So, as promised, I have been lax on my blog for awhile. But, now i'm back! Yay... at present the internet situation is tough. Ryan and I have succesfully found a place to live- with 3 Australian nurses: Nicola, Jess, and Jacqui. They are quite wonderful people. And the house we just moved into is fully furnished, has 5 bedrooms, 2 full bathrooms and 3 toilets. It's pretty darn amazing. But they don't have wireless internet, just this little external modem thingee that plugs into the USB port of the computer. So we have to share this little USB thingee, and it has a limitied amount of information transfer. Meaning we can't be on it for hours every night and I can't upload any pictures or download music, etc.
I can however spend 15 minutes bloggin right now.
So, the house. We met these girls about 2 weeks ago. Ryan posted an add on gumtree.com (the craigs list of Australia) saying a little about us, with a picture (not sure how we didn't scare them away from the start) and saying we were looking for a place to live for 9 ish months.
These girls emailed her, I called them on my cell phone (yes, i have a phone... I'll give you the number if you ask nicely). We met them for drinks/coffee and then moved in with them at their old house. Yep, we moved in with them last week and stayed in their spare room on their spare mattress (it wasn't overly comfortable, but it worked). Then, we moved into this place 3 days ago. It's part of the athlete's village that was built for the commonwealth games here a few years ago. Very fittng for me, I know.
Speaking of athletics, I am now coaching 3 times a week. And for the most part the kids are little brats. All 3 venues are like preppy private schools (so it's like a mini-rolly colly crowd). And some of the kids are just way too energetic and obnoxious. One of them decided to repeat everything i was saying for about a half hour. Still, the people who I co-coach with are pretty awesome, and i get paid reasonably.
I also think I'm going to start rowing again soon, Richmond Rowing club is located on the Yarra in the middle of Melbourne. It's an awesome location (pictures will be up when I can manage it). I rowed with them once (well rowed/coxed/coached) with the novice/development squad. And I'm going back again next Sunday hopefully to get back out on the water. I'm super excited.
Now, for the dryer situation. The silly study abroad kids should have mentioned that no one here has a dryer... boo. So everything has to be hung on lines outside. And a) it's winter so it's cold and b) it rains a lot and c) I'm hardly ever home. So it basically is quite an ordeal to do laundry.
Next thing. The sky here is better. Almost everytime I walk outside I'm kinda struck by how clear the clouds look, or how much better the colors are, or just how much clearer, crisper, fresher, better the sky looks. I know that sounds weird, but it's like everywhere else there's a film between us and the sky, and here, the film is removed. That could have something to do with the missing ozone layer? (i hear you can get sunburnt here in 15 minutes flat) or maybe there's less pollution? or maybe it's just a bottom of the world type thing. But, the sky here is indeed better...
Anyway, this is the short/annotated version of my life. If you want more details get in touch. If you want to send me some love my address is 91 parkville ave, parkville, Victoria, 3052. I'd love letters or postcards or anything... i miss my peeps. haha, but really.
I'll try to be better about posting (if indeed anyone is actually reading this...) But until then, spare a thought for me in the dryerless land of better skies.
Sunday, July 27, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
um, week 3?
So, I figure it is the fate of most blogs that the first couple of posts are written diligently and in a timely fashion, and then after that the writer forgets to write them, gets to busy, or just figures there is no point. And after the novelty of the first two, most of the readers probably get bored.
Which means that if I happen to stop writing for awhile or disappear entirely, it's to be expected.
Anyway, um life has been interesting. The job is progressing reasonably well- I work between 5 and 6 hours a day and they keep me fed and well caffinated and give me 11 dollars an hour... woo! and it seems they like to keep me around just to talk to me sometimes too.
And, I did get the coaching job I applied for. I will be coaching soccer on Modays, basketball on Wednesdays, and "Olympic Sport" on Fridays. Yeah, olympic sport. No idea what that entails. The other two I feel reasonably confident about, but when it comes to high jump, long jump or any kind of sprinting I'm probably not the right person to ask. Still, I hope they will give me some pointers and I think I will be coaching younger kids who probably won't question what I tell them. Lets hope anyway.
Last weekend my Uncle's house was invaded by yet more boarders... Simon (Mick's partner)'s neice and nephew, Tash and James, came to stay. They are both very smart, very interesting New Zealanders. Tash is a high powered, work all day/night type of lawyer for Microsoft. James is an aspiring law student who will probably be a pretty influential person one day, even if some of his views are a little extreme (like abolishing the jury part of the trial by jury). We has some very interesting and slightly heated discussions, to say the least.
Monday night I had one of the least pleasant experiences of my time here. Ryan and I were talking on Skype to various friends, and it was reasonably late, I suppose. Anyway, my uncle cam in and yelled at us quite severly for keeping him up. The walls are pretty thin, apparently. Although we didn't realize it at the time. Since then we have made up and things are back to normal, but it was a little scary at the time. And I think Ryan and I are about due to find our own place and move out.
Speaking of moving out, we have been apartment searching. Most places we're looking at are one bedroom and reasonably small- but quite livable. I think that if someone actually decides we'd be decent tenants, then we can turn wherever we end up into something nice. The idea is quite appealing actually. Of being able to decorate and buy furniture (even if it is cheap, maybe second hand furniture) and basically do what we want. Sounds really cool actually. NOw, if only someone will pick us. The application process is a little daunting. We're competing against lots of other people and the owner and real estate agents get together and decide which applicant would be the best fit. Doesn't really matter how quickly you get your application in or anything. So I'm kinda worried about who would actually pick us. I mean we're shady 22 year old americans....
Oh well.
In other news, Ryan and I did go out last Friday to a bar called Eurotrash. The expedition was... interesting? It was the fourth of july, and ryan had decided that we would go out to celebrate. It became a comdey of errors when
a) ryan forgot her hat inside, making us a little rushed getting to the train station
b) she couldn't figure out the ticket maching, resulting in us missing the train and waiting 20 minutes
c) when we off the train in the city we realized we hadn't actually figured out where to go from there... (i blame ryan for this one too, but i guess it was equally my fault)
d) we wandered around melbourne for about 20 minutes in the reasonably cold night air
e) eventually we figured out where we were going and ended up waiting in line for about 20 minutes to get in.
f) oh, and cover was 15 bucks.. which apparently isn't unreasonable here in the land of oz
Once we were in though, it wasn't all bad. We each got a free glass of champagne and the place itself was really cool. It was on a bunch of different levels with different types of music and, sort of, "ambiences" as it were. I think if I hadn't already given up on the whole thing due to the missing train, getting lost, cold, expensive elements, I would have had a decent time. We'll have to go back again.
The rest of the weekend I was just tired so we didn't go out anywhere else.
Ryan has actually found a job. She is working nights, from 5 or 6 onwards, at a pizza restaurant around the corner from my uncle's house. Her hours basically make it so we never see each other except when she's not working. I go off to work well before she gets up, and she's out before I get back from work and whatever I do after work. Haha, so I guess this will keep us from getting sick of each other. She does have tomorrow off, so we'll go out somewhere and have a few drinks perhaps.
Anyway that's about all I got.
Which means that if I happen to stop writing for awhile or disappear entirely, it's to be expected.
Anyway, um life has been interesting. The job is progressing reasonably well- I work between 5 and 6 hours a day and they keep me fed and well caffinated and give me 11 dollars an hour... woo! and it seems they like to keep me around just to talk to me sometimes too.
And, I did get the coaching job I applied for. I will be coaching soccer on Modays, basketball on Wednesdays, and "Olympic Sport" on Fridays. Yeah, olympic sport. No idea what that entails. The other two I feel reasonably confident about, but when it comes to high jump, long jump or any kind of sprinting I'm probably not the right person to ask. Still, I hope they will give me some pointers and I think I will be coaching younger kids who probably won't question what I tell them. Lets hope anyway.
Last weekend my Uncle's house was invaded by yet more boarders... Simon (Mick's partner)'s neice and nephew, Tash and James, came to stay. They are both very smart, very interesting New Zealanders. Tash is a high powered, work all day/night type of lawyer for Microsoft. James is an aspiring law student who will probably be a pretty influential person one day, even if some of his views are a little extreme (like abolishing the jury part of the trial by jury). We has some very interesting and slightly heated discussions, to say the least.
Monday night I had one of the least pleasant experiences of my time here. Ryan and I were talking on Skype to various friends, and it was reasonably late, I suppose. Anyway, my uncle cam in and yelled at us quite severly for keeping him up. The walls are pretty thin, apparently. Although we didn't realize it at the time. Since then we have made up and things are back to normal, but it was a little scary at the time. And I think Ryan and I are about due to find our own place and move out.
Speaking of moving out, we have been apartment searching. Most places we're looking at are one bedroom and reasonably small- but quite livable. I think that if someone actually decides we'd be decent tenants, then we can turn wherever we end up into something nice. The idea is quite appealing actually. Of being able to decorate and buy furniture (even if it is cheap, maybe second hand furniture) and basically do what we want. Sounds really cool actually. NOw, if only someone will pick us. The application process is a little daunting. We're competing against lots of other people and the owner and real estate agents get together and decide which applicant would be the best fit. Doesn't really matter how quickly you get your application in or anything. So I'm kinda worried about who would actually pick us. I mean we're shady 22 year old americans....
Oh well.
In other news, Ryan and I did go out last Friday to a bar called Eurotrash. The expedition was... interesting? It was the fourth of july, and ryan had decided that we would go out to celebrate. It became a comdey of errors when
a) ryan forgot her hat inside, making us a little rushed getting to the train station
b) she couldn't figure out the ticket maching, resulting in us missing the train and waiting 20 minutes
c) when we off the train in the city we realized we hadn't actually figured out where to go from there... (i blame ryan for this one too, but i guess it was equally my fault)
d) we wandered around melbourne for about 20 minutes in the reasonably cold night air
e) eventually we figured out where we were going and ended up waiting in line for about 20 minutes to get in.
f) oh, and cover was 15 bucks.. which apparently isn't unreasonable here in the land of oz
Once we were in though, it wasn't all bad. We each got a free glass of champagne and the place itself was really cool. It was on a bunch of different levels with different types of music and, sort of, "ambiences" as it were. I think if I hadn't already given up on the whole thing due to the missing train, getting lost, cold, expensive elements, I would have had a decent time. We'll have to go back again.
The rest of the weekend I was just tired so we didn't go out anywhere else.
Ryan has actually found a job. She is working nights, from 5 or 6 onwards, at a pizza restaurant around the corner from my uncle's house. Her hours basically make it so we never see each other except when she's not working. I go off to work well before she gets up, and she's out before I get back from work and whatever I do after work. Haha, so I guess this will keep us from getting sick of each other. She does have tomorrow off, so we'll go out somewhere and have a few drinks perhaps.
Anyway that's about all I got.
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