So I called immigration as I couldn't make head nor tail of their thoroughly confusing website. You know those sites where you click the link and read then you have to follow another link and it just leads you round in circles back to where you started but without actually ever divulging the information you desperately seek? Yeah, one of those.
So I called for clarification. A nice gentleman answered the phone and I asked him how would one go about applying for a second working holiday Visa? He kindly explained to me that I have to work for a minimum of 88 days in a job that satisfies the selection criteria but is also in an area that satisfies the regional criteria. I can't fruit-pick in an area not on the list and I cannot bar-tend in an area that is acceptable, it has to meet both. He also explained that my honours degree is of no use to me whatsoever. Ah... grand.
OK. So I then go to the page of the website that further explains this using his directions (I would never have found this myself). Have a read at this.
http://www.immi.gov.au/visitors/working-holiday/417/specified-work.htm
I'm a bit horrified. I have no experience whatsoever in any of these fields. Although I am confident I could do any of them - what I lack in physical structure I make up for in abundance with sheer determination. I can do anything I put my mind to if only I get the opportunity. I now have to re-think my entire job-hunting perspective. Whilst the focus up until now has been to supplement my earnings with a romantic idea of a coffee shop it now seems I will have to put myself thoroughly out of my comfort zone . I am no stranger to hard work my only concern is the timescale. I have 6 months left in Oz and I have to do 3 months hard work. OH DEAR LORD I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF DERBY SEASON!!!
Hmm.. how can I work around this. My lovely friend and fellow derby enthusiast Busty suggested fruit picking in the Adelaide hills as it is close to home and would hopefully minimalise impact on derby related activities. I got right on it and found a website - all names have been changed.
*WARNING* the following conversation is of a disturbing nature with creep factor x 10. If you are easily offended/and/or scared skip this bit. My thoughts are in brackets - I did not speak these out loud).
Edgar: Hello, Edgar.
Me: Hi there, I am currently residing in Adelaide and I am looking for some work to count towards extending my Visa application. i see you are advertising fruit-picking jobs and I would like to apply please.
Edgar: What do you look like, height/build/fat/thin?
Me: (eeeerrr... what? I fail to see why this matters but OK I'll roll with it) I'm 5ft 3" and slim.
Edgar: Do you have any experience?
Me: Honestly, no, not fruit-picking but I'm sure I will learn quickly - I am a very dedicated and hard-worker.
Edgar: OK the pay isnt very good...
Me: I'm not bothered I just want to stay in Australia, I'm happy to volunteer if it means I get a job
Edgar: Do you have a boyfriend? Not that it matters, I was just asking... I mean, why do you want to stay in Australia?
Me: (WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK) No I dont and I dont have one back home either I dont have much to go home to and I like it here Ive made lots of friends.
Edgar: OK well send me your resume and if you could send me a pic of yourself that would be helpful.
Me: (For what?! Your selection process? What the fuck does it matter what i look like?) Sure, no problem.
Edgar: I fired a girl recently as she just wasnt up to the job and I've got a couple of german girls working for me just now but they both finish tomorrow. How soon would you want to start?
Me: Oh, as immediately as possible (HOW ABOUT NEVER YOU FUCKING CREEP)
Edgar: Ok email me.
Me: Sure thanks bye.
So. Judging by the questions he asked and I may be way off track here but I reckon his deal is he picks girls he finds attractive and then if you want him to provide evidence to the visa people that you've done your 3 months you have to sleep with him. I could be incredibly wrong but I'm not really willing to pursue this in order to find out. I was considering sending him a pic of a leggy, blonde, tanned beauty to see if he picks me and then if he does turning up all short and pale and tattooed to see what his reaction would be. But I dont actually care that much.
Back to the drawing board. :)
Wednesday, March 30, 2011
Monday, March 21, 2011
Pirate and the neverending quest for a job part 2
Todays blog will be about discrimination. I will lead into it gently but it is about DISCRIMINATION.
So today was my trial at the coffee shop. I skipped skate practice last night as I wanted to be fresh and preferably unbroken today! Normally I wouldn't miss it for the world but I was still aching from Sundays bout and I really really want this job.
I get up early and put on my $70 black long-sleeved shirt. I wouldn't normally ever spend that much on a shirt but it looks amazing, fits me well and the main thing is the sleeves are really long. Sometimes shirts ride up when you extend your arm and I can't have that or my wrist tats will keek out (shock horror). So yeah now to tackle my hair. I don't think I could get away with wearing a hat during a shift so I need to do something else. I can never ever ever be arsed doing anything with my hair hence why I shave half of it and style the other side like a birds nest - minimum effort. So, how to disguise my hair without using clever hat trickery? I decide to try and copy that rockabilly thing I've seen girls do with a bandanna. I get the shaved bit disguised and cleverly pin my remaining hair over as much of it as possible. It's a bit sloppy but for a first attempt its awrite.
Sweet, off to work! I arrive ten minutes early and inroduce myself and give a big smile. (All names have been changed to alternatives to protect identities and for my own personal amusement but this is the only false part of the story everything else is FACT). I met my boss Reginald and another co-worker Penelope and politely got on with learning how to do the job and yakking about myself. I like Reginald he reminds me of an ex-boss. He strikes me as very down to earth, friendly yet professional, hard-working and fun. All is going well I'm picking things up quick, I'm talking myself up with quiet confidence and I'm getting on well with everyone. Reginald asked to see me alone away from the customers and my immediate thought was "Crap I've only been here an hour I've mucked this up what did I do wrong?". We head upstairs and he begins by complimenting me on the way I'm dressed (I can recognise a compliment sandwich when I see it), it's smart yadda yadda, however (here it is), he would like me to take my ear-rings out as he would prefer me to look more like the way he's dressed and it's more professional. I think he may also have meant I was to do something with my hair but I was still in shock over the very idea of removing my ear-rings. He then closed with he would like me to come back the next day when it is busier and he will teach me more. There we have it folks the compliment sandwich.
The main problem I have with society in regards to job-hunting etc is this ridiculous prejudice that people with piercings and tattoos are "unprofessional". I have an honours degree in biomedical science, I studied a masters degree in signal transduction pathways in primary operable breast cancer, I have presented my work in San Antonio at the annual breast cancer conference, I have worked since the age of 15, I have mostly always had two jobs, I have only ever been unemployed once for a period of 8 months until I stopped putting my degree on my resume and I pride myself on my attitude of "If somethings worth doing it's worth doing well". No matter what I get up to in my private life I am always at work on time, I never phone in sick unless I am so genuinely sick I cant physically make it to work and I always get the job done. Tell me, does any of this sound unprofessional to you? It is also infuriating as Penelope was wearing a pair of very thick gold hoop ear-rings. I'm an all or nothing kinda gal. You either ban jewellery altogether or you allow people to wear it. I'm not mad at Reginald I understand his dilemma. People can be pains in the arses about appearance. However, once I give you my dazzling smile and speak to you in my genuinely friendly manner you can't help but like me. And I'm not being full of myself here I just like being nice to people it doesnt cost anything and smiling is contagious. You cant stay freaked out by someone when they bend over backwards to help you and take time out of their day just to be nice to you.
So therein lies the dilemma. I like Reginald, I like his staff and I like his coffe shop but on principle I have NEVER ever taken my ear-rings out for anyone. What to do?
So today was my trial at the coffee shop. I skipped skate practice last night as I wanted to be fresh and preferably unbroken today! Normally I wouldn't miss it for the world but I was still aching from Sundays bout and I really really want this job.
I get up early and put on my $70 black long-sleeved shirt. I wouldn't normally ever spend that much on a shirt but it looks amazing, fits me well and the main thing is the sleeves are really long. Sometimes shirts ride up when you extend your arm and I can't have that or my wrist tats will keek out (shock horror). So yeah now to tackle my hair. I don't think I could get away with wearing a hat during a shift so I need to do something else. I can never ever ever be arsed doing anything with my hair hence why I shave half of it and style the other side like a birds nest - minimum effort. So, how to disguise my hair without using clever hat trickery? I decide to try and copy that rockabilly thing I've seen girls do with a bandanna. I get the shaved bit disguised and cleverly pin my remaining hair over as much of it as possible. It's a bit sloppy but for a first attempt its awrite.
Sweet, off to work! I arrive ten minutes early and inroduce myself and give a big smile. (All names have been changed to alternatives to protect identities and for my own personal amusement but this is the only false part of the story everything else is FACT). I met my boss Reginald and another co-worker Penelope and politely got on with learning how to do the job and yakking about myself. I like Reginald he reminds me of an ex-boss. He strikes me as very down to earth, friendly yet professional, hard-working and fun. All is going well I'm picking things up quick, I'm talking myself up with quiet confidence and I'm getting on well with everyone. Reginald asked to see me alone away from the customers and my immediate thought was "Crap I've only been here an hour I've mucked this up what did I do wrong?". We head upstairs and he begins by complimenting me on the way I'm dressed (I can recognise a compliment sandwich when I see it), it's smart yadda yadda, however (here it is), he would like me to take my ear-rings out as he would prefer me to look more like the way he's dressed and it's more professional. I think he may also have meant I was to do something with my hair but I was still in shock over the very idea of removing my ear-rings. He then closed with he would like me to come back the next day when it is busier and he will teach me more. There we have it folks the compliment sandwich.
The main problem I have with society in regards to job-hunting etc is this ridiculous prejudice that people with piercings and tattoos are "unprofessional". I have an honours degree in biomedical science, I studied a masters degree in signal transduction pathways in primary operable breast cancer, I have presented my work in San Antonio at the annual breast cancer conference, I have worked since the age of 15, I have mostly always had two jobs, I have only ever been unemployed once for a period of 8 months until I stopped putting my degree on my resume and I pride myself on my attitude of "If somethings worth doing it's worth doing well". No matter what I get up to in my private life I am always at work on time, I never phone in sick unless I am so genuinely sick I cant physically make it to work and I always get the job done. Tell me, does any of this sound unprofessional to you? It is also infuriating as Penelope was wearing a pair of very thick gold hoop ear-rings. I'm an all or nothing kinda gal. You either ban jewellery altogether or you allow people to wear it. I'm not mad at Reginald I understand his dilemma. People can be pains in the arses about appearance. However, once I give you my dazzling smile and speak to you in my genuinely friendly manner you can't help but like me. And I'm not being full of myself here I just like being nice to people it doesnt cost anything and smiling is contagious. You cant stay freaked out by someone when they bend over backwards to help you and take time out of their day just to be nice to you.
So therein lies the dilemma. I like Reginald, I like his staff and I like his coffe shop but on principle I have NEVER ever taken my ear-rings out for anyone. What to do?
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Pirate and the neverending quest for a job
The preparations for today's interview began last night with me ironing, yes, ironing (shudder) my borrowed interview clothes and getting a reasonably early night. Normally I'm awake until anything between 2 and 4am, my brain refusing to stop the whirlwind of ideas and things to remember. However, unusually it complied with an early shutdown and I think I was asleep before 1am. Getting up at 8am this morning was a bit scary as I usually only see that time if I haven't been to bed yet and although I hate mornings in general I was determined this one would be awesome.
Time to tackle the checklist of problems my appearance presents to potential employers. First on the list, visible tattoos. The black trousers and long-sleeved shirt takes care of 99% of them. Unfortunately there's not much I can do about the one on my neck (except grow my hair long but that's gonna take a while) but it can be rendered "not that noticeable" with a carefully practiced routine of tilting my head away and making sure I am always presenting my left side to the person I am talking to. Check. Next on the list, the piercings. As a matter of principle I absolutely refuse to take my ear-rings out as any reference to the outdated "health and safety" laws are clearly laughable. You can't tell me my ear-rings are at risk of falling into food when you need pliers to remove them from my ear. Whilst I refuse to remove my ear-rings I will begrudgingly remove my lip piercing. I can slowly phase it in once I have established myself as an invaluable member of staff. Check. Last and not least, the hair. Who would have thought that shaving half your hair off would be an issue? Apparently so. I cleverly disguise my hairstyle with none other than... a hat. Yes folks a hat. I have been told on numerous occassions I suit it well and with the shirt and trousers I kind of fancied myself as rockin the "dapper" look. Or something. Anyway, check.
With my troublesome appearance thoroughly dealt with the next hurdle to contend with is Jeffrey. My last interview did not go so well and I don't want to go into details but lets just say Jeffrey caused a scene. I told him he couldnt come with me this time on account of his atrocious behaviour last time and he stomped his little feet and he huffed and he puffed and he threatened me with allsorts. In the end I had to let him come with me as he said if I didnt he'd burn my collage art book. Mental note to self get Jeffrey a new cage.
I toddle off to the bus stop and I'm almost there when I remember that I've left the scrap of paper with the name of the shop and the phone number in the house. Idiot. So as I have plenty of time I nip back and get it. Back to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus into the City - excellent! Feeling good. I meet a fellow Roadie on the bus and have a great time chatting until I am about 3 stops away from the city when it suddenly dawns on me that I have left the house without a copy of my resume. Yes. I have gone to an interview without a resume. Disaster. What kind of a moron goes to an interview without a resume? Me, apparently.
Quick time check. 9am. Interview is at 10. Options-
1) Phone housemate and ask him to bring you a copy.
2) Phone brother and ask him to bring you a copy.
3) Call friend in the city, ask her to print it and pick it up
4) Find an internet cafe and print it yourself
I decide to go with option 3. I phoned my friend but as it was 5 minutes past nine she has started work and is unavailable. OK, I have just under an hour that's loads of time let's go for option 4 with 1 or 2 as a back-up. Although I have lived in Adeliade for 6 months now I still have no idea where to find most things so I ask around various shops and get directions. I find the cafe but unfortunately it is closed and does not open until 10am. Dang. I run up Rundle Mall and pop into Lush because it smells awesome and makes me happy and I can ask directions as well. The lovely shop lady directs me to the corner of Hindley and Leigh Street. I traipse up Hindley Street but miss the cafe go too far and end up asking directions again. Upon trudging back down Hindley Street a man walking beside me felt the burning need to inform me that "See that tattoo on your neck? It needs white in it." I reply with a cheeky sniggery "Right". Normally I would have asked politely why he thought so and then bested him with my awesome knowledge and sparkling wit but on this occassion I was too pushed for time. It is now 9.37am and I have t-minus 23 minutes to locate the cafe, print my resume and turn up to my interview on time. I walk past the cafe AGAIN but stop 2 shops down to look around and finally spot it and head in.
The internet cafe confused me. The internet was so slow it took me about 3 minutes to get the internet up and working. Soon as it is, bam, email, resume, print, ta da. It cost me $5.50 for 5 minutes internet time and 2 pieces of paper. She did, however, offer me a state of the art stapler.
OK, 9.45. I quick march up Hindley Street and Rundle Mall not entirely sure where I'm going but I locate the cafe with 5 minutes to spare. I quickly compose myself, tuck my shirt in, adjust my hat and take a deep breath. Here goes.
Inside the cafe it's jumping and there are two people behind the counter. Almost every table in the cafe has people seated and they both look waaaaaay busy. I inform the guy behind the counter who I am and that I have an interview at 10 and he looks at me and then at the clock and asks me for 10 minutes. I say sure no problem and wait outside at one of the tables. I take out my book, Haruki Murakami's "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle" and wait patiently. Jeffrey at this point starts shouting and demanding attention but I tell him, "No, Jeffrey this is perfect. Now we play the waiting game. The longer I sit here the more likely he will feel obliged to give me at least a trial". Reluctantly Jeffrey piped down.
After half an hour of patiently waiting I look up and he beckons me over. He asked me for a resume which I produce all shiny and new from my adorable handbag which I realise with horror is still covered in tomato juice spatters that look like vomit. He thanks me and scans it quickly and asks me to come in next week on Tuesday for a trial. YES!!! WIN!!! I have finally successfully managed to get my foot in the door!
Now all I have to do is some research on how to actually make coffee and we are sorted. My brother helpfully suggested wearing a variety of false moustaches and outfits etc and going into the cafe and observing what they do there whilst taking notes. This is a genius idea. I may enlist his help as well.
So, I have my foot in the door and the best bit is he asked me to come in Tuesday, not Monday. I still get to party on down at the Rollergirl after party on Sunday with Monday set to recovery mode. YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEESSS FRIDAY IS FULL OF WIN!!!! :D I'll keep you posted how I get on.
Time to tackle the checklist of problems my appearance presents to potential employers. First on the list, visible tattoos. The black trousers and long-sleeved shirt takes care of 99% of them. Unfortunately there's not much I can do about the one on my neck (except grow my hair long but that's gonna take a while) but it can be rendered "not that noticeable" with a carefully practiced routine of tilting my head away and making sure I am always presenting my left side to the person I am talking to. Check. Next on the list, the piercings. As a matter of principle I absolutely refuse to take my ear-rings out as any reference to the outdated "health and safety" laws are clearly laughable. You can't tell me my ear-rings are at risk of falling into food when you need pliers to remove them from my ear. Whilst I refuse to remove my ear-rings I will begrudgingly remove my lip piercing. I can slowly phase it in once I have established myself as an invaluable member of staff. Check. Last and not least, the hair. Who would have thought that shaving half your hair off would be an issue? Apparently so. I cleverly disguise my hairstyle with none other than... a hat. Yes folks a hat. I have been told on numerous occassions I suit it well and with the shirt and trousers I kind of fancied myself as rockin the "dapper" look. Or something. Anyway, check.
With my troublesome appearance thoroughly dealt with the next hurdle to contend with is Jeffrey. My last interview did not go so well and I don't want to go into details but lets just say Jeffrey caused a scene. I told him he couldnt come with me this time on account of his atrocious behaviour last time and he stomped his little feet and he huffed and he puffed and he threatened me with allsorts. In the end I had to let him come with me as he said if I didnt he'd burn my collage art book. Mental note to self get Jeffrey a new cage.
I toddle off to the bus stop and I'm almost there when I remember that I've left the scrap of paper with the name of the shop and the phone number in the house. Idiot. So as I have plenty of time I nip back and get it. Back to the bus stop just in time to catch the bus into the City - excellent! Feeling good. I meet a fellow Roadie on the bus and have a great time chatting until I am about 3 stops away from the city when it suddenly dawns on me that I have left the house without a copy of my resume. Yes. I have gone to an interview without a resume. Disaster. What kind of a moron goes to an interview without a resume? Me, apparently.
Quick time check. 9am. Interview is at 10. Options-
1) Phone housemate and ask him to bring you a copy.
2) Phone brother and ask him to bring you a copy.
3) Call friend in the city, ask her to print it and pick it up
4) Find an internet cafe and print it yourself
I decide to go with option 3. I phoned my friend but as it was 5 minutes past nine she has started work and is unavailable. OK, I have just under an hour that's loads of time let's go for option 4 with 1 or 2 as a back-up. Although I have lived in Adeliade for 6 months now I still have no idea where to find most things so I ask around various shops and get directions. I find the cafe but unfortunately it is closed and does not open until 10am. Dang. I run up Rundle Mall and pop into Lush because it smells awesome and makes me happy and I can ask directions as well. The lovely shop lady directs me to the corner of Hindley and Leigh Street. I traipse up Hindley Street but miss the cafe go too far and end up asking directions again. Upon trudging back down Hindley Street a man walking beside me felt the burning need to inform me that "See that tattoo on your neck? It needs white in it." I reply with a cheeky sniggery "Right". Normally I would have asked politely why he thought so and then bested him with my awesome knowledge and sparkling wit but on this occassion I was too pushed for time. It is now 9.37am and I have t-minus 23 minutes to locate the cafe, print my resume and turn up to my interview on time. I walk past the cafe AGAIN but stop 2 shops down to look around and finally spot it and head in.
The internet cafe confused me. The internet was so slow it took me about 3 minutes to get the internet up and working. Soon as it is, bam, email, resume, print, ta da. It cost me $5.50 for 5 minutes internet time and 2 pieces of paper. She did, however, offer me a state of the art stapler.
OK, 9.45. I quick march up Hindley Street and Rundle Mall not entirely sure where I'm going but I locate the cafe with 5 minutes to spare. I quickly compose myself, tuck my shirt in, adjust my hat and take a deep breath. Here goes.
Inside the cafe it's jumping and there are two people behind the counter. Almost every table in the cafe has people seated and they both look waaaaaay busy. I inform the guy behind the counter who I am and that I have an interview at 10 and he looks at me and then at the clock and asks me for 10 minutes. I say sure no problem and wait outside at one of the tables. I take out my book, Haruki Murakami's "The Wind-up Bird Chronicle" and wait patiently. Jeffrey at this point starts shouting and demanding attention but I tell him, "No, Jeffrey this is perfect. Now we play the waiting game. The longer I sit here the more likely he will feel obliged to give me at least a trial". Reluctantly Jeffrey piped down.
After half an hour of patiently waiting I look up and he beckons me over. He asked me for a resume which I produce all shiny and new from my adorable handbag which I realise with horror is still covered in tomato juice spatters that look like vomit. He thanks me and scans it quickly and asks me to come in next week on Tuesday for a trial. YES!!! WIN!!! I have finally successfully managed to get my foot in the door!
Now all I have to do is some research on how to actually make coffee and we are sorted. My brother helpfully suggested wearing a variety of false moustaches and outfits etc and going into the cafe and observing what they do there whilst taking notes. This is a genius idea. I may enlist his help as well.
So, I have my foot in the door and the best bit is he asked me to come in Tuesday, not Monday. I still get to party on down at the Rollergirl after party on Sunday with Monday set to recovery mode. YYYYYYYYYYYEEEEEESSS FRIDAY IS FULL OF WIN!!!! :D I'll keep you posted how I get on.
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Pirate vs the beasties
OK so Ive been promising an Aussie blog since I arrived here first week in October and I haven't quite got round to it! I had initially planned on doing this weekly but Im just gonna get stuck in and let it write itself.
I write a lot of my thoughts and feelings etc on my facebook and a topic which always gets a huge response is my writings/photos regarding the nastier creepy crawlies of Oz. So much so in fact that I decided to write a full blog just on this topic. Here we go!
First things first, for the benefit of any Aussie readers I shall fill you in on a little background about where I'm from. In Scotland, the worst thing we have to deal with on a daily basis is the weather. It could often be described as "A dreich day", meaning cold and miserable. In general, there is not much difference between summer and winter in Scotland as it rains pretty much all year round, we do get nice sunny days but they are few and far between. In my lifetime I can remember two possibly three summers that you could actually call "summer". The winters can be extreme. This year everyone back home is complaining that it is -15oC, transport has come to a halt with trains, buses and taxi services all suspended, schools and shops have closed and people are house-bound with no access to supermarkets etc. I have never minded the snow as there is something almost romantic about being wrapped up warm with scarf, gloves and several layers, traipsing through the snow/sleet to get home to a hot cup of chocolate, a warm shower/bath and then a cosy night in curled in front of the tv with a good book/dvd. A few days or even weeks of this however and the appeal is lost and it's back to grumbling about the miserable weather. I used to decribe the view from the window as looking out through a murky fishtank or even a mouldy snowglobe. In a word, grey.
However, I digress. Back to the beasties. Hmm,... Scottish beasties. Well, for starters we don't have any deadly creatures. The last wild wolf was shot way back in the 1700s and I have never even seen the Loch Ness Monster. Large cats are the stuff of myth and we dont have bears. Spiders in Scotland do not bite and rarely grow larger than a ten pence piece. We have one snake, Vipera berus (the common adder) which is not aggressive and usually only bites when alarmed or disturbed. I have never seen one except in zoos. We have grass snakes but they are tiny and non-bitey and not really worth mentioning. We do have millions of jellyfish but they're not that deadly and it is far too cold for most of the year to even contemplate going near the sea. We have large birds of prey including eagles etc but you have to travel way out the cities for a glimpse of them and again they are few and far between and generally avoid humans. I think Scotlands plants are more troublesome, deadly nightshade, foxglove, nettles etc. although again they don't tend to be life-threatening just annoying.
What we do have in abundance is midges. Midges are like miniature mosquitos. Not life-threatening but very very annoying. You cant see them usually unless they are hanging about in a group (usually near trees or bodies of water). They bite you and usually the first you know about it you've got an itchy bit that's driving you crazy and you scratch til you bleed. The bites tend to come up in little lumps with a scabby bit in the middle. Treatment ideas range from dabbing with red wine, vinegar, calamine lotion, toothpaste, teatree oil, antihistamines etc etc the list goes on. I have found through vast experience that biting creatures love me. It is a documented fact that some people are chemically interesting to these bugs. There's something about me that they cannot resist. I have decided it must be because I am awesome. I have awesome sauce for blood. That's all it is. Throughout my life my memory is peppered with me scritchity scratching away at myself and dreaming of sandpaper. We used to joke that it would be cheaper and easier to just get me a flea collar.
So I came to Oz having done my research and knowing I'd be up against an insect horde of terrifying variety and abundance and forever seeking the shadows to stay out of the way of the fiery burning menace in the sky. However, when talking bugs with Australians I usually get a "Meh" response or "Yeah but you don't get them in the city" . I think either everyone here has the memory of a goldfish or they like to lie to themselves about numbers of beasties otherwise I dont think anyone would get any sleep. However, another possiblitly is that Calamity Pain here with her super-sweet super-chemically exciting awesome sauce blood is just a magnet for the horrors. Either way, I have encountered many horrors since arrival. Here are the more exciting tales for your amusement.
1) Pirates first encounter with a spider.
My first time seeing a spider in Australia was not long after Rogue arrived from Scotland, I think I'd been here about a month. I awoke in the morning to a note in the kitchen that said " DEADLY White tailed spider inside, please kill, BamBam and Rogue are wusses and couldnt do it" placed next to an upturned glass containing a small but horribly creepy looking little spider. Ah-ha I thought here's my chance to play the hero. So armed with my copy of Hell's Angels I quickly smashed it and started the score-keeping in my head. Pirate 1 Spiders 0. White-tails are not actually deadly but I did a bit of reserach into them. They do not build webs, they hunt other spiders and they like to hide in clothes, shoes and bedding. What kind of a fucking spider doesnt build a web? Mental note to self, check all clothes and bed thoroughly before you get dressed or go to sleep.
2) Pirates first mozzie bite.
One night a few weeks ago there was a wild thunderstrom with crazy lightning, very fun to watch. As I was standing at the open back door watching the display I felt an itch on my thigh and started absent-mindedly scratching it. Didnt think anything of it, I scrutinised the area before I went to sleep but in the dull indoor light it was hard to tell if I'd been bitten or not so I just went to sleep. The next morning I woke up and got rather a fright. I had indeed been bitten and I now had a huge lump which was hard and tender to touch with a huge red ring of inflammatory crap all round it. A bit like a Millies cookie. Of pain. A pain cookie. On my thigh. In addition to this I had a bite on the calf of my other leg which reminded me of that scene in Requiem for a Dream. Bollox. Cue frantic google searches for a dr I can go to and I decide fuck it theres one literally just round the corner I shall go there and look ill. I toddled round to the surgery and explained my situation to the receptionist who was very nice and helped me fill out the paperwork so I could be seen. I only had to wait about ten minutes even though I didnt have an appointment and the dr was very nice. He wasn't too concerned about the requiem leg but he took one look at cookie leg and freaked. I asked him what bit me and he said he wasnt sure but it looked like a Mozzie bite. Some people are just hyper sensitive to them (given my history that sounds about right). Straight on the antibiotics. Well, at least I'd be on the mend, all I had to do now was invest in some Deet. Yip. Mosquito kryptonite. Thats the plan.
Lesson learned today - when outside wear mosquito repellant.
3) Pirates second encounter with a spider
The second run-in with an eight-legged potentially hazardous creepy was at Sara's house. I had popped round in the afternoon to do the cleaning as arranged and was quite happily sweeping the floor when I stopped to pick up a tennis ball. There was a weird looking piece of fluff perched on the top of it and when I brought it right up to my face for a closer look I realised that Fluffys teeth were bigger than his legs! I promptly dropped the ball and with one fancy twirl/stomp quickfire Irish-dancing inspired movement that Michael Flatley would have been proud of I brought the creature its doom. Panic over I then took his carcass outside for closer inspection and a photoshoot. Upon returning home I did some research and found out the spider I had just laid waste to was a funnelweb. Here's some bedtime reading for you folks;
"Funnel-webs are one of the three most dangerous spiders in the world and are regarded by some to be the most dangerous. Their fangs are large and powerful, capable of penetrating fingernails and soft shoes. Funnel-webs are normally unaggressive but will defend themselves vigorously if frightened or threatened. During an attack the funnel-web spider generally maintains a tight grip on its victim and bites repeatedly, making it an especially traumatic experience for humans who are bitten and increasing the risk of severe envenomation."
However, I hasten to add what every Aussie tells me. Spider bites are rarely deadly as the hospitals over here are stuffed with anti-venom, people who die from spider bites are usually children, old people or those with weakened immune systems. Phew! That's alright then.
4)Pirates second mozzie bite.
The second time I was accosted by a winged menace I was in Noonys room watching a Dvd. Yes, indoors with others watching a doovd. My wrist, elbow and finger suddenly were on fire with itching it was driving me crazy. I could hardly watch the film it was drving me nuts but I didnt instantly realise I'd been bitten as no-one gets bitten on the finger or the elbow the skin is too tough and its too bony, normally mozzies go for fleshy parts. However, I looked down and sure enough theres a big stinking bite. The next day I got up and my whole wrist had swollen up to amost twice the size and the redness was spreading. Off I toddled to the drs again who promptly prescribed more antibiotics. This time I had to ice my wrist to try and get the swelling down.
Lesson learned today - wear repellant INSIDE the house. Keep the doors closed, get mozzie bombs and wash with citronella scented stuff.
5) Pirates eigth encounter with a spider
Since the funnelweb there had been many a spider splatting. The way it works with me is 1) The penalty for trespasssing is death and 2) Squash first, examine later. Given what happens to me when I get bitten by a common mosquito I will not be taking chances with the deadlier of creatures. Animal rights people can fuck off there are a million spiders but there's only one Pirate. I don't squash em if I'm on their territory, only when they wander into mine. Fair's fair. So, the Huntsman. Im in the kitchen with Noony and Albert and we've just finished dinner when Noony points out the HUGE huntsman sitting on the curtain. I scream at it and it jumps, I run and get a book all the while yelling dont let it get away! I also picked up my iphone (still havent bought a camera yet Im waitin on the January sales) to film this encounter. You can watch the video here if you are my friend on facebook- http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=464581381459&set=a.460752491459.255050.771761459#!/video/video.php?v=484471056459&comments
Pirate 8 Spiders 0
6) Pirates 3rd mozzie bite
So you'd think I'd be getting the hang of this no-bitin Pirate malarky eh? Naw! Xmas day and Noony and I are gettin fucked up on Buckfast (I will write a whole blog on Buckie at some point as well most likely) and decide to sit on the front porch. I'm not a complete idiot so I spray all exposed areas with aeroguard (as per instructions on the back of the bottle) and we light a couple of mozzie coils. The next thing Im scratching the back of my right thigh. Oh oh. Yip. The wee fuckers have snuck up on me ninja style and bitten me through my jeans successfully avoiding mozzie coils and aeroguard. Dear oh dear so the next day I just leave it and apply cream to see if it will go away by itself but of course it didnt. To begin with I had a mark on the back of my thigh which trebled in size and then a mark appeared on my inner thigh which also then trebled in size. I headed to the hospital to see if I could get more antibiotics. I didnt have to wait too long to be seen and the nurse was nice and could gather that I knew what I was talking about. The doctor came in and basically told me to put corticosteroid cream on it and it would be fine. I said no freakin way. There is no freakin way I am leaving this hospital with a tube of cream which I already have and which you can see by the state of my leg is getting worse, not better. He was under the mistaken impression that I had been bitten on my inner thigh I said no, that is inflammatory spread I can assure you there is no bite there can you see a bite? No. So much arguing and he agrees to give me antibiotics. Idiot. I'm not a stupid person I wouldnt even be asking for them if I didnt need them and I sure as hell dont want to be on antibiotics for 20-odd days out of every month that's bullshit. I also dont appreciate it when they look at you and ask if you had mozzie spray on. I was like yes 40% heavy duty Deet motherfucker its supposed to be mosquito kryptonite!! He thought it was funny. To be honest I probably will too once the swelling and itching has calmed down.
Lesson learned - Wear mosquito spray outdoors/indoors/under clothes/on top of clothes/no tight jeans and light mozzie coils 10 mins before you leave house and have bug spray at all times.
So Im at the stage now where tomorrow I shall be hitting the town yet again to gather even more tools for my arsenal of mozzie bite prevention. They want a war I'll bring them a war. I cant afford to keep going to the dr for mozzy bites and it doesnt look like I'll be building up an immunity to them anytime soon. Here's hoping I've learned from my mistakes and I shall be putting 100% effort into not getting bitten! Wish me luck.
I write a lot of my thoughts and feelings etc on my facebook and a topic which always gets a huge response is my writings/photos regarding the nastier creepy crawlies of Oz. So much so in fact that I decided to write a full blog just on this topic. Here we go!
First things first, for the benefit of any Aussie readers I shall fill you in on a little background about where I'm from. In Scotland, the worst thing we have to deal with on a daily basis is the weather. It could often be described as "A dreich day", meaning cold and miserable. In general, there is not much difference between summer and winter in Scotland as it rains pretty much all year round, we do get nice sunny days but they are few and far between. In my lifetime I can remember two possibly three summers that you could actually call "summer". The winters can be extreme. This year everyone back home is complaining that it is -15oC, transport has come to a halt with trains, buses and taxi services all suspended, schools and shops have closed and people are house-bound with no access to supermarkets etc. I have never minded the snow as there is something almost romantic about being wrapped up warm with scarf, gloves and several layers, traipsing through the snow/sleet to get home to a hot cup of chocolate, a warm shower/bath and then a cosy night in curled in front of the tv with a good book/dvd. A few days or even weeks of this however and the appeal is lost and it's back to grumbling about the miserable weather. I used to decribe the view from the window as looking out through a murky fishtank or even a mouldy snowglobe. In a word, grey.
However, I digress. Back to the beasties. Hmm,... Scottish beasties. Well, for starters we don't have any deadly creatures. The last wild wolf was shot way back in the 1700s and I have never even seen the Loch Ness Monster. Large cats are the stuff of myth and we dont have bears. Spiders in Scotland do not bite and rarely grow larger than a ten pence piece. We have one snake, Vipera berus (the common adder) which is not aggressive and usually only bites when alarmed or disturbed. I have never seen one except in zoos. We have grass snakes but they are tiny and non-bitey and not really worth mentioning. We do have millions of jellyfish but they're not that deadly and it is far too cold for most of the year to even contemplate going near the sea. We have large birds of prey including eagles etc but you have to travel way out the cities for a glimpse of them and again they are few and far between and generally avoid humans. I think Scotlands plants are more troublesome, deadly nightshade, foxglove, nettles etc. although again they don't tend to be life-threatening just annoying.
What we do have in abundance is midges. Midges are like miniature mosquitos. Not life-threatening but very very annoying. You cant see them usually unless they are hanging about in a group (usually near trees or bodies of water). They bite you and usually the first you know about it you've got an itchy bit that's driving you crazy and you scratch til you bleed. The bites tend to come up in little lumps with a scabby bit in the middle. Treatment ideas range from dabbing with red wine, vinegar, calamine lotion, toothpaste, teatree oil, antihistamines etc etc the list goes on. I have found through vast experience that biting creatures love me. It is a documented fact that some people are chemically interesting to these bugs. There's something about me that they cannot resist. I have decided it must be because I am awesome. I have awesome sauce for blood. That's all it is. Throughout my life my memory is peppered with me scritchity scratching away at myself and dreaming of sandpaper. We used to joke that it would be cheaper and easier to just get me a flea collar.
So I came to Oz having done my research and knowing I'd be up against an insect horde of terrifying variety and abundance and forever seeking the shadows to stay out of the way of the fiery burning menace in the sky. However, when talking bugs with Australians I usually get a "Meh" response or "Yeah but you don't get them in the city" . I think either everyone here has the memory of a goldfish or they like to lie to themselves about numbers of beasties otherwise I dont think anyone would get any sleep. However, another possiblitly is that Calamity Pain here with her super-sweet super-chemically exciting awesome sauce blood is just a magnet for the horrors. Either way, I have encountered many horrors since arrival. Here are the more exciting tales for your amusement.
1) Pirates first encounter with a spider.
My first time seeing a spider in Australia was not long after Rogue arrived from Scotland, I think I'd been here about a month. I awoke in the morning to a note in the kitchen that said " DEADLY White tailed spider inside, please kill, BamBam and Rogue are wusses and couldnt do it" placed next to an upturned glass containing a small but horribly creepy looking little spider. Ah-ha I thought here's my chance to play the hero. So armed with my copy of Hell's Angels I quickly smashed it and started the score-keeping in my head. Pirate 1 Spiders 0. White-tails are not actually deadly but I did a bit of reserach into them. They do not build webs, they hunt other spiders and they like to hide in clothes, shoes and bedding. What kind of a fucking spider doesnt build a web? Mental note to self, check all clothes and bed thoroughly before you get dressed or go to sleep.
2) Pirates first mozzie bite.
One night a few weeks ago there was a wild thunderstrom with crazy lightning, very fun to watch. As I was standing at the open back door watching the display I felt an itch on my thigh and started absent-mindedly scratching it. Didnt think anything of it, I scrutinised the area before I went to sleep but in the dull indoor light it was hard to tell if I'd been bitten or not so I just went to sleep. The next morning I woke up and got rather a fright. I had indeed been bitten and I now had a huge lump which was hard and tender to touch with a huge red ring of inflammatory crap all round it. A bit like a Millies cookie. Of pain. A pain cookie. On my thigh. In addition to this I had a bite on the calf of my other leg which reminded me of that scene in Requiem for a Dream. Bollox. Cue frantic google searches for a dr I can go to and I decide fuck it theres one literally just round the corner I shall go there and look ill. I toddled round to the surgery and explained my situation to the receptionist who was very nice and helped me fill out the paperwork so I could be seen. I only had to wait about ten minutes even though I didnt have an appointment and the dr was very nice. He wasn't too concerned about the requiem leg but he took one look at cookie leg and freaked. I asked him what bit me and he said he wasnt sure but it looked like a Mozzie bite. Some people are just hyper sensitive to them (given my history that sounds about right). Straight on the antibiotics. Well, at least I'd be on the mend, all I had to do now was invest in some Deet. Yip. Mosquito kryptonite. Thats the plan.
Lesson learned today - when outside wear mosquito repellant.
3) Pirates second encounter with a spider
The second run-in with an eight-legged potentially hazardous creepy was at Sara's house. I had popped round in the afternoon to do the cleaning as arranged and was quite happily sweeping the floor when I stopped to pick up a tennis ball. There was a weird looking piece of fluff perched on the top of it and when I brought it right up to my face for a closer look I realised that Fluffys teeth were bigger than his legs! I promptly dropped the ball and with one fancy twirl/stomp quickfire Irish-dancing inspired movement that Michael Flatley would have been proud of I brought the creature its doom. Panic over I then took his carcass outside for closer inspection and a photoshoot. Upon returning home I did some research and found out the spider I had just laid waste to was a funnelweb. Here's some bedtime reading for you folks;
"Funnel-webs are one of the three most dangerous spiders in the world and are regarded by some to be the most dangerous. Their fangs are large and powerful, capable of penetrating fingernails and soft shoes. Funnel-webs are normally unaggressive but will defend themselves vigorously if frightened or threatened. During an attack the funnel-web spider generally maintains a tight grip on its victim and bites repeatedly, making it an especially traumatic experience for humans who are bitten and increasing the risk of severe envenomation."
However, I hasten to add what every Aussie tells me. Spider bites are rarely deadly as the hospitals over here are stuffed with anti-venom, people who die from spider bites are usually children, old people or those with weakened immune systems. Phew! That's alright then.
4)Pirates second mozzie bite.
The second time I was accosted by a winged menace I was in Noonys room watching a Dvd. Yes, indoors with others watching a doovd. My wrist, elbow and finger suddenly were on fire with itching it was driving me crazy. I could hardly watch the film it was drving me nuts but I didnt instantly realise I'd been bitten as no-one gets bitten on the finger or the elbow the skin is too tough and its too bony, normally mozzies go for fleshy parts. However, I looked down and sure enough theres a big stinking bite. The next day I got up and my whole wrist had swollen up to amost twice the size and the redness was spreading. Off I toddled to the drs again who promptly prescribed more antibiotics. This time I had to ice my wrist to try and get the swelling down.
Lesson learned today - wear repellant INSIDE the house. Keep the doors closed, get mozzie bombs and wash with citronella scented stuff.
5) Pirates eigth encounter with a spider
Since the funnelweb there had been many a spider splatting. The way it works with me is 1) The penalty for trespasssing is death and 2) Squash first, examine later. Given what happens to me when I get bitten by a common mosquito I will not be taking chances with the deadlier of creatures. Animal rights people can fuck off there are a million spiders but there's only one Pirate. I don't squash em if I'm on their territory, only when they wander into mine. Fair's fair. So, the Huntsman. Im in the kitchen with Noony and Albert and we've just finished dinner when Noony points out the HUGE huntsman sitting on the curtain. I scream at it and it jumps, I run and get a book all the while yelling dont let it get away! I also picked up my iphone (still havent bought a camera yet Im waitin on the January sales) to film this encounter. You can watch the video here if you are my friend on facebook- http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=464581381459&set=a.460752491459.255050.771761459#!/video/video.php?v=484471056459&comments
Pirate 8 Spiders 0
6) Pirates 3rd mozzie bite
So you'd think I'd be getting the hang of this no-bitin Pirate malarky eh? Naw! Xmas day and Noony and I are gettin fucked up on Buckfast (I will write a whole blog on Buckie at some point as well most likely) and decide to sit on the front porch. I'm not a complete idiot so I spray all exposed areas with aeroguard (as per instructions on the back of the bottle) and we light a couple of mozzie coils. The next thing Im scratching the back of my right thigh. Oh oh. Yip. The wee fuckers have snuck up on me ninja style and bitten me through my jeans successfully avoiding mozzie coils and aeroguard. Dear oh dear so the next day I just leave it and apply cream to see if it will go away by itself but of course it didnt. To begin with I had a mark on the back of my thigh which trebled in size and then a mark appeared on my inner thigh which also then trebled in size. I headed to the hospital to see if I could get more antibiotics. I didnt have to wait too long to be seen and the nurse was nice and could gather that I knew what I was talking about. The doctor came in and basically told me to put corticosteroid cream on it and it would be fine. I said no freakin way. There is no freakin way I am leaving this hospital with a tube of cream which I already have and which you can see by the state of my leg is getting worse, not better. He was under the mistaken impression that I had been bitten on my inner thigh I said no, that is inflammatory spread I can assure you there is no bite there can you see a bite? No. So much arguing and he agrees to give me antibiotics. Idiot. I'm not a stupid person I wouldnt even be asking for them if I didnt need them and I sure as hell dont want to be on antibiotics for 20-odd days out of every month that's bullshit. I also dont appreciate it when they look at you and ask if you had mozzie spray on. I was like yes 40% heavy duty Deet motherfucker its supposed to be mosquito kryptonite!! He thought it was funny. To be honest I probably will too once the swelling and itching has calmed down.
Lesson learned - Wear mosquito spray outdoors/indoors/under clothes/on top of clothes/no tight jeans and light mozzie coils 10 mins before you leave house and have bug spray at all times.
So Im at the stage now where tomorrow I shall be hitting the town yet again to gather even more tools for my arsenal of mozzie bite prevention. They want a war I'll bring them a war. I cant afford to keep going to the dr for mozzy bites and it doesnt look like I'll be building up an immunity to them anytime soon. Here's hoping I've learned from my mistakes and I shall be putting 100% effort into not getting bitten! Wish me luck.
Saturday, November 6, 2010
Saturday 25th September
So today is leaving day for everyone else. I met up with Dennis and Josh and we went for ramen one last time. The noodles were awesome but it was hard to smile as I knew I'd have to say goodbye shortly. I love hanging out with these guys they have an awesome sense of humour and I will miss them loads.
Back to the hotel. Everyone is packed and ready to go. Mitch had already left but I said my goodbyes to Aureole, Karin, Bruce, Crystal, Josh and Dennis. I head up to my hotel room to have a wee moment to myself to think about the amazing week that has just passed.
After a quiet moment to myself I head out to meet up with Adam he's drawing at Chopstix with Benny. We meet up and hang out for a bit, go for a wander and take some pictures. Adam has plans for dinner and although I am invited I say my goodbyes and head back to the hotel and pack my suitcase.
Now for some random pics I took that I didn't have room for earlier!
There are vending machines everywhere, for every 10 people in Japan there's a vending machine.
Manga, manga everywhere
Pet store that sells mini dogs
Hilarious t-shirts "It gets on the mama" is my favourite
Not an uncommon sight in Osaka!
So, suitcase packed I get some take-away snacks and sit in my room and think, something I've not had time to do for a good long while.
When I think back on all that has happened in this year alone I think to myself that I am an incredibly lucky individual. Never in my wildest dreams would I picture myself here in this place in this moment. If you had asked me when I was a teenager where I would most like to visit if I could go anywhere, anywhere in the world at all Japan would have been number 1. To have been there twice in one year blows my mind. I'm not a well travelled person, before 2010 the number of places I have been to you could count on one hand. In this year alone I have been to Japan twice, America and now I'm heading to Australia. It's quite possibly the most exciting and terrifying thing I have ever done in my life.
This past week has been fabulous I LOVE Japan. I think when my Australian Visa is up I will definately be coming back here. For now though I have to move on, Littlest Hobo style :)
Back to the hotel. Everyone is packed and ready to go. Mitch had already left but I said my goodbyes to Aureole, Karin, Bruce, Crystal, Josh and Dennis. I head up to my hotel room to have a wee moment to myself to think about the amazing week that has just passed.
After a quiet moment to myself I head out to meet up with Adam he's drawing at Chopstix with Benny. We meet up and hang out for a bit, go for a wander and take some pictures. Adam has plans for dinner and although I am invited I say my goodbyes and head back to the hotel and pack my suitcase.
Now for some random pics I took that I didn't have room for earlier!
So, suitcase packed I get some take-away snacks and sit in my room and think, something I've not had time to do for a good long while.
When I think back on all that has happened in this year alone I think to myself that I am an incredibly lucky individual. Never in my wildest dreams would I picture myself here in this place in this moment. If you had asked me when I was a teenager where I would most like to visit if I could go anywhere, anywhere in the world at all Japan would have been number 1. To have been there twice in one year blows my mind. I'm not a well travelled person, before 2010 the number of places I have been to you could count on one hand. In this year alone I have been to Japan twice, America and now I'm heading to Australia. It's quite possibly the most exciting and terrifying thing I have ever done in my life.
This past week has been fabulous I LOVE Japan. I think when my Australian Visa is up I will definately be coming back here. For now though I have to move on, Littlest Hobo style :)
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Friday 24th September
Last day of the tour!!! Waaaaahhh!!! First up today its a look at a temple with an impressive gold building. Jeffrey wanted to sail out to it and melt some down to make into teeth later but I told him if he did that the ghosts that guard the shrine would come after him. It was insanely busy you could hardly move for tourists from all round the world and huge groups of screaming kids! But I managed to get a good photo or two and the walk round the place was nice. There was a bit where you throw money on the ground but I cant remember why. I had a close eye on Jeffrey while we passed.
Next up was another temple this one high up in the mountains. There was some sort of rabbit/love theme going on but again Im not really sure what. This one was busy too but you could tell why the view was absolutely stunning. It took a fair while to walk round the place I would have liked to have gone back when the place was closed I can imagine it being really peaceful.
Next up Dennis tattoos Crystal! In his room. Tattoo party!!! Yey! Crystal was getting a really pretty bearded lady done on her leg. I really like his work if I ever get to go back to America I'll definately make a point of going to see him. Tattoo didn’t take too long but Im sure it was more than enough for Crystal, this being the third(?) time she’d been tattooed in a week!
Finito! Oh so purdy
And so we head off to have our final snackaroos! We go to our favourite place with the huge menu and order a mountain of food. I'd brought the See You Jimmy tartan hats along and gave them to Crystal. There was a bit of confusion as the Americans thought I was bringing condoms (jimmy hats) haha!
And so concludes the tour of Osaka. Well, for everyone else except me! Due to the fact that I am a moron and can't handle numbers or dates or anything I booked my flights to Adelaide leaving on the Sunday, not Saturday. So I get an extra day in Osaka but I won't be alone as Adam is staying a little longer too. (And of course I have Jeffrey).
Tomorrow = tearful goodbyes!
Thursday 23rd September
First on the agenda today is head to Chopstix tattoo with Dennis for his appointment with Magoshi. I’m chief photographer on this mission - Crystal will pop in at some point to take pics as well. Jeffrey was quite excited and asked if he could get one too but I told him no chance after he shat out last time.
Dennis was getting a piece surrounding an existing piece. Magoshi did some of the colour with tebori which I found really difficult to watch as I remembered how painful it was! The whole thing was finished in 2 and a half hours - impressive.
Jeffrey can't watch!
After ink we went shopping. Got a bit lost. My bad. Found a cool book store where Jeffrey wandered off by himself again. Found him in the rabbit section so I left him to it. It was really hard shopping this time as I didn’t want to buy much knowing I’m limited to how much weight I can carry around. My suitcase already weighs a ton. I did good though, all I bought was a corset. A wonderful, fabulous, tiny, tiny, tiny corset! Soooooooo happy! It’s impossible to find them back home that small.
Jeffrey over-whelmed with desire
After shopping it was back to the hotel to meet everyone to go out for dinner. I met Mitch O’Connell in the lobby to get the prints signed for my awesome mate Laura. I wrote down “Flappy McGee” for him and he signed her prints AND he drew boabies on them. I couldn’t stop smiling thinking of her wee happy face as she opened the parcel. :)
Dinner was at a BBQ place not far from the hotel. When you order your food they bring it out to you raw and you cook it yourself at the table. The beef was awesome! Even Jeffrey had a go.
After dinner we headed over to play ten pin bowling. I fucking love bowling but I can never find a ball I feel comfortable throwing. The ones for adults are too heavy and the lighter ones don’t have fingerholes big enough for me. Doh! My skills get worse as the game goes on and my arm gets tired. It was great fun though! I came first in our group and third overall. Yaaaaaaaaaarrrr!!
Another crazy day, another one to look forward to.
Jeffrey seems to have this effect on people
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