They have people here called Troy !

It seems some people were still unaware of my extended stay in Oz - even though it has clearly been posted since... ...April 20th ! It also seems there are those who log on quite a lot, only to find I have failed to update once again - well this ones for you ! Oh, the title has nothing to do with this post. But they DO have people here called Troy :)

My time in "the Nunnery" hostel is drawing to a close, as I prepare to move in with a workmate for the next two months. In that time I have had pizza thrown at me by a drunken roomate, only to have to wake her up early to catch her early flight (for which I was given the rest of the previous nights vodka. I hate vodka). I've woken up on the TV room sofas once too often, had lots of free ice-cream and nibbles, indluged in the SUnday morning pancakes and basically got sick of sleeping in the same room as 2-3 random people every night.

Kite surfing has become a constant pain also - my final hour lesson has been cancelled the last 6 weekends for not enough wind, except the one time where just for irony it was cancelled for too much wind. My conclusion is Kiting and 9-5 jobs don't mix well. At least it stopped me spending $2,500 on my own kit... Anyhow, final lesson scheduled for tomorrow - weather outlook isn't too promising (naturally).

Bens final thought - essentially I am staying on for the money. I like my job and workmates, and I've got a little social cliche going over here, so things are pretty good. But the big worry would be returning home to discover I have no cash and need to take the first half-decent job I can get which could take a while with the job market still not "recovered" from the crash two years ago.

There are a lot of things I am going to miss this summer, and I have had major doubts over the last week or two as I sort out my business sponsership about staying on. There are weddings, summer festivals and even college reunions all happening - so I expect lots of photos from everyone attending these events ! Alas, regarding photos, my camera has finally taken on too much dust / sand / mistreatment and broken down after 9 months of major usage. Short of getting it fixed, I think I might be looking for a new camera soon. Until then, no new pictures on the photo site I'm afraid... Missing everyone loads at the moment (I blame it on the final scene of Love, Actually which was on the hostel TV the other night - lots of people hugging at an airport - it's a killer for backpackers that one). Take care, Ben

A season of OZ for a season of Europe

The negotiations are complete, I am staying on in Melbourne to work for another 3 months, and I also managed to wangle a little extra salary from my contracting agency who were bascially over-charging before I reckon ! Not the ruthless negotiation success I had hoped for, but I got the one-way ticket home into the bargin, payable in a cash sum (which leaves my options open).

This means I am now employed up to the 6th August, with the possibility of exploring Oz for another few months afterwards (until my visa runs out near November, I think). This should work out better for both seeing more of Australia, and also having funds for a snowboarding season come winter. Also means enduring a few more months away from home and a whole year of winters though !

Thinking forward

Recent events have caused a period of "forward thinking" in my life. Cataylsts include the upcomgin 4-day Easter holiday, which I was compleltly unprepared for, and looked to be facing 4 bored-as-fsck days sitting around Melbourne until I got a camping offer of some workmates today (woohoo !). Second thing was my contract renegotiations (ongoing).

With Glastonbury a big NO this year, the remaining things pulling me home sooner rather then later are the expiry date on my RTW ticket (20th June) and seeing family and friends, many of whom I miss heaps. The ticket may be out the equation, as I have negotiated a pay-off to purchase a new ticket should I stay on for a few more months here (as well as sneaking in an ickle pay rise too).

So I am seriously considering braving the Aussie winter for a while and continuing to increase my funds so that I can possibly spend a few months snoboarding in Europe this coming Northern Hemesphere winter. This would probably push everything back 3 months (leave work start Aug, return home mid-Sept). Seasonally, the timing sucks - after a whole year of spring/summers I'd be looking at a year of autumn/winters ! I'd also miss all the Summer Festivals for the second year running :(

So that's the state of play right now. Final thing to point out here is none of this is said in a tone of complaint ! I feel so lucky that I can be in a position like this - I just wish life choices were a lot easier... but then I guess this is once again what travelling is all about, facing what seem like big choices and realising they arn't a lot harder than deciding which colour of penguin to have (because in the end they're all nice and all taste the same, and tim tams are much nicer anyhow).

Buggeryshite

Glastonbury tickets sold out before I could get any... Looks like the infrastructure (phones / web) was just jammed until they had all gone ! Can't imagine any large groups have done that well this year, with the 2 per person limit. Did anyone back in the UK get hold of any tickets ? Or spend hours trying ? Lemme know / share your pain ! What we need is another rain-soaked mudpit of a festival - that'll keep numbers down for the next year...

Ah well, who's up for Roskilde instead ? Pixieis, Korn, Dizzie Rascal, Hives, Wu-Tang, B.Jaxx, Morrisey, Wire...

Otherwise something closer to home, I guess :)

April tool

A terrible April fool wind up about me staying on in Oz for 2 more years WAS here - but it recieved too many congratulations and not enough upset so I pulled it ! Ok, I can't do wind ups...

In other news - GLASTONBURY TICKETS on sale NOW ! I hear the lines are blocked, and the website was down when I visitied it - which given it's 2am at home means there are some determined people out there. Tickets are already on sale on ebay, it seems.