Journal Entries
The unbearable lightness of pasta
Posted Nov 21, 1999
Ever have one of those moments where you realise how bizarre life is, and how much it hinges on coincidence and blind luck? Well, I had one this morning. And it all hinges around pasta, specifically spagetti bolegnese (probably not spelt correctly but hey!)
So here's the story (see if you can keep up with it, it may not make all that much sense). We'll start with my news. The reason why I haven't written a journal entry in a while is because I was busy looking for a place to live and I've jinxed myself so many times, I decided not to take the chance (plus I didn't have much in the way of free time). Anyway - I've just moved into a dinky cottage in a place called Surry Hills, not far from the floor where I've spent the past 6 weeks sleeping. It's a cute 3 bed place, reminds me a bit of my home in Ireland (specifically because of the large gap under the front door which allows bugs in... gotta get that sorted out!) - it's not perfect.. it's unfurnished, the carpet is hemp (I think) and as such a bastard on the feet, and the hot water isn't working. but these are minor issues that'll hopefully be resolved by the end of the week. And my room has bare floorboards which is nice. But it's nice to have a home...
I'm sharing it with an English girl called Trea and a Canadian girl by the name of Leanne, both cool chicks by all accounts (if they're axe murderers, they've done a good job hiding the choppers!). They'll be around 'til after Christmas, so that should be a bit of a larf. Anyhow, on with the story (I'm sure you're wondering what this has to do with pasta)... I was looking at a few places, and got the Sydney Morning Herald last Wednesday, and saw a small ad for a 3 bed place in Surry Hills. So I went along at lunch and had a look (and got soaked in the process... it rains here almost as much as back home). Thought the place was grand, so I applied for it (I was in the suit at the time so I was trying to appear as professional as possible - you know i can do it when I have to!!), pushing the whole I work for Merrill Lynch thing, as I figured it was a better angle than "I'm a backpacker" approach.
Anyway - I got a phone call later on from the agent to let me know the owner had chosen someone else over me. Pissed me off a little, cos at this stage I was sick of looking but I figured shit happens, and I had a meeting to see a place that evening (with a guy who it turns out works in the gym I got to, which was a bit of a conincidence). That went well and it came down to me and a couple. Next day I got a phone call from him to let me know that they had chosen the couple over me, which put me into an even better mood than before. I was almost half contemplating giving up and going home at this stage. Then my mobile rang. it was the agent to tell me that the people who were offered the place didn't turn up to pay the deposit and if I got to his office with $400 before they did, the place was mine. Needless to say I managed to run about 600m in less than 2 minutes (and promptly passed out once I'd handed over the money!) and secured my new home! 
Okay - what has spagetti got to do with this? I'm getting there - not being particularly eloquent this evening - but it's been a long week so bare with me. Basically, I wouldn't have been looking for a place like this if it hadn't been for the fact that I was getting a place with the two girls. And this is how I met them. I went into the Sydney YHA to check my mails and get some food. The computers were all busy so I sat down to eat first. I know i get into certain routines every now and again, but when a waitress you've never met before comes over and tells you what you're about to order, it gotta say something! So she comes over and says "Spagetti and Large Sprite?"... to which I start talking to myself promising I'm not going to be predictable today. This causes the girl at the next table to stare at me funnily... so I figure, it deserves an explaination. We end up chatting and a week and a half later, we've started sharing a house (it was Leanne, in case you didn't pick up on that).
So basically, I have a home now because I'm predictable, and a little lucky. Kinda scary when you think about it. So much of this is down to sheer chance and timing (but then again, so much is in life)... but when you realise how tenuous it all is... hmm.. worrying!!
Anyhow - this place is shutting up and I wanted to give you the good news. I've got a house. With a bit of luck, by the end of the week, i'll have a bed and a working shower!!
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Latest reply: Nov 21, 1999
Lobster, Lobster
Posted Nov 15, 1999
Well.. the past few days, I've been trying an alternative approach to life. Instead of talking about doing things, I actually went and did them. A novel approach, i think you'll agree... but the results are kinda astounding. Well, not really... but it put me in a positive frame of mind for the week.
First off, I decided to do something about being pale and grey. So i went to the beach in Manly, a lovely little place just north of Sydney filled with Sand, Sun and something else that escapes me for the time being.... anyway - got the ferry there which was very pleasant - laughed at people in small boats getting capsized as we flew past (hehehe... shouldn't laugh really - I'll be in a small boat later in the month doing a race around Sydney Harbour so I'm sure the entry then will rue the day I laughed from the ferry!)
Anyway... I spent the day sunbathing and talking crap (those who know me will know this is not a strange occurrance) to one of my new Aussie pals, Kerin. (Great girl, she has the same passion for shooting people as I do... although I seem to be a helluva lot better at it than she is... practice my dear girl!) However, I decided to go on the safe side of things and use factor 25 lotion. So I think I ended up going home paler than I headed out.
The next day was, of course, glorious (the first weekend it hasn't rained) so I headed out to Manly again, this time planning to use a lower suncream to enhance my chances of ever turning white... I thought, I'll be alright - I'll buy the cream in Manly - they go sunbathing there so they'll have a better range, and sure, the ferry journey's only 15 minutes long. Needless to say by the end of the day, although I slathered myself with factor 15, my hands, knees and face are bright-ish red!! Still - I'll turn a lovely brownish hue afterwards but it always escapes me when I'm trying to bend my knees (ouchy! 
)
Now... onto my next rant of the evening. Fire Alarms. I hate Fire Alarms. With a vengance. If I could even half convey the disdain I have for the appliances, you'd turn away in horror... now I know they're useful little things - I particularly like the ones that you can turn off when there's obviously no fire anywhere. It's the ones built into the PA system that really get me going.... Let me paint a picture... it's 2:30am.. I've been the in pub, had quite a few drinks, came home and made my bed (literally - have to put mattresses and cushions on the floor).. and I've just finally dropped off to a happy warm peaceful slumber.
Then I hear a screeching wail... over and over, driving through my skull. I hit the alarm clock and nothing happens (for obvious enough reasons but when you're drunkish and half awake it makes perfect sense!) My housemates come into the room ready to kill me because my alarm's going off (see - it wasn't just me!). Then the wail changes pitch, and the most annoying Aussie accent you've ever heard starts telling you to evacuate the building immediately (followed a sound that makes the previous wailing sound like a ballad). As you can imagine i was pretty grumpy by the time i got downstairs. But I got even grumpier when I realised that the cause of our pain was a few teenage English idiots... Grrr... I was not a happy little bunny!
Funnily enough though, the same thing happened the next afternoon... but this time noone bothered to evacuate... actually the building is falling into a major state of disrepair.. the lifts broke down yesterday. I felt so sorry for the guy who was hitting the button waiting for it to come, cos (a) he lived on the 8th floor and (b) he was so stoned I think opening a door would be too much for him, let alone climbing 8 stories of stairs. Still, he seemed perfectly content to continue talking to the piece of wall I'd been standing near when I left him... he seemed to have trouble grasping the concept that the lift wasn't working now because he was sure it was working yesterday... Poor boy...
I should be leaving that building soon. I won't say more, because I seem to jinx it every time I do. Let's just say (oh - that's a Keelin term if I ever heard one! Now we'll see if she actually reads these journals!) that I'm taking the direct approach (which always worked in the past - I've never liked leaving decisions in other people's hands... they always make the wrong ones, like not letting me live with them!) I'll keep you posted when I get everything resolved, but I'm confident that this time, it should work.
And on that note, I'll leave you for the evening. Have to make a few phone calls and find out how a drunken debaucherous weekend in London went (assuming the guilty parties, who know who they are, can actually remember anything...)
I'll leave you with a link to a new study, too frightening to release... enjoy.
http://www.theonion.com/onion3541/frightening_study.html
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Latest reply: Nov 15, 1999
Blonde Violin Players kick ass!
Posted Nov 9, 1999
Sorry - but I went into Bridie O'Reilly's (typical that I'd come to this country and eat in an Irish pub! But the food there is *so* good..) to have my steak (I'm on a many steak diet - I've lost a fair bit of weight since I got here, so I'm eating like a horse to get things back to the way they were before I left - funny - I lose weight and I've gained spots - bloody annoying - it's like puberty in reverse!! If my voice starts unbreaking I'll know I'm in trouble) and a band started playing. Usually it's this fiddle-di-dih crap but instead there was this Irish guy who was a good guitarist and a fairly good singer and this blonde Aussie in leather and pierced to high heaven who was going ape with an electric violin. My god was she good! (and scarily reminded me of someone and I've just realised who it was - a girl called Micky who was one of the councellors who worked with me in that summer camp in the states... a scary woman by all accounts!)
Anyway she was then joined on stage by this other Aussie girl with a phenomenal pair of lungs on her (for those who don't have a clue whatI'm talking about, it's roughly translated as "she was a good singer"). Hmm... may become a regular Tuesday thing - might even be so bold as to get to know them, cos I was feeling the performing urge again (hold on, sick puppy... I'm talking about singing and playing guitar!) 
This may sound sad, but I thought, I should go up to them and ask them if they play here every week (I know a minor question) and I actually did it! I'm quite proud of myself. Now, I'm sure it's a trivial matter for most of you, but normally I'll have an idea like that, think - "that's a good idea" and then leave. Hmm... if I keep this implusive lark up, I may even make some friends out here!!
Speaking of which, went to see a new place today. I'd say more but I'd probably jinx it. So suffice it to say, nice place, the girl is a dancer instructor who wants to meet loads of people, laughs at my jokes and has a birthday the day after mine. And we chatted for at least 25 minutes about nothing. Gotta be a good sign, I hope... I'll keep you posted as always.
I've made a resolution to start taking some photos and then post them up on this site. So maybe I migh actually do it. That reminds me... after I saw the apartment this evening, I thought it might be a nice treat to get the ferry back instead of the bus (the ferry port looked so close on the map - wouldn't be more than 3 minutes away). Anyway - 25 minutes later, after walking down a very steep hill (and ringing my housemate to ask him to find where I was on the map - he couldn't) I found the ferry port... with a "port closed" sign hanging off it. Typical, but luckily before I tried killing myself by walking all the way back up the hill, I found out that the "port closed" sign was for a different port... (don't ask - I'm not sure I even understand the logic) So I got the ferry across the bay, just as the sun went down (pretty!) and then proceeded to take an alternative route home from Circular Quay (i.e. I got lost again! It was dark, dammit!) I ended up in the middle of Hyde Park, and I got the most amazing view of the city.. the lights against the setting sun, the bats (big ones) flying overhead. It was lovely and I'd recommend it to a friend (2 thumbs up!)
On that demented note, I'm gonna head - I'm abou to have an argument with the bloke at thecash desk as to why the call card I bought here last time doesn't work. But I don't think he speaks English so this could be amusing!
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Latest reply: Nov 9, 1999
Bugger...
Posted Nov 7, 1999
Well - they went and chose someone else for the flat. Hey, ho... what can you do I suppose, except congratulate them on their good taste. Had a look at a place today but I think I'm a little late into the mix so I doubt I'll get it. Seemed okay - a bit far out for my liking and the room was a tad small, but at least I tried- and each time I'll learn a bit more about what to do to convince people to let you live with them!
Went to see David Hellgoff(? dunno if I spelled that correctly) last night - he's the pianist that the movie was about and he's a bit of a strange bunny to say the least - but horrifically talented! So that was culturally stimulating (and it means I can do something terribly tacky now!! I'm trying this diet of cultural followed by tacky - should keep me sane-ish... keep my feet firmly out of either camp.
God - don't have all that much to say today - we watched the Wallabies slaughter the french last night. Actually it was a weird night with plenty of firsts - I saw several English actually cheering for the French, which for those who don't know the English, is like Malcom X cheering at a KKK rally, such is the love between those two countries. We started out French but rapidly changed nationality when it became obvious that France was gonna be stomped. (hey - you have to back the winning side every now and again...) And then, when the Queen came out to hand over the winning trophy, the entire Aussie crowd went ballistic booing her out of it. Which is a little odd, seeing as they just voted to remain in a monarchy (I know - the issues are more complicated than that, but I'm allowed to make sweeping inaccurate statements - it's my journal!)
I'm gonna keep this short purely because its taken me ages to write this (people to chat to and mails to send) and I feel like taking a walk - maybe doing a bit of tanning on the roof of the place I'm staying at the moment (wanna bet it'll start raining when I leave here) That said, I've set myself up with some web space so I'll start taking photos and scanning them in. Spice up these journals a little.
'til then, au reviour.
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Latest reply: Nov 7, 1999
Woops
Posted Nov 5, 1999
Hmm... quick apology - mouse must be a little sensitive today - hence the two identical entries. (just in case you thought I liked my writing so much I'd subject you to the same passage twice...)
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Latest reply: Nov 5, 1999
Stuart
Researcher U54718
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