Fortune's Always Hiding...

There is hope yet. That's all that needs to be said. Old Trafford last match of the season...Bolton en route who I don't fancy at the best of times.

We're still in there and even a few pints of the gold stuff isn't going to temper my caution despite a 3-0 win.

City Cat

Today is Saturday and we have spent the first night in our new place, albeit on a blow up bed in the study area as we have no curtains/ blinds as yet.

That's an aside. As today is Saturday we are going back to the farmers' market at the Brisbane Powerhouse. As usual our chosen mode of transport is the City Cat, an inner city ferry service that plies its trade from the University of Queensland in the West of Brisbane, up to Brett's Wharf in the East - neither of which we have actually been to as yet (in the three weeks we have been here we haven't actually strayed much outside of the city area at all - all in good time I say).

Not much else to report about the City Cat except to say it is regular, prompt, relatively cheap ($3.90 for a return) and well connected to other modes of transport ie there are buses awaiting its arrival or they arrive within a few minutes of arrival, as opposed to the bus having left before its arrival. Ahhh the benefits of an integrated transport policy.

"Is this our first Friday night out?"

Live from the victory (our new local to be): no love it's Tuesday.

The wisdom of mid-week public holidays. You've gotta love 'em!

Stu and Em xx

Anzac Day

Tomorrow is Anzac Day, a special day for Australians (and Kiwis too for that matter) for it is when they remember their fallen countrymen who have given their lives in the various conflicts around the world.

Services traditionally begin at 4.28 am for that is when the first troops went ashore at Gallipoli, the first serious engagement of Australian troops in world war one.

There is also to be a parade that commences at 10am which is a chance to give support to those who fought in the various conflicts who were safely returned. I am not Australian but i intend to be there to support those who fought for whatever reason and as a mark of respect for my newly adopted home.

Home Brew

I am loving the fact that in the local supermarket (it is a Woolworths which did surprise me very much as Woolies here is nothing like Woolies at home, Woolies as we may know it in the UK is a shop called Target - confused?), well anyway I am not blogging to comment on the food retail market in Australia, more to remark that I love the fact that there is a home brew section in said Supermarket. Good work.

Walking With Jays

I am sure that there is a good reason for it, but being an Englishman and the fact that I consider it my god given right to try and navigate my way across roads, I do not necessarily agree with it - folks I am on about jaywalking Jaywalking (odd term) is illegal in Australia and consequently this means that I start thinking about navigating my way around town, not necessarily in the most direct manner, but more by the path of least resistance ie where I will encounter fewest crossings. I could disobey the rules I think I hear many of you saying to yourselves, but there are some very good reasons why I don't: 1) Living in the city the rozzers are reputedly very sneaky, they sit in car park entrances and then pounce; if caught 2) The fine is $60 (only about £20 or 10 pints of Carlton Draught in the Pig) 3) I consider myself an ambassador for my country here and don't want to get caught and be considered "another bleeding pom who cannot obey the law" Now I haven't really explained the aggravation this causes me. Consider this example: To get to my office (the office of the company that pays my wages rather than the company I am currently working at) is on the face of it a very simple journey, down one road. To get into the office I have to cross a minimum of three inter-sections, there is no shorter route. Further the annoying thing is, to get across one inter-section you have to wait for the facing traffic to be brought to a halt by the traffic lights (reasonable enough) but then to cross a crossing that runs perpendicular to that which you have just crossed, you have to wait for the relevant traffic to get stopped too. Not too major, it just all adds up and causes me some annoyance. Rant over, spleen vented and just gonna have to live with it (or move to a pedestrianised city).

Evening All

Nah, I haven't been arrested....just it is the evening here. Well it has been a while, and also today marks the first anniversary, in weekly terms, of our arrival in Brisbane. It has been interesting - in a good way. Have completed my first week in the office - just. Information overload has been the oft used phrase this week. The company are certainly a good bunch - which is nice, just lots to get to grips with: new processes, new language, new way of doing things around here. No room for complacency and still much to learn. However things are possibly looking up and I may have my first client based assignment. Not counting ones chickens so more about it should it come off. Other news: Brisbane is a great city. I really cannot say much more than that. Compact enough to get around and yet big enough to really feel like a city. Folks here are friendly (couldn't imagine a Londoner offering you directions, then again I couldn't imagine a Londoner accepting them - as I did!). No hoodies - nice, just plenty of Emo/ Goth dudes (why you would cake your face in make up in temperatures of 20+ degrees I do not know (considering this is Autumn I wouldn't like to consider whether they do this in summer. Many of the restaurants here have a BYO policy so you can take a decent bottle of wine in with you and only get charged $1.50 (yes I have to think in dollars now) or so corkage. That segues nicely into the subject of my earlier blogs: the noble rot. I came here not necessarily expecting to see some of the same Aussie producers that you get in the UK - how wrong was I as were those who had informed me of this. Recent samples: Kangarilla Road Shiraz but not enough jam and fruit for Em (I quite liked its understated approach , so obviously a Shiraz yet smoother than others). Another wine, although not sampled, that I was pleasantly surprised to see was d'Arenberg's Feral Fox Pinot Noir a wine that I had the fortune to sample in the UK, but was rather difficult to get hold of - not so here: three cases just sitting unopened in a little bottle shop we went to last night. Tonight's wares: Battle of Bosworth Shiraz, lovingly being decanted in a plastic jug (all we have before I am branded a philistine!) I'll try and let you know how it is soon.

1-0 to the Cockney Boys

Well despite my earlier thoughts about falling asleep and not being able to stay awake for the footy, I actually managed to do so. I'll let Em fill in the detail about playing canasta and how she beat me and how that led to me watching the footy. The main thing to understand is that the mighty Hammers beat the Arse and managed to maintain three victories in a row and condemn the Arse to their first defeat at the Emirates Stadium. As importantly for me, I met the Brisbane Hammers in the Pig & Whistle (see earlier post) and hopefully this will lead to a fruitful relationship with some true claret and blue. All I can really say is: "Our East London is beautiful, our East London is beautiful....."

Robinson's Pig & Whistle

One of my favourite books is McCarthy's Bar by the late Pete McCarthy, a book in which the author follows a self-created rule that you should never pass a bar that bears your own name. Well I have a semi-official personal rule that means that I cannot pass a pub/ bar that has the name "Pig & Whistle". A bit of a tribute to my own late father who, for a fair few of his latter years drank in a pub of the same name. This unofficial rule started last year when Em and I chanced upon a P&W in Rotorua, North Island, New Zealand. The Odyssey continued yesterday, when, on our first little foray into Brisbane, and looking to locate my new office, I chanced upon a Pig & Whistle here in Brisbane! I was distraught, as you can no doubt gather, to realise that as it is only along the road from the office it may well become the post-work boozer!Oh and they are showing the Hammers vs The Arse tonight, programme starts at 11:55pm (as folks who know will testify, I can barely stay awake for MOTD so I don't hold much hope of seeing the match).

Rogues Gallery: If Seen, Do NOT Approach!

We have arrived in Singapore! I wanted my first post on my journey to Brisbane to actually be my rogues gallery, the mugshots of all those individuals who we managed to catch up with in the last four weeks in the UK. You're all great pals and this is my way of showing my appreciation. xx

Phase 1 In Which Doris DIDN'T Get Her Oats

Well basically the first flight has been successfully completed. The real magic is not that I am able to post a blog from Dubai airport but more to do with the fact that they upgraded us to Business class for the London-Dubai leg of our enjoy. Marvellous! More to come when we get to Singapore..... Stu