wrong with you ….. stuff off my family. Insomnia really has been and still is the bain of my life. But unlike when I was young and used to panic and worry I’m old and wise enough now not to worry and just deal with it. When I’m settled down a bit more it will get better.

So last night was forced to take a couple of sleeping pills and slept OK and back to work today, and life carries on. Only another 3 weeks at the estate agents and then off to Sydney anyway. And got the biggest Australia day fireworks in Australia this Friday to look forward to. Then the weekend after spending a day on my friends friends speedboat. Then the weekend after the weekend after I’m off to Sydney. So its all good. And I’m still alive, still have 2 legs and 2 arms, my brain may be scramled but its still in one piece. And I have worked very hard and saved money in my 2 months in Perth and made good friends and done lots of exciting things. So it really is all good, well mostly good apart from the shit bits

Being a good samaritan

Was just driving home from work when I saw someone break down. Others just went past, the miserable sods, but I stopped and offered my help. Basically just had to help push start the car. So that will give me good karma to compensate for yesterday morning when I stole a can of redbull from the petrol station. However this was only because I'd taken dodgy sleeping tabs Sunday night and I'd woken up extremely groggy. So off to peti station for good old red bull, a queue of 15 people and 1 person at the till - dilema don't you think? I needed the redbull, couldn't afford to be late for work, so not really stealing, is it.

At the end of my last entry I'd said that I was off to spend quality time with Josh, my little bro..... So I played with him in the spa. Afterwards we sat down at the dinner table and he has this huge swollen bruise on his forehead. His mum goes what the hell is this and Josh goes, "I banged my head when Tim through me in the pool". Nice one Josh, poor little sod too young to realise he was getting me into trouble. Moral of the story - don't play with little children.

Hassles this morning too. Had 15 Jan deadline to pay this stupid $350US speeding fine, I'd gone to the bank at the weekend and sorted it so that I could post a cheque off, just needed to get the name and plead another week or so extension. Well cause of stupid time zones had to get up extra early before work and phone up, so not happy. Almost an hour on some stupid waiting service, pressing 0 every 20 bloody seconds and I still didn't get through! So stupid deadlines passed now! Might not be able to go back to the states now, oh well, being melodramatic really, calm down. Hopefully rental car company won't start deducting money of my stupid credit/debit card, they have details of both. Ooops silly me, should have just given credit details then I can always cancel the card - learn a new lesson every day.

Otherwise the last week hasn't been too exciting, work work work last week, Had a pleasant weekend though, friday night went out for some drinkies. Saturday sunbathed on the beach and had some more drinks. Sunday hung out and went to the cinema to see Holiday, it was crap. But last night saw "About a Boy" DVD that I'd rented from the library and that was excellent, a jolly good film I thought.

New job is stressful but it'll earn me good money so gotta do it. The woman I work for is lovely and quite funny. But its way too hectic and I don't like being a salesman, I haven't been anywhere near meeting my silly "weekly targets" and to be frank I don't give a sh*t. I'm outta there in 5 weeks.

Then off to Sydney to party for Mardi Gras and go back to some easy job like bar work just to cover costs. Thankfully a friend of mine from Perth will be coming so should have a whale of a time. Happy Days.

Fun and then work

Well
1) My week off work was ace, loads of fun and just what the doctor ordered
2) Starting work today at an estate agents was horrible

Anyway lets start off with the nicer stuff. Phoned up pub last tuesday and said could I have this week off work, no problem, sorted. Meant I could do some essential shopping and sort stuff out and that. In addition I had time to hang out with my new mates at last. One day me and my buddy Dave did a trip down to some touristy village where we went cheese tasting, chocolate tasting, wine tasting and ate the produce of "ye olde sweet shoppe" = felt sick. We went on a day trip. This village was 300km or 4 hours away, so an 8 hour round trip. To the Aussies this is nothing. This is like going on a day trip to Newcastle from London! Crazy. But at least I fell asleep in the car after gorging myself stupid.

Managed to sample the local fish and chips a couple of times sat by the beach with a lad from the pub called Brett, very nice. Also walked round the city centre and the nearby historical city of Freemantle, so finally feel like I'm getting to know my own backyard. Friday night was spent enjoying a few drinks and smokes without having to worry about work the next day. Very pleasant and in the morning a few of us rustled up a good ole fry up. Happy Days :-)

But today had to start yet another new job - Ugh! As usual couldn't sleep last night, never bloody can the night before my first day, I'm far too neurotic! Essentially I worry about not being able to sleep, so therefore won't be alert and on the ball the next day, which means I will make a bad first impression (and first impressions are so important), this keeps me from sleeping which gets me even more worried as this means I'll be even more tired the next day. Not difficult to see how a vicious circle develops. Unfortunately no sleeping tablets left so I had to tough it out! The next day 2 red bulls and a coffee kept me going and as usual all the panick was for nothing and I seemed to impress.

Job is working for this freelance estate agent, just me and her in the office. She's a hectic woman but very nice. However I don't think I'm cut out for running an office, I'm too scatterbrained and unorganised. Will as usual blag it as I'm only gonna do it for 2 months and can't be arsed to look for yet another job! Also the job is only 25 hours a week so will still have to work at the pub on the weekend to save money, was hoping to have my weekends free from now on - argghhh! And I hate having to be deceitful. They think I want to make a career out of being an estate agent and today I had to meet the managing director of the company and my boss and lie about about my long term goals blah blah blah. I feel guilty. But sod it thats the cut throat world of capitalism for you and anyway its not as if these estate agents aren't out for themselves.

Gonna go for a jog now to tire myself stupid and then promised to play with Josh (my baby brother) tonight as I've been neglecting him a bit recently.

Sun, Poms, Christmas and New Year

Am awake at 1am so may as well update my blog. Am encountering lots of new problems in sunshine land, like how to look after sunglasses? I don't wear them in England but everythings so dam bright ALL the time that I got fed up of constantly squinting. Anyway after breaking yet another pair I'm forced to buy some more yesterday. The trouble is I'm always taking them off when I go inside and so they go on then off then on then off etc. But where do you put them? In your pocket they get squashed, on the top of your head they flatten your gelled hair and make your hair look stupid, in my bag they always get crushed. If for instance you leave them on the chair next to you in a waiting room then you forget they are there and leave them behind. Such a dilema, don't you think? I get round this by always buying the cheapest pair then I don't care if I lose/break them, its only a pain as I hate shopping and have to go shopping again!

Also wearing flip flops are a nuisance cause I can't put my insole in them so I'm therefore unbalanced. But trainers aren't practical as I often end up on the beach. And then with shorts money and stuff is always falling out of the pockets. And even if I get decent pockets it feels like I've got lead weights jangling around banging against my thighs. Most disagreeable. I need a handbag! Or is it a manbag. Oh the troubles of living in a hot sunny country. And then there's all that blasted suncream you have to put on all the time. Give me a cold, dark, wet country anytime................... or maybe not!

No really its ace but you can't get away from "the bloody Poms" (thats Australian for "the English"). They are everywhere in Perth. I reckon about 1 in 3 people that live here are born in England, and thats not counting the tourists. Walk round the shopping centres and all you'll hear are cockney accents or geordie or typical english or whatever. Millions of them must emigrate here, all families in search of England in the sun. I suppose the foods the same, the cultures very similar, half the suburbs are named after English places. Went today to a music festival next to Ascot races where all the women were dressed up in silly hats just like England. They've still got our flag incorporated into their own and the queens head is still on all the coins. And Australia Day is celebrating when the British first planted the flag on their soil and claimed it as a British land, as opposed to the Americans who celebrate independance and when they rid themselves of us. Mind you most of them hate us and want to get rid of all these silly links, who can blame them? Wierd really. New Zealand and Australia may be the other side of the world but whether they like it or not they are definitely more like England than any other country in the world.

Anyway when was my last entry, oh the 22 December. Well last night was New Years Eve and I was working in the bleeding pub, 6pm-3am with no breaks! (Actually had a little tiff with the manager over that). Too rushed off my feet to stop and reflect on the event I was working at. Oh well its just another night really and its not as I have a shortfall of drinking and partying is it? And I earn't shit loads of money.

Hmm the weekend after my last entry. Well Saturday worked at the pub and after work at 3:30am I thought sod it I will go out clubbing with some of the other staff. The club had crap music and was filled with ugly people but it was nice to get out and about. The pubs/clubs in Perth are mainly full of old or ugly people but I think its cause all the beautiful young things head off to Melbourne, Sydney or abroad. Its mainly families who emigrate here, people who want a nice quiet safe place to bring up their kids.

Anyway this meant Sunday (Christmas Eve) was a bit hungover and left myself with one hour (before the shopping centre shut) to do all my christmas shopping. So the usual frantic rush. Oh yeah and saw a forest fire after stepping outside my front door to big clouds of black smoke, scary! Christmas day the usual eat too much, drink to much, got shit presents I don't want (why do relatives never listen, do not buy me clothes!) but it was compensated by going to the beach and seeing the best sunset I've ever seen, well a bloody good one anyway. And also it was nice buying my baby brother a remote control car and seeing his eyes light up and watching him play with it for hours, my paternal instinct kicking in? Scary! Maybe getting older is about giving and not taking? Hmmmm. Piss off.

Wednesday, Thursday and Friday I ended up working day shifts in the pub helping with their outdoor beergarden rennovations and also doing up all the wasteground around the pub for their new years eve celebrations (where I ended up working). So back to labouring in the sweltering heat, I can't seem to get away from it. But its quite fun out here in Perth, I've ended up doing lots of different jobs. Anyway Wednesday thought I'd have a few after work, forgot to have tea, so with an unlined stomach it went to my head a little. Got the old weed cravings and so ended up doing buckets for the first time in many a year. Hmm this time they were quite fun and I didn't "think too much". Still next day at work was a little fragile.

Today was pleasant though, a friend from the pub, one of the punters actually, got free tickets (usually cost $99) to this music festival next to where the famous Perth Cup horse races were held at Ascot, hence why there were all the poshly dressed ponses stumbling in half cut later on in the day as I mentioned before. Anyway it was all the usual Indie stuff but Aussie bands I'd never heard off. But it was fun and I heard a song I'd heard many times before and it was nice to see it live and then we gorged ourselves on some lovely fish and chips. So a lovely day out. And for once in my life I wasn't hungover/comedown on new years day.

Right shit its 2am now. Time to go. Last note is that I'm football deprived here, haven't watched a match in ages, dad won't buy cable and don't like going to pub on my own, please help! And Aston Villa what is wrong with you? After a promising start its turned out to be yet another false dawn and you are back to being shit again.