Underprepared Europe Trip
As the title suggests, its now only two days till we go to Europe (2nd overseas trip this year for me). Because I've been getting a new job, I havent had much of a chance to book stuff.
Of course, I have discovered that Europe doesn't have an off season any more. Particularly at Easter. So trying to book accommodation in Prague for the long weekend was rather, ahem, expensive. As was London on a Saturday night. As is Tokyo in the "cherry blossom weekend".
Been battling with GNER (train operating company) to book some tickets from London to Edinburgh. Chatting to my mate Dave -according to him the second class carriages smell like shit. Literally. I'll need to sell Nick on a First ticket then - which is going to be expensive in GBP. GNER insist that you need a UK postcode to book tickets - even though you can walk up with a barcode and print the ticket off. Stupid company!!!
It looks like we have timed this trip pretty well - in terms of the Aussie battler being strong. Of course we've gone nowehere against the Euro, but we are getting close to parity with the Yen, which will make Japan awesome. They had a liftout in the Sun-Herald on the weekend with a fullpage ad "Cheap Japan" which showed how most stuff was a lot cheaper in Japan than australia. Especially lift passes.
To show you what a nerd I am - here is our "great circle flight path".
CBR-SYD-NRT (stop) LHR (transit) LGW-PRG then overland (open jaw) to DBV-LGW then surface to EDI-LHR-SIN (stop) - BNE - CBR. 24163 flown miles. God I hate economy!
Politics
Interesting to see half the Howard ministry toeing the line that "the NSW election was not based on WorkChoices". Despite Pru Goward saying that Goulburn voters mentioned it a fair bit. Beginning to think that the Howard Government feels like the last few months of Labour leading up to March 06 - the electrorate are getting the baseball bats out. Interesting too that the ALP have started Queensland specific advertising - there are 17 seats held by the coalition in Qld (I think) and only 2 by labour. Lots of ground there - and Rudd and Wayne Swan are both Queenslanders. Depends though if seats in WA go to the coalition instead - without the Beazley "factor" a couple of seats might go.
Stupid Canberra
The National Capital Authority has decided that canberra needs more of the one size fits all idea of yuppie heaven - coffee shops by the lake. So we're going to rip down a perfectly functional freeway style interchange, whack in a couple more sets of lights, and then surround one of the very few 1920s heritage buildings with a darling harbour-esque development (incl 8 storey building). I find it interesting that people who are bitching about development always compare it to "Darling Harbour". Guess that pretty much sums up Darling Harbour (which is for most gay guys a cultural desert of straight people). The last thing Canberra needs is more tightly controlled urban environment. We have the biggest mall in "the free world" sucking the life out of the city centre - now we are going to do strip malls?
Work
3rd last day at the ANU, and I spent the day sanitising my mailboxes and sent items to hand over to my successor. Never realised I had so much shit in my mailboxes - but 3 years worth does mean a fair few messages. Finding it hard to get into doing much else. There's stuff I should be doing, but... i have mentally disengaged from the job and now thinking about the next one.
Shopping
I spent a cool $800 on work clothes for my new job. I bought several work shirts, pants, cufflinks (yum), a new belt and other odds and ends. But my fave is a black shirt and vest from saba. I took my stylist - Steven, and his partner Len (with Nick) and we wandered round the Canberra Centre. DJ's suit salesmen sucked so badly, we walked out fuming. I have this "issue" where my shoulders are too square, so none of the suits sit properly. Goddam its annoying! Apparently I am different to the other 90% of the population (in more ways than one eh eh). It was interesting as the DJ's guy said i stood very erect and had square shoulders - whereas my trainer (len) has been telling me I slouch and need to get my shoulders back!!! You dont want to say that kinda stuff in front of your personal trainer - so I got extra trapezius exercises this morning!!!
As the title suggests, its now only two days till we go to Europe (2nd overseas trip this year for me). Because I've been getting a new job, I havent had much of a chance to book stuff.
Of course, I have discovered that Europe doesn't have an off season any more. Particularly at Easter. So trying to book accommodation in Prague for the long weekend was rather, ahem, expensive. As was London on a Saturday night. As is Tokyo in the "cherry blossom weekend".
Been battling with GNER (train operating company) to book some tickets from London to Edinburgh. Chatting to my mate Dave -according to him the second class carriages smell like shit. Literally. I'll need to sell Nick on a First ticket then - which is going to be expensive in GBP. GNER insist that you need a UK postcode to book tickets - even though you can walk up with a barcode and print the ticket off. Stupid company!!!
It looks like we have timed this trip pretty well - in terms of the Aussie battler being strong. Of course we've gone nowehere against the Euro, but we are getting close to parity with the Yen, which will make Japan awesome. They had a liftout in the Sun-Herald on the weekend with a fullpage ad "Cheap Japan" which showed how most stuff was a lot cheaper in Japan than australia. Especially lift passes.
To show you what a nerd I am - here is our "great circle flight path".
CBR-SYD-NRT (stop) LHR (transit) LGW-PRG then overland (open jaw) to DBV-LGW then surface to EDI-LHR-SIN (stop) - BNE - CBR. 24163 flown miles. God I hate economy!
Politics
Interesting to see half the Howard ministry toeing the line that "the NSW election was not based on WorkChoices". Despite Pru Goward saying that Goulburn voters mentioned it a fair bit. Beginning to think that the Howard Government feels like the last few months of Labour leading up to March 06 - the electrorate are getting the baseball bats out. Interesting too that the ALP have started Queensland specific advertising - there are 17 seats held by the coalition in Qld (I think) and only 2 by labour. Lots of ground there - and Rudd and Wayne Swan are both Queenslanders. Depends though if seats in WA go to the coalition instead - without the Beazley "factor" a couple of seats might go.
Stupid Canberra
The National Capital Authority has decided that canberra needs more of the one size fits all idea of yuppie heaven - coffee shops by the lake. So we're going to rip down a perfectly functional freeway style interchange, whack in a couple more sets of lights, and then surround one of the very few 1920s heritage buildings with a darling harbour-esque development (incl 8 storey building). I find it interesting that people who are bitching about development always compare it to "Darling Harbour". Guess that pretty much sums up Darling Harbour (which is for most gay guys a cultural desert of straight people). The last thing Canberra needs is more tightly controlled urban environment. We have the biggest mall in "the free world" sucking the life out of the city centre - now we are going to do strip malls?
Work
3rd last day at the ANU, and I spent the day sanitising my mailboxes and sent items to hand over to my successor. Never realised I had so much shit in my mailboxes - but 3 years worth does mean a fair few messages. Finding it hard to get into doing much else. There's stuff I should be doing, but... i have mentally disengaged from the job and now thinking about the next one.
Shopping
I spent a cool $800 on work clothes for my new job. I bought several work shirts, pants, cufflinks (yum), a new belt and other odds and ends. But my fave is a black shirt and vest from saba. I took my stylist - Steven, and his partner Len (with Nick) and we wandered round the Canberra Centre. DJ's suit salesmen sucked so badly, we walked out fuming. I have this "issue" where my shoulders are too square, so none of the suits sit properly. Goddam its annoying! Apparently I am different to the other 90% of the population (in more ways than one eh eh). It was interesting as the DJ's guy said i stood very erect and had square shoulders - whereas my trainer (len) has been telling me I slouch and need to get my shoulders back!!! You dont want to say that kinda stuff in front of your personal trainer - so I got extra trapezius exercises this morning!!!
