All hail to the great cosmos

Well... its happened again. Here is me.. not happy in my job.... and the great cosmos throws me another opportunity. Got head hunted yesterday. The role sounds very interesting, and would be a step up the career ladder. So i reckon im going to pursue it.

Big thanks to the guardian angel!

Seems i am lucky in this, that often the universe seems to just throw things at me from time to time, out of the blue. i think its done for a reason and so i take on the challenge and see where the winds of fate will send me.

Must mean i have a decent head on these shoulders. Im probably too hard on myself most of the time, work wise, and set higher expectations on me that i can ever achieve.. but hey, its a good way to be i think, always striving for perfection. (how very Borg of me)

anyway.... another wallpaper for Ollie today. throwing up my artworks for all and sundry is a scary experience.. but scary can be good sometimes.. lets us know we are alive.

Rang a mate in Germany yesterday. Schones Geburtstag Andreas! was chuffed that i managed a 20 Min conversation (approx) and only spoke a handful of english words. not bad for 8 weeks of learning german.. i dread to think how many errors i made but hey, he understood all.

Ollie Wallpaper

Bitter Tales

Time is fleeting, gently speeping,
Shadowed hearts lie broke and weeping,
And all the while the hopes we're keeping,
Are falsehoods, like the darkness creeping,

Our souls fill with sorrow seeping,
With all the bitter lies we're reaping,
And deep within the pain is sleeping,
To cry inside where no one's peeping.

written by the wolf.
circa 91

who'd have thought the wolf had a heart.

How hard can it be ?

Sigh

the hunt for a new pair of sneakers is on. The pair i bought in Hamburg, although they look great, are not ideal for a long walk. The soles are a little too thin and offer not must support or cushioning so by the end of the day my feet are sore.

So the hunt begins again to get another pair which i can wear when i have a lot of walking to do, and ill keep the Hamburg pair for fashion. haha

you would think out of the hundreds of styles presented to me in the multitudes of shoe shops, that i would find at least one pair that would catch my eye. (ok so it took searching every shop in Hamburg to find the pair i actually bought) have tried 4 shops so far... so maybe im being too hard on myself and the shops here.


working from home, trying desperately to fnish the new document my work has asked me to complete. making the old document that someone else wrote, fit the new template is fun.. but im getting there.

next week is sleaze ball in sydney. i have 2 friends who were on the promotional poster, and are in one of the shows. so a lot of my friends are hassling me to go. havent decided one way or the other yet... but i know i am easlisy convinced (coerced) so i guess ill probably end up going.

will have to make sure some interesting photos are taken .. purely for the blogs sake. lol

have discovered the delights of Tim Tam Balls. (no thats not when you dip your genitals into a pack of biscuits) will have to send some to a certain chocosau in Germany :P

is there light at the end of the tunnel?

home for a week today. holiday almost seems like a dream.

well after suffering 3 days from the worst jetlag ever.. i decided to fix it, by going out on the town.

and what a welcome home it was. went out on the saturday night to celebrate a mates birthday (happy birthday Kev.....im sure you got more than you wished for... and then some) anyway.. at one point on the dancefloor... i had 4 guys surrounding me, all trying to pick me up at the same time. ok that was a first. shame i wasnt in the mood. (sorry guys)

work is totally doing my head in already. with a new template and total adherence to a system i do not know, and no offer or hope of training in the system, im pulling my hair out in frustration. however, im not going to let it get the better of me and will try to perservere.

if at worst, it gets too much, i think thats my sign that im working for the wrong company. oh they told me to go buy a book and read it to learn... but it still doesnt make any sense to me what so ever.

sigh.

both mum and my nieces birthday this weekend.. double present buying.. but i think i got the choices correct. sorry cant say yet in case they read this.

almost got a new laptop... came this close.. tee hee.

only 6 months unti lthe next holiday.....and counting.........

aint it the truth

The Wolf has landed

wow.

it all seems such a blur. one minute i was in london and now im here. it hasnt hit me that im home yet. i feel like im in a daze.

anyway. lucky to be here really. they told me at check in that the flight was oversold and would i like to take 400 pounds to go tomorrow. thats a lot of money for me but i didnt think on my kind of ticket it would be valid and i guess the girl didnt know i was AD75 anyway.. i feared off loading at the last minute... i held my breath as the boarding pass reader scanned. but i was on! got the last row of premium.. but ya knwo what, it had heaps of room and i was really comfortable. not once in the whole flight did i think i wasnt.

tried to watch Mr and Mrs smith... twice. missed the end both times......fell asleep. but did get to see the league of gentlemen the movie (albeit in 2 flight legs)

got a text from a mate in sydney....in Singapore... rang him and he offered to pick me up from the airport in sydney. this blew me away (thanks Paul..... that meant more than you'll ever know) he toldf me about this place at the airport where you can go have a shower. i went and tried it. (ok the opaque shower screens were a bit odd) but i felt totally human when i got back on the plane and felt wonderful on arrival here in sydney. so i recommend it to everyone going thru Singapore on a long haul. (even had this totally cute guy check me out.)

so.. just uploading some new pics to by briefcase of my last days in EU.

what happened in london.. well , met this brilliant mate, who i spent a little time with. he saved my bacon by letting me get changed at his place before i left for the airport (after checking out of hotel...hmm theres a funny story there but i wont go into it) and saved me from having to be in my travel clothes for 7 more hours than necessary. actually after the shower, i changed out of my business attire (coz i thought who in transit will know im AD75) and got back into the casuals which i had only worn for a couple of hours in london.

got to finally see the last 3 episodes of Dr Who, at my mates place. the final too... bloody brilliant!! (can you tell ive just come from UK.. using those words)


well.. go check out the photos in the yahoo briefcase... new german folder there. thanks to ollie.... i have been seeing "wallpaper" opportuities everywhere.... and ill prob become addicted to mobile phone wallpaper creation like him. (its art!)

not sure what to do with the blog now im back.. but i have gotten into the habit so ill prob use it to note special events.. thougts of the day.. funny things ive come across.. to keep those mates i made in europe, updated to whats happening to me in my life... until i can get back to europe.

pop quiz

Guess who is Evil (boeser)
Guess who is Bored (gebohrt)
Guess who is Sleepy (schläfrig)

hey...where is GO and how do i collect £200 ?

**

well.. still managing a lot of walking. feel like i have been around the monopoly board a hundred times.. still havent found where to collect that £200 but still hopeful ill land on free parking at some stage.

british weather is shiteful as usual. its supposed to be summer here and its so rainy and overcast.

keep meaning to go to the movies here.... but havent actually walked past a cinema yet.

had a choice last night, of going out to the bars and clubs on my own.... but looked outside to the rain and lightening, and decided that a nice restful night would be a better idea. ive done so much on this holiday and walked so much that i prob deserved a rest. besides.. who wants to pay 60 aussie dollars just to go to a club?

dreamt in german last night..... that was a interesting experience.

well... tomorrow is my last day here....trying to figure out what to do after i check out of the hotel.. do i want to wander aroudn for 7 hours in my business clothes or get changed in the hotel toilets at the last minute.. but then the shirt would be creased to buggery from being in my bag so thinking i might have to just dress up for the day.

taking some pics but cant post them up here until im home is sydney.

will be totally wrecked when i land in sydney.... not looking forward to the long flight but hopfully i will sleep most of the way. trying hard not to spend too much money.. its soooooooooooo expensive here. have survived on mcdonalds....subway.... and sandwich/bagels. if i eat any more bread im going to explode.

love to all

the story so far..............

well, left amsterdam with a heavy heart. knowing it was the last visit this trip made me realise how close to the end of the trip i actually am.

got on the train..... and this man with 2 girls and a dog came into the compartment. i thought they had reserved the place and i had taken their seat, until he said police, and proceeded to let the dog have a sniff around. wow.. i had no idea they were going to do that. then at Rheine, the police came on again to check passports. again, a first for me.

got back to hamburg and walked to the apartment.... god, it so felt like coming home... no longer does Hamburg feel like a new or foreign city. had a wundershcone evening with Andreas and Henning....trying to arrange the plan for the next day.

unfortunately my other friedn andreas couldnt make it to say goodbye due to work committments.... shade.
but my last full day in H-burg was prob one of the best ive had there. we went down to langesbrucke and ate fischbrotchen and then took a ferry down to the elbe strand. the hamburg version of a beach... and drank beers (i think im beginning to like this beer stuff)

then in the late afternoon, we packed a picnic dinner and went to sit down by the Alster Lake, and had a BBQ, with more beer, and a smoke or two. there were dragon boat races on the lake, so you could hear the drums beating into the warm night air....it was a cross between being in the midst of a jungle, and laying on some french riveria.

i couldnt help but think... kann du die Trommeln hören Fernando

next morning (very very fruh) we must leave for the airport. Ollie came too. which meant the world to me. as we sat there, drinking a coffee before i had to go thru immigration, i got all teary, looking at the friends i had made on the other side of the world, who came to the airport to see me off. es freut mich so sehr, das hast passiet. danke mein freunds (nicht Freunds....freunds)

thansk to everyone in germany who really made my stay so nice. i made some wonderful new friends this trip..... some i hope to see in australia one day.. but already have planned to go back to hamburg in May. this time ill take someone with me i think.. for the itmes my friends are all busy

anyway.. the flight to london passed without incident..... hmm.. sorry folks no amusing annecdote for that. does it count that i kept speaking german to the flight attendants, forgetting i was now on an english airline.

arrived in london and i am sooooooooooooooo shocked at the price of everything. i spent nearly AUD80 just getting from the airport to the hotel. and can you bel;iev, last night i paid AUD14.30 for a packet of ciggarettes.

the hotel room is huge.. i mean really huge. esp after the tiny gaol cells of germany. i even have a huge desk with a fax. and typically..... they gave me a non smoking room.... why is it that this ALWAYS happens to me, even when i made the reservation for a smoking room. but bugger it, att he price im paying for the room, ill do what i god damn please.. (hahaha he says now, after spending the night sneaking into the toilets and holding the ciggarette next to the extractor fan, like a naughty school boy) punishment anyone. dust?.....anyone?.....dust?......no?......dust?

walked around last night in the city getting totally lost, and experiencingthe total confusion that i had in my first week of hamburg. not knowing which wayto look crossing the streets.. and having many near misses with fellow pedestrians. having gotten so used to walking to the right of people on the streets in germany... i have to reaccliamatise to walking to the left again. its something we never think about...... but its like the cars on the road.... we drive on the left so when you walk towards someone more often than not you walk to the left of them to pass. in europe they walk to the right. funny little world isnt it.

anyway, got totally lost last night and didint really manage to find anything of any importance. saw some nice lads tho. whilst the german men on the whole are so yummy.... the brittish "lads" are a bit of aw-roight!

notices a very heavy police presense everywhere... and hearing sirens and the like all the time. london has a different feel to it at the moment to the last visits.

today catching up with a friend.... which i am sure will keep me amused. trying hard to find presants for the family but i really cant find anything worthy...and i dont want to buy crap.

anyway.. check you all soon.....

the countdown begins again

well.... im on the home stretch. only 7 days to go.

have zapped back to amsterdam to escort jon back to work. almost didnt make it. the train out of Hamburg left very late. luckily they held the train in Osnabruck where where had to change, but we got on at the wrong end of the train, and the train was to split in half at the next station. so we had to walk through 9 packed 2nd class carragies, with our bags, just to get to the right section of the train. not fun. but amusing to look back upon.

am in amsterdam for today and leave in the morning back to hamburg. where i will only have 1 full day and then leave for london on friday morning.

its had to believe that 5 weeks has passed already. im just starting to unwind and relax. have mixed feelings about coming home. whilst im missing sydney, and to be in my own bed, by the sounds of things, work is going to be interesting (trying not to think about that at all) and have a few things to sort out when i get back.

lets just hope british airways have sorted themselves out by the time im ready to fly home or ill have some very amusing blog entries to regale.

highlight of the trip. hmm, dont really have one as its been all good. i guess improving my german has been the most valuable part. when germans tell you your german is good, then you have achieved something. although i think the next part si to get over the nervousness about making a mistake... and getting the tenses right. ive given up on the der die das, its will just come with time on its own. but at least my verbs are going in the right places now.

aber ich habe ein shones urlaub im deutchland gehapt. war (ist) so nett und komish. der manne da bist so schone, und ich liebe die kaffee und kuchen uhr. aber ich kann nicht mehr spiegeleir essen. ich bin voll (werklich voll) von spiegeleir gegessen (sorry no umlauts and bad spelling i think)

not looking forward to that long flight but its amazing what a glass of red and a sleeping tablet will do. usualy im asleep for 80% of the flight home so it passes pretty quick. thank god i decided to go via singaopre on the way home. its 1.5 hours quicker and the smoking rooms at singapore airport are great.....compared to the hell holes they provide at bangkok.

well.... off to enjoy the rest of the final day in amsterdam for this trip. gosh, i need a holiday t recover from the holiday

wow !!!!

**

last night we went to the alsterparty. its a city party inthe heart of Hamburg... and everyone gathers around the lake in the middle of the city and they have a huge fireworks display go off in the lake.

have to sadly admit to Andreas that this is the best display i have ever seen...yes even better than sydney.. schisse!!

but well....it was. then i drank 4 beers in the street...street party you know... and can you imagine me drinking beer.

then on the walk home.. i actually had to go intot he bushes for a pee. its ok here though everyone pisses everywhere.. its normal... so im told.. so i joined the germans intheir favorite sport... seemingly.


tonight i think we go again to the party as its all weekend. will try to contain my bladder this time tho.

will try to take a few pics of the fireworks.. if i can manage it.

hard to believe that i only have 1.5 weeks to go. got an email that has advised me that theres many movements happening at work with people leaving left right and centre. so hoping all is ok with my job when i get back.

Did i get a tan

Deutchneyland

yesterday we went to the german version of disneyland. it was called Heide Park, and was a lot of fun.

Jon had to work so it was just Andreas and Henning, and 2 friends of theirs from Bremen, ( Andre and Nils)

was a perfect day weatherwise. 30 degrees, no clouds and no wind. i think i even got a bit of a tan.

everyone wanted to keep going onthe rollercoasters whch isnt really my thing, but i did manage to go on some of the rides.

i have discovers, as i had suspected and feared for some time now, that i seem to have inherited my fathers middle ear imbalance, and whilst when i was young i had no probs on rides, in fact i loved them, now as im older, i dont seem to handle the velocity too well.. but still, had heaps of fun.

we were all exhausted by the time we got home by the end of the day. had dinner at andreas' watching finding nemo in german. so funny to hear.

Dan-Burg

our first day in Hamburg...well Jons... we walked around the new part of hamburg. did you know, hamburg has more bridges than amsterdam and venice combined. wow.



hey, finally found a pair of shoes!! after looking in every shoe store in Hamburg.

then spent the evening at Andreas' watching Cath and Kim.