It's been a fairly productive week in some ways. I've replaced my lost diary (left it on the plane back from Sydney), baked breakfast muffins which formed my lunch for several days which has been my lunch for the week and finished the first book (Across the Nightingale Floor) in the series I've just started to read.
Work has been good although I've clearly been spoiled by my extended break as the short 6 hour days are still getting the better of my energy levels. I came home to day and slept for a good 4.5 hours even though we finished early due to the rain!
I've been feeling a little more tired lately since my cervical cancer vaccination. Not sure if that's a side effect or if it's all in my head but I'm glad that I've only got one more shot left for the immunisation. While it seemed less painful the second time round my arm still feels bruised. It should be better just in time for me to get my implant replaced... Oh the joys of pressure bandaging.
Tomorrow is the last day of the Fairy Factor which is the great 1hr free kids show I've been working on in the Fitzroy Gardens. It's been a real pleasure watching the kids (even when they rushed the stage). There have been some amazing costumes and more pink fairies than you could poke a stick at. I've made a mental note that if I have a daughter not to dress her in a pink fairy costume, if she's into fairies, as I'd never find her in a fairy show audience. On Monday morning I'll start three days of Set Sail at the Docklands Shed 2. I'm really looking forward to that, I only hope the weather holds up a bit for the duration of the event. There's a possibility that I'll give the flying trapeze a shot next week but we'll see how that goes!
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Showing posts with label sleep. Show all posts
Saturday, January 19, 2008
Saturday, January 05, 2008
Late Night Packing
I'm leaving for Sydney in less than 5 hours, so I figured it was about time to pack. I keep telling myself on the bright side, I started to consider my packing list at the start of the week...
With nothing left to pack but my laptop I really should just bundle it into the bag and get some shut eye. Instead I'm sitting here tapping away. It's largely because I've actually gotten out of the house a bit in the last couple of days.
A trip with some friends to a rather cool beach for a brisk swim, via a winery with a dog named Bingo, capped off with an evening at Moonlight Cinema yesterday added to what has already been a fairly pleasant start to the year. Couple that with falling asleep before 02:00 yesterday and I'm doing rather better than I expected.
Today was good for other reasons. Another load of laundry done means I'm 70% on the way to a tidy room, with the remaining 30% more to do with finding storage (or even better getting rid of stuff). I've also got a few more days work lined up for early February which is great. Still many emails to write but at least there's something to look forward to!
Anyhow, I really must close my eyes as I'm exhausted. A day of domesticity combined with the Grand Designs marathon have rather taken it out of me...
With nothing left to pack but my laptop I really should just bundle it into the bag and get some shut eye. Instead I'm sitting here tapping away. It's largely because I've actually gotten out of the house a bit in the last couple of days.
A trip with some friends to a rather cool beach for a brisk swim, via a winery with a dog named Bingo, capped off with an evening at Moonlight Cinema yesterday added to what has already been a fairly pleasant start to the year. Couple that with falling asleep before 02:00 yesterday and I'm doing rather better than I expected.
Today was good for other reasons. Another load of laundry done means I'm 70% on the way to a tidy room, with the remaining 30% more to do with finding storage (or even better getting rid of stuff). I've also got a few more days work lined up for early February which is great. Still many emails to write but at least there's something to look forward to!
Anyhow, I really must close my eyes as I'm exhausted. A day of domesticity combined with the Grand Designs marathon have rather taken it out of me...
Thursday, January 03, 2008
A Quiet Start to the New Year
Three days into the New Year and I'm desperately clinging to my resolution for a better 2008. My weeks of scattered work are all culminating with an incredible impatience for my next contract. My mind is going a little spare without work. After all, she's my mistress.
New Year's Eve was one of the less painful of the 24 that I've experienced, although I can hardly count the earlier years as difficult as I was blissfully not thinking much at that point. I was lucky enough to spend brief amounts of time with quite a few friends, I'm sorry to say, achieving more quantity than quality in terms of time spent compared with number of friends seen. Still it was wonderful to see the Monash kids, who I seem to see annually, as well as a few of the Ceremonies crew. It was the first NYE that I've actually gone into the Melbourne CBD (or any city's CBD for that matter) to watch the fireworks. They were pretty and shiny as fireworks are want to be. There was champagne, singing and the odd reveler throwing sparklers from their balcony to mark yet another year passing.
The city was a ghost town the next day until mid-afternoon. Apparently I was up a little "early" for the New Year. I followed up my social evening with more social catch ups before I inevitably disappear from the social scene and drown myself in work. Well, that's sort of the plan any how...
When I finally made it home last night I curled up in bed and read for awhile before falling asleep at a far more respectable 00:30. This allowed me to wake up, for the first time in weeks, in the morning! So I spent much of that time in bed anyway, finishing Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. I liked it a lot although it did make me feel a little sad.
One load of laundry later and I feel like the day has been reasonably productive!
Now, I'm waiting for the birds to start their morning song, triggering that part of my brain that allows me to fall asleep. Not long now...
New Year's Eve was one of the less painful of the 24 that I've experienced, although I can hardly count the earlier years as difficult as I was blissfully not thinking much at that point. I was lucky enough to spend brief amounts of time with quite a few friends, I'm sorry to say, achieving more quantity than quality in terms of time spent compared with number of friends seen. Still it was wonderful to see the Monash kids, who I seem to see annually, as well as a few of the Ceremonies crew. It was the first NYE that I've actually gone into the Melbourne CBD (or any city's CBD for that matter) to watch the fireworks. They were pretty and shiny as fireworks are want to be. There was champagne, singing and the odd reveler throwing sparklers from their balcony to mark yet another year passing.
The city was a ghost town the next day until mid-afternoon. Apparently I was up a little "early" for the New Year. I followed up my social evening with more social catch ups before I inevitably disappear from the social scene and drown myself in work. Well, that's sort of the plan any how...
When I finally made it home last night I curled up in bed and read for awhile before falling asleep at a far more respectable 00:30. This allowed me to wake up, for the first time in weeks, in the morning! So I spent much of that time in bed anyway, finishing Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer. I liked it a lot although it did make me feel a little sad.
One load of laundry later and I feel like the day has been reasonably productive!
Now, I'm waiting for the birds to start their morning song, triggering that part of my brain that allows me to fall asleep. Not long now...
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Today's post is brought to you by the numbers 0.75, 1, 1.5, 2
0.75 is the number of hours sleep I've had in the last 32 hours. I sense my nocturnal habits may be at an end.
1 is the number of days I've worked this week. It's good to be working again, even if it's just an orientation.
1.5 is the number of cards I ended up writing yesterday before being distracted by the arrival of the Schoeller & Stahl Zermatt yarn that Dad bought Mum & I for Christmas. I am now knitting a sweater despite the summery weather in the vague hope I'll finish it in time for Autumn/Winter 2008.
2 is the number of chapters I've read of The Ghost's Child. Since my last post I've discovered that The Pleasure of my Company doesn't actually have chapters. As a result I'm having a lot of trouble not finishing it in one deliciously indulgent reading. I'm trying to pace myself.
1 is the number of days I've worked this week. It's good to be working again, even if it's just an orientation.
1.5 is the number of cards I ended up writing yesterday before being distracted by the arrival of the Schoeller & Stahl Zermatt yarn that Dad bought Mum & I for Christmas. I am now knitting a sweater despite the summery weather in the vague hope I'll finish it in time for Autumn/Winter 2008.
2 is the number of chapters I've read of The Ghost's Child. Since my last post I've discovered that The Pleasure of my Company doesn't actually have chapters. As a result I'm having a lot of trouble not finishing it in one deliciously indulgent reading. I'm trying to pace myself.
Saturday, December 08, 2007
Infrequent Insomnia Blog
Lately it seems that I only write my infrequent blog posts in the wee hours of the morning. Mind you it seems to be getting later each time so who knows, maybe I'll find myself, over time, posting during sensible hours again.
Last time I was up at all hours typing away I talked about awakeness. Well in the day that followed, I remember little of the LX plots - I think one was canceled. Don G was great despite having to leave the theatre just after the start of Act 1 because I was feeling faint. That night I made it home after stopping by the side of the freeway for a nap. The next day I decided to see a doctor. Tonsillitis. Never in my life have I had tonsillitis that made me feel quite so dead. Armed with antibiotics I headed home to sleep off the time that it would take the antibiotics to kick in. Two days apparently. Two days later I was in the doctor's office again. Apparently it had gotten worse and my throat was quite swollen and it was now affecting both sides of the throat which was making breathing, eating and drinking awfully more taxing than usual. Stronger antibiotics were ordered as well as something to help make them easier to stomach. The tech run felt like it went forever. Seems the medication that made the antibiotics easier to stomach were also making me feel cloudy as all hell but I was under the impression that was the tonsillitis. Oops. No more driving if I have that medication again.
Before I knew it the show was running and even sooner it was over. I finally took some time off like I'd been speaking about doing for quite some time. Three days into my break I was bored and looking for work again.
Mind you I've had a rather enjoyable time since then. I've since, many thanks to Tam, seen Alcina and Tales of Hoffman just to complete the season of operas. I've also seen more contemporary dance which was a little lost on me but the set and lighting was very sexy. Aside from that my hours have been spent sorting out paperwork and trying to work out a plan for the foreseeable future. I've also re-discovered reading as a pastime. Robert Charles Wilson's Spin was a fabulously engaging read, now I'm slowly whittling away at the books sitting next to my bed. Steve Martin's Shop Girl is currently battling several sci-fi fantasty novels for my attention. However I did find myself rather taken with the film so it's hard to say which will triumph. I suspect neither and I'll just flit between them.
Given that the sun is likely to appear in the sky shortly I should stop writing and attempt some sleep before it wakes me up. Oh well. I figure that this time on Tuesday I'll be on my way to work so it's probably not a bad thing to be a little nocturnal. Seems to be my natural state anyhow.
End ramble.
Last time I was up at all hours typing away I talked about awakeness. Well in the day that followed, I remember little of the LX plots - I think one was canceled. Don G was great despite having to leave the theatre just after the start of Act 1 because I was feeling faint. That night I made it home after stopping by the side of the freeway for a nap. The next day I decided to see a doctor. Tonsillitis. Never in my life have I had tonsillitis that made me feel quite so dead. Armed with antibiotics I headed home to sleep off the time that it would take the antibiotics to kick in. Two days apparently. Two days later I was in the doctor's office again. Apparently it had gotten worse and my throat was quite swollen and it was now affecting both sides of the throat which was making breathing, eating and drinking awfully more taxing than usual. Stronger antibiotics were ordered as well as something to help make them easier to stomach. The tech run felt like it went forever. Seems the medication that made the antibiotics easier to stomach were also making me feel cloudy as all hell but I was under the impression that was the tonsillitis. Oops. No more driving if I have that medication again.
Before I knew it the show was running and even sooner it was over. I finally took some time off like I'd been speaking about doing for quite some time. Three days into my break I was bored and looking for work again.
Mind you I've had a rather enjoyable time since then. I've since, many thanks to Tam, seen Alcina and Tales of Hoffman just to complete the season of operas. I've also seen more contemporary dance which was a little lost on me but the set and lighting was very sexy. Aside from that my hours have been spent sorting out paperwork and trying to work out a plan for the foreseeable future. I've also re-discovered reading as a pastime. Robert Charles Wilson's Spin was a fabulously engaging read, now I'm slowly whittling away at the books sitting next to my bed. Steve Martin's Shop Girl is currently battling several sci-fi fantasty novels for my attention. However I did find myself rather taken with the film so it's hard to say which will triumph. I suspect neither and I'll just flit between them.
Given that the sun is likely to appear in the sky shortly I should stop writing and attempt some sleep before it wakes me up. Oh well. I figure that this time on Tuesday I'll be on my way to work so it's probably not a bad thing to be a little nocturnal. Seems to be my natural state anyhow.
End ramble.
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
Failure to Write
In the wee small hours of the morning, when the whole wide world is fast asleep I'm lying awake wondering why it is I've got Carly Simon stuck in my head when I've been listening to Edith Piaf's rendition of L'accordéoniste on loop all day.
I'm frustratingly nocturnal at the moment. Frustrating because I have two LX plots to attend tomorrow and I'd like to be awake for them please. As well as tickets to see Don Giovanni. Again with the awakeness.
Since I wasn't sleeping anyway, I figured I might as well update my sorely neglected blog.
Let's see, last time I wrote I'd just planted a mini-herb garden for a show. Well, the season went really well. So well in fact that Kat & I don't own any plants (dead or alive) from the show. Since then I've moved onto another show and am in the process of looking for more work over the silly season. Mind you I think I could do with a couple of days off to sort out my body clock and get a little R&R but we'll see. Plenty of time for that when the theatres are dark again.
Other items of note in no particular order are:
- my shoulder (which I fell on about two weeks ago after a particularly sleepless night... futons should never be underestimated for danger, can anyone say trip hazard?) is feeling much better but is at the annoying stage where it feel good but as soon as I do anything more than hold a cup of coffee in my left arm it begins to complain. Not that I've been doing anything but resting it of course... ahem
- Mum's started her next course of chemo after a week's break last week. For some reason I kept thinking it was her last course last time... hopefully this is the one. She's getting great results from the treatment but I think she's looking forward to stopping the chemo.
- I've made it further on my NaNoWriMo novel this year than ever before, but I'm still many thousands of words behind where I should be. Perhaps I should attack that instead of this blog... I should probably also note that I'm only ahead of my previous attempts by about 1,000 words... oh well, only 48,000 more to go...
Anyhow, that's all that springs to mind at the moment. I think I'm approaching the "low" in my sleep/wake cycle, so I'm going to make another attempt to fall asleep. Wish me luck!
I'm frustratingly nocturnal at the moment. Frustrating because I have two LX plots to attend tomorrow and I'd like to be awake for them please. As well as tickets to see Don Giovanni. Again with the awakeness.
Since I wasn't sleeping anyway, I figured I might as well update my sorely neglected blog.
Let's see, last time I wrote I'd just planted a mini-herb garden for a show. Well, the season went really well. So well in fact that Kat & I don't own any plants (dead or alive) from the show. Since then I've moved onto another show and am in the process of looking for more work over the silly season. Mind you I think I could do with a couple of days off to sort out my body clock and get a little R&R but we'll see. Plenty of time for that when the theatres are dark again.
Other items of note in no particular order are:
- my shoulder (which I fell on about two weeks ago after a particularly sleepless night... futons should never be underestimated for danger, can anyone say trip hazard?) is feeling much better but is at the annoying stage where it feel good but as soon as I do anything more than hold a cup of coffee in my left arm it begins to complain. Not that I've been doing anything but resting it of course... ahem
- Mum's started her next course of chemo after a week's break last week. For some reason I kept thinking it was her last course last time... hopefully this is the one. She's getting great results from the treatment but I think she's looking forward to stopping the chemo.
- I've made it further on my NaNoWriMo novel this year than ever before, but I'm still many thousands of words behind where I should be. Perhaps I should attack that instead of this blog... I should probably also note that I'm only ahead of my previous attempts by about 1,000 words... oh well, only 48,000 more to go...
Anyhow, that's all that springs to mind at the moment. I think I'm approaching the "low" in my sleep/wake cycle, so I'm going to make another attempt to fall asleep. Wish me luck!
Friday, September 28, 2007
Fringe Family
Three tech rehearsals down, one to go and then we’re on! So far it’s looking like I’ll have an interesting mix of shows with music being a strong theme.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since I’ve been in the Meeting Room at the North Melbourne Town Hall. There are so many familiar faces around the venue. People who I still remember coming over to our house in the wee hours of the morning having paid an exorbitant amount of cash for drinks from a 24 hour bottle shop after the bar closed early one night. As always there are new faces but Melbourne Fringe will always feel a little like a family reunion in that way.
Speaking of family, my Mum’s cousin is down from Singapore for a holiday. We went shopping last night at good ol’ Knox City and Dad’s taking her to have a look around the Vic Markets today. She’s been here for almost a week but I’ve barely seen her as by the time I’m home from work she’s in bed and I leave moments after dragging my sorry self out of bed in the morning. I must admit that I’m looking forward to sleeping in on Sunday morning before spending the afternoon reading the script before Monday’s rehearsal.
It’s good to be busy again! Now if I could start sleeping well again then life would be nigh on perfect.
It’s hard to believe that it’s been two years since I’ve been in the Meeting Room at the North Melbourne Town Hall. There are so many familiar faces around the venue. People who I still remember coming over to our house in the wee hours of the morning having paid an exorbitant amount of cash for drinks from a 24 hour bottle shop after the bar closed early one night. As always there are new faces but Melbourne Fringe will always feel a little like a family reunion in that way.
Speaking of family, my Mum’s cousin is down from Singapore for a holiday. We went shopping last night at good ol’ Knox City and Dad’s taking her to have a look around the Vic Markets today. She’s been here for almost a week but I’ve barely seen her as by the time I’m home from work she’s in bed and I leave moments after dragging my sorry self out of bed in the morning. I must admit that I’m looking forward to sleeping in on Sunday morning before spending the afternoon reading the script before Monday’s rehearsal.
It’s good to be busy again! Now if I could start sleeping well again then life would be nigh on perfect.
Friday, September 14, 2007
A Silver Lining
I couldn't sleep last night. Couldn't and didn't. Seem to have lost the "off switch" for my mind. Still every cloud has a silver lining they say and mine looked a little like this...
Pardon the quality of the picture. My actual camera ran out of battery and it was taken through the bedroom window on my phone. It was a wonderful way to start the day and I wanted to share it. I have a strange suspicion I'll be seeing something similar in a few hours time.
Pardon the quality of the picture. My actual camera ran out of battery and it was taken through the bedroom window on my phone. It was a wonderful way to start the day and I wanted to share it. I have a strange suspicion I'll be seeing something similar in a few hours time.
Wednesday, September 12, 2007
Back in Melbourne
I've been back in Melbourne for a week and a half now. More than enough time to settle into my nocturnal habits once more. Luckily I'll be working nights for the Melbourne Fringe.
While I was in Darwin there were a few changes around my folks place. For one the old CRT tv transformed into a 42" plasma tv. What caught my attention though, once I managed to drag myself away from the new blue-ray DVDs was this...
It would seem that the dogs are enjoying the same fresh water that we are. It's only fair I suppose...
Nothing else to report really. My days have been spent looking for post-Fringe work, reinstating the blue streak in my hair and feeding my Facebook addiction.
It's been great spending time with my family though. Since Mum's cancer diagnosis Dad's been working from home a lot more so we've been lucky enough to have most meals as a family.
Mum's doing well at the moment. We received the latest results from her scans/tests and have been told that the cancer is now largely hard tissue and it's looking like she will only have to go through one more 6 week cycle of chemo before they can remove it. Right now she's having a short break from treatment as her white blood cell count is too low. Overall we're pretty happy with the latest news and I'll be sure to keep any interested parties posted. Many thanks for the well wishes.
Plans over the next week involve reading trashy magazines with Mum, heading to the city to see the Guggenheim exhibition as well as the Pixar showcase and of course the mundane catching up on paperwork and job hunting. I must admit I miss Darwin life, the warm walk-conducive weather and beach just moments away but it's good to be back in Melbourne. The skies may be grey but it's still t-shirt weather for most of the day and the owls nesting outside our house are much less shrill than the birds that shared my garden in Darwin.
While I was in Darwin there were a few changes around my folks place. For one the old CRT tv transformed into a 42" plasma tv. What caught my attention though, once I managed to drag myself away from the new blue-ray DVDs was this...
It would seem that the dogs are enjoying the same fresh water that we are. It's only fair I suppose...
Nothing else to report really. My days have been spent looking for post-Fringe work, reinstating the blue streak in my hair and feeding my Facebook addiction.
It's been great spending time with my family though. Since Mum's cancer diagnosis Dad's been working from home a lot more so we've been lucky enough to have most meals as a family.
Mum's doing well at the moment. We received the latest results from her scans/tests and have been told that the cancer is now largely hard tissue and it's looking like she will only have to go through one more 6 week cycle of chemo before they can remove it. Right now she's having a short break from treatment as her white blood cell count is too low. Overall we're pretty happy with the latest news and I'll be sure to keep any interested parties posted. Many thanks for the well wishes.
Plans over the next week involve reading trashy magazines with Mum, heading to the city to see the Guggenheim exhibition as well as the Pixar showcase and of course the mundane catching up on paperwork and job hunting. I must admit I miss Darwin life, the warm walk-conducive weather and beach just moments away but it's good to be back in Melbourne. The skies may be grey but it's still t-shirt weather for most of the day and the owls nesting outside our house are much less shrill than the birds that shared my garden in Darwin.
Monday, May 28, 2007
Unexpected
First day back behind a desk today and it was a little different to what I expected. My brief involved helping to catch up on a backlog of typing and answering overflow phone calls. Today I ended up being the receptionist which involved a lot more switchboard operation (woo hoo new skill!) and very little typing.
Still it was probably just as well because I was a little sleepy having stayed up far too late last night.
I'm working on Bridge Road conveniently within walking distance of the Ishka warehouse. Mmmmm pretty clothes!
Anyhow I've promised myself an early night's sleep and as it's already 23:51 I'd better get to bed before I turn into a pumpkin.
Still it was probably just as well because I was a little sleepy having stayed up far too late last night.
I'm working on Bridge Road conveniently within walking distance of the Ishka warehouse. Mmmmm pretty clothes!
Anyhow I've promised myself an early night's sleep and as it's already 23:51 I'd better get to bed before I turn into a pumpkin.
Friday, February 23, 2007
Pleasant Day
I've been in home for almost a week now and it feels like I never left.
The job hunt has slowed down a bit but I'm happy just making my way through the laundry and unpacking. I've also started going through old clothes and my wardrobe is already looking much more reasonable.
Sleep patterns are better than normal (ie. I'm awake when most people are and haven't turned nocturnal yet). I think sleeping with the curtains open is helping. It's hard to sleep when the sun is streaming down on your face.
Today Gene's dad, John, came to visit and spent the afternoon chatting with us (Mum, Gene & I) before we headed into town to meet Cathy, Gene's mum, and Dad for dinner. I think we may have ordered a little much which is likely to be my fault as I was keen to catch up on favourite Chinese dishes but it was an excellent meal!
It's looking to be a pleasantly quiet weekend. I think I'll finish reading The Amber Spyglass tomorrow. I'm not particularly far into it but it's been an easy and engaging read for the last two books.
I think I'll spend most of the weekend trawling through the photos from the last six months and posting the ones that aren't too terrible on my Zoto site. When I get bored of that I'll return to my sock knitting which is currently driving me a little crazy. I seem to have lost the ability to count.
I'm actually looking forward to going to rehearsals on Sunday to help Naomi out with her show. It's a show that I wanted to see while I was up in Brisbane last year but failed miserably to make it. So it should be good. Always happy to help. Especially since I'm not doing much at the moment. It'll be good to be back in a rehearsal space. It's been a while!
The job hunt has slowed down a bit but I'm happy just making my way through the laundry and unpacking. I've also started going through old clothes and my wardrobe is already looking much more reasonable.
Sleep patterns are better than normal (ie. I'm awake when most people are and haven't turned nocturnal yet). I think sleeping with the curtains open is helping. It's hard to sleep when the sun is streaming down on your face.
Today Gene's dad, John, came to visit and spent the afternoon chatting with us (Mum, Gene & I) before we headed into town to meet Cathy, Gene's mum, and Dad for dinner. I think we may have ordered a little much which is likely to be my fault as I was keen to catch up on favourite Chinese dishes but it was an excellent meal!
It's looking to be a pleasantly quiet weekend. I think I'll finish reading The Amber Spyglass tomorrow. I'm not particularly far into it but it's been an easy and engaging read for the last two books.
I think I'll spend most of the weekend trawling through the photos from the last six months and posting the ones that aren't too terrible on my Zoto site. When I get bored of that I'll return to my sock knitting which is currently driving me a little crazy. I seem to have lost the ability to count.
I'm actually looking forward to going to rehearsals on Sunday to help Naomi out with her show. It's a show that I wanted to see while I was up in Brisbane last year but failed miserably to make it. So it should be good. Always happy to help. Especially since I'm not doing much at the moment. It'll be good to be back in a rehearsal space. It's been a while!
Monday, December 04, 2006
Middle Ground
One down, one to go.
The Opening Ceremony went well despite the inclement weather. It rained for much of the day of the show and proceeded to drizzle and rain through most of the night. The show still looked amazing from the few parts that I was able to watch. Nura looked amazing on the huge LED screen and the fireworks, well they were pretty too! Photos from the night are mainly centred around City of the Future because that's when I was on the field. Nick took some great shots of the final fireworks display. There's going to be the usual trading of pictures among workmates and I'll be sure to bring them all home.
I was lucky enough to work the first overnight shift of the bump-out (transition to sport) which we were expecting to get rather wet in the rain. We were not surprised to find this the case. What did surprise us was the golf-ball sized hail that fell in the wee hours of the morning. Talk about random desert weather! We've officially seen it all in terms of weather in Doha. From extreme heat to ice. What can I say? That's Doha for you.
After leaving work in the morning I headed back to work that night and was happy to find it no longer raining. The temperature however had dropped to a cool 16˚C. I was very grateful at having left my QR55 100% PVC Matrix-esque jacket at work from the night before.
That was yesterday morning I think. Today I've been given a luxurious day off and I'm struggling a little. After all I've had a decent amount of sleep albeit at the wrong end of the day. I'm moving back into a slightly more day-oriented shift now. My brain has no idea what to do with itself.
The day started with the sound of running water. By running water I mean gushing water. The pipe to the bidet downstairs had burst and the downstairs bathroom had started to flood into the stairwell and was making a good effort towards the front door. Gene got up and helped me move the beer out of the water flow and then the cleaners and maintenance guys came and fixed the pipe. I knew it was going to be a good day. So far so good. A bit of shopping for tomorrow and a quiet evening at home hanging out with Nick. It's just like being in Melbourne only not.
Tomorrow's looking to be a pretty good day too. Lisa & Dave have given me a half day and then there's the party at Bayti which has proved an excellent night in the past. I doubt the party will help me reset my body clock but at least it will be fun! I'm baking cookies to bring as promised in the wee hours of the transition.
I doubt I'll recognise the stadium tomorrow when I get into work. There will be grass there. Crazy sporting event. In fact, I doubt I'll be allowed near the stadium during the sports so it'll be a good day of paperwork.
My willpower is a little lacking today. I think I'll have a quick nap before Nick arrives to hang out.
Foilled! Or saved depending on which way you look at it. Nick's here so I'm going to run off and be sociable.
The Opening Ceremony went well despite the inclement weather. It rained for much of the day of the show and proceeded to drizzle and rain through most of the night. The show still looked amazing from the few parts that I was able to watch. Nura looked amazing on the huge LED screen and the fireworks, well they were pretty too! Photos from the night are mainly centred around City of the Future because that's when I was on the field. Nick took some great shots of the final fireworks display. There's going to be the usual trading of pictures among workmates and I'll be sure to bring them all home.
I was lucky enough to work the first overnight shift of the bump-out (transition to sport) which we were expecting to get rather wet in the rain. We were not surprised to find this the case. What did surprise us was the golf-ball sized hail that fell in the wee hours of the morning. Talk about random desert weather! We've officially seen it all in terms of weather in Doha. From extreme heat to ice. What can I say? That's Doha for you.
After leaving work in the morning I headed back to work that night and was happy to find it no longer raining. The temperature however had dropped to a cool 16˚C. I was very grateful at having left my QR55 100% PVC Matrix-esque jacket at work from the night before.
That was yesterday morning I think. Today I've been given a luxurious day off and I'm struggling a little. After all I've had a decent amount of sleep albeit at the wrong end of the day. I'm moving back into a slightly more day-oriented shift now. My brain has no idea what to do with itself.
The day started with the sound of running water. By running water I mean gushing water. The pipe to the bidet downstairs had burst and the downstairs bathroom had started to flood into the stairwell and was making a good effort towards the front door. Gene got up and helped me move the beer out of the water flow and then the cleaners and maintenance guys came and fixed the pipe. I knew it was going to be a good day. So far so good. A bit of shopping for tomorrow and a quiet evening at home hanging out with Nick. It's just like being in Melbourne only not.
Tomorrow's looking to be a pretty good day too. Lisa & Dave have given me a half day and then there's the party at Bayti which has proved an excellent night in the past. I doubt the party will help me reset my body clock but at least it will be fun! I'm baking cookies to bring as promised in the wee hours of the transition.
I doubt I'll recognise the stadium tomorrow when I get into work. There will be grass there. Crazy sporting event. In fact, I doubt I'll be allowed near the stadium during the sports so it'll be a good day of paperwork.
My willpower is a little lacking today. I think I'll have a quick nap before Nick arrives to hang out.
Foilled! Or saved depending on which way you look at it. Nick's here so I'm going to run off and be sociable.
Wednesday, November 08, 2006
Improving
Things are looking up today. I've had 12 almost solid hours sleep. Woke about at the 6 hour mark in a panic because I thought I was late for work, turned out it was only 3:43am. Still sitting on just under 2,500 words of novel but I'm still pretty happy with that considering my workload and recent cold.
Happily the cold has subsided quite a bit after my good long sleep so I'm sipping on my raspberry & echinacea tea having just had my vitamin C, spirulina and garlic oil capsules and I'm feeling fine! :)
Gene & I are both very excited at Nick's impending arrival in Doha and look forward to welcoming him to the glories of desert life (tee hee). No, it'll be fine Nick! No really! You can trust us. :)
I've already bumped into one of the girls I went to uni with over here who's here to followspot. It's always nice to see a familiar face when you're abroad.
Totally stuck on my novel. Have contemplated re-starting but am trying to fight that urge. Next year I'm going to have a plot outline I swear.
iPod is still going well and I'm happily (or tearily) falling asleep to "The Happy Prince" and other stories by Oscar Wilde. I always cry when I hear that story. Not sure why I decided to listen to it before bed.
Okay, running away to be busy now. Can't wait to show you all pictures of Doha when I get back!
Happily the cold has subsided quite a bit after my good long sleep so I'm sipping on my raspberry & echinacea tea having just had my vitamin C, spirulina and garlic oil capsules and I'm feeling fine! :)
Gene & I are both very excited at Nick's impending arrival in Doha and look forward to welcoming him to the glories of desert life (tee hee). No, it'll be fine Nick! No really! You can trust us. :)
I've already bumped into one of the girls I went to uni with over here who's here to followspot. It's always nice to see a familiar face when you're abroad.
Totally stuck on my novel. Have contemplated re-starting but am trying to fight that urge. Next year I'm going to have a plot outline I swear.
iPod is still going well and I'm happily (or tearily) falling asleep to "The Happy Prince" and other stories by Oscar Wilde. I always cry when I hear that story. Not sure why I decided to listen to it before bed.
Okay, running away to be busy now. Can't wait to show you all pictures of Doha when I get back!
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Trundling Along
November is really not the best month for me in terms of NaNoWriMo. After last year's dismal attempt I figure I can't possibly do worse... Big words...
Anyhow, life is trundling along slowly. I'm eternally grateful that I'm right handed as my left arm is giving me grief from last weekend's blow to the shoulder blade. I've been on anti-inflammatories for the last four days and at night have something to try and relax the muscles but the ache is still there. If it's still there tomorrow I've been told to get Xrays. The doctor didn't look impressed when I mentioned that I kept swing dancing after the accident... Probably should have thought about that a bit really...
Aside from that nothing is new. Last night was the best sleep I've had since Saturday. I managed a whole 4 hours before waking up. I'm averaging three because that's about as long as I can sleep before I want to toss and turn.
Gene's working over at Khalifa now so I got to see him today while we were both awake! Very exciting. It was brief though. To be accurate I saw him twice but the second time we were being introduced and I was giving him his crew. Hehe we shook hands like it was the first time we'd met. :)
I have possibly mentioned this before but I'll say it again. A big thank you to those of you who write somewhat regularly in your blogs and anyone who emails. You're my only link to what's going on back home and I check all the blogs religiously in the mornings (Doha mornings that is...)
After finishing working on the Commonwealth Games with no pictures of my own I've made an effort to take pictures every day of what's happening on site. It's been really good because it gets me out of the office and reminds me of what we're moving towards. Naturally I can't post the pictures of the site but I do have some photos of some butterflies that Amy & I spotted in the shrubby plants onsite. I even got a picture of a little flower too. I love my macro photography setting on the camera.
It's almost dinner time... they had creme caramel for dessert. MMMMMMMM...
Anyhow, life is trundling along slowly. I'm eternally grateful that I'm right handed as my left arm is giving me grief from last weekend's blow to the shoulder blade. I've been on anti-inflammatories for the last four days and at night have something to try and relax the muscles but the ache is still there. If it's still there tomorrow I've been told to get Xrays. The doctor didn't look impressed when I mentioned that I kept swing dancing after the accident... Probably should have thought about that a bit really...
Aside from that nothing is new. Last night was the best sleep I've had since Saturday. I managed a whole 4 hours before waking up. I'm averaging three because that's about as long as I can sleep before I want to toss and turn.
Gene's working over at Khalifa now so I got to see him today while we were both awake! Very exciting. It was brief though. To be accurate I saw him twice but the second time we were being introduced and I was giving him his crew. Hehe we shook hands like it was the first time we'd met. :)
I have possibly mentioned this before but I'll say it again. A big thank you to those of you who write somewhat regularly in your blogs and anyone who emails. You're my only link to what's going on back home and I check all the blogs religiously in the mornings (Doha mornings that is...)
After finishing working on the Commonwealth Games with no pictures of my own I've made an effort to take pictures every day of what's happening on site. It's been really good because it gets me out of the office and reminds me of what we're moving towards. Naturally I can't post the pictures of the site but I do have some photos of some butterflies that Amy & I spotted in the shrubby plants onsite. I even got a picture of a little flower too. I love my macro photography setting on the camera.
It's almost dinner time... they had creme caramel for dessert. MMMMMMMM...
Monday, September 25, 2006
Snoooooooze
They say that sleep deprivation can have a similar effect to being drunk in terms of impairment of your body’s ability to function.
As I may have mentioned in an earlier post I’ve started to make friends with the snooze button on my alarm. In fact we go way back to the days of sprinting out the door to get to anywhere I needed to be early in the morning. We interacted several times this morning. Enough to have me sprinting out of the house to be blinded by the sunlight. I knew I’d forgotten something… left my sunnies at work as usual. Stumbled a little towards the bus stop, cursed my lack of coordination for anything other than pushing the snooze button, then discovered that said shuttle bus wasn’t there yet. I was a little early. I have a feeling it’s going to take me a bit to settle into the day.
Ramadan has started and we’re doing our best to adjust to the different cultural etiquette that comes into play during the next lunar cycle. Us girls have to cover our shoulders and preferably our elbows but luckily don’t need to worry about a headscarf or anything like that. We can wear skirts as long as they cover the knees (even while sitting) but pants are preferable. The boys are lucky because they get to wear t-shirts (they have to keep their shoulders covered too) and they even get to wear shorts at work. In public they have to be wearing long pants. Eating & drinking in public during the day is a no-no. Water is okay if you’re working in the sun. Chewing gum is not allowed either. Aside from those courtesies and horrible traffic at around 6pm when everyone rushes to the mosques to pray and break their fast after the final prayer, I haven’t really seen much else of the celebration.
This Friday I’m going to try and go to the Corniche to check out some of the Ramadan tents. They’re meant to be amazing.
As I may have mentioned in an earlier post I’ve started to make friends with the snooze button on my alarm. In fact we go way back to the days of sprinting out the door to get to anywhere I needed to be early in the morning. We interacted several times this morning. Enough to have me sprinting out of the house to be blinded by the sunlight. I knew I’d forgotten something… left my sunnies at work as usual. Stumbled a little towards the bus stop, cursed my lack of coordination for anything other than pushing the snooze button, then discovered that said shuttle bus wasn’t there yet. I was a little early. I have a feeling it’s going to take me a bit to settle into the day.
Ramadan has started and we’re doing our best to adjust to the different cultural etiquette that comes into play during the next lunar cycle. Us girls have to cover our shoulders and preferably our elbows but luckily don’t need to worry about a headscarf or anything like that. We can wear skirts as long as they cover the knees (even while sitting) but pants are preferable. The boys are lucky because they get to wear t-shirts (they have to keep their shoulders covered too) and they even get to wear shorts at work. In public they have to be wearing long pants. Eating & drinking in public during the day is a no-no. Water is okay if you’re working in the sun. Chewing gum is not allowed either. Aside from those courtesies and horrible traffic at around 6pm when everyone rushes to the mosques to pray and break their fast after the final prayer, I haven’t really seen much else of the celebration.
This Friday I’m going to try and go to the Corniche to check out some of the Ramadan tents. They’re meant to be amazing.
Saturday, September 02, 2006
Parking in Doha
Happy Birthday Fi! I'm a day early here but it's technically the 2nd of September where you are now!
As Naomi mentioned in her blog, Gene is on his way to Doha tonight (well today for me because it's only 17:00 here). So what did I do with my day so far in preparation? Well, I slept in until 09:00 and believe me those two hours of extra undisturbed sleep were a beautiful thing. I then rolled over and dozed for another couple of hours after turning the air-con off until the warmth of the room woke me up and I turned it back on again. In the process I called Gene at the most inconvenient time of checking in to the plane. So I plodded downstairs to chat with my housemates who were off to brunch at the Sheraton (having brunch at a five star hotel is the done thing over here as you can buy alcohol and food at the same place, just like home!). I did my, now weekly, French manicure and read a bit more of A Short History of Nearly Everything before returning Gene's call and wishing him a safe flight. I think the best thing about our one minute and 13 second conversation was ending it with see you in the morning!
Life in Doha is plodding along. Or at least if feels like it's plodding along until I realise that I've been here for two weeks already and we're about 91 days from Opening.
Carrefour Villagio is operational again which made us all very happy at work even though Mega Mart seems to be the supermarket of choice. I've decided against shopping this weekend as I simply don't need anything other than fabric softener. You may be asking how I can need fabric softener and I give you that without it I will more than likely live. However with my skin still drier than ever before I am planning not to repeat the grazing that I gave myself while drying myself with my towel. (Apologies for the poorly constructed sentence. I could re-write but I'm lazy and short on computer battery life and the charger's at work).
With each night I have been getting more and more grateful that Dad got me A Short History of Nearly Everything. Sure it's not going to see me through to the end of the week but it's been a really entertaining read and it's re-sparked my interest in science. Not that I'm planning on a career change or anything I love my job! It's actually been kind of nice to know that I haven't completely forgotten all my science general knowledge. There are plenty of recognisable names and I am happy to say that I remember what the discovered or what was named for them before Bill Bryson explains. I go through moments in my life where I feel a little dull in the mind but this book has been pleasantly reassuring that I'm not completely away with the fairies.
Speaking of books, Gene was saying that at the airport he had to keep himself from buying books. I assured him that Jarir Bookstore had a fair number of English books and that it even included a selection of Sci-Fi/Fantasy which had Pratchett but no Gaiman. I guess I'll have to wait until we arrive in London to get a copy of Fragile Things.
I must admit there is an impressive amount of USB adaptors for sale over here in Doha. USB to just about anything. Even phoneline plugs (CAT something?). I found some great looking iShuffle speakers at Jarir which as I have an iPod I probably won't buy, but I did find some cool and comfy looking wireless iPod headphones going for QAR120 (about AU$43).
It looks a little overcast outside but it's not actually going to rain. It's amazing how it can still trick your brain into thinking it might be cool outside. It actually seems cooler today but the temperature's still 37˚C.
On a side note I'm so happy that I've found the degrees symbol on my laptop. It was getting boring typing out the word! For those of you wondering how I found it... did I look at the keyboard map? No. I went `¡™£¢∞§¶•ªº–≠œ∑´®†¥¨ˆøπ“‘«åß∂ƒ©˙∆˚ ahah! Found it!
I thought I'd finish off with an example of why you should be patient while driving and preferably stick to the roads. You can see Khalifa Stadium, where I work, in the background.
This was there all day and took a crane to rectify. No one was hurt but you've been warned!
As Naomi mentioned in her blog, Gene is on his way to Doha tonight (well today for me because it's only 17:00 here). So what did I do with my day so far in preparation? Well, I slept in until 09:00 and believe me those two hours of extra undisturbed sleep were a beautiful thing. I then rolled over and dozed for another couple of hours after turning the air-con off until the warmth of the room woke me up and I turned it back on again. In the process I called Gene at the most inconvenient time of checking in to the plane. So I plodded downstairs to chat with my housemates who were off to brunch at the Sheraton (having brunch at a five star hotel is the done thing over here as you can buy alcohol and food at the same place, just like home!). I did my, now weekly, French manicure and read a bit more of A Short History of Nearly Everything before returning Gene's call and wishing him a safe flight. I think the best thing about our one minute and 13 second conversation was ending it with see you in the morning!
Life in Doha is plodding along. Or at least if feels like it's plodding along until I realise that I've been here for two weeks already and we're about 91 days from Opening.
Carrefour Villagio is operational again which made us all very happy at work even though Mega Mart seems to be the supermarket of choice. I've decided against shopping this weekend as I simply don't need anything other than fabric softener. You may be asking how I can need fabric softener and I give you that without it I will more than likely live. However with my skin still drier than ever before I am planning not to repeat the grazing that I gave myself while drying myself with my towel. (Apologies for the poorly constructed sentence. I could re-write but I'm lazy and short on computer battery life and the charger's at work).
With each night I have been getting more and more grateful that Dad got me A Short History of Nearly Everything. Sure it's not going to see me through to the end of the week but it's been a really entertaining read and it's re-sparked my interest in science. Not that I'm planning on a career change or anything I love my job! It's actually been kind of nice to know that I haven't completely forgotten all my science general knowledge. There are plenty of recognisable names and I am happy to say that I remember what the discovered or what was named for them before Bill Bryson explains. I go through moments in my life where I feel a little dull in the mind but this book has been pleasantly reassuring that I'm not completely away with the fairies.
Speaking of books, Gene was saying that at the airport he had to keep himself from buying books. I assured him that Jarir Bookstore had a fair number of English books and that it even included a selection of Sci-Fi/Fantasy which had Pratchett but no Gaiman. I guess I'll have to wait until we arrive in London to get a copy of Fragile Things.
I must admit there is an impressive amount of USB adaptors for sale over here in Doha. USB to just about anything. Even phoneline plugs (CAT something?). I found some great looking iShuffle speakers at Jarir which as I have an iPod I probably won't buy, but I did find some cool and comfy looking wireless iPod headphones going for QAR120 (about AU$43).
It looks a little overcast outside but it's not actually going to rain. It's amazing how it can still trick your brain into thinking it might be cool outside. It actually seems cooler today but the temperature's still 37˚C.
On a side note I'm so happy that I've found the degrees symbol on my laptop. It was getting boring typing out the word! For those of you wondering how I found it... did I look at the keyboard map? No. I went `¡™£¢∞§¶•ªº–≠œ∑´®†¥¨ˆøπ“‘«åß∂ƒ©˙∆˚ ahah! Found it!
I thought I'd finish off with an example of why you should be patient while driving and preferably stick to the roads. You can see Khalifa Stadium, where I work, in the background.
This was there all day and took a crane to rectify. No one was hurt but you've been warned!
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
Sleep, work, fires and change
The good news is that I have developed the ability to sleep in over here in Doha. The bad news is this requires me to sprint for the bus in the mornings. Sprinting even the short distance to the bus from my door step hurts in 38-40 degree heat. That'll teach me for using the snooze button!
I've been working back late over the last week (09:00-22:30). Voluntarily as there's really not much to do once you get home from work. Maybe go visiting but then most of the people I know are either still at work or live at other accommodation places. I also find that I'm much more productive at night just because it seems cooler and quieter all round. Weird since much of our work happens at night due to the heat so it really shouldn't be that much quieter but it feels like it is. I'll definitely be home at my finish time of 19:00 on Saturday though because I'll have someone to come home to! (Can't wait till you get here babe!)
Yesterday the Carrefour at Villagio (the one closest to my work) caught on fire. Apparently they haven't had a good run since they opened. They had a bomb scare last week and this week well... there was a smokey haze in the sky all night. Not sure how much of it was affected by the fire but we're fairly sure we're going to need to find a different supermarket (say the one just across the road which is so-so for range) for awhile.
I got my first candy-instead-of-coins change the other day when I was at Landmark.
Well, I was amused.
I've been working back late over the last week (09:00-22:30). Voluntarily as there's really not much to do once you get home from work. Maybe go visiting but then most of the people I know are either still at work or live at other accommodation places. I also find that I'm much more productive at night just because it seems cooler and quieter all round. Weird since much of our work happens at night due to the heat so it really shouldn't be that much quieter but it feels like it is. I'll definitely be home at my finish time of 19:00 on Saturday though because I'll have someone to come home to! (Can't wait till you get here babe!)
Yesterday the Carrefour at Villagio (the one closest to my work) caught on fire. Apparently they haven't had a good run since they opened. They had a bomb scare last week and this week well... there was a smokey haze in the sky all night. Not sure how much of it was affected by the fire but we're fairly sure we're going to need to find a different supermarket (say the one just across the road which is so-so for range) for awhile.
I got my first candy-instead-of-coins change the other day when I was at Landmark.
Well, I was amused.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
The Puppet Strings, Fruits and Vegetables Tour of QLD
Hello little blog, did you miss me?
I've been neglecting you I know, but I've had many intentions of updating you but never found the words to start.
Right now I'm tucked up on the couch in the villa that we've rented in Noosa. The boys, Gene & Nick, are off hiking in the Noosa National Park while I've chosen to nurse my cold today in the hopes of making the flight home tomorrow more pleasant.
I can't believe we're going home tomorrow! The last month has just flown past. The Fringe Festival was a great experience and we've made many new friends who are promising to come and crash on our couch soon. (Guess we'd better get our act together and get a couch for them to crash on!) The wrap party was at the Spiegeltent (of course) and it was a good night for all. Belgian beer flowed freely into our hands and stomachs. We danced "puppet string" style to ensure the rest of the festival was certain that we were the crazy Fringe crew until 01:30 when I called it a night (as they seemed to be kicking the last of us out of the tent). Gene stayed on until some much later hour as it turned out that they weren't kicking the stragglers out at all.
The day after the Brisbane Festival wrapped up we slept like there was no tomorrow and that took up most of the day. Once we were feeling guilty enough at having achieved nothing that day we went on a greasy chicken hunt (my bad). We were unsuccessful at finding greasy chicken in China Town, go figure, but had a great meal while the surrounding trees threw their seed pods at Nick. We've since been told that these trees are "Leopard Trees". I also discovered that the seed pods rattle when you shake them. Ah yes, still easily amused.
Speaking of which, that evening over a meal of instant noodles and pork balls someone posed the question, is pumpkin or chilli a fruit? I discovered some time last year that pumpkins are berries and yet I considered pumpkins to be vegetables. This was the start of our entire holiday’s conversation. We spent much of the night drinking wine and vodka drinks while discussing the classification of various fruits and vegetables. In short, a chilli is a fruit which we often eat as a spice. Pumpkins are berries and are technically fruits eaten as vegetables. Interestingly a banana is a berry (therefore a fruit) that comes from a herb plant (as it lacks a true stem, I think). Fruits seem to be able to be vegetables as well being fruits (eg. tomatoes are fruits eaten more often than not with/as vegetables) as vegetables can be non-sweet fruits. Nuts are technically fruit except for peanuts which are legumes. I think legumes are in their own category. It’s hard to say. Now I’m not saying this is totally correct, it’s just what our research and discussion has led us to. What would we do without internet cafés and Google?
On Wednesday we departed the world of backpacker hostels to visit the land of four star self-contained villas. So far we like this land. We’re staying at the Ivory Palms Resort in Noosa and it’s gorgeous. There’s something to be said for having your own kitchen and bathroom. Particularly when you keep strange hours. The first thing we did upon arrival was head to the supermarket for supplies. Okay, I lied, the first thing we did was check out the heated pool and spa so we knew where to find it, then we went to get supplies. We headed to the town of Tewantin where we had roast chicken for lunch before heading to the supermarket. I also managed to find the one craft shop in the area and have some pretty shiny beads to show for it.
All in all our days have been spent in the sunshine, poolside, in the spa or playing tennis. Nick’s the reigning tennis champ of our lot while Gene’s forte is pool. I seem to do well at Yahtzee. It just goes to show that everyone has their niche.
We went to the Eumundi Markets yesterday. It was a pleasant mix of tourist and local goods, leaning more towards the local arts and craft. There was a surprising lack of fisherman’s pants and juggling balls being sold, a market staple back home, instead there was an unusually high number of tie-dye and art stalls. I returned with a brown top, some black wrap pants and a hemp scarf. Gene bought me the funkiest pair of silver earrings which look almost impossible to put on but are actually really easy to wear. They’re just a simple silver wire twisted into a spiral with a straight bit down the middle. It’s hard to explain.
After the markets we went to the Ginger (Fun) Factory which was much less fun than it was made out to be. We did find Coulson Road though so we’ve got a few pictures of Nick under his road sign.
Today the boys played tennis and had a swim while I tried to sleep off my cold. They’re armed with a camera to take some pictures of the park which we visited long enough for me to take photos of a koala in a tree yesterday. I couldn’t help it, everyone else was taking a picture of it. I at least had the courtesy not to use a flash and scare the poor thing. It was pretty cute.
Tomorrow we’re going to pick up our bikes and have lunch with Mel before jumping on our plane home. I’ve got a job interview on Tuesday although I may have a potential job offer overseas so who knows where I’ll be in a months time! Life’s pretty exciting at the moment. For once I’m not worried about work and you know what? That’s a great feeling!
I've been neglecting you I know, but I've had many intentions of updating you but never found the words to start.
Right now I'm tucked up on the couch in the villa that we've rented in Noosa. The boys, Gene & Nick, are off hiking in the Noosa National Park while I've chosen to nurse my cold today in the hopes of making the flight home tomorrow more pleasant.
I can't believe we're going home tomorrow! The last month has just flown past. The Fringe Festival was a great experience and we've made many new friends who are promising to come and crash on our couch soon. (Guess we'd better get our act together and get a couch for them to crash on!) The wrap party was at the Spiegeltent (of course) and it was a good night for all. Belgian beer flowed freely into our hands and stomachs. We danced "puppet string" style to ensure the rest of the festival was certain that we were the crazy Fringe crew until 01:30 when I called it a night (as they seemed to be kicking the last of us out of the tent). Gene stayed on until some much later hour as it turned out that they weren't kicking the stragglers out at all.
The day after the Brisbane Festival wrapped up we slept like there was no tomorrow and that took up most of the day. Once we were feeling guilty enough at having achieved nothing that day we went on a greasy chicken hunt (my bad). We were unsuccessful at finding greasy chicken in China Town, go figure, but had a great meal while the surrounding trees threw their seed pods at Nick. We've since been told that these trees are "Leopard Trees". I also discovered that the seed pods rattle when you shake them. Ah yes, still easily amused.
Speaking of which, that evening over a meal of instant noodles and pork balls someone posed the question, is pumpkin or chilli a fruit? I discovered some time last year that pumpkins are berries and yet I considered pumpkins to be vegetables. This was the start of our entire holiday’s conversation. We spent much of the night drinking wine and vodka drinks while discussing the classification of various fruits and vegetables. In short, a chilli is a fruit which we often eat as a spice. Pumpkins are berries and are technically fruits eaten as vegetables. Interestingly a banana is a berry (therefore a fruit) that comes from a herb plant (as it lacks a true stem, I think). Fruits seem to be able to be vegetables as well being fruits (eg. tomatoes are fruits eaten more often than not with/as vegetables) as vegetables can be non-sweet fruits. Nuts are technically fruit except for peanuts which are legumes. I think legumes are in their own category. It’s hard to say. Now I’m not saying this is totally correct, it’s just what our research and discussion has led us to. What would we do without internet cafés and Google?
On Wednesday we departed the world of backpacker hostels to visit the land of four star self-contained villas. So far we like this land. We’re staying at the Ivory Palms Resort in Noosa and it’s gorgeous. There’s something to be said for having your own kitchen and bathroom. Particularly when you keep strange hours. The first thing we did upon arrival was head to the supermarket for supplies. Okay, I lied, the first thing we did was check out the heated pool and spa so we knew where to find it, then we went to get supplies. We headed to the town of Tewantin where we had roast chicken for lunch before heading to the supermarket. I also managed to find the one craft shop in the area and have some pretty shiny beads to show for it.
All in all our days have been spent in the sunshine, poolside, in the spa or playing tennis. Nick’s the reigning tennis champ of our lot while Gene’s forte is pool. I seem to do well at Yahtzee. It just goes to show that everyone has their niche.
We went to the Eumundi Markets yesterday. It was a pleasant mix of tourist and local goods, leaning more towards the local arts and craft. There was a surprising lack of fisherman’s pants and juggling balls being sold, a market staple back home, instead there was an unusually high number of tie-dye and art stalls. I returned with a brown top, some black wrap pants and a hemp scarf. Gene bought me the funkiest pair of silver earrings which look almost impossible to put on but are actually really easy to wear. They’re just a simple silver wire twisted into a spiral with a straight bit down the middle. It’s hard to explain.
After the markets we went to the Ginger (Fun) Factory which was much less fun than it was made out to be. We did find Coulson Road though so we’ve got a few pictures of Nick under his road sign.
Today the boys played tennis and had a swim while I tried to sleep off my cold. They’re armed with a camera to take some pictures of the park which we visited long enough for me to take photos of a koala in a tree yesterday. I couldn’t help it, everyone else was taking a picture of it. I at least had the courtesy not to use a flash and scare the poor thing. It was pretty cute.
Tomorrow we’re going to pick up our bikes and have lunch with Mel before jumping on our plane home. I’ve got a job interview on Tuesday although I may have a potential job offer overseas so who knows where I’ll be in a months time! Life’s pretty exciting at the moment. For once I’m not worried about work and you know what? That’s a great feeling!
Monday, July 03, 2006
Sleep Glorious Sleep
I closed my eyes for a moment and the next thing I know it's dark. Guess a few more moments passed during my nap than expected.
Today's been a bit lacking really. Haven't done nearly as much as I should have - stupidly long nap didn't help.
Hazzar for my new license that should be arriving shortly. My vanity is content in the knowledge that I'll have a photo of me when I'm 19 on it for the next ten years. More so because of the not-too-stupid picture than the age thing.
Aside from that we watched Zatoichi and I had a nap. It's been a bit of a movie watching house lately due to the joy that is Foxtel digital. I love the pausing TV function. Very handy for unplanned snack breaks.
I've been rather remiss with regards to our flight to Brisbane. For some reason I was under the impression that Sunday was the 8th July. Silly me! Not particularly stressed though. Just have to get a move on with the bike box finding so that we can take our bikes up to Brisbane for the month.
Tomorrow should be more exciting with swing dancing classes tomorrow night - I piked on classes tonight - and hopefully more time awake during the day.
Who needs sleep cycles anyway?
Today's been a bit lacking really. Haven't done nearly as much as I should have - stupidly long nap didn't help.
Hazzar for my new license that should be arriving shortly. My vanity is content in the knowledge that I'll have a photo of me when I'm 19 on it for the next ten years. More so because of the not-too-stupid picture than the age thing.
Aside from that we watched Zatoichi and I had a nap. It's been a bit of a movie watching house lately due to the joy that is Foxtel digital. I love the pausing TV function. Very handy for unplanned snack breaks.
I've been rather remiss with regards to our flight to Brisbane. For some reason I was under the impression that Sunday was the 8th July. Silly me! Not particularly stressed though. Just have to get a move on with the bike box finding so that we can take our bikes up to Brisbane for the month.
Tomorrow should be more exciting with swing dancing classes tomorrow night - I piked on classes tonight - and hopefully more time awake during the day.
Who needs sleep cycles anyway?
Thursday, June 15, 2006
Sleepy musings
Welcome to the musings of Nocturnal Sarah. I can't even blame jet lag because Japan's only an hour behind Melbourne time. Too many late nights and too much sleeping in and here I am, constantly tired.
It's funny because I'm actually getting plenty of sleep. I'm averaging eight to nine hours a day. It's just not quality sleep. I read somewhere that the human body doesn't sleep well during the day because we're naturally predisposed to sleeping at night, hence shift work tends to suck. The room we're sleeping in gets pretty light when the sun comes up, even in Winter, so I've been waking up around 8-9am anyway but falling back asleep because "bedtime" is currently around 3am.
The biggest hurdle for me turning my sleep cycles around is my love of night. It's always so quiet and peaceful at night. I find the surrounding darkness outside comforting. Even when I'm awake at sensible/normal hours, I still perk up around midnight when I should be going to sleep.
It's only 9:39pm right now as I'm writing but I'm ready for a nap.
Instead, I'm going to finish off the scarf that I'm making for my cousin, Nadia, as an exceptionally belated birthday present. Her birthday was at the end of May. I'm a terribly slack cousin I know. I'm actually pretty excited about knitting this scarf as it's my first design. It's made up of one basic stitch and a variation on this stitch (followed by variations on the variation) so it's actually a pretty simple design but I figure it's a starting point and we all have to start somewhere right?
One more musing before I finish for the night.
While I was overseas I carried a camera with arms reach almost all day everyday. If there was something in the world that captured my attention then I took a photo of it. Now that I'm back home, the camera's been packed away and I feel just a little naked without it. There are moments that pass me through the day that I would like to have captured but they're gone by the time I wish I had my camera with me. I suppose it's my love of documenting coming out in a less administrative form.
It's funny because I'm actually getting plenty of sleep. I'm averaging eight to nine hours a day. It's just not quality sleep. I read somewhere that the human body doesn't sleep well during the day because we're naturally predisposed to sleeping at night, hence shift work tends to suck. The room we're sleeping in gets pretty light when the sun comes up, even in Winter, so I've been waking up around 8-9am anyway but falling back asleep because "bedtime" is currently around 3am.
The biggest hurdle for me turning my sleep cycles around is my love of night. It's always so quiet and peaceful at night. I find the surrounding darkness outside comforting. Even when I'm awake at sensible/normal hours, I still perk up around midnight when I should be going to sleep.
It's only 9:39pm right now as I'm writing but I'm ready for a nap.
Instead, I'm going to finish off the scarf that I'm making for my cousin, Nadia, as an exceptionally belated birthday present. Her birthday was at the end of May. I'm a terribly slack cousin I know. I'm actually pretty excited about knitting this scarf as it's my first design. It's made up of one basic stitch and a variation on this stitch (followed by variations on the variation) so it's actually a pretty simple design but I figure it's a starting point and we all have to start somewhere right?
One more musing before I finish for the night.
While I was overseas I carried a camera with arms reach almost all day everyday. If there was something in the world that captured my attention then I took a photo of it. Now that I'm back home, the camera's been packed away and I feel just a little naked without it. There are moments that pass me through the day that I would like to have captured but they're gone by the time I wish I had my camera with me. I suppose it's my love of documenting coming out in a less administrative form.
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