gaw.
apparently my phone number on every one of my 20 résumés was wrong.
however- I got lucky at one place and was offered a job on the spot :)
I start work on saturday at an Italian style restaurant called Cafe Rémy. I'll likely be working the day shift full-time: starting at 7:30 am for breakfasts! yikes. oh-well, I have the rest of the week to relax and enjoy sleeping in.
12$ an hour is pretty low for here.. but they're paying me cash, so i can avoid the 29% tax rate for visa visitors.

for the record- my phone number is 0425 882 354
and mailing address *hint hint* is
36 stuart street
Armadale, Victoria
Australia, 3143

it's been a lonely week.
hopefully starting work will mean i'll make some friends.

Fishcaf?

I'm feeling a bit more settled this week. Moved into a house in Melbourne, in a little residential section with lots of shops, restaurants, and cafe's on the next street. Today I handed my résumé out to about 20 of them! Hopefully with those numbers I won't need luck. [decided to skip one called a "FISHCAF"... coffee and fish? no thanks.]

My roommate Tania has some connections with a friend and is getting us free zoo passes, so I'll get a chance to see some crazy Australian animals. [Maybe even a Wallaby, for Sean] ;)

Going to meet up with Marc later this week [a new friend, from Dartmouth, that I met on the plane, who also happened to be heading for Melbourne] and hopefully hit the night scene a bit. Tania's a bit older than I am, and loves her wine, but isn't much into going out to bars.

I've been really into cooking this weekend- there are so many beautiful bakeries and butchers in this area. and Tania's pantry has every spice and additive imaginable.

Oh! and I'm currently in a public library 1 street away from my house! So free internet is definately available, which means I should be around here fairly often now.

I made it!

So, here I am in the hostel in Sydney. I am in desperate need of a shower, but have to wait an hour for my room. The final flight was a piece of cake.. unlike the torture of the 19 hour NY - Tai Pei flight. I can now say that I've spent an hour in Alaska, though it was at night and just inside the airport.
I met two guys on the first flight from Halifax who were taking the exact same trip. so I had someone to bum around airports during layovers with. We took a 1/2 day tour in Tai Pei and had a whirlwind view of the city including local monuments, temples, and the tallest building in the world! I quickly got a feel for how kel must have felt in Sweden- it's an interesting feeling being one of the only people who speaks english. But everyone was very nice and directed us the best they could.
Not sure how I'll spend my 3 or 4 days here yet.. it's 22 degrees today, but raining. No beach for me just yet ;)

build me up buttercup, baby..

no one said this would be easy. i'm gonna miss you one helluva lot.

presents!

two awesome things happened today:
a) i got my final pay from the Globe & mail
b) my baby sent me a going away present
i now have a digital camera! therefore, aussie photo updates will be rampant, i'm sure.

2.5 days

6 days

i think i've found an apartment. i'd be renting/sharing a home with a young woman (a travel agent) and her cat. it's located in Armadale- right between Melbourne center.. and the beach.
this week i'll be floating around tantallon, burning cds to keep me company on the flight.

12 days, and absolutely counting

stepping back into sackville just lifts a huge weight off my shoulders. the compression in my chest eases up and i feel like everything will work itself out. i walk everywhere instead of driving. i drop in for visits instead of arranging times to meet. something about the wind; it's reassuring.

new plan.
since the travel agency suddenly changed the flight ticket prices on lenny [adding an extra 700$], he has come up with a new arrangement. instead of visiting for xmas and only getting to spend 7 or 8 days with me.. he's planing to wait until may and jump on a plane as soon as convocation ends in sackville- spend the next *two months* with me. yay!! i have a travel partner! and it's the person i would most want to experience a new country with.
it's crazy.
so, looks like xmas will be spent alone after all.. though i'm sure i'll have made a few friends by then.

i should be home sunday night- spend thanksgiving with the family. call me next week though- i need to see y'all before i leave.