The Race to 2006

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Well, 2006 has dawned and the sunrise heralds a brave new era of adventure, friendships and unknown horizons, however, before the new chapter can begin, I'd better finish off the last....

I had arrived in Sydney on the 23rd November 2005, overrun with joggers, soggy with rain and awstruck by the vistas, flora and fauna. The Blue Parrot Backpackers, in surlubrious Potts Point, was to become my home for the next months, dealing me a hand of both old and new friends.

One of the live-in managers - Simon - (aka Smoss), is a fellow ex-Birmingham Uni mate and one of the infamous Lands-End-To-John-O-Groats cyclists of all those many moons ago; not to mention a very welcome friendly face in an alien country. It took some time to be welcomed by the 'life-ers', (those hostelites for whome escape from the Parrot seems an impossible task), but within a few days we were off getting drunk, watching endless re-runs of The Simpsons and exploring the city.

Everything was rosey, the potential endless, the city mangificent, but unsurprisingly, after our exploits in NZ, the bank balance was destitute / dwindling / well... rather unbalanced to say the least. My budget had been blown by around 250%!a(MISSING)nd no amount of scrimping on student meals or pasta and soup would save me now and as far as I could see, I had two choices:

• shrink the rest of the trip to fit into the next month
  
• get a job
  

Yes, it really was getting bad. The 'j' word was coming into play, and although I'd sorted out a work visa before I came out, on the off chance I'd enjoy some leisurly fruit picking to pass the time, it would have had to of been a super-man size harvest of oranges in my basket to get me out of the red and back to black.

I needed a Plan.

I needed Action.

I needed......a Computing job

Den Den Durrrrrrrr

Although Superman was obviously out of the question, Nerdman was just about in reach.

Within an hour I was decked out in half-mast pants and a shirt, (complete with orange stain on the collar), from the local op-shop (the Oz name for charity shops), and my hiking boots.

Yes, it's fine saying 'first impressions count', but when your overdraft is running out and there are recruitment agencies and job interviews looming, you've gotta be a tad resourceful, and at $15 for the lot, I was happy. I looked like a tramp, but I was happy.

Operation JobHunt went well, and within a day I had a months contract lined up, with an hourly rate better than I'd ever had back home! Someone was smiling on me that day.

December was fun. The job was easy, my boss was a laugh and there were signs that a pay rise and contract extension were in order. The Parrot was getting busier by the week and I'd bumped into the most amzing people: Scottish Akraf, the busker, French Alex the chef, English Bobby the drunk and 2 gay nurses Tim and Joseph, who've turned out to be the most wonderful friends ever.

Christmas meant a move up the road to Delux Backpackers to escape the extortionate $100 per night, (45 quid), Parrot costs, (that's for a 10 bed dorm!), but Adam and I gatecrashed the Xmas BBQ in the afternoon after spending Christmas morning on Bondi Beach with all the other backpackers in New South Wales. With the help of some posted presents from Santa, a few boxes of cheap plonk and some wonderful people, the day was perfect.

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Photos

Adam, Rika, Joseph and Tim on Xmas Eve
On the roof of Delux backpackers, listening to akraf busk away with a fantastic view of the city! Perfect.

4 Stunners Pose for little old me
;)

Comments

[Marko]

Akraf the busker
Long shot I know - but I don't suppose you have the email address of Akraf the busker from Aberdeen ? If you want to check with him if ot's OK to pass on his email address, tell him that the guy in the native american head dress (that's me) wants to apologise for hijacking his tambourine on Saturday night. Thanks..... Mark