So this is Christmas...

Today is Christmas day.
Man, first christmas from home, and what a bloody christmas it was...
Jeez...
Ok, the story starts on Christmas eve. I'd just finished work, early, and had been invited to a friend's house. I was told to bring booze. So I went to a liquor shop and picked up a crate of Tiger, thinking that it would last me till Boxing day at least, because liquor shops would be closed on the 25th.
So I got a bus from there, carrying a crate of Tiger, and mananged to find my way to the house, a long way away.
They went out, and I went with, to get booze for them. And I thought, while I was there I might as well join, and bought a bottle of Jaiger.
I told my friends that I was planning to leave about 11pm, so I could get home, sleep and phone home on Skype in the morning.
Well.
I got drunk. I remember cracking open the Jaiger after about three or four beers, and then I remember waking up.
In a park. I had no idea where I was, if I was still in the same area as the house, what. I woke up on bark chips, under a tree, and it was freezing. I actually tried making a fire with what I had - the cardboard from a pack of chewing gum, two sticks and the bark chips.
Walking around, I found a public toilet, so I stole toilet paper to use as kindling for the fire I was still planning. It was so cold, and I was scared. Not drunk anymore, stone sober, but I was just alone and scared.
I walked around, and met some strangers, and asked them directions. They told me the road I knew, and I started walking back to the friend's house. When I got there it was about 5.00 am, and I was banging on the door, trying to get in. Apparently they were petrified, because I tried reaching in through the letter box to unlock it.
They did open the door, and apparently I was a wreck - shivering, white and my eyes were wide as could be. So scared.
But they calmed me down, warmed me up and I managed to get some sleep on their floor.
I woke up at 9am, and discovered I had no phone, keys or wallet. So I went back to the park, which I found out was about half an hour away.
Searched everywhere, but couldn't find anything. The area under the tree was so messed up, bark chips piled up from where I tried to set fire to them, a scuffed patch of dirt where I fell asleep... A mess. I was so unhappy, it was the worst christmas. No money, no way of letting anyone know I had no money, no ID, and my travelpass was there. I found a small pile of loose change, which must have fallen out. $5.50 I had in the world. My arms were covered in cuts and scratches, and bites. I wandered back to the house.
Well I tried to get on fine, not ruin anyone elses day.
Later, my friend got a call from a guy who was there the night before, who'd just gotten a call from MY phone, telling me that they'd picked up my phone and my stuff. I had to call them back after four, and could go pick it up.
Yes! It could be a good christmas after all.
So I helped tidy up, make breakfast and stuff, and actually had a good time. I pulled out the bottle of Jaiger, which was almost finished, and jokingly said "Ha! People have been pinching this, huh?"
And I was told that I had drank that much :S.
Anyway, people started arriving, and another party built up.
At four, I tried phoning my phone, but nobody picked up. This continued until 6, all the while I was getting depressed because my earlier worries came back. At 6 though, someone picked up, and told me where to pick up my phone and keys. No wallet.
But I went and picked them up anyway. Man, it was down back alleys and side streets, I don't know how I got there. But true enought, my phone and the house keys were there. I was so much happier, knowing I still had a room. I was supposed to get the key copied, but hadn't gotten round to it, so without keys I would have been locked out my room.
Had another look in the park, but no, definately no wallet.
Nevermind, nothing could be done about it. I had a phone and keys, it wasn't the end of the world.
Walked back to the house, got a text from my parents, saying "I'd been asleep and missed them trying to phone me on Skype." Haha, I was in the police station at that time, trying to claim my stuff back.
I left my friends, came home and got the end of the christmas dinner with the house people. Phoned my folks, that was really nice, and then went out with the house people to look at INSANELY decorated houses. It was like Vegas, the amount of effort people went to.
Then came back, opened presents and had a laugh. Now I'm winding down. So tired.
Tomorrow, off to the beach with the friends from the party. Should be fun. I blocked both the cards in my wallet, and I'll just have to carry my passport as ID. It's a bummer, but not as bad as I thought. Gives me a chance to buy a new wallet, instead of having one from Year 4. I'm thinking black leather, yeeeah.
I'm a bit worried, most of the bites are little, but there's this one bite on my left arm that is huge, and there's a raised circle around it. The skin is a bit firmer too. Apparently it was just a bigger bug, but I'll keep an eye on it, just in case.
Anyway!
I hope my fellow readers have a really great day. Don't eat too much, relax and just have a good time.
Lots of love.

Boxing day - Spent on the beach.
Man, is that weird. Even weirder was that my friends were playing christmas tunes. Frank Sinatra's "Let It Snow" will now always have a very different image, haha. Christmas day feels a week ago, it's so strange.
Weird...
Speak soon.

"The moment one gives close attention to anything, even a blade of grass, it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself." (Henry Miller)
"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumblebee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams." (Ashley Smith)

G'day folks.
It's Monday, I worked today. But my hours are getting less, and the work is running slower. However, on my way to the beach the other day, I came across a racing track, for horse races. The smell of horses reminded me of the good old days when my brother and I went riding, and we got pretty good at it for our age, so if I do get the boot and find myself looking for a job, I know where I'll look first. Even if it's just helping mucking out and feeding and stuff, that sounds quite appealing. I like horses. And maybe I could steal one and hide it in the landlady's back garden, say it's a high tech lawn piece.
I went to the bank today, took out a fat wad of cash. My bankcard will be replaced but due to the christmas break, it'll take about a week to reach me, so this money will hopefully keep me ticking over. And then on my way out of the shopping centre, I bought a new wallet with my fat wad of cash. I didn't mean to buy a brand name, but it's ""Bernini", apparently described as "Armani's cousin."
So yeah. All I know is, it's black and smells of leather... People give you strange looks as you walk past them, sniffing a wallet.
I'm about to cook the remainder of my spaghetti and sausages, and then chill out with a movie.
I got a facebook message from a person I didn't really want to speak to as well, that threw me off balance. Havn't spoken to them in a while, and now they pipe up. Gah.
Can't think of anything else to say.
Have a good one, peace out.

"A dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world." (Oscar Wilde

Monday 22nd December

Today I break my rule of a new post on the Friday, because the flaming enter button was playing up on that other post, and I couldn't be bothered to work out what it was.
It is indeed Monday! And it's now 11.50pm.
Work is definately slowing down, it was the first 10am start since the second week I started here. Will probably get fired soon, but I'm not too bothered really, it'd be nice to chill out.
I wanted to make up for my shockingly lazy day yesterday, so when I got home I planned on going out for a run. Well, when I got back in Ben (the landlady's son) and his girlfriend, and brother, and Michelle and Ken (the irish couple) were all going out to drink and do kareoke. I got invited, but I was desperate to run, so I had to politefully decline. I'm gonna try and hang with them this weekend, if possible.
Anyway, once that Motley Crue left, I changed into shorts and hooked my mp3 player into a pouch I made from Tubigrip, which I fixed to my upper left arm.
Then I actually managed to jog/run all the way to Maroubra beach, about two kilometres. I was dead chuffed, I've never managed to consistently keep up a fast pace for long.
When I got to the beach, I took off my shoes and socks, sat down in front of the waves and looked at the stars.
On the way back, it hit me - to everybody else, I was a jogger.
A jogger. Something I strived never to be, haha. The reason whenever I've gone running previously, I've always worn combats. But no, today I was a jogger. Nevermind, I'm happy, I'm aching all over. And I was reminded of the joys of stretching and warming up, when I got to the beach my legs were like "Tom! You fool! You should've stretched, we hurt!"
I said "Silence muscles, I own you. You will feel no pain while attached to me!"
But they are stubborn muscles, they continue to ache. I shall punish them soon, with more running.
And as I'm in healthy mode, when I got home I showered and ate three mangoes. Mangoes! They're delicious. And delightfully messy. And a good excuse to use a knife.
I also ate the remainder of the crisps, and some of the chocolate from yesterday. But that was just to get rid of it, I cannot just let food remain untouched. If it's there, it's going to be eaten, whether I want to or not.
But once it's finished, I'll try my darndest not to replace it.
Anyway folks, I shall leave you now. I might have an early night. I probably won't, but hey, at least I'm not lying to you.
Speak soon. Stay true to yourself.

"He looked down, at the outcrops jutting from the smooth wall. The wind pushed him towards the edge, but he resisted, instead letting his thoughts get blown away into the distance.
His gaze returned to the horizon. The shimmering expanse of water covered his view, falling away into the sky. Size was nothing to this vast ocean, nothing could remain great when surrounded by endless waves.
Somehow he knew, deep within himself, that his answers could be found on the other side. And he also knew that someday, he would reach that side, and find true happiness." (Excerpt from a story.)


Tuesday, late.
Not gonna write anything, just heard a good quote.
And then another.
Funnily enough, in the same film...
Could quote many, many more, but there are just too many.

"That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails, that's what a ship needs. But what a ship is... what the Black Pearl really is... is Freedom."
"Bring me that horizon..."
(Captain Jack Sparrow)

Sunday 20th of December

Hello fellow readers.
Today is Sunday, it's now 12.35 am.
Today has been an uncomplicated one, but one that deserves a writeup.
I awoke at about 10ish, after a night spent watching the new Batman film. It's better the second time, which I was amazed at.
I went and sent a package back, I'd ordered some clothes but they were too big, so I sent them to get exchanged. I seem to do this a lot, maybe learning from mistakes is something I should stop thinking about and start doing. What a fool.
Anyway, once that was done I went to the park for the last time, it was a good one. I hope I'll get back there after Christmas, there's much more I need to learn.
And today's great start was shattered by this evening. I got home at around six, and had to go back into the city to return Batman. Not a problem, it takes fifteen minutes to get there, so it should take maybe just over half an hour max, I could maybe get another movie, come home and relax.
Wrong.
Public transport should NEVER be taken for granted. When the buses you need don't show up, it can really ruin your day. I had to get a bus that went past where I needed to get to, walk back about 15 minutes to the Blockbuster, only to see the bus I needed to get home drive past as I walk up to the video shop.
Now this is the bus that never showed up, to get me into the city in the first place.
So I had to wait half an hour for the next bus to take me home, half an hour in which I spent choosing movies very slowly in Blockbuster. I got five out, at a cheaper price than the newly released Batman, so at least I have a few films to watch (A Beautiful Mind, Blow, The Man with Two Brains, Not Another Teen Movie and Pirates of the Caribbean 1).
The Pirates film was a nostalgic choice, reminds me of sitting on Dan's bed watching it with him.
Anyway, the half hour trip ended up taking maybe two or three hours. I was glowering on the bus, so damn annoyed.
But wound down with biscuits and crisps, "Comfort food." Comfort food that makes me annoyed at myself for having eaten. Food that makes me want to run.
I had KFC the other day for the first time since my stepbrother had found a chicken head in his box, and I'll be honest, I can't stand the stuff anymore. I was feeling proper upchucky the rest of the day. But on the flip side, I found out that my landlady's method of curing a poorly stomach is a healthy measure of peppermint liquor, haha, so I might be feeling sick more often.
Christmas is almost here, and apparently I could lose my job before then. There are too many temp people working there now, and the work is slowing down, so if I'm caught not looking busy I could get the boot.
Not as bothered as I was a month ago, I've saved up $3000 in me bank account. Yeeah, I'm rolling in the green down here. Doesn't mean I go wild, but it means I feel a bit more secure, so if I do go without a job I'm not as desperate to get another. I will, but just not as "Oh my god I can't afford rent." Which is a situation I don't want to be in again.
Plans for tomorrow? Do my laundry, and if it's nice I'll try a steady jog along the beach paths. I want to feel like I've burned off a weeks worth of bad food. I ate a whole cake the other day, not sure if I mentioned it. A whole cake! Sitting in ma bellay! That's gotta go. Along with KFC, biscuits, crisps and peanut butter. The stuff tastes good, but if I come back home with a pot belly I'll have let myself down.
Oh yeah! The landlady's friend, Antonio, the man I asked how long he'd been in Australia for and he replied "25 years" (not sure if I mentioned that either, sorry if I had) knows the way of Karate. AND he used to teach sword fighting, in a class. So if I'm very lucky, he might give me some tips, or even show me how to fight. That would be cool.
Well dear readers, I've run out of things I want to let you read. Christmas is almost upon us, I hope you all have a few days to wind down, and let yourselves really appreciate what you have. Think of things that you can smile about.
And if there's nothing, then go mad, and pretend you see things to laugh at.
All the best people.

"The Grand essentials of happiness are: something to do, something to love, and something to hope for." (Allan K. Chalmers)

Yo Ho Ahoy me mateys, arrrr.

It's Monday, 2.05am.

Today was possibly the laziest day I've ever had. I woke up at 4.30, and watched a film. Then I went to the shops, bought chocolate and crisps and a takeaway, and came home and watched another film. And then I chilled out on the internet. Man, so damn lazy. It's great. Gonna do some exercise now, but then it's to my bed, haha. Woop! For some reason every time I hit the Enter button, it drops down a bigger gap than usual, so I can't be bothered to write much as it'll look strange.

Goodnight folks. All the best.

"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow."

"One day your life will flash before your eyes. Make sure its worth watching."

Friday 12th December

Heya people.
It's currently 11.15pm, and I am in the mood to chill. I bought some minty biscuit things, and I have Jaigermeister left over, so I will spend my night watching Batman (1st one), drinking with the door locked, slowly munching my minty biscuits and popping M&Ms. This may not sound like the most sociable way to spend a Friday night, but I am socialed out, I just want to be alone for a while. Spent the day at work, then went back to the hostel to see old friends, who turned out mostly not there. And last night I was up til 1.30 with the Irish couple and Cook's son, watching Hancock (Will Smith superhero film) and drinking Heineken and eating pizza.
All this crap food is annoying me. Will TRY and go to the park tomorrow, haven't been in about three weeks. And apparently the weather tomorrow is gonna be great, so I'll try and go for a run along the beach.
Christmas has sprung upon me. I haven't been around much, and now there's decorations everywhere, bands playing carols in train stations... I don't know if I like it. It feels weird, it doesn't feel like it should be christmas. I've been thinking about the raisin and red onion and cinnamon stuff that the Robinson family has introduced into my life, haha, it's really good!
I've been reading. A previous roommate from the hostel gave me a book before he left, "A Confession" by Tolstoy. It's deep stuff. I've been reading more of this deep, deep stuff since I got out here, but not through my choice, but because people have recommended it in conversations, saying that I sound like the person who'd like it. Into The Wild was scarily close, at times, to how I have been thinking. Really changes the way things appear. I want to read Frankenstein again, I'm not sure if anything new will appear after this newfound knowledge.
It rained all day today. Heavy rain, rain that relaxes me. Still raining now, I can hear it against the window.
I'm thinking now. Gonna go and sort out rent stuff, then come back and watch my film.
Goodnight y'all.

"Do not follow where the path may lead. Go instead, where there is no path and leave a trail." (Ralph Emerson)
"It's not who I am, but what I do, that makes me." (Bruce Wayne, Batman Begins)
P.S - Just remembered, my nickname (one of them) at work is Batman, from the leather cuff I wear. My other nickname is Shakespeare, due to the way I speak and where I'm from. Similar to my Dad's nickname in the army, Prince Charles I think, from the way he speaks.
"And it all just happens again, Way down the line." (Way Down The Line, The Offspring)

G'day. It's Saturday, 10.30. I've just got back and gotten out the shower, having been gone since 3.30. I was planning on going to the park, but when I got up for my alarm I just had to get more sleep, I was dog tired. So when I eventually arose, I planned on not wasting my day, thinking about walking to the nearby Coogee Beach, apparently a good one.
Well, as I was getting a drink from the kitchen, my irish housemate Michelle came in, and asked if I had any plans. I told her, and she came up with the idea of getting a bus to Maroubra Beach, about 10 minutes away by bus. I could then walk from Maroubra to Coogee, and get a bit of sun, as it was a very nice sunny day.
I thought this was a good idea, but I thought as I'd be walking, I might as well shoot the moon.
So today, I have walked from my house to Maroubra, and then walked and climbed my way back up, past Coogee up to Bondi Beach. Man, I am now exhausted, but feeling good, apart from an intense, lack-of-water headache. I've been climbing the cliffs instead of going on the paths, I watched the sunset from a tall rock with the waves crashing around, I met some great strangers and I feel like I've been to the gym. Scratched and cut, I know it's been a productive day (or an unlucky one) when you see a bit of blood, haha. And also I surprised some sunbathers, haha. Topless sunbathing... You're never completely secluded, fools! Haha.
Only problem is I had lunch (a few minty biscuits and M&Ms from last night, and an apple) around 3.00pm, and I was planning on buying some veggies and tomato sauce and having a healthy dinner, but my headache was so bad I just had to get home. So I have some tuna strips and a loaf of bread. Tuna on toast, not the worst dinner, but definately not the best. I got some funny looks on the bus, eating bread from the bag.
I don't know what else to say.

"I just wish the world was twice as big and half of it was still unexplored. "
“It seems to me that the natural world is the greatest source of excitement; the greatest source of visual beauty; the greatest source of intellectual interest. It is the greatest source of so much in life that makes life worth living.”
(David Attenborough)

Heya people, it's Monday 15th of Deciembre. I am hurting. Arms, legs, neck and ribs... I went to the park after work, was great. But there are only two more sessions this year, which sucks. On the plus side, I had a great conversation with the main man and there are places all over Oz, so I should be able to visit more parks during my stay here.
I went to the post office today, and sent off christmas cards. I can only hope they get home in time for the big day, but if they're a bit late I hope people understand. IT'S A LONG WAY TO FLY, PEOPLE.
And when I got home I found a card from the delivery service, saying a package was unable to be collected today. Which means my christmas pressie is on this continent, woop! I'll phone them tomorrow, giving instructions. I'm looking forward to opening it, not to get at what's inside but because I know it was packed by people I miss.
And I phoned Emma, just now. It turns out, I thought I had to get a train an hour away from the city, but apparently where I work isn't too far away from where they are, so she suggested maybe a visit after work. Sounds good, it'll be nice to talk to friendly people I know.
I don't really know what to say now. I've listed events, I can't be bothered to go into my meals of late (salmon, in case you're interested), and I havn't had any majorly violent mood shifts lately. I havn't been drunk lately, either... Hmm, that connection has before now, been unbreached...
My body is quitting on me though. On sunday, I was in agony, with stomach pains I havn't had in months. I stumbled around, seriously considering phoning a doctor, but then I found some strong painkillers in a cupboard. I took a few and went back to bed, awaking at 4pm feeling fine. I just wish I knew what sets this pain off, it's not a random thing. I hope exercise isn't the key. The day before, I had that seven hour walk, but that should hurt the legs, not the stomach, right? I need exercise, it is something that is now a basic necessity for me. I cannot go for a few days without feeling guilty and angry at myself for not having gone for a run, or done situps or weights. So if it is exercise that kicks off this stomach problem, I fear I'm going to have to stock up on pills and suck it up.
Oh yeah, and my face looks like hell. That's annoying. And ulcers are coming up. I'm breaking down, haha.
And I need to eat healthier. Okay, I'm now going into the food stuff, but hey. I had my recent pang for veggies yesterday. Walked ten minutes to the nearest supermarket, bought about six different types of vej, and a pack of salmon, and then cooked the salmon while chopping up all the vej and just boiling the lot. Stir frying can't be the best way to cook food, not everyday.
And just now I've had the remainder of the salmon, and three carrots. Yeeeaaaa.
So that is my food list of the last few days. I could be bothered, in the end.
I have this strange habit. I stay up into the wee hours of the morning, for no reason. I could easily be getting around nine hours of sleep a night, but no, I have to go to bed at around two, every night. And then I wonder why I'm tired. What a pleb.
Anyway, I'm rambling. It's coming up to midnight, and I have to spend the next two hours doing sweet F A.
Listening to my pirates playlist.
All the best.
"Hey, ho, We'll go, Anywhere the wind is blowing, Bold and brave and free, Sailing for adventure, On the deep blue seaaa!"
"The stars will be our compass, Wherever we may roam, And though we may put into port, the sea is always home!"
"We chase our dreams standing on our own, Over the horizon to the great unknown!"
(Sailing for Adventure, Muppet Treasure Island)

Tuesday, eight pm.
Not sure how many of you caught last nights post. My apologies, that shouldn't have happened.
I now have a headache, I was late for work and I'm down one bottle of Jaiger.
Speak soon.
"A man cannot free himself from the past more easily than he can from his own body." (André Maurois)
"Each has his past shut in him like the leaves of a book known to him by heart and his friends can only read the title. " (Virginia Woolf)

Thursday, 12.14am.
Heya people. I'm not going to lie to you, today was a good day.
I'm in a happy mood.
I realised several things today. One of them was that lately, I've been posting melancholic scripts about feeling low, and my thoughts and feelings, but I realised that nobody probably wants to read that. So today I'm posting good stuff. And luckily, today, as previously stated, was a good day.
It's the lamest reason, but basically I was able to put more than one item into a box, and save myself packing six boxes going to the same address, which always annoys me.
And then when I got home, a good song was playing, the sun was setting, it was great. And last night my laundry was done, which always makes me feel happier. And tomorrow is predicted to rain.
Yeah, I'm cruising on a high at the moment :).
And then I watched a film with dinner and cake. The film was "Wolf Creek", DO NOT WATCH IT UNLESS ALREADY HAVE DONE. It would only make you worry, especially due to my (proposed) Blue Mountains trip.
Oh yeah, I bagged a fecking huge cockroach in my room just now. I love it, it's trapped under the cake box lid. I turn in my swivel chair and practise my Tony Montana.
"You fuckin' cockaroach."
(Sorry gramparents, had to be done.)
I'll chuck it out a window before sleep hits, don't wanna kick the lid when I wake up.
I was planning on an early night, but I filled out half of what I've written tonight and the laptop crashed, had to try and remember what I'd written. I'm sure the first version was much wittier, with a few jokes and maybe the cure for cancer written in.
Oh well.
Time for me to hit the hay.
I'm out like a light.
Speak soon people,
PEACE OUT.
"You fuckin' cockaroach..."

"You fuckin' cockaroach." (Tony Montana, in Scarface)
"Who knows, Master Wayne. You start pretending to have fun, you might even have a little by accident." (Alfred, in Batman Begins)

Saturday 6th of December

Hey! I am currently typing this, at my new place of residence. Let me tell you the tale of how I came to be in this strange and magical place, a wondrous place...
It started on Thursday, a worrying day to be sure. For days before that, Tom had been starting to voice his concern over his near lack of residence to his old roommate, Melano, who was giving unhelpful advice like "You should have been doing this weeks ago."
Tom realised the blessing of hindsight, but this didn't aquire him a place to stay.
He told his boss at work of his plight, and the kind man let Tom have the fateful Thursday morning off, to look at a few houses he'd found on the internet. Tom was particularly hopeful of one place, which had three other people sharing the house, but a room to himself had been advertised.
On the morning of Thursday, Tom awoke early, using all three of his alarms. He quickly dressed, and ran out of his hostel, The Jolly Swagman, his home for the last eight weeks. He realised just how nice it was, once he was being ejected from it.
Visiting a house in the middle of the city, Tom inwardly chokes when being told the bond is $1000, and then rent each week is $300. He doesn't expect to pay that much, not when he still draws breath.
He leaves that rundown house, and sprints across the city to another possible place. This one is a whole apartment for $300 per week, and as the house Tom had just visited was shared by around five others and Tom had to share a room, this next place seemed amazing. An apartment to himself, overlooking the harbour and containing a pool and a gym. The couple who lived there were going on holiday for three weeks, and were renting out the place while they were gone. Tom was planning on booking into a hostel or motel in advance, once he'd settled into this apartment.
However, as Tom was running to the possible apartment, he was phoning the woman who lived there, as he'd written down the exact address at work and hadn't brought it home. But the woman never picked up! In desperation, Tom phoned a friend who was at work, and asked for the address. He got it! Rushing to the tower block, still phoning the lady, he was greeted by a porter who was friendly, but couldn't help our hero. Tom was left standing in the street until 15 minutes had passed since he was supposed to have been looking around the apartment. He was crushed. He needed a place to live, and chances of finding a place now were slim. He didn't want to have to pay $1000.
Spotting a convenience store on the corner of the road, with internet inside, he went in, glancing at the time. He was allowed until about 12 noon, then he had to start going to work.
Tom went on the computer, and went on Gumtree, a renowned site for apartments and rooms to share. Finding anything under $180 and fairly nearby would be perfect, he thought to himself.
Phoning up mobile numbers on possible places, Tom once again loses the flicker of hope that swells whenever a good find appears. In the end, at 12.30, he gives up. The best place so far has been a room to share, living in a house with five Thai people. Tom could only just understand the address he was given. Walking to the bus stop, and climbing on the bus, he collapsed onto a seat, wondering what he was going to do.
Sleep in a fire escape? Crash at friends places, until his wanderings led to a place?
A single tear escaped his eye. He was getting scared.
Jerking in his seat, Tom reached for his phone, which was vibrating in his pocket. An unknown number was on the screen.
"Hello?"
The responding voice was female, middle aged and asian. It told our friend that her name was Cook, and she was ringing him because he rang her about half an hour before. Tom explained that he had seen a place to rent, and she replied that she was indeed renting out a room, for $180, and it was available immediately.
"Available immediately?" Those words flashed in his vision.
Tom told her that he would be there tonight, after work, and thanked her immensely. She laughed, saying it was no problem, and that she would wait up for him.

Well readers, that's how I came to be here. I paid on the night, and moved in yesterday. I have a room to myself, with a surprisingly comfortable bed. The people here are quiet, like the neighbourhood, and it's a twenty minute bus ride into the city.
There are a few niggles. Things keep breaking, like the blinds, and the cockroach density mass is higher than the human mass. But I'm only here for nights, I'm working hard still. Just came home from my Saturday shift, even staying on an hour longer that was originally asked for. I can still see my friends at the hostel, I'm even going out tonight. And also, Coogee Beach (one of the best, apparently) is about twenty minutes away walking. I saw it on Google Maps, it seems to have nice cliffs, so I might go for a run tomorrow.


I can't think of much else to say. I think I'm losing a bit of weight, because I don't have the energy to cook when I get home, I just buy sushi on the trip back, or have nothing. But at work, Mcdonalds and fish and chips are a regular lunch and breakfast, so I need to burn that off. I hate eating it, but at work I'm always famished.

Starting to miss people now. I don't miss England, I don't want to come back yet, but I would love to see everyone. Friends and family. Oh well, facebook and Skype can settle that, slightly.
Well dear listeners, for fear of boring you I shall depart. All the best.
"Fear can hold you prisoner.
Hope can set you free."
(Andy Dufresne, Shawshank Redemption)


Hey hey guys and dolls, hope you are all hunky dorey, funky as a monkey...
Today is Tuesday, it's about 11.45. I bought an external harddrive, and it arrived today, so I'm moving pretty much everything off my laptop onto the external. Hopefully will speed up the laptop. Turns out when you copy films from Blockbuster, there's a limit as to how many films, haha.
Anywho...
The house is now much nicer than it was when I arrived. I've settled in a bit, I've met the couple who rent the other room, a really nice Irish pair who are very friendly and good company. And the woman who owns the house, Cook, actually gave me dinner tonight, calamari and octopus in a spicy chinese sauce. So yeah, this place is growing on me. All I need is a fan for my room, and it'd be awesome.
Work is calming down now. Apparently tomorrow is going to be the last twelve hour shift, so if I'm lucky I may be able to reclaim the remnants of my social life. Only kidding, last Saturday I went out with loads of hostel chums, crashing the night at their place. The worst thing about my location is that buses don't run that late into the night, so if I go out with mates, it's either not for long or an all nighter. Nevermind...
Remember I mentioned buying a journal to write my thoughts in? Either I havn't had time, or my thoughts haven't been so melancholy lately, but I have yet to write in that book. That could be a good sign, I think.
Ah yes, possible news. There are some mountains outside the city, called The Blue Mountains. I am planning a trip, an excursion, hopefully some weekend. I will buy a second hand rucksack, a second hand tent, a knife and other essentials, get a train to near the bottom of the mountains and then walk up, taking however long it takes to get up there. Duke of Edinburgh award should come in handy here. I need to do something, I've been cooped up at work for too long, and this energy has been lying dormant, waiting for an outlet. So that is my plan.
I will try to stay off the main trails wherever possible, and will stay out of campsites unless unavoidable.
I hope the view at the top is worth it, I've been told it is.
So in the next few weeks, or maybe after Christmas when work slows down/stops, this might happen. I still need to see Emma, a friend of my mums. I tried seeing her ages ago but it didn't work out. Her place is further away than I thought, and not too easy to get to. I'll try phoning her soon, I'd like to see them before Christmas. Annoyed at myself for having let it take this long.
Starting to miss a few people. Not horrendously, but every now and then something pops up to remind me of someone.
I think I've run out of news. Nothing new is really happening lately.
Speak soon friends.

"I need a holiday. A very long holiday. And I don't expect I shall return. In fact I mean not to."
(Bilbo Baggins, Lord Of The Rings)

1st week of December, maybe second month? Week nine?

Hello folks.
Tom here, reporting from his room at the Jolly Swagman Hostel.
Will shortly be moving out, I think Friday is my last day. Have been on the phone to a company called Furnished Property, that's the one my friend from work went to, and am waiting for a reply. Only problem is that they would rather I went to see the property, but as I'm out of my hostel from 7.45 until 9.30, and they're not available on weekends, it's a bit tricky. I might plan on splitting myself into two, and then checking places out, but then it gets tricky being listened to. Nobody wants to talk to half a person, that would be crazy.
Work is better now. The people there are calming down, I'm pretty certain that was just a bad patch. Working twelve hour shifts and Saturday again this week. But on the plus, I got paid $1,192 AFTER TAX for last week's shift, so at least I'm getting a bit of spending money :P.
Last saturday, I told you about the morning but then I didn't report on the evenings events. I was invited to the rock club at around 10pm, but at seven we had a storm, haha. So I went out to the bay, and sat on the sea wall, and watched it. Not the best I've seen, but was nice to get out from work and feel the weather again.
It's now getting hot. Hot hot. Like, my arm was tanning on the busride to work this morning. So heaven knows what it'll be like at Christmas, or when I go travelling (which I probably will) in January. I need to see Ayer's Rock, the Reef and the bush. And I would like to climb the Blue Mountains, which are a train ride from the city. Not crappy tourist walks, but I'd like to branch off the path and just walk up to the top, to see the unusual routes.
I bought a journal today, a blank book. After writing all that stuff on this blog and then deleting it a few weeks ago, I've been having pensieve moments, and I've been thinking maybe if I can see what I'm thinking, and have an outlet, it might be helpful. So whenever I get down, instead of just sitting there bottling it up, or drinking from a bottle (rarely) I'll note down what I think. See how it goes.
Anyway friends, it's now 10.55pm, and I'm off to make banana bread, haha. Needs must, eh?

"I think maybe part of what got him into trouble was that he did too much thinking. Sometimes he tried too hard to make sense of the world..."
(Quotation from "Into the Wild", by Jon Krakauer.)

Week 8, wahey.

Heya peeps and hoes. Today is Sunday the 23rd, or 24th. It's now 7.00pm, and I'm winding down from a mild day.
Basically last night some friends of mine had their last night in this hostel (everyone is leaving, the prices have skyrocketed. I'm contemplating it, if Melano can find a place), and I helped them celebrate it. Buy a 24 pack of beer and everyone is a friend. So this morning I was amazed to wake up naturally at about 9.00 in the morning, hangover free. Bad weather, but that never stops a lone wolf. I went out to the place I bought my work boots from, and got my money back. I thought, I have a good job till around christmas, and I don't wanna lug around heavy boots for a slightly possible chance of needing them in another city, and I definately don't want them to fly home with. So after about a month and a half, I took them back.
A hint for taking back goods, after you've had them too long for refund: pick a young looking guy with a really thin moustache, and explain how you never got a job that needed the boots, so you've been forced to bring them back.
He gave me my $90 and bid me good day. I politely inquired as to anything else I needed to do, gave them a wrong address and walked out smiling.
Love it.
So tonight I will visit these friends in their new hostel, and if I have time I might go and see the new James Bond film. I've heard it isn't up to scratch, but hell, you gotta see new Bond films.
Twelve hour shifts every work day next week. Going - to - be - hell.
But will pay the rent, if I do stay...
That's why I'm not aaaas fussed as Melano, he doesn't get paid because he's out here for study purposes.
Right fellows, that's all my news.
Speak soon, hope the weather isn't too bad.
All the best.

Hiya guys. Today is Wednesday, late at night.
Work is hell. The guys there have been picking on me for a while, in a playful manner, but now it seems everyone is just out to get me. Just small insults, chipped into sentences, or words getting twisted, but enough twigs can dam a river. And I'm working on Saturday too, so this week will only have the Sunday off. Not liking it. At work I'm always trying to stay locked up in my iPod, but then I just get thinking, and that never improves things at the moment. Plus I look like hell. So not really in playful moods very often. Starting to get violent thought flashes again, haven't had those in ages, they're pretty worrying. Like, someone says something and the first thing I think of is really violent towards them. Then I feel bad. Haha, sorry if you guys had expected me to bounce back, but not today.
I'm looking for other hostels to stay in, but they all seem full. And I reserved the christmas special bonus on Monday, thinking I was staying, but then on Tuesday morning I changed my mind and took it down, as I hadn't paid. Now it seems I'm staying, but I doubt I can get the bonus back. So every week, $180 is lost to rent, from around $120 when I arrived.
Life isn't actually bad, I'm still in Australia and having fun when I get home, I'm just tired and need to chill.
Right, sorry fellas, I need sleep. Feel sick right now as well. Haha, it's all happening here...
All the best.
P.S - I'm not moaning about stuff, not like "Oh I just want to cry...". I just feel angry that other people can say insults, and I'm too nice to reply with one. Ah well.

Heya guys.
It's only Thursday, just thought I'd pop on and update.
Work was much better today. I think yesterday some of the guys realised I was getting pissed off, and so they kinda just kept it easy today. Also, many weeks ago I downloaded an hour long recording of a thunderstorm, it's ambient noise or relaxation tapes, or something, but I basically had that on repeat for about three or four hours today, it was lurvly. There should be a storm tomorrow, I heard, that's something to look forward to.
I found out that I now have a week left in this hostel. Luckily, I bought another week's stay the other day, but I was told that once that's up I'm pretty much gone. Which kinda sucks, really. But a guy at work, an Irish fella called Dean, who's a nice lad around my age, is staying in a big house with lots of rooms, and I literally just phoned him to try and get him to get one of the remaining ones left. So I could be meeting new faces, getting new friends, all that jiggery pokery. It'd mean leaving friends here, of course, but in this environment it's to be expected. You say you'll keep in touch, but you know it'll never keep up, unless you really stick to it.
Anyway, I'm pooped. Gonna head off now.
Speak soon, all the best.

Heya! It's Saturday, 5.30 in the afternoon.
This morning was the worst in a long time. I woke up by my mate Dean from work, asking where the taxi picking us up was. I told him, and realised that I had woken up at the time my train was leaving for the centre of the city. So I rushed around, showering my head so my hair wasn't crazy, put my cereal in my bag to eat at work, and sprinted to the station, to find the next train leaving in eleven minutes. The train would leave as I was supposed to arrive at the taxi, that would take me to work.
Then the taxi man phoned me, asking where I was. I told him that I probably wouldn't make it, and asked him to phone me back in two minutes to get Dean's number, as I didn't have any credit. I managed to get a pen off a security guard, wrote Dean's number on my hand as the train arrived, so I jumped on.
Well, underground there's no signal, so no phonecall.
I got to the taxi 15 minutes late, to find it gone. Bummer, huh. So I sprinted back into the huge station, only just catching the train that would take me to the usual bus stop to work, but I had to wait 45 minutes for the next frikking bus.
Unbelievable... Got to work an hour and a half late, but luckily the boss guy at work is really cool, he just cracked a few jokes and then let me get on with work.
Boring day, but double pay, so worth it all in the end.
When I got home, I straightaway bought credit, and phoned up a number that will hopefully give me a place to stay for the next few weeks. I'm earning enough, I might get a studio room. Not sure yet, will still think about it. Would be nice to have some quiet time.
Working twelve hour days and next Saturday next week as well. Will be painful.
But good news, tonight I'm going out, to the rock club I went to a few weeks ago. Got invited out, and I don't go out any other time, so I'll make tonight count.
All the best, can't think of anything that I want to say. Still thinking a lot, but the thoughts aren't so deep, at the moment.
Speak soon. Hope the weather isn't too bad.

Week 7

Hey. You're unlucky. I just wrote about half an hour's worth of stuff on how I was feeling, but then I sobered up, and deleted it. Some things a person just can't let the world know. To keep them smiling, in most cases.
Today is Saturday, and I woke up at 3.30. I always try, on Saturdays, to get up at around eleven, go to the park at one and then spend the rest of the day doing useful stuff I couldn't do during the weekdays. But I always end up catching up on sleep, and then feeling bad about wasting several hours. This happened today. I spent a good amount of time playing basketball. And I bought a load of stuff to let my life run normally, like shampoo and toothpaste. Everyday stuff you don't normally think about. But with a wasted morning, the day never feels complete. And the night is always longer.
I'm sorry, I'm not in the mood to go on today. I'm just going to wind down, finish the rest of my rum (I've found out it takes about half a bottle to get me drunk) and then try and sleep off the rest of my thoughts. I can see that more people are following this blog, and sorry to disappoint, but tonight I just want to be alone.
In a hostel, haha, this is tough.
Sleep well friends, I'll be back on again in a day or two, making jokes and telling stories. Being normal.

Hey! Today is Tuesday 18th, it's now 12.52am. Woops, sorry, it's now Wednesday. The reason I'm still up is because I have to charge up my iPod for work, the 12hour shifts start tomorrow and if my music dies halfway through, I would have to destroy things. Yes sir, start at nine, finish at nine, for possibly the next three weeks. *Think of the money Tom, think of the money...* I am dear readers, I am. And the exciting thing about money now, is that I am able to get it from walls! Yeah, I went into the bank in my lunch time, and got my PIN. So I can now live a pretty much normal life, don't need to constantly reserve money for poor moments.
I have found out that my grandparents are now readers of this blog. So I thought it only fair to bring a few truths to light, I cannot lie to my readers any more. I am a huge drug fiend, replacing cereal with marijuana and going from brushing my teeth to shooting up heroine under bridges. And during the weekends, I sell cocaine to primary school children.
I'm only joking nanny and grampa, I would never. They're secondary school kids. :D
Nah, I have kept my body relatively clean since beginning my adventure, the only bad thing I've had is rum. I'm going through a healthy eating patch at the moment as well, felt genuinely good just now realising that I ate a healthy dinner compared to the large pizza I was going to take out. Eating sushi for lunch, muesli for breakfast, and usually rice dishes for dinner. Cutting out the chocolate slowly, and trying to play more basketball. Trying to go to the park, but it's so damn difficult with work hours. And for some reason, my body is cutting out on me now and then at the moment. Like last Sunday, my left foot was in agony, but I hadn't banged it or been stood on by fat blokes, so I don't know what it was. It was fine on the Monday as well. Strange.
I'm rambling. The iPod is still charging, so I'll try and fill the time by typing.
There is a big debate going on at the moment. The price of accomodation has gone up for Christmas, and a lot of people are moving out, trying to get into cheaper rooms elsewhere. I'm not sure if I want to move out, I'm pretty settled here. Melano, my roommate, is looking for other rooms we could move into, but I'm beginning to tire of him slightly, now and then. Little things. Like, he latches onto a little insignificant thing I say, and argues about it, or doesn't listen to ideas.
For example, he likes to play tennis, and I go with him now and then. But the court doesn't have a net, one has to be borrowed from the youth club nearby, which closes quite early. I thought playing tennis on a court without a barrier was stupid, and told him I was going to buy some parcel tape, to make at least a visible barrier. He laughed and said it was stupid, but it worked out reasonably well. I had originally wanted to buy string, and dangle my bedsheet from it, to make a "net", but I couldn't get string at the time.
Well he managed to borrow the net one time, and was playing with another person in the hostel, and he said how the net sagged in the middle and was pretty rubbish. I suggested the string idea again, doubling or maybe tripling it up and threading it through the top strings of the net, and then pulling it taught to pull the net right again. It was worth a try, right, I mean the net was crap anyway and string costs about 3 bucks. But he just wouldn't accept what I was trying to suggest, cutting me short and taking the piss. That was the latest of our little "bust ups". Like I said, little things, but when they build up it can get a bit much at times.
My iPod is nearly done, I'll wind it down. I'm now friends with most of the older hostel people, if I pass them in the corridor we usually have something to laugh about, or just a friendly hi in short time. Not sure what the next few weeks will bring. More temporary people, in for a few days before moving on. I might be stuck with Melano for company for a while. At least I have something to do during the day, even if it is still mindblowingly dull, and I have to work with pillocks. The guy from Leeds is steadily getting worse. But I spend most hours at work planning my revenge, very meticulously. He hasn't got me on Facebook, so he can't get to this blog. This is my plan...
We get off the bus at the same place, but I always head into the subway to get the train home. He walks an apparently short distance to his house, which he shares with a load of people. One day, I shall branch off to the subway, but instead follow him at a distance. I'll see where he lives this way. At work, I'll turn conversation into roommates, and therefore find out how many people he shares a room with and try and subtly find out details, such as times people go to bed.
Then I shall buy some black rope and a grappling hook, and a blanket with chloroform. I shall go to his house at around 4am on a Monday morning, before work, and let myself into his room either by breaking in or climbing through an open window. I shall pour chloroform onto the blanket, and wave it around inside the room, keeping myself just out. This shall make any partially awake people drowsy, and asleep people into a deep sleep.
Then I shall go in, find out where the guy from work is, and creep up. I'll pull out a big, new board marker, and draw a thick pair of glasses, and a big moustache on his face. Possibly colour in his nose as well. Maybe write "I love men" on his neck. And then set his alarm back by half an hour.
Then I shall silently get out, and skip down the road, as nobody will see me, being such an early hour. Or I shall wrap the blanket round myself and mumble, as people will then ignore me.
I've had a lot of time to think of this plan. Not bad, eh? See, it's not physically painful, and then as he has work the next morning with half an hour less time to get ready, he won't be able to completely remove the glasses and moustache. Think Lord Kitchener. That kinda thing.
Well, this has nicely let my mp3 player recharge, and has let me vent my feelings in a healthy manner.
Good night to you all, speak soon.
All the best.

Week 6, I think.

G'day mates.
Today is Saturday 8th. I woke up early to get to the park today, but having some minor money problems. Basically I have a fair amount of money (not rich. Not rich.) in my new Ozzy bank, but I can't get to it. The bank didn't send my card to the hostel as I thought they would, they kept it in the branch. And as I'm working whenever the bank is open, I can't get to my card. Managed to phone them up, and so they sent me a new card, but I havn't got the PIN for it yet. Gotta wait til Monday, where I can try to get money out at a branch near work, and then pay rent. I'm actually overdue, but I was able to leave my passport at the desk, so I still have a roof over me.
So I'm keeping spending down to a minimum. No Jaiger, no going out, and no fancy meals. Actually this could be good, it's stopping me from buying rubbish food. So badly want to cut down on crap, foodwise, but it's tough. Anyway.
Not sure what to report on. The room is quieter now Hendrick has moved out, but it means that random people stay for a few days, kind of annoying. But less annoying than house music and stuff.
Still trying to get to the park three times a week, but what with work and the money problems, I haven't been for a while. And I need to buy equipment as well. So just gotta wait to get my bank stuff sorted, then I'll try and get there more often.
I managed to catch the sunset the other day. I think the days are getting longer, what with summer round the corner, and on the train home I saw the sky turning pink. So I ran to the hostel, dumped my stuff and sprinted to the bay.
Realised when I got back I'd been out for an hour and a half. Worth it though. Will try and take a picture next time.

I was wondering if, when I get back, I'll have changed, and by how much. I mean, I must change, this is a big experience, but how much will I change by? And in what ways? Will I learn about money saving, or how to do tasks in a different way? Or will I have changed mentally, thinking about things differently?
At work the other day I almost hit someone. He's from Leeds, and is very difficult to get along with at times. When he's not taking the piss out of me, he's insulting someone else, it seems. But I very rarely actually feel the urge to hit someone. Maybe it was a long day, and he took me to the breaking point, I'm not sure. But yeah, I don't know what I'll be like when I get back. It'd be nice to be the same old me, who's fixed any problems I'd had, who's gotten over bad points. The distance away from some friends has led me to thinking about them differently, very differently. Some people, not in a positive light, I'm afraid. But others I've discovered how much I liked their company; a certain friend from school who was always a good friend, I now really want to see again, to buy him a drink and find out how he is.
I guess all I can do is wait, try to enjoy the time away as much as possible, and try to get as much out of it as possible. Before I left, I made a mental list of targets I want to reach:
- Learn new skills
- Work on my body
- Get money, partly for travelling, and if I can I want to go home with some money for uni.
- Practise basketball for uni.
I really want to get these done. If I don't... I don't know. The good thing is that I feel annoyed at myself when I fail personal goals, it's a good way of preventing myself drifting too far from the straight line.
Anyway, just realised I'm rambling. I won't delete what I've written, I'll be able to go back over this in a few months and see if I've actually listened to myself in that time.
Right, all the best. Stay strong. Don't let people tell you how you are, if you know it's not true don't give in.
Bye :)

Yo yo. Today is Sunday. It's now 5.45, and I havn't gotten out of bed. Last night I got persuaded to go out to a rock club. Was freaking brilliant, but now I have little money, and a dull hangover, haha. Never mind, was great.
Speak soon.
:D

Hey! Today is Friday the 14th. I think this is actually week 7, but I'm running low on internet back in the hostel (where I am) and had this page loaded up. Anywho...
Still working. My hours have changed, to 9am to about 6-6.30. Which is kinda good, as that extra hour in the morning is "Time and a half" pay. And from next Wednesday, I'll be working from 10am to 9pm, for a few days. Gonna be painful for everything except my bank balance. Still haven't got my bloomin PIN yet, but I took out money today from the bank, so I'm good for food. And rent is paid for the next week, so don't have to worry about that.
We just had an amazing thunder storm. At work today, I heard on the radio that a storm was likely, and I thought if it did arrive I would run down to the bay. Well I did just that.
As I walked into my room, I heard the first thunderclap, and I told Melano that I was off. He jumped up too, and we both got changed, me into my ripped combats and him into shorts. And then we pegged it.
Man, it was definately worth it. Sitting on the sea wall, watching the lightning over the city. And then we both went swimming, haha. Kept our bottom layers on, my ripped combats ready for anything. Turns out his shorts cost $200, the pleb. If something cost that much, you really shouldn't wear them anywhere. He's a slave to fashion. And he calls me crazy, for doing things that I do or how I do them, but he'll follow.
Anyway! Yes. Swimming in the bay, during the lightning, is amazing. And then when the rain started, it was beautiful. Watching bats flying above, being pelted by water overhead and pushed around by the waves, and then cracks of light and all the water reflects it - beautiful. Melano was complaining, but you soon learn to drown that out.
The walk home was fun too. Because the rain really came down then. People running around, jumping over puddles, while we were just ambling along shirtless, already soaked. The people at the hostel looked at us like we were crazy. We're not crazy. I've come to realise that I'm a bit odd in my ways. Quirky, I prefer. Other people think storms are beautiful, yes, but they don't see the enjoyment in embracing the storm and going out to be inside it - they'd rather see it through glass. But I don't think you get the atmosphere then, you don't get the sounds and smells, and feelings. That's just how I see it. Others can go poo off, haha.
As you can tell, I'm in a good mood now. Sat here noshing M&Ms. I bought the bag the other day, so I'm only eating them now to get rid of them, see? It's logical. And as I've realised the importance of money, to not eat them would be like being robbed, by myself. So I actually had to eat them.
Right, I have to go and be sociable. I was planning on watching a rented movie (The Godfather) but first I gotta go and sit downstairs and chat to people. We have a new roommate, a girl called Lisa I think. She's pretty cool, only met her the other day so don't really know too much. It's the first time I've shared a room with a girl though, I'm a bit worried. I can't control sleeptalking, and I have no idea of what I say. Except one time, where I woke myself up, saying "No no no, it doesn't matter, the sea levels will still rise!"
I was worried by that one, haha. I had a dream as well, where I was talking to Dan, and I woke up thinking he was in the same room. I was talking to him, looking to see where he had gone, and then realised what I was doing.
Ok then people. Starting to miss the little things now. David's cooking (never realised HOW good it is until you start wanting meals, the way he can do them. Burgers? Ha, not a chance they can match homemade.), conversations and hanging out with mum before work, hanging out with Dan and the Wellesbourne crew. I really wanted a night out to the King's Head yesterday, to throw peanuts and laugh without cares. Missing you guys :).
And missing work with Jimbo too. Managed to catch him on Msn yesterday, that was great.
Well, I gotta go shower. Might be a bit pongy. I don't think so, but just in case, you know. Girls tend to complain louder.
All the best, lotsa nice wishes.

Week 5?

Yo!
Today is Thurday, the 29th. I arrived in "The city of villages" on the 26th of September, a Friday, so tomorrow should, I think be week 5. But hey, I thought I'd put up a new post, it's fun.
Today I had work, same as the last three days. Starting to kill me. But at least when I do finally get back to the room, it's only Melano and Hendrick. No girls. But the music is pumping, guh. That's what headphones are for, right...


This is I! New haircut, and I love it. The little old fella did himself proud. My spots now have a little cycle going on, for a few days I'm a sexy bitch and then for a few days I'm not the nicest, but it's a damn sight better than it used to be in previous years.
That's my room in the background. The bed in the bottom right is Hendrick's, the bed on the top left is Melano's and mine is below his. But we're swapping at the end of the week, he's been moaning.

This is my banana bread! And just as I came home, funnily enough, the guy on reception asked when I was gonna make another loaf. I laughed heartily, and told him I'm going through a healthy moment. Sushi is so easy to get here, it's not too difficult. Except for the six Krispy Kreme donuts I bought yesterday :(. Soo damn tasty.
Right, I'm probably gonna head off to bed. It's 8.10, and I'm knackered. Gonna get into bed, put on Donnie Darko and chill.
Right, see ya later guys.
Byee

Hiya guys.
Friday evening, 8.30 o clock. My feet are killing me from work, I have to stand all day, it's hurting. And tomorrow, I have to go to the park, I havn't been for a week now. It's terrible.
I had a minor shock the other day, I looked at my english bank account and it's starting to droop. I took out (hopefully) my last withdrawal from there just now, to pay for rent, and then I'll be able to use my Aussie account. Havn't been given a card though yet, I've been checking the post and nothing's come through. I'll have another look in a mo, and if it's not there I'll go into the bank tomorrow morning and peacefully inquire.
I have dinner planned: brown rice, red and green peppers, an onion, carrots and Dolmio tomato sauce stuff. I was worried about scurvy and a lack of veggies, so I'm gonna overload my system with them. Have no alcohol, but I'm trying not to buy any, for the cash limit.
I hear it's been snowing back in Pommie land! Crikey, wouldn't mind a bit of that stuff here, it's boiling. At night it can be uncomfortable. But it rains now and then, it's good enough.
I was at work earlier, and I was zoned out listening to music, when some words just popped into my head. I thought they sounded good, so I wrote them down. Here they are.

"Sometimes light breaks through the clouds,
But who looks up to see?
The light burns away from a fading star,
But who sees one among many?"

I missed the sunset again today. It was so beautiful. I actually ran, on my aching legs, down the road towards the bay, but I knew I'd miss it, so I gave up. Pink and gold, with streamers of orange cloud. I'll get it one day.
Right, I'm ready for a lie down. Fell asleep through my movie yesterday, woke up at four for some reason to an empty screen. So gotta try and get back 'into the film' and watch the end, see if it makes more sense the second time. Jake Gyllenhall plays Donnie, I'm watching it partly because my good friend Alex Oliver told me about it in an english class many moons ago and partly because Jake is The Prince in the movie "Prince of Persia" that's coming out soon.
Ha! Can't wait.
Forgot I was saying goodbye then.
Right, speak soon, whoever is still reading these. Am I updating too often?
Byeeee :)

Yo peeps. It's 3.34 am on Sunday. Have been having a fairly busy day, social wise. Went to the park, and then it was Marta's birthday, so the whole hostel has been celebrating. And I went out with them, clubbing. Still don't like it, but this was the best one I've been to, I was there a good few hours. Had a fair few drinks, but wasn't drunk, just at that stage where I was thinking. So I came back to the hostel, and got changed to go and play basketball. This was at about 2.00, mind you, and people don't appreciate me wanting to vent my feelings by exercising. A woman threatened to phone the cops if I didn't stop. I politely apologised, and left. I'd only been playing for a minute, and on the way to the court I'd passed fellow hostel people. They asked where I was going, and I replied that I was off to play ball, and I didn't want to go back shamefaced. So I took a detour, and went to Rushcutter's Bay. I thought a bit of chillout time would be good, time to sober up and think my thoughts. Well when I got to my spot, against the garage wall, I had an urge to swim. Why not? Nobody else around, slightly tipsy, it'd be good exercise. So I climbed down the wall, and put my bag on a tiny little beach around the corner (it's literally someone's back garden, with a private jetty and stuff, so I was sneaking.) Stripped to my boxers and waded in.
It was glorious. Cold water, that salty sea smell, the thrill of getting spotted, and in front of me the city lights shimmering against the gentle waves of the bay. Night noises of bats and the bells on the boats, with the waves slapping the sea wall... I just sat in the water, at 2.30 in the morning, and calmed down.
Then as I waded back to the garden I got pinched by a crab. I hope it was a crab, anyway. And I cut the bottom of my foot somewhere, possibly climbing back up the wall.
But it was worth it! I may do it again in the near future.
Right, I gotta get some shuteye, it's now 3.45. My body hurts.
Speak soon friends, all the best.
Stay funky.

Week 5?

Second month, first week of...

Heyo!
Was at work today, it was a lot better than the last two days. Still exceedingly dull, but as I'm getting to know the people who work there more now (I get the same bus to and from work as three of them) and am knowing my job more, I can relax a bit. But at times, it still bogs you down... that's what music is for! Yes, plug in my iPod and I'm safe in a little cocoon of my own world, away from the shuffling plebs of humanity. I've realised I really like a band called Blue Oyster Cult, one introduced to me by my stepbrother, and so have had them playing to me nearly all day.
Another reason the day was better was because on Fridays, they order about 20 pizzas for lunch! Ha! Free pizza and coke. My diet for today has been shot like the police cars Arnie shoots in Terminator 2, when he's holding the minigun, so I've returned to this quaint little internet place and am now re-obtaining the banana bread recipe. Going to redo it, but a lot more this time, and with a few splashes of vanilla essence. Sounds good, huh.
I've just realised, back to the work topic... It's nice, when I'm plugged in and my arms are just going through the motions, my mind can wander for long stretches of time. I was stood there working solidly for about an hour today, while thinking of home, and the people back there. Was nice to be able to slow down and think, while actually not letting people know you're doing it. On the way back from work I saw the sunset, but by the time I actually did get back, it wasn't worth the rush to get down to the bay. I'll do it tomorrow though. Will get up around 10, play basketball until about 12.30, go to the park for two hours, come back and maybe chill or go back to my court, and then at 6-6.30 I'll walk to the bay, and relax and unwind. Sounds like a good day. I have less things I need to buy now, the main being food and rent. I have enough clothes to cover me for most occasions, I have entertainment (ball, baking and I've joined blockbusters, so I get 3 movies for $5. Considering I put the movies on my laptop and keep them, NOT BAD.)
So my earnings are lasting a while. That's good.
Ok then, I really can't think of much else. Missing those who matter to me. Not missing the rest, haha, screw yourselves. (Just kidding. That would be unpleasant for all.) But nah, missing you guys.
Speak soon, you all know how.
Byeeeeeee.

Captain's Log, Sunday 26th October 2008. Time: 1.51 pm.
Mood - Curiously upbeat.
I'm back in the little internet place around the corner, getting a map of the coastline. I have the urge to walk, all day. This is partly to do with me having eaten most of the woopass banana bread, and feeling pudgy, and also because I really don't want to hang around my roommates today. Suprising how much you are repelled by someone who wakes you up by calling you lazy, and then pounding bass into your skull with the same frikkin song that he plays every day.
My body is aching from the last few days, working and tennis and basketball. My roommate Melano is good at tennis, and he kinda made me buy a raquet so we could play in the court next to my basketball place. And I try to play well, but he can't help but make me feel like I'm worthless, so I don't really want to hang around him much either.
So, I shall walk. I have my walking boots, I shall buy a few two litre bottles of water and I'll try and print off maps of coastlines and paths. And then I'll walk to a high point on a cliff somewhere, and relax.
Must be home before nine though. Mum has planned a Skype convo, and I need to get back here as the hostel's internet is GAYEEEEE. And I have work tomorrow. Basically, the workplace asked me on Thursday if I wanted to work Saturday (yesterday). I turned it down, as I was pretty tired, and I have stuff on Saturday. But the Saturday work was killed off, and instead I gotta work tomorrow from six in the morning to six in the evening. This means getting a taxi from a station at 5.30. Which means waking up at about 4.30. Hurrah!
Think of the money...
I can't think of much else to say. I'm now on a health binge, refusing to let myself buy cake, M&Ms and rum. And ingredients for making B. bread. And I'm trying to eat well, like noodles and sushi.
Ah yes! On our trip to buy tennis raquets yesterday, Melano and I went to a foodcourt. There were about 10 different stalls, selling food from around the world. I had an urge for Korean food, as I can't remember trying it before, and I went out on a limb and bought the seafood noodle dish. Prawns, octopus, squid and mussels! It was horrible to look at, but really tasty. I bought it partly because I never have before, partly to try and get over my phobia of sea creatures (if I've eaten it, I'm better than it) and partly because when I was younger, my folks took me out to a fancy restaurant, and in my childish innocence I ordered the most expensive thing on the menu, the seafood platter. Well, when it showed up I was horrified at the sight of it, and didn't touch it. Dad had to eat it, so it wasn't a waste, and they were both annoyed because it was so expensive.
Sorry folks :P.
Well, now I really can't think of anything else.
Speak soon friends!
All the best.

Heya guys.
Pretty tired, this'll be just a quick post.
Basically, still with the same warehouse job, been working all week. So tiring, but it's more fun now, a friend from the hostel called Marta (Marter?) is working the same place as I am, so I get to hang out with her. And the room she's in has a spare bed, so I might change rooms for a while, to get away from Hendrich. He's got a girl round for the week, and last night I had to feign sleep for about two hours. Not doing that every night, so probably gonna just move room, it'll save me some horrible memories.
Hoping everyone at home is doing well. And the wellesbourne crew, much love.
The walk was good! I don't think I've posted since then. Basically, I was walking along a road, in a jungle. Walked for around three or four hours, and now my back is in agony. I realise the importance (now) of good bags for walking long distance, a rucksack just doesn't cut anything, let alone mustard. But it was nice to walk again. Even though I didn't get to where I wanted to go, as it got dark. Walking through a jungle in the dark is pretty ominous. Bats flying around, that's cool, but not for more than an hour.
Right, I gotta head back. I've been renting movies, and I have Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon tonight. I bought donuts (a weakness hit me, just as I passed the stall. Fool!) and have the remains of last night's dinner, so it'll be a quiet night in.
Speak soon!
Byeeee

4th week! That's a month!

Hello ladies an jennulman, hope you're all keeping well.
Today is Sunday the 19th of October. Early morning start, I phoned a friend of my mum's on Friday called Emma, and made plans to meet up today. Gonna be a long train ride, but they're cool peeps, so should be good.
I was about to say not much has been happening, but then I realised I've been quite busy. My flatmate Melano, from Holland, used to do his swimming, and now he's trying to get back into it I'm going along too. So we've been to the pool a few times, and that's pretty knackering. I happily told him how I'd swum 14 lengths, and he said he'd done about 35. Yeah, knocked me down a few rungs, haha.
And then on the way back from the pool, we were walking through the city and he told me he loves banana bread. I wondered how easy it is to make it, and he told me I couldn't find a better loaf of B. bread than in a certain deli. It was expensive but worth the money, he said.
So I set myself a task for the future, to make a loaf of cheap, yummy yummy banana bread. And last night, half the hostel went out drinking and clubbing and such, and my other roommate was using the room (met a girl), so I was bored. And then, I went online, found a recipe that wasn't too complex, and for the next hour or two was in the kitchen, covering the floor in flour and cinnamon powder, eventually producing a freaking AWESOME bread. Due to limitations of the kitchen (no mugs, no measuring instruments, no cake tin, a broken oven, etc) I'm happy with how it turned out. People were impressed, I made a few friends and now I have enough flour and sugar left over to force me to make several more batches. Turns out supermarkets don't sell flour in single portion amounts.
But yeah, making cakes is fun. And Melano thought it was really good. So I'm happy with that.
On the job front, nothing yet, but I've seen an advert for a job working on the waterfront. Gonna phone up later, see if they still want an extra pair of hands. Sounds like it could be fun.
Oh yeah, definately going to get a haircut in the next few days. It's getting annoying. So life is now more comfortable in this place, I'm finding my niche.
Speak soon, hope the weather is still bearable.
Stay funky.

Hey, yo. Today is Monday. I have a feeling... that my last scrawl was actually on Saturday, as last night I didn't make cake, I played poker. Yes, I did. So I think my days are wrong, somewhere...
Anyway! Yes, today is Monday, I just asked someone. They gave me a funny look. And last night, I did indeed play poker. I was cooking dinner for me roommates, as it was my turn, and as I was dealing out the spaghetti and meat-a-balls I spied the chips being laid out. Last time I saw them, the game was already in session, so I told myself to try and get into the next one. Well, a man came round asking if anyone wanted to join, and lickety quick I bought myself a seat.
5 hours later, I came in second. After hanging on from me fingertips for hours, I came to double my money, and my grand total came to $4. Yes, five hours for $4. Nevermind, I made some new friends, had my second game for money and didn't do badly. I'm happy with the result.
And with that $4? I did my laundry. Might as well have gone to bloody work, I could afford the rent then.
I phoned a number I spied on the hostel board, and now I might have a job scraping weeds or barnacles (not sure yet) off the bottom of boats. Sounds pretty hands on, I like it. Just gotta wait for the call back, if not I have another contact, in a job lifting trees. As long as I'm not near customers I'm happy, haha.
Right, speak soon, I'm in an internet shop. Got annoyed by the hostels slooooow download speed.
Speak soon, all the best.
Byeeee

Yo ho ahoy my fellow mateys. Today is Tuesday, about 5.30.
I got another job! Hoo haa haa, yup, got a call earlier, and the woman offered me the job that requires all black clothing again. I took it this time, and after 10 minutes she phoned again, with another job! So instead of the department store, I'll be working in another warehouse, picking and packing clothes. Should be similar to the Trinity Street job, hopefully I won't need too much learning to get into the swing of it.
So I've just been planning routes and bus times and stuff, all boring. But I thought, instead of getting a haircut in the middle of a job, I thought I'd get it cut before I start, so people at the workplace don't have to adjust to the new "doo". I went into the nearest barbers, which is a really nice old fashioned place, with beams in the ceiling and a little oldish man there, gave him my picture of "Meet Joe Black" Brad Pitt and said, "Could you do that for me?"
After about half an hour, a new me walked out, unhappy. My hair was fluffy and weird. But I had a shower, and got my own wax in it, and hey, I like it! Yeah, usually it takes a day or two to adjust, but I really like this style, it looks gooood. Might take a picture of it, and put it up on the blog, let you fellows see what your eyes are missing out on, haha.
Anyway, got to go, I need to chill out for a bit. I saw an advert in the hostel for a pool competition. If I win, I get $100 cash, plus $100 bar tabs. And I'm not the worst pool player around, I thought I'd give it a go.
So gotta go rub linseed oil into my biceps in preparation for the tournament. All the best people,
speak soon.

Watup me bruddas, yah...
Hey gang. Today is Wednesday. I had work today, and I can happily say I have now followed my family's traipse into the medical world. Yes, ladies and folks, without even having been through university, the woman who interviewed me managed to slink me through a backdoor into the clean, sterile world of Medicine.
Instead of packing clothing, I pack medical supplies. Ha, got ya. Yup, in another warehouse, and the job is the most boring I've ever had. I was planning on killing someone, just to move my arms in a seperate direction from the sellotape. And the journey was hell!
I got on the bus, which proceeded to change its number. So I went close to the job, didn't realise, and then went far away from the job. Had to catch a bus, back to the job. >:-(
Not funky. Was an hour late, but the guy I was referred to was really cool about it. Turns out he's very anti English, that's fun. And I work near a guy who smells like wee. That's not as fun. The trick is to avoid their trail, then it doesn't hit ya.
Exhausted now though, the hours are ten to six, but as they're so busy it turned out to be half six. Eight hours on my feet, now they're hurtin'. And last night I got roped into going to the club with the hostel group. I bought a bottle of Mount Gay, and this morning found out I had drank 2/3rds of that bottle, with a pint of beer and Jaiger (putting the shot inside the beer, yum), and a vodka and lemonade (free drink from the club), and whisky and coke.
So had a mild headache while running for buses, to top it off.
Now I will cook. I'm thinking noodles. The train station nearby has a frikkin awesome sushi place, with the tall rolls of rice at two for $3. That tastes good, it's healthy and it can fill you up, if you follow it with lots of muesli :-P. Just had a few rolls from there, but still peckish.
I know you fine fellows only actually read this in the hope I let you know what I have for eats. But that will do for today, I think I've run out of news.
Yup, I can't think of much else.
Speak soon, all the best.

"May the wind always be at your back and the sun upon your face. And may the wings of destiny carry you aloft to dance with the stars."
(Quotation, from the film Blow.)

Oh yes, I was planning to put a picture of me and my new hair on this blog. But I took a few pics, and have found that I look like a pillock when I try and take pics of myself. So no pic.
Oh yeah! Just remembered news! The local supermarket sells diet vanilla coke! For those who don't know, diet vanilla coke is waaay better than the regular stuff, and then they stopped selling it in England. So my rum has a friend.

3rd week?

Hey! Today is Monday 13th, and it's 4.20. I'm pretty sure it's now week 3 of my adventure.
It was me mum's birthday yesterday, and I spoke to them for the first time on Skype. Really great to see the family, even if they thought I was drunk. I really wasn't, but my stepbrother's constant mentions of rum have kicked the healthy part of my brain into the background, and I'm going to celebrate my latest news with a punt of alcohol :).
My news? Ah yes children, I have fresh news. I got a phone call today, and am now officially employed. For the next 6 days, but even so, at least I'm doing what I've dreamt of doing for many years now. I shall be placing letters into envelopes, and then counting them. And then, I think, I place the envelopes in a box.
Thank God at Trinity Street, I helped my stepbrother do a similar task, otherwise my tiny brain couldn't ponder the intricate details necessary to accomplish this feat of magnificance.
But hey, I'll be paid to do it. So I'll try and weedle as much of my personal touch as possible in such a short time. And I'll be able to put some money in my new bank account, and pay off the new shoes I bought today. New shoes I hear you cry! Yes, new high tops, as I plan to really train for next years basketball team. I went and played just now, and dominated the court. Nobody else was using it, but that's not the point, if people had played they would have known that it was MINE.
:)
Alright, speak soon, I gotta go to the park again. I overslept, and missed it last Saturday, but my shoulder was killing me anyway. See ya!

Yo yo, today is Tuuuuesday.
Work was not fun. Mainly because for the last week or so I've been unable to sleep until 3am every night, last night finally resting at about 3.30. So when I got up at 6.30 to shower, I wasn't as up to the challenge as I've ever been. Then came the trouble with times, as I ran out of it. Wasn't able to have breakfast, only just managed to have a spoonful of last night's risotto. And then the usual fun of finding trains and buses, getting lost and then finally turning up, only just on time, out of breath from running.
Still, the actual job wasn't as bad as I thought. I got COMPLETELY the wrong idea though. Instead of putting letters into envelopes, I had to sort out envelopes into piles. And then put the piles into boxes. For about 6/7 hours. But I'm working with another guy from the same interview company, a cool Irish fella. Once we got talking, it was actually pretty manageable. Not fun, as such, apart from when we set off a fire alarm, but he's a decent chap. Hopefully I'll get him talking enough to steal his accent.
This job is only for a few days, so chances of my soul being destroyed by boredom are slim. Plus, the guy who showed us the ropes is pretty cool, a quiet man who seemed genuinely grateful we were working. That was nice.
So, onto other matters. Can't really think of anything major, except the blatant realisation that I need a haircut. Now that I'm away from the clutches of my folks at home (:P), I'm thinking of the possibilities. I'm actually toying with the idea of going really short. It'd be easier to manage, and I've met very few other guys here with fringes. I'm a rare breed in these climes. So yeah, I could go short. I could stick with the last cut I had, that was a success if the barber can pull it off. If not, I could resort to the short cut. Or I might get it thinned but not cut, so I can grow it long and sweep it back over my head, surfer dude fashion. Toying with ideas.
Not much to report on, so I'll mention things I've forgotten to recently. My roommate and I went to the Olympic Park the other day, he used to swim semi-professionally and wanted to see the sights, and use the pool. So we walked on the same ground as those olympic heroes years ago. And by now I've seen at least three kookaburras; each time I do, I just have to stand and watch. Lovely birds. Except one I saw attacking some finches, that one wasn't as nice...
And I caved in today. On the way back from work, I made a detour and bought a bottle of Mount Gay... I love it, here they put the alcohol in brown paper bags, I can feel like a hobo if I choose. I havn't had any yet, but I might do soon. Well dear readers, I can sense your interest waning as you think of me passing out with a smile on my face. So I'll leave you with this:

"We are the pilgrims, master; we shall go
Always a little further; it may be
Beyond the last blue mountain barred with snow,
Across that angry or that glimmering sea..."

Make of it what you will. I see a shimmering horizon, speckled with light clouds.
It's not my poem, by the way. The SAS salute to it's inscription on a memorial.
Much love, speak soon. X

First week!

Yea my peeps, wickedy wickedy woo and all that.
Arrived on Friday the 26th, after a flight that made me feel like I'd been squeezed into a jamjar. Luckily, had no jetlag! So I went exploring.
First thing you gotta know, this place is crazy hot. So exploring for half an hour is no small feat. And I think I went walking to the Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, all round there, and it's beautiful. Bought a harmonica.
Later, I realise that the harmonica prevented me buying myself food, but hey, at least I can express my hunger through soulful blues.
So in the next few days, I've been trying to find a room to rent, open a bank account, get a tax number and contact a guy about a job removing people's furniture.
The tax jobby was the easiest! The room to rent involves jumping on trains and going all over the city, something nigh on impossible when your wallet's empty, the guy with the job tells me he's got no work, and I've been walking miles every day to where I thought the nearest bank was, finding out banks are closed on Saturdays, and then I find a bank AT THE END OF THE ROAD NEAR MY HOSTEL. This ticked me off slightly, but I was in a good mood after going in for a job interview (Oh yeah, I'll be working on construction sites maybe. Woop! Scaffold diving, yeah.) So I walk into the bank, to find it currently short staffed. Gotta wait till tomorrow morning. With 9 dollars in my pocket, and an urge for spaghetti and meatballs I want to buy.
Once I get money, I'm gonna take my roommate out for dinner to a nearby yacht club. He took me there yesterday, and told me how he wouldn't mind eating there one day. He's great, a 22yr old German called Hendrich. And then I want to buy some kind of hifi, I'm craving music at the moment.
Anyway, that's my mini adventure from Friday to Tuesday. I'll try and keep you posted, if I remember how to get onto this blog site.
See ya!


Heya guys, today is Thursday I think. Days don't seem as important to remember anymore.
Good news, I now have money! Turns out my english bank had blocked my card, because I hadn't told them I was going away. Kinda foolish really, but worked out ok in the end.
First thing I bought was another week at the hostel, some M&Ms and Jaigermeister. Love it.
So yesterday, I tried going out in the evening, to a club I'm gonna try and join weekly. I'd looked it up on the internet, drawn maps, checked train prices, everything. So I have a really quick dinner (Mum's spaghetti and sausage meatballs, cooked to perfection) which I ate so quickly, it had no chance to cool down from the cooking, and burned my mouth like hell. Rushed shower, managed to get out and just get onto the train in time.
Got off about 15 minutes later, and looked for street signs, but nothing matched the selfmade map, copied straight from google. Went a kilometre down a road I thought was right, turned out it wasn't so headed back to the station. By now it was almost the time the session began, and I really didn't want to troup in late, so I asked the train station guard for help. He pointed me down the right road.
So, after running 2 kilometres down wrong roads, getting really scared by getting lost a couple of times, I finally give up hope. The session started half an hour ago, I was close but couldn't find the right road to go down. Heading back, I spy the road I'd missed! Sprinting down it, I headed to the correct location, to find a huge construction site.
:-l. Turns out it should have been finished last April, but no. It hadn't. So I headed back to the station, finally got home, showered, and drank my Jaiger while slowly chomping M&Ms. Not happy that night...
Last night was annoying too. My roommate, Henrich, brought a girl back. Try feigning sleep while a girl is moaning feet away from you. She sounded happy though, that's nice...
Today was more fun. With nothing to do, I went to the beach for the first time. Temperature of 31degrees, but the water's still facking freezing! So I chilled out, had a casual swim to try and relieve my aching muscles, from the night when I was running everywhere for that damn session. Didn't try surfing. Could kill someone, with the board shooting away...
And since then, I've literally come back on the train, headed to this lovely (free) internet place, and written up the continuation of my adventures. I wonder if people are still reading, haha...
I'll try an post again soon. Might cook risotto tonight. Ah, did I already mention that the wall next to my bed is now a montage of friends? Yup, I'm on the lower bunk, and near my pillow is a small collection of pics my neighbour made up for me. So I sleep at night next to my mates.
All the best, peace!

Heya fellow readers, hope all is well. Today is Sunday. Not much has been happening the last few days really. Today I went to Chinatown, it's nice there. I went because a job I'd previously turned down became more enticing. I was offered a job in this warehouse business, but to take the job I had to have all black clothing. It might be a henchman job, could be fun. But I turned it down because I didn't have all black clothing, and I thought another job was going to be offered in the near future. Well, after days of carefully spending money that wasn't getting replaced, I decided to make a small investment. I'd already bought steelcapped booties, but I went to Chinatown to buy some black trousers and t-shirts, and then phone up the company and report that I wanted to take up my previously declined role.
So after wondering around a busy market for a few hours, I finally see what I was hunting for; black combats. Yeah, gotta have the combats, those leg pockets are the best. Phoned up the company, but the woman on the other end told me to phone back Tuesday, a slight bummer to the plan but never mind.
So yeah, a future job is hopefully closer! I chilled out for a while, went to the cinema, saw a film called 'Eagle Eye' (Shia LeBouf, I love that guy). It's a pretty good film, basically 'I,Robot' but without a ripped black guy.
After the movie I slowly made my way back to the hostel. Changed my mind before I got there, decided to go to my chillout zone, a small bay. I sit on the wall overlooking the water, hearing it gently breaking metres below my feet, and watch the sunset. And then when the sun does go down, the bats come out, in their hundreds, silently clouding the skies. I sit on that wallfront, thinking, getting away from the crowds and noise of other people.
I'm starting to do this more often now. I come back from a day out, and read for a few hours. I bought a book before I came to Oz, and finished it last Friday I think. And after I finished it, I immediately went out to a bookshop round the corner, and bought four more. I bought 1984 (a book I tried reading years ago, but gave up halfway through), a guide to the rules of Samurai, The Assasination of Jesse James and The Remains of the Day. By yesterday, I'd finished the first two listed. People in my hostel go out clubbing; I stay in and read, or go out late at night to the bay and exercise on public Exersites, conveniently near to my chillzone. I'm not really in this crowd, but at least I realise that, and am living the way I choose to. I am myself :).
Speak soon, I'm gonna heat up the rest of my spaghetti and read about Jesse James. See yaaa.

Hey again. Today is Thursday. I've perked up a bit since my last post, upon the discovery of... basketball courts! Yup, the first I found was right next to the park I go to on Mondays and Saturdays, but the problem is that the court is on the top of a hill, so it's pretty windy. That annoys me. So that court will only be used rarely, when I'm going to the park anyway. But the second court, that's five minutes away! It's perfect, as from what I know it's not used that often, and it's got all the court markings and stuff. So while I'm STILL waiting for this woman to phone me about the job, I can now spend my time training for Exeter basketball practice. Seriously, when you watch my games (when I'm professional, of course) you'd better sit in at least the second or third row. Because I'm gonna slamdunk the ball so hard, the hoop won't fall down, it will literally implode. And I don't want you guys getting sucked into that mini black hole of AWESOMENESS. So heed my warning.
Yeh, so I bought a new ball, it's pretty nice. And I go down to the court, well a lot at the moment. Once the job starts, it'll just be in spare time. Not much to report on really, nothing's been happening. Oh yeah, washed my clothes yesterday. Lavender fresh, ooh yeah. Well, speak soon, stay cool. :)

Hey! Today is Friday, I know I posted yesterday but big events have happened since then.
I've made friends! Hell yeah, haha, my sociable side kicked through finally. Last night I came home from a short trip out (not to the bay), and instead of going up to my room to eat my peanut butter sandwiches, I took them downstairs and chilled out in the TV room. And watched some crap TV, made some mateys, and then watched a film, called Boondock Saints. So yeah, it didn't take much, but I just wanted a change of atmosphere, and hell, I met some fun people.
And then, in a double whammy of friendship, I made like 20 new friends playing basketball. Admittedly the oldest is eleven I think, but hey, I'm not picky. Yup, when I was playing basketball yesterday I saw a small group of kids skateboarding nearby being overlooked by a young woman. And I just left them to it then, but today I've just been playing ball again, and when I took a short break 20 of them came and took over the court, playing basketball! So I went over to the woman, kinda joked around about them taking over the court and being better than me (they weren't, no hoops imploded) and after about two hours, I was playing rugby with them all, shooting hoops, piggybacking and carrying them, it was great. So yeah, had a good day. I like watching kids having fun playing sports. And the woman was pretty cool, the kids love her. Might drop by again soon, if I don't get a job by then. I phoned up the woman who interviewed me, and sent off my CV by email, and she hadn't the foggiest who I was. But once I gently reminded her, she said she'd find out when I could start work, and to wait for a phonecall from her, telling me when I can start. So while I'm waiting, I may as well do something active. Might try and find out where the nearest gym is. I've discovered that I'm slowly becoming addicted to M&Ms, so gotta try and get over that.
I guess all it takes is a small move of sociableness, and then the rest is easy. But now I gotta remain sociable by taking a shower. Speak later, thanks for the comments guys :).