Finally, some furniture

Sofa arrived today. Nothing short of luxury after having to sit on the damn stairs yesterday. Unfortunately it's a little bigger than it looked in the shop – the two places it was intended to go are too small so it's wedged in the end of the lounge. I actually quite like it where it is so it'll probably end up staying there, although it's a bit early to make any sort of decision until there's at least a second piece of furniture to arrange it around.

Not really been up to anything else. Still no fridge or washing machine, but that is sorted as of tomorrow – rather than buy both (or even just one) which is not an option until I'm earning again, it makes more sense to rent for a few months. Minimum rental is only a month which is a bit of a surprise – I expected it would be longer which would be a royal pain in the arse, so we've settled for three months which gives enough wage-earning time to buy them after the lease runs out. Saw the LG fridge in the shop that's on the adverts for the olympics here with the TV in the door – unfortunately it's $15 595 which is a little steep for cold beer.

My other news is decided to start doing some proper exercise with the eventual goal of a bit of triathlon. Not sure how my monged shoulder will hold up to the swimming but I'll wait and see. I was always shit at swimming anyway so I can't imagine I'd be much worse with one arm. It's been a while since I've done any competitive training but hopefully it'll get rid of this gut I've had for the last year or two.

Managed to call the telephone people as well, but they couldn't connect us up today. No idea why not – it's not like they actually have to do anything other than press a bloody button. I was assured however that it'd be connected tomorrow morning. It'll be nice to be able to do things like call people and check my email. I still have a load of other things to do – electricity and gas I'll call when I can tomorrow, I need to open a bank account, probably get a cellphone too, although that's something I don't really care about – just a convenience. Getting quite used to not having one again.

Might go up the coast on Wednesday as we still have a few films to go back to the rental place. Depending on how much it is I might hire a surfboard for an hour or two as I'm itching to start learning. Mum however is worried about shark attacks but my youthful sense of immortality will prevent that from being a concern. If you're reading this mum – I'd be a lot more concerned about the rip-tides. Lot more drownings from them than fish-fatalities. Especially with my one-armed, can't-swim-for-shit, out-of-condition wreck of a body. At least the flab will make me float.

The new pad

Settling into the new place. It's a shame we have no furniture, other than Jenny's bed and a bookcase. On the bookcase there is a 14” TV with no aerial. Yesterday was spent moving stuff across in Greg's van, and while it's a good thing that Jenny has so much stuff which she's acumulated over the years (although mostly the last few months), it's very much girly stuff, like hors d'oeuvre serving dishes and matching crockery, rather than practical items like a chair. Hence why I am sitting on the stairs typing as it's the closest we have.

That being said it's great that we have the kitchen pretty much kitted out. The nuisance about the Ozzie tendency toward unfurnished lets is that we have no fridge, which is a pretty key item. A cheap and cheerful fridge can be bought for only a few hundred, but as I have spent all my available cash on a sofa, the deposit for the flat, getting here and things like visa applications, my hands are tied for now. Instead we have a coolbox ('Esky') with a few bits of ice in it which keeps the morning tea/coffee milk tepid. So we have no furniture, no fridge, no washing machine (although we do have a dryer), no money and no means for getting them for at least another week and a half when Jenny gets paid. I start work a week tomorrow and should get paid a fortnight after that, and I have a feeling that it would be a good idea to try and hang on to Jenny's income for essentials like food and petrol until we have two lots of cash coming in.



The week up at the coast near Mooloolaba was a bit of a rest from the time off I've been having. We had to come back for Jenny's exam on Tuesday so it was a bit disjointed but other than that ate well (if anyone's in Mooloolaba I would thoroughly recommend Phon's if you like Thai food), slept well, went for a few runs along the beach and took some photos which I will eventually send to my mum as she's been complaining that I haven't emailed her any. I should be able to get this place hooked up to gas, electricity (both fortunately still working since we moved in) and phone as of tomorrow so I will sort it out then. Will need to see how much broadband is as dial-up photos are no fun to send.



My plans for today are taxing as usual. Shower and cup of tea. J's at work until 2pm, I think mum Jeffrey and Liz will come over at some point this morning to say hello. They're off to buy some plants so I'll wander round with them. Having no transport is a bit frustrating but probably a good thing seeing as I have no cash either. Greg is away in Cairns for some music thing but is flying back tonight about half six, and he's arranged for a surprise birthday party for Liz tonight. She's going to the airport to pick him up and everyone's sneaking into the house while she's gone.

Not even half past eight in the morning so I think I'll have to get round to unpacking my clothes. If I have time after that I might go a for a run but I'm not too sure as if I get lost I'm up Shit Creek, so a shower might be the safer option.

Settling in

QUT, Brisbane, 24th August 2004

Been a while since I've written anything. I am sitting in a campus coffee bar in Queensland University of Technology (QUT) where Jenny is doing her nursing degree. She had an exam this morning, I went for a wander round the town centre. It's really a pretty tiny city centre for a place with about 1.6 million, but there are lots of satellite town centres around it with shopping centres and things so I suppose no-one can really be arsed to brave the traffic when the same stuff is available closer to home. The city botanic gardens are just beside the campus, I had a quick wander round them this morning as well. Historically they used to be rainforest, and the Aborigines did the hunter/gatherer thing around these parts. Since whitey came by and pillaged the locals, it has been a testing area for growing new crops before unleashing them on the fairly fragile Ozzie ecosystem – I think a lot of the crops here like tea and coffee were grown there first.

The chick has another exam this afternoon so I've just been drinking coffee and taking it easy. We went down to the coast yesterday and are staying the week there other than this trip back for the exams but it's only about an hour away so it's no great hassle. Jenny's keen to do some triathlon as she was a good runner in her schooldays – I'm certainly willing to give it a shot too, but I have a few pounds to lose to get back down to my racing weight. Cycling before my trip across has certainly helped slightly but there's a long way to go.

Have secured a place to stay in Stafford, a suburb on the North of Brisbane. Seems like a great spot, and just realised the other night that the balcony has a view of the city lights at night as we're most of the way up a hill and are higher than the neighbouring balconies. There are three double bedrooms which is ideal for family visits, and the place is fully air-conditioned too which is also very handy for the family, especially as the summer here is so hot. Obviously the first thing my mum said when I told her was to complain about the lack of swimming pool. She's so practical. Most of the lets here are unfurnished, which is a bit different from back home. It's a good idea I suppose from the point of view that you can get furniture before finding a permanent place – I was skint for months after I bought my flat in Edinburgh while I furnished it, and I think a lot of the kids here start in their teens on their 'Glory Box' which, although it sounds a bit porno, I am assured is just a box of stuff for their new home when they finally move in, and they can keep getting stuff when they rent before they get a mortgage.

Move in date is this weekend, so I have a week to settle in before it's back to the grind at Logan and Beaudesert Hospital Accident and Emergency department. It'd be nice at this point to have a working visa too. My medical was only a couple of weeks ago and it wouldn't get sent over until my blood tests were back, so I think the hold-up is purely the mail. Immigration have everything else at least so they can hopefully just post it out once that comes through as OK. I had a wander around the department a week or so ago and it looks fine, but they don't see too much trauma which is a shame. I have a book to read which I think I'll leaf through next week. I should be able to steal Jenny's car for a few weeks until money starts coming back in, then I can find something of my own, but everyone made fun of me when I suggested a scooter. Probably a good idea as the Ozzies are surprisingly bad drivers. Really awful. They all tailgate, overtake on the wrong side, go through red lights, drink and generally drive badly and aggressively. Bizarre considering the reputation of being so laid back. I think my limbs would probably end up shorter or less in number if I took the moped option so it'll just have to be the stuck-in-traffic-but-whole alternative.

Arrival in Brisbane

Second day after arrival in Brisbane. I managed to sleep for almost the enirety of the journey from Singapore, waking up twice just in time for food. My arrival was marred by the fact that four or five planes landed at the same time as mine, which meant that about a thousand or more disembarked at precisely the same time. I of course was at the back of the queue for immigration, which fortunately involved me being waved pretty much straight through. Finding my bag was quick, then another million man march through to customs.

Have been staying at Jenny's parents' house in Aspley, North Brisbane, which is very nice, and everyone has been great. Discovered shortly after arrival that I have not packed any socks. I had looked out a pile of them but they must have made some bid for freedom between then and now. Three pairs of white, and three black, have been bought – I thought it best I didn't buy enough so I have something to do for the rest of the week.

Sunday, rather than being a day of rest, was actually quite busy. Jenny was off to band rehearsal early, so went with Mum Jeffrey and John (Jen's wee bro) to a bowling club where there was some brass band action as they were playing for some charity bowling event. I amused myself with a couple of pots of lager, then afterward it was off into the city for the main event, Jenny's band playing with some guy called Roger Webster, who for those who don't know is a world-reknowned cornet player. They had a concert which lasted a few hours, the highlight of which for me was 'Soul Bossa Nova' (intro to Austin Powers to all my fellow Philistines). I think everyone there was very excited to see this guy play but as a brass band outsider I was fairly oblivious. I was introduced to loads of people and I think they were all mostly interested in what instrument I played. I think the reaction when they found out I played none was a combination of surprise, distrust and maybe fear.

After getting home I went and had a look at a place for rent, the folks that were staying there were from Kent. Nice place with some spare rooms and full air-conditioning which is a bonus. It's free in a couple of weeks and I think I'll give the estate agent a call today – I should maybe view more than one but there's nothing like an impulse buy.

Gasgow - Dubai

Thought I'd write something on the plane given the fact that I have the opportunity and more importantly am bored out of my mind. Despite this the business class deal is a whole lot better than the plebs who I will be joining after Dubai – the stewardesses are constantly trying to offer food, booze and films (there's a tape player in my armrest and they have a selection of about 30 new or new-ish releases). They are also a lot prettier than the economy stewardesses, but I guess you get what you pay for. I get the impression they are all flirting with me and would be flattered if it were not for the fact that it's clearly part of the act, although obviously I can see their point.

After a rather well-made bloody mary courtesy of myself in the KLM business lounge (shared with Emirates) in Glasgow airport, I soon found myself several drinks down the line after about an hour and a half. I usually drink nothing on flights, especially long ones, as it just makes you feel worse and gets you more dehydrated, but it was very hard to keep refusing all these beauties that kept trying to ply me with assorted booze. After a few I stopped though – there is surely some risk of losing control and waking up on a camel in the Middle East trying to recreate 'Lawrence of Arabia'.

Glasgow airport, to those who have been there, is the worst airport in Europe after 'Glasgow' Prestwick and anywhere in Greece*. It likes to think it's very important on account of the fact that there are flights all over the shop direct from it, but in reality it's a piece of shit, with nothing to do and no facilities. The business lounge was an incremental improvement but was essentially a narrow long room with an unmanned bar, papers and packets of crisps, with a few newspapers, tables and chairs and a view of tarmac.

Having watched two films and read a National Geographic article about fat Americans, I'm not really sure what to do now. Although I am pleased as punch to find my seat reclines enough to sleep comfortably and it has some funky leg thing (think Parker-Knoll chairs or a lay-Z-boy), the eight-hour stopover in Dubai is where I plan to do my sleeping so I think doing any on the plane would be folly. There's only an hour and a half to go anyway, maybe I should have a drink or two. The 2001 Medoc is particularly good. I actually have a hotel voucher for beside the airport but it's a quarter of an hour away, and that translates into at least an hour less sleep after taking into account travel there and back, checking in, and seeing if there are any porn channels on the TV – this would only lead to disappointment if Arabic porn involves naked women veiled enough to only see their eyes. I imagine any sort of lesbian scene would look like a parachute landing on top of its owner.

So it'll be the bedrooms in the business lounge at Dubai for me then up in time to eat some of the buffet and just miss my connection.

*on second thoughts, Edinburgh is even worse than all of these.

Not even left yet

At the parents' house in Glasgow. My plane doesn't fly out until tomorrow (actually about 13 hours from now), and for some reason I can never go to bed at a decent time when I'm here. Had a stupidly hectic day selling my car for a mere fraction of what I paid for it (admittedly it's a couple of years old and has been horribly mistreated). Packing was left until about 4.50pm before getting a lift through from mum, but managed to just about finish before she trundled through and got lost in my street, having to phone me twice.

Despite all this I felt very organised as I had made a list of all the things which were absolutely necessary and brought most of them.

The only thing I would regard as a possible stumbling block is the fact that I have no tickets as yet for my impending flights. Hopefully I can pick them up at the post office else I'll be back in Edinburgh tomorrow evening.