Sitka Update

Weather: partly crappy, mostly shitty

Smell: rotten! Woah, the salmon have all swum upstream to spawn, and the place is ripe!!!Basically, it stinks!

Drama scale this week: about 4/10. Hey, it's only Tuesday - give the place a chance, things will definitely heat up by the end of the week.

Ok, I suppose I am being a bit cynical. Life in this little town is going pretty good. It was the equinox last week which means we are now well on our way into winter. In fact, days are getting shorter at the rate of seven minutes a day! Enjoy the sunlight while you can, because there'll be seven minutes less of it tomorrow. It has started raining, which is Ok... I don't mind the rain. People have said that it this time of year it will rain for up to seventy days straight, but hey that's part of life in Alaska. It's funny, the place now reminds me so much of the place I arrived to -- it is starting to look now how it looked nearly a year ago when I moved here. I guess that just goes to show the amazing contrast and change that is experienced throughout the year: not only in terms of weather, but also in terms of the wildlife, and ambience and all the little intricacies that give any place its character!

Just thought I'd tack on an e-mail that Natalie sent me... I don't often do these, but I thought, what the heck.... so here it is. Didn't think I'd forward it to everyone, but thought I'd share some of my responses anyway.

> Directions! Now, Here Is What You Are Supposed To Do...And Please Do Not Spoil The Fun! Hit Forward, Delete My Answers And Type In Your Answers. Then Send This To A Whole Bunch Of People That You Know...And Send It Back To Me So I Can See Your Answers, The Theory Is That You Will Learn A Lot Of Little Known Facts About Those You Know. Remember To Send It Back and add a question you see fit to keep it interesting.

1. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Both my grandfathers were named Robert>>

2. WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? Last week, at a funeral: very beautiful and very moving...>>

3. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING ? yes, love it >

4. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE LUNCH MEAT? chicken>>

5. DO YOU HAVE KIDS? No, and I probably won't, but that's OK!>>

6.. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Yeah, I reckon! >>

7. DO YOU USE SARCASM A LOT? sometimes... I generally don't find it funny.>>

8. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? yes>

9. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? probably not... but never say never, hey >>

10. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE CEREAL? Weet-Bix>>

11. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF ? Ummm... I've gotten into the bad habit of leaving my laces tied up>>

12. DO YOU THINK YOU ARE STRONG? yes - strong willed! (Does that mean I am stubborn?) >> 13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE ICE CREAM? It's a close call between vanilla and strawberry>>

14. WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Their eyes, and their demeanour: I can pick happy positive people a mile off! >>

15. RED OR PINK? red>>

16. WHAT IS THE LEAST FAVOURITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my voice/accent>>

17. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST ? Paul and Amy; I miss Holiday and Simon, too. >>

18. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? Please do!>>

19. WHAT COLOUR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Dark blue jeans, which I think belonged to Keisuke, and no shoes... just socks. >>

20. WHAT WAS THE LAST THING YOU ATE? dinner: chinese style pork with pasta and beans.>>

21. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? Brian's i-pod... whatever he has put on it.>>

22. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOUR WOULD YOU BE? I'd try and be every colour at least once.>>

23. FAVOURITE SMELLS? the ocean... and the smell just before it rains>>

24. WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO ON THE PHONE? Brian. >>

25. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? Yes, Natalie Milne: she is a fabulous actess, and an altogether nice person!>>

26. FAVOURITE SPORTS TO WATCH? Netball!>>

27. HAIR COLOUR? Brown
>28. EYE COLOUR? Brown/Hazel>>

29. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no>>

30. FAVOURITE FOOD? Probably Malaysian, and ice-cream>>

31. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? happy endings (realistic ones, please) >>

32. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? "Looking for Alibrandi">>

33. WHAT COLOUR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? white>>

34. SUMMER OR WINTER? Hot, stinking Aussie summer all the way>>

35. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs definitely! (Hugs are kind of my special trademark!)>>

36. FAVOURITE DESSERT? Lemon Delicious>>

37. MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Not sure...>>

38. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? Yeah, not sure... I've got some busy friends, so I understand that they can't respond >>

39. WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? just finished reading "Le Petit Prince" ("The Little Prince") by Antoine de Saint-Exupery; definitely one of the best books I have read in a long time.
>>40. WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? waves crashing over rocks (funny, I never paid attention until now)>>

41. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON T.V. LAST NIGHT? Didn't watch TV last night; played cards and won heaps of money. >>

42. FAVOURITE SOUND? When someone is breathing while they are asleep - well, it's a relieving sound: they are not dead!>>

43. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? beatles.>>

44. WHAT IS THE FURTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Switzerland.. and Alaska too, but then I guess home is where the heart is, and I've tried to make many places home while I have been there.

45. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? Yeah I do, and I'm blessed with great friends who help bring out my talents

46. WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Mackay, Australia

47. DO YOU LIKE YOUR JOB? Yes - surprisingly! Never imagined myself as a truck driver, but, hey!

48 ARE YOU THE OLDEST OR YOUNGEST? Second youngest.

49: FAVOURITE PLACE TO GO SWIMMING? Sarina Beach, where I grew up.

Long Time No Write...

Hi all!

Well, it has been nearly four months since I have posted anything on my blog site, so I had better let you all know what is going on at my end of the world.

I'm back in Alaska (finally).... Things didn't really go to plan - this is me: things never go to plan - but we sorted out a solution in the end. The long and the short of it, I didn't get a visa to work here in the US. I had everything ready, and in May headed back Down Under thinking that I would get a visa in Sydney. I had a week in New Zealand catching up with friends over there before heading back to Australia in time for my Mum's birthday.

After a few weeks in Australia, I found out that everything had fallen through with my visa. That was really frustrating, because I was so confident that this would work out. And moreover, it left me at a loose end, wondering what I would do next... I didn't really have a plan B that I could fall back on. I was frustrated and confused. Brian and I scratched our heads, and tried to work out what we would do next.

First of all, we decided to put the visa application process on hold... It had been time consuming, gut-wrenching and just out and out exhausting. We also figured that if I attack the visa paperwork after a year, I'll have renewed energy and fresh eyes with which to approach it.

As for what I would do in the meantime, well, my Dad and I came up with a working solution: I would stay in Australia and work for him for the time being, and I could travel back and forth between Alaska to visit Brian. And for now, that's what I am doing. My Dad is a scrapmetal trader in Mackay, and I'm driving one of his trucks. So, I'm a truckie for the time being. Yep, it is something that I never imagined doing, but hey, it works!

So I worked for my Dad for three months in Australia before making it back here at the end of August, in time for Brian's birthday. It's good being back in Alaska... Second time around I have settled back in quite quickly. I'm going to stay here until just after Alaska Day (18 October) and then I'll head back to Australia for another stint of work.

So, that's my news, really. Sorry I have been out of touch. Following below is a blog entry that I never posted. I wrote it back when I was here last time.


---------------------


Anchorage and Jeopardy!



"I'll choose.... American cities for $400, please."

Well, recently I took a trip to Anchorage. Anhorage is the largest city in Alaska and the travel guidebooks say that from Anchorage "Alaska is only fifteen minutes away". It is kind of true. It is an international hub for some of the major oil and petroleum companies (given its proximity to the oilfields on the North Slope and Prudhoe Bay), not to mention one of the busiest air cargo ports in the US. In terms of urban jungle, it isn't too big, but it is sprawly. It is kind of like Christchurch in that respect - very spread out. In fact, it is a bit of an ugly place: when the tide goes out the Turnagain and Knik arms empty out and it look like a bit of a mudflat. Unsuspecting tourists have been known to wander out onto the mudflats and get stuck; the tide turns and sadly, many have drowned.
As for the comment that from Anchorage "Alaska is only fifteen minutes away" well, you'd be forgiven if you forgot that you were actually in Alaska while visiting Anchorage. City-wise, it could be anywhere in the US. However, the mountain ranges of the Chugach, and the highest peak in the US, Mt. MicKinley can be seen in the distance - the reminder that Alaska isn't really too far away.

I jumped in the car and took a drive to little village called Whittier. This place is a very cool slice of Alaska: little village, right on the sea, friendly locals - and the town is built on the other side of a mountain and you have to drive through a tunnel to get there. But the tunnel is only open at certain times of the day, so you might end up in this place longer than you could otherwise expect.

A few exciting things happened while I was in Anchorage. I saw the State Governor unveil what will be Alaska's state quarter. The design chosen was one of a grizzly bear catching a salmon in a stream, with the slogan "The Great Land". So, it wasn't the one that I voted for, the one that said "Land of the Midnight Sun", but it is still pretty cool. It will be released next year.

Another crazy and exciting thing that I did while in Anchorage was try out for the TV game show 'Jeopardy!'. Jeopardy is a trivia quiz where you are given the answer, so you must give the correct question. For example: you'll be given "This is situated on the east coast of Australia and is the largest city in the country," and you must respond with "Where is Sydney?" Anyway, they were having try-outs in Anchorage to go on Jeopardy. So, I had to give it a go!
Now, I recommend reading Raybon Kan's article "US Wheel of Fortune: An Epic Life Experience" if you want to really know what trying out for a US game show is like! It seems that just about everyone here in America wants to go on a game show... and only a few make it!
Anyway, as for my Jeopardy experience, it was soooooo much fun! And, I made it through to the second round! Basically, you had to take a written test, and if you pass that, you go onto the next round with a longer test, and if you pass that, you're pretty much on the show. So I took the first test, and passed it! And then we got to play just-for-fun Jeopardy and won cool prizes like Jeopardy hats and pens. Anyway, I went back the next day for the second round. It was fun too, but the test was much longer and harder, and it was question about the US which eventually knocked me out: stuff about presidents, and US rivers and mountains.... I didn't have a clue. And there was one question that I completely mucked up: "What Grand Duchy is situated next to the Belgian province of the same name?" I quickly scribbled down Leichtenstein...... It wasn't until several hours later after my audition had finished that I smacked my forehead and said, "YOU IDIOT! It's not Leichtenstien. It's Luxembourg!" Damn! Maybe I could have been on Jeopardy if I had gotten that one right!