Sydney Sun

I've moved (sort of)

2007-02-10T18:46:00.000+11:00

I know it's been just way too long since I've posted and I probably have very little readership! well if anyone stumbles accross this entry in your RSS feeds or just stops by and is interested..My bf and I have started a blog to chart our new Vegan lifestyle...sounds kinda hippie and weird but really, we're not hippies and we're not weirds. We just decided to give up animal products..it has been suprisingly easier than I thought.
I"ll keep this blog open- lots happening for me at the moment so I"m sure I'll come back here and post.

wishing i was there..

2006-12-22T21:59:00.000+11:00

It's funny that when i'm on holiday something always happens that's funny or strange or interesting and just plain annoying, and it's such a big drama. But then you get back and you realise, it was nothing and I was so lucky to be there and I wish I was back there again! This time around, I got really sick, to the point that i lost my voice and couldnt' get out of bed, which hasn't happened in years, very annoying.. and also our lovely friends that we stayed with had some stuff going on.. I felt like we were in the way but the lovely hosts they were, they were worried about us over their bigger pressing issues. That's what i call friends I think.. anyway, one day sick of being stuck in bed/couch on my holiday, while it was hot and sunny outside as it's always the case in Queensland, I decided we should get out to North Stradbroke Island, a little island off the coast of Brisbane (otherwise known as Bris-vegas, don't know why!). I really had to dope up on panadol, neurofern and anything else i could get my hands on, i didn't talk because I couldn't! but I'm glad I went. It's a lovely sub tropical island, which reminded me of Vanuatu. Blue green water and lots of bush all around..gorgeous.. Back in Sydney now, where it's hot one day and rainy the next (did we catch the Melbourne weather bug?! hehe) I'm really wishing I was back in Queensland. But that's a whole other post.
note to self: next time you decide to make a bit diet change and become vegetarian, think if you know any existing people like that...as I am so tired of getting questions, quizzes from friends/family/collegues on what the hell is wrong with us and why we're doing it! that is fun though I love a good argument. oh and also, try to avoid major lifestyle/diet changes close to xmas and best friends wedding.
I might need another holiday in the Sunshine Coast or Bris-vegas sooner than I thought!!!
Merry xmas all ...:)

It's that time of year again...

2006-12-12T08:29:00.000+11:00

I can't believe it's been so long since I posted here...I didn't know it at the time but I guess I needed some time to gather my thoughts and make all the changes that I've made into my life at the moment. Vision is always 20-20 on hindisight? :)
However if someone had told me that in the next few months I would become a vegan (gosh i still hate the word, why can't they come up with something that sounds a bit better!) and change my career ..I would have told them they were nuts.
Let me explain, I come from an Argentinian family. Argentina exports the biggest meat in the world. Living in Australia, the national food is a BBQ and meat pies...so what got me thinking? well my boyfriend read fast food nation and that was enough to change his mind... we saw the film...but I wasn't really convinced, I'm pretty stubborn... I wanted to do my own research and who the hell was he to tell me that meat was disgusting? anyway so I did my own research and the results were staggering. While meat in Australia is not produced the in the same scale as the US but it almost is ... whereas I had lived my whole life indulging in things thinking 'you only live once enjoy it' , I didn't realise I was putting so much garbage in my body!! how is that enjoying life? the other thing I had a problem with was killing animals. I looove animals and I would never hurt a fly, so how come I was turning a blind eye to cows getting slaughtered, and chickens getting fed antibiotics so they grow up in 45 days and get killed and pigs chained to cages? I dont' know..it just doesn't make sense. I figure if I love my cat and my friend's dogs, then I might as well own up to it. I'd never eat shredded cat or dog in my spaghetti bolognese so why was it ok to eat a cow? hmmmmmmmm. something to think about.
Well i'm not here to turn you vegetarian! but I will post some of the horrible things I found in a quick google search and if I can , some of the medical articles I found in journals at uni. what amazes me the most is that most people (including myself) don't realise that the meat industry is just that - an industry. Even though heart disease, high cholesterol and diabetes are the highest they've ever been in Australia and killing everyone around us, we still turn a blind eye to it. I don't get it..
Meanwhile...it's xmas again - ahh don't get me started! hehe.. bushfire season... all around the country has come early... i can smell smoke in the house even though the fires are hours away..
Also had a small holiday in Brisbane... really beautiful and gorgeous weather!! will post some pictures soon.

Vintage knitting needles

2006-09-11T18:32:00.000+10:00

For some pretty pictures, follow me here..
On other news the rain continues to piss me off and cause havoc! it's not even raining where it's supposed to, like the rest of Australia! it's already the double expected rainfall for Sept and it keeps coming..driving is a nightmare and today i felt like i was being swalled by water- the crazy rain above and the flooded roads..i almost parked my car and walked, except my umbrella wouldn't have made it!
Anyway, it can only get better, come on spring!
Today is also a very important day... let's take a moment to remember all the people in 9/11, I am liking her blog entry on this.

Of rain, Steve Irwin, and Peter Brock.

2006-09-09T21:27:00.000+10:00

The weather has taken an insane turn for the disastrous torrential rain this week- so much that on Wednesday it was a- the most rain in a 24hr period in one hundred years b- the most rain ever recorded in Septermber, ever. On Monday, Steve Irwin got stung by a stingray and passed away, since then it has rained non stop. Yesterday afternoon, another Aussie legend, Peter Brock, got killed in a car accident. This is crazy. Two big Aussie legends in one week..maybe that's why the weather is so nuts? Who knows.
I never really watched the Croc Hunter, and I admit I never heard of him until some Americans asked me about him. He wasn't really as big here as he was overseas. Most of the time I was embarrassed that people would typecast his personality with that of the typical Aussie, but that was not his fault. He was a good man and did a lot for animals, and raised a lot of awareness for Australians. Recently he'd been in some Toyota ads and quarintine ads and he always put a smile on my face. He had contagious enthusiasm. It makes me even sadder he left behind such a young family, two little kids.
Peter Brock was another legend. In car racing, he was the King here in Oz. It's just too sad..
As I type the rain has been persisting all day, making it a really great day to stay in and watch lots of DVD's..my fave lately has been an old tv series called Chef! notably the best comedy I have ever seen ( I HATE Little Britain, whoever said that stuff was funny?) and it helps to lifts the spirits. There's a lot of sadness in the air, very unexplained. No one has any motivation to do much.. very strange... well, we can hope that it can only get better. Maybe when the rain stops!

Springtime!

2006-09-02T09:39:00.000+10:00

Just a short post since i'm supposed to be packing away for the weekend..
but it's the second day of spring yeay! and it's going to be 27C today! it's already like 23 and its almost 10am. The past few days have been warm..and very sunny as always.
Going down the south coast today, to celebrate father's day with my bf's parents , who live on the coast, you can see the beach from their kitchen...ohh.. i can't wait.. maybe we'll get to go tomorrow?
Happy Springtime! (if you're in the southern hemisphere!)

Climb Sydney Harbour Bridge: Done!

2006-08-28T18:18:00.000+10:00

If you're wondering why someone would climb about 150 metres from the harbour, for the sheer hell of it , then you're not alone. I've often wondered myself, whenever I happen to be in Circular Quay admiring the harbour, Opera house and all the tourists. I look up to see these little people, like lemmings, walking on top of the bridge and i think- they're crazy! It's become a wildly popular 'Sydney' experience, more so for tourists, but today my work took us all on it to celbrate something or other..
SO, I climbed the mighty bridge , I put aside my newly developed fear of heights, a brave face and in hindsight I should have had some food because standing up there on an empty stomach made me feel a bit woozy. I was really hesistant at first, not only because of my fear of heights but only because I had like a week to think about it! they sprung it on us as a surprise. I can't say it's much of a team building excercise but its a hell of a lot of fun, especially when you're not paying for it.
It was raining on my way there, and having only been to the harbour bridge a few times (shame shame I know but hey!) I had no idea how to get there. Funnily enough I bumped into one of the German guys from my work who, being here for only six months, of course, knew the way and could guide me! Never have I felt more like a tourist in my own city!
The preparation is great, and I felt very safe the whole time. It was windy as all hell, but it didn't rain thank god! the sun came out a bit which was nice, and most of the time up there - you spend like two and a half hours on top! THAT"s right!! - it was really peaceful. I sort of got a bit scared but i just sat down and looked at the water..it was gorgeous. I am so lucky to live in a beautiful city like Sydney even though, like most Sydney-siders I spend most of my time in the inner city and suburbs- but still, cant' complain.
One thing that was deceiving was the amount of steps- it felt like five thousand, but it's actually less than two. I was the second last in the group and my legs were killing me, I guess going to the gym yesterday and doing lots of leg-weights in prep wasn't a good idea. thankfully one of the girls I work with did the same thing so we were the last two idiots going down at snails' pace while everyone else admired the view.
I'd say the scariest bit was coming down..the vertical stairs on the beams..wow!! the fact that two trains went past on the harbour at full speed next to the stairs.. I was like ' BREATHE, one, two one two' it was great to talk myself through it. At the end of the day there's no one else there but you to get you through it, and that's an amazing experience.
I got a bit dizzy on the way back but I think it was due to my lack of food and it was already after 2pm. I was so nervous in the morning that I didn't eat. Pretty stupid on hindsight.
So if you get to Sydney, (and have $200 to spare!) I highly recommend it!!! Now I need to sleep for a day or so to recover- I thought I was fit but this climb took it out of me!!
ps.that's not me in the pic, I'll try to scan my pics and post them later, but you can see great photos on the bridge website http://www.bridgeclimb.com.au/

Are you crazy? I mean, congratulations...

2006-08-22T17:44:00.000+10:00

Everyone who knows me will know that I am an overly straightforward gal, and that I value genuine opinions and honesty. Also being an Aussie, I always love good banter. It's just what we do here.
However, I wonder sometimes where you draw the line? do you become honest with your family very close friends even when they appear happy, and you know that deep inside, what they are doing is just plain stupid?.
So, this brings me to an announcement- my boyfriends brother got engaged over the weekend. I was really happy for him because he's happy and he's a wonderful guy- but I have so many reservations on marriages nowadays. But then I think, it's not really marriage that bothers me , or the fact that people take it too lightly or the fact that divorce rate is up to 45% in Australia..it's just the fact that sometimes it is just too blatanly obvious that one of the people in there is in a relationship for the wrong reasons. I expressed my views to my friends, family, they all patiently put up with me. But i didn't say anything to the happy couple, i mean we're not really close, he's not my brother and she is not my sister.what can I say? "have you seen the latest marrige statistics?" Don't think that would go down well.
But still, it bothers me because I will have to see these people a lot and pretend to be all happy and supportive and really I think its the craziest thing they've ever done. What's the rush? especially when you've been dating for such a short time. Then I think, don't be selfish, these are just your opinions but it doesn't make them right. Well most people agree with me, but also most people will sit back and put on a happy face.
Is this apathy? do we just sit back and let our friends/family make mistakes for the sake of their happiness? do we just follow them along with whatever they do, because you know, it should all be unconditional support?. Or do you get up and say 'have you thought this through?' I don't think it's a good idea?' and hope they don't punch you out in the process.
I just dont' know. I hope that when I do something stupid, people around me tell me if they dont' agree with it, I'd hate for everyone else to be seeing something i just can't see.
It's a hard one.
One thing is for sure, that I am sick of being surrounded by people getting married at the drop of a hat, and i made a promise that if anyone else gets engaged in the next few months I am leaving the country!

You'd think it was snowing..

2006-08-15T17:56:00.000+10:00

You'd think it was snowing, check out the hail we got this afternoon. It was a gorgeous day, sunny clear and pretty warm, i'd say about 20C. then in the late afternoon it got very dark and cloudy, i heard lots of rain..i look out of my window at work and i saw what I thought was snow on top of a car? what the..? well my sis rang and told me it was hailing where she was (closer to the city where this photo was taken) i quickly left work worried it would get me on my way home! but as i drove , the rain started clearing and i figured it had cleared up. then i get an mms from my bf where he works (east of sydney city, the super posh part with all my favourite shops, meanwhile i work in suburbia full of exchange rude uni students and annoying parents with prams) and this is what i see:

is that snow? no it can't be! it doesn't snow here, but its big ass hail! ouch.

well this is what i send back:

No hail for us!!and by us i mean i'm about 20km away.. i'm really lucky though because i have to drive home on some pretty fast roads, doing 80km's an hour and living near an industrial area there's always heaps of bigg ass trucks trying to bully you out of the road.. i hate it i hate it. When i was at uni i used to work in the city,
I hated the crowds and the craziness of the city. i remember thinking 'i wish i could get a job in the outer suburbs so i can drive everyday' this was mostly due to the fact that the public transport system in Sydney is like a third world country. so the trains are always late and cancelled, etc. it's pretty crap. it has been fixed recently. whereas driving was fun for the first 6 months, the road rage and craziness of it really gets to me now and i'd do anything to go back to the city amidst all the craziness. at least i can put my iPod on, read a book and tune out. Be careful what you wish for!
On other news, here is my knitting:
Ah but where is the knitting you say.. sorry Gracey I haven't done much because I stuffed it up on Sunday nite so tonite i'm taking it to my mum's place to get fixed, en route to dinner at a friends house. I can't wait to see my friends as it's been a while, I just hope it doesn't hail.
I wanted to continue last nite but my mum begged me not to because if i had stuffed it and i kept going without fixing it then it would be harder to fix.
In any case, aren't the needles cute?? i can't wait to buy a pretty bag to put it in.
Well this is a bit of a picture post and i hope blogger can handle it..also its very on the hour as the hail just stopped..there you go, Sydney news as it happens..not sure if the weather counts as news but at least its nice to see pictures!

Knitty gritty

2006-08-11T17:31:00.000+10:00

The last few weeks have been a bit tricky, but I'm back on board. I've decided to take up knitting- it looks like it would be a lot of fun and I actually used to know how to knit when I was younger but I've forgotten how! too much info overload from all the stuff I've learnt at uni..
In any case, I love yarn and colours... so I can't wait to do something relaxing yet productive. I'm going to hopefully learn this weekend, since last weekend we were held up with some family stuff. But I"m a firm believer that family comes first, adopted family, boyfriends' family- anyone that's out there that you are close to , to me they're family. Anyway, back to my point.. I bought some knitting needles and I'm super excited, and it's not just because they're pink. It was even more excited when I went over to Gracey's blog and she had posted how she's getting into crafts and needles! great minds think alike !!! hehe !! this is great because now I can have someone to share this with and get advice from..as none of my friends here knit (although I'm going to try to conver them! but everyone is just too busy nowadays..hmm)
Anyway, do you knit? do you want to knit? want to join our knitting blog? we are in the process of hosting one and we'll be happy to have people on board. So email me or Gracey or leave a comment.
For all of you who think that you are too busy to knit..yes you probably are! but imagine that instead of just sitting down and watching TV you could watch Tv and knit, sit on the bus, train or subway and knit... and it is very relaxing and rewarding to accomplish something.. even if its a cute little scarf or socks, that you can also give to someone you love. I know I can't wait to make stuff for my family and my kitty! heh. It's also really cheap, needles and yarn are very affordable. We'll also be looking as doing a yarn swap, needle and pattern swap in the future so you can get goodies from o'seas!
So, think about it, life is too short not to be productive! All welcome, the more the merrier.

While the cat's away..

2006-07-30T11:14:00.000+10:00

What do you do when your boyfriend gets flown on a private jet to the best ski lodge around, on an all expenses paid trip to the snow by his work? well first you curse yourself for working in the company you do, because despite being one of the biggest in the world, I'm lucky to have fresh milk in the morning, let alone them paying for anything at all. Then after you get over your bitterness and pining for the snow and skiing you love so much...you plan your weekend, preferably with lots of fun girlfriends.
Friday nite go out with beautiful bride to be and other bridesmaid(OMG 5 months to the wedding! i'm so excited for her) and then have an all girls nite eating lots of stuff that will make you sick the next day. Saturday day: go out shopping with gals for wedding shoes, admire and hold lots of Manolo Blahniks and Jimmy Choo's and ponder whether you really need to pay rent this month or whether that can contribute to a pair of beautiful, timeless silver Manolo's. Decide against it because it will also lead to singledom and homlessness if I spend that much on shoes! Bride to be tries on gorgeous French shoes drastically reduced from small fortune for wedding but we decide heel is too high especially since it's a beach wedding..hmm move on to boring bridal shoe store.
Find lots of crazy pushy brides (why are they so crazy?) my sweet bride to be gets kind of scared in these moments so i take the lead, push past the mob and grab sleepy sales assitant. Repeat same thing to her five times until we get the shoes bride wants in the right size and colour. Bride tries them on..beautiful... but I suggest we keep looking around..and we go to cheaper shoe store that's located in building visited on previous wedding dress hunt. Bride looks at me in disbelief after experience from hell we had last time, but I persevere and remind her that the more she saves on shoes the more she can at any one time buy a pair of Jimmy Choo's. Bride agrees.
We go to building from hell full of bridal stuff (ok so building is pretty and historic but full of crazy brides makes it scary!) and find out thankfully , most crazy brides are at the dress shops and shoe shops are empty. Relieved to find that shoes in this shop are half the price of the previous one..find a pair of dream shoes in gorgeous summer style with diamontes, simple beautiful elegant..bride to be v.happy and mission accomplished.
Sat nite: spent time at old house with sister and gorgeous, royal cat. Watch DVD's, speak to super excited boyfriend about skiing and all the fun he's having... watch more DVD's.
Get up this morning, have breakfast, enjoy the beautiful sun, go shopping a little , come back to empty apt, clean up , plan to go to gym, read mags and enjoy the gorgeous day. Happy and relaxing..remind yourself how much you love this potent sun (even in the middle of winter) and be happy you're in sunny Sydney.
Read snow report, see that it snowed overnight...pine, perish for the snow again again since it's been almost three years you've been (no!) and plan your next trip to Thredbo.

U2 !?

2006-07-19T21:09:00.000+10:00

ohh I can't beleive I forgot..or did I already post about this?
Anyway, U2 was meant to come to Australia in April..you probably remember my post about lining up for their tickets at 4am. Anyway, in March they cancelled it, or well postponed it..of course Bono still came here for a holiday! (i saw you around the harbour Bono!!) and now it seems they're going to announce new tour dates this week.
I'm very excited, I was so mad, and dissappointed they cancelled out in April, but I gather they had good reasons.. so I cant' wait until November- that's when hopefully they'll be back.. I have tickets to both of their concerts!

Ways to get back up again

2006-07-19T20:55:00.000+10:00

What better way to cheer a girl back up again than by buying her a beautiful rose...here is the one my bf bought me on saturday, as I got sick again (cold/flu's going around?) on Thursday nite, and stubbornly went to work on Friday, which wasn't a good idea..anyway, we had a nice day, then on Saturday nite he took me to see Superman Returns- nice movie, a bit of action overkill..but it was hilarious to see Sydney as 'Metropolis' when it started i blurted out 'ohh i used to work in York st' and 'there's the big water fountain' and you can even see the Harbour Bridge without the big arches at the top..but the bit where you see the railing that then moves into a shot of all these freeways, yep that's downtown Sydney.
Anyway.. as luck would have it, he got sick on Sunday..which means that we have spent the last three days at home, sort of looking after each other, but me looking after him above all because when he gets a cold it hits him very hard. Fever, shakes, sleepless nites.. I keep thinking I have a weak immune system, after all I can't remember a year when I got sick this much..but his is worse. Today I went to work, but came back around lunch time as I was not feeling well. It's very frustrating..I hate being sick..especially because I can't really be sick as I have to look after him and also I have so much I want to do! I need to apply for new jobs, get back into the gym now that broomball's over.. and just do general things around the house. I'm not good at relaxing, I always feel guilty like I should be doing something else...I think this comes from my uni days, because whenever I'd be watching a DVD, I knew I should be studying or doing an assignment..even after almost two years of finishing uni, I can't shake that feeling..in fact I find since moving out of home, I keep twice as busy and I'm a bit of a neat freak around the house.
Anyway, I woke up this morning and saw this:
Rainbows mean good luck right?
here's hoping!
The weather has been cold and awful and rainy (but not humid! yeay) so seeing this rainbow in the depths of winter, just has to cheer me up and turn this sickness stuff around.

We won!

2006-07-10T17:25:00.000+10:00

No, I'm not referring to the World Cup and Italy's undeserved (sorry Italian relatives'!) win over France, but primarily our broomball final! yeay. Exactly a week ago we took out the B grade premiership. Very exciting... it was a tough game, I hadn't played in three weeks due to my back and my virus , and even though I didn't feel up to playing, I had a real thirst for it. I missed it and no matter how sick I was (although I wasn't sick, just a bit sore still but nothing some tablets didn't cure) I wasn't going to miss it. Play now, recover later..why the hell not! I'd rather be sick and tired at work than miss the grand final..so we played, with a few minutes to go, our star player, OK one of our star players, scored a goal and it was 1-0. Yeay us!. It was tough, and fast, and my back was killing me by the end of it, but it was soooo great and worth it. I'll post a pic soon.
I have been running off my feet all of last week, no time to lounge around at home, not even after work. It all came to a stop on Sunday- and this week, no more broomball so social commitments so far, I'll be happy to stay home and rest as much as we can.
The world cup is over and I'm glad- I got up at 3am this morning to watch it.. crazy. I thought it would finish in two hours and i could still get some sleep , but the extra time and penalties..made it a never ending match- so when it finished i had to drive to work... Poor Frogs, they deserved it. i was rooting for you guys!! Allez les bleus. Well I have one quater french blood in me, so I can say that.. sorry Cannavaro, as hot as you are, your team did not deserve it!
However we went to watch the game at my mum's place, where I used to live..which is in the same suburb as Little Italy...ahh the atmosphere would have been great, but I wasn't going for Italy so we stayed home (well my old home) to watch it on the projector and in a heated room...
so i've been up for 15.5 hours and counting.
I will try to post again after I get some sleep!!

Soccer, fever and ribs.

2006-06-28T08:06:00.000+10:00

Australia's out of the world cup- the nation's devasted..the ref was dodgy, the Italians took a dive at the last minute and got a penalty..who wouldn't have predicted that? so i'm going to pretend i have no Italian blood in me, or maybe it's better I do so I say how I really feel about them: dirty little bastards!! Ok that's not entirely true, I have been watching Italian league for ages ( I love Juventus) but then again--what about all the game fixing? In any case, Italians can play soccer, but they also love to cheat. It's really sad. Back to Aust., I'm really sad but above all I'm so happy and proud we made it this far..we played so well, made a name for ourselves and let the world know that we're here. We can play soccer! not just god awful cricket.
On other fronts, I have had a virus since Friday nite and I have been in bed with a fever, I only just feel better today. And my ribs have a 'small fracture', and my back is killing me. This is very annoying..I never really get viruses, let alone fever, and for it to come at the same time as my back is just a royal pain. I also can't take many days off work as I have a lot to do, and we dont' get many sick days (Only five). In any case, I hope I'm on the road to recovery. I hate feeling powerless and so out of energy.

Foto Friday?

2006-06-23T17:26:00.000+10:00

Keeping up with Gracey's tradition and since I was so awful and I forgot that she tagged me, I'm just going to post a cool photo- well I think it is: the stairs in my apt.. I always think that light looks kind of hazy and I love the way it streams down through the railing.
It's a bit blurry and crooked but I think that adds to its effect.

Aussie Aussie Aussie!

2006-06-23T16:49:00.000+10:00

We made it!!! After a gut wrenching match with a joke of a ref
(Its worth clicking on the link just to see the hilarious photo!) we did it and drew with Croatia. The nation is celebrating, and I think everybody (including me ! hehe) was late to work and had a very unproductive day. Can you blame us? when's the last time Australia made it to the second round of the world cup!!!
Anyway I've decided this weekend I must get sleep and look after myself..I didn't write about an injury I had at broomball about a week and a half ago, i collided with a girl (she so pushed me over , but the ref 'didn't see it' uh-huh) ..my stick went flying five metres and I fell on my side and twisted my back. I was very annoyed a. because not to say that i'm super at broomball which i'm not- but one thing i'm good at is maintaining balance on ice, despite my high uncoordination in everyday life, I'm very coordinated and i hardly ever fall over on ice- must be from all the ice skating i did when i was young. I just love being on it!. b. the girl that pushed me over is like twice my size so there's no way that i could have caused her any damage (not that I'd want to :) but if i got hurt and it was an accident then shoudlnt' she be hurt too? hmm.
The pain is killing me, I can't take a deep breath or laugh withought it hurting, sleeping is very hard and no matter how much Neurofern i take it doesn't numb it! I'm going tomorrow to the doc's as i need some very strong pain killers and maybe an xray as a friend of mine seems to think it could be a cracked rib! yikes!
To all my non soccer obsessed readers, I apologise for the world cup taking over. it's a huuuuge deal in Australia, not only because no one ever pays any attention to soccer here , hence the fact that the neglected socceroo's have made it this far is truly amazing. Here we are more likely to invest in swimming, cricket and tennis *yawn* and the national sport of choice is rugby! even worse. Sometimes I think I should be living in Europe where they appreciate real sport! *ducks*
The funniest thing I heard was an English friend of ours, who when he came over told me he totally hated cricket (yeay! glad some of the English agree! it does painfully suck i don't care how skillful it is, it is god awful to watch) he said ' the only worse thing than watching cricket is listening to it on the radio' -as my bf and his brother were listening to some cricket game on the radio. Classic.
I just hope all this world cup hype turns into some investment for soccer in Australia, we have great players and it should be recognised!

Damn timezones!!

2006-06-22T17:22:00.000+10:00

This world cup is killing me softly... getting up at 5am to watch matches, finishing matches after 2am...getting up again at 5am tomorrow to watch Australia Vs. Croatia! that's going to be a 'ripper' of a game !
Last nite, or rather this morning at 5am, Argentina played The Netherlands.. it was meant to be such a high action game, and it was actually a bit of a dissappointing draw. But both teams played well, especially Holland I must say..they really stopped the Arg. in their tracks.
In hope that I won't have to go trhough this again in four years, i looked up where the next world cup is going to be held..apparently in South Africa! come on! i guess since we're in the arse end of the world, and we're just very new at soccer, there's no hope of having the world cup in Sydney?
Last time it was in Korea-Japan and that was great, I remember meeting up with my friends to watch games during and after dinner. And whereas I don't mind meeting up on a Friday nite to go and watch a game at a pub somewhere, who wants to get out of bed on a cold winter morning (it has been soo cold about 10C every day! and rainy) and cheer at soccer.? I do apparently, but thankfully we've been watching them at home... of course, home also means at my mum's house because there's a big screen projector thingy there so, it looks better than on our tv's here. But today i can't, i'm soo tired, its getting towards the end of the week and it looks like I might just have to settle for watching Australia vs. Croatia on the 60cm tv!

Go Australia!

2006-06-16T10:09:00.000+10:00

I find it hilarious the link for the Socceroo's is 'football Australia' when in Australia football is rugby and soccer is what is played in the world cup! hence the term Socceroo's! but of course, nothing makes sense here! Anyway I am so damn excited Australia won against Japan and they played so damn well. IT was fun to watch it, except it was a little too close to home for some people *cough cough* who kept getting very upset when the match was still 1-0, and I had to remind them that Australia was still playing well! and I'm not even going for Australia in the world cup (shame on me!) but I'm going for Argentina, now that Batistuta is out of the way we may have a chance. Got up early to watch their game on the weekend and it was great! I even have an Argentinian jersey..ohh might wear it today. It was funny after talking to a girl friend on Tuesday, she said her boyfriend had done the exact same thing and then said 'don't you think that just takes the enjoyment out of the game when they get so worked up?' I agree- but then again i come from an Italian- Argentinian family where watching soccer/football was a religious event and to be taken very seriously. There'd be yelling, screaming, shaking your head , getting up and walking off..really, it wasn't just the Australian coach that had to restrained during the match - I bet lots of people had to be restrained here when Japan didn't called for a few things. In any case, I'm very proud of Australia and I support them 100%- my heart just lies with Argentina when it comes to soccer, because I remember when I was very very young watching the games with my grandfather-who was a professional football player and had played in and for Argentina in the 50's. I'm just glad my boyfriend is so into soccer- I feel the tradition is alive in him, despite having a totally different background- it feels like I"m at home around him.
Of course that means , and I"m glad he knows this, that every time England plays , I just love to hate them- just don't tell his mum. If there's another England- Argentina game at this world cup, someone is going to have to restrain me!!!

Annoyances

2006-05-26T12:21:00.000+10:00

I'm home today as my boyfriend is sick, and i just couldn't leave him alone. I hate seeing him like this, and i have no idea how he got so sick- I think it has been an exhausting couple of months, but also he spent most of Tuesday nite-which was the coldest day of the year- walking in the rain.
I'm tired from being up most of the nite but I got a couple of hours sleep this morning so that has helped.. I'm very annoyed at a new Australian law that has come about.
Since drug dealers have been using cold and flu tablets to make amphetamines (ie. speed) , you are no longer able to get cold and flu tablets at the supermarket. Not only that, but the ones i have been using for years as I know they dont' make me (or him) drowsy, are barely stocked by chemists anymore. Why? because, whoever has a cold/flue and would like these tablets, needs to pass a nice Q &A session with the chemist. Are you freaking kidding me? I drove to the shops near here and there was no chemist, no tablets at the supermarket then had to drive to the nearest chemist- only to be met by a nice little questionnaire. I really had to hold back from saying 'do i look like a freaking drug dealer?' I've had very little sleep, a hellish week and i can't beleive the government is enforcing this. At the end of the day it's not going to make much difference... thankfully i'm not sick but i can't imagine if my bf had dragged himself to the chemist in his state, only to be met by a Q and A session with the chemist before he can take some cold and flu tablets.
Things in Australia just seem to be getting worse lately. There's lots of shootings, abductions, violence and the latest trend- footballers punching women.
I need a holiday!

Glad it's not me

2006-05-09T17:29:00.000+10:00

I've been surrounded by all things weddings lately- A-who's a good friend of my bf's- got married and one of my dearest friends is getting married and i'm her bridesmaid.
After the craziness of the above mentioned friend A's wedding last week, i can only say that i'm glad I'm a bridesmaid for now..not that what happened had anything to do with how sweet and wonderful he is, but due to the fact his bride, now wife- is a crazy bridezilla that really really upset a lot of people she shouldn't have. I've been contemplating whether to blog about the details, but , i'll leave it as : I think she's honestly mentally disturbed because what she did, caused a great deal of embarrassment not only to him, but his family. She also upset people I care about, and that I cannot forgive her for. Unless she makes an honest apology, I don't really want to see her again- This probably sounds harsh- but I'm a pretty easygoing 'forgive and forget' sort of person, but not with this girl. I think she missed the point: marriage means adulthood = if you can't act like an adult (and she's 25! so she should have some clue) then dont' get married. Period. And for the love of God, sometimes being different on your wedding just looks bad, there's a reason wedding dresses are the way they are..if you want to look like a medieval goddess then tell the rest of the party, otherwise you look out of place at your own wedding! ok , enough said. end rant.
My dear friend that's getting married this year, she's everything the hideous bridezilla is not- kind, sweet , generous and extremely mature. And she's a year younger, which shows that maturity has nothing to do with age. I love helping her plan for her wedding because she's very practical about it..and there's a lot to do, but she's not stressing or being crazy. I love planning and helping other people do things, so I really am excited to be part of her big adventure.
On saturday we went wedding dress shopping- I thought this would be fun, after all, have you seen how expensive wedding dresses are nowadays? I thought sale assistants would be polite and you would only get people that are serious about wedding dresses, right..
No, i was really mistaken. Whereas a handful of places were helpful, we were mostly met by snooty sales assistants looking down at us for not having made an appointment. An appointment? are you supposed to look around every shop you might like a wedding dress in and get all their numbers, estimate how long this will take you and book yourself out on a saturday! I'm sorry that might be OK for people that have PA"s , but for us poor civilians with an everyday life, there's just no time to do such things!
One place that fit us was great and very helpful- and the friendliness leads to happiness which leads to possible purchase- so , snobby annoying sales people need to learn , this attitude doens't work with everybody..
One place was hell- this is where the word Bridezilla might come from- a wedding dress shop full of dressses on sale and women going crazy, pushing screaming, you name it. Now i've been to sales before and i've seen the madness , but nothing compared to this. Brides to be can sometimes be horrible horrible people. One girl was so rude to me, just because i walked in front of her accidently, that i"m still thinking about how a person can be that way. Crazy.
This leads to one conclusion> when the time comes for me to get married, I'm getting my dress made. I'm not setting foot in a bridal shop!!

Anzac Day.

2006-04-25T16:31:00.000+10:00

Today is Anzac Day, which remembers the Aus and NZ troops that landed in Gallipoli during the first world war... It's a public holiday with many memorial services held for the soldiers. It's actually nice to go and see them, however usually they are held at dawn, and I've been terrible the past few years and haven't gotten up early to do it. Today was no exception, after a whirlwind weekend spent at a friends' house, then driving down the coast to a Bridal fair -not for me!! for my friend as I am her bridesmaid- then back home sunday nite, it was real necessity to catch up on sleep..so I slept until almost 11am! crazy.
The new place is going well, much more settled in now..we bought some new furniture which is nice..a gorgeous leather couch which i call the 'butter' couch as it melts to your body shape like butter....been using the pool in the complex which is great too..but Autumn has finally set in and now the temperature is falling in the low 20's and below (today its 16C! OUCH) so I guess we have to kiss summer goodbye and get ready for the cold..
I actually went away on holidays, a week after we moved, so that was great as it forced us to relax. The photo of the sunrise above is from our NYE , when we went to the beach and got up to see the sunrise with a bottle of champagne! Glad our friends made us do it, well worth it and I got some kick ass photos I have to post. I have one of them on my desktop, I thought it was funny, that while looking at the sunrise, my gorgeous friend L (the one who's getting married) and I were talking about things to do this year ..I thought I had it all figured it out, but I never thought I'd move out of home, I mean it was in the cards but, not something I was set on doing or that I was calculating. It just goes to show that sometimes the best turns in life are unplanned!

Back..

2006-04-10T20:50:00.000+10:00

We went on holidays last week to Callala Beach in the south coast which was really beautiful...
I'll post some photos when i can find the cable to hook up my camera to the computer..it's in a box somewhere..surely..
The funny thing is that, we were away from here for a week, so it feels strange to come back home here..although I did miss the apartment, because I kept thinking of everything we still had to do!
Had a great time relaxing away, doing nothing but walking on the beach and watching DVD's at home, so it kind of forces you to relax..no computers...nothing... it was great. The weather was still warm, which is great considering we're in the middle of autumn, and we could still swim! It's gotten colder in the last few days though..
I still feel like it's all in turmoil, as only last nite I managed to unpack my clothes and I think this is the first night here that I've managed to relax and not do anything house related..yeay. We also got the net hooked up (on dial up for the moment!) as we got a phone line today..can't wait for ADSL2 though :) I still miss my cat, and my family..it's strange to be away from them. I keep waiting for them to come out of a room, or think i'll be going home any minute now..but then i turn around and all my furniture and things are here. It feels like home, but it just doesn't quite feel like home yet if you know what I mean. I love it here though, it's nice and spacious and really comfy.

Made it!

2006-03-29T21:46:00.000+11:00

So, we moved. I'm here at the new place, blogging from my bf's comp because mine sits here beside me, still in pieces. poor baby.
I am so tired, words can't describe the inconvenience and mess that the move was, it was like, everything went wrong. The truck booking, one of the guys that was meant to help us, loading stuff on to the new apt, as the lift that we could use was a hundred miles away. But we got through it. Thanks to some wonderful friends. The new apt is so beautiful i really look forward to coming home, I love being here with him, it's so peaceful and a lot of fun.
... I just forgot what a hassle moving can be. I"m still unpacking, my clothes are in a suitcase, i dont know where half my stuff is..and everything just seems to take longer, like we're in a blackhole or something. Today after work we spent four hours cleaning up and tidying up his old place, and got home absolutely exhausted So no unpacking tonite, which really annoys me as I hate tripping over cardboard boxes everytime i turn a corner..or digging through all my clothes to find a pair of pants. which i still can't find, or my jeans.
But its good to be here, i dont regret it for a minute. I love 'our' place, i can't wait to make it my new home.
i just miss my cat, my sis and my mum still , not necessarilyin that order! And i miss the convenience of being in a home that's totally set up. ohh the luxury of knowing where everything is..i hope to get there again soon.

When it rains, it pours.

2006-03-22T11:15:00.000+11:00

I'm not having a good day.. I'm home because, someone broke into my car this morning and stole my wallet, damaging my passenger side door in the process. I've never left my wallet in my car before, nor have i had it broken into here at home before. Last nite, on my way home, i stopped for petrol. When i got back in the car i gave my wallet to my sister who was sitting next to me, to put in my hand bag. I also got her a chocolate, because she was sad\upset about my moving out. So we get home, by the time I unload all my bags, groceries and move around the 50 odd cardboard boxes i had piled in my little hatchback, i didn't even think twice to check if my wallet was safely back in my handbag. This morning, I realised my wallet wasn't in my handbag and i figured it must still be in the car. As my mum got in my car (i usually give her a lift to the station), she mentioned my passenger door was open..for some reason she didn't notice that the lock was mangled and the panel slightly beaten. Goes to show what state of mind we're all in, in the morning! I looked in the car for my wallet to no avail, i rushed back inside and looked in my room- nothing. I woke my sister and she checked her bag- nothing. She realised she has left it in the car. No problem, i went back to my car and when i opened the driver side door i saw the lock sticking out and the dents around it. I started crying and ran back inside because then i realised that someone had broken into it. Before i had been so preocupied with the stupid cardboard boxes inside i didn't realise that my car was messier than usual and the rearview mirror was vertical. I guess when you've been rushing around like I have the past few days, with stuff everywhere, not to mention cramping all the boxes in, I didn't think to have a second look at the mesiness.
So : damage: its going to cost me $500 to fix the car. Not only have they mangled the lock but they've damaged the panel and dented it. That ain't cheap. Bastards!!!!!!! Also , i've never lost or had my wallet stolen before. I had to cancel all my cards, i had just taken $200 out last nite and I lost that too. I know it could have been worse. It was also my brand new Oroton wallet that my sis gave me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago. This is just a real shitty time for this to happen because i'm moving this weekend and i can't afford all this hassle, financially and emotionally. I am thankful no one is hurt and i know that is the main thing. But i am overly fed up with things happeneing to my car. Last year an accident, year before another accident, year before that someone broke into my previous car and completely trashed it. At least , with this car, they only took the wallet and wrecked the door. I'm upset and i feel violated, I'm angry someone has my wallet and could use my liscence and credit cards to fake my ID. I know it's a stupid thing to think about, but I know it can happen. I'm so upset, i feel drained emotionally. I couldn't stop crying this morning I was really out of it. I know it's not a big deal, but why did it have to happen now? Moving is hard enough, let alone dealing with all this crap.
Well nothing to do but try to better the situation and get my mind off things. Time for some Charmed and Friends DVD's. Get the ball rolling and get my car fixed, but i can't do it till after the weekend as i'm moving.