voyeurs are us

Well, we have just discovered that the womon in the apartment opposite our office block liked to do her housework and cooking in the nude. 2 entire floors of office workers in our building have just rushed to the windows to check her out.

the poor girl is oblivious to this as our office windows are tinted.


well with xmas finaly out of the way... spent the morning having smoked salmon and champagne with Mum and the Family, and the afternoon getting totally trashed at friends for xmas afternoon drinks.

New Years Eve will be spent watching the fireworks from the 40th floor of an appartment in Circular Quay, overlooking the Harbour. this will be the first time i have been anywhere near that area on NYE. then back to Newtown to celebrate the night away. lord knows what ill do for recovery yet.


had a great conversation with germany the other day (not the whole country, just one person.....Bert) he reminded me of how the building i had done some work on was going and i got suddenly very home-away-from-home-sick. funny how little things i did when i was there, will be there to stay. i still cant get over the experience i had in Germany.... cant wait to get back there !

a little christmas message

unconscious mutterings

1. Terrify :: bravery


2. Month ::ly


3. Throat :: deep


4. Invasion :: of the body snatchers


5. Nail :: biting


6. 12 :: days of christmas


7. Bicker :: unresolved issues


8. Thomas ::edison (no idea why that sprung to mind)


9. Sibling :: love/hate


10. Delude :: thy self

Happy Holidays!!

really really bad jokes

Did you hear about the peanut in the hospital?
He was assaulted.

Two atoms are talking:
"Help, somebody has stolen one of my electrons!"
"Are you sure?"
"Yes, I'm positive!"

How does a man on a moon get his haircut?
Eclipse it.


There was a man who entered a local paper's pun contest. He sent in ten different puns, hoping that at least one of the puns would win. Unfortunately, no pun in ten did.


A man is a bus driver on Sesame Street and insists on meeting all of his riders. At the first stop, two overweight women got on the bus; both are named Patty. At the next stop, a mentally challenged boy named Ross got on. At the final stop, a disgusting man named Lester Freeze got on, took off his shoes, and picked at his bunions.

When the bus driver got home, his wife asked him if he met anyone new that day. He said, "Two obese Patties, special Ross; Lester Freeze picks his bunions on a Sesame Street bus."

bad jokes of the day

Q/ Why does a chicken coop have only two doors?
A/ If it had four, it would be a chicken sedan.


Why did the baker rob the bank?
He needed the dough.

What did the duck say when she bought some lipstick?
Put it on my bill.


Why didn't the grizzly wear any shoes?
He wanted to go bear foot.

todays song

dedicated to someone who seems to have disappeared

unconscious mutterings

1. Hardball :: sometimes ya just gotta play it that way


2. Sleepless :: in sydney, thinking of you


3. Graduation :: onto the next phase


4. Presents :: i like them! but it is better to give than receive. which goes for a lot of things really


5. Toe :: sucker


6. Lotion :: better motion


7. Snicker :: the answers to this weeks mutterings


8. Eve :: of destruction


9. Investment :: in time


10. Pain :: no gain (or fun) without it

bad joke of the day

These two blondes walk into a building
Ya think one of them would have seen it!!


Have you heard about those new cordoroy pillows?? They are really making headlines!

can i sleep now ?

all this christmas mayhem and travelling..... i so cant wait for christmas day .. just so i can actually get some sleep.. except i cant since ill probably have to go to mums for traditional champagne and smoked salmon breakfast. but all that booze, im sure ill be asleep before lunch... excpet im sure there will be some gathering of friends ill not want to miss out on. no rest for the wicked !! but god this time of year gets you so busy and frantic, you need the 2 public holidays to just rest!

saw the new james bond the other day. WOW, the fight scenes are amazing,hes definately a new millenium bond.. very aggressive.. yet soft and snaggy. but do have to admit.. was all agog with anticipation of a good perve and was so disappointed. dont see what all the fuss was about. ok so hes got nice eyes and a great butt and thighs, but didnt think he was worth all the hype the girls in the office have been creating. (FYI we have a "shrine" to him being built, with pics and posters being stuck to a column... lord help me)

quick trip to brisbane yesterday. was a bit weird syaing goodbye to marius in the morning as i go off to work.. and then saying hello to him when i got home at 6pm normal time, but id been all day in another city. such is the life of a jetsetting trainer i guess. amazingly the flights went wihtout a hitch, despite being a little late into Brisbane due air traffic buildup.

weather here sure is crap.. was hot and sweltery yesterday and today is cold and rainy.. are we in melbourne or sydney? im amazed i havent come down with a cold with all this temperature changes between cities and all the travel im doing.

the grand packing of the house begins this weekend.. so have to go find some boxes !

unconscious mutterings

1. Research :: All part of the job


2. Chuck :: vomit or norris.... hmm or both


3. Insert :: tab A into slot B


4. Bang :: Gang???


5. Lousy :: Lay


6. Rehearsal :: Practise makes perfect


7. Critics :: opportunity


8. Memory ::of a goldfish ..what was i doing?


9. Squid :: ink


10. Remove :: clothes

curse free but fear of flying

Hey, whaddya know.. the rest of the week has been curse free.

the training course was one of the best classes i had taught. the participants really got engaged and was actually fun for me to teach.

on the weekend, we hired a car, and Marius got to drive for the first time on the other side of the road. he did amazingly well considering it was his first time sitting onthe other side of the car. no incidents or accidents at all... ok he did cross to the wrong side of the road just once when he turned right and went to leave from the right side of the road, but no other cars around so lucky us.

took some photos which i have to wait until i get home to upload to my flickr

been doing floorwalking for the team that just cut over to the new system yesterday and today.. been pretty smooth and no tantrums as yet.

have to fly back to sydney tonight.. kinda nervous about whats going to go wrong tonight.. last time i flew from here was a terrible thunderstorm, and got thrown about a bit.. lets hope tonight goes just a tad smoother than my recent flights have.

already checked in.. this online check in is fantastic.. .i already got seats in the 3rd row.. wow! and finally marius gets a window seat so he can see the coast as we fly.. ok so its gonna be dark but we can pretend.

this has been a pretty good trip but looking forward to getting home.. have so much to do.. have to pack up the house.. ugh..

i think i have found somewhere to live.. going to go check it out on thursday...and then have 2 weeks to pack it all up, find a storage place and store most stuff and the rest take to the new house.. thats if i like it.. but its only for 4 months so unless its like totally unlivable, i cant see why i would say no.... but havent met the flatmate yet.. and dont know how he is to live with. time will tell.

The Curse Continues

just when you thought it was safe......... this morning, circa 6am, the hotel fire alarm goes off... waking me from my restful slumber.

the loud booming "voice of god??" tells us the fire alarm has gone off and that we need to standby for further info while they investigate.

isnt he god? doesnt he already know all?

anyway40 suspenseful minutes later.. which i occupied my time with smelling the god awful stench coming thru the air conditioning vents, and sticking my head out into the cool fresh morning air on the balcony, we are informed by the disembodied voice coming from the speakers right over the bed, that there is no fire and that the smoke seen in the building is coming from a car next to the building.... must have been one big car!! since its almost 7 theres no point going back to bed so my day has started with a bang.

its raining here today by the way.

god i love travelling.. you really have to laugh at all the adventures that life throws at you. cant wait to find out what happens next!!

this is better than bold and the beautiful

i really am cursed

is it my lot to ever be cursed with the travel demon???

today was a typical travel day for me. got up at 5am, and was soooooo good at getting ready and out the door on time. cab arrived about 2 mins after i called it.... all was going to plan.. we were underway at 5.45 and so totally going to be ontime for that 7.05 flight
until marius asked.. what tim eis our flight as his itinerary showed 06.05 am.. no thats impossible.. we are booked at 7.05 only that we werent, we were booked at 6am FRAG!!!!

so needless to say... we were totally going to miss it... ow i was booked at 0605 and not 0705 im not sure. having worked for the travel industry for so long, you tend not to lok at documents all that carefully because you just know.

got to airport.. and played nice with the sales desk and managed to get shifted on to the correct flight at 0705 (which is what we should have been booked on.

then sit on the aircraft for ages, the instruments have a mecanical problem.. and we are delayed an hour. im ready to cry. then the captain says the local time in brisbane.. which of course was totally wrong but i just couldnt figugure out was he wrong or right so totally in a panic about getting to my class ontime. turns out we had plenty of time to spare.. got to the office with 30 mins spae.. only to find out.... whilst we had booked a data projector.. there were none in there.. someone had just taken it.. so i had to run around trying to find a spare one in the building. then no one could tell me which room i had been assigned... finally got to class at 10am.. right when we were supposed to start.

no one can say my life is dull.. its always exciting and well.. this is part of the challenge

Bad Joke

well, after not a lot of sleep last night.. im in need of some levity


Did you hear about the 2 ships that collided at sea? one boat was carrying blue paint and the other was carrying red paint. The sailors ended up being marooned. (groan!!)

whats this? stress?

day one of Marius in town.. its neat having him here, and getting to show him sydney. god we walked until our legs were ready to fall off. started at circular quay, walked arudn the opera house, thru the botanical gardens, past domain, thru hyde park, up to taylor square, back down to city, round the city and then to st james staion to go home to have a nanna nap. was bloody freezing but nice to be outside and in the very fresh air.

havin a little stress about the living situation. kinda got no idea what the fuck im going to do. have to pack the house up and be out by 1st week in jan. have to find somewhere to live.. its not looking good to find a flat on my own as 1/ only need it for 3 to 3 and a half months.. and 2/ really cant afford the bond this month.. what with all my going away with work and having to use my own money until expenses come in at the end of the month. this plus the fact im away half the month with work and all those public holidays in between... eek

its looking more and more like i am going to have to bite the bullet and go stay at mums tiny flat with her over in randwick.. so goodbye social life and hello headaches getting to work. kinda stressing about how im going to get it all done and how im going to afford everyting, plus moving everything when i dont have a drivers licence.. so movers.. additional cost.. plus having to rent a storage place for all my furniture.. additional cost.. its just seeming so impossible..

but ya know. i refuse to let this get the better of me and ill just find a way. if i can survive 5 friggin months in non english speaking countries, and being around the globe on my own, then i can survive this. im staying hopeful and trying to push that stressy little worry out of my head.

friends blog reminded me of an old song.. and then heard this today.. kinda enjoying the new remix of it. seemed very apt for whats going thru my head at moment.

unconscious mutterings

1. Hello :: Moto
2. Flinstone :: WILLLLMAAAA!
3. Corn ::on the cob
4. Interview :: with a vampire
5. Deviant :: Me !!
6. Concept :: Theory
7. Bridge :: over troubled waters
8. Karen :: Carpenter (mama cass really should have given her that sandwich)
9. Encounter :: Chance
10. Biological :: Warfare

sunday morning motivation

a night of firsts

the work xmas party was an interesting one. 1100 staff members crammed into coogee bay palace...stinking hot day, stinking hot venue.. but interesting sights to be seen. stayed until 10.30 and then got over the corp xmas hell. went to meet a mate and went with a group of people ot the rocky horror picture show at the movies... first time i have ever done that... was a lot of fun, even if the "actors" doing the live performance didnt really seem to know the lines all that well, but they knew the audience participation bit.

god i cant beleiev they actually got us all up the front of the cinema to dance along to the "time warp" my god.. once you get over the embarassment and the sudden flashbacks to all those weddings and birthday parties when you were 18, it was quite hysterical. of course Brian and i got picked to be the extra props for when brad and janet are turned into statues.. we had to stand at the front of the cinema in the statue poses while the real ..erm, 'actors" got into their cabaret costumes. (luckily i got to play brad)

ended up getting home at about 3.30 after a quick drink after the movie.. only to discover.. 2 possums clinging to the telegraph pole at head height, outside my house.. wow.. theres a sight you dont see every day. took a pic with my phone whihc i will try to get on here.. kinda freaky.

marius arrives tonight.. looking forward to having him in sydney and showing him australia... shame today is a thunderstorm in sydney.. how typical. but at least i get to spend the next 3 weeks talking german at home, which will be nice

Heatwave !

Oh my god, its hit 39 Degrees C out in Richmond today.

No wonder i got on the train this morning and it was like i was standing under a shower. That lone bead of sweat that drips down my back had obviously rung all his friends and there was a veritable slip and slide party happening all over my body. (not always a bad thing) but by the time i changed trains at Central, my business shirt was soaked... not a good look.

Relieving Boredom in the office

The things we do in the office.

oh god - i guess someone had to come up with this

for lack of anything special to say today.. heres a laugh



and this one is for Paulo !!!!





Und ich vermiss dich Deutchland (god this made me feel a bit homesick - even tho im not German)

Views from my Hotel Balcony in Brisbane

this trip was cursed

got out of training, 35 mins late... course ran overtime.. and walked into the muggiest weather.. i could sense in me waters there was a storm a brewin.

standing at brisbane central railway waiting for the train... it was so hot and muggy sweat was just dripping off me like every pore had its own tap, and all of them were turned on full bore.

got to the airport, watching the ominous black clouds, heavy and pendulous, slowly covering the sky, creating this weird early darkness... or maybe it was just the daylight savings or lack there of.

anyway.. in queue to drop my bags off.. and they call my flight to come forward... made it with just 5 mins to spare... and dropped off the bags.

got up to the gate... boarding in 5 mins.. only to be told via this great voice rfom beyond.. our boarding is delayed by 5 mins.... and then 5 mins later, to be told that there is a storm overhead (there is? ) and that the airport is closing down and no flights will go in or out until the storm has passed.

then the storm begins and rain and lightening can be seen out the panoramic windows.

all of the sudden, all the airport terminal lights go out (like are they dimming the lights for some unfelt takeoff or landing??? ) giving us a wonderful view of the great disco going on in the sky (all those strobes!!!)

time marches on.. and im starting to get worried.. with the time difference in sydney, we have about an hour before it will be too late to leave brisbane as the sydney airport will be closed. thankfully after 40 mins of waiting... all of a sudden we are boarding. THANK GOD! i didnt relish the though of having to traipse back into town with my bags.. to find accommodation and spend another torturous journey to and from the airport in this heat.

the coupel next to me are an asian couple, and the guy is constantly spitting into the sick bag.. YUCK!

anyway.. about 15 mins after take off we start hitting the roughest turbulence ive been thru in about 30 years of flying. the plane is shaking and dropping.. the poor asian guy next to me is petrified. every air disaster scene i have ever scene flashes before my eyes... as i recall how the occupants of the impending crash are thrown around just like we are now. i try to remain calm..as i know its only the weather.

the guy next to me starts asking me if this is normal.. and tells me hes really scared... so i start to calm him down.. trying to sound confident and cheerful and try to keep a smile as the plane bucks about and drops lord knows how many feet. he keeps talking t me and i explain how much ive flown and how the planes are designed for it and how the pilot can see the rough weather of the radar and will aim for the safest route.. i deserve an academy award for my performance of calmness and comforting.

for the rest fo the bumpy flight, he continues to talk to me, and how scared he is and im doing all the comforting.. i feel sorry for the girlfriend who must aslo be a bit nervous and hes totally ignoring her in order to calm himself via me.

thank god we land.. thats all i can say.

got in 90 mins late.. im sure im cursed for flights at the moment.. this whole trip seems a bit behind the 8 balls from the word go.. cant wait to see how the next one goes.

couldnt help myself

this is for.... well you know who you are.

"Angels Brought Me Here"

[Verse 1]
It's been a long and winding journey,
but i'm finally here tonight
Picking up the pieces, and walking back into the light
Into the sunset of your glory,
where my heart and future lies
There's nothing like that feeling,
when i look into your eyes...

[Bridge]
My dreams came true,
when i found you
I found you, my miracle...

[Chorus]
If you could see, what i see,
that you're the answer to my prayers
And if you could feel, the tenderness i feel
You would know, it would be clear,
that angels brought me here...

[Verse 2]
Standing here before you,
feels like i've been born again
Every breath is your love,
every heartbeat speaks your name...

[Bridge 2]
My dreams came true,
right here in front of you
My miracle...




excuse me while i just go throw up in the bushes....

Thoughts of the day

Man cannot discover new oceans until he has the courage to lose sight of the shore.


Everyone has talent. What is rare is the courage to follow the talent to the dark place where it leads.


hmm.. deeeeeeep !

Unconscious Mutterings

1. Rhyme :: Reason
2. Substantial :: appetites
3. Instant :: gratification
4. Greed :: Lust
5. Brad :: Janet
6. Season :: to be jolly..fa la la la la (oh god!)
7. Accomplished ::Phew
8. Invite :: hope
9. Sparkle :: smiling eyes
10. Rainbow :: cant have them without the rain

Brisbane Wolf

oh man.... what a schlep! yesterday was the day from hell....murphys law really was in force and whatever could go wrong, did go wrong.

taxi was a little late and we hit traffic as we neared the airport, and i missed check in for my flight by 5 mins.... the first time in my life (after many many many years of flying) did i actually miss my flight. had to wait 30 mins for the next one, not so bad.
taxi queue at Brisbane Airport was monstrous.
got to the training office to pick up the data projector... at the time that i was due to start the course, but the place i was training was 3 large blocks away. luckily i had one of the students onside and has sms'd her to tell the others i was 10 mins late.
raced the 3 blocks, with luggage, laptop bag and data projector in tow.. got there, drenched with sweaty. brisbane was mega humid and was more like swimming than walking.

got to Level 10 of the building i was to train in... but no one was around to tell me which training room i had been assigned. since there was only 1 left spare, i assummed room 1 was mine.
the manuals we had delivered to the team leader over here were no where to be found...and neither was the team leader.

none on the computers for my trainees to use has log ins on them so no one knew how to access the computers. AHHH.. so had to spend precious time on phone to helpdesk.. who were no help. eventually we found a log in and extrapilated the rest of the log ins.

then i had 2 trainees do a no show.

by this stage i just wanted to cry.

training went ok.... although we were behind.

was so out of it with stress.... after ordering a black coffee from the shop downstairs, and having the guy hand it to me saying black coffee... it took me until the last sip to realise it actually had milk in it.

walking around at lunch was a treat... i keep forgetting how much eye candy there is in brisbane..so had a bit of a perve which kept me through the afternoon.. i have noticed the major difference between sydney and brisban epeople is that brisbane people will make eye contact in the street and sydney people dont. which when i first came up here kinda freaked me out.. b the end of the day i kept thinking...why is everyone looking at me..do i have something on my face?? until i realised we are just cold in sydney.

by the time i walked the 5 blocks to my hotel in the sweaty heat... i just wanted to hide in my hotel room, wishing someone would just hug me, and hold me and let me know the day was over, and i had survived. a little physical reassurance sometimes goes a long way. suffice to say even though i was beat, i couldnt sleep..in this huge king sized bed, prob too many things running around in the mind. again, would have been nice to fall asleep in a securing pair of arms, protected from the big bad world, that seemed against me that day. (my turn to protect next time eh?)

today however is just peachy keen and things seem to be going well. its bloody hot but that means even more perving material!!!

Woof with a capital "WO"

WOW! last night at Woof club at phoenix...... what a night. finally we are getting something here which resembles germany. and i tell ya, what a friendly crowd. (well prob all except for me.. for some reason wasnt much in the talking mood)

for the first time in my life, i actually had guys coming up to me all night trying to chat me up. yes i know.. but honestly it was the first time this happened all night.. usually im lucky if one guy will come up to talk. (and with me being shy, i usually dont go talking to others off my own bat) so it did wonders for the self esteem.

and wouldnt you know my luck... because i had to have a decent sleep and make sure i didnt overdo it so that i can fly to brisbane and train on monday, i couldnt follow up on any of it. yeah sure, i guess i could have played onsite, but thats not really my thing. but kudos to those who did. such is life when you have to keep one mind on your career, and being sensible and knowing you would regret having a bigger night come monday when youre in front of your class teaching a new course.

slept a whole big chunk of today, so that tomorrow when i have to leave at 5.30 am im not going to feel like a run over piece of road kill. shame im going to have to miss woff club 1st birthday next weekend, but somehow i cant picture Marius from Switzerland there, and i wouldnt dash off to go to an event on his first day in australia. (priorities!)

i think last night was exactly what the doctor ordered.

todays thoughts

heres a song that struck me today. seemed appropriate



But Don.... this is one for you mate. saw it and somehow you were the first person who sprang to mind.




and heck, i should not forget MB. heres one for you mate, bet you havent seen this version before. thought it appropriate tho

slip of the brain

in the cold splash of reality yesterday, totally forgot to add in.. i had my first language slip up yesterday. was giving directions to a work collegue, who is new to sydney, and when she finally understood where i was directing to, in my excitment i actually said "genau" in german rather than "exactly" in english.. totally out of the blue and totally surprised me. may not seem like much, but really thrilled me that in the heat of a moment, i would by mistake speak a language that isnt my mother tongue, especially when i worked so hard to learn german. so kinda made me a bit proud.

trying not to think too much on the unexpected revelations of last night.... not going to let the past get me down! so i looked at this, which always makes me smile.

too small a world

sometimes the world can be such a small place, and 6 degrees of seperation can be only 2 degrees. funny how an innocuous conversation can suddenly dredge up a score of forgotten feelings. feelings that run deep and can be so affecting. that you thought were dealt with and done, then they suddenly arise to slap you in the face. i guess life is one ever contuning learning curve.

loose ends

after all the madness of this week, im at a loss as to what to do tonight.... im kinda looking forward to hopping on the bike and doing an exploratory ride.... maybe cross a main road or two.. god im daring! (and god im deluded)


little puzzle for those out there in blog land.

how do you pronounce this word ghoughphtheightteeau ??

hint - if you can pronounce GHOTI you can pronounce this one

i shoudl prob offer a special prize to the person who gets it right first

for my mates across the tasman pond

since i have a few mates in NZ, i thought id tease them with this, which just landed on my desk

Kiwi to English Dukshuniry


Milburn - capital of Victoria
Peck - to fill a suitcase
Pissed aside - chemical which kills insects
Pigs - for hanging out washing with
Pump - to act as agent for prostitute
Pug - large animal with a curly tail
Nin tin dough - computer game Munner stroney - soup
Min - male of the species
Mess Kara - eye makeup
McKennock - person who fixes cars
Mere - Mayor
Leather - foam produced from soap
Lift - departed
Kiri Pecker - famous Australian businessman
Kittle crusps - potato chips
Ken's - Cairns
Jumbo - pet name for someone called Jim
Jungle Bills - Christmas carol
Inner me - enemy
Guess - vapour
Fush - marine creatures
Fitter cheney - type of pasta
Ever cardeau - avocado
Fear hear - blonde
Ear - mix of nitrogen and oxygen
Ear roebucks - exercise at the gym
Duffy cult - not easy
Amejen - visualise
Day old chuck - very young poultry
Bug hut - popular recording
Bun button - been bitten by insect
Beard - a place to sleep
Chully Bun - Esky
Sucks Peck - Half a dozen beers
Ear New Zulland - an extinct airline
Beers - large savage animals found in U.S. forests
Veerjun - mythical New Zealand maiden
One Doze - well known computer program
Brudge - structure spanning a stream
Sex - one less than sivven
Tin - one more than nine
Iggs Ecktly - Precisely
Earplane - large flying machine
Beggage Chucken - place to leave your suitcase at the "earport"
Sivven Sucks Sivven - large Boeing aircraft
Sivven Four Sivven - larger Boeing aircraft
Cuds - children Pits - domestic animals
Cuttin - baby cat
Munce - usually served on toast

unexpected surprises part 2

sometimes something can happen, that will snap you out of your cynical delusions that sydney people are so sterotypical (ok we prob are but you forget that not everyone was born and bred here) and that not everyone succums to sydney syndrome.

sometimes something can happen that feel like such a well needed breathe of fresh air, that it takes you quite by surprise.

sometimes something can happen that makes you run through moments over and over in your mind analysing.

sometimes you just wanna throttle someone for being so guarded but yet that in itself is the refreshing mystery in a city where so often all is on display and hurry up your 15 minutes expire soon.

sometimes you just wanna laugh, when you find out that others percive you ina certain way and are so nervous about you.. when youre going thru exactly the same thought processes.. its a wonder anyone can survive in this world of insecurities and nervousness.... although you should never ever let that stop you from doing anything.. just its amusing when it happens.

unexpected surprises

help - im melting! thank god for air conditioned offices.

today its 38 degrees in sydney, and a really dry wind thats making the city feel like one big giant fan forced oven (and heres me the roast chook on the rotissarie)

wasnt looking forward to the ordeal of travelling home on the metallic torture tube, but just when you think the future is looking grim, a nice little surpise can pop out of the blue and give you something to look forward to.

now if only i could invent a time machine to speed up the rest of the work day so i can get to the good stuff

Cruel and unusual torture

I wonder if Amnesty International have cottoned on to the inhumane methods that are being practised right here in Sydney, by none other than the salubrious state rail.

It occurred to me this morning, as we were all crammed into an already overfilled train, like a pack of battery commuters.

To top off the experience, it’s the muggiest day so far this year, and there’s no air-conditioning in the train. You know it’s hot when the train stops at a station and when the doors open, the temperature outside, that was previously thought to be hot, rushes in like cool breeze.

Then the real torture begins of the trains stopping in between the stations for what seems like forever, effectively trapping everyone in a (barely) standing room only sauna. As the oxygen is rapidly depleting, the only thing you can concentrate on to keep you going, is that one solitary bead of sweat that starts at the base of your neck and maliciously meanders its way down the entire length of your back, at an excruciatingly slow crawl, to finally disappear in the depths of your butt crack, only to be magically transported back to the top again, like a hyperactive kid at a water slide park, to repeat the process all over again. It’s reminiscent of some warped Chinese water torture method.

The train stops between stations for seemingly no reason, for what seems an eternity, then starts again, only to go so slowly that im sure a 90yo grandmother could walk faster.. forcing us all to be kept like hostages and endure this punishment for as long as they can draw it out.


If this was a prison, human rights groups would be up in arms about the conditions, and yet, we accept this, as its run by the state, and called a transport “service”. What amuses me is that we actually pay to undergo this torture (hmm mind you some people pay good money to be treated badly although I challenge anyone to find me someone who gets off on overcrowded overheated trains)

That bike is looking like a good alternative to get to and from work.

(as you can tell.. i didnt enjoy getting to work today)

unconscious mutterings

Thought id join the craze that seems to be sweeping the blog world

1. Teacher :: patience


2. Fifty :: ways to leave your lover


3. Crossword :: mental callestenics


4. Stuffed :: roast chook


5. Family :: friends


6. Purr :: me on a sofa with a nice pair of arms wrapped around me


7. Toad :: licker


8. Cocktail :: garnish without end


9. Insecurity :: first dates


10. Magical :: first kisses

Life can work in mysterious ways

Its funny how random collisions of chance can turn out (go chaos theory!!)
but then life is like that (a box of chocolates apparently)
sometimes all it takes is a little bravery and a little ingenuity. fortune favours the brave.

anyways... tonight is my Boys Bit of Beef night! $10 steaks at the rose in Erko. (great value for 400 gram steaks! and i think i know someone who will prob appreciate that - go the $4 pies)

going to need a beer tonight.. today in the team workshop i got given (lumbered?) with the ownership of the system user guide (yay me! NOT!)

just about to leave work now... not sure if i feel like a bike ride tonight but will give it a thought when i get home

on ya bike !

after getting home.. tired and sweaty, i literallyhad to force myself on the bike, but ended up riding for about 45 mins, back and forth, forth and back.. up and down all the back streets of Erko. having been years since i was on a bike, i wanted to stick to quieter realms so that i could get the feel of the bike and gain my balance again....

fuck me if i cant get the gears figured out.. i dont know which way im supposed to be setting them to go uphill. went up one steep one and nearly puckered out.. and god damn it if there were not 2 guys walking down the street att he same time, and there was just no way i was going to tucker out halfway with an audience.. which was kinda good since it spurred me on to push myself past the wall. reminds me of my days at martial arts class, where we would be doing group exercise, and there was no way you wanted to be the first one to give up and conk out.

managed to be brave and go across mitchell rd (main rd) although thank god a car came coz my wee bike didnt seem to be activating the trigger to make the lights green.

getting off the bike was an experience.. thighs and calves ached like they were made of lead.. felt a bit like a thunderbird (and NOT lady penelope!) i think im going to like riding, just i think it would be nicer to be able to ride with someone rather than scooting around on my own... but i guess we cant have everything in life now can we?

cant believe xmas is just around the corner. UGH. where has this year gone?? and where have all the flowers gone come to think of it? this time of year is both happy and sad..fun yet annoying... endless xmas carols from manically cheerful choirbots, but sparkly pretty things all around.. hopefully some presents for you.... the beauty of the jacaranda trees lining my street, raining lilac flowers, creating a carpet of mauve for you to walk to work on... except they fill up the front yard, and turn bown and create a never ending sweeping task. (well as i always say/think.. if you want the rainbows, you gotta put up with the rain.)

gonna be glad when the team is back in the office tomorrow. was bored brainless today being there on my own. got a cource design workshop tomorrow.. (all day - gack) but at least its one step closer to getting the course to bed and i can get out there and in front of my trainees (god bless em)

WOW - talk about BLOW ME AWAY

was speaking with Paulo, my cool program director (hahaha sounds like im a professional if i say that) last night... he pointed out that the podcast that i do the occaisional show for has finally made it to the front screen of itunes music store. WOW !

Way to go Kite FM

was totally blown away to find out that 11 thousand people downloaded our show in just 1 week. god, now im nervous about making the next show.

well home.. its a bit hot today.... itching to go out on the bike.. so might just have a rest and pause after work and then hit the tar.

once more into the warmth

well.. finally got back from freezing cold melbourne. just my luck to get there in time for a polar front moving in, whihc mad the wind icy cold.. you wouldnt think it was nearly summer.

ive come to the conculsion that Melbournians are totally in denial about their weather, because whenever you say MEL has crap weather, they are the first to defend it...and yet, amazingly everytime im down there.. the weather is crap. hmm.. although, the germans have a saying, wann engels reisen, der sonnescheint (when angels travel, the sun shines) so im guessing im no angel.. well .. with a nickname like boser wolf....is it any wonder?

have finally decided to buy a bike tomorrow.. and no.. sadly not a motor bike, just ya average push bike.. just to get around from A to B. i had no idea choosing a bike was such an arduous task.. or so varied in price. basically just wanted one to get around on and try to pump up the excercise levels before i get back into martial arts. having been a lazy pig over the past few months.. i really ned to get back into shape. BJJ (Brasilian JuJitsu) is still on offer at work.. and whats more to the point, sometimes the police protection services guys come down to use our gym to train, so i may end up sparring with one of them.. (lol like id last a second.. but think of the challenge) so really needing to get the endurance levels up. cycling, esp in this hilly city, seems a logical way to start. and then maybe work my way up to a nice motor bike once i get my head around having an equity morgage. (and you think im having problems deciding on a push bike.. wait til i start looking at motor versions... sporty or classic? )

well.. got one more week in sydney, and then off to brisvegas for a few days for work, then back to sydney for a week, before Marius arrives from Switzerland.. then dragging him to Bris for a week as work just told me i have to go up to train some teams on the new system.. and somehow in the middle there i have to make my way to Adelaide for a day and Perth for 2 days. sigh.. spreading my mayhem across the nation!

my life as a soundtrack

saw this on a guys blog (thanks muzbot) and thought id give it go

If your life were a soundtrack, what would the music be?
Here's how it works:Open your library (iTunes, winamp, media player, iPod).
Put it on shuffle.
Press play.
For every question, type the song that's playing.
New question - press the next button.!
Don't lie and try to pretend you're cool !


Opening Credits
I Feel Divine - SJ


Waking Up
Filthy/Gorgeous - Sissor Sisters


First Day of School
Prides Paranoia - Futureshock


Falling in Love
I like love - Solitaire (no shit this actually came up)


Breaking Up
Downtown (breakbeats mix)- Petula Clark
(god how embarrassing that i even have this, but proving im not cheating)


Prom
(is this the way to) Amarillo (summer party mix) - Hermes House Band
(ok getting really embarrassed now)


Life's Okay
This much is true - spandau ballet


Mental Breakdown
The Music in Me - Boogie Pimps
(well how else would i lose my plot completely than lose myself in music?)


Driving
Make Luv - Room 5


Flashback
Four to the Floor - starsailor
(oooh err!)


Getting Back Together
Listen to your heart - DHT
(oh dear i think im going to cry)


Wedding
Out with my baby - guy sebastian
(would anyone actually WANT to marry me knowing i have this song)


Birth of a Child
Billie Jean (white label remix) - Michael Jackson
(no shit this really was next - and how apt ... the kid is NOT my son!)


Final Battle
Push Up - Freestylers


Death Scene
Why did this happen to me - Simple Plan
(ok now this is getting freaky)


Funeral Song
Dont go - lizzy mack
(i laughed so hard coffee almost came out my nose)


End Credits
Days go by - Dirty Vegas



ok, the world now knows......
1/ what a total dag i am
2/ this is a movie no one would wanna ever see

ploddin along

god im exhausted. this week training just 1 person seems to be even more tiring than a whole class room full. i guess it means actually more talking, less pauses and full steam ahgead and i feel this poor woman is being bombarded by my voice..droning on and on. have eaten about a ton of training minties (if my shit aint white this week.. id be surprised..lol)

looking forward to the first of my travels (domestically) next week where i get to go spend 5 days in Melbourne (hope its warmer and sunnier than sydney coz the weather sure do suck right now... bloody had to catch a taxi to work to day because i left my umbrella at work and wasnt about to contuct training in a soaking wet suit. although maybe that would have been an interesting look.

bring on the weekend.. i need some fun and relaxation !!!!!!

The Race that stops the nation

Well, today is Melbourne cup day, this one 2 minute race down int he the city of melbourne that actually stops the whole country. people in offices and workplaces around australia actually stop work to watch this race. im sure none of us really know why, but its a good excuse to stop work, have a glass of champagne and have a bet on the hourses.

the people in melbourne even get a public holiday.. Sheesh. so typically has meant a very very quiet day at work.. so bored was i, that i decided to get creative and make a facinator out of a sheet of A4 paper and a mintie packet. Melbourne cup is as much about race fashions as it is about the horses..and so i got into the spirit. hopefully ill be able to get a pic of my creation on here at some stage.

Travelling Dan

Well, my first course has been successfully completed. had 9 trainees over 2 days.. and i LOVED it. had forgotten how muchi really enjoyed training, but also had forgotten how absolutely draining it is. by 4pm on day one i was so tired and my eyes were killing me. luckily there was only an hour to go, and by the time i got home that night, was exhausted.

day 2 of the course went a lot easier, and wasnt sooooooooo dead by the end of it. got really great feedback from the attendees. even had one girl tell me it was the best course she had ever done.. which is always nice to hear.

have to run the course again this week.. so ill be well practiced on this one.

next week i get to go to Melbourne for the week, where i will be the trainee, on a course, which i will then be able to train others. (seems i will do this a bit)
the following week i have to attend a training course on M/S outlook, so that i can then ontrain other users how to use it. (i know how to use outlook but its just getting the training methods for it in my head)

Then last week in Nov, i fly to Brisbane to train a course, then to Perth to train another course. First week in December i have a day in Adelaide to train, then a week in Brisbane. Talk about travelling.. just as well i love that challenge.

something very rewarding about being sent to a straneg city, havingt o survive on your own, rely on yourself, find your way, operate soley self sufficiently, represent your division, and interact with a group of strangers in a business sense... it reinforces how capable one can be and gives a sense of self satisfaction that i can overcome any obstacle on my own. i learned alot whilst i travelled in europe this year and how i have the confidence to know i dont need to worry about anything that can be thrown at me during my working travels.

think of all the freq flyer points coming my way ! Yahoo!!!

up up and away - AGAIN!

well.. what a busy schedule my work is turning into. got my November class schedule planned out today, and seems ill be away most of Nov.

2nd week im jetting down to melbourne to watch the courses being trained there, and then 2nd and half the 3rd weeks im sent to brisbane to train the courses i just watched.. EEEK.

of course, will be a bit lonely spending so much time alone in hotels but have a few friends in melbourne and brisbane so hopefully wont be too bad.

amazing video

http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=716850454

new pics

yeah yeah i know.. i promised to take some pics when i got home to sydney, so finally posted some up to my online photos..

day 2 finished at work.... found out more of what i am going to be doing and need to do.. sheesh! talk about time pressures and lots and lots of work.. just as well i like a challenge.. but not stressing, can only do one thing at a time so not going to let the seeming mountain ahead of me look too daunting at first... i know that i can do it iuf i take one thing at a time.


found out the company in Germany that has become a partner is called DER Business Travel, aparently its huge.

New Dan Radio Podcast is out !

forgot to mention,

The New Kite FM Bondi Beach is out. Coolest international radio podcast on the planet.

you can either download it via itunes podcasts (look for Kite FM)

or you can hear it direct from the website http://starzone.podspot.de

cool music, cool sounds, cool DJ (but im biased...hahaha)

Day One - Thats a wrap!

Well.. end of my first day back at work... after 6 months break.. talk about a killer.. welcome back to madness and mayhem.

spent 2/3 of the day in induction training, which was great, and the last 1/3 was spent frantically trying to quote for timings on my first training assignment, on the 1st of Nov, which is to train a group of newbies on 3 different systems in 2 days..and had basically to dictate my lesson plan on the spot, including what subjects at what timings through the day... no time to think about it, just off the cuff.. man, talk about diving in head first. managed to get 20 mins break throughout the day.. so should be grateful i got that on day one.

luckily boss lady took the team out to dinner to celebrate my first day, and went to Tepenyaki.. the japanese food where they throw the food at you.. caught the raw egg, but 3 of the other girls ended up with egg all over them.... hysterical

getting up early this morning was a real killer.. forgot how bad peak hour trains were in sydney.. thankfully wasnt too hot.

learned some great news today, that Flight Centre have just bought a company in Germany... looks like i found my career path... they are bound to need someone of my talents there at some stage in the future.. so have a long term career goal to get to germany with this company. YAY!
we call this a brightness of future!

2 more days to the weekend.. and counting.

Lucky Stars

Well.. i know its been a while since i wrote, but the daze of being back in sydney is finally lifting and reality is settling back in nicely.

gosh, when i landed in sydney, who should also be landing at the apirport but a friend of mine, Simon...made the whole airport experience warm and friendly. The flight back from San Fran was actually one of the better flights ive had for a while. probably more to do with the fact for the first time in a while i wasnt flying alone and had someone to talk to.

arriving at my house that first day was really weird. didnt know what to do with myself. so much to do, where to start. there was a huge pile of unopened mail..... majority of which even 3 weeks later remains unopened. bills bills bills, most already paid before i got back.

ended up spending the morning bouncing around the house like a pinball, from one task to the next, vaccummed, mopped the floor, dusted, started the labourious task of clothes washing, which ended up taking 4 days and 6-7 loads.

had to stay hidden for 5 days, until the friday, so that i could turn up at mums on the friday night and suprise her and one of my neices for their birthdays... was indeed a big surprise.


Had stated from the start that i wasnt going to start worrying about work for the first week and give myself time to settle back to australian life. the first couple of days were so surreal. wandering streets that were so familiar and yet strange to be walking down again. noticing little changes here and there...new shops, new signs....an increase in train fares (and the rail system is still as useless as ever but they have the nerve to charge more for it now).

i ended up stretching the not looking for work into 2 weeks... by the 3rd week i thought, hmm i had better start actually looking.... put together all my CV and created an online work profile in one of the australian job finder sites, and late in the afternoon sent my CV to 2 recruitment agencies. The next morning (thurs) one of them called and arranged to see me on the friday morning. by monday morning i had an interview, and by tuesday afternoon i had the job.
so in reality it took me 3 days to find a job.

and what a job....my dream job actually. Im now a Technology Trainer (something ive been wanting to do for years) working (hahahaha wait for it...) for my old employer.
never thought i would go back but this is a dream job, and working with people that i enjoyed working with, and no ties to the old boss who caused so much stress and heartache last time i worked there. (cant wait to see his face when he finds out)
The salary is not as great as my last one, but is actually the same level that i was at prior to my last 12 months there, and i know the increase was due to my having intellectual property and they couldnt afford to lose me at that time.


The job entails lots of travel around australia and across to New Zealand. another thing i always wanted in a job was lots of travel, and i actually enjoy business trips, going to different cities, staying in hotels, exploring new streets and taking on the challenge of working alone in a city away from home, and dealing with new staff and offices. weird i know but i actually enjoy that...or rather, the challenge of that.

whats been happening with my photos? well, for several days now i thought i had lost my camera.....and a couple of sleepless nights later, stressing over where it couldbe... i found it last night, in a jacket pocket i dont remember wearing. oh well... its back, so i can commence my photo essay on Sydney, which will probably turn into Australia and NZ by the looks of things.

seems my guardian angels have been working ovetime for me over the last six months.... must have a lot saved up in the karma bank. good out, good in ...so i say.

only in san francisco

well...... adventures aplenty to be had here.

i find the locals really friendly.. we have even had people just say hello as we walk past them in a park (2 guys playing baseball for example) we are often approached in the street by people offering assistance in us finding our way. its a very tourist friendly city.

got approached in Union Squaqre to be interviewed on tv for a food channel.. so not only have i been on internaqtional radio this trip, but also now on tv.

went to buy some beer at the local 7-11 and i got asked for ID. can you believe it? i actually got carded... when i said i was 36 she said i didnt look it, so ill take that as a compliment. but god that was funny.

spent a day wandering around the castro area, shopping for new clothes etc.. i really have to stop buying clothes now.

but managed to get acouple of paiurs of jeans, a handful of tshirts, a pair of CAT boots and a new pair of sneakers. thinsg are pretty cheap here.

weather has been a bit sketchy.. mornings are cold, and foggy.. the days are usually warm enough to wear a tshirt.. except for yesterday when i decided to wear shorts and a tshirt it turned bitterly cold at 3pm, and i was caught in the middle of the city freezing my ass off.

hard to believe the trip is coming to a close. the past 5 monts have been magic but im almost ready to be home again. its going to be so strange to arrive in my house...everything will look familiar and yet so strange. not looking forward to the hours of housework that must be awaiting me. i left in such a rush i dont even remember the state of my house anymore.

USA USA USA

well.. Washington was great. very very hot...
Day one there was memorial day.. we meandered from memorial to memorial, taking lots of pics.
the spy museum was fun, very interesting and informative. found the info on the cold war of particular instrest.

you also had to opportunity to learn a cover to keep the entire time you are there.. you get 5 mins to memorise your cover, then you go watch a movie on something else, then you approach a computer which mimics the immigration officer asking questions. i was John Campbell, im 32 clothing salesman who lives in USA. i was born in mandeville Jamaica and headed for budapest for 14 days on business.. man i can still remember it days later. anyway.. once you pass that (i ansered all questions right) they give you another mission and then at the end of the museum theres another computer test and i got that right too. hmm perhaps career opportunity. hahaha



started chatting to the flights attendant on the washington to chicago flight, John.. who was really nice.. and he upgraded me to first class. (i was stunned) had to sit in economy for the chicago to san fran flight... man that was a long flight..seemed never ending.. even though it was only 4 hours.

San fran is really nice. the people here are so incredibly friendly.. we have had people ask us if we need help finding things, have had guys just say hi as we walk past.

tried to go out for dinner 2 nights ago.. only to discover that the kitchens start closing around 9.30 here.. weird. so we went fdor a wander to Castro...had not yet even stepped foot in the street and already i had a guy offering me 20 bucks to see my cock. (aparently he was having a bet with his friends about seeing a guys cock by the end of the night) i said no.

yesterday we went to the marina area.. very pretty.. saw the palace of fine arts and walked all the way back to the wharf.. i was exhausted.

last night we went to alcatraz... the night tour was great.. very cold but great.,.. you learn so much about the island and its histroiy. not just the penitentary years either.

today is gay day.. and we are going exploring the castro and mission districts.

sweet south

well, america is sure full of surprises.

after the rain stopped we went out drinking, and chris took me to a typical southern bar.. well.. traditional perhaps.. was called the Thirsty Camel.. was interesting to say the least. we had gone to Coogans first for beers and a pizza, and so of course i had to try a BUD. nice beer.. becks is better but i chugged back a few regardless.

went exploring on a naval ship called the USS wisconsin.. that was fun

ill say one thing for this town.. ooooh eeeee they got some nice southern rough trade down here.. yummo.

went shopping at Walmart.. which was 3 times bigger than any i had seen in germany.. and boy did i get a broad cross section of locals there.. i was pretty much gobsmacked at it all. then we went to the wholesale shopping where you buy in bulk.... had seen it on family guy so was curious.. man you can buy just about anything in bulk there.. including pianos.. hahaha.

today we went driving around.. ended up down in North Carolina.. took a car ferry across a waterway (since i have been on a car train, ferry was the next experience)

saw my first slack jawed yokel today!!! have given up trying to count the number of american flags i see.. way way way too many to count.. so today started counting road kill, and managed to get up to 12. contemplated scrapin them up and sticking them on the engine to par broil, and serve them up for supper with some grits and collored beans..but since we got shrimp earlier.. it seemed a little excessive.

went to Kitty Hawk today, and saw the birthplace of flight. seemed only fitting since i have worked for an airline most of my life, so it was a poiniant place to go see. the courtyside is beautiful... and full of so many cliches, although it dont get to be a cliche for nothing.

i can now see why they say america is full of big skies.. the sky seems huge here and goes on forever... i think cause its so flat on this side and not a lot of highrise skylines to carve up the sky.

today got to 80 degrees F.. not really sure what that is in real tewrms.. just over 26 C i think but man the sun was strong and biting.. got a bit of colour.

got me some good pics today. battlin hard not to pick up the local accent.. its growing on me and i find it so cute. especially the more southern twangs you hear now and then.

The joys of america

having a ball looking though chris' cupboards trying to find the sugar.

some highlights include

can of bruce's yams (dont know why i think thats funny)
kosher salt (can salt be kosher??)
imitation butter flavour salt (tastes like real imitation butter..not that crap real butter shit)
the biggest fuck off jar of peanut butter i have ever seen

now i i could nly get his two cats to stop followng me aroudn the house and just sitting and staring like a scene from the village of the dammed cats..or the kindergraten scene fro the simpsons with all the babys acting like the birds from Hitchcock... i could relax

Airplane Thoughts

Hearts torn asunder
time and time again
every fleeting moment
is adding to my pain
deep within my soul
falls eternal rain
my psyche barely holding
against the heavy strain
behind the sparkling eyes
this is my dark refrain


not the best i know.. but gimme a break i was tired.

Ich muss durch die monsun

well.. folks, we are right in the middle of Hurricane Ernesto. you know its not good when he morning radio comes on, and the first thing you hear is.....there are accidents all over, in fact there are so many accidents, they dont have time to tell us (to the radio station) how many accidents there are.

poor chris is having the worrisome decision, if he should go into work.. since half the area is closed.. all courts, schools, government buildings... in fact radio is saying, if u dont need to go out.. dont.

sigh.. well im just glad i got here last night, and not yesterday or that flight would have been horrendous.

leaving zyrich iwas incredibly hard... almost totally lost it as i put the bags in the boot of the car..and i barely held it back walking through the immigration.. many a silent tear has fallen over the past 24 hours.

sitting at heathrow for 5 hours..AGAIN.. has made me totally over London.. and never never going via there again..the place is a hole. but i was very glad of all the security checks.. even if i had to take off my shoes for the xray.

the immigration officer last night on arrival looked like something out of the village people.. and i had to have 2 fingerprints taken and a digital photo.. so now im on file... funny, this is what the stasi was like back in the day.

driving down from washington to norfolk took over 3.5 hours and we finally pulled in at 3,15am or something...we even stopped off at a truck stop.... man and i thoughti saw heaps of trucks and truckers in Europe.. man.. there is was without end.

so stuck at home today playing with the laptop and Chris' 2 cats.. its great to see chris again, and i know the next 7 days wil be fun.

Dans retrospective, top 10s and Auf Wiedersehen

ah, the time has come in the end. my grand european summer ist ganz vorbei (is over).

my heart saddens as i prepare to leave the small portion of the continent that i have called home for nearly 5 months now. my dream schöne realised, the time has come to end the dream and come back to my normal world.

i have found myself here, and have found the world i have here to be my lifestyle and the way in which i would happily live. the problems i have had here, would only be replaced by others if i was here permanently, and i believe there are problems to overcome no matter where one lives, so in this i know, that just because this has been a holiday doesnt mean the connection to this land, and feelings ihave for it would change by my being here permantly. alas at this stage of my life its not to be, but as i have learned here.... so lang man träumen noch leben kann.

so i have decided to put down my thoughts and reminice to myself, and recor it for posperity, as to my highlights and best memories of europe, so that no matter where i am in the future, i can always look back on this, and be reminded of the feelings of the past 5 months, and be taken right back here, to this moment in a heartbeat.

The top memorable event in each city

Amsterdam

apart from finally ending that torturous 35 hour flight, being taken back to the last holiday with Jon and I sharing an appartment, in my favorite city, and the enjoyment i felt in that.

Rotterdam

Dancing the night away with Ognen, getting drunk, and getting trapped in a closed underground, and having to climb over a high fence over the top of the entrance tunnel, and not falling.

Delft

The walk through the underpass, and time spent with Ognen, once we got back from the club and chilled out.

Hamburg - 1st time

The Eurovision party and the Harbour Birthday on a boat on the harbour would have to be a total tie.

Lubeck

Sitting every night on a candlelit terrace overlooking the lake with Bert, drinking way too much wine, watching the fire twirlers across the water, learning about each others worlds and views on life. Every night was magic

Zurich

Every Nervi moment spent with Marius and the endless laughing. The Fondue - what can i say.. yum.

On the outside of Zurich.. the bobsled (rohlbahn) was definately the funnest, although i was scared as.

Lausanne

Staying at the Beau Rivage, and the look on my face when we walked into the room

Exploring Montreux castle would have been higher but wasdnt tecnically in Lausanne

Ascona

Riding a bike for the 1st time in ten years, beside the lake, with Marius. Swallowing bugs and driving nervously on the other side of the road for the 1st time.

Zermatt

climbing up the kleine matterhorn and going from 20 degrees to -2 (without wind chill factor) in 30 mins. standing in a snow storm on the top and being the coldest i have ever been.

Milan

The definate highlight was the BBQ i had with Alex and his friends. Had so much fun and poor Alex having to play interpreter. and being surprised how much italian i understood without having actively ever learnt it.

Venice

aimlessly wandering the streets with Alex and amamzingly enough, getting lost together, and getting hungry, and the adventure of finding out way to where we wanted to be. (its never the destination but the journey that is the most enjoyable part)

Köln

Making my debut as a radio host. Learning to throw away my lists. Meeting a friend who has changed my life forever.

Berlin

Seeing CSD Berlin with Bert and watching Mutti dancing in the streets with a veil.

Hamburg - 2nd time

Spending CSD with Jan and Yvonne, and dancing for hours in the sun, on the steps of the Jungfernstieg. doesnt get anymore Hamburg than that.

Washington DC - Norfolk -San Fran

TBA

Dans Top Ten Songs that are holiday memories

10. tie between Troy - Die Fantaschen Vier and Ich Bin Wieder Hier - Blumchen

9.tie between 54, 74, 90, 2010 - Sportsfreud Stiller - Goodbye - Sascha

8.Telefon Telefon - Margot Hielscher (from 1957 Eurovision)

7.Schwartz Und Wiess - Oliver Pocher

6.Dursch Den Monsun - Tokio Hotel (oh god i know how pitiful but its an öhrworm)

5.Push The Button (funky house mix) - Sugababes

4.So Lang Man Träumen Noch Leben Kann - Münchner Freiheit

3.Ich Bin Ich (wir sind wir) - Rosenstolz

2.Livin` in Hamburg - Hamburger Arroganz

1. No No Never - Texas Lightening

Danke

zu alle mein deutschen freunds.....danke danke danke (ohne ende) dass euch da wären und sind.

ich habe so viel gute freunds gemacht, und euch war immer bei mein seit....durch die schöne und schlimm. euch hast auf mich bekennen. es war für mich eine ehre, das ich hat euch kennen gelernt. onhe euch, ich kann nicht sein wären.

sorry für mein falsche deutsch, ich have so viel gelernt aber so wiet vor mich zu gehen. denk mal, wann ich war erste heir gekommt, kann ich so weniger sprechen und verstehen...jetzt, ich kann nur deutsch sprechen und das gut genung ohne englisch gehts. es freut mich sehr, das ich kann mit euch in deines sprache sprechen. "wir sind in deutschland und mu§ deutsch sprechen"

kein panik auf die titanik, ich komm wieder bald. bis dann, ich werde euch so viel vermiss.

ich kann nicht zu viel danke sagen..

und errinnen - du kanst immer zwie mal mir wie du !

back on the air

hey, and we,re back from the break.

first up... there is this little vid, that you have to see....sums up the germans speaking english.. actually i reckon most i have spent time with speak very very good english, and only some are worried about speaking english afraid to make mistakes, but have joked around with many germans about the mistake going on in this clip. for you non germans, only the first 8 seconds is in german and the rest is english.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8vBn2_ia8zM

well.. had a quick dash up to köln (god you dont understand what a relief is it to use a keybord that has an ö on it)

made another Kite Fm sydney program... man its weird doing that.. actually i think i get nervous with Paulo, my program director, telling me what to say, and then having to say it in a way and mood that he wants. kind of like being a voice actor actually.. which is strange coz thats what i wanted to be when i was a kid..... that and a flight attendant.. god, wasnt that a dead giveaway.
anyway after a few takes of some lines, i was laughing my head off... it was a little difficult, not only have to remember lines or make them up on the spot, but i was being directed mostly in german so i had to translate what he wanted first then try to think of sômething to say and remember it all at the same time... i think without him sitting there it will be less nervewrecking, but then without his direction ill have to fluff around until i understand the tone and the character that he wants to create.

speaking of which... guess what... im now the new guest presenter on Kite FM, worldwide internet radio program, only for surfers. god i even have a signature sign off.. i have to sign off with Eu nao fallo portugues (i dont speak portuguese) since kite fm was originated from or for portugal, but has now become worldwide. i have been given a microphone and a program to record the sound files of my voice to send over to Kite FM head office (fancy name for paulos flat) and voila!
so im spreading the word on Kite FM, become a subscriber and hear the hots, coolest hip tracks, from around the globe.... you can subscribe by using one of the links below this blog.

reckon ill have a heap of fun making promos for the lovely lotti, one of the other presenters.. the name is just great. will have to get some promo shots to send to paulo, standing at bondi beach.. but have to have a sign in otherwise who would know it was bondi, holding a microphone. any volunteers for helping me taking the pics ??

had a great time in köln, and even managed to discover a fair bit about myself in the short few days i was there. i think i gained some experiences and advice there that have had a pretty big effect, very ephiphic.. is there such a word....causing ephiphany...
very character shaping. i was hesitant on the money spending for going there but im 150% glad that i did, as was extremely worth it in the scale of life.

leaving there today was extremely heartrendering, as i knew it was the last time i was going to be in germany this year and who knows when i will next be back, although i am hoping its no more than 12 months away... its been my home for the last few months, and i truely believe i am coming back a better person. definately different, and having grown so much and learned so much about myself and the world.
luckily it was raining in köln...so when my eyes were a bit watery each time i thought of the fact i was going, no one could tell in the rain. (what is it with me and walking in the köln rain... did that last year too..but then it always rains there)
going to miss learning and speaking german, its really becoming easier now.. and i was suprised when Paulo told me my german had really improved since the last time i was there which was really only a month. i foound it so much easier to understand him this time and had no problems speaking only german for 3 days, of course its still had to be accurately descriptive and expressive when you have a limited vocab, but i can make things pretty clear i think.

back in zürich now, got 2.5 days left beforfe i ship out to the states. so much to do.. and i reckon ill be a mess when i leave here, knowing i really am leaving europe. its been a life goal to live in europe for a year or so, and this is probably the closest i am going to get to it.... at least for a while.. and sadly i am almost not ready to come home yet, and yet theres so much to go back to, that its not like i am at a disadvantage. (DYING FOR A NORMAL BREAKFAST AND NOT A CONTINENTAL ONE)

have to pack and send some stuff home by post so i have room in the suitcase. so many cds, vests, books that i want to have some room for USA. got to change my ticket still. typical BA didnt want to change the ticket when i went out there the other day even though they are the GSA, they have told me to go to the qantas office in the city but im sure there isnt one in zurich, only geneva.. so going tomorrow to arrange that.

then have to make my list of best highlights of each city.. kind of a reminder of what fun i have had.

ill leave you with some other very funny german clips, which made me laugh.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u9VQLDXKiEA

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CjiZkTU_Sz8 (im no where near as bad as this)

probably need to be german to understand the next 2
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dsho-GjlFJ0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyRcFWwcc1g

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xgL4GRoYrhM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bYk_bWbMKGk&NR

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t0RQIbRpJiI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uVctHGGA_Ik (hope no germans see this one)

Daniel on radio

wow..
ok i thought my show had already been on... but Kite FM have just released episode 25 Kite FM sydney.

havent heard it yet..still downloading... but heres my 15 secs of fame i guess.
can be heard via itunes podcasts for free...

(dont ask how i managed to make a radio program from sydney while im here in europe.. thats the magic of radio !!)

Kite FM 25 aus Sydney mit Daniel ist online!I Tunes * Podcast * Kite http://starzone.podspot.de/ http://www.podster.de/view/668 http://www.clickcaster.com/podcast/view/27034 http://www.dopcast.de/channel/Kite_FM__Only_For_Surfers.html http://www.podnova.com/index_search_results.srf?searchtext=kite+fm

Goodbye Germany, Hello Switzerland

well..since there is no wireless on the train, ill write this in word and post it ot the internet when i can connect.

So, here i sit, in my little box on the night train. im in a single person cabin. its actually the size of an aircraft toilet, plus the size of a single bed. cosy but nice.

so herei sit for the next 12 hours. but at least i can lie down. i can only imagine this is what the bedroom cabins on the new A380 will be like. very nice.

the power from th epowerpoint is intermittent so im not really sure how long my battery will last. hopeflly it will come on long enough to watch a dvd or play a game.

it was so nice that Jan came to the train station to see me off as well. So Bert and Janwere both there. i felt like i had really connected to some people in germany, and it has now become a second home to me. i tried to thank bert for all he had done but he didnt want me to say too much. i know he probably would have gotten too emotional.

it has actually been very painful for me to leave, knowing its the last time i am in hamburg for a long time, and have made some really nice friends here.

ill sign off now and try to play a game...will report in during the trip if the power lasts.



well typical to all european trains, the power plug just didnt work, so i ran out of power after about 2 hours.
managed to settle in and try to sleep, but woke up at 1am, starving and thirsty and dying for a cigarette. thats when i discovered that i was really travelling on the stalag 13 prison train. i went to the bar to at least have a cigarette, but when i asked for an ashtray, i was told quite rudely that the bar was closed, which meant no smoking, and i coudlnt even get somehting to eat or drink. so i was confined to my little prison cell. you would think that the night train would provide an open bar overnight, as not everyone is going to sleep the entire way, or if someone wanted something to drink....even water.. they should be able to have access to it. i would recommend that no one take the swiss night train, unless you bring your own food and drink and smokers should probably avoid it altogether.

finally i arrived in zurich, and had access to the basic human needs once more. although the breakfast that was servced to me in my cabin was a god send. a tiny bread roll and a croissant, with a pot of jam and a cup of coffee.

decided to grab a cab to marius` house as i was way too tired to wrestle with the luggage on publuic transport, and within moments i was settled in his place. had a good sleep then went to the supermarket to do the weeks shopping.

Marius had planned for us a trip to Zermatt 2 days later. This is where the Matterhorn is. it took us about 4 hours to get there. but the drive though switzerland is so beautiful. although now i think i have seen everything....including lesbian cows. yes, you just read correctly. we drove past 2 cows, one was trying to mount the other (well had actually succeeded and was going for it) but after several double takes (was so like an old comedy routine) i could see this big old udder swaying from the undercarriage of the one on top. im not excatly sure what she throught she was going to do up there, but hey even gay cows have rights. must have been like a cow prison or something and she was top dog.

after 2.5 hours of driving we then had to put the car on a train to go thru a tunnel in a mountain. very very weird. you drive your car on to these special carrigages and then stay in your car for a 15 min train ride through a tunnel in a mountain. Then on the other side we had another 1.5 hours drive before we had to leave the car altogether and catch another train up through the valley, to Zermatt. They have no normal cars there, only electric buggies. the air was so clean and fresh, and its all very quiet. although you often get a big shock to turn around and see a buggie right behind you as they are almost silent and you dont hear them sneak up on you.

Anyway, on our first day we took the gondolas up to the peak of the little matterhorn (who knew there were 2) the real one was shrouded in clouds but we lived in hope that it would clear. you need to take 3 separate gondolas to get to the top, as you go higher, it gets colder and colder, til when you get to the top you need to be well wrapped up. it was supposed to be only -2 but with the wind chill factor of the storm that was blwoing in it was probably about -15 to -20

very stage to go from being at the bottom, in only a tshirt and 20 degrees to an hour later being in a thick jacket and beenie. i kept asking marius if i shoudl buy gloves.. and he said no, which now i know never to listen to him because it was so cold i couldnt feel my hands any more and taking pictures with the camera was a very rushed process.

at the top there is a glacial cave you can go in, but as soon as we got there, they closed the whole mountain due to the weather being too severe..typical. the ride back down was a little scary but at least the gondola didnt sway too much. i can imagine it could get a lot worse. poor marius, he was so disappointed as he really wanted to show it to me.

anyway we spent the afternoon in the pool area playing with all the hydrotherapy devices and staying in the pool and spa will our fingers and toes looked like prunes.. we met a friend of his that works in the hotel, for dinner, and had another swiss traditional meal.. this time it was Raqulet (not sure of spelling)
basically its a huge round of cheese that they place under a hot oven so that the top melts then they scrape the melted part onto a plate and serve it with baby potatoes. and you can have as much as u want. plus they serve it with pickled onions and gerkins.. not really sure why. i ended up eating so much iwas virtually sick all night..well just overfull.

the next day was better weather.. typical, and we decided to stay an extra night. decided to go hiking in the mountains and visit this picturesque gorge (theres that word again) and have lunch in this little restaurant hidden on the hillside.

went for thai food that night.... in this funny little restaurant that was like the inside of a galleon ship. the waitress was thai, and was funny to hear her mix english and german.

funniest thing was she said she also spoke cantonese.. so when i asked her in cantonese where the toilet was.. she was like "what????" prob wasnt expecting a whitey to speak cantonese.. so then i asked in german... wo sind der klo (translates as where is the closet...one ofthe words for toilet)

anyway she directs me to this door.. the one straight ahead... but on the left i can see a door with a mens sign on it.. i point to it and she says.. no the one straight ahead.. i open to the door.. and in the darkened room i can see coat racks.. oh god, she sent me to the closet.... note... the swiss dont call the WC a klo in german.. hahahaha.

went out drinking after dinner.. and sat on a balcony overlooking the street and gave commentary on all that passed. i had been told by alex, marius friend, that agnetha from abba lives in this town... so had spent all day scrutinising every blond woman i saw.. i hope i could see my childhood idol. wonder if she would be impressed if i had told her that when i was a kid, and we played abba, i always wanted to be her.

back in zurich now.. spending mornings with marius... and then afternoons on my own as he is on late shifts this week.

been speaking to kyle a bit on msn.. and getting excited that he is coming to meet me in san fran, we have booked the hotel at fishermans wharf,a nd are trying to arrange an alcatraz tour now.
keep trying to catch chris online.. as havent spoken too much to him and im staying with him in Washington... but i know when i see chris it will be like old times and feel like no time has past since he left sydney... although its going to be hilarous to be able to share commentary of the inane americanisms i will see.. apparently he lives in an interesting area.

he is going to teach me how to chew tobacco, and hopefully go shooting (targets only i couldnt shoot any innocent animals) so new adventures await there.. thank god coz its going to break my heart to leave europe but i have lots to look forward to in USA..even though it means the adventure is coming to a close.

a night to remember

well.... ledertreff... what can i say... what an amazing experience. it was a shame that it wasnt on the ship as usual, but still the replacement venue was really good. it was held in an old theater called Docks. really wonderful space with different rooms with different atmospheres.
The men, i saw so many gods there.... it really was unbelieveable.

and for the first time since ive been here i heard more english than german, although i really was disappointed at how so many americans and english spoke to the german staff there like they were in an english speaking country. perhaps have stayed here so long or have become so close to so many locals, that i wouldnt even dream of assuming that someone speaks normal english. im sure that the locals appreciated my attempts at speaking german.

whilst i saw so many sights at the party.. and so much fun rough play was going on, in particular 2 skinheads roughhousing each other on the dancefloor, i was absolutely appauled at the amount of indescriminate bare backing going on. it really sickened me. im no soapbox stander, and what goes on between two consenting adults is between them, but this really was unbelieveable.. so often i saw two guys just go up to each other and within moments were barebacking each other.. (and this is in the main hall..lord knows what was going on inthe darkroom)
i just cant believe that it could be so casual.. no wonder HIV is still spreading. im guessing that the people barebacking so casually must already have it.. but even so.. there are tonnes of other STDs that can still be spread...even if you have HIV already, theres Hepatitus and many others.. i mean it would only have taken a handful of people at the party to have an STD for it to have spread across half the party.

luckily i only went to the toilets near the start of the night.. already it pretty much stank.. but luckily i sweated so much i really didnt need to go again, but my australian friend that i went with, told me by halfway through the night, there was shit all over the walls.. (and when i say shit im talking literally)

it really was like being in a titan video, with sex going on all around.. but because of the indescriminate part, i actually found it not a turn on for me, although interesting to see. (sure i would do half that stuff in the privacy of home but not in front of hundreds of others)

well.. i danced the night away.. someone please remind me never to go dancing in my boots again.. man that was hard.. im thinking i got some interest shown (despite nearly everyone there being totally beautiful and built) but if i sensed it i mostly just ignored it as i wasnt going to be playing there.. and i think mostly everyone looks to play there and not to take someone home at the end of the night.... but there were some i found incredibly attractive.

can you believe my friend and i were there until closing..havent done that for years..although this was at 5am. and so then we went to an after party at S.L.U.T where even more indescriminate sex was going on in the bar. but we sat there and had some breakfast beers (a first for me) and then we went back to his hotel so that he could pack and get ready to go to the airport. how someone could go straight from a party to the airport to fly from germany to canada is beyond me.. but i guess he slept all the way.

me..well bert had gone home at 1am so i had to catch the train back to lubeck. the train left at 10am.. so you can only imagine how tired i was.... and dressed as i was from the party.... and my tshirt was wet from sweat and i must have stunk... to sit on a crowded train for an hour to lubeck... then i had to walk from the train station to berts house, through the middle of the city.. at 11am..still dressed as i was.. and trust me..i stuck out like dogs balls. but hey.. memories :)

got home..straight into shower.. sat down for 20 mins and had a ciggarette or two then lay down in bed around midday..closed the eyes, opened them again and it was 8.30pm.

well.. today is my last day in germany... and naturlich.. regen ohne ende! sind deutschland traurig aus mein abfarht? oder ist der grunte das wenn engels reisen der sonnescheint, und ich bin kein engel noch wochende?
(naturally its raining raining raining..is germany so sad that im leaving or is it that when angels travel the sun shines, and im no angel after the weekend?)

i have had many many wonderful times here in germany.. the last few months have really been an experience, and i have learned so much about germany, its people, and myself. some lessons were harsh but on the whole it was a very positive experience and i cannot wait to return next year.

bert, ich habe kein wurds fur was du hast fuer mir gemacht. ohne dich, mein urlaub so anders werden. und ich kann nicht danke genung sagen. mein zeit mit dir werden unvergessen (oh god thats so wrong i know it, but hey, you know what i mean) dem nachten an terrace, mit kerzen, und der lubecke feurmann... unglaublich. danke schatz.

if the leather party is on the ship next year, Paul and Kyle.. youre coming with me !! id suggest franka and garth also, but no women at all go to this.. its a men only thing. (not suggesting garth is a woman.. just what would be the point without franka) adam would probably be disgusted and joseph would be eaten alive and never be seen again.

und na, ich muss zu alles mein deutsche freunds und kumpels, ein grosse THOUSANDANK sagen, fuer alle euch hast zu mir geshouwn und gemacht. ich kann nicht euch vergessen, und euch hast mein urlaub wuenderschoen gemacht. danke euch fuer mir deutsche gelehren. wann man in deutschland bist, man muss deutsch sprechen!! (when you come to our country we expect you to speak english so its only fair)

so i have packed all my things.. im actually worried about the weight for my flight to america in two weeks.. so i have to investigate sending some stuff by UPS, as i think im about 5 kgs over.

tonight i take the night train from Hamburg to Zurich.. i have booked a private sleeper cabin.. so what an adventure... trying to focus on the upcoming adventures, and not the sadness of leaving germany (where i could so happily live) and this phase of my travels is vorbei.

Deutschland, ich sag nicht ade, ich bin nur aufwiedersehen sagen !

OH - MY - GOD !!! OH MEIN GOTT !!

had to run into hamburg to do a few errands.. one of which was to drop some boots i had borrowed off to a friend.. who lives in these apartments above this bar called Toms.

Tom's is like the sleazy(ish) crusing bar, with a labyrinthine darkroom out the back and cruise / play area (Mum dont ask how i know this...actually no one should ask me this)

anyway.. the appartments and the bar share a common entrance..... and tonight was the opening event for Ledertreff (the biggest leatherman gathering in europe) so they were sprawled out the front on the footpath, and lined up to get in.. and i had to make my way through it to get to the front door..

WELL... OH MY GOD ! if it wasnt like walking through a Titan Video (gott sie dank my mother doesnt know what that is) i was surrounded by the hottest looking muscle bears and leathermen..
For a second i was tempted to be Goldilocks. (all those bears and ooh this ones too... and this ones too.. and this one is just right) but comon sense prevailed and i had my friend waiting for the boots, and bert waiting for me in the berlini bar.. ..probably the penultimate (2nd furthest away) you could get from a leather bar. mind you there were a few good lookers in there too. ah.. me and my german men :P

so anyway.. thank god i bought myself a new pair of british boots (12 hole army boot/docs style) and no.. they have black laces before anyone asks what colour i put in. i was thinking maybe i can get away with going a bit subdued and then wondered if my choice of outfit was going to be too extreme.. but no.. puts the sydney parties to shame.

Sorted

Well i think i have finally sorted my outfit for the big huge leather party.

aparently this is the biggest leather arty in europe, where people from all over the world come.

last time i was here, it was on and the main gay street was from end to end hot muscled guys in leather. one cant help thinking, how many cows died to make this weekend possible.

anyway.. lets hope this time im not subjected to seeing too much fisting in public (hi mum)

friend of mine was supposed to be joining me here for the weekend, but he was in london and due to the whole terrorist thing, his flight got cancelled so who knows if he will make it.

WOW

i had no idea.. my friend here in lubeck told me last night about some of the ornaments on his shelf. not out of boasting but we were just discussing things.

had to take a picture i was so blown away.

The figure on the right comes from the bronze age and is about 4000 years old. The figure on the left is about 2500 years old. and the platter comes from the orient express.

i was just blown away by being able to hold something in my hands that was 4000 years old. (it about 20 cms high but is so unbelieveably heavy.)

the history that this statue must have seen !!