My luck ran out.... or maybe it´s about to get a whole lot better....

Yesterday, I got shat on by a bird. Not just any bird. But an Argentian-albatross like creature. I was covered from head, to toe, in birdshit. I had to go back to the hotel and take everything off, empty my backpack, and wash everything. I will never, ever be the same again. I was actually ill. There was only one solution: drink lots of beer with the Brazilians (and man, can they drink) on the roof of the hotel and try to forget it ever happened. I must have 25 years of good luck heading my way......

Apart from that (and I have a little retch every time I think of it) the last couple of days have been great. Yesterday was mostly wandering around and sightseeing and being a (gasp) tourist - Buenos Aires is home to the widest street in the world - 18 lanes of traffic - that was kind of fun. Also great shopping, but alas no room in my luggage (Sarah - expect large parcels of shipped goods to start arriving). Seeing where Eva Peron greeted the masses was amazing as well - and good on any country who has their most important government building in Pink. Have eaten nothing but beef since I arrived - the Argentinians know how to do a good steak. The dead peeps were interesting - Recoleta cemetary is amazing - and some of the posthumous resting places of BA´s rich are much larger than my room! Strange though being able to actually see the coffin though through the window.

I think I´ve planned my next move. I´ll head to Uruguay on Monday, where the beach hopping will begin. I´ll be able to squeeze in three weeks before Carnival. Must stock up on books in English to keep me going on the beaches! My Spanish is not good enough to tackle a novel, and barely enough to tackle the Subway (yesterday´s adventure).

Hello from Buenos Aires

Hello!

Buenos Aires is a really amazing place. It´s very cool and I´m glad I´m spending a bit of time here. After finding money (difficult through dehydration and jet lag!) and wandering around for a few hours, and accidentally ending up in a Tango class (long story... it was a real one, not a tourist one), I can conclude that learning Spanish was the best idea I´ve ever had.... not much Ingles spoken here.... Apart from telling some guy ¨I really need ÿou to know where your bank is¨instead of asking him where the bank was (after conjugating all the possible verbs incorrectly)the rapid immersion approach to application of my very limited Spanish seems to be working ok. Given I got upgraded on the way, and then I accidentally stole a beer in one of the rough parts of town and wasn´t thrown in prison, my luck appears to be in order thus far.

The place I´m staying in is hilarious - mansion de Armstrong feels like a very long time ago. It´s nice, but compact. My entire room could fit in mansion de Armstrong´s laundry....

Also they drive here like it is an extreme sport. Lights are orange and red at the same time (I know most Melburnians think red is orange anyway, but here it actually happens), cars purposely go as fast as they can and as close as they can to you without hitting you. I´ve been pegging a Buenos Airean and running like f$%k behind them. Again, so far luck is in order!

More news soon.

MBenn - your Christmas present is currently tethering all of my belongings to my bed head. I think it just paid for itself. Muchos gracias!

Love to all.

KL

One more sleep

.... and it's that stinking hot, I don't think much sleeping will be done!

Welcome to auto updates - I just discovered I can only put in 10 people, so please forward to your respective spouses if you got one, because space is at a premium....

Two more sleeps....

What happens when you burn the midnight oil for the week before you leave the country, and then spend 12 hours drinking Champagne with your buddies? You end up with tonsillitis and a temp of 39C. Lucky me..... I only dragged my sorry self off the couch just now to mop the floor before my sister and her husband get back from the beach. I was given strict instructions and a list of tasks when they left me and my raucous crowd to our own devices at 6pm Saturday - the not-quite-halfway mark.....

Welcome David to my blog.... I hear a good cure for tonsillitis is to sit in a bath of methylated spirits ; )

A free! lady

Well, what a thrilling life I lead. I thought on my first night of freedom I'd be coming home to drink Moet et Chandon with my sister, but instead a babysitting task is thrust upon me.... I guess that's the price you pay for free room and board!

My first night as a free lady was actually great. I took my nephew to the supermarket, and most importantly the bottle shop. He helped me pick a bottle of sparkling Rose, and then we came home and I taught him how to do "Cheers" with glasses of bubbles (his was soda water, before you report me to the Childhood Protection people). Then he ate half my dinner (can 20 month olds eat tuna out of a can? Apparently, they can!), I taught him to throw balls inside, and dance in the bath, and I kept him up way past his bedtime, and then I thought, enough corruption for one night.... he's now asleep and quote unquote he's "happy happy happy". His words, not mine.....

After 10 hours of arguments with my travel agent for their mistake, I'm getting refunded $400, rather than having to pay them $600. A far more satisfactory state of affairs..... I still have no tickets and with one business day before I leave, slightly nervous..... "oh well".....

No days of work left!

Yay me.

One day of work to go....

need I say more!

Two weddings, some country lads, and a trip extension....

Sophie and John are officially married..... I had a great time. Sitting next to one of the best Latin dance teachers in the world at the reception was a definite bonus - a couple of quick free lessons and I'm ready for Rio Carnaval! Very tired on Saturday. Saturday was a very long day.

On to Mick and Em's wedding, in Tatura. Back to my country roots..... At that wedding a vicious rumour was started that I and my camera were from the Shepparton News, which was hilarious (not). I also discovered that my immunity to exuberant (drunk), young (immature), country (bogan) lads has waned over the last 13 years since my departure from country Victoria.... Firstly I was christened "Curls" by the lads (original), then one of them asked me to sit on his knee, at which point I informed him that a) we were related (albeit by marriage - I still thought it was a brilliant excuse) and b) he'd have to ask my Dad first ("and my Dad is that bloke right there").....I may be 31 but the Dad card worked a treat. No further trouble from the lads for the evening......

It looks like I'll now be back a bit later than anticipated due to an itinerary change - it will be 6 months away, not 5....

The longest week, ever

The longest week, ever. Thankfully I'm not working tomorrow (though, I mght say, it has already been a 50 hour week) and have a wedding Friday in the Yarra Valley and a wedding Saturday in Tatura... so fun times ahead.

My room at my sisters has looked like a Chinese Laundry cum action-outdoor adventure place cum place where camera equipment and travel books go to die. So, I've packed most of it up to dump at my parents place this weekend, have set aside 5 outfits for work (5 days left - I may be about to skimp of clothing volume but no need to start until I absolutely have to), and packed for my trip. Job done. My big sister was a bit horrified and looked slightly sad when I said I was packing. Well, I'll miss her too, but I'm sure she won't miss the noise. Apologies again....

William believes I'm a permanent fixture now. That's quite nice too. He was very helpful packing. Without him I would never thought to have packed my mobile phone in my suitcase to go to my parents - genius (not) but I found it eventually.

I cannot wait to leave a) work and b) the country, but will miss my friends - who have been sorely neglected this week - and I know, so you can stop ringing me to tell me so! There's time yet to play....

My last 8 days of work, and the pressure is incredibly high, and therefore words of brilliance are spewing out of me like a geyser. I could write the great Australian novel if I had time in this frame of mind.

A new career?

Well, the proprietors of the cooking school who hosted Soph's Hen's day have asked to use the photos I took on their website.... I'm pretty happy about that. If I charge them $20K a pop it might come close to my current salary! I don't think I'll be transitioning careers to that of a professional photographer just yet, but might keep a look out for a similar opportunity in my travels....

I just met Belinda for coffee, she is travelling solo through South America as well, leaving a few weeks after me, and we are going to meet up in Rio for Carnaval! Yay - someone (else) to play with.

Anyway, back to work. On a Sunday. Yuk. Nine working days to go..... not including this one.

Wanted: 1 hijab

Hmmm. Maybe it will be easier just to die my hair brown. Who knew there were so many different kinds.... "the sporting hijab", "the easy-wear hijab", "the summer hijab", "the sneel border hijab", the "party wear hijab"......

Walking across the Brazilian border

After making my way up the Argentine/Uruguay coast, I'm going to walk across the Brazilian border at Chuy (Chui). I can't find anything that says that it's unsafe, except that I should be prepared to be dropped by the side of the road in the middle of nowhere, without an exit stamp and have to walk for about 3 kms where I'll find the immigration people to be on strike (apparently they love a good strike), and also to save some Uruguayan pesos for the tax free shopping before crossing.....

One of the guys I work with and I laugh often about an idea he had for a book, called "Your New Homosapien - a User's Guide". Humans don't come with an instruction manual. Dave and I believe, among other hilarious titles, that there should be a chapter titled "other homosapiens don't find your life anywhere near as interesting as you do". I am loving myself with this blog though, and couldn't imagine anyone not finding my life as interesting as I do!! Seriously...

I didn't know I had so many friends. Sarah and Brett's house will be full to capacity on 24 Jan for the ByeByeBarbie. Luckily, I leave the country a couple of days later, so there will be no opportunity for repercussions. And, I'm not telling them the exact number of guests until after the fact. I'll have to hide the paper cups and plates under my bed and bring them out on the day. Ooops....

Hello from Geelong

Well, day 1 in Geelong so far is not so bad, apart from the 5:30am start. I was up before William. The coffee at least is (surprisingly) good! 13 working days to go..... a lot to do. But, handover has started! My path to freedom is paved.....

Life as a homeless person

I promise this won't become a one stop shop for complaints, but I have a belated New Years resolution: remove all un-generous people from my life. Starting now......

I passed the true test of accepting my homeless state last night - after a big bender courtesy of Soph's hen's night, I remembered to give my "new" address to the cab driver - not my "old" address..... Luckily Sarah and Brett were out as I was a little noisy upon entry into 109 Lincoln Road. As you can see, Sophie has been sent off into married life in style - with a little help from the Victoria Police.....

And today, off to Billy Elliot with the lay-dees. My city car park has been revoked - a most unsatisfactory state of affairs. I've been relegated to public transport.... And, as of tomorrow, my career is based in Geelong......

I love my bride-to-be Sophie! Hopefully Soph can score another pilates teaching gig in Brazil while I'm there and we can play...... 3 weeks and 3 days to go.....