god, it has been ages since i wrote anything in here.. so heres a quick update on the life of the wolf.
The new job as UAt Test Manager, is provings to be an interesting one. ok, so its full of undefined stresses and lurking horrors that im only just barely aware of. but focussing on the priorities in frontof me and trying not to the the enormity of the project scare me too much.
got to go to Auckland for 2 days. but the 3 hour time difference nearly killed me. we arrived at 1am on day one... and had to be in the hotel lobby at 9am. (9am Auckland time is 6am Sydney time) in my sleepy haze i got confused and set my mobile phone alarm to the wake up time, forgetting my phone was on sydney time..... i woke up, 5 mins after i was supposed to be in the lobby. man, i dont think i have ever jumped up so quick.. nor made it across a room in one step. managed to get ready in 10 mins.. but was in a sleep induced haze for about an hour.
day 2 was only slightly better.... and we met at 8.30am... .after a rather boozy night touring the vodka hot spots of the city. anyone who knows me, will know im not a morning person.. so youc an imagine what it was like for me to be ready and packed, in the hotel lobby at 5.30am sydney time.
on the upside, i did get into the qantas first class lounge on the way home.... so that made up for it.
looks like work is thinking that i may need to move to Auckland for 2 weeks soon, to work with the 3rd party software supplier that i will be testing for. interesting!!! always wanted to work overseas.
currently in Brisbane, on a whirlwind visit, as we (my division at work) are headingup to Noosa this afternoon for a conference. hard like.. first class lounges and luxury resorts like the sheraton noosa. who would have thought flight centre would offer me this. must be true, that we open up the world for those who want to see. (man my FC microchip that they insert into you on induction is working overtime today.)
im sure i have more photos to add in the blog, but working on the laptop.. so no access..
stay tuned.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
Wednesday, October 05, 2005
Sleazy Wolf
ok, have recovered sufficiently from Sleaze to be able to report the story.
Saturday day was spent running around doing last minute shopping. I FOUND SOME SNEAKERS!!! (yeah i know, will wonders never cease) found a great pair of black adidas with white triple stripe. (very sk8er!)
had planned to go to some friends for drinks before the big party, but by the time my other friends got to my place, we kind of had to go straight to Fox Studios. the friends i was going with, were in one of the shows, and i was being given free entry, as a support provider to one of the performers. which meant we had to be there at 10.30pm and go in the back entrance (ok enough of the comments about that)
anyway, the entry pass we had gave us entry to the VIP bar (which overlooks the RHI dancefloor) have always wanted to see it from that view. very swish.
mind you..... at AUD7.00 a pop for a half can of heinekin and AUD3.50 for a small bottle of coke... trips to the bar were not all that frequent.
Danced my little tush off! had a great night i think.. all a big blur really. time went so quick, i was actually shocked to see the sun coming up.
Dashed home for a shower and change.. then headed off to manacle to check out recovery. Howver.. again, best laid plans of mice and men...... the line was about 30 deep, and after 15 mins...it wasnt moving at all... so bugger that!!! ended up going down to hyde Park and laying in the shade of a tree and chatting for afew hours before heading home. actually was a really nice way to spend the morning.. although.. to save the travel time .. there is a park across the road from my place....hahaha.. well i know for next time.
today im due to start my role as UAT Test Manager. first meeting at 2pm.... eeek!
already theres word i may need to be sent to NZ next week for training. wont that be fun.
starting Brazilian JuJitsu tomorrow night.... and starting back at Choi Kwang Do next week (getting some private lessons to catch up on patterns and techniques as its been a few months since i last trained) looking forward to getting back into the exercise and getting back into fitness. theres a Gym opening up in ouor building, which is owned by my company.. so free membership. hoping to get in a session or two in per week, to suppliment my martial arts training. i thnk its now more the case of deciding what nights i wont excercise..as the muscles will need a rest between workouts.
looks like some masseur is going to make a fortune fixing my aching body.
Saturday day was spent running around doing last minute shopping. I FOUND SOME SNEAKERS!!! (yeah i know, will wonders never cease) found a great pair of black adidas with white triple stripe. (very sk8er!)
had planned to go to some friends for drinks before the big party, but by the time my other friends got to my place, we kind of had to go straight to Fox Studios. the friends i was going with, were in one of the shows, and i was being given free entry, as a support provider to one of the performers. which meant we had to be there at 10.30pm and go in the back entrance (ok enough of the comments about that)
anyway, the entry pass we had gave us entry to the VIP bar (which overlooks the RHI dancefloor) have always wanted to see it from that view. very swish.
mind you..... at AUD7.00 a pop for a half can of heinekin and AUD3.50 for a small bottle of coke... trips to the bar were not all that frequent.
Danced my little tush off! had a great night i think.. all a big blur really. time went so quick, i was actually shocked to see the sun coming up.
Dashed home for a shower and change.. then headed off to manacle to check out recovery. Howver.. again, best laid plans of mice and men...... the line was about 30 deep, and after 15 mins...it wasnt moving at all... so bugger that!!! ended up going down to hyde Park and laying in the shade of a tree and chatting for afew hours before heading home. actually was a really nice way to spend the morning.. although.. to save the travel time .. there is a park across the road from my place....hahaha.. well i know for next time.
today im due to start my role as UAT Test Manager. first meeting at 2pm.... eeek!
already theres word i may need to be sent to NZ next week for training. wont that be fun.
starting Brazilian JuJitsu tomorrow night.... and starting back at Choi Kwang Do next week (getting some private lessons to catch up on patterns and techniques as its been a few months since i last trained) looking forward to getting back into the exercise and getting back into fitness. theres a Gym opening up in ouor building, which is owned by my company.. so free membership. hoping to get in a session or two in per week, to suppliment my martial arts training. i thnk its now more the case of deciding what nights i wont excercise..as the muscles will need a rest between workouts.
looks like some masseur is going to make a fortune fixing my aching body.
Wednesday, September 28, 2005
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.
Tuesday, September 27, 2005
Monday, September 26, 2005
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.
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
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
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.........
Friday, September 16, 2005
Wednesday, September 14, 2005
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.
Sunday, September 11, 2005
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
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
Saturday, September 10, 2005
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.....
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.....
Tuesday, September 06, 2005
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
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
Saturday, September 03, 2005
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.
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.
Friday, September 02, 2005
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.
Tuesday, August 30, 2005
new photos
hey world
have updated the photo briefcase with new pics and ensured at all can access it.
the link is on the left hand side. the briefcase link.
have updated the photo briefcase with new pics and ensured at all can access it.
the link is on the left hand side. the briefcase link.
Berlin… city of wasps and sirens (Sunday)
**
Breakfast at the hotel. What the hell is it with Germans and sandals and socks. Ive counted 6 people in the breakfast room alone.
Sunday and all the shops are closed, so no shopping today…just tourist stuff.
Hmm, except we seemed to spend more in the tourist shops today and the normal ones when they are open. Got my nieces a post card, with a piece of the Berlin wall in it. Thought they might like it.
Looked at the outside of the Reichstag.. line too long to go in… lay o the grass outside for a bit, just to recharge.. then walked all around the central park. Didn’t seem to have too much trouble finding the gay section where dozens of topless men lay around on the grass.. hmm… noice kimmie!
this city is full of wasps and sirens. theres always a siren going off somewhere.
Walking is getting easier… had lunch at potzdammer platz and then back to the hotel to dump the bags and rest. Then had Mexican for dinner.. creatures of habit I guess. Drank a little sangria which took the edge off the day. Didn’t end up sleeping much, and so we are having a quiet Monday in the hotel lobby on the laptops. Jon has 3 with him for work so im using one to write my blog.
Must look up what train to catch tomorrow and arrange a seat for Jon. Heading for Hamburg again tomorrow
Monday, August 29, 2005
Ich bin eine Berliner (Saturday)
**
Got woken up at 6.30am by the newly arrived aussie. Bloody tourists. Early breakfast and then back to bed for an hours more sleep. Caught the ubahn to where we were supposed to start today’s walking tour, but got off at the wrong station [note to self…Dan to pick the train stations from now on] and ended up in the seedy red light district. How typical…as if drawn by some giant cosmic magnet.
Eventually got to Europa centre, the starting point for the day, about an hour later. Very disappointing shopping centre but Jon did buy a ceramic pig.
Sitting on a very hoity toity boulevard eating Mexican…alfresco. Ok, at least we moved away from McDonalds and Australian. Finally found some shops and talked Jon into getting this totally hot biker jacket that they didn’t have in my size. Bugger.
We did manage to see a biker rally drive past. Oooh so many hot biker types.. sigh.
Went into an army surplus store to buy a t-shirt and the Turkish guy at the counter took great delight telling me he had been to Australia.. and had been to one of the famous gay saunas there… why he wanted me to know this im not sure.
What is it with Berlin and wasps ? there are everywhere.
Went to schoneberg, which is supposed to be the gay area, although im sure we were in the wrong part as it didn’t look too gay to me.
Hahaha sitting here writing this and again we are plagued by a wasp.
I think I almost broke Jon with all the walking I made him do (ive had several weeks of practice) so at about 7pm we thought we would have a nana nap before going out. We woke up at 4am. Darn.
4 hours and a pack of lollies later (Friday)
**
Since I haven’t had the chance to get back on line I have been writing my blog in a note book as I go. So heres the catch up
Sigh. My last day in Köln. I got up early, after not much sleep. Ok so im running behind schedule by about an hour. But low and behold the sun is shining and it’s another glorious day. I check out of my hotel and go have breakfast at my fave café, to write this in my book.
The girl remembers my coffee order. How sweet. It was quite funny here yesterday, as I had a coffee with a local I met thru the internet. He and I were speaking English, and sitting outside. I go in to order a hot chocolate for him. (in German) the girl asks me in German if I want with or without cream..so I ask him in English, (even though he can hear her) and then I reply to her in German, like im the local and he’s the tourist.
Anyway…what did I do yesterday since the last blog. Well I bought some German chill out trance cds. Quite good actually. went for drinks with Jens Alex and andi last night. Jens is a friend of andreas from HH. Alex is a wonderful lady from hessing…who taught me a few new naughty words. And Alex is from ……..eek, ive forgotten but it’s a smaller town. I was so surprised when Alex told me she was so impressed with me. Not only my German by with me as a person. I think it’s got to be one of the nicest things someone has said to me in eons.
Then spent some time with another Alex .. who is a local. Very sweet man. He gave me a German copy of a terry pratchett book im reading so I can improve my German..
Well Ive enjoyed Köln, somewhat. Would have been better with company I think. Now I have to tote my bags to central, and hop on a train to Berlin, where Jon will be there 3 hours ahead of me.
Now on the train. Slightly disconcerted when the 5yo child in front of me, who has been speaking normally for the past 20mins (in German) has suddenly started speaking in a voice exactly like the child in the shining. Im sure he’s saying the German equivalent of RED RUM.
The ICE trains are really beautiful in 1st class, and I recommend train travel as a great way to see Europe. It’s so easy and comfortable. (sans possessed children of course)
Oh the train trip improved dramatically when in the 2nd half 2 early 20’s skater boys came on and a hot late 20’s guy in a military uniform, (cammos, crew cut and 8 hole boots..the works) I think they were 2nd class, and 2nd class must have been full, as they sat in the entry vestibule behind me, in first class. The conductor checked their tickets same as mine, and said nothing. Not sure why they were there as 1st class was only 1/3 full.
Anyway didn’t notice much outside the windows for the last hour. Spent half of it checking the guys out. Oh man the army guy was so hot. On the last 20 mins the 2 skater boys snuck into the 1st class cabin, in the last row..across the aisle from me, and had a ciggie. One of them was a typical skater pin up boy..oh my god..hottie.
A relax and a half my friend aphro would say. Well any more relax and he’d be catatonic. So I pretty much missed the sights of the entrance to Berlin. Although there were 2 Berlin stations, and before the first one, the announcer rattled on something in German way to fast for me, but mentioned something about alexanderplatz which was the ubahn station near my hotel, but I was going to ostbahnhof, which was the 2nd of the 2 Berlin stations.
Besides, I had told Jon where I was arriving, and I had an inkling. Oh yes kimmie, I could feel it in my waters.
I got off the train, and saw this guy walking towards me. It took a few seconds before I realized it was Jon, who had come to collect me. He’d been here 3 hours already. He knew Köln wasn’t that much fun for me so surprised me at the station, and gave me the most beautiful rose, to cheer me up. It worked.
After dumping the stuff off at the hotel.. we walked….supposedly…straight towards B-berg gate. But we ended up walking in this S shape…well actually it was more like and SS spanning half of Berlin mitte.
[note to self…Jon carries the map from now on]
Finally, after more side trip adventures than the USS Voyager, we made it to potzdammer platz. And ate dinner at an Australian café. How typical, other side of the world and we eat Australian. Hmm.. it wasn’t particularly Australian, nor very good. (gold coast chicken… since when is the gold coast known for chicken.. and I sincerely doubt this chicken has seen anything gold in its life)
Found out what I had suspected last time…..I don’t understand the Berlin German. Neither does Jon (as he speaks no German)
Then we looked at the Jewish memorial. Wow..very impressive. It was being built on my last trip. It looks like nothing to begin with, looks like small concrete slabs lined up, over a whole city block. But as you walk thru it, it quickly turns into a dark maze of huge grey monoliths. Rows and rows of them. There’s a museum underneath I think. also saw the gate..and the remnants of the wall.
But both our bladders hit defcon 3, so back to the hotel.. by the time we got there we were at bladder emergency 8.5 out of 10.
Settling in for the night. Jon is tired after the flight from Sydney and I don’t feel like going out alone. So having a beer in the room. [note to self…..avoid becks green lemon at all costs] normal becks is just fine.
So writing my blog in my book, and virtually polished off a pack of lollies. Such a pig.
Listening to a new cd I got by a band called Shiller, called Zeitgeist. It’s a bit like a German Enigma.
Friday, August 26, 2005
here comes the rain again
**
falling on my head like a memory.
sigh...so much for clear skies.
well.. not doing all that much today... since its raining so much. its not really walk around weather. did a bit more window shopping.. but only managed to buy a couple of cds and a air brush for my camera lens as i think i got a couple of rains of sand on it and want to clean it without scratching it.
tomorrow i go to berlin..and meet up with Jon... who as we speak is already inflight. its going to be good to have some company... the last couple of days have been lonely.. but its prob more due to the fact its cloudy grey weather and ive a few things on my mind. but yesterday was a good day..the sun shone and i could forget things for a while whilst basking in the sun. hope berlin is a bit warmer though.
well..not much to say today.. ill have to ensure some catastrophic adventure occurs between now and the next blog. hahaha i do have to catch a train to berlin, so chances are an amusing anecdote will present itself.
bis gleis
Dan
falling on my head like a memory.
sigh...so much for clear skies.
well.. not doing all that much today... since its raining so much. its not really walk around weather. did a bit more window shopping.. but only managed to buy a couple of cds and a air brush for my camera lens as i think i got a couple of rains of sand on it and want to clean it without scratching it.
tomorrow i go to berlin..and meet up with Jon... who as we speak is already inflight. its going to be good to have some company... the last couple of days have been lonely.. but its prob more due to the fact its cloudy grey weather and ive a few things on my mind. but yesterday was a good day..the sun shone and i could forget things for a while whilst basking in the sun. hope berlin is a bit warmer though.
well..not much to say today.. ill have to ensure some catastrophic adventure occurs between now and the next blog. hahaha i do have to catch a train to berlin, so chances are an amusing anecdote will present itself.
bis gleis
Dan
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Waroum Ich ??!! (why me)
well the adventures since i left the relative safety of the internet cafe yesterday.
i proceeded to get myself thoroughly lost. i think Köln got me back for saying it was boring.
picture me, totally lost on the city fringe, no idea which way the city is. (got all turned round) and it starts to rain. heavily. i have no umbrella. its then, as im dashing blindly for civilised shelter, that i realise that all the walking ive done over the past weeks has worn a hole in the bottom of my favorite sneakers, and my left foot is getting wet, and im squelching as i run. sigh. and just to really put the icing on the cake, my bladder has delcared an emergency situation on board.
i run on, and finally, after waiting two large spas and possibly a couple of washing loads worth of rainwater just to cross at some lights, from which i could see on the other side, shop awnings, beckoning their santuary, like an oasis in the desert. a very wet desert.
finally i gained cover, and watched with envy, as passersby carried umbrellas past me like some giant sadistic sushi train, after youve already eaten your fill.
i briefly pondered the countries criminal penalties for mugging, and trying to recall if there are any parton saints for rain stoppage, and took the opportunity to look at my city map.
but where was i ??
i guestimated the park i had just run past mightbe the one in the top left hand corner, seemingly miles from anywhere (how the hell did i get here) so figuring i might be on "this" street, i waited for the rain to ease, and using a very scientific "eeny meeny mynee mo" i walked (squelched) off in one direction.
about an hour later, after many map consultations and blind guesses, i got back to my street. phew.
dinner was the biggest donner kebab ive ever seen....it was served in a bap roll not a pita roll, and it was so wide i couldnt get my mouth around it.
i had declined an invitation to the sauna with friends of Jens, and have opted for the safe warm security of my cell (after my day, i thought it was best) and watched desperate housewives in german.
i forgot to mention that my room has no clock. but its ok, the old church down the road lets me know what time it is, 4 times an hour. (i was so glad to know it was 3am last night) my cell block also comes with the additional torture feature of fresh baked bread smells at about 3.30am its so strong, your mouth waters for it.
still having an ok time speaking german. the people here seem to be so much more pleasant to speak german with. i see the occaisional smile at my german, as they realise im not a native, but appreciate the attempt and they talk slower back to me, then in hamburg.
one thing i like about the germans is ive learned that they love to play with their language.
theres over 17 different dialects of german. aparently i speak plat deutsche. (its what the fisch kopfs speak)
and even with the different dialects to contend with, they like to play with the words. not only are there different words for the same thing, dependant on context and emotive strength, and based on colloquialism, but you can add 2 or more words together to make a completly different word to specifically describe another thing. some times the translation is amusing.
for example my 2 faves.
stadtrundfahrt translates as city-round-drive which actually means city tour.
and my all time fave
brustwartzen which translates as breast-wart, and actually means nipple.
when you think about it the imagery is logical, but when i heard this i almost wet myself.
and its a great language to tell someone off in. you can really throw a very descriptive insult, in a way and tone that really shows how much you mean it.
halt die klappa du labetaschendrecklockfotzenleckmachine !!!
with all this confusion, its no wonder so many germans have problems with their own language. its not uncommon to hear someone asking what a word means or how someone else says a particular word.
today (yesterday when i wrote this down) Sara Conner and Marc (the german version of Jessica Simpson and Nick) got married. (it was sooooooo twee you could puke)
i cant believe they have made a german version of this. mind you, we in Australia make Jessie and Marty, the love story, so best i not bag too much.
they even have a german Rove here. HELP!
well wednesday...today..has brought with it clear blue skies and a nice mild temp. today i walked and walked.. shopping day.... can you believe after 4 hours of walking the entire length of the city...all i ended up with was 3 lousy postcards. had a bit of a nana nap this afternoon as my legs were threating to go on strike.
one good thing out of the last few days has been ive been inspired to continue writing my book. (the main body of which i think may be lost in a old hard drive which i desperately have to retrieve)
anyways... the adventure is continuing. have so much on my mind, that im basically walking around the city in a daze, but im taking photos where i can so that ill prob look backina months time and think what the hell was that ???
ok chatzies....bis gleis (i know thats not spelled right)
TSCHUß !!
i proceeded to get myself thoroughly lost. i think Köln got me back for saying it was boring.
picture me, totally lost on the city fringe, no idea which way the city is. (got all turned round) and it starts to rain. heavily. i have no umbrella. its then, as im dashing blindly for civilised shelter, that i realise that all the walking ive done over the past weeks has worn a hole in the bottom of my favorite sneakers, and my left foot is getting wet, and im squelching as i run. sigh. and just to really put the icing on the cake, my bladder has delcared an emergency situation on board.
i run on, and finally, after waiting two large spas and possibly a couple of washing loads worth of rainwater just to cross at some lights, from which i could see on the other side, shop awnings, beckoning their santuary, like an oasis in the desert. a very wet desert.
finally i gained cover, and watched with envy, as passersby carried umbrellas past me like some giant sadistic sushi train, after youve already eaten your fill.
i briefly pondered the countries criminal penalties for mugging, and trying to recall if there are any parton saints for rain stoppage, and took the opportunity to look at my city map.
but where was i ??
i guestimated the park i had just run past mightbe the one in the top left hand corner, seemingly miles from anywhere (how the hell did i get here) so figuring i might be on "this" street, i waited for the rain to ease, and using a very scientific "eeny meeny mynee mo" i walked (squelched) off in one direction.
about an hour later, after many map consultations and blind guesses, i got back to my street. phew.
dinner was the biggest donner kebab ive ever seen....it was served in a bap roll not a pita roll, and it was so wide i couldnt get my mouth around it.
i had declined an invitation to the sauna with friends of Jens, and have opted for the safe warm security of my cell (after my day, i thought it was best) and watched desperate housewives in german.
i forgot to mention that my room has no clock. but its ok, the old church down the road lets me know what time it is, 4 times an hour. (i was so glad to know it was 3am last night) my cell block also comes with the additional torture feature of fresh baked bread smells at about 3.30am its so strong, your mouth waters for it.
still having an ok time speaking german. the people here seem to be so much more pleasant to speak german with. i see the occaisional smile at my german, as they realise im not a native, but appreciate the attempt and they talk slower back to me, then in hamburg.
one thing i like about the germans is ive learned that they love to play with their language.
theres over 17 different dialects of german. aparently i speak plat deutsche. (its what the fisch kopfs speak)
and even with the different dialects to contend with, they like to play with the words. not only are there different words for the same thing, dependant on context and emotive strength, and based on colloquialism, but you can add 2 or more words together to make a completly different word to specifically describe another thing. some times the translation is amusing.
for example my 2 faves.
stadtrundfahrt translates as city-round-drive which actually means city tour.
and my all time fave
brustwartzen which translates as breast-wart, and actually means nipple.
when you think about it the imagery is logical, but when i heard this i almost wet myself.
and its a great language to tell someone off in. you can really throw a very descriptive insult, in a way and tone that really shows how much you mean it.
halt die klappa du labetaschendrecklockfotzenleckmachine !!!
with all this confusion, its no wonder so many germans have problems with their own language. its not uncommon to hear someone asking what a word means or how someone else says a particular word.
today (yesterday when i wrote this down) Sara Conner and Marc (the german version of Jessica Simpson and Nick) got married. (it was sooooooo twee you could puke)
i cant believe they have made a german version of this. mind you, we in Australia make Jessie and Marty, the love story, so best i not bag too much.
they even have a german Rove here. HELP!
well wednesday...today..has brought with it clear blue skies and a nice mild temp. today i walked and walked.. shopping day.... can you believe after 4 hours of walking the entire length of the city...all i ended up with was 3 lousy postcards. had a bit of a nana nap this afternoon as my legs were threating to go on strike.
one good thing out of the last few days has been ive been inspired to continue writing my book. (the main body of which i think may be lost in a old hard drive which i desperately have to retrieve)
anyways... the adventure is continuing. have so much on my mind, that im basically walking around the city in a daze, but im taking photos where i can so that ill prob look backina months time and think what the hell was that ???
ok chatzies....bis gleis (i know thats not spelled right)
TSCHUß !!
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
look! up in the sky!!
is it a bird? is it plane? (is it a bee?)
no it is the sun!! oh arise fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with envy. (oh dear, its gone to my head)
sorry world for disappearing. ok, lets recap the last weeks events. last week the sun shone (and was schöne) for 2.5 whole days.. wow.
took great pleasure in going to the beach.... was fantastic to be lying on the sand, the cool breeze keeping the heat at bay...... had a great time.... although not really sure why it was so great...i never go to the beach back home... but since its on the other side of the world.. i made concessions with my enjoyment.
then went to a place called travemünde. had to have ice cream there.. was the sun was really hot. i ordered off the menu, and of course i had to accidently pick the biggest, tallest, most gayest looking ice cream dish they had..... ill try to connect the photos next week.
spent time just lazing around hamburg, basking in the new summer 8which y the way has quickly disappeared again.
then, 2 days ago, i hopped on a train and headed to Köln (thats Cologne for the english people)
a friend of andreas' whose name is Jens was going there for a seminar for a week so invited me to go along if i wanted. Köln is nice..but a bit boring. with Jens at his seminars during the day, im left on my own to entertain myself. im sure theres lots to do...if youre with someone...but its a bit boring on your own. but on the up side..spending so much time alone has made be think twice about being single. have spend so much time on my own.. has made me think about abandoning the single life and settle down. so i thik i have some serious thinking to do on this one.
having to deal with a bit of heartache, on my own, which is a bit hard, and im sure this is what is making the city seem so grey..that and the constant grey clouds.
went to the zoo today.... wandered around looking at the animals. was a small zoo with your standard animals... but was surprised to see they had a cassowery (how ever you spell it)
my hotel room..... ive dubbed my cell.. it absolutely tiny.... and is reminiscent of a cheap motel in Queensland.. the garish bed spread and drapes, that almost match, except they shouldnt. but its cheap and kind of central.... a 15 min walk to the main railway station. but it suits my purposes nicely. not looking forward to the schlep back to the main railway station with my bags, on friday.
off to berlin on friday...where my friend in sydney, who works in Amsterdam, is meeting me. hes coming back to work and is taking a week early to come see germany. his chance to see it with someone who can speak the lingo.
hahaha.. ok so im not fluent by any means.. but since in Köln, alone, i must fend for myself, and am not speaking english during the day at all, and ordering meals and coffees like a pro.
havent managed to figure out the train ticket system here yet...so have been walking endlessly... got a bit of a cold which yesterday had me doped up to the eyeballs with codral. but i soldier on.
will attempt to find more internet cafes to keep the blog up to date, as so much has happened and i keep thinking in my head to put it in the blog, and yet now all seems misty and inconsequential.
bis bald
tschuß!!!!
no it is the sun!! oh arise fair sun, and kill the envious moon, who is already sick and pale with envy. (oh dear, its gone to my head)
sorry world for disappearing. ok, lets recap the last weeks events. last week the sun shone (and was schöne) for 2.5 whole days.. wow.
took great pleasure in going to the beach.... was fantastic to be lying on the sand, the cool breeze keeping the heat at bay...... had a great time.... although not really sure why it was so great...i never go to the beach back home... but since its on the other side of the world.. i made concessions with my enjoyment.
then went to a place called travemünde. had to have ice cream there.. was the sun was really hot. i ordered off the menu, and of course i had to accidently pick the biggest, tallest, most gayest looking ice cream dish they had..... ill try to connect the photos next week.
spent time just lazing around hamburg, basking in the new summer 8which y the way has quickly disappeared again.
then, 2 days ago, i hopped on a train and headed to Köln (thats Cologne for the english people)
a friend of andreas' whose name is Jens was going there for a seminar for a week so invited me to go along if i wanted. Köln is nice..but a bit boring. with Jens at his seminars during the day, im left on my own to entertain myself. im sure theres lots to do...if youre with someone...but its a bit boring on your own. but on the up side..spending so much time alone has made be think twice about being single. have spend so much time on my own.. has made me think about abandoning the single life and settle down. so i thik i have some serious thinking to do on this one.
having to deal with a bit of heartache, on my own, which is a bit hard, and im sure this is what is making the city seem so grey..that and the constant grey clouds.
went to the zoo today.... wandered around looking at the animals. was a small zoo with your standard animals... but was surprised to see they had a cassowery (how ever you spell it)
my hotel room..... ive dubbed my cell.. it absolutely tiny.... and is reminiscent of a cheap motel in Queensland.. the garish bed spread and drapes, that almost match, except they shouldnt. but its cheap and kind of central.... a 15 min walk to the main railway station. but it suits my purposes nicely. not looking forward to the schlep back to the main railway station with my bags, on friday.
off to berlin on friday...where my friend in sydney, who works in Amsterdam, is meeting me. hes coming back to work and is taking a week early to come see germany. his chance to see it with someone who can speak the lingo.
hahaha.. ok so im not fluent by any means.. but since in Köln, alone, i must fend for myself, and am not speaking english during the day at all, and ordering meals and coffees like a pro.
havent managed to figure out the train ticket system here yet...so have been walking endlessly... got a bit of a cold which yesterday had me doped up to the eyeballs with codral. but i soldier on.
will attempt to find more internet cafes to keep the blog up to date, as so much has happened and i keep thinking in my head to put it in the blog, and yet now all seems misty and inconsequential.
bis bald
tschuß!!!!
Wednesday, August 17, 2005
ein schönes tag gehapt
well yesterday was such a nice day.....
first i had breakfast (früstück) with a friend Ollie.. hes very nice, and reminds me a lot of myself in some ways. got introduced to a friend of his from berlin.. .oh my god.... how hot was he!!!!!!!!!!
then (oh god i keep going to write in german) i met another friend of mine Andreas and had an elbe day (elbe is hte river here) we went ovet the bridge and under the tunnel.
we went to an area called blankenese that has so many steps in the streets and its all hills and valleys... so i got alot of exercise. then we went to the deer park, and walked around since the sun was finally starting to shine.
then to the elbe beach and sat eating some kind of meat (frikadella??) and beer and watching the cargo ships go past.... this is very hamburg.
then to dinner
and finally an exhausted dan was to bed going.
first i had breakfast (früstück) with a friend Ollie.. hes very nice, and reminds me a lot of myself in some ways. got introduced to a friend of his from berlin.. .oh my god.... how hot was he!!!!!!!!!!
then (oh god i keep going to write in german) i met another friend of mine Andreas and had an elbe day (elbe is hte river here) we went ovet the bridge and under the tunnel.
we went to an area called blankenese that has so many steps in the streets and its all hills and valleys... so i got alot of exercise. then we went to the deer park, and walked around since the sun was finally starting to shine.
then to the elbe beach and sat eating some kind of meat (frikadella??) and beer and watching the cargo ships go past.... this is very hamburg.
then to dinner
and finally an exhausted dan was to bed going.
Monday, August 15, 2005
ive come up for air
hello world,
when last we spoke i had just arrived in Hamburg.
i was on my way to have coffee with a friend that i knew from last time and ran into a guy i had been talking to on the internet, in the street.
anyway... had coffee with an old friend Jan and then dinner with Andreas and Henning.
the next day was my day to meet Ollie who i had met in the street. what a nice guy. he took me around Hamburg and we walking our legs off.
the next day i did another walking tour of the city with another friend also called andreas. but walked to different parts. (all this walking is keeping me fit)
then friday night.... oh my.. where to begin....
i had an invitation to go to a big huge leather party, with some people i know here. felt very nervous to be going to such a thing, in germany, alone.... but worked up the courage and tagged along with some friends.
(ok this is where those of you with sensative minds or under 18 must leave the blog. )
i now have a small idea of what Dantes inferno would look like. firstly the men were all hot and sexy... but my god it was like a den of iniquity. beingt he brave boy that i am.. i got dragged into the darkroom (mum...dont ask) and had a bit of a pash there.. but that was all.. mind you the room was wall to wall men, flailing arms and legs and sexual activites going on everywhere.... (oh my eyes are burned for life!!)
anyway.. had a bit of a bop on the dancefloor.. which let me tell you was not much better.... they had a stage where som epeople were.. umm.. "dancing" and low and behold..a guy is dancing and another comes behind him and fists him... im not sure what was more shocking.. the fact they did this on the stage in front of all the dance party or the ease in which it went in.. anyway.. i tried not to stare and tried to look the other direction.. but alas 3 guys all giving each other blowjobs on the other side of the stage. eeeek!! was a good boy though.. only did the pash and dash twice and that was all. went home at 3-4ish. slept most of the next day.
sunday had a nice day with andreas (the original) and we went with Jens, another friend of his.. on die stadtrundfahrt. which is german for a sightseeing tour bus. it was raining string as they say here but still was nice. then sunday night was my welcome dinner with all of andreas friends. was so nice..and i tried to speak as much german as possible, which i think is already so much better than last time.
ill try to use andreas`s internet to upload some pics for you all.
today is monday and a lazy sleep in and now.. shopping.... einfach einkaufen.... have bought some nice tshirts.. because lord knows i dont have enough of those.
love to all.. and will keep you posted...
tschuss tschuss!
when last we spoke i had just arrived in Hamburg.
i was on my way to have coffee with a friend that i knew from last time and ran into a guy i had been talking to on the internet, in the street.
anyway... had coffee with an old friend Jan and then dinner with Andreas and Henning.
the next day was my day to meet Ollie who i had met in the street. what a nice guy. he took me around Hamburg and we walking our legs off.
the next day i did another walking tour of the city with another friend also called andreas. but walked to different parts. (all this walking is keeping me fit)
then friday night.... oh my.. where to begin....
i had an invitation to go to a big huge leather party, with some people i know here. felt very nervous to be going to such a thing, in germany, alone.... but worked up the courage and tagged along with some friends.
(ok this is where those of you with sensative minds or under 18 must leave the blog. )
i now have a small idea of what Dantes inferno would look like. firstly the men were all hot and sexy... but my god it was like a den of iniquity. beingt he brave boy that i am.. i got dragged into the darkroom (mum...dont ask) and had a bit of a pash there.. but that was all.. mind you the room was wall to wall men, flailing arms and legs and sexual activites going on everywhere.... (oh my eyes are burned for life!!)
anyway.. had a bit of a bop on the dancefloor.. which let me tell you was not much better.... they had a stage where som epeople were.. umm.. "dancing" and low and behold..a guy is dancing and another comes behind him and fists him... im not sure what was more shocking.. the fact they did this on the stage in front of all the dance party or the ease in which it went in.. anyway.. i tried not to stare and tried to look the other direction.. but alas 3 guys all giving each other blowjobs on the other side of the stage. eeeek!! was a good boy though.. only did the pash and dash twice and that was all. went home at 3-4ish. slept most of the next day.
sunday had a nice day with andreas (the original) and we went with Jens, another friend of his.. on die stadtrundfahrt. which is german for a sightseeing tour bus. it was raining string as they say here but still was nice. then sunday night was my welcome dinner with all of andreas friends. was so nice..and i tried to speak as much german as possible, which i think is already so much better than last time.
ill try to use andreas`s internet to upload some pics for you all.
today is monday and a lazy sleep in and now.. shopping.... einfach einkaufen.... have bought some nice tshirts.. because lord knows i dont have enough of those.
love to all.. and will keep you posted...
tschuss tschuss!
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Im Deutscheland Sein !
Hallo world,
well, i finally made it to Germany. 1st up, forgive me if i misspell anything.. the keyboard here is a little different.
well.. got a bit of a surprise when i found out on the train from AMS that i had to change trains half way. picured myself getting so lost and ending up lord knows where. amazingly i managed to get to Hamburg ok.
at first the german was so overwhelming.. they speak so fast. but by the end of my first night i was speaking more german. i think in about a week, i will be used to hearing the language as can easier make out the words. i am going to try to read a chapter a day, of my "german for dummies" so after 10 days i should be speaking a lot better.
well....so much for the summer. i have arrived here, only to find that the weather is not that much different to the winter when i was here. its grey, cold and raining. so summer is not to be, for me, this trip, but (oh god i keep thinking in german and its now hard to be 100% english without trying to translate everything in my head) the weather is not my reason for being here.
im staying in a nice apartment, close to the city. it was strange to wake up this morning... alone in the world... but i am getting a taste of what it would be like to live here. i discovered this morning that i had no towel.... so im probably going t osmell by the end of the day, but andreas is bringing me one. they forgot to leave me a towel, as his boyfriend i think is slowly moving to andreas´house and has taken most of the manchester and clothes.
watched desperate housewives last night in german.. its so funny.. to hear the wrong voices.. but i actually understood some of what was being said. and i hope that by the end of the trip, im speaking like a native. this afternoon ill just do some shopping and later meet andreas for kaffee und kuchen (thats coffee and cake)
i only have connection to the internet via an internet cafe so the pictures will be slower in coming to you.. but i will try to upload some from andreas´ house one time soon.
already they are making fun of my tastes in food. nto that i see a problem with egg and cheese on bread but aparently its a funny combination for them.
hello to all back home and around the world.. thinking of you all...and so glad im not at work (sorry YM)
well, i finally made it to Germany. 1st up, forgive me if i misspell anything.. the keyboard here is a little different.
well.. got a bit of a surprise when i found out on the train from AMS that i had to change trains half way. picured myself getting so lost and ending up lord knows where. amazingly i managed to get to Hamburg ok.
at first the german was so overwhelming.. they speak so fast. but by the end of my first night i was speaking more german. i think in about a week, i will be used to hearing the language as can easier make out the words. i am going to try to read a chapter a day, of my "german for dummies" so after 10 days i should be speaking a lot better.
well....so much for the summer. i have arrived here, only to find that the weather is not that much different to the winter when i was here. its grey, cold and raining. so summer is not to be, for me, this trip, but (oh god i keep thinking in german and its now hard to be 100% english without trying to translate everything in my head) the weather is not my reason for being here.
im staying in a nice apartment, close to the city. it was strange to wake up this morning... alone in the world... but i am getting a taste of what it would be like to live here. i discovered this morning that i had no towel.... so im probably going t osmell by the end of the day, but andreas is bringing me one. they forgot to leave me a towel, as his boyfriend i think is slowly moving to andreas´house and has taken most of the manchester and clothes.
watched desperate housewives last night in german.. its so funny.. to hear the wrong voices.. but i actually understood some of what was being said. and i hope that by the end of the trip, im speaking like a native. this afternoon ill just do some shopping and later meet andreas for kaffee und kuchen (thats coffee and cake)
i only have connection to the internet via an internet cafe so the pictures will be slower in coming to you.. but i will try to upload some from andreas´ house one time soon.
already they are making fun of my tastes in food. nto that i see a problem with egg and cheese on bread but aparently its a funny combination for them.
hello to all back home and around the world.. thinking of you all...and so glad im not at work (sorry YM)
Monday, August 08, 2005
God how could I forget
I had almost forgotten.....
imagine this...... I've come out of the nightclub..... Bit tipsy and all..... And we go sit in a cafe waiting for one of the shops to open, before we go back to the flat. im sitting alone waiting for Jon who is ordering coffee at the bar, when a Dutch man comes up to me and asks if I can help him.
he shows me a newspaper, and says to me, can I please explain what this word means...... Wait for it.... The word he points to is...........(drumroll) ENEMA.
firstly, picture the state im in.... secondly, how the hell do you explain enema to someone who's first language is not english.. oh man.. ... Im still wondering if i am to be on a hidden Dutch camera show or something. WAROUM ICH??
on the up side.... after 7 visits to nederlands, i can now pronounce Regulierdwarstraat. finally.
(thanks Paul)
oh and sorry for another Cliched grachte pic...couldnt help it.
what a weekend !!!
** ** ** **
oh my god i just dont know where to start.
lets rewind to Saturday. got up early (again) and went shopping at the supermarket to get some supplies to make breakfast. During the walk, i had the revelation, that crossing the roads here, is a bit like playing Frogger. (which i was never any good at anyway) this could explain why i have almost been run over by bikes about 3 times now. i think bikes have right of way in all cases...even if the pedestrian crossing says green, the bikes dont stop.
went to watch the pride parade..... see my photo links on the side bar to the left to link off to the pics ive taken.
the buzz in the street..or the canal really, was unbelievable. and i managed to get right into the swing of things by drinking 10 beers. oh my ...this is the most beers i have ever drank in one sitting... tee hee.
then we went to an outdoor dance party thing along side one of the canals... by this time i was absolutely busting to go to the bathroom..... but i just couldnt bring myself to use one of the outdoor pissoirs. i mean.....just standing there pissing into a hole, with hundreds of people walking by.... hmmm.. but i think eventually i could do it.. except this time i didnt and as we are walking to dinner.... i thought my bladder was going to explode. in the end i had to divert to the nearest bar and use the bathroom, or there would have been a urinary explosion of mammoth proportions.
over dinner, a liquour champagne, a huge glass of red, and a port, and im well into the mood.
you know youre in Amsterdam, when after dinner, the waiter offers me a line of coke. (why does this always happen to me here?? )
went back to the flat, just to have a rest, as its 9.30 pm and we plan to make the most of the weekend by joing the pride celebrations. woke up at midnight and got ready to go out.....except it was about 2 by the time we actually left the flat. just in time for the rain...... sheesh they really know how to do summer here.
anyway...met up with one of Jons friends Kurt, and went to a bar, had more beer. then when that closed at 4, we went to a club.... called The cockring.... poor kurt, who was straight, lord knows what he thought of the place, but i think he settled in ok.
never have i seen a club so hormonally charged. they had shows every 40 mins i think...2 big muscle guys up on a podium dancing....well at first i think they were dancing , until i looked closer... is that.....couldnt be...oh my god they are...... flopping out their huge (and i do mean huge) dicks, waving them at the crowd... striking poses that were so sexually suggestive. anyway...show number 3....and they were actually fucking on stage... you should have seen the vultures all crowding around to have a good look.
although the guys were good looking (ish) i just couldnt comprehend how they could stand up there and cheapen themselves so much. it was worse than any girl strip show i had seen.. yet, like a car crash, you just couldnt look away.
we stumbled out of the club at about 7am and sauntered the length of the city back to the apartment. i had actually shocked myself at my incredible restraint throughout the night... and was not my usual piggy self. (i actually didnt need to be)
spent the day in the flat snoozing and recovering from a night that shall be burned n my memory for a long time.
today is my last full day in amsterdam... darn it... having so much fun and have even come across some job prospects here. (i wont say too much about the 20,000 euros i had been offered to do something which i wont go into )
today i must do the shopping i have been meaning to, and to book my train seat to Hamburg.
its hard to believe its only day 6 and ive done and seen so much. still 5 weeks to go!!
oh my god i just dont know where to start.
lets rewind to Saturday. got up early (again) and went shopping at the supermarket to get some supplies to make breakfast. During the walk, i had the revelation, that crossing the roads here, is a bit like playing Frogger. (which i was never any good at anyway) this could explain why i have almost been run over by bikes about 3 times now. i think bikes have right of way in all cases...even if the pedestrian crossing says green, the bikes dont stop.
went to watch the pride parade..... see my photo links on the side bar to the left to link off to the pics ive taken.
the buzz in the street..or the canal really, was unbelievable. and i managed to get right into the swing of things by drinking 10 beers. oh my ...this is the most beers i have ever drank in one sitting... tee hee.
then we went to an outdoor dance party thing along side one of the canals... by this time i was absolutely busting to go to the bathroom..... but i just couldnt bring myself to use one of the outdoor pissoirs. i mean.....just standing there pissing into a hole, with hundreds of people walking by.... hmmm.. but i think eventually i could do it.. except this time i didnt and as we are walking to dinner.... i thought my bladder was going to explode. in the end i had to divert to the nearest bar and use the bathroom, or there would have been a urinary explosion of mammoth proportions.
over dinner, a liquour champagne, a huge glass of red, and a port, and im well into the mood.
you know youre in Amsterdam, when after dinner, the waiter offers me a line of coke. (why does this always happen to me here?? )
went back to the flat, just to have a rest, as its 9.30 pm and we plan to make the most of the weekend by joing the pride celebrations. woke up at midnight and got ready to go out.....except it was about 2 by the time we actually left the flat. just in time for the rain...... sheesh they really know how to do summer here.
anyway...met up with one of Jons friends Kurt, and went to a bar, had more beer. then when that closed at 4, we went to a club.... called The cockring.... poor kurt, who was straight, lord knows what he thought of the place, but i think he settled in ok.
never have i seen a club so hormonally charged. they had shows every 40 mins i think...2 big muscle guys up on a podium dancing....well at first i think they were dancing , until i looked closer... is that.....couldnt be...oh my god they are...... flopping out their huge (and i do mean huge) dicks, waving them at the crowd... striking poses that were so sexually suggestive. anyway...show number 3....and they were actually fucking on stage... you should have seen the vultures all crowding around to have a good look.
although the guys were good looking (ish) i just couldnt comprehend how they could stand up there and cheapen themselves so much. it was worse than any girl strip show i had seen.. yet, like a car crash, you just couldnt look away.
we stumbled out of the club at about 7am and sauntered the length of the city back to the apartment. i had actually shocked myself at my incredible restraint throughout the night... and was not my usual piggy self. (i actually didnt need to be)
spent the day in the flat snoozing and recovering from a night that shall be burned n my memory for a long time.
today is my last full day in amsterdam... darn it... having so much fun and have even come across some job prospects here. (i wont say too much about the 20,000 euros i had been offered to do something which i wont go into )
today i must do the shopping i have been meaning to, and to book my train seat to Hamburg.
its hard to believe its only day 6 and ive done and seen so much. still 5 weeks to go!!
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Pride Day
what a day.
about to head out again...its 2.30am but here is the link to my photos that i took today. well some of them....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/boserwolf/
so much to tell.... but cant stop now.............too much fun to be had
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Amster-Dan
Well...as threatened, heres my Grachte pic.
behind me is the Homomonument. last night they had a big outdoor dance party type thing there as the opening for pride festival.
prior to this i had gone to meet Jon at his work and we went to a womans house with his work mates, for drinks. Maureen is a wonderful hostess, but i couldnt help but make comparisions to Mrs Madrigal. 3 beers later and we set off for dinner. this photo was taken at 9pm.... can you believe how light it is.
had dinner at a friends restaurant. very very nice food. (had lobster) my friend shouted us a bottle of wine and a port.. this on top of the beers....well you can imagine my state. left the restaurant at midnight.. lord knows how i didnt fall asleep at the table.. jet lag still playing havoc. was going t go out drinking after, but sensability prevailed and i went home like a good boy and promptly fell asleep.
but Godverdammer.... i woke up at 6am. if only i could wake up like this at home on a work day. ive planned a nana nap this afternoon, although we are going back to the restaurant after the pride parade so i doubt ill get any sleep.
will go shopping this afternoon if i can manage it. off to the supermarket to buy breakfast so i can cook for Jon, as this couldbe one ofthe few chances i get to do that, with our schedule.. and i wanted to say thanks for letting me stay here. and i just love shopping, even if its for food... will give my dutch another go.
bye all.
And this is summer???
**
ok guys....What happened to the summer.
today is like I know Amsterdam to be. Cold, wet and windy.
im laughing now that thank god I didnt make too much of a fuss to my mates back home that I was escaping the winter and heading for summer.... Because I think its warmer and nicer back home in the winter, than it is here today in the summer.....
but still I am having a ball. got to see more of the city today and my god, I cant believe I have never been to Vondelpark before. very nice and green.... a hidden oasis in the midst of the crowded hustle and bustle that is A'dam.
walked around the centrum today..... ive learned that i can walk around for about 10 mins knowing exactly where i am and then all of a sudden i have no idea where i am..... but have learned that if i just keep walking inthe one direction, in another 10 mins im back on track and know exactly where i am. i think its important to have a vague idea of the direction you want to head to and just cross the fingers and hope for the best.
walking along a normal looking street today, and something caught my eye in a window down at knee level.. oh my god it was a semi clad prostitute smiling up at me from her window. i had forgotten about this.
tonight we are to go to a restaurant of a friend of mines, on the Prinzegracht (i think thats how you spell it)
oh today i ordered my coffee in dutch... very impressed.. actually it was sheer blind luck i understood when he asked if i wanted it black or with milk but ...shhhhh secret squirrel.... dont tell anyone.
thankfully my pay has gone in on time so now i have spending money (and who says miracle only happen at xmas..... flight centre actually put the pays in on time for once. although im betting the next one is late)
hope to have more photos for y'all soon. just today was such crap weather theres not much point getting out the camera, although im tempted to take a typical grachte pic with me on a bridge. so cliche but then..... its not a cliche for nothing.
ok, off drinking now... mmmmmm.....Becks Gold !!!!
ok guys....What happened to the summer.
today is like I know Amsterdam to be. Cold, wet and windy.
im laughing now that thank god I didnt make too much of a fuss to my mates back home that I was escaping the winter and heading for summer.... Because I think its warmer and nicer back home in the winter, than it is here today in the summer.....
but still I am having a ball. got to see more of the city today and my god, I cant believe I have never been to Vondelpark before. very nice and green.... a hidden oasis in the midst of the crowded hustle and bustle that is A'dam.
walked around the centrum today..... ive learned that i can walk around for about 10 mins knowing exactly where i am and then all of a sudden i have no idea where i am..... but have learned that if i just keep walking inthe one direction, in another 10 mins im back on track and know exactly where i am. i think its important to have a vague idea of the direction you want to head to and just cross the fingers and hope for the best.
walking along a normal looking street today, and something caught my eye in a window down at knee level.. oh my god it was a semi clad prostitute smiling up at me from her window. i had forgotten about this.
tonight we are to go to a restaurant of a friend of mines, on the Prinzegracht (i think thats how you spell it)
oh today i ordered my coffee in dutch... very impressed.. actually it was sheer blind luck i understood when he asked if i wanted it black or with milk but ...shhhhh secret squirrel.... dont tell anyone.
thankfully my pay has gone in on time so now i have spending money (and who says miracle only happen at xmas..... flight centre actually put the pays in on time for once. although im betting the next one is late)
hope to have more photos for y'all soon. just today was such crap weather theres not much point getting out the camera, although im tempted to take a typical grachte pic with me on a bridge. so cliche but then..... its not a cliche for nothing.
ok, off drinking now... mmmmmm.....Becks Gold !!!!
Friday, August 05, 2005
My first night in Amsterdam was spent having a quiet night, sitting at the balcony of the apartment that we are staying in. this was taken at about 7.30pm (the sun was still up at 9.30) amazed that i lasted until 10.30 pm with no sleep but wasnt very energetic. Jon, my friend, was also tired as he had woken early that day and had worked. He's off working today, leaving me to explore the city, and im planning to check out parts of the city i havent been to yet.
had typical continental breakfast this monring of breads cheeses meats and spreads. (yes Andreas, Eirsalat mit kase !! ) had fun trying to figure out the multitudes of coffee machines they have here... except once we finally made a coffee we realised no suger. oh well !!
well.. off to explore.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
The Wolf has landed
Hi World,
well.... what a schlep!
so many things have happened to me so far.. i just dont know where to begin.
so lets start with the flight from Sydney to Bangkok. the line at immigration, to get out, was huge.. took over 30 mins.... mass exodus from sydney???? is there something i dont know about yet?
got bulkhead aisle seat, with seat next to me vacant... wonderful!!! unfortunately... no upgrade, but hey, premium economy is still pretty good. managed to watch Constantine and Hitchhikers Guide on that flight.
my god, the smoking rooms at bangkok areport are like little torture chambers. you would think for a major airport and transit point like Bangkok, they woudl at least have decent smoking rooms... every other airport does.. but it hasnt changed in at least 10 years that i know of. picture this.... 20 people, all crammed into a 5x5 room.... with hardly any ventilation.... i still managed to smoke about 8 smokes in 40 mins.. becuase i didnt get much of a chance to stock up on nicotine before i left i was craving all flight.... but at least im only smoking 1's so its the equivalent of smoking 1 8mg.. not too bad.
the flight from bangkok to london.. fuck what a flight..... got the same seat.... and was on the aisle of a row of 4.. the 2 middle seats were vacant.. and the same guy was sitting on the far aisle as was on the prev flight. we joked about how lucky we were having the 2 seats between us empty. famous last words. after about 1.5 hours.... 3/4 of the way thru the film Madagascar..(very good by the way) a flight attendant brings 2 english slapper backpackers to come sit.. apologising as she had to move them as a guy down the back was really giving them grief.
turns out the guy was going ballistic... throwing food, punching seats, hurling abuse.. etc. (AKA air rage) the purser get s them to fill out a statement report sayingthey will be going to the police on arrival.
anwyay we land in london and the captain says that the police need to do a security check of the plane, and can everyone remain in their seats with belts fastened until the captain gives the all clear.
well.. 2 HUGE wall of men type cops come on.. armed with guns and tazers and cuffs etc.. and go down the back. we know it was to get the airrage guy. anyway... back they come with a guy in cuffs.. and it wasnt the guy who was the air rage guy.. so lord knows what he did.... and then 3 more cops come on, and get the air rage guy.. also cuffed. finally we were allowed off. little thrill for the trip.
the flight to AMS was quick and painless....except as per usual we land on the runway farthest from the terminal and its a 15 min taxi to the gate.
my friend tells me to get the hotel shuttle to the marriot where he will meet me. after walking back and forth across the terminal 4 times (with heavy bags) i find the counter to buy the ticket.
i go outside.... and stand in line...you woudl think the bus woudl just take whoever and go around the houtels.. but the organiser at the line is organising people into shuttles depending on which hotel you are going to. well.... it was such a shamozel... it was over an hour that i had to wait for a bus.... mind you.. by the time i get on one... i had landed 2 hours ago.... you can imagine the state of me.
then... this stupid american chick..who quite frankly woudl be dangerous with a brain.. gets on.. and shows her ticket to the driver... but shes got the wrong ticket... but this is what the woman gave me"" and ïm not even supposed to be here" and so the driver tells her its 11 euro for the ticket "but i dont have euro......i have dollars"meaning USD. like the whole world uses this currency!!!
(sorry chris but the fucking yanks!!!!! )
anyway, turns out she had missed her connection from iran back to atlanta... she says she will go back and check out why she has the wrong ticket from some woman.. the driver says he will wait a little.. (AHHHHHHHHHHHhh says dan inside his head) the stupid bitch disappears for ages.. and shes left all her bags and stuff on the bus (luckily all 6 of us on there were honest.. but you think you would take it with you
after about 30 mins the driver starts trying to figure out if she has bags on board as we really cant wait any longer.. but as we are about to hand her bags to the line sorter.. she comes back saying its taking too long and she will just get her bags... (shes really as thick as mud.. ) an american on the bus offers to swap some USD for some euro so she can get a ticket...
finally we are on our way. shes the first to be dropped off..... she thanks everyone on the bus.. like we had persnally arranegd for her transfer.. and we can hear here talking to herself out side thebus asking no one in particular where the front door of the hotel is.... ...sigh... at least i can laugh now.. but imagine... it took me 3 hours from the time i stepped off the plane until i get to my friends apartment.
moving on...... the apartment he has here is beautiful. so big.. ok the stairs are a bitch, but its holland.. so what else can i expect. ive never enjoyed a shower so much.... except i got trapped in the shower as the doors were magnetic and i couldnt figure out how to open them... im wetting myself laughing.. as i can just picture on top of all else.... im now trapped in a shower! but i got out eventually (thank god my friend didnt have to come looking for me)
had lunch in leiderplein. and then my friend went to work. i am wandering around AMS now... already used dutch twice. i was so proud of myself...when a woman tried to ask me some survey or something..and without thinking i just said "ney, ik spracht geen nederland's" without pausing.... (it means i dont speak dutch....except i just did)
and i had to get a spare key cut, so went into a shop as asked in dutch if they speak english... (well its polite to anyway)
and thats my trip so far. are you can see... very fun filled.. i can laugh now.. but you can imagine my blood boiling at the time.
thankful im not at work..... amazed at amsterdam in the summer.. since i havent seen it like this for 8 years. usually its winter.
i had forgotten how HOT the european men are.... im trying not to stare !
off to find a good coffee shop and join the locals
(oh by the way, i could smell it even at the airport... welcome to Holland!!!)
love to all
The BOSER Wolf!
well.... what a schlep!
so many things have happened to me so far.. i just dont know where to begin.
so lets start with the flight from Sydney to Bangkok. the line at immigration, to get out, was huge.. took over 30 mins.... mass exodus from sydney???? is there something i dont know about yet?
got bulkhead aisle seat, with seat next to me vacant... wonderful!!! unfortunately... no upgrade, but hey, premium economy is still pretty good. managed to watch Constantine and Hitchhikers Guide on that flight.
my god, the smoking rooms at bangkok areport are like little torture chambers. you would think for a major airport and transit point like Bangkok, they woudl at least have decent smoking rooms... every other airport does.. but it hasnt changed in at least 10 years that i know of. picture this.... 20 people, all crammed into a 5x5 room.... with hardly any ventilation.... i still managed to smoke about 8 smokes in 40 mins.. becuase i didnt get much of a chance to stock up on nicotine before i left i was craving all flight.... but at least im only smoking 1's so its the equivalent of smoking 1 8mg.. not too bad.
the flight from bangkok to london.. fuck what a flight..... got the same seat.... and was on the aisle of a row of 4.. the 2 middle seats were vacant.. and the same guy was sitting on the far aisle as was on the prev flight. we joked about how lucky we were having the 2 seats between us empty. famous last words. after about 1.5 hours.... 3/4 of the way thru the film Madagascar..(very good by the way) a flight attendant brings 2 english slapper backpackers to come sit.. apologising as she had to move them as a guy down the back was really giving them grief.
turns out the guy was going ballistic... throwing food, punching seats, hurling abuse.. etc. (AKA air rage) the purser get s them to fill out a statement report sayingthey will be going to the police on arrival.
anwyay we land in london and the captain says that the police need to do a security check of the plane, and can everyone remain in their seats with belts fastened until the captain gives the all clear.
well.. 2 HUGE wall of men type cops come on.. armed with guns and tazers and cuffs etc.. and go down the back. we know it was to get the airrage guy. anyway... back they come with a guy in cuffs.. and it wasnt the guy who was the air rage guy.. so lord knows what he did.... and then 3 more cops come on, and get the air rage guy.. also cuffed. finally we were allowed off. little thrill for the trip.
the flight to AMS was quick and painless....except as per usual we land on the runway farthest from the terminal and its a 15 min taxi to the gate.
my friend tells me to get the hotel shuttle to the marriot where he will meet me. after walking back and forth across the terminal 4 times (with heavy bags) i find the counter to buy the ticket.
i go outside.... and stand in line...you woudl think the bus woudl just take whoever and go around the houtels.. but the organiser at the line is organising people into shuttles depending on which hotel you are going to. well.... it was such a shamozel... it was over an hour that i had to wait for a bus.... mind you.. by the time i get on one... i had landed 2 hours ago.... you can imagine the state of me.
then... this stupid american chick..who quite frankly woudl be dangerous with a brain.. gets on.. and shows her ticket to the driver... but shes got the wrong ticket... but this is what the woman gave me"" and ïm not even supposed to be here" and so the driver tells her its 11 euro for the ticket "but i dont have euro......i have dollars"meaning USD. like the whole world uses this currency!!!
(sorry chris but the fucking yanks!!!!! )
anyway, turns out she had missed her connection from iran back to atlanta... she says she will go back and check out why she has the wrong ticket from some woman.. the driver says he will wait a little.. (AHHHHHHHHHHHhh says dan inside his head) the stupid bitch disappears for ages.. and shes left all her bags and stuff on the bus (luckily all 6 of us on there were honest.. but you think you would take it with you
after about 30 mins the driver starts trying to figure out if she has bags on board as we really cant wait any longer.. but as we are about to hand her bags to the line sorter.. she comes back saying its taking too long and she will just get her bags... (shes really as thick as mud.. ) an american on the bus offers to swap some USD for some euro so she can get a ticket...
finally we are on our way. shes the first to be dropped off..... she thanks everyone on the bus.. like we had persnally arranegd for her transfer.. and we can hear here talking to herself out side thebus asking no one in particular where the front door of the hotel is.... ...sigh... at least i can laugh now.. but imagine... it took me 3 hours from the time i stepped off the plane until i get to my friends apartment.
moving on...... the apartment he has here is beautiful. so big.. ok the stairs are a bitch, but its holland.. so what else can i expect. ive never enjoyed a shower so much.... except i got trapped in the shower as the doors were magnetic and i couldnt figure out how to open them... im wetting myself laughing.. as i can just picture on top of all else.... im now trapped in a shower! but i got out eventually (thank god my friend didnt have to come looking for me)
had lunch in leiderplein. and then my friend went to work. i am wandering around AMS now... already used dutch twice. i was so proud of myself...when a woman tried to ask me some survey or something..and without thinking i just said "ney, ik spracht geen nederland's" without pausing.... (it means i dont speak dutch....except i just did)
and i had to get a spare key cut, so went into a shop as asked in dutch if they speak english... (well its polite to anyway)
and thats my trip so far. are you can see... very fun filled.. i can laugh now.. but you can imagine my blood boiling at the time.
thankful im not at work..... amazed at amsterdam in the summer.. since i havent seen it like this for 8 years. usually its winter.
i had forgotten how HOT the european men are.... im trying not to stare !
off to find a good coffee shop and join the locals
(oh by the way, i could smell it even at the airport... welcome to Holland!!!)
love to all
The BOSER Wolf!
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Last day at work
panic is starting to settle in that i have not organised everything. rushing around this after noon to find some space bags. im going to fit everything in my back pack if it kills me. however, i pity the poor customs office who opens it and the tiny packages of clothes spring out all over the place once the air rushes back in.
todays phrase ich bin ein Geschäft Analytiker
which is a fancy way of saying im a business analyst.
todays phrase ich bin ein Geschäft Analytiker
which is a fancy way of saying im a business analyst.
Monday, August 01, 2005
2nd last day almost over.
**
and after the day ive had today...... thank god im going on holidays.
sounds like all hell is going to break loose while Im away
anyway.. been listening to my german language cd today.
phrase of the day - es freu mich sehr sie kennen zu lernen (in a nutshell = very pleased to meet you)
had to have a good chuckle at the pronounciation guide at the start where they give you the english letter, then the german pronounciation for that letter and then a german word its used in.
E was used in Lieben (but the way he said Leiben which means love, sounds very lester the molester) F was Finger im not going to continue but the words they picked seemed to be making a very odd sentance.
and after the day ive had today...... thank god im going on holidays.
sounds like all hell is going to break loose while Im away
anyway.. been listening to my german language cd today.
phrase of the day - es freu mich sehr sie kennen zu lernen (in a nutshell = very pleased to meet you)
had to have a good chuckle at the pronounciation guide at the start where they give you the english letter, then the german pronounciation for that letter and then a german word its used in.
E was used in Lieben (but the way he said Leiben which means love, sounds very lester the molester) F was Finger im not going to continue but the words they picked seemed to be making a very odd sentance.
2 more sleeps
as i prepare to say goodbye to sydney, and pack my bags, im arranging things into ever growing piles. do i really need to take all these things that i just cant live without? Im thinking 6 weeks is a long time to be away and i dont want to be doing washing every few days, but then theres the convienience of having a backpack to cart on and off trains around Europe.
some serious thinking has to be done between now and wednesday about what im taking.
double checked my itinerary about 6 times so far.
arriving in Amsterdam on the 4th at 10am, and catching the airport bus to the Marriott, to meet my Aussie Haggis there. Then im thinking ill be so ready for a shower it wont be funny.
Saturday, July 30, 2005
Line of the Century
** **
Went out for dinner with some frends last night. Great Thai food. when one of the main dishes arrived, beautifully presented, with garnish, and a big orchid blossom in the middle. One of my friends asked the waitress "is that edible?"
The waitress smiled and looked at him and replied "No, its a flower"
i think he shall never live this down.
Went out for dinner with some frends last night. Great Thai food. when one of the main dishes arrived, beautifully presented, with garnish, and a big orchid blossom in the middle. One of my friends asked the waitress "is that edible?"
The waitress smiled and looked at him and replied "No, its a flower"
i think he shall never live this down.
Friday, July 29, 2005
Relaxed Dan
Thank god, all went well today with my developer review and looks like i covered everything nicely.
upshot is i can sit back and relax tonight, and know i only have about 4 hours work to do over the weekend.
still feeling numb about my friend leaving.
sadly, today was the last day for one of our developers, who has helped me heaps in figuring out how to work this thing. Thanks Jase, without you, id never have figured it out..... and heres me in IT. haha
Review Day
**
well,
today is review day where the developers will look at what ive spec'd so far, and tell me if its ok or not. outcome of this will determine what kind of weekend im going to have. stress-filled and frantic, trying to get any amendments done, or actually sitting back and planning my holiday.. which is so haphazzardly held together with loose string.
anyway, thought is share a bit of my art with the world. picture is of my little bro. this is what can happen to you if you stand under those black lights for too long..... the discon radiation particles can have long term effects. you have been warned !
My best friend told me last night that he is moving back to the UK. Don't know how to feel about that. Hes become such an intrinsic part of my life, that i cant imagine what it would be like without him. i guess im about to find out.
to say that im in shock about it, is an understatement. im actually feeling numb. its inconceivable that in 3 months time, he will be on the other side of the world, and no longer part of my almost daily life.
Wednesday, July 27, 2005
Delirium
**
well, the race is on to complete my functional requirements specification before i go.
slowly going insane as i lose my mind down the myriad of alternate paths and exceptions.
with each use case, the project seems bigger and bigger, with more and more to add in.
feeling like im standing at the base of an ever growning mountain..and no matter how much i climb, the summit seems to remain at an equal distance. looks lke ill be working over the weekend to get it finished.
but then 6 weeks off, so i shouldnt really complain.
6 more sleeps to go.. and i still have no idea what to take with me. a backpack or a suitcase. both have merits so ill have to put the thinking hat on.. just that its rather tied up at the moment.
had a interesting dinner last night. African food. i can recommend the Fufu but cant remember the names of th other dishes. was all good though.
well, the race is on to complete my functional requirements specification before i go.
slowly going insane as i lose my mind down the myriad of alternate paths and exceptions.
with each use case, the project seems bigger and bigger, with more and more to add in.
feeling like im standing at the base of an ever growning mountain..and no matter how much i climb, the summit seems to remain at an equal distance. looks lke ill be working over the weekend to get it finished.
but then 6 weeks off, so i shouldnt really complain.
6 more sleeps to go.. and i still have no idea what to take with me. a backpack or a suitcase. both have merits so ill have to put the thinking hat on.. just that its rather tied up at the moment.
had a interesting dinner last night. African food. i can recommend the Fufu but cant remember the names of th other dishes. was all good though.
Sunday, July 24, 2005
2nd last weekend in sydney.
well, on the home stretch of a well deserved restful weekend.
After several hours of work yesterday, preping to hand over a project, i caught up with my little bro Kevbear this weekend.
Went and saw "Sin City" at the movies. great little ultra violent piece of film noir. A super-arty new generation, improved formula, neo-retro Pulp Fiction.
Not for the faint hearted.
Then back to my place for horrorfest, Kev and Dan style. Kevs into horror movies, and they being on of my fave genres (after sci fi) got to finally see more of his collection.
Today , being sunday, seemed to be unusually warm for a mid winters weekend. i was in a t-shirt and Kev in a singlet, as we sauntered the length of Newtown, prowling for breakfast. Hardly believing that this is winter.
Whats even more inconceivable, is that i only have 7 more working days until 6 weeks off. 6 Weeks!!??!!
Friday, July 22, 2005
What next
After the day ive had, with typical political games, in my office... the looming holiday just cannot come quick enough.
bit nervous about travelling to Europe, esp if i stopover in UK, with all the kerfuffle going on over there, but im refusing to let the terror win, and plan to continue on as normal.
my flights are booked now..
leaving sydney definately on 3 Aug to AMS (via London) and due to get in around 10am into AMS.
have heard im staying on Vondelstraat which is near the centre of town. yippe. then 5 fun filled, hopefully memorable (or is that i hope i remember) days in my beloved Nederlands.
of cource, every man and his dog is heading to AMS that weekend for Pride weekend..so ill be 1 in thousands of tourists.. but aparently its the best time to ever be in the city so im looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about. (considering we have MG down here.. i wonder how it will compare)
bit nervous about travelling to Europe, esp if i stopover in UK, with all the kerfuffle going on over there, but im refusing to let the terror win, and plan to continue on as normal.
my flights are booked now..
leaving sydney definately on 3 Aug to AMS (via London) and due to get in around 10am into AMS.
have heard im staying on Vondelstraat which is near the centre of town. yippe. then 5 fun filled, hopefully memorable (or is that i hope i remember) days in my beloved Nederlands.
of cource, every man and his dog is heading to AMS that weekend for Pride weekend..so ill be 1 in thousands of tourists.. but aparently its the best time to ever be in the city so im looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about. (considering we have MG down here.. i wonder how it will compare)
Wednesday, July 20, 2005
Itinerary is in the making
**
Well, after a brief scare that my holidays had been cancelled by my employer, it seems the holiday is still a go ahead.
now if only the travel agent would hurry up and actually make the booking. she left it over 2 weeks before looking at the booking (and for those wondering, it was an internal staff travel agency so got no choice but to book through them) ive now lost the chance for a good connection out of London to Amsterdam, and it looks like i have to pay more for a decent connection. "Not happy Jan!"
Got a call from the pay office last week. seems that they have been underpaying me for the past 3 months, by quite a considerable amount. Lord knows how i missed this. anyway, the good news is that they will provide me the backpay, whilst im on holdiays. so the silver lining is that it was like enforced savings and i now have several grand for a holiday bonus. Got to be happy about that.
the holiday plans seem to be at a perfect time. A good mate of mine is working over in Amsterdam and has an apartment there. So ill be in the city, just in time to experience their Pride weekend. Imagine thousands of tourists converging on the one city forthe weekend im going to be there. thank god i dont need to source a hotel, otherwise id be sleeping on the Grachte!
5.5 days in Amsterdam, and then i hop on the train to Germany. 6 hours of the best that DeutscheBahn can offer, before it spews me out in the centre of Hamburg, looking all lost and bewildered. Thank god my german has improved, so im hoping not to get into too much trouble finding my way, if i cant locate my friends at the station. (although i bet they will take great delight in hiding from me and watching me panic. - kein panik auf die Titanik!
the countdown is on.. we are at T minus 14 Days and counting
Well, after a brief scare that my holidays had been cancelled by my employer, it seems the holiday is still a go ahead.
now if only the travel agent would hurry up and actually make the booking. she left it over 2 weeks before looking at the booking (and for those wondering, it was an internal staff travel agency so got no choice but to book through them) ive now lost the chance for a good connection out of London to Amsterdam, and it looks like i have to pay more for a decent connection. "Not happy Jan!"
Got a call from the pay office last week. seems that they have been underpaying me for the past 3 months, by quite a considerable amount. Lord knows how i missed this. anyway, the good news is that they will provide me the backpay, whilst im on holdiays. so the silver lining is that it was like enforced savings and i now have several grand for a holiday bonus. Got to be happy about that.
the holiday plans seem to be at a perfect time. A good mate of mine is working over in Amsterdam and has an apartment there. So ill be in the city, just in time to experience their Pride weekend. Imagine thousands of tourists converging on the one city forthe weekend im going to be there. thank god i dont need to source a hotel, otherwise id be sleeping on the Grachte!
5.5 days in Amsterdam, and then i hop on the train to Germany. 6 hours of the best that DeutscheBahn can offer, before it spews me out in the centre of Hamburg, looking all lost and bewildered. Thank god my german has improved, so im hoping not to get into too much trouble finding my way, if i cant locate my friends at the station. (although i bet they will take great delight in hiding from me and watching me panic. - kein panik auf die Titanik!
the countdown is on.. we are at T minus 14 Days and counting
Friday, July 15, 2005
Welcome to my world
Stay tuned for futher tales of the wolf
ill be leaving Australia on the 3rd of August.
planned itinerary so far is Amsterdam until the 12th of August then off to Hamburg, Germany.
due back in Australia on 14 September.
ill be leaving Australia on the 3rd of August.
planned itinerary so far is Amsterdam until the 12th of August then off to Hamburg, Germany.
due back in Australia on 14 September.
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