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Published: January 13th 2008
There's an old English proverb that says every path has its puddle, and what a true statement that is. Although my paths are more covered with lakes and they cause me to change my plans every five minutes. So when I left you last my dear readers, I had just finished my East Coast adventures and was soaking up the sun in Cairns whilst contemplating a trip to Perth and the West Coast...well that dream went down quicker than a Bangkok hooker(am assuming that statement of course, I know only of the temples and scenery etc, cough) Instead due to the financial disaster that was the coast, I stayed a while and topped up the tan and then retreated back to Sydney with my tail between my legs, the last remaining state of Australia unseen, financially in a mess, beaten and downhearted, all was dark, empty, hollow, I was all Sydney-ed out and preparing to merely shuffle from this mortal coil. But wait, a new plan was formed, I would work the remaining 2 months of my visa and get the cash in before fleeing the country, my dreams rising from the ashes like the proverbial phoenix, breaking the shackles of
my Sydney restraint, screaming a Braveheart style freeeeeedom to the heavens and beginning my long overdue travels, come onnnnnnn! I went back to my old job temporarily, moved into a new apartment on the provision I would be leaving soon, booked my flight to leave for New Zealand on January 21st, paid my Kiwi Experience coach to depart the next day and all was set....
And then a week before leaving Aus I changed my mind again and applied for my second year working visa....only me people..only me!
So here I find myself currently waiting to find out if I have been approved, which will technically allow me to stay in Sydney and work for another year, although I must stress that I have no intention of staying that long, just 2-3 extra months maybe, although I make no promises seeing as I clearly have a tendancy to change my mind as often as my underwear, which yes of course I still do all the time Mum..honest..The "plan" (air quotes clearly needed) is then the same and it actually has some method to my madness, an extra 2-3 months would significantly increase the bank balance and make the
future travels easier. After that it would then be the same trip to the same places I wanted, just a few months later, and checks on the wonderful Lonely Planet etc have confirmed to me that the seasons and weather would be roughly the same as if I followed that course now so I lose nothing that way. Added on to that is the fact that I can continue having the time of my life, despite the occasional trapped feelings and itchy feet to get going, I have actually been having a great time all year and especially these last few months and have been loving the people and places, it was the thought of leaving them all so soon that actually prompted the change of heart. Sitting around on Christmas Day for example with 20 other people that I didn't even know existed before I landed in the country and knowing them all now and having amazing craic (yup I'm 3/4 irish now), followed by more of the same on Boxing Day, New Years etc, even just random weekends out with them or sitting around apartments, I wasn't ready to leave all that just yet, and so I won't!
Sorry my tears are clogging up my keyboard here..
So I am now back living in Sydney again, sadly I gave away the old apartment thinking that I was gone for good-wishful thinking perhaps. So on my return I needed a new place to stay, but of course the luck of the Irish was with me..and by that I mean the fact that a recent survey revealed 91% of people in Sydney are Irish (I made that up) and of them 87% are related (I made that up too) and so it was that I ended up moving in with Sean's sister, cousin and friend. So to recap for those at the back, I have gone from living with Gav, who knew Super, who knew Claire, who was cousins with Sean, so I lived with them Claire and Sean... and now I live with Sean's sister and other cousin-you see I wasn't making up those stats after all! So I now live with Natasha, Sinead and Karen in an apartment just around the corner from my old place, its just 2 streets across and it means that ours and their apartment are forever intermingled, someone from one apartment is
always over the others and we meet up for nights out etc, we are like one big happy family, one that puts the fun into dysfunctional anyway! The apartment isn't quite as fancy or big as the old one but is still really nice and in our favour is the fact that we have the biggest balcony in the histories of balconies, it was actually voted number 1 in Which Balcony Australia 2007(ok so I made that up as well, spot the theme) But our balcony basically covers the roof of the car park so is huge and perfect for parties and BBQ's and lazy summer days, perhaps thats the reason we get so many visitors hmm. As you can imagine it is sheer hell for me having to live in an apartment with 3 hot girls but somehow I get by..it helps that the girls are totally nuts of course, all good fun and there is never a dull moment.
Job wise I am fairly secure, I initally went back to my old job and worked there for a month as it was all my visa would allow, luckily if you remember I decided not to abuse anybody
Christmas time
Kinda festive like with pressies under the tree etcwhen leaving last time which I guess in hindsight was lucky. After finishing there I got myself another job, and I finally did a deal with the devil and did something I swore to never do (a bit like extending the visa!) and started in a call centre. Initially I was reluctant and on the first day it was all making no sense at all, but then I spotted in the next aisle a familiar face..and this may test your memory, but it was one Jane Serenity Scodwather, she of the dizzy ethos that me, Gav and Andy met in the hostel all those months ago, so I told myself if she could do this job I certainly well bloody could! As if further proof were needed of the Irish invasion it also turns out that the guy I sit next to and get along with is another Tyrone boy and used to work with Andy back home, trust me its like Independence day only with Irish and not aliens. Now whisper this, but I actually fairly like the job, its a magazine subscription company which basically involves lots of housewives and old women ringing up to renew their Womans
Opening pressies on Christmas Day
Slighty sarcastic smile, not like me.. Weekly or Gardening Australia or Home Beautiful etc. It means I get to use the charm offence-for they love an accent here-on lots of housewives and perhaps maybe I admit even flirt a little, chat about kids, home life, you name it, and then also have delightful chats with crazy old ladies on all manner of subjects ranging from the merits of using currants against raisins and the finer points of pruning shrubs. I mean there could be worse jobs.
And so the last couple of months have fairly flown by, there have been many a night out, incidents and laughs but as usual I forget them all now or don't name them for legal reasons. There was of course the festive season and it turned out to be possibly the best Christmas and New Years experienced, in fact its official, I have just voted it at number one, breaking news people. For Christmas Day we utilised the balcony, and the result was 20 people sat around several large tables eating a big feed before getting mercilessly drunk, excellent. The feed itself was reason alone to make it amazing, Matt of my old apartment, as in he of the
professional chef, pulled a blinder and cooked-remember for 20 people-a full course Christmas dinner, the poor boy hasn't been the same since. I mean we had the works, turkey, chicken, pork, yorkshire, roasties, cauliflower cheese, every veg you could imagine and even desserts of cheescakes, all prepared by his hands,he does nothing by half and it took him days. It was a great day all round, we had a great laugh and even had a secret santa on the go so there were presents to be opened and then drink to be consumed, the clean up operation took days. To add to that we then had an aweome Boxing Day, the whole gang went fancy and attended the races! It was held at Randwick racing course which is their biggest event of the year but is essentially the Melbourne Cup's smaller brother. Everybody bought outfits and hats and broaches and were looking really well, except me who did it on the cheap due to obvious reasons and so basically went looking like, well a teacher! It was a stunning day though, absolutely roasting and it basically consisted of us sitting out all day sipping champagne (the cheap fake kind of
The present I got Sean for Xmas
Once you go Asian, you never ever go caucasian! course) from fancy glasses(plastric)acting very la-de-dah (ok so we got wrecked and caused a scene) and placing the occasional bet on horses. I only bet on 4 of the 12 races and won on 2, so broke even, not too bad, except I picked the first horse based purely on the odds and name and then afterwards noticed it prance past us...in bright pink colours, typical, even while being manly and gambling I manage to pick a camp horse. It duly minced about a lot and lost the race, humph. A great drunken day all around though and meant it was two days in a row to be remembered forever.
As is the norm even in this part of the world Christmas was duly followed by New Year, fancy that. And what better place to see in the New Year that in between the Opera House and Harbour Bridge. We got there early at around 3 in the afternoon and managed to secrure a stunning spot right in front of the bridge and it was totally free, also giving us great views across the water to the Opera House. This left us with nothing to do for 9 hours,
sooooo we drank, surprisingly. Advanced prepartion meant a full ice box (or esky if you are Aussie) of alcohol and ice so we happily sat there mingling with locals and other nationalities getting steadily drunker and having a ball, again it was a stunning day as Summer has landed now so you couldn't have wanted for more. The place was jammed by 12 so lucky we had our great spot and as usual (for this is my second time here, excuse me while I polish my fingernails on my top) the fireworks didn't dissapoint. These Aussies really know how to put on a show and the fireworks were going off in every direction you looked, the best of course being off the bridge and Opera house, the pics won't do it justice so I added the videos, they are at the bottom so check them out, stunning. Not content with that we also decided to start off the New Year by attending an all day dance festival, well what else is one to do, start as you mean to go on I say. We just about started to recover from the night before when we gathered on our balcony at
midday and began the drinking again, its a tough life, then headed to the dance thingy. Now ooomptah ommptah hardcore, big box little box, lets get raving, pill popping dance festivals aren't really my thing its fair to say but there was enough cheap wine in me to ensure sufficient random movement of my limbs in an uncordinated fashion which blended in well with everyone else. I think I pulled it off (ooh Chris). It was a long hot day but great random fun as ever and I also had work the next day so that was fairly messy. Overall as I said it was the best festive period I have had and I am hoping it therefore starts off the best year of my life..
And so it continues, back in a routine but trying not to be bogged down by it, its basically working all week and then out on weekends, but as is the same back home everything seems rosier when its Summer and sunnier! There are a few plans ahead, lots of BBQ's on the balcony, trips to the beach, nights out, people's birthdays, Australia Day, St Paddys day, and a possible trip to the
Aussie Grand Prix all in the pipeline. So as you can see a hectic few months and no rush to head off. Of course I miss you all back home, especially over the festive period and that was a bit weird, traditional pressie opening and then dinner with the family is always something to be missed. Plus there was the usual meeting of the Barry Massive on Boxing day and New Years which was missed but apparently a glass was raised to me so thanks everyone, loving you all still. I am far away but endeavouring to keep in touch with everyone. Hope this blog finds you all well as its been a couple of months since the last, usual comments down the bottom if you like and watch this space for another!
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Sarah-Jane
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Your true calling...
Wonderful to see the Clements charm is being put to good use...a shame you're not on comission for selling magazines to bored housewives and little old ladies, you'd probably make enough for an extra 2 or 3 years travel! Missing you. xxx