Reason For My Absence

I have been a little quiet on the emails in the past week or so. All of a sudden, life takes a change (AGAIN) and I have some news.

I've met Owen.

And since meeting Owen, there have been romantic dinners, drives through the country side, flowers arriving at my desk at work.

This was certainly not part of my holiday plans, thats for sure.

WE. WERE. ROBBED

Three words:

WE WERE ROBBED.

Gutted.

It was not a penalty. There is NO way that it was a penalty.

The refereeing standard of this circus called the World Cup has been shameful. FIFA needs to do something about this. Bring in the 3rd umpire perhaps?

Sport can deal out the harshest of blows, but is this the worst yet?



















"Italian Penalty 'A Joke'" - http://www.theage.com.au/news/Sport/Italian-penalty-a-joke-say-Socceroos/2006/06/27/1151174188122.html

"Heartbreaking Defeat for Socceroos" - http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1672549.htm

"Australia's PM Broken Hearted At Socceroos World Cup Loss" - http://english.people.com.cn/200606/27/eng20060627_277788.html

"Socceroos Holding Heads High After Loss" - http://www.newstalkzb.co.nz/newsdetail1.asp?storyID=98586

"Hiddink Laments Penalty But Proud of Team" - http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldFootballNews&storyID=2006-06-26T185354Z_01_L26803922_RTRIDST_0_SPORT-SOCCER-WORLD-HIDDINK.XML

NOTHING BEATS THIS FEELING

I am so freakin proud to be Australian right now. I wish I was in Sydney celebrating with the rest of my friends.

GO AUSTRALIA!!!!!!!!

This will go down in sporting history.


www.smh.com.au

This is a cheeky picture of me with some Irish guys in Dublin. They were from England, celebrating at their mates' stag party (like every other guy in dublin). I painted the stag's face with makeup, so i was automatically honoured with a stag party t-shirt.

That Was Naughty of Me

I shouldnt have gotten so excited and announced to the world that I have a new direction. The thing is that I am a little scared to write down my plans because work will find out that I am hatching plans to be out of there in November. But lets just say things are moving along nicely in that department and i may know whether it is official by mid-july. I will be down in London for a day on 1 July 2006 to try my luck. The bottom line is that I will probably be saying goodbye to Scotland a little earlier than I planned, but hey, it may be that I come back after my time in playland is complete. It certainly may be the case, given that I love Edinburgh so much, and I feel like I have only touched the surface of all the fun that could be had here.

Life in the meantime is quiet. I have been struck down by a terrible virus and I have had to have a day off work... I am so sleepy and lethargic that I dont want to even get out of bed at the moment. But I will be fine, I am sure. I have, for the past couple of weeks, felt a little homesick, though.

Good news is that I am heading off to the South of France on 12 July 2006 to watch the Tour De France and to also spend a week laying on the beach with Adam, my best mate. I am so excited!

Newsflash

I may be in another job, in another country in December. Not going to divulge information now but i've had a lightening bolt.

Stay tuned!

In Bob's Words.....(thanks Annie)

Trust yourself,
Trust yourself to do the things that only you know best.
Trust yourself,
Trust yourself to do what's right and not be second-guessed.
Don't trust me to show you beauty
When beauty may only turn to rust.
If you need somebody you can trust, trust yourself.

Trust yourself,
Trust yourself to know the way that will prove true in the end.
Trust yourself,
Trust yourself to find the path where there is no if and when.
Don't trust me to show you the truth
When the truth may only be ashes and dust.
If you want somebody you can trust, trust yourself.

Well, you're on your own, you always were,
In a land of wolves and thieves.
Don't put your hope in ungodly man
Or be a slave to what somebody else believes.

Trust yourself
And you won't be disappointed when vain people let you down.
Trust yourself
And look not for answers where no answers can be found.
Don't trust me to show you love
When my love may be only lust.
If you want somebody you can trust, trust yourself.



Copyright © 1985 Special Rider Music

Whats On In Edinburgh

This weekend I am going to head on how to the Royal Highland Show.

http://www.royalhighlandshow.org/

I think it will make for great photos, and also, a real Scottish experience.

Terribly homesick today. Want to go home. Dont want to stay here in wonderful Edinburgh. Want to be with my mum, dad, annie, charlotte and alby. Want to hug my Tigger cat, want to even get licked on the face by Benny... *sigh*

Why I do.

Why I love Edinburgh:

1. It is a beautiful city.

2. Its so clean.

3. It is very photogenic.

4. You dont need to catch public transport to get anywhere.

5. A great nightlife.

6. Its a financial capital, meaning lots of work.

7. Pretty gardens everywhere.

8. I walk past a castle every day.

9. It has an international airport.

10. Its far away from London.

11. The people are friendly.

12. Its not as expensive as Dublin or London.

13. Its so rich in culture and history and its not afraid to show it!

14. It has great shopping.

15. It has good, reputable law firms.

16. It has great entertainment events.

Dublin - A Different Perspective

Where the streets have no name... well, actually, this one is Temple Lane at about 3am in the morning.

















Jamaican dude looking at the world differently....

















A college student contemplating life at one of the world's most famous universities, Trinity College, Dublin.

Dublin in Black and White

The morning after...












Even God wont save you from a bad hangover.
















A hungover fellow making use of his day out in Dublin.
















Angels and Demons?




































Another night, another atrocity committed (a Guiness wasted!)

Photos of Dublin

They are on their way, I promsie. Will be uploaded sometime in the next 5 hours or so.

Check back soon!

k

Dear Annie....

No one can buy true love in their life
We all need someone on standby
The night drew long you kept me strong
Now I can thank you in this song

You are my rock, you touch my soul
You brought me light, when all hope was gone
You showed me the secrets, that I could unlock
You are my [sister], you are my rock

I've seen people come and go young and old from all walks of life
They all leave a bookmark in the story that I write
Only when your luck's run out you find out who really counts

You are my rock, you touch my soul
You brought me light, when I couldn't go on
You showed me the secrets, that I could unlock
You are my [sister], you are my rock

No one can buy new love in their life
we all need someone until we die.


{Delta Goodrem}

The Luck of the Irish?

Did I experience the luck of the Irish this weekend? Well, no. Actually, quite the opposite. Everything that could go wrong, did! Flight was late, hostel was noisy, I was subsequently tired and cranky, camera batteries went flat (despite having recharged them), stepped and broke my hair straightener, bag broke, couldnt withdraw money, went to restaurant and they forgot my meal... ALL IN TWO DAYS!

Nevertheless, I was lucky enough to be entertained by Xio, Oreo's sister, and I give a HUGE THANKS to Xio and her friedns for making a difficult weekend still quite good.

Photos to come later on tonight.

K

Woohoo!

Here we go, here we go, here we goooooooooo, here we go, here we go, here we gooooooooooo here we go, here we go, here we goooooo, here we go, here we go, here we goooo!

Coffee

When did I become addicted to coffee? Oh dear.

Off to Dublin I Go!

I am so excited that I am going to Dublin. I went to Dublin in January 2001 but I never really got the chance to spend time alone, wandering.

How am I going to be able to avoid Guiness over there? Dont they know how much I love the stuff, and the pain I have had to endure by not drinking it here in Scotland.

I must whinge, just quickly about something. I was in the UK for two weeks, waiting for recruitment agencies to contact me for jobs. I had big promises from ALL of them, about how easy it would be to get a job, how many people they know. It wasnt until I met one recruiter, who actively went out there, spoke to every law firm in Edinburgh, and landed me a role in the best law firm in Scotland. Now, all of a sudden, there appears to be a role out there that people are dying to fill, and I am getting constant calls from recruitment agencies, some of them FROM THE SAME OFFICE, calling m. "What is your current status? How are you going? Are you looking for a role some time soon."

No. No I'm not. In fact, even if I was looking, I wouldnt give myself to a bunch of recruiters who did not want to know me a month or so ago, but now all of a sudden really care about whether I have found a job. Grrr... It annoys me. They ring as if I am still looking for work. Did they think I'd be still sitting around waiting for a role to come up? Jerks.

Well, they lost my business. One firm in particular has really annoyed me. I have my one recruiter here in Scotland who worked darn hard for me, so she has my business. And anyone else I get a chance to refer her to.

*deep breath*

Right.

I'm done.

Cheers!

k

Me Times Ten

Having a play around with Photo Shop again.

Feeling Guilty

Okay, I feel guilty that I have neglected the page this week, so I have uploaded some photos I took when I spent the afternoon in the Royal Botannical Gardens in Edinburgh on Saturday. It was a lovely day and I just enjoyed wandering around, taking photos of random flowers. Dont ask me what each are called, I forgot to write the names down!

Aww.. pretty!


If I just stand still, she wont know I am here.

My Life Is Crazy!

I havent written all week. What is going on?

Ekk... note to self. Write update.

Well the long and short of it is that I am going to Dublin this weekend, so you will all get to see what Dublin is like. And I'm staying with Oreo's sister. How cool is that?

Oh, and my birthday in mid-July will be spent down with Adam hopefully in the South of France!

WOOHOO!

Money Is Burning A Hole In My Pocket, Dear Liza

Ugh. I hate having money - enough to live on, but not enough to actually do anything with. I want to go and do trips to Paris, Venice, Rome, Dublin, but I cant. I must recoup the money that I stripped myself of over the last couple of months. Pay parents back. Pay rent. Buy food. Necessities. Yuck.

Someone back home emailed me and told me of their desire to come across, which is currently being stopped by a "fear of failure". To who ever wants to give up their life at home, in order to see the world, the fear is only natural. I recall walking through the Customs area, crying my eyes out, and cursing myself about why I had made such a stupid decision. When I was in London that very first day, as the rain poured down and I walked from agency to agency, I again cursed myself at giving up my fabulous, secure job in order to go in search of something that still remains ill-defined. Then all of a sudden, life began to take care of itself.

I remember texting my sister the day before I jumped on a train to Edinburgh. I recall asking her to make the choice for me - should I go to London, go and stay with friends and grab an easy Council job, or leave for Edinburgh which was more or less destination unknown, without knowing anyone in the entire city, without having even tested the Scottish job market. Annie told me in no more words than this - "What is it that you want to do?".

I wanted to go to Scotland.

I was being prevented from going to Scotland because of fear of failure and no security.

And it was amazing how, the minute I stepped onto the platform in Edinburgh, rain pouring down, wind howling, that I knew in my heart that I had made the right decision.

That hasnt changed.

I miss my family.

But as I said before, happiness and homesickness arent necessarily mutually exclusive.

To the person that wants to go and do what i have done - Do it. Do it. Do it. You wont regret it. As long as it is something that you really want to do, you will never need to justify it to anyone - you will know it was the right thing to do and if people around you care about you (like the people around me), they'll know its the best thing for you too.

Happy 2nd June, ya'll!

Slowly But Surely...

Well yesterday was another important day in the life of me. While getting paid was a significant event, it wasnt the reason. I started back at the gym yesterday. And it was good. No. Not good. It was fantastic. I got on the treadmill and ran... and ran... and ran until my lungs and heart couldnt take it. Infact, at one point, I registered my heart rate at above 180bpm, which probably was a little too high in terms of weight loss, but an indication of how hard I was pushing myself. I've woken up with sore knees and tight muscles but its that burn that I used to love so much. (Not many people share the same kind of sick gratification when it comes to pushing your body to the max, but for all of those who know me, they know I get some sick kick out of it). My muscles are tight and useless after five months of inaction, so it is going to take a little while before I get back to where I used to be, but already, my mind feels clearer than it has been in a long long time.

Oh, and lately I've been wondering where all of the good looking guys are in Edinburgh. Well, I've worked out that they are all at Holmes Place (the gym) at around 6.30pm at night, each night. Thank you, Lord.

Happy 1st of June, y'all!

k