world nomad

The Karamozov's

2006-11-30T13:19:00.000-08:00

Celebrated director Bill Peters presents a new vision of the classic story of a broken family’s violent retribution. This bracing new play is inspired by the literary establishment that is Dostoevsky’s novel, The Brothers Karamazov, which follows the history of four men and the catalog of indecencies committed by their wealthy, monstrous father. The brothers include a sterile aesthete, a monk, an illegitimate factotum, and Dmitri, an elegant officer, always broke and at odds with his father, yet engaged to a rich and lovely young woman. Family tensions erupt when Dmitri falls in love with one of his father's mistresses, the coquette Grushenka. When the father is killed, it is Dmitri who is put on trial, with the brothers’ honor hanging in the balance.
This production is being performed in two parts.

Part One: Thu, Dec 7, 8 pm; Sat, Dec 9, 2 pm; Sun, Dec 10, 2 pm
Part Two:Fri, Dec 8, 8 pm; Sat, Dec 9, 7 pm; Sun, Dec 10, 7 pm
Admission: $10 General/$8 Students & Seniors
Tickets: 415/338-2467
Tickets for Part One and Part Two are sold seperately.
Purchase tickets for the complete show (Parts One and Two) at the same time and recieve a 50% discount on your ticket for Part Two.

Little Theatre, Creative Arts bldg
SFSU campus, 1600 Holloway @19th Ave, SF

Click for more.

This is the new show that I have been busting my ass over every week night - and some weekends too.... Check it out!

It's raining...

2006-11-13T16:36:00.000-08:00

It's raining, it's pouring, the old man is snoring... I wish I could send some of it across as this recent rain prompted me to check the drought level and Brisbane is upto Level4?? I'll try and do a little rain dance for you... but I don't think it will become effective until February - that's my prediction anyway.

settling down

2006-11-12T23:41:00.000-08:00

Life is settling down after a few months and it feels like I have an established 'life' here which I will be so sad to leave. I feel the weeks coming closer and closer to the end. Last night I was invited to my friend's place from university for a cocktail party. It was amazing and I had so much fun even if I froze my little Australian ass off in the mountain. She lives near San Bruno mountain and I'm not sure of the exact place it is, but it has one of the most spectacular views across to the city and the outer suburbs of San Francisco and Oakland. I tried a Dirty Martini and it was the worst - I just don't like martini's i've decided. Nothing against the maker and shaker but i've decided i'm just not a martini girl. Neil made some delicious quiche and we had tiramasu for desert and more drinks. I am still taken a back by the generosity of people in this town. Just when I think I can't go on someone pops their head around the corner and helps and it just all comes together. But then there is this other side of SF which is far more inhumane on a bigger level... the homelessness. I am getting tired of seeing poverty and people crying out for help but seeing a government turn a blind eye on it all and force a few small agencies take on the work but are far to underfunded and staffed to make a big enough impact. It's quite sad and i've had plenty of conversations about this and basically it all comes down to a few bad choices on behalf of San Francisco and American policy as a whole. But back to my dinner. We played a board game and I was delighted to get a lift all the way home afterwards.

Today was pretty mundane. I cleaned my apartment room and went shopping for groceries which is always a bit of fun in Chinatown. It's always so crazy to see all the dried goods stinking out the front of shops. It's about a quater of the price of the shops and it's all more fun trying to squeeze your way through a thousand chinese people shopping as well.

Okay, Alberto needs the computer so I am signing off and i'll try and update later when I wake up a bit more.

Rob

Rhiannon

2006-11-01T17:03:00.001-08:00

RHIANNON!!! CONTACT ME!!!
xoxo

have you heard of email?

A recount of my tattoo experience last Sunday

2006-11-01T16:53:00.000-08:00

A recount of my tattoo experience last Sunday

It’s cold and chilly afternoon in the streets of Haight Ashbury, holding a steaming hot soy mocha no whipped cream. I have butterflies in my stomach, feeling nervous about Miriam getting a tattoo and the thought of joining her and getting my first. No thought eases me and I approach the intersection before Mom’s Tattoo and Piercing with thoughts of doubt swimming in my mind. We open the door and Miriam approaches the counter and asks to see if there are any flash pictures of the star tattoo she wants for her ankle. I recognize the guy behind the counter up until now he has never been the friendliest person but he makes an attempt to smile anyway. He draws out a white A4 paper with several sizes of stars and Miriam and orders two, one inch and another three quarter inch star for her ankle. Without thinking I blurt out, “Can I please see a flash of an ohm?” He reaches behind the desk and gets a book on Buddhism and Hinduism and opens up to show the picture of an ohm. I take a good five minutes staring at it and then carry the piece of paper nervously into the cubicle while Miriam gets her tattoo.

I watch him mark the spot on her ankle, prepare the needle and I feel okay and not too nervous. Then at that second when I feel okay about the whole process the artist switches on the tattoo gun and the vibrating jackhammer like buzzing starts up. It sends a chill down me and I begin to wonder about the pain involved with the whole process. The tattoo artist wipes the last of the turquoise from the star Miriam and we head over to the counter. I stand at the glass counter pull of piercing jewelry and I think to myself that another piercing might be more enjoyable than the tattoo process. I stare at the symbol I would like tattooed on my back and reach into my handbag to pull out a hundred dollar note and my passport. Shaking with anxiety I place the money on top of my passport and hold the picture in my hand nervously looking at the guy behind the counter. Ever so slowly, with my hands shaking I hand over the money and passport and say, “do it”. I know at this moment if I walk away it will be a long time before I walk in again. I have to wait a few minutes while the tattoo artist sets up and I call my friend and let her know what I’m doing. I’m called into the cubicle where I see all the utensils laid out neatly on a sterilized silver platter and the office like chair with a head rest for me to get comfortable in. He asks me if this is my first tattoo and with anxious eyes I look at him and tell him, “yes”. With a relaxed voice he says, “for a once in a lifetime offer I will do something to help you with your first tattoo, but first let me place it on.” He reaches for a shaver and removes the hair around where the tattoo will be. I breathe very deeply and try to relax some more. He then wipes down the area again and places on the carbon copy of the ohm symbol to the back of my neck. I grab the pretty pink mirror dangling next to his work bench and admire what will become my tattoo. I look again and ask him to place it just slightly to the left some more. The tattoo placement is repositioned and I tell him it’s perfect. He asks me to sit and I obediently do so. I sit in the turned around chair as instructed with my arms resting on the back rest and my head on the stand with my hair pulled across and out of the way. He tells me that he will fill the needle with water and do a test patch on my skin because he doesn’t want me moving and ending up with a funky tattoo because the anxiety is worse than the procedure. I close my eyes and take a deep breath in, clenching Miriam’s hand; I get nervous for the billionth time and wait for the needle to hit my skin. As I feel his hand coming to rest on my back I stay extremely still. The moment I wait for happens and then needle has gone through a test drive on my tattoo. I scrunch up my face and look at him with a, “that’s it? Let’s get the show on the road”. He fills the needle with ink and outlines the tattoo and then 15 minutes later fills the remaining space in. I like the sensation of it vibrating through my body and the ticklish feel around my neck. My knee jerks from the nerves shooting down my leg and I laugh at the trying not to move at all. It’s over and I stand and reach for the dangling mirror again to admire the art in the larger mirror at the back of the store. I notice how red it is but can clearly see the ohm and I love it. People are free to judge this and say what they would like as entitled, but at the end of the day I don’t regret the process one bit.

I think to myself how much I built it up in my head compared to what the actual process was like. For some it might be just a physical marking, but for me it was an intense emotional and spiritual journey which I have no regrets about. I am very happy with the finished product and my experience in the tattoo parlor, and could not have hoped for a better way to mark my journey in San Francisco.

lazy Saturday morning...

2006-10-28T10:46:00.000-07:00

Hey Everyone.

Having a lazy Saturday morning before I go to work... doing some labour work fixing up another hostel around the corner from me. I have to work with all boys - euck this is going to be fun.

What's new. I did an assignment yesterday for my Stage Management class and got an A which I am stoked about. I was really nervous about opening a show and calling cues but it all worked out after I got through some of the rocky bumps. It's really daunting to think that if you miss a cue in a real show and not just an assignment then you could really mess things up for the whole performance. I pulled through like a champ.

Tuesday is Halloween and everyone is getting into it. There are a thousand crazy parties going on around San Francisco and San Francisco does crazy well. Everynight this weekend there is either a masquerade ball, some exotic erotic turn up in nothing party, scary costume party and things I care not to think about. I still don't get Halloween but it seems like fun. I'm off to the 'hippie' area of town called Haight Ashbury tomorrow to find an outfit in a thrift store somewhere. I remember my lame attempts at Halloween costumes at home but they won't fly here. I can't wait until Tuesday night when the BIGGEST parties happen - particulary at Castro (the GLBT district of town) where thousands of people gather in the streets and you see some of the most elaborate drag queens and kings and all the rest. For sure it'll be very wild and funny - I'll take photos.

I've been hitting some hurdles while I am here with bankcards, stolen goods, finances and timetables but things seem to be settling. I am currently in discussions with Jane about skipping Europe and doing some of Asia and then coming home via Thailand. It'll be the end of summer and I think a nice to go... but then I don't think south east Asia ever stops being hot.

I don't know if I have told you more about the exploring of San Francisco. This place is very hilly and I am trying to tell you Laurie that it's way hillier than St Lucia. Let me prove you this with a few examples fwith my handy dandy google skills.

This here is prime example of a hill. See how steep it is! This is Taylor St I believe - which i've walked. Down below is Fisherman's wharf and in the distance is Alcatraz.

If there is one thing that San Franciscans seem to have got done pat is reverse parking on these hills. I don't think this is one driving act I'd ever attempt trying at home. Interesting parking rules they have here too... apparently you can 'bump' the car in front and behind you to park. And i've seen cars hit a few times before a driver squeezes the last of his car to leave only half a metre spare front and back.

And last but certainly not least is the infamous California St which is two blocks up from where I live. Also has my shopping centre Calafoods on it.

This one hurts to walk...

So my calves are now solid and I'm just that bit fitter than I was when I left Brisbane which is awesome. It's all practice for trekking in SE Asia.

I'm off since it's already got to that point of the day where I have to go and be one of the boys and prove my inner masculine by hammering and grunting (although mine will be for pain). But the up side of it all is pay!

Signing off.

P.S. Nana - I've been told you've been following my little adventure since I started. Thank you and I love you. Hope you're keeping well. I should try and update more often...

P.P.S. Aunty Karen - I have a collection of two magnets for you. I'll send them to you once I'm back in Aus... postage will kill me.

P.P.P.S. Shereen - where the ell on earth are you. TALK TO ME!!!

P.P.P.P.S. A reminder I am slowly adding all my photos to my flickr account which can be easily accessed via the link on the right hand side of this page.

xox Rob

Barbie?

2006-10-27T00:49:00.000-07:00

I've been checking out tattoos lately and I came across this one - I love it!
slightly ironic

I'm in love with Amanda Palmer

2006-10-14T15:21:00.000-07:00

It's official - I'm in love. I went and saw the Dresden Dolls play last night at Bimbo's in SF and they were amazing... as usual. Kris and I arrived a little early and found a gorrilla with a man playing the accordian on the street, stilt-walkers and other artists entertaining the crowds before the much anticipated main event. The Red Paintings (from Australia and I think even Brisbane?) were the opening act and were really interesting. I know they've played a ton of shows in Brisbane but I'd never seen them before coming here. The lead looked familiar and was a wicked nut job with a the bassist geared up in a kimono. Upstage were human canvas' doning crazy headgear that lit up.

Then... yes... Amanda and Brian came on stage and the crowd went nuts - including me. They did numbers from Yes Virgina, previous records and one or two covers which was really awesome. Amanda looked a little tired but as usual gave it her all and is a spectacle to watch. She has this energy that's incredible and in my mind they are genius. At one point they played 'Good day' and I nearly cried wishing that Rhiannon was here to sing me her version she wrote for my 21st. I turned around and said to Kris that if she played Mandy went to med school next I would go off - and they did which was spectacular! The encore was incredible... Amanda and Brian jammed for a little while with this connection between them which is so intense you wish you had something like it.

I'm posting up some wicked photos on flickr as soon as I can. Some really good ones since I was so close to the stage. my feet ached and I still hurt but it was worth every moment. I just wish crowds in America would learn to express themselves and get their booties moving.

Today I have crashed and feel emotionally, physically drained and ready for an early night with a good movie and a bottle of red. There are heaps of Australian wines (all from South Australia) in San Francisco which is awesome because I do like my Aussie Merlot. They mostly stock cliche wines but I do like Yellow Tail and Rothbury Estate so it's okay.

I've been working hard at uni and am currently the Assistant Stage Manager for 'The Karamazovs' which is a beautiful play. Read the book by Dostoyevsky. So basically i'm at uni from 6-9.30 everyday except Friday's and soon enough we'll move into Friday rehearsals from what I hear. This isn't including my normal 11hours of other classes. I'm flat out and tired at the moment and a little exhausted.

Yesterday my bus pass was stolen which is $45 worth. I'm pissed off and leaving it at that.

What else. Oh yeah, I got something in my eye today and freaked out when it went blood red! I had no idea where to go for help and that didn't help my freaking out. All is well and I didn't have to end up at a doctor's handing over a fortune for medical assistance which is good. The medical system here does suck - it's all true.

I found a wicked store today at 920 Larkin St which sells an eclectic range of magazines, books, and "movies". They had this old 1955 year book which I can only guess was the property of Mary Alice - I nearly bought it for a $1 but I didn't... though it would have turned into some good stimulus for writing a play. It was full of old pictures of an all girls convent school and had the wackiest layout.

Anyways i am going to sign off but email me - let me know what you're up to.

Luv Rob

Finally some photos

2006-10-13T02:41:00.000-07:00

Check - http://www.flickr.com/photos/maiflinomad/for some photos - more will be coming in the next day or two - I promise on this one!!

I'll put it on the links bar for those of you who don't save webpages... *tisk tisk*

weeknights and weekends

2006-10-10T14:49:00.001-07:00

music currently playing - Ani Difranco - knuckle down
mood - indifferent
tasklist - get motivated

Today is a day for blog updating, bank account opening, shopping, rehearsals and avoiding nutella... don't ask.

I had a bit of a crazy weekend. Friday night was a big party that dwindled quickly at the hostel - HAPPY BIRTHDAY MEGS and JINNY and damn you IWONA for not saying goodbye... going to miss you. And to Yola, Goisha and Kamilla as well - Good luck in Poland.

Then Saturday I went to the Rickshaw Stop (I think) for this event called Rebel Girl which was spectacular. Kris and I went for the band Origami, which were great as usual. They are this kind of modern/contemporary rock B52's style - it's kind of strange to explain. I had a bit of a serendipitous encounter at Rebel Girl which may or may not be explained further at a later date. Then sunday I went to a 'job interview' at 6pm which was actually Rafaella training me for a job, which may fall through. Who knows! But after work I got fed the most awesome gnocchi, wine and gelato... omg it was goooood. Go to STEPS OF ROME - NOW! It's on Columbus Ave in North Beach. Really good people work there and the food is amazing.

It was really crowded at North Beach on Saturday and Sunday for Fleet Week - the 60th Anniversary of the US Navy Blue Angels. All week we've had the B-2's and the F-117A's flying over the city creating noise. One even flew so close to my building I thought it would crash into it for sure. All the navy guys and girls come into wander arounds the streets. On Sunday night I got told some guy loved me and some other random Italian guy was trying to take me back to his place. He was at least 45 and a good one foot shorter than I was... uh no. But Raph and I met up with some friends and had a couple of wines and a good conversation before I headed home exhausted and ready to crash.

That's been my weekend. During the week I have about 40 hours at university which is tiring and annoying. I spend most of my time in the creative arts building working on a show as Assistant Stage Manager.

THIS WEEKEND IS THE DRESDEN DOLLS!! FRIDAY THE 13TH!!!
I can not wait - counting down the days, hours and minutes until I see them!

Okay... I'm going to sit back down and compose myself. Just a tad excited about my favourite band coming to where I live... you know... nothing too major.

Right I am off to stop procrastinating further and maybe get some work done.

Luv Rob

okay so i think I am procrastinating

2006-10-10T14:49:00.000-07:00

You Are 72% Open Minded

You are a very open minded person, but you're also well grounded.
Tolerant and flexible, you appreciate most lifestyles and viewpoints.
But you also know where you stand firm, and you can draw that line.
You're open to considering every possibility - but in the end, you stand true to yourself.

How Open Minded Are You?

which American city fits me best - they were pretty close...

2006-10-10T14:44:00.000-07:00

San Francisco should be above LA... but meh

American Cities That Best Fit You::

65% Los Angeles

65% San Francisco

60% Chicago

60% New York City

60% Philadelphia

Which American Cities Best Fit You?

Shooting Stars

2006-09-26T16:26:00.000-07:00

So it's been a while - I hear your pleas for more... well not really and maybe no one is reading but this is an excellent procrastination tool.

I've done a lot since I last posted. Mostly it's been trying to figure out how to live and breathe in a place that makes you do crazy things. Since last post I have been to a burlesque show to see the Suicide Girls parade around in basically nothing and kick up the floor with really great choreography and 'sharp pointy metal things'... I think you could amount it to a tasteful and choreographed strip show... with said sharp objects, fire, alcohols and tattoos.

I've also been around town exploring the architecture of San Francisco. One thing that never ceases to amaze me is how beautiful and eclectic this place is. In one street there are amazing Victorian houses all painted different colours with bay windows and fine architrave around windows and doors. Some houses have a Gothic feel while others are more modern and lightly painted with pastel blues, yellows and pinks. In another part of the city you get the modern square design that's "oh so trendy", and yet walk 15 minutes down the road and it’s something different again. That's what this place is - a mish mash of people and design coming together and creating something quite unique.

Last week I made a new friend who drove me across the Golden Gate Bridge and to a look out at North bay where we sat and took in the view. I felt like I was in one of those movies where you see the ships coming into port, hear the fog horns and watch the luminescent bridge fill up and empty with cars. It's actually not a really great bridge to drive across due to the fact there is no barrier between cars going in the opposite direction - scary as hell when your on the wrong side of the road. Then we headed out to Ocean Beach and sat under the stars with the bonfire going. Firstly the beaches pretty much have black sand and secondly THEY ARE TOO COLD! I wore a jumper, two shirts and a blanket and I was still freezing - but this is San Francisco weather for you. All in all I saw something like 6 shooting stars and had a really wicked night out.

Grocery shopping is getting easier now I have figured out where to go. Chinatown! Except inside Chinatown you actually feel like you have left America and entered into a Bejing marketplace. One side of the street is scarier than the other in that you enter on the right and there are some gross dried shrimp and what not but the left side has the fish still swimming in buckets, crazy kinds of meats hanging from the windows and water from god knows what that spills out onto the street. Beware - enter the right side of Chinatown.

University is slowly settling down and I am entering into a pattern that makes sense to me without adding and dropping classes left, right, and centre. I still don't like some parts of classes and the way they are run - but what can you do?

I got tickets for the Dresden Dolls for Friday 13th of Oct. I didn't think I would ever get to see them live again - but how perfect that they make a suprise visit on Friday the 13th!!! I think it was meant to be.

I have a meeting to scoot off to since I am Assistant Stage Manager on a show at uni... wooo!!

Luv Rob

goodbye...

2006-09-15T23:47:00.001-07:00

Goodbye my Italian friends.... See you in Italy!

Coffee... not COFFEE!

added link

2006-09-11T19:05:00.000-07:00

An added video to show how big the crowd was.... click here

Power to the Peaceful!

2006-09-09T20:43:00.000-07:00

Weather: miserable and grey
Mood: really really chilled and happy
Activity of the day: Power to the Peacful concert

I just came back from an amazingly beautiful festival called Power to the Peaceful headed by Michael Franti at Golden Gate Park, which in itself is an wonderful green area of the park. There were lots and lots of markets and places to eat, with two stages and about 40,000 people milling around. The day was pretty grey and towards the end it was spitting which made it sooo cold, but other than those factors not controlled by us it was awesome! Blackalicious and Michael Franti were the main players of the day and their sets were really energised and full of meaning... peace yo!! I was right up front next the the bass and Mr Franti which was unbelievable... I think this concert gig in the name of peace made the playing so much more powerful and there was an enourmous amount of energy in the air. I'll show you some photo from today...

The crowd goes wild for.....

Michael Franti.... so make some noise!!! (I was hypnotized by the sign translator next to him)

amazing sunsets

2006-09-06T20:06:00.000-07:00

there are some of the most beautiful sunsets here in San Francisco - let me show you what I get to see everyday... and yes I am so bragging! click on any of the images to see them at full size

my bedroom - for your viewing pleasure

2006-09-06T17:29:00.000-07:00

Overall dark picture of my room

why you would want to see my bathroom... but here it is anyway!

my bed! wooooo - complete with tacky painting and all... bed is very comfortable tho

Down Sutter St

from the creepy firestairs outside my room

view from my room...

Getting into the American culture!

2006-09-05T21:26:00.000-07:00

Hello my friends!

It's been a few days since I last updated - so apologies for that... It's been wild but then it's been like this since I arrived. The days are blurring into each other but I know I have done and seen some pretty cool things recently. The most random was that I got my labret pierced - another piercing to add to the collection. The guy who did it was really nice and made me feel quite relaxed about the whole process. I really like the result and it looks symmetrical so I am happy. For those still wondering what a labret is... its the spot under your lip about half a centimetre down.

I have a room in the hostel now sharing with a Brazilian girl called Raphella. I was in another room before with an Italian girl also named Raphella but due to some communication problems and bookings I have had to move. Both rooms are nice and comfortable if not a little tiny for two people. They are painted a blue sea sponge and are now named the marine or fish bowl rooms because of the ornate fish drawings around the ceiling. It's cute and tacky all at the same time.

San Francisco State University is good if not a little fustrating at the best of times trying to get into classes. The system is so ridiculous trying to sign up for classes... you can sign online for some and not others, when a class if full you need to smooze the lecturer (and it helps to have a cute Australian accent) or beg and plead. At the best of times all the information is available but most of the time you have to look around various internet sites and gather all the info you need for classes, books, and other bits and pieces to get a full picture of a unit. I know realize how easy the QUT system is and how much I took it for granted. So far I am taking a mishmash of classes. There is Asian Plays and studies where my crazy Japanese lecturer talkes about his family and other non related things for half a class, Theatre Imagination which is far too easy for my own good, Stage Management which I haven't quite figured out yet and a random class called Homophobia and Coming Out but then I am not enrolled in that just yet - but by tomorrow I should have a better idea. I'm not sure what they would teach us but I am gathering it's more a queer history class. I would also like to take up a Tae Kwon Do class but they are three mornings a week starting at 8.00am and I live an hour travel from the uni so that might not fly so well. Other than that most of my lecturers are great, classes aren't too hard and the campus is beautiful - but we've covered that subject.

Last night was a goodbye dinner and drinks for Mary, a worker at the hostel but I wasn't really in the mood to party slash I was just out of sorts for some reason. So I went upstairs to my room to uncover the chaos that is American television. On one channel was a show about dwarfs called 'Little People, Big World', an entertaining but slightly obscure show... then came the show about a family of 18 living in Arkansas. That was perhaps the most entertaining and Kris came up for a righteous badgering of the family which included a series of children who all started with the letter 'J', and 8 children sharing a bedroom and a pantry that outdoes any IGA. Another than those two shows there are a number of infomercials, news programs, chinese and spanish soap operas, bad 80's movies and a whole lot of nothing on. American television is generally as pretty bad as the newspapers are and don't get me started on newspapers.

I'm off to see Micheal Franti show at the Golden Gate Park for Power for the Peacful Festival http://www.powertothepeaceful.org/info.html as well as Suicide Girls (a burlesque show style concert), Ani Difranco and That One Guy. There are an amazing collection of artists playing, acting, drawing and having fun in San Francisco which means there is ALWAYS something to do. As well as individual concerts there are so many festivals and events like the 'Cholocate Festival', the 'Leather and Bondage Festival', 'Chinese Autumn Festival', Halloween coming up and a bunch of other things... no shortage of creative arts and crazy things going on. I am loving this aspect of San Francisco and would really like to get involved in something which I can be proud of.

My list of things to do:

- Go to Earthdance Festival September 15-17

- Explore more of Chinatown and head down to the Autumn festival they have

- Bike over the Golden Gate Bridge

- Camp at Yosemite for a weekend

- Head to the farmer's markets

- Visit Alcatraz

- Have a vegetarian night at the hostel... yummy

The list goes on and soon I also have to figure out what to wear to the halloween party in the Castro district... It's massive and everyone is already thinking what to wear and putting in so much effort - there will be some great photos taken that night.

For now I am signing off and thanking you for getting down to the end of this post

Luv RobyN

Being Australian

2006-08-30T19:29:00.000-07:00

I got this from Deanna today... thank you, I passed this around the hostel!

BEING AUSTRALIAN

Being Australian is about driving in a German car to an Irish pub for A Belgian beer, then travelling home, grabbing an Indian curry or a Turkish kebab on the way, to sit on Swedish furniture and watch American shows on a Japanese TV.

Oh and...... Only in Australia ... can a pizza get to your house Faster than an ambulance.

Root Beer and Ice Cream

2006-08-29T22:55:00.000-07:00

Last night I went to the market with Kris and Mary (who work at the hostel) to get Ben and Jerry's and root beer... I'd never had root beer and I believe it's kind of the like vegemite of America. They all did the "oh, you've never had root beer?" and were pretty shocked I didn't even know what it tastes like. So we purchased the most insane amount of ice cream and the root beer and headed back to make these things called 'floats' which is the American name for a 'spider'. I can now say I have had root beer and it's kind of like Sars but worse. So instead I munched down on the Ben and Jerry's which is amazing. There are sooo many flavours and my favourite is the mint chocolate with HUGE biscut (or cookie) chunks in it.

I'm finding the language thing hillarious! I still call my flip flops thongs, A jumper is a sweater, softdrink is soda, and giveway (in driving) is yield... It's not really a problem until you realise that's it's not the accent that's confusing the American but the word.

I had the first uni class today and my lecturer for Principals of Directing is insane. He is so overly passionate and it's kind of scary in a way. The passion is realeased in a flow of spit and jumpy movements around the room. When we were doing this one excercise he was waving his hands around like a conductor while we were pretending to skip and repeat the sentence, "Sharper than a serpents tooth is to have a thankless child". It was hillarious, and I fail to see how it all connects soon but I'll stick it through for a while and see if it gets any clearer.

I'm off to go check out more classes and what not and then head down to this party in the hostel... have fun.

Luv Robyn

last couple of days

2006-08-28T02:53:00.000-07:00

So I finished orientation last week on a hilarious note - a panel of students talking about sex and relationships in the U.S.A! Apparently due to state law we have to discuss safe sex... well it was pretty funny anyway. There was this one chick who was just so upfront and declared she loved her slutty image and just loves sex... with a lot of people.

Anyway... moving right along. Friday night I went out with Kris and Miriam (guy who works in the hostel and his friend) to a gig in Oakland to see a band called Origami... from Melbourne. They hooked up in Melbourne and there really is only one Aussie in the band but we can claim them as our own and they have been played on Triple J with the song Frisco Disco. This place we went to was in Oakland, which is kind of like the big ghetto zone in the bay area. It has a big gang problem and people get shot... but this place was nice and quaint. It was a quiet place and there was less than 40 people who rocked up for the gig. I have developed a little crush on the lead guitar player and Kris has a crush on the bass guitarist so we think we will now stalk them. It also helps that there music is quite good.

I keep thinking about how strange and intense relationships are when you are travelling and how you do things that you wouldn't normally do when you are in the daily grind of your own city. For example I made friends with this top guy called Nigel from Canada and we spent a whole night going out to an awesome theatre show, getting Indian dinner and clubbing out in the Castro and it feels like we have been friends for a long time. We got in a cab with some strange people from the Castro and we thought we were going to go home but the strangers decided they wanted to go this club called the ENDUp - so we went with it and did.

Knowing people and making friends in this town will make a stay here more enjoyable. I suppose that goes for any place you are in but especially when you are a tourist in a whole new town. Because I have a different accents, and Americans love accents I have scored 2-4-1 tickets, drinks, food, lifts home, free entry to clubs... which is awesome on a budget and the bonus is that you also get to make friends.

Okay for the next part I jump around so bear with me... It was random on Saturday day because I ran into my Austrian friend Victoria at the hostel and she took me for brunch at the restaurant she works with another guy called Eran from Israel. I learnt a few things about Israel and their military system and got to chow down on some wicked French cuisine. The restuarant had the most amazing croissants because the chef was actually from France. I also had a really nice garden salad and Dijon dressing and tarts for dessert, followed by a mocha coffee... so nice to start the day. Thank-you Victoria my darling! Then I wandered into the Haight Ashbury. Jumping back - the other day at the concert Miriam got me to write something on her shoes, so of course I was a smartass and wrote my phone number and "call me"... and it worked. She and Jane were out and tried getting in contact with me and my number was on her shoe... so it works! We hooked up at Haight St and it turned out Miriam was on her way in with Jane and decided that day was the day she was going to get her tattoo done. So Jane and I held her hand the entire way through. I have some photos and will upload them later. The guy who did the work was hilarious and turned around and was saying, "gee, this is strange doing this sober." He was a great guy and did a really good job. It has been something I have wanted to do since high school but never had the guts, but I am thinking about it again... we'll see. There are a few more piercing I want done before I get a tattoo... but San Francisco is about one of the best places in the world to get it done. Anyways, I digress... After Haight Ashbury I came home to the hostel and found two Aussie girls who had a really shit time at this huge club so I told them to jump in a cab with me and I'd take them out for a fun time in the Castro. We went to this place called 'The Cafe' which is a gay and lesbian bar and it also attracts stright people as well, but not many. The cover charge is a mere $2, the drinks are $4, and the music is fantastic. The only problem is you will never get more than 2cm space around you and that is if you are lucky. Dancing is so funny at a place like that, the gay men dirty dance with the girls, the girls are secular, the straight people are confused or teasing and the tourists are in shock... it's great for people watching. We got home late and I didn't get into my bed until 4am AGAIN!

So I woke up this afternoon at 5pm... My body was screaming at me for sleep and so I gave in to it. I found Miriam and went for dinner at the pizza place across the road and stuffed ourselves with veg pizza and calzones... mmmm calzone. We were practically falling over from being so stuffed so we went for a walk down to the tackiest and funniest place in San Fran called Fisherman's Wharf. I got some local chocolate and this stuff called Salt Water Taffy which goes off or like some of the northern Californians say, "It's hella awesome." I saw the sea lions on pier 39 barking and fighting and then hung off the side of the cable car back to union square.

So here I am now posting listening to Triple J streaming hiphop show and delaying going to bed since I have slept so much. School starts officially on Tuesday and I just want to work and play because it's been a while since I have had to write an essay or attend a lecture. I'll get back into the swing of it soon enough and it helps that the campus is so beautiful!

Anyways, I am back to surf the internet. Hope you are all having a wonderful time in Aus... and enjoying the weather cause it's still really cold here and I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.

Luv Robyn!

where would I begin?

2006-08-22T21:22:00.001-07:00

I would like to add the disclaimer that I love my mummy and some of this is in depth and ramble for her benefit!

Where would I begin a post such as this when so much has happened? Well, I ended the last post with LA is a hole so maybe I should start back from the begining... I arrived in a Los Angeles to Hostel International which was located on Hollywood Blvd. I never thought that it would be so loud and dirty - it's certainly not the picture you find on postcards. There were a few cool things about the place which were the general tourist activities such as a stroll along the star strip, a visit to the wax museum and the guiness world records museum. Hello to all the people I met at the hostel - you made the one night stay tolerable. When I was there I accidently walked into a really dodgey part of town (bad mistake) where people were begging for money, talking really loudly to themselves, and screaming at each other... kind of strange but quite normal for a lot of America.

So then I woke up and had to catch a bus to San Francisco, another eight hour ride. I got on the bus and saw this sketchy looking chick with tats on her neck and well pretty much every other body part, wearing long baggy pants and had the underneath of her head shaved - pretty much your typical ghetto girl. So of course I strike up a conversation and discover that she was really a sweet girl, and yes, sketchy. She made the tattoo pens herself like they do in prison and drew all the designs. Then after she got off at San Jose this 20 something year old guy named Mark recognised my accent and came up to speak to me - a fellow Aussie who had been living in San Francisco and Colorado. He told me a little about his amazing story and how he was surving on the street and the types of people he met.

Anyway, I got into the Greyhound Bus Station with $20 in my wallet and a HUGE backpack ready to tip me over any moment and no idea which hostel I was booked into and not quite sure how to use a phone. I worked it out after a bit of walking around and finally made it to the hostel around dinner time. BUT after meeting heaps of people and drinking a few too many I ended up in the common room on the couch for my first night in the hostel. The next few days after that have been a little bit of a blur of drinking, partying, pub crawls, theatre, WALKING and avoiding the ghetto.

There have been some really facinating differences between America and Australia and sometimes it is really little things that get me. The first time I went to the bathroom you have to hold a lever down to flush and I didn't know this and the water just kept on filling up and I freaked out big time thinking it was about to overflow! I am learning to calculate an approximate amount of tax because it's not included in the price, as well as the exchange rate and the transfer fees that banks charge you. Some of the street drain pipes have steam coming from them in the middle of the road - I don't understand where it's from or what is underneath the road but again it was a bit of a what the? A 1.75 ltr bottle of finlandia vodka can be picked up for around $20 in some places and junk food is cheaper than food worth eating. I obviously knew that people drove on the wrong side of the road but it is taking a lot more effort to get used to it than I thought. The ghetto is real! Even most American's I have met admit to the view of being quite dim about the rest of the world. One person I met didn't know that Australian's spoke English!? So I may have come across a unique bunch but people are quite friendly and open to listen and here Jane and I are a bit of a novelty.

I am sorting out accomodation and job opportunities at the moment and running a little low on cash... but it's helping me be very resourceful and not take things for granted. It looks like there is an opening to work and live at the hostel (you move into staff dorms which have 3 or 4 people rather than 6) and this seems like a pretty good option. But before any of that happens I have to get my insurance company to sign a health insurance affirdavit or something so I don't get deported... yeah... deportation isn't fun. Nor was this afternoon when I got picked up by the police for not having a ticket to get on the train. I thought I could buy one on the train but apparently NO! I turned on the waterworks and all that and escaped it THIS time he says... but if I don't follow rules again there will be a fine.

I skipped an entire part of what I wanted to share with you guys. San Francisco is incredible. It is certainly a place that you really can't explain or understand via photos alone. The whole of San Francisco is only 7mile square land so it really would take that long to walk from top to bottom, but you would get tired after all the hills! I asked someone today what suburb they lived in and they didn't quite understand because the 'suburbs' are really suburbs at all, instead they have districts. I'm sort of in the city centre - more where its between the Nob Hill / Downtown District which is really close-by to everything!! In San Francisco you do so much walking and so much of that walking is up and down hills... your calf muscles start complaining around day three. But one thing I have had difficulty with is the block system because it's harder to navigate when you are new to it because landmarks are corners and they are a little more inflexible to navigate - as in you have to right around the block and none of this ducking through building allyways and empty bits of land... it's all taken up by buildings. There are areas to aviod because they are the ghetto but if you go in the daytime the same people are there they will just leave you alone. It's like there is an unwritten code in San Francisco and you really have to start exploring the place at a ground roots level and not like a typical tourist to understand and really appreciate how this place works. On one hand you can view all the amazing architecture, or stand on a quiet hill out over the city, you can club and pub till 2am lockout and end up at an amazing afterclub club (explain later) or shop at Macy's in downtown and later grab a burrito at Mission which is the mexican area. There is something to do ALL the time and each area has it's own flavour.

The biggest thing that annoys me about San Francisco is the weather. Right now it's summer but it is colder than Brisbane winter!

At the moment it's always freeeezing! I have to wear a singlet, shirt, light jumper and a cardigan. Today it was so cold I pulled out the scarf. Apparently even across the bay in Oakland and Berkley is diferent again because it's not a peninsula like San Fran. I don't know how long I can go on like this and am having second thoughts about Ireland in winter but we shall see. I sound like such a Queenslander - used to the warm sun and barely counted cold days.

The grounds of SFSU are AMAZING!! I have snaked a few photos from the net because of course they are better than mine.

I have been in the Science Block all week - really usless for info for most people other than my mum - and in anycase mum... thanks for everything and I love you!

The grass is really this colour (or should I say color) and the trees are even a darker green than that... it's spectacular.

I can't wait to see it packed with people roaming around all in 'sweatshirts' that say SFSU since most people are proud about the university name here in America and there is a bookstore that sells the parafanalia.... go gators?

Anyway! I am still dealing with a messed up body clock and have to get up in a few hours... ahhhh... running away from blog. If you have actually read the small story on San Francisco well done - you deserve a prize! Love you all, be safe and all that.

xo Robyn

LA is a hole!

2006-08-15T17:15:00.000-07:00

I'll write more when it doesn't cost me an arm and a leg to type this!

xoxo Rob

my island tour

2006-08-13T21:22:00.000-07:00

Ah Oui my little island tour! My hosts took me for a tour of Tahiti which went the entire way around the island, given that the island is only 120 kilometres around, it was still a fair distance considering. First we stopped at this little bay which looks like a beach but really is only big rocks to get yourself injured on. Nonetheless people are still swimming and taking the risk - I however would like to make it to America so I thought it best to stay dry! Then we made a little trek into a rainforest to see a waterfall which was so beautiful. To get there you go down this gravel road with speedbumps that are worn away and pot holes like you can't belive... it's a lot of dodging the worst ones and trying to keep the underneath of the car in tact. Along the road are all these tiny houses which the entire family sleeps in. I am constantly amazed that families of six or more sleep in houses that are not much bigger than what is our normal size of a family room, kitchen and bathroom combined. And to the average Australian it would look very poor but then there is a mercedes parked out the front - crazy huh? I'll post some photos soon onto my online photo album if it ever works!

We took about 5 hours to get around the island... yes, even with only 120 kilometres and few stops! I saw the infamous beach spot of teahupoo where all the bigwig surf guys and girls go for the huge billabong comps. When I saw it, it wasn't much because there was no wind for the waves and there were families about just doing what Tahitian families do on the weekend (not much at all) and lots of chickens and dogs! This place is so interesting. I searched and searched for this breadfruit which is apparently amazing - but no one will sell it in the markets because all most all families have a tree and I don't think the fruit on the trees is quite ripe at the moment... I'll have another look at the market tomorrow. Other than that it has been such a relaxing day doing not much at all and just enjoying the sun, scenery and food.

until later! au revoir

Bonjour

2006-08-12T21:35:00.000-07:00

Bonjour!

I am now in Tahiti, [Tahiti Nui - the biggest part of Tahiti]. So it all began Friday morning at 5.30 am when I woke up, got dressed, ate and went to the airport. It was all kind of a blur for a couple of hours while I woke up and kind of slugged my way through the airport. I've never been on an international flight and so it was interesting not understanding where to go or what to do. I figured it out pretty quickly but got a little nervous when I rocked up to customs to find about 400 plus people in front of me and only 40 minutes until my plane started to board. It was all pretty okay because the line took only about 30 minutes to get through and they boarded my plane late because of new security procedures, being that the foiled terrorist attacked happened the day before. Overall the flight was pretty good (thanks Reenie for all the bits and pieces to keep me occupied!) but I do have to say the vegan meal was pretty bad... I thought it might be though. I got stopped at immigration for not having an address but that resolved itself somehow in the end... and customs was a bit of a joke. The customs officials have a please declare policy but don't worry about it if you don't attitude. The guys didn't even look twice at me and I walked out of the airport... ah well... this seems to be Tahitians for you.

Overall the Tahitians are really wonderful people - and they smile alot. I'm not far from the city centre (if you can call it that) which is an interesting place. Tahiti is not really anything like I expected. The postcards you see are all white sand and pale blue water with sun shining... it's a bit of a lie. Alot of the other islands can be like that but Tahiti for the most part is fairly busy, dirty and run down. People all have cars - lots of cars, and the really oversized ones too... the big utes with kids riding around in the back. There are something like 250,000 people on the island and around 150,000 cars... but the problem is there aren't enough roads, the ones that are here are tiny and are slowly running down in the ground quite literally. The markets, ah, the markets. They are pretty cool with lots of crafty things -mostly mother of pearl and pearls, oh, and sarongs - lots of sarongs and flowers. But if you are after variety maybe Tahiti isn't really the place. Everything at all the markets are quite the same and once you have visted one stall you have seen them all... with some execptions of course. So far I have figured out a few basic things about Tahitians... they all seem to love cigarettes, alcohol and food. Wherever you are there is a food stand with some baguette filled with all sorts of strange things (from spam like ham to chips and sauce or even tom yum like thing), and smoking is allowed pretty much everywhere - even in shops! Alcohol, well.... they are like the Aussies and love a drink of beer and are happy and social people. But unfortunately not all are so nice when they drink... again, just like the Aussie. But things are a lot different over here and life is pretty chilled and like I said people are pretty wonderful.

I went to Moorea today which is an island about 22klms from Tahiti. It is closest island to Tahiti and is a part of the French Polynesia and is soooo beautiful! See Photobucket for all the photos. We took the dinged up car around the island and stoped at all the wonderful sight points of the island. To get there you take the ferry across which only takes around 30 minutes and the ride is spectacular. You get this wonderful view of Tahiti as you leave and an even better view of Moorea as you come in to it.

Anyways, I am off to the really early markets tomorrow morning with Sophie and Michelle which I can't wait. All the little things at the market which I didn't know about will be clarified - like signs and strange meaty looking things which i think were sweets. We will also get some of this infamous Bread Fruit which apparently is the best.

Until later - Au revior

Beginings

2006-07-25T07:35:00.000-07:00

So this is the start. Right here, right now you are reading the first entry to a blog about my little adventure around the world. It's starts officially on the 11th of August and ends when the cash does which could be really quickly or could take some time if I get savvy enough with landing a great job in Ireland.

The plan is this. I get to the airport with one paid in full around the world ticket to Tahiti - then to Los Angeles then study at San Fran (not sure of the pc slang for San Francisco yet, although I know Frisco is out - I digress), then snowboard with my bestest bud in Vail, then cram NY into a few days... ouch... Then fly out to London - London to Ireland with any luck to get some work and a few pints of Guinness - Around Europe on a wee little and slightly brittle shoestring - London to Bangkok for just 3 weeks, enough to buy loads of jewelry and get tons of cheap massages and then alas come back home to pay it all off.

This plan may vary slightly according to the finances of the season and what type of job I can land... one with a tax number anyway!

So! Visa is sorted. Flights are almost done. Insurance is required. Bags are not yet packed. A special thanks to Dad for a laptop!

Points of interest -

And to blatantly steal a quote from my friend Bek T! "To the victims of my affections..."

Rhiannon:
You are a champion and I love you so dearly. Thank you for letting me live at your house. See you in the snow my friend.
Laurie:
What more can I say than I love you my friend. You are an unbelievable person and I hope that you have so much fun while I am away... Learn to believe in reasonably earlier nights, turning off the computer sometimes... and cleaning the ashtray. P.s. Remember to go easy on the vege burgers and spinach triangles because there are other food groups.
Jane:
See you at the airport!
Mum:
Thanks for not freaking out too much about me leaving the country! I love you and yes I WILL MISS YOU! There is not much more I can say here.
Chris:
You may have gotten a car... but I have the license - So I think we make a pretty good team. I love you so much!
Jacqui:
What can I say... you are doing so well without any advice from me. I think you are amazing and I adore you.
The Guild:
Thank you to all the people at the guild for such a wonderful experience! There are too many of you to name here but you are all cool. See you when I get home - god knows when that will be.
My QPAC friends:
I know my stint was short but alas I will return! You guys rock.
Shereen:
You were a huge inspiration for believing that this whole trip could work! You laugh, but your stories of the world are always in the back of my mind. Thank you.
Marc: You... well... yes... what can I say that I haven't said before? Try and stay out of trouble and thank you for everything.
Henry: I might have stolen one chocolate biscuit... I will replace it when I get back. Peace Out.
My Aunty and My Mama and Papa:
Thank you for all your support!
Deanna:
Rest once in a while! xox
Mary:
I haven't forgotten about the Camille CD's and I am so onto it! You will still have friends while I am away... it's not that long and we will all come home soon. Promise.
Hannah:
See you in London my friend! I can not wait for all the fun. xo

That's about it for now. Things are a little manic from here on in and I still have an exam to sit today at 1pm! So it's adios amigos for now.

XOXOX