Ang’s blog of dutchness

Is slackness a word?

I’ve bounced around a lot since my last post, short story is that I got a job and a home in Sydney and I’m now on training for it in Minneapolis, Minnesota, US. Good job, interesting work, and I believe a lot of travel will also be involved.

Minneapolis is an interesting place, I’m in a suburb called Eden Prarie. Everyone is tall, blonde, and the ones that have managed to ignore the abundance of takeaways are really skinny. The houses are bunched together in estate like situations and the offices are spread out over manicured gardens with surprisingly a lot of room for each building to sit independantly of the next, have enough car spaces for all of their employees and a bit of nature to make it all look pleasant. This means that no one walks. Its very rare to see someone walking, even between the mall and the supermarket, they drive between them, even though they are just next door. Its not too much different from Australia though, I’d say that if all of our malls didn’t have supermarkets in them, we would do the same.

So I’ll be here for another 2 weeks then I’ll head back and start my new job properly. I think I’m being thrown right in, which will be good and bad. Its probably the best way to learn, but I’ll make a lot of mistakes.

Went to Mall of America yesterday, we made a day of it. It was massive, didn’t get to see everything and kept getting confused as to where I was. 3 and a half floors of shops in a big square, fun park in the middle and lanes of shops all the way around. If it wasn’t for the airconditioned air, you could make a city out of it. Think Pitt Street, times 4 then add 2 more floors.

Thought I’d better start writing again, this ones for you Adam

K, so I haven’t written in this blog for about 3 weeks, and I never uploaded the photos. Life just got in the way.

Its a stormy rainy day today and the perfect day to catch up on blogs, lets just hope no power lines come down and I’m left in the dark with no internet connection.

Lets start from the last day I wrote in this thing, I went to that Swiss uni party, worst party ever!! But the night wasn’t a waste, I went to the FC Basel match and watched Chipperfield (or Chip-pwa-feeuld) kick a couple of goals and win the game.

The next day I jumped on a plane and headed to Singapore. It was hot and sticky, and pouring with rain when I arrived. The hostel was a major disappointment, what was advertised as dorms of 6, was a massive dorm of about 50 with curtains to separate the “rooms”, nice. While I was there, I started to hear people talk about bed bugs… I should have listened harder.

Singapore was an interesting place, it felt a bit wierd being on the grounds of Changi where not only was there a POW camp in WWII, but where prisoners are also still executed today. I was most impressed with the food, especially the food in Little India. Amazing. I spent a lot of time in the Botanic Gardens and took numerous photos of Orchids.

After a couple of days I boarded my final plane, with a couple of unwelcome critters and headed to Sydney.

Getting back to Sydney was good, I got to hang out with my family and sleep and finally unpack my backpack.

That weekend I met up with a few old mates at Liam’s flatmate’s birthday party. It was great to see everyone and catch up.

The next week I got a job interview and bed bugs.

After spending 3 days trying to rid my room of bed bugs and stop their humiliating nightly feeding (I still have the bumps all over my legs), I went to the job interview. It was with an agency and went for a full afternoon, but I got through to be put forward for grad. jobs.

My parents were in town last weekend so I spent most of the weekend with them, hanging out, watching movies and being a tourist. It was blissful, I really had missed my parents. On the Saturday I met up with Liam and Davina again at a party of one of their friends and ended up in a very well known pub in Newtown until late. he he he

So after preparing a large document for 2 days and going to my first interview for a potential job, I nervously awaited news as to how I went… and I didn’t get any news by last night!! How frustrating!! However I went out for dinner last night and had a great time, so the nerves and frustrations all disappeared.

At lunchtime I finally got the feedback, I got a second interview!!

Tomorrow I will move into another home for a month, I will hopefully be able to find permanent lodgings soon, since I moved out of my apartment last September, I’ve stayed in about 45 beds. I want to sleep on MY bed!!! (Its currently leaning up against the wall in my sisters house and HAS been treated for bed bugs)

So things to look forward to in the next few days… I have to write a market assessment (fun), going to yum cha on sunday and my second interview and potential employment on Tuesday!!

Time for a movie…

I finally completed a full circle today and ended my 2 week flash tour of southern Europe. Sad, I know.

The highlights you ask?

• Italy = Florence and Coffee
• Croatia = The people and a crazy obsession with stones
• Austria = Countryside and apple deserts
• Germany = Beer gardens and well… beer
• Switzerland = My host family and chocolate

So I will stay here in Rheinfelden for 2 more days and leave for Singapore on Thursday. I think Im going to a University party tomorrow night, Swiss style, should be fun

Photos will hopefully be up tomorrow some time!!

Got into Vienna about 4 hours ago and can hardly keep my eyes open, so much for wanting to spent an exciting night on the town.

Last night I dragged the other hostel guests to the pub street in Zagreb, was great, really fantastic atmosphere. Unfortunately though, we stayed out until late and when I should have been sleeping on the train, I chatted to a couple of travellers instead. I think Im going on 4 hours sleep, not sure exactly what time I got to bed.

Am currently waiting for Hotmail to come back online, the hostel minutes are ticking down and I cant send the emails I was hoping to get out to organise tomorrow in the beer garden in Munich!! There will be 3 lost and lonely US guys wandering aimlessly through the English Gardens without my email…

Need to stay awake…

In Zagreb, was supposed to get a car from Rijeka to Zagreb and visit the coast in the meantime, but the car got cancelled on me, then a bank transfer didnt go through and Im destitute! I dont even have enough money to pay the hostel, so they are being nice and letting me pay later, oh

So now that Im on an extremely tight budget of AU$20 for the next few hours (if the transfer goes through) I think I might just stay in a park and read a book. No beach for me, may have to go to Queensland later this year instead…

Best laid plans eh

Love it.

Last night was feeling pretty crap, went to find some dinner and decided immediately that I hated the place. People everywhere, street vendors hogging the streets, cars almost side swiping you…

And then the sunset… ahh

After the sunset it was like the whole city just started relaxing. Locals started playing, I found a place that sells beer for 2 euros, at one stage I was walking around and I just got shivers down my spine, it was that good!

Have figured out Croatia, renting a car and will drive myself, that way I can just stop when I want, dont have to sit on a bus for 10 hours and can drive along the coast instead of the mountains.

Have some great photos, but they will have to wait until I have access to a USB connection.

Ahhh

Unfortunately my stay in Rome is coming to an end, its been a lot of fun, we were instrumental in having the biggest party in the tiny kitchen that the hostel has had in memory, I threw my lucky coin into the fountain to hopefully come back here one day and I just loved the sights that I went to, the crowds didnt even bother me.

Im starting to even get used to the smog

tomorrow i head for Siena and Florence for a couple of days. After that a couple more places in Italy before heading to Croatia. How bad is transport in Croatia!! Unbelievable. I cant figure it out, all the city names have secret code names and the websites are all so hard to understand. Even tables in English make no sense what-so-ever

I want to get to Split, can someone help me?

If youre not dripping in money, do yourself a favour and skip Milan, Im bored out of my brain.

Have 1 minute left in the internet cafe, have to go, think I might learn me some italian and read a mag… so bored

My quest for chocolate has taken me back to the land where it all began, Switzerland. Today Im planning my trip around Italy, the land of coffee, Croatia, the land of … yet to be discovered, and Austria, the land of bad hostels.

Does anyone else find booking trains in Italy next to impossible?

Have been spending the last day sitting in the sun, it is warmer here than in Australia at the moment and there is nothing like sitting in the sun and not having to swat flies.

I got a splinter in my foot earlier today, hope it doesnt effect my backpacking abilities, I always seem to get injured before heading off for a trip

I’m now in England, staying in a little country city call Welwyn Garden City, (pronounced ‘Welyn’). Last night we went to hit the town and drink up country style. We ended up eating Indian and going home before midnight. Do you ever get the feeling that you’re getting old?

Today I’m in London and have been trying to find a replacement camera. My model doesn’t seem to exist anywhere but in Kaufhof in Germany, a camera shop in Vegas and Hong Kong. Very sad.

Am about to go to visit the tower of london and the globe theatre, then will spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and most likely drinking, ah, bliss