Global credit crisis? What crisis? Things for me on this side of the world are grand, and I've probably never been better off financially. This year I have had two holidays, one to Port Douglas in northern Queensland, and another to the Gold Coast for my birthday. (The former, however, was just deserts for the hardest working pattern I have ever undertaken of six days a week, 12 hours a day at the winery.) Furthermore, both Lysey and I are heading to Fiji next week for a two week sojourn, and then we're both heading to New Zealand next year. I have to take my hat off to the forward thinking Australian government in this respect; they recently cut interest rates by 1% and passed on .8% to the consumer, meaning spending is still rife here. Indeed, en route to work I pass four building development sites, a clear sign that the economy is going strong, as by British equivalents a majority of housing development companies have gone bust.
I do not want to brag, however, about how good life is over here. For our forthcoming trip to Fiji both Lysey and I have started the planning process, and we have both realised that the ailing US dollar could hinder our budget, but to what extent we don't know. Most Fijian resorts tend to advertise in US dollars, and because of the fluctuating value it's hard to know what we're actually paying. To make things more confusing, some resorts advertise prices in their own currency - the Fijian dollar, and others advertise in Australian dollars. Therefore, it's difficult to predict the extent of any potential financial difficulties we may encounter, but having weighed it all up we're both expecting to go vastly over budget (thus contradicting my opening paragraph. Indeed, if we both suffer I'm sure you'll all hear about it as I am not shy of a whinge or two).
With the planning process comes the preempt holiday excitement. For some reason, for each country I visit I always make a point of paying a visit to its capital city, but it looks like that may not be the case in Fiji. We fly into Nadi, some four hours by car from the capital - Sauva. The time distance does not put me off, nor does what I am about to tell you all, but Lysey on the other hand isn't so keen to pay it a visit. The Lonely Planet guide states that Nadi at night is not a safe place; indeed, they say "you'd be mad to travel more than 300 meters at night along the city streets". I have always taken what the Lonely Planet says as no more than a guide, but some people refer to it as a bible, so such words would have an effect on the capital. Personally, I am not put off by the prospect of going to Sauva (especially as I help write the Lonely Plant. That's perhaps a slight exaggeration) and to appease Lysey I have suggested we get taxi's at night - something of which I despise. (They are for fat bastards only, I once said in jest, and over here in Sydney the drivers do not know their arse from their elbow, so they don't help the cause).
My suggestions seem to fallen on deaf ears, and they have not been aided by something that happened to one of Lysey's work colleagues who used to work in Sauva. During one of the many military coups that have occurred, this chap (a chef at her hotel now, but at the time was working for an alternative hotel with the Intercontinental chain in Sauva) was held up in the hotel whilst anarchy was going on around him. He was approached by a member of the British Embassy who was obviously keen to remove him to safer grounds, but that would have required him swimming some of the distance. However, this chap was unable to swim so he therefore remained in the hotel and was responsible, in a Hotel Rwanda-esque way, for the Fijian members of staff. Moreover, the dogs in the surrounding gardens were all shot dead (for anyone who has a film knowledge of the atrocities that occurred in Rwanda they can perhaps see parallels in this story) but he received a medal for his efforts. No one was injured and as far as I am aware, everything ended peacefully, but Lysey still doesn't seem keen.
On the issue of all things work related, I have recently heard from a Scottish friend of mine who I worked alongside at the winery. He has decided to come back out to Australia, perhaps in the search for work, as back home he informed me that the job market has considerably dried up. He did, however, inform me that he has been editing my CV and passing it off as his own. Upon hearing this, I was in stitches; in order to be considered at the winery we needed to knock up a CV, and I already had mine saved on file. He, however, didn't have one so I agreed to let him re-edit mine in order for us to both get work. Anyway, he saved the original and this time round he just changed a bit of the work history, and obviously the personal details, and passed if around to local companies. From his admission that he is coming back out here I take it he was unsuccessful (he should be careful as he could have ended up in one of any of my previous crap jobs, a la the bank), but he did get employed before me when it came to the winery. Maybe it's good for something after all...?
Before departing England all those months ago, I made a strategic decision to visit an optometrist, with my mindset correctly operating on the basis that sepcs in Asia will be considerably cheaper than in England. Considering I am leaving for Fiji this weekend I decided a check-up was required so I could take advantage of cheaper glasses once more. (Also, it had been some 20 months or so since my last test so I was due a visit regardless.) As luck had it, Australia is blessed with Spec Savers (I say blessed with because they sorted my eyes out many moons ago), but as I set off in search for the shop in the heart of Sydney's central business district, it took me three walks of the very street where they were located to find it - a definite sign that an eye test was required as the shop itself was huge!
Unlike England, residents in Australia are entitled to free eye tests, but as I am anything but I had to pay ($64 - about 30 quid). This, I didn't mind as I would have had to have paid for if I was back home, but I wasn't too thrilled with what was about to come. Luckily, the chap giving my eyes the once over was one of the funniest chaps I had met in a while, so it cushioned the blow. He informed me that 'lumps' were developing under my eye lids, and he put this down to a possible reaction to the current contact lense prescription I am wearing. His suggestion of throwing them away wasn't greeted too well by yours truly, especially as I only recently shelled out $270 on six months' worth of lenses. I suggested that we try a different contact solution as my current stuff is of the cheap and nasty variety. (Perhaps the clue is in the bottle; the decent stuff costs $12 but comes in a small bottle, whereas the stuff I buy comes in a huge bottle - and it will last me for over a month compared to a week on the alternative - but it costs $3.95). Therefore, I have to return for a check-up when I return from holiday, which will cost me another $64. Like I said, I only went in there to get a prescription so I could find cheap glasses whilst away, but instead I left with a bill for a future appointment, and some free solution.
Anyway, worse was the come. As I had my glasses with me (these are my DKNY's from Vietnam - a cherished possession of mine) he wanted to take a look to see if they were doing me any favours. As I told him of their origin, he called them DKNYY's, which I thought was golden! He knew that anything hailing from Vietnam claiming to be designer label was anything but, and he went further on his damming, yet hilarious description. On passing him the case, that being the case that clearly states DKNY on the outside, he took the glasses out only to find the inside of the case had peeled away. He reiterated that DKNY cases wouldn't fall apart like thus, but I explained that I never show anyone the case. (I concede that he does have a valid point, however.) Like I said, he wanted to test the strength of the glasses, and he soon informed me "that these are massively under strength for my eyes". He went on to point out that I need stronger glasses, despite the DKNY's being based on the prescription I was issued with prior to leaving England.
I left the store practically blind as by this time I had taken my contact lenses out - these being the ones he suggested I throw away. Moreover, I didn't want to look foolish and put my DKNYY's on as they're under strength. As I departed, however, I was carrying a large amount of shopping (all holiday supplies such as new trainers, boardies, plus some other clothes) and I quipped that I hardly spend money on myself so I thought I'd stock up for Fiji. He quickly fired back, in consummate dryness, I do spend money on myself - on cheap Asian glasses. Again, I thought it was hilarious, as by this time I had revealed my plan of wanting to buy some cheap glasses in Fiji, and that I had also previously bought some cheaper glasses in Bangkok. When I return he can tell me how under strength they happen to be, along with any purchases I decide to make in Fiji.
Anyway, as I headed away from the shop I did indeed put my DKNY's back on, just to prevent me walking into the path of any oncoming buses.
The following day, Saturday 25th, both Lysey and I continued our respective shopping sprees. I had, however, bought everything I needed inside an hour or so the previous day, and happily Lysey didn't take much longer. (We're both excellent shoppers as neither of us have time for one of the most overrated experiences known to man - window shopping.) However, as it was a Saturday every dick and the dog was out on the streets, making me crave a beer of five. Fortuitously, the Australian Beer Festival was on going besides the Rocks (which overlooks the Opera House), and we duly made haste to sample everything that Australia had to boast. I don't know why, but like all other beer festivals I have attended, every tipple tasted the same. Moreover, like every beer festival I have attended the adage of 'if it's wet, drink it' came into play, so one learns to deal with the repetitive taste. That Saturday afternoon we were both joined by a chap who I worked with at the bank, Kieron, and his missus, Rachale. (It's not Rachel, so no need to excuse the spelling mishap this time). The climate was stunning; it must have been hitting 30degrees plus, and all who attended seemed to have a good time.
That very night, both Lysey and I went to what was a first for me - a Korean BBQ. We were meeting her sister who was paying Sydney a visit from New Zealand, and a friend of hers - a French girl who lives in London. They had both been travelling around the Whitsunday Isles, and various other parts of Queensland, and they were both due to fly home the following morning to their respective destinations. Following the meal I can now add Korean as a new favourite of mine, and I will be back. (The pork and various vegetables went down a treat).
Finally, I have two things I want to end on. An award winning restaurant by the name of Coogee Bay Hotel has recently found itself in hot water over allegations that a customer was served ice cream containing human faeces. (I am almost chucking writing this. It's a good job it didn't happen last week, the very time when I was regularly throwing up). Of course, the Hotel has denied all allegations (it's not the sort of thing you admit to, is it?), and it's making big news in these shores. Yeah, mum, nan and myself ate there during their stay. I must say, in defence of the hotel, the proscuitto I had didn't taste like crap!
Also, as I will be in Fiji come this Saturday (1/11) I will be back on the book and pen as MAC is staying at home. Therefore, I do not know when I will update next, but I am looking forward to writing about something other than Sydney for a few weeks.
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