Kev in Aus

Chronicling the misadventures of a Canadian traveling through Australia. There's seemingly far too many of us!

Friday, November 10, 2006

28 Days Later

Well, really, it's about 31 days now I suppose. Regardless, I have been here for a full month without being deported. A record for me! (Screw you Sweden!)

Well, this week has been pretty busy actually. I went to the Pearl Jam concert on Wednesday night. Let me tell you, it was a very different experience than going to a concert in North America. For one thing, you're not allowed to drink or smoke in the arena itself. And while I don't smoke, I can now appreciate how much just being able to makes the crowd enjoy the show much more. Pearl Jam was great, but the crowd... well, let's just say they seemed less than enthusiastic about being at the show. Why would someone spend a minimum of $100 to go to a concert, and merely stand around to see the show. There was no moshing, no body surfing, no dancing really. After the 3rd song, Eddie Vedder (the lead singer for you Non-Pearl-Jammers) said almost word for word, "You guys feel free to move around. I don't know what security is like around here, but we're starting to feel like we're playing in a church or something" and it was true. It was the weirdest concert I've ever been to...

So after the concert, I came back to the hostel, and I had to move out yesterday. Not because of something I did (surprise surprise), but simply because they were full for a couple days, and I didn't re-book early enough. So now I'm at another one that's down the street, and the difference is striking. The one I'm at now, Footprints, is apparently the one that took 'Best Hostel in Australia' for 2002, 2003, and 2004. Well, it is not, my friends, a very good hostel. I'm in a room with 5 other people, and it is supercramped, and a little dirty. It's like living in a third world country. Not to mention that the other people in the room BARELY speak English. So I'm not really diggin' it, though at least I'm going back to the hostel I was at before tomorrow, the Wake Up! Hostel. Plus it's Mexican Night tomorrow at the Side Bar, so I gotta get me a sombrero and poncho. Or perhaps see if I can run across a border somewhere under cover of darkness.

Oh yes, and I seem to have found myself a job. It's an IT job in North Sydney, which will be good. Then I'll be hanging out with Aussies instead of just hanging out with people in the hostels. Don't get me wrong, I like them all of course, but it'll be a nice change to talk to people who live here, instead of other travellers. I should be starting next week, so I'll have to find a place to live close by, or it's going to be a 45 minute bus ride every day to and from. Which isn't a big deal, I suppose, but I'd still like to be able to walk to work, or just live in the area. Someplace different than downtown Sydney would be quieter I think. Or maybe I'll stay in the hostel the whole time. I don't know the length of the contract yet, so I'll have to make that decision when I find out. Regardless, things are moving along nicely!

1 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Congratulations on two counts. Getting a job is impressive, and I'm sure a load off your mind.

That accomplishment is dwarfed, in my mind at least, by the fact that you are not yet in some sweltering outback prison. Oh well. *Fingers crossed for next week*

8:05 AM  

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