I have a new and exciting post for you . . . not!!! I haven't done anything different, I haven't gone anywhere special, and I haven't seen anything extraordinary!!
This place really doesn't offer me anything more than the states. In fact, it takes. Constantly, it takes. The minimum wage here is $15 per hour--it's why servers don't get tipped here. It's not customary to tip the servers here, but it's righteous--they don't tend to you as well as they do in the states.
I can't wait to come home--I have one roomate that's a nice young kid and another that's a piece of shit. If I don't come home, it's because I've killed him.
Goodbye for now.
Thursday, March 31, 2011
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
fashions in Brisbane
For those of you who know me well, you know that I'm no slave to fashion. If it weren't for my wife, I may still be wearing clothes from the 1980's and sporting a mullet. That being said, you may wonder why I'm about to poke fun at the Aussies and their style of dress. This trip has transported me back to the '80's where stiletto heels and fishnet stockings were prevalent. Certainly not a sight hard on the eyes (sorry, sweetheart). But, the men are stuck on the fashions of the '80's also. The younger men wear t-shirts with loud colors (think of the Houston Astro's uniforms during the 80's and multiply by ten), bell-bottoms (if you're too young to know, I can't explain it), and shoes/boots that surround the foot and meet at a point several inches in front of the toes. Men in all age groups wear too much aftershave (do they sell Hi Karate here?) and the businessmen wear ridiculously wide ties with color patterns that could make an epileptic have a seizure. Women dress very provocatively here--they are not afraid to show cleavage and most can be seen on the weekends wearing the Daisy Duke jean shorts.
The younger people of both sexes have multiple piercings in the face and multiple visible tattoos. There are some crazy hair styles here--I saw a young man that had his hair cut to resemble the mane of a lion. It's not as if I don't see some of this in the States--it just seems to be more frequent here.
That's all for now. Just a few more days and I'll be homeward bound.
The younger people of both sexes have multiple piercings in the face and multiple visible tattoos. There are some crazy hair styles here--I saw a young man that had his hair cut to resemble the mane of a lion. It's not as if I don't see some of this in the States--it just seems to be more frequent here.
That's all for now. Just a few more days and I'll be homeward bound.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
home stretch
I am seriously in the home stretch now. Six days from now, I will be over the Pacific Ocean, on my way back to the land of milk and honey. If I sound anxious to get home, I am. Not because of Australia in any way, but because of an unfortunate cancellation of a project for which we were scheduled while here. Not anyone's fault--simply something that happens in the business on occasion, but disappointing all the same. I find myself with little to do for the rest of this week--it makes for long days.
I've posted some pictures here--not too many. But I hope you enjoy. The first couple were taken from the apogee of the path of a ferris wheel and the others were taken from a water taxi that travels the Brisbane River.
I'll post again before we leave.
I've posted some pictures here--not too many. But I hope you enjoy. The first couple were taken from the apogee of the path of a ferris wheel and the others were taken from a water taxi that travels the Brisbane River.
I'll post again before we leave.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Happy Monday
Happy Monday to everyone in Pittsburgh--mine's over, at least the work part (remember I'm fourteen hours ahead of you). One down and nine to go.
The countdown now begins in earnest. I'm doing laundry right now, something of which I've done more in the past six weeks than in the rest of my life (it would probably be impolitic to repeat that I miss my wife). I'll attempt to finish my stay here without having to do laundry again (aren't you lucky, sweetheart?).
It's hot and humid here again and I'm sweating like a pig. It might have something to do with that monster walk to and from work. I'm into another notch on my belt--don't worry, I'm still a fat bastard--but I'm sure I'll fatten up again when I get home to the good old US of A.
Something that I've noticed in Brisbane that's quite a bit different than in the US is the amount of surveilance here. On the way home, I saw cameras at almost every street corner, in front of nearly every establishment that caters to the public, and strung at 30 meter intervals along a walking bridge. It might be the reason there is so little crime here (except for the cost of living).
I found out last week that the government here is somewhat intrusive. You must wear a helmet to ride a bicycle, a skateboard, roller blades, or a motorcycle. For motorcycles, the rules are more strict--you must complete a comprehensive exam and field test to get your license and, once you have your license, you can't ride anything with an engine larger than a 650cc for two years.
Maybe we'll go to the beach this weekend. Preliminary forecasts are calling for rain once again, but it will be our last full weekend in Brisbane and it might be worth a try.
That's all for now. I know I'm not coming through with the photographs, but it seems it takes forever to download them. I may wait until I get home so that I can download them at my leisure.
Adios.
The countdown now begins in earnest. I'm doing laundry right now, something of which I've done more in the past six weeks than in the rest of my life (it would probably be impolitic to repeat that I miss my wife). I'll attempt to finish my stay here without having to do laundry again (aren't you lucky, sweetheart?).
It's hot and humid here again and I'm sweating like a pig. It might have something to do with that monster walk to and from work. I'm into another notch on my belt--don't worry, I'm still a fat bastard--but I'm sure I'll fatten up again when I get home to the good old US of A.
Something that I've noticed in Brisbane that's quite a bit different than in the US is the amount of surveilance here. On the way home, I saw cameras at almost every street corner, in front of nearly every establishment that caters to the public, and strung at 30 meter intervals along a walking bridge. It might be the reason there is so little crime here (except for the cost of living).
I found out last week that the government here is somewhat intrusive. You must wear a helmet to ride a bicycle, a skateboard, roller blades, or a motorcycle. For motorcycles, the rules are more strict--you must complete a comprehensive exam and field test to get your license and, once you have your license, you can't ride anything with an engine larger than a 650cc for two years.
Maybe we'll go to the beach this weekend. Preliminary forecasts are calling for rain once again, but it will be our last full weekend in Brisbane and it might be worth a try.
That's all for now. I know I'm not coming through with the photographs, but it seems it takes forever to download them. I may wait until I get home so that I can download them at my leisure.
Adios.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
deep sea fishing
Six of us went deep sea fishing yesterday morning and, though the weather didn't cooperate, it was an interesting trip. I did take several photos, but I don't have my camera with me right now--I will try to add the photos later this evening.
The commute was an hour on the bus and an hour on the train (each way) and it never stopped raining from 5:00AM when we left until 6:00PM when we returned. The boat was covered, but none of us stayed very dry. The act of leaning out to bait a hook would subject one to the pelting onslaught of a South Pacific rainstorm. The trip was a success in that everyone caught something, but it was unsuccessful in that nobody caught anything larger than a couple pounds. The rods we used were equipped with 40 pound test line--overkill to say the least, akin to using an elephant gun to hunt rabbits.
Just one of our six got seasick. Thankfully he never hurled--that might have caused a chain reaction in the rest of us--but he was pasty-faced and nauseous. The boat was only thirty feet long and it was tossed about violently in the choppy waters so it's somewhat surprising that more of us didn't get seasick.
I'll be returning to the States in a fortnight (two weeks) and I look forward to seeing everyone. I'm in the home stretch and I'm becoming more anxious as each day passes.
That's all for now.
The commute was an hour on the bus and an hour on the train (each way) and it never stopped raining from 5:00AM when we left until 6:00PM when we returned. The boat was covered, but none of us stayed very dry. The act of leaning out to bait a hook would subject one to the pelting onslaught of a South Pacific rainstorm. The trip was a success in that everyone caught something, but it was unsuccessful in that nobody caught anything larger than a couple pounds. The rods we used were equipped with 40 pound test line--overkill to say the least, akin to using an elephant gun to hunt rabbits.
Just one of our six got seasick. Thankfully he never hurled--that might have caused a chain reaction in the rest of us--but he was pasty-faced and nauseous. The boat was only thirty feet long and it was tossed about violently in the choppy waters so it's somewhat surprising that more of us didn't get seasick.
I'll be returning to the States in a fortnight (two weeks) and I look forward to seeing everyone. I'm in the home stretch and I'm becoming more anxious as each day passes.
That's all for now.
Sunday, March 13, 2011
I was unable to make it to the beach yesterday, so there are no new pictures to post, but eight of us booked a half day charter for this coming Saturday to go deepsea fishing. That should be interesting and I'm looking forward to it.
Just three more weeks until I'm back in the States. Other than my friends and family, these are some of the things I miss:
***A waiter or waitress in a restaurant. Most eating establishments are set up to take your order at a counter where they give you a buzzer to alert you when your meal is ready. Then you go back to the counter and carry your food to your table.
***A vehicle. I know that walking is good for me, but I'm really getting sick of the daily hike and would prefer to get in my truck and go.
***A case of beer for less than $40. This price is for the local beer--the imports exceed $50 per case.
***Softer toilet paper.
***Television that shows more than Family Guy, The Simpsons, and South Park.
That's all for now--I gotta get to work.
Just three more weeks until I'm back in the States. Other than my friends and family, these are some of the things I miss:
***A waiter or waitress in a restaurant. Most eating establishments are set up to take your order at a counter where they give you a buzzer to alert you when your meal is ready. Then you go back to the counter and carry your food to your table.
***A vehicle. I know that walking is good for me, but I'm really getting sick of the daily hike and would prefer to get in my truck and go.
***A case of beer for less than $40. This price is for the local beer--the imports exceed $50 per case.
***Softer toilet paper.
***Television that shows more than Family Guy, The Simpsons, and South Park.
That's all for now--I gotta get to work.
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
Update
It seems I haven't posted to this site for a while so here's an update. I spent last week in Mudgee, New South Wales, where we have an ongoing construction project at an existing coal mine. Mudgee is a little town about 150 kilometers northwest of Sydney. I flew from Brisbane to Sydney and then Sydney to Mudgee--the second flight was quite interesting.
The flight occurred in a twin turbo-prop plane that held about 18 passengers and reacted violently to every small gust of wind that came our way. At one time during the flight, I swore I saw a pigeon passing us and though the plane was equipped with a PA system, the pilot need only turn in his seat and announce the descent and request the passengers to buckle up. Still, except for the constant turbulence to which I grew accustomed, it was a pleasant flight which offered some beautiful scenery.
Unforunately, I left my camera in Brisbane so there are no photos of my experience there. It was, however, a quaint little town with a population of less than 4000 people. The jobsite was a 45 minute drive from town along a road that was sometimes paved and sometimes not paved. This was somewhat surprising since nearly everyone in the small town of Mudgee worked at the jobsite and the road, which is the only road that takes you to the jobsite, is very heavily traveled. Twice each month a vehicle flips over on that road, usually from driving too fast on its often uneven surface and bouncing their vehicle beyond the soft berm.
Australians seem to take it all in stride--their oft-quoted "no worries, mate" are words by which they live and only failure will come to anyone who tries to instill a sense of urgency in them. Overall, they are a friendly nation who seem to feel a kindred spirit with Americans--it may have something to do with the fact we speak the same language (almost) and our common past animosity towards the United Kingdom. For some unknown reason, they seem to love the Eagles and that's fine, but I swear if I hear Hotel California one more time I think I'll scream.
Anyway, I returned to Brisbane on Friday evening and was happy to leave Mudgee, not because I didn't like the town, but because I was at the mercy of those who had a vehicle. In Brisbane, everything is within walking distance. In fact, I'm walking so much that my pants are starting to fall from the lack of a fat beer gut holding them in place.
I wish I had more to share, but it's time to go eat dinner so I'll sign off for now. It's our intention to go to the beach on Sunday if the weather cooperates. The outlook right now is bleak, but weathermen here are just as apt to be wrong as they are in Pittsburgh. If I do go to the beach, I'll be sure to take my camera--the Gold Coast is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
And the next time I post, I promise to post pictures.
G'day.
The flight occurred in a twin turbo-prop plane that held about 18 passengers and reacted violently to every small gust of wind that came our way. At one time during the flight, I swore I saw a pigeon passing us and though the plane was equipped with a PA system, the pilot need only turn in his seat and announce the descent and request the passengers to buckle up. Still, except for the constant turbulence to which I grew accustomed, it was a pleasant flight which offered some beautiful scenery.
Unforunately, I left my camera in Brisbane so there are no photos of my experience there. It was, however, a quaint little town with a population of less than 4000 people. The jobsite was a 45 minute drive from town along a road that was sometimes paved and sometimes not paved. This was somewhat surprising since nearly everyone in the small town of Mudgee worked at the jobsite and the road, which is the only road that takes you to the jobsite, is very heavily traveled. Twice each month a vehicle flips over on that road, usually from driving too fast on its often uneven surface and bouncing their vehicle beyond the soft berm.
Australians seem to take it all in stride--their oft-quoted "no worries, mate" are words by which they live and only failure will come to anyone who tries to instill a sense of urgency in them. Overall, they are a friendly nation who seem to feel a kindred spirit with Americans--it may have something to do with the fact we speak the same language (almost) and our common past animosity towards the United Kingdom. For some unknown reason, they seem to love the Eagles and that's fine, but I swear if I hear Hotel California one more time I think I'll scream.
Anyway, I returned to Brisbane on Friday evening and was happy to leave Mudgee, not because I didn't like the town, but because I was at the mercy of those who had a vehicle. In Brisbane, everything is within walking distance. In fact, I'm walking so much that my pants are starting to fall from the lack of a fat beer gut holding them in place.
I wish I had more to share, but it's time to go eat dinner so I'll sign off for now. It's our intention to go to the beach on Sunday if the weather cooperates. The outlook right now is bleak, but weathermen here are just as apt to be wrong as they are in Pittsburgh. If I do go to the beach, I'll be sure to take my camera--the Gold Coast is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in the world.
And the next time I post, I promise to post pictures.
G'day.
Saturday, March 5, 2011
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