
I realised that architecture is something that I am passionate about and would love to be involved in (I couldn't give a shit about computers y'see), so I decided that I would do whatever it took to make that reality. To that end I'll probably start studying next year, although things are already in motion as I have gone to the optometrist and ordered my
I had my going-away party on Saturday, and it was an absolute belter. Highlights include a clothed orgy in my room (sadly I wasn't involved), drinking every last drop of alcohol in the apartment and chucking a telly off the third-floor balcony. The sound it made on impact was an incredibly deep, full-bodied woomph that was immensely gratifying for all that heard it. Delightfully layered over the top of this was the gentle tinkling of thousands of cathode ray tube shards striking the bricks and concrete. I can highly recommend it.
http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=itG6hRFQUts
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=56059755024&ref=nf
I eventually got to bed at 8 am, had two hours kip, then got up and started cleaning the place up. What a way to sign-off.
I left Tas a few days later, almost exactly four years to the day after arriving back from Germany. As the plane banked after take-off the Tasmanian landmarks that are so familiar to me from the ground slid into view: the cliffs and beaches at Taroona, South Arm, the Tasman Peninsula, Maria Island, Freycinet. Almost seven years after leaving the first time I was off again, leaving behind a lot of people and places that I cherish, and just like last time I had a lump in my throat the whole way (and I know what some of you are thinking . . . but there was no lump in my pants too you filth-mongers). The plane from Melbourne to Bangkok was only a third full, so there was a party atmosphere on boar
My destination was Nepal, and I was fortunate to sit on the right side of the plane flying into Kathmandu. About an hour before landing I was gazing out the window at some clouds on the horizon, when only a few minutes later those same clouds crystalised into mountain ranges of staggering proportions. Gigantic walls of rock and ice defined the far-off horizon, the peaks seemingly level with our cruising jet. It was breathtaking and awe-inspiring, and tomorrow I'm taking an early morning mountain flight out to Everest and back. I anticipate it will be an experience I will crap on about for years to come.
I've been in Kathmandu a few days now. It's busy, noisy, dirty and chaotic. There are 45 hours of scheduled power outage per week. Why? The timezone is GMT +5:45. Why?? I didn't even know places existed on a 15-minute offset! A very drunk, very posh English bloke I was having a brief chat with asked me if I played rugby "Well you bloody should with ears and thighs like that!" Ha, hilarious! That's the first time anyone's ever said that to me. He finished with "Jolly hockeysticks old chap, wizard prang!" and then staggered off into the cold Kathmandu night.
The most disappointing thing about Nepal is that it's pronounced Ne-parl and not Ne-pawl, which totally ruins my "oh, that's absolutely nepalling!" joke I was going to whip out when somethi
Lastly, I stumbled across this gem from four years ago while scouring some old emails. I wrote it a coupla months after moving back home from Germany, and I pissed myself reading it again so I thought I'd put it up here as well.
* * * * *
Being back home is still a little
me. I've annoyed several people by asking them where the bank or bottle shop has gone, and they look at me like I'm thick, and then point to the big building right behind me.
My Germanness is also hard to shake – I still have to stop myself saying 'Danke' and 'Bitte'. Several times I have started to say 'Danke', realised halfway through that I'm in the wrong country for that and had to adjust, and I've ended up saying 'Dunkyou'. Cue slightly quizzical look from the person I just "dunked". From time to time I walk around to the wrong side of the car, and expect to drive from the passenger's side. I still think that I have to stock up on food on Saturday, because I won't be able to buy any on Sunday. I still get a certain smug satisfaction from arriving somewhere precisely when I said I would, and if I know I will be more than a minute late I still have to fight the urge to feel guilty. I also have to fight the urge to shake people's hands every time I see them or whenever I say goodbye.
Every now and then I still go to knock on the table when I leave, and I end up looking very silly when I put my fist out, motion to knock . . . and then remember that it's a German thing that we don't do in Oz, and have to withdraw. I am yet to figure out a way to accomplish this without looking foolish. It seems the crowning achievement of my time in Germany is looking the fool on my return home.
This stupid website does random stupid things with the photo layouts. Apologies.
3 comments:
(Buzz here) "We took over first class, drank all the booze, got smashed and successfully chatted up a few of the air hostesses. "
That's my old ploy. Only worked once, well nearly, on flight to Wellington. Being 14 I got nowhere.
The airport picture: by gum that's a mighty full airport...
(Hansy here) Awesome video Bitchos. Good luck for your trip and I'm really looking forward to meet you next year here in Europe.
Very nice also your old E-Mail. It reminds me of myself coming back from Europe, only that I had to learn again to do all those things you couln't stop doing...
Enjoyed the read mate, if you need anything sorted in Ne-parl let me know. Who are you flying with to do the Mountain Trip, if you have any issues; my bro in law owns Bhudda Airways, which do mountain trips. Family is going to be in Nepal until mid Jan, as they all come over to the UK to see Jnr Patel. So let me know before hand. Enjoy mate.
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