wooo.. getting close now...
Going away party is organised for Clancy's FishPub in Fremantle. 4pm on Sunday August 3rd.
Come Down! Bring friends! Get there a little early if you want to join for a late lunch, stick around a little later if you want to do dinner, or just show up for a couple of pints to say "go away already"
Sorting out the last few details before I go. Waiting for my Passport to find its way home and for my new phone to arrive. Slowly winding up work, hopefully it will be a scorecard full of wins by the time I leave!
oooooh... Triple J just gave me some tickets to the Birds of Tokyo gig in freo this weekend (plus back-stage) :D I'm assuming that I'm getting a double pass, anyone want to go?
*sigh* off to work...
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
*shiny*
Travel agent called today, everything is going according to plan. No further visa dramas (yet).
Got my camera yesterday, it is most excellent :D
I've organised my going away party for Sunday August 3rd at Clancy's Fish Pub in Freo. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come along :D we'll kick it off at about 4pm and see where the afternoon takes us! Bring along anyone who might be interested.
Now it's all boiling down to finishing up at work and sorting out finances. It is going to be *awfully* close on money...
Got my camera yesterday, it is most excellent :D
I've organised my going away party for Sunday August 3rd at Clancy's Fish Pub in Freo. Anyone and everyone is welcome to come along :D we'll kick it off at about 4pm and see where the afternoon takes us! Bring along anyone who might be interested.
Now it's all boiling down to finishing up at work and sorting out finances. It is going to be *awfully* close on money...
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Flavours of AWESOME
Exciting last few days :)
Jenny flew in yesterday, been pure undiluted greatness hanging out. Lots of Dr Who :D
Went to a friend's restaurant tonight. Two words "EPIC STEAK". "The Bridges Cafe" near Risely St off Canning Highway. Go there.
A different flavor of awesome, I've gotten an interview for the Flying Scholarship :D just got the call tonight. It'll most likely go to the new Club secretary, but hey.. at least I have a shot ^^
Sorted out my rent and health insurance for while I'm away. Now just need to sort my DSL and selling Marianne's car... anyone need a 93/94 Toyota Seca? it's blue and little.
Got the power plugs and a money belt at Kathmandu yesterday, that's almost the last of the gear that I'll need. Just need to get the last of the antibiotics (Cephalexin, just in case), a camera with associated paraphernalia and international drivers license. I'll probably go to the dentist and optometrist for teeth and spare glasses/contacts.
I really hope I'm not forgetting something..
Jenny flew in yesterday, been pure undiluted greatness hanging out. Lots of Dr Who :D
Went to a friend's restaurant tonight. Two words "EPIC STEAK". "The Bridges Cafe" near Risely St off Canning Highway. Go there.
A different flavor of awesome, I've gotten an interview for the Flying Scholarship :D just got the call tonight. It'll most likely go to the new Club secretary, but hey.. at least I have a shot ^^
Sorted out my rent and health insurance for while I'm away. Now just need to sort my DSL and selling Marianne's car... anyone need a 93/94 Toyota Seca? it's blue and little.
Got the power plugs and a money belt at Kathmandu yesterday, that's almost the last of the gear that I'll need. Just need to get the last of the antibiotics (Cephalexin, just in case), a camera with associated paraphernalia and international drivers license. I'll probably go to the dentist and optometrist for teeth and spare glasses/contacts.
I really hope I'm not forgetting something..
Friday, July 11, 2008
T-27days 10hours
Chinese visa SORTED, the messed up money order is on the way back, I'll refund that next week.. I'm a bit cross at STA travel for not sorting this out, it has been a real headache for me to drop everything at work in order to sort out something that they could very easily have resolved themselves. They appear to be sub-contracting to a company that specialises in preparing Visas, so it is *absolutely* beyond me why one or the other could not have sorted out sending the money order or cheque.. they're certainly being paid enough!
~deep breath~
Jenny will be here in a few days, with her help I'll hopefully get a *LOT* of my outstanding stuff sorted out. On top of that, I won't have to pay for parking at work and the company will be very very very welcome. Though living by yourself has its benefits (pants are now suprisingly optional), it'll be nice having someone around for the week.
Had farewell drinks for one of my mates at work, as well my manager who is going on long service leave.. we'd spent all of yesterday and today moving buildings, so the next few weeks will be "interesting"...
Hopefully the rest of the visas will go ok, so that I can focus on getting my life sorted out before I go away.
Spain is looking soooooo awesome right now... I'm trying to convince work to get us a projector so that we can have a "virtual window" in the new office. Rolling surf on a beach in Thailand is a favourite at the moment. I'm also trying to convince them to get Segways or a flying fox for commuting between the old building and where we are now located.
~deep breath~
Jenny will be here in a few days, with her help I'll hopefully get a *LOT* of my outstanding stuff sorted out. On top of that, I won't have to pay for parking at work and the company will be very very very welcome. Though living by yourself has its benefits (pants are now suprisingly optional), it'll be nice having someone around for the week.
Had farewell drinks for one of my mates at work, as well my manager who is going on long service leave.. we'd spent all of yesterday and today moving buildings, so the next few weeks will be "interesting"...
Hopefully the rest of the visas will go ok, so that I can focus on getting my life sorted out before I go away.
Spain is looking soooooo awesome right now... I'm trying to convince work to get us a projector so that we can have a "virtual window" in the new office. Rolling surf on a beach in Thailand is a favourite at the moment. I'm also trying to convince them to get Segways or a flying fox for commuting between the old building and where we are now located.
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Brain enema
so, got a call from the travel agent today.. not only did I have to leave work yesterday to get money orders for two visa's.. but that one of them had been written with the wrong name. Now I have to go to the Chinese consulate tomorrow to pay ANOTHER order and get my passport back.
@#$*%!!!! We're moving premises at the moment, so I'll popular at the office for the absence.
right now, I'd love nothing more than to stick a fire-hose full of RedBull up my nose. Soooo much stuff to get through before I leave..
~just think of the pyramids~
other than that, things look vaguely on track.. need to organise Spain with Emma and Josh...
hmmm... so many things..
Still trying to think of a mascot or "thing" for my trip... maybe a stuffed tiger?
@#$*%!!!! We're moving premises at the moment, so I'll popular at the office for the absence.
right now, I'd love nothing more than to stick a fire-hose full of RedBull up my nose. Soooo much stuff to get through before I leave..
~just think of the pyramids~
other than that, things look vaguely on track.. need to organise Spain with Emma and Josh...
hmmm... so many things..
Still trying to think of a mascot or "thing" for my trip... maybe a stuffed tiger?
Saturday, July 5, 2008
T-31 Days 22 Hours
So, "Operation Awesome" is already taken as a blog URL.. and hence I've ended up with this one :p
The tickets are paid for and the Visas are on their way. Things are getting scary close!
I fly out on the 8th of August to visit the Snaz in J.burg and then onto Egypt. Last minute adjustments, but these have to be allowed for. Hopefully I won't have to make any more major adjustments.
I've started making lists of things that I have to do before I leave and I'm still trying to squeeze every cent that I can out of my budget. It's gotten to the point that I hope my Tax Return is ~Whopping~ or spending money is going to be a little short. I hope that I can get some good hours in at work, it would be nice to finish the projects I'm on and earn a little extra coin. Handling my finances when I get back is going to be "interesting", but I think I'll just have to leave that till when I get home.
Trying to fit in my physical rehab has been a real pain as well as language practice. I've resorted to trying to listen to the audio tracks while on the bus and at the gym. I don't ENTIRELY suck at Mandarin, but my Russian and Arabic really are failing. Trying to sit down in front of the books has been almost impossible. It occurred to me that I'm now down to 2 evenings a weeks where I'm not already committed to something.. even then, the Monday is spent ironing uniforms and Friday usually devolves into some form of "therapy" be it movie, beer or retail. It's great having all of these things to do, but really really sucks when there are so many extra opportunities that I've had to pass up because there just aren't the physical hours in the day! that said, no regrets :D
I've been excitedly reading Emma and Snazzy's blogs about their adventures, I'm certainly more than a little jealous. I know my epic journey is going to be *AWESOME*, but I would have liked to have been in Greece or walking through Spain instead of suffering the cold and work-stress of life in Perth :p
With everything that's happened this year, it's uncanny how many things have synchronised to open up some really awesome opportunities. If I hadn't screwed my knee on that fateful date in January, I think I'd be stuck in some really crappy situations.. and probably be unemployed.
I'm going to have some epic karma debt to pay back before too long :p
Now it's down to trying to sort out my life before I leave.. running through what to pack, sorting out phones and rent, suspending accounts and services. So far everyone has been pretty helpful. I'm still deciding on what to pack or not pack. I think I'll go with the philosophy that I won't be coming back with a lot of the stuff that I leave with. Seeing as I'll be going straight to the Middle East, then Starting at Autumn in Russia with the teeth of winter chasing me the whole way to the equator.. Finishing with Summer in S.E. Asia.. by the looks of it, I'll even be in Vietnam for Monsoon Season! As much as I'd like to (and have been trying to), I won't be able to pack for "every situation". I think that the part of me that hates throwing anything away is going to have to get over itself.
The only real dilemma that remains, is trying to think of a "thing" for this trip..
Emma and I were going to have a collapsible TARDIS for the trip, no go there.
Jessica took a teddy bear everywhere, that's a possibility.. I was think about turning a travel pillow into a stuffed tiger and solve two problems..
Marianne suggested photographing and documenting graffetti art everywhere, but it's not entirely my thing.
Any suggestions would be appreciated :p
The tickets are paid for and the Visas are on their way. Things are getting scary close!
I fly out on the 8th of August to visit the Snaz in J.burg and then onto Egypt. Last minute adjustments, but these have to be allowed for. Hopefully I won't have to make any more major adjustments.
I've started making lists of things that I have to do before I leave and I'm still trying to squeeze every cent that I can out of my budget. It's gotten to the point that I hope my Tax Return is ~Whopping~ or spending money is going to be a little short. I hope that I can get some good hours in at work, it would be nice to finish the projects I'm on and earn a little extra coin. Handling my finances when I get back is going to be "interesting", but I think I'll just have to leave that till when I get home.
Trying to fit in my physical rehab has been a real pain as well as language practice. I've resorted to trying to listen to the audio tracks while on the bus and at the gym. I don't ENTIRELY suck at Mandarin, but my Russian and Arabic really are failing. Trying to sit down in front of the books has been almost impossible. It occurred to me that I'm now down to 2 evenings a weeks where I'm not already committed to something.. even then, the Monday is spent ironing uniforms and Friday usually devolves into some form of "therapy" be it movie, beer or retail. It's great having all of these things to do, but really really sucks when there are so many extra opportunities that I've had to pass up because there just aren't the physical hours in the day! that said, no regrets :D
I've been excitedly reading Emma and Snazzy's blogs about their adventures, I'm certainly more than a little jealous. I know my epic journey is going to be *AWESOME*, but I would have liked to have been in Greece or walking through Spain instead of suffering the cold and work-stress of life in Perth :p
With everything that's happened this year, it's uncanny how many things have synchronised to open up some really awesome opportunities. If I hadn't screwed my knee on that fateful date in January, I think I'd be stuck in some really crappy situations.. and probably be unemployed.
I'm going to have some epic karma debt to pay back before too long :p
Now it's down to trying to sort out my life before I leave.. running through what to pack, sorting out phones and rent, suspending accounts and services. So far everyone has been pretty helpful. I'm still deciding on what to pack or not pack. I think I'll go with the philosophy that I won't be coming back with a lot of the stuff that I leave with. Seeing as I'll be going straight to the Middle East, then Starting at Autumn in Russia with the teeth of winter chasing me the whole way to the equator.. Finishing with Summer in S.E. Asia.. by the looks of it, I'll even be in Vietnam for Monsoon Season! As much as I'd like to (and have been trying to), I won't be able to pack for "every situation". I think that the part of me that hates throwing anything away is going to have to get over itself.
The only real dilemma that remains, is trying to think of a "thing" for this trip..
Emma and I were going to have a collapsible TARDIS for the trip, no go there.
Jessica took a teddy bear everywhere, that's a possibility.. I was think about turning a travel pillow into a stuffed tiger and solve two problems..
Marianne suggested photographing and documenting graffetti art everywhere, but it's not entirely my thing.
Any suggestions would be appreciated :p
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