>This is becoming less a travel log and more a personal views blog . God help if I get a job. Could you imagine the content? p

Saw another movie yesterday afternoon at the Dendy Cinema, Circular Quay (a whole $1.50 cheaper than greater union on Geroge street, at $14 a show). The film, Perfume: The story of a murderer, based on the novel of the same name by Patrik Suskind, follows the tale of a frenchman, Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, as he seeks to capture and preserve scent. Wikipedia has a fuller synopsis of the movie. Worth a watch, more so than Apocolypto (or what ever that other movie I saw was called).

Just back from another 8 lengths of the local pool. It’s barely 2:24pm and already I am tired. All this swimming seems to do nothing for my stamina, and leaves me feeling a little worse than before I start. Remind me why people exercise again??

And to add to something I missed off my “what I miss” list…..my car!! I’ve only seen one Hyundai Coupe (Tiburon here). Is it being used? I expect at least 5k miles on the clock before I return (preferrably miles not driven by my dear sister, not that I’m saying she can’t drive…she can…just not my car ;p) Names of cars lead me on to something else too. How much do car companies spend on rebranding bloody cars? Vauxhall here are known as Holden, and many of the other cars, manufacturer name aside, have different model names too. I’m sure there are cost savings in sticking to one name for a model globaly? No doubt they argue that some names can cause offence or do not market so well in some countries. You’re losing money faster than you can sell units. Talk to the hand because I’m sick of listening to down beat profit warnings and boo ha about trading forecasts and losses, especially when there are obvious savings!

I have been thinking about purchasing a laptop here too. Found a great place near China town, at the upper end of George Street, by Capital Square. On the first floor there are around 10 shops or so that sell computers/laptops and all manner of hardware. They didn’t have much that I liked but (as I’m more style than substance as many of you surely know) I have seen a laptop (dual core running Vista) in Sony Central for AUD$1300. Reasons on a postcard/via email as to why I ought not to buy it :p

>I’ve been thinking recently what I miss about the UK. Besides the family (that goes without saying!), I miss the things I have come to take for granted.

For first world country that can be considered “western” there are several niggly things that to me make this place second rate to somewhere like the UK. Banks. There are tens of different banks dotted around the city yet you have to be careful which ATM you use else you’ll be charged. How arcane is that having to pay to withdraw your own money!! I think I recall being told when I picked up my account stuff from the bank that they even charge to deposit money. I mean. They hold my money, which they themselves invest and loan out to make a profit, and then have the cheek to ask me to pay to use it!

Then there are shops. Everywhere are signs stating you may be asked to have your bags searched before leaving the store – in some places you have to leave your bag behind a counter. There seems to be an assumption here that everyone is a thief. I guess we didn’t export the UK criminal justice system here along with the convicts all those years ago. What happened to innocent until proven guilty? suspicion beyond a reasonal doubt?

One thing I don’t miss is the weather! Except today. It was like being in the UK. I regret not packing my umbrella now. I have enough of them at home! Looks like I’ll have to buy another. This morning I awoke to torential rain. Then it eased. Great, I thought, I’ll go take a walk to China town. When I left the shopping centre it was throwing down again! Not happy. I sit here writing this a little on the damp side. Never mind. At least it’s warm.

Finally, thanks Gill for the comments. I’d respond in person but I’ve forgotten the email address (which I thought I’d remembered). It would appear kelly is becoming an international vagabond too, but with a purpose….to study (with the exception of the skiing trip!). Good to hear the family are well.

>Yesterday I attended a registration afternoon with Geoffrey Nathan, not a recruitment agency as I thought, but a recruitment management company. That is to say they don’t find jobs for candidates per se, rather forward resumes on to relevant recruitment agencies in Sydney. That said, they have some jobs we could put ourselves forward for so I did so for a job working for the department of transport in near by parramatta. We’ll see what comes of this latest attempt to find a contract in Sydney.

Saw Pan’s Labrinth yesterday evening at Great Union on George Street. It was an ok movie. I didn’t quite follow it all the way through as it was in Spanish with English subtitles, and I struggle to concentrate at the cinema at the best of times. But from what I recall it was set during the Spanish civil war, during the reign of Franco, and the step daughter of some francophile captain embarked on a journey to reach her realm where she is a princess.

Have also kept up the swimming, although yesterday I only did 8 laps and today about 12. I tried freestyling it and managed about 25m before tiring rapidly. I don’t remember it being that tiring? Thinking of going out this evening, although some German friends are off to Katoomba tomorrow and have asked if I’d like to join them. It is a tempting offer as I’m running out of things to do in the city, but its $90 and a very early start (around 7am). I would like to go, but perhaps not for the day. It would be good to spend the weekend exploring the blue mountains and participating in the many activities they offer, from organised walked to horse riding. We’ll see how big a night tonight turns out to be.

>Signed up today to Travellers Contact Point for a mail holding/forwarding service for the rest of my stay in Australia. It gives me a single point of contact for companies and beaurucratic things whilst I am on the move in Australia. Not bad for a yearly fee of $50 [Mum/dad, paid by credit card so please feel free to settle the bill until my return – THANKS].

Once I had this address I set about registering for my TFN (Tax File Number, Australia’s equivalent of National Insurance). Apparently it will take 28 days to process but I have an application number to give employers in the meantime (if i ever find one) so hopefully I will not hit the 47% tax bracket from the outset.

After some lunch (I made a healthy pan fried beef salad at the hostel) I read a little (on my 3rd book already – Lee Child’s ‘One shot’ is my current read) I took a stroll through town and headed for the pool. Managed to do 14 laps today before feeling the need to work on my tan some more on the sun deck. I proceeded to undo the good work of 14 laps with a packet of crisps and a bounty, at an astonishing cost of $4.20!!.

Alex flew to Adalaide this morning so now it’s Amarone and myself in our dorm who communicate (the rest say hi but that’s about it) and a German guy who had been in our dorm but switched rooms, ‘The girl’ (his girlfriend, but he always refers to her that way) and his other German friends. Perhaps we’ll go out somewhere tonight, who knows. Guess I’ll find out when I head back to the hostel. Will perhaps meet up with Alex in Adalaide if I make it there before he returns to study in Sweden.

>The last few days have been pretty quiet. Yesterday Alex and I walked to Centennial park and the along the so called “oxford mile” of boutiques and clubs along oxford street, which stretches from the city to Bondi Junction before going for a swim in the afternoon (after those pictures below I think I need to work on my physique as well as my tan!). In the evening I went to Parramatta for dinner before returning to the hostel.

Today has been pretty lazy. I’ve not heard from any of the three agencies I have signed up with. Despondant? Yes, a little. This evening picked up a little with Alex, Amarone, and myself having a BBQ on the roof terrace of the hostel. We later joined by our German room mate and his friends. I was supposed to join them for a night out, alas I have the remnanats of a cold, thanks in part, I’m sure, to the air con in our dorm.

Providing my coughing has returned to normal limits I think I will go enquire about a retail job I saw advertised for yd.. They’ll probably say no, so I’ll give it two more weeks in Sydney before I consider moving on. Sydney is a great place, but I’m running out of free things to do. I don’t want to end up paying to walk the city (which I’ve done countless times) or sit in the hostel and read. At least I have company for the next few days before my Student friends move on to study.

Plan on returning to Manly tomorrow. Hopefully a good dose of sun will rid this irritating niggly cough :p