New beginnings

So still no proper pictures (where is that damn cable?) but a quick update.

I now have gainful employment. Gone is the 'marketing assistant' for Richardson and Wrench (pamphleting and telesales), the threat of becoming an events waitress below some upstart I trained when I was 15 or any number of waiting jobs. Instead I am now production coordinator for magazine operations at Fairfax publishing - one of the largest publishing companies in Australia.

Basically it means I am using some of my design skills from days of yore - well the computing packages anyway. I have to set deadlines for advertising and editorial teams, make up a grid of how the adverts and articles will be laid out, put the adverts onto the pages, output all the pages to the printers, get the proofs and dyelines from the printers and deliver them to all the teams involved, reoutput them to the printers and so on and so forth. It's basically the middle ground between advertising and editorial.

My friend Danielle also has a job in the same department and works as advertising coordinator. The money isn't great (we got the jobs through and agency) and the days are very long with the commute by ferry from Manly. The bonus is that it goes past the harbour bridge and opera house - a magnificent sight in early morning light and at dusk.

This week Danielle and I have taken a break from the backpackers and are renting our friend Steve's apartment for the week while he is in Thailand. It is in a suburb called Mosman, which is a bus ride from the city. From the windows of his place we can see the lights of homes around the harbour and across to Manly.



It means we will have a quieter place than Manly and we will have a more civilised week with people over for dinner and supping on wine rather than slapping the bag (of wine) and downing goon.

Danielle, Dani and her chap Taz are hoping to live in an apartment right opposite the beach in Manly. It is on the third floor of a small block and is set back from the beach road so it is quiet. It has a balcony from the living room overlooking the beach and, although quite small, has lovely wooden floors and light rooms. Hopefully we will get our application in tomorrow and secure it.

Hoping to get some more surfing in. Don't think I mentionned in any of the posts so far but Danielle and Dani and I had a surf lesson the other week. The three of us went to Freshwater beach with our instructor Paul to try our hand at riding the waves on a longboard. It was such a glorious afternoon learning to surf at this world-famous beach.

It had been raining all day but as we left the hostel at around 3pm, the sun came out and shone brilliantly through the late afternoon. While one of us attempted not to get bashed about by the waves, the others played in the surf. Dani and I got a bit excited by the whole thing at one point, doing handstands and cartwheels, pirouettes and hornpipes in the water, feeling the sun on our backs, the salt water on our lips and knowing this was the life we were going to live for months to come.

And there was the windsurfing the weekend before last - a free lesson won in the quiz at the hostel several weeks ago. Danielle, Paul and I had a lesson at Balmoral Beach taken by our friend Ash and his hot mate Joel. Much harder than I remembered it from when I was 14. And not good with a hangover!





I have honestly never felt this free in my life. Fickle as the friendships can be in the hostel, among those who are here for the longterm, they are enduring and caring. People look out for each other and a wonderful clique has formed of Welshies, Scots (well, one - Danielle), Poms, Aussies, Kiwis, Canadians, Texans, South Africans, Dutch and so forth. Going back to the hostel on Sunday afternoon having missed a big night out, I found everyone partying on the balcony. They had maybe had two or three hours sleep and were just determined to carry on the party in the sunshine. People were skipping through the bedrooms dancing and laughing.

In one room a Christmas tree 'acquired' from goodness knows where was lit up with fairy lights, the walls covered with wrapping paper, photos of our recent nights out and advent calendars - giving it a santa's grotto edge. Unfortunately I don't have my reindeer costume with me...


Backpacker nickers - John and Steven. Steven has recorded us for his latest podcast of The Rules - as his houseguest, more episodes featuring me are due...