Something just hit me like a ton of bricks. Proverbially, anyway, thankfully, since I've suffered enough headaches for one lifetime.
I was, again, proverbially, playing a tight-aggressive type of strategy: waiting for the nuts and planning to push hard when dealt the winning hand. Easy as, right? So, with patience and a little sweat, I could make a new life of new friends and meet that special someone, settle down with her in Australia and forget about all the political problems of the world. That was the plan when I got that study visa in 2005, anyway. (Gosh, that long ago?)
Since Australian women seem to fall into my uncle's lap - two that I'm aware of - I thought I'd have a pretty good shot, being an actual uni student there and everything. Or at least just have a plain old good time. However, it wasn't to be, which was a mighty disappointing blow.
Hang on a minute though...
What if, what if, what if? The reason I didn't find a way to get married and settle down (at least not at time of writing this) is because that's not part of God's plan for me. Maybe I'm not meant to escape the New World Order nightmare but rather live it, breathe it and of course fight it. Really? Me? A blue-blooded armed or unarmed revolutionary? Surely shome mishtake!
The "better" countries of the world - e.g. Australia, Canada, Iceland, New Zealand, Norway, Switzerland and a handful of tiny British dependencies here and there (none too keen on immigration!) - are bound to succumb to some or all of the NWO totalitarian globalist agenda at some point anyway; their democratic structures have proven more resilient but that may only delay rather than prevent their absorption and enslavement. Many of these countries' politicians are clearly not averse to the NWO ideals.
Bundling up and putting aside that revolutionary dream/nightmare, let us begin a game of Russian Roulette.
1. Meet Aussie dream girl and marry her.
2. Build very successful (Swiss-based?) career.
3. 1 plus 2 (yes, 1+2=3 :P)
4. Live off the land in Jamaica, plucking fruit from trees.
5. Be a revolutionary foot soldier, preferably unarmed and non-violent.
6. Death.
WHIRRRRRRRR! (spinneth the chamber of the gun)
Friday, April 8, 2011
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Let it snow!
When your guardian angel sings out, it happens!
I was supposed to fly to the EUSSR yesterday to see Mum! (Please, no quips about being able to walk thither from Geneva. ;) Thanks to the weather, that so didn't happen. Geneva airport was closed all day and there are no available convenient flights - i.e. daytime, not late at night - until Monday.
Shuffling back to Lausanne for a couple of days eliminates the Geneva accommodation crunch but after all the stresses of rebooking etc. and travelling after rush hour wound up arriving late(ish) at night. Getting accosted by weird druggie types downtown after 10pm is the last thing you need on days like these, although bad though that is, it still beats getting mugged. I speak from experience - isn't life interesting? No, I didn't get mugged in Switzerland. Do we have muggings in Switzerland? Sadly yes but thankfully it's still quite rare. Not as safe as, say, Singapore, but Swiss cities are generally fairly navigable at night if you use some common sense. Juvenile delinquency is probably worse than it was 20 years ago. Switzerland may be undergoing some of the social changes which affected Britain in the 1960s, it's a bit hard to say. I do say that Western societies are far too soft on crime, especially violent offenders. This won't change, however, without serious political gravitas and conviction. The Swiss people voted in a recent referendum for automatic deportation with no right of appeal for foreign criminals, but this won't affect soft sentencing in general. The Swiss yobs who went on a violent drunken rampage in Munich last year and almost murdered one of their victims were eligible for up to ten years in a jerry jail (the highest sentence given was seven, however), whereas the maximum sentence in Switzerland for them would be four years. Not good enough. Prisons are too soft as well, looking after the "human rights" of the crims over and above those of their victims. Not good enough. Even Switzerland is affected by this PC rubbish too. How does being kind to criminals control crime?
Basel and Geneva really are the EUSSR's near abroad - walking distance! The stark contrast between the political systems of these countries is thereby made the more astonishing: the stifling EU dictatorship versus Swiss direct democracy (referendums).
I was supposed to fly to the EUSSR yesterday to see Mum! (Please, no quips about being able to walk thither from Geneva. ;) Thanks to the weather, that so didn't happen. Geneva airport was closed all day and there are no available convenient flights - i.e. daytime, not late at night - until Monday.
Shuffling back to Lausanne for a couple of days eliminates the Geneva accommodation crunch but after all the stresses of rebooking etc. and travelling after rush hour wound up arriving late(ish) at night. Getting accosted by weird druggie types downtown after 10pm is the last thing you need on days like these, although bad though that is, it still beats getting mugged. I speak from experience - isn't life interesting? No, I didn't get mugged in Switzerland. Do we have muggings in Switzerland? Sadly yes but thankfully it's still quite rare. Not as safe as, say, Singapore, but Swiss cities are generally fairly navigable at night if you use some common sense. Juvenile delinquency is probably worse than it was 20 years ago. Switzerland may be undergoing some of the social changes which affected Britain in the 1960s, it's a bit hard to say. I do say that Western societies are far too soft on crime, especially violent offenders. This won't change, however, without serious political gravitas and conviction. The Swiss people voted in a recent referendum for automatic deportation with no right of appeal for foreign criminals, but this won't affect soft sentencing in general. The Swiss yobs who went on a violent drunken rampage in Munich last year and almost murdered one of their victims were eligible for up to ten years in a jerry jail (the highest sentence given was seven, however), whereas the maximum sentence in Switzerland for them would be four years. Not good enough. Prisons are too soft as well, looking after the "human rights" of the crims over and above those of their victims. Not good enough. Even Switzerland is affected by this PC rubbish too. How does being kind to criminals control crime?
Basel and Geneva really are the EUSSR's near abroad - walking distance! The stark contrast between the political systems of these countries is thereby made the more astonishing: the stifling EU dictatorship versus Swiss direct democracy (referendums).
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Just ‘Cause (camera geekery included)
Now, this blog has been neglected for a bit. There just didn’t seem to be much worth inputting hitherin which could not be just as effectively, and more succinctly, fed through Twitter and/or Facebook. That remains the case IMO so I’m writing this blog entry « just ‘cause ».
Back in Switzerland, milling about the beautiful scenery and having met a wonderful Bookcrosser face to face recently, things are looking up a bit. The Swiss are seriously so lucky to have retained their sovereignty and democracy. The rest of Europe - and increasingly, most of the world - is becoming in dire need of liberation. I saw the writing on the wall many years ago.
Shooting video with a bonsai camcorder is a lot of fun sometimes. The discretion of this small device allows for naughty possibilities should one feel so inclined theretoward. It offers value for money and I was inspired by this model because of a YouTube video I saw by some guy driving through Switzerland filmed with a similar model. At this price point, there are a few limitations:
- The zoom lens and stabilizer functions cannot be used in 1080p (not a major issue for me).
- While the camera memorizes the previous resolution used, the stabilizer has to be reactivated manually every time the camera is switched on. Somewhat annoying, since virtually all my on-the-move filming is done in 720p often using both zoom lens and stabilizer.
- 480p widescreen filming is available only at 60fps so offers no economy benefits. Plus, no zoom/stabilize at 480p widescreen.
- The refocus speed in high-contrast situations is slow. The general performance of the lens is remarkably good for this price point; it’s much better than a cell phone camera, that goes without saying. I would gladly sacrifice 1080p resolution in exchange for a better lens and sharper refocusing, but in reality that is not an equal tradeoff. HD processing is much cheaper than high lens/focus quality, but the lack of the latter devalues the former.
- Relatively poor performance in low-light situations, though my model has a mini night light fitted, which does help.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Heaven on earth - the perfect country
The perfect country has:
the architecture of SPAIN
the banks of LIECHTENSTEIN
the bazaars of MOROCCO
the bullet trains of CHINA
the casinos of MONACO
the castles of WALES
the charm of LUXEMBOURG
the chili beans of MEXICO
the chocolate of BELGIUM
the churches of RUSSIA
the classical music of AUSTRIA
the coffee of COLOMBIA
the coffeemakers of ITALY
the crime rate of SINGAPORE
the engineering of GERMANY
the faux-souvenir shops of TURKEY
the fjords of NORWAY
the food portions of AMERICA
the fruit trees of JAMAICA
the heritage of EGYPT
the honey of NEW ZEALAND
the islands of GREECE
the jungle life of MALAYSIA
the landscape of IRELAND
the language of ENGLAND
the maple syrup of CANADA
the microtechnology of JAPAN
the milk of JERSEY
the panoramas of SAN MARINO
the politics of SWITZERLAND
the restaurants of INDIA
the samba of BRAZIL
the saunas of FINLAND
the springs of ICELAND
the wilderness of ANTARCTICA
and last but not least, in fact most of all...
the women of AUSTRALIA!
:) Now, any takers for rearranging the above countries to try to create Dystopia?
the architecture of SPAIN
the banks of LIECHTENSTEIN
the bazaars of MOROCCO
the bullet trains of CHINA
the casinos of MONACO
the castles of WALES
the charm of LUXEMBOURG
the chili beans of MEXICO
the chocolate of BELGIUM
the churches of RUSSIA
the classical music of AUSTRIA
the coffee of COLOMBIA
the coffeemakers of ITALY
the crime rate of SINGAPORE
the engineering of GERMANY
the faux-souvenir shops of TURKEY
the fjords of NORWAY
the food portions of AMERICA
the fruit trees of JAMAICA
the heritage of EGYPT
the honey of NEW ZEALAND
the islands of GREECE
the jungle life of MALAYSIA
the landscape of IRELAND
the language of ENGLAND
the maple syrup of CANADA
the microtechnology of JAPAN
the milk of JERSEY
the panoramas of SAN MARINO
the politics of SWITZERLAND
the restaurants of INDIA
the samba of BRAZIL
the saunas of FINLAND
the springs of ICELAND
the wilderness of ANTARCTICA
and last but not least, in fact most of all...
the women of AUSTRALIA!
:) Now, any takers for rearranging the above countries to try to create Dystopia?
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Thoughts on Sovereignty
A recent visit to the beautiful little principality of Liechtenstein - an antithesis to the notion that biggest is best - has evoked some fresh thoughts on the importance of (national/state) sovereignty, and what it really fundamentally means. What is the importance of a state? How does one define a nation, nation state, nationality, foreignness and so forth?
Let's go back to Liechtenstein and start with this basic, universally accepted fact. Liechtenstein is a sovereign nation. She is sandwiched in a valley of the upper Rhine between Swiss and Austrian alpine and nether regions. She is a small country, even in comparison to some other tiddlers such as the EU's Luxembourg (which is about fifteen times larger in both land area and population). One can drive right through Liechtenstein in a few minutes on surface streets - there are no motorways! Eveywhere you turn, around the next block is a sign advising you you're about to leave the country, whether over the unmarked Border into the Swiss canton of St Gallen, or through the Swiss-administered Customs post into Austria.
OK, so the reader is now informed that Switzerland looks after Liechtenstein's Customs affairs. This was mutually agreed between the two countries in 1919. Since Customs & excise duties are considered by some to be an important bastion of national sovereignty, this is worth contemplating. Logically, this agreement may make a lot of sense and indeed seems to have worked well, with seemingly few complaints. More puzzling, however, is the fact that Liechtenstein uses Swiss road signs: identical font and colour conventions to her western neighbour. One would think that a small country might want to assert her independent identity aggressively in these visible, cost-free and harmless ways.
Liechtenstein does exhibit other important facets of statehood: police, flag, anthem (same tune as God Save The Queen!) and of course the Post Office (a favourite among philatelists). So what does this all mean? Clearly, you don't have to be a big country to be sovereign, neutralizing similar claims by EU fanatics about needing the EU to be significant on the global stage. Sovereignty concerns a state or its people governing their own affairs without accounting to any higher authority. To that end, EU states have lost sovereignty because they are bound by the instructions from the "man in Brussels". Contradictory fudges by the German Constitutional Court make matters worse, not better, IMO. The only vestige left is that they could probably still dissolve the EU (cherish the thought!) without said man being able to do too much about it, at least not without assistance of Eurogendfor plc (just watch out). The Swiss-Liechtensteinish unmanned Border proves that friendship, co-operation and freedom of travel are perfectly possible without needing to build transnational empires. The corollary is that even in an empire or former empire (such as the British one), freedom of movement is not guaranteed. Many dependent territories impose immigration restrictions even upon their mother country's nationals to this day.
Even as recently as the 1950s and '60s Britain was a sovereign nation state called the United Kingdom. The world has never been remotely close to perfect (we're all a bunch of miserable, evil sinners after all), but weren't those better days?
Let's go back to Liechtenstein and start with this basic, universally accepted fact. Liechtenstein is a sovereign nation. She is sandwiched in a valley of the upper Rhine between Swiss and Austrian alpine and nether regions. She is a small country, even in comparison to some other tiddlers such as the EU's Luxembourg (which is about fifteen times larger in both land area and population). One can drive right through Liechtenstein in a few minutes on surface streets - there are no motorways! Eveywhere you turn, around the next block is a sign advising you you're about to leave the country, whether over the unmarked Border into the Swiss canton of St Gallen, or through the Swiss-administered Customs post into Austria.
OK, so the reader is now informed that Switzerland looks after Liechtenstein's Customs affairs. This was mutually agreed between the two countries in 1919. Since Customs & excise duties are considered by some to be an important bastion of national sovereignty, this is worth contemplating. Logically, this agreement may make a lot of sense and indeed seems to have worked well, with seemingly few complaints. More puzzling, however, is the fact that Liechtenstein uses Swiss road signs: identical font and colour conventions to her western neighbour. One would think that a small country might want to assert her independent identity aggressively in these visible, cost-free and harmless ways.
Liechtenstein does exhibit other important facets of statehood: police, flag, anthem (same tune as God Save The Queen!) and of course the Post Office (a favourite among philatelists). So what does this all mean? Clearly, you don't have to be a big country to be sovereign, neutralizing similar claims by EU fanatics about needing the EU to be significant on the global stage. Sovereignty concerns a state or its people governing their own affairs without accounting to any higher authority. To that end, EU states have lost sovereignty because they are bound by the instructions from the "man in Brussels". Contradictory fudges by the German Constitutional Court make matters worse, not better, IMO. The only vestige left is that they could probably still dissolve the EU (cherish the thought!) without said man being able to do too much about it, at least not without assistance of Eurogendfor plc (just watch out). The Swiss-Liechtensteinish unmanned Border proves that friendship, co-operation and freedom of travel are perfectly possible without needing to build transnational empires. The corollary is that even in an empire or former empire (such as the British one), freedom of movement is not guaranteed. Many dependent territories impose immigration restrictions even upon their mother country's nationals to this day.
Even as recently as the 1950s and '60s Britain was a sovereign nation state called the United Kingdom. The world has never been remotely close to perfect (we're all a bunch of miserable, evil sinners after all), but weren't those better days?
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
In Sickness and in Health
A slightly belated Happy New Year to all blogosphere readers, from snowy Brighton, East Sussex, UK(-raine), EU(SSR)! I've been here for two weeks now, one thing after the next preventing me from leaving, the most recent of all being a Norovirus-style severe stomach bug that left me reeling in agony for a couple of days. It's still a problem but a few pills have at least sorted out the excruciating pains. And eating (sensibly!) is still possible, thankfully.
The sometimes heavy snow has slowed down the pace of things somewhat, so there are still more family visits to be made - and these might as well be made since I have the time.
PS the subject title is nothing to do with marriage prospects at the present time, alas.
The sometimes heavy snow has slowed down the pace of things somewhat, so there are still more family visits to be made - and these might as well be made since I have the time.
PS the subject title is nothing to do with marriage prospects at the present time, alas.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Lunch in Lausanne
So... I had a brief brush with Basel (excuse the little pun - if you spot it) and the Christmas market there is spiffing. Thanks Tina for tipping me off about that - I think it was you anyway.
At the moment of writing I'm whizzing through the countryside of the decidedly French region of Switzerland on an Intercity train so it occurred to me to blog something.
I'm en route to Geneva with a stopover in Lausanne. It wasn't till the last minute I realized the train I was riding didn't run via Lausanne, so here I am on another train. It was about -2ºC this morning so I'll be ripe for a good warm lunch when I arrive.
After exploring Geneva for a couple of days I'll be flying away to the UK to see my family for Christmas. Given the price of the flight (with EasyJet, never flown with them before) I didn't have much of an excuse not to. Today I read in the paper about an incident on an EasyJet plane flying to Nice, that the passengers were forced to brace for an emergency landing 'cause the flight crew thought the landing gear had failed, and then everything miraculously turned out all right! Why watch Air Crash Investigation when you can experience the real deal? :o
Since I'm now in francophone territory, guess it's time to scrape a little rust off the schoolboy French. Over and out... merci pour votre attention, et au revoir.
At the moment of writing I'm whizzing through the countryside of the decidedly French region of Switzerland on an Intercity train so it occurred to me to blog something.
I'm en route to Geneva with a stopover in Lausanne. It wasn't till the last minute I realized the train I was riding didn't run via Lausanne, so here I am on another train. It was about -2ºC this morning so I'll be ripe for a good warm lunch when I arrive.
After exploring Geneva for a couple of days I'll be flying away to the UK to see my family for Christmas. Given the price of the flight (with EasyJet, never flown with them before) I didn't have much of an excuse not to. Today I read in the paper about an incident on an EasyJet plane flying to Nice, that the passengers were forced to brace for an emergency landing 'cause the flight crew thought the landing gear had failed, and then everything miraculously turned out all right! Why watch Air Crash Investigation when you can experience the real deal? :o
Since I'm now in francophone territory, guess it's time to scrape a little rust off the schoolboy French. Over and out... merci pour votre attention, et au revoir.
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Eins, zwei, Polizei
If you're coloured, you must be a drug dealer, right?
Well that's what the Swiss police seem to believe. I was committing the "heinous crime" of Ambling Along Marktplatz Looking For A Nibble On A Sunday Afternoon While Black, and was approached by two unmarked, ununiformed police officers. I backed away a bit, 'cause I thought they might be a bit dodgy, but then one of the agents tugged me gently by the arm and the other drew a police id. Ahh... then it was the usual "where's your id? Got any drugs? What are you up to? Empty your pockets and let us pat you down" spiel before they left. They asked "did you think we were gonna mug you?" but after getting myself together a bit I realized that I suspected something very vaguely along that line. I've been mugged before (in Sydney though) and I didn't even realize these guys were cops till one showed the id. It's been my second stop'n'search in less than a month here.
The racism is not so much in the "show your id" Personenkontrolle, which is almost de rigueur in a lot of the European subcontinent (and some other parts of the world) - yes, sometimes even if you're white. It lies in the belief that anyone with a dark skin colour is probably a drug pusher. Switzerland is known as a "benevolent" police state but I didn't find this stop'n'search check all that benevolent. If I'm going to settle in Switzerland permanently, can I handle this every month or other week? I don't know. When I'm married I'll be able to reëmigrate to Australia or New Zealand (if I, rather we, wish) where the police, while not perfect, are not anywhere near as paranoid as to believe that practically every person with a coloured face must be carrying drugs or doing something dodgy.
I still bid the officers a good day after all that: it's the courteous thing to do, even to the racially prejudiced Swiss police. I'll bid an extra good day to you blog readers too of course. :)
Well that's what the Swiss police seem to believe. I was committing the "heinous crime" of Ambling Along Marktplatz Looking For A Nibble On A Sunday Afternoon While Black, and was approached by two unmarked, ununiformed police officers. I backed away a bit, 'cause I thought they might be a bit dodgy, but then one of the agents tugged me gently by the arm and the other drew a police id. Ahh... then it was the usual "where's your id? Got any drugs? What are you up to? Empty your pockets and let us pat you down" spiel before they left. They asked "did you think we were gonna mug you?" but after getting myself together a bit I realized that I suspected something very vaguely along that line. I've been mugged before (in Sydney though) and I didn't even realize these guys were cops till one showed the id. It's been my second stop'n'search in less than a month here.
The racism is not so much in the "show your id" Personenkontrolle, which is almost de rigueur in a lot of the European subcontinent (and some other parts of the world) - yes, sometimes even if you're white. It lies in the belief that anyone with a dark skin colour is probably a drug pusher. Switzerland is known as a "benevolent" police state but I didn't find this stop'n'search check all that benevolent. If I'm going to settle in Switzerland permanently, can I handle this every month or other week? I don't know. When I'm married I'll be able to reëmigrate to Australia or New Zealand (if I, rather we, wish) where the police, while not perfect, are not anywhere near as paranoid as to believe that practically every person with a coloured face must be carrying drugs or doing something dodgy.
I still bid the officers a good day after all that: it's the courteous thing to do, even to the racially prejudiced Swiss police. I'll bid an extra good day to you blog readers too of course. :)
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Farewell Australia
And ne'er again an "international student" shall be.
It was an interesting three years or so - a good deal of which was spent in New Zealand anyway.
Still célibataire. No problem with that per se. However...
- I spent a whole semester at uni. I made not one real friend as a result of that, in spite of attending classes diligently and being signed up to almost every social group under the sun. Add to that the visa issue, inability to defer studies and the banal attitude of the uni admin, and it was a short road to the exit.
- BLESS THE LORD for the good Christian friends I made in Brisbane and Sydney through the church. I am grateful to/for them for making my time in Australia better/more bearable/more enjoyable.
- CURSE the Department of Immigration And Citizenship (DIAC) for making this country so closed to outsiders, but those are the rules and that is that. Thanks for nothing DIAC!
- Advice: don't be an international student or guest worker. Permanent residence, tourist or nothing are the only ways. Also I will not openly advocate illegal migration as a good solution.
I missed seeing the Great Barrier Reef from Port Douglas and Cairns due to terrible weather conditions. That will have to wait till next time.
I did not make it to Uluru/Kata Tjuta. However, given that Uluru has been sitting there for 100 million years, it will most likely still be there when I visit Australia again. And I surely will be back!
Advice to the lovely sweet laidback drop-dead-gorgeous young Aussie chick who enters my life (when this finally happens!): please love me for who I am. Don't just marry me for my 10315 Singapore Airlines frequent flier points. ;)
With any luck, I'll be back over here for a bit... in a year or two. I'd best think about making my way to the airport: my flight to Singapore leaves soon.
It was an interesting three years or so - a good deal of which was spent in New Zealand anyway.
Still célibataire. No problem with that per se. However...
- I spent a whole semester at uni. I made not one real friend as a result of that, in spite of attending classes diligently and being signed up to almost every social group under the sun. Add to that the visa issue, inability to defer studies and the banal attitude of the uni admin, and it was a short road to the exit.
- BLESS THE LORD for the good Christian friends I made in Brisbane and Sydney through the church. I am grateful to/for them for making my time in Australia better/more bearable/more enjoyable.
- CURSE the Department of Immigration And Citizenship (DIAC) for making this country so closed to outsiders, but those are the rules and that is that. Thanks for nothing DIAC!
- Advice: don't be an international student or guest worker. Permanent residence, tourist or nothing are the only ways. Also I will not openly advocate illegal migration as a good solution.
I missed seeing the Great Barrier Reef from Port Douglas and Cairns due to terrible weather conditions. That will have to wait till next time.
I did not make it to Uluru/Kata Tjuta. However, given that Uluru has been sitting there for 100 million years, it will most likely still be there when I visit Australia again. And I surely will be back!
Advice to the lovely sweet laidback drop-dead-gorgeous young Aussie chick who enters my life (when this finally happens!): please love me for who I am. Don't just marry me for my 10315 Singapore Airlines frequent flier points. ;)
With any luck, I'll be back over here for a bit... in a year or two. I'd best think about making my way to the airport: my flight to Singapore leaves soon.
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Plane sailing
I could write more about celibacy and/or why I'll only date Aussie girls - I probably will - but I'd rather change the subject for a while. Since I'm typing this midflight en route to Avalon airport (Victoria) I might instead contemplate all the technological marvels in which I can recall being privileged to fly:
Airbus A320; A330; A340 series
ATR 42; 72
Boeing 727; 737; 747; 757; 767
Bombardier Dash 8-300
Cessna 172
Embraer 170
Fokker 28; 50
McDonnell-Douglas DC10
The above list is not exhaustive. For starters I've flown in two Cessnas and they were different models but cannot remember the number of the other one. One was a seaplane and the other not. There may well be other omissions since I've flown well over 100 times in my life and long since stopped counting!
Airbus A320; A330; A340 series
ATR 42; 72
Boeing 727; 737; 747; 757; 767
Bombardier Dash 8-300
Cessna 172
Embraer 170
Fokker 28; 50
McDonnell-Douglas DC10
The above list is not exhaustive. For starters I've flown in two Cessnas and they were different models but cannot remember the number of the other one. One was a seaplane and the other not. There may well be other omissions since I've flown well over 100 times in my life and long since stopped counting!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Exciting times! (Relatively.)
Not only am I due to fly to Sydney in a couple of weeks' time, but I've finally booked tickets to Switzerland with a brief Singapore stopover, with Singapore Airlines. So a new country to visit, even if briefly, and then a prospective new European home, if the work is there (a strong if during the current economic climate).
While I don't presently possess outstanding academic or vocational qualifications, I at least carry the advantage of flexibility: I'm willing to (find) work in any of the 26 cantons (states), though without Italian, my prospects in Ticino probably aren't great.
Switzerland has a pretty steep cost of living (Zürich makes Sydney seem cheap!) so I've got maybe a couple of months to find a proper job. Plus, a solid work contract or stiff bundle of $$$ (should that be FFF? :) is required to smooth the residency (B-EFTA permit) application process. But at least I have the option to settle legally in Switzerland. Other "good" countries/territories aren't interested[*]. Yes, Norway is beautiful, I know, but it's not really my kind of society, even though Norwegians are generally very decent people.
[*] Sadly, the prospects of a Hannan- or Farage-led Britain are pretty scarce at the present time.
Not only am I due to fly to Sydney in a couple of weeks' time, but I've finally booked tickets to Switzerland with a brief Singapore stopover, with Singapore Airlines. So a new country to visit, even if briefly, and then a prospective new European home, if the work is there (a strong if during the current economic climate).
While I don't presently possess outstanding academic or vocational qualifications, I at least carry the advantage of flexibility: I'm willing to (find) work in any of the 26 cantons (states), though without Italian, my prospects in Ticino probably aren't great.
Switzerland has a pretty steep cost of living (Zürich makes Sydney seem cheap!) so I've got maybe a couple of months to find a proper job. Plus, a solid work contract or stiff bundle of $$$ (should that be FFF? :) is required to smooth the residency (B-EFTA permit) application process. But at least I have the option to settle legally in Switzerland. Other "good" countries/territories aren't interested[*]. Yes, Norway is beautiful, I know, but it's not really my kind of society, even though Norwegians are generally very decent people.
[*] Sadly, the prospects of a Hannan- or Farage-led Britain are pretty scarce at the present time.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Now I've taken the plunge and signed onto Twitter. My userid there is nobbynobbynoob. My Twitter page links to here, and this page links to Twitter - lol.
It looks good. Following the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle it runs quite a fair jot faster than Facebook, which is refreshing. Since I'm a rookie user, I now have to navigate all its foibles and pitfalls - wish me luck!
It looks good. Following the KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid) principle it runs quite a fair jot faster than Facebook, which is refreshing. Since I'm a rookie user, I now have to navigate all its foibles and pitfalls - wish me luck!
Friday, July 17, 2009
Indonesia bombings
Well now, there's been another horrid terrorist attack in Indonesia. It's a terrible event, and thus no shocking surprise that the Australian government is trying to discourage its citizens from traveling to Indonesia at all. Drawback for yours truly, is, if he is still single at the end of this year, the purpose of heading to Bali to try to meet women on summer vacation will be nullified: there won't be any there if the government's plans succeed! So maybe time to scratch off that part of the itinerary. Whistler could still be okay though.
Bloody terrorists.
Bloody terrorists.
Friday, July 10, 2009
Today's musical acquisitions
I just pulled yet another bunch of obscure (or not-so-obscure) Kylie songs this arvo, including the original 1987 Duffy production of Locomotion (as opposed to the 1988 PWL remix exported worldwide that's common currency). In vinyl form a copy of this is worth a mint nowadays, apparently: scarcity value is all.
Some people think S.A.W. productions/remixes were heinous crimes against music, but I always really liked the PWL remix more than the older Duffy one. However, I subsequently realized that my issue with the Duffy recording is his mixing and overemphasis on the bass rather than Kylie's (oh soooo sweet) voice. A little tinkering with the equalizer on a good sound editor sorted that out, and my EQ-adjusted version sounds better IMHO. This bunch of tracks is pretty good haul for a couple of hours' work!
"C'mon, c'mon, do the locomotion with me!" :)
Some people think S.A.W. productions/remixes were heinous crimes against music, but I always really liked the PWL remix more than the older Duffy one. However, I subsequently realized that my issue with the Duffy recording is his mixing and overemphasis on the bass rather than Kylie's (oh soooo sweet) voice. A little tinkering with the equalizer on a good sound editor sorted that out, and my EQ-adjusted version sounds better IMHO. This bunch of tracks is pretty good haul for a couple of hours' work!
"C'mon, c'mon, do the locomotion with me!" :)
Thursday, July 9, 2009
I popped into JB HiFi just an hour or so ago to check out the prices of so-called "16-gig" (more like 14) flash sticks. My iTunes music collection is expanding at a furious rate and I need to make a backup copy (it doesn't all fit on my "8-gig" (in actuality 7,4GB) iPod nano). Such a flash stick costs $140, which isn't horribly expensive, but I would prefer not to need to spend that kind of money at the moment, since it's money I don't really have. I already spent money I don't have buying a new HP mini notebook and iPod nano in the first instance. Also, I need at least to try to save up a few pennies to help with my trip to Sydney next month. It's hard to believe this is all coming up so soon. The Bookcrossing Convention and my planned fresh start in Switzerland are only about nine months away now. Goodness.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
It's that time of year again
As winter draws in, it seems like action is thin on the ground right now. But next Thursday is Kylie Minogue's birthday, and its rapid approach reminds me not only of the old adage tempus fugit but also why I only date Aussie girls and no others (no way, no how). For better or worse, I had a near uncontrollable crush on Kylie in the 1980s, and other superstars of the likes of Neighbours and Home and Away weren't half bad either. :)
So, on the everlasting and elusive topic of dating, this feels like the right time not just to confirm my continued efforts in the online/distance socializing arena but also to prepare a new "Three Year Plan" to up the ante/effort in order to maximize my chances of meeting [Aussie] women. My uncle D first found his at age 33 or so, so this feels like an appropriate timeframe. If such a serious relationship still eludes me at that point, I can only figure that celibacy is meant for me, part of God's plan, so to speak. After an Aussie "sheila", celibacy for life is my second choice.
The "Three Year Plan" will likely comprise travel plans for Bali and Whistler before the Amsterdam Bookcrossing Convention next year. Further city break and general budget holidays to international hostels and similar locations where single women are relatively likely to be found will also feature on the agenda, parallel to the general career and find-permanent-job-and-settle-in-Switzerland plan. Finding a girlfriend in the meantime will of course upset the agenda entirely, but in a good way - that's a bridge best cross should one be lucky enough to encounter it. There is no use attempting to solve a "problem" not yet extant, IMHO.
So, on the everlasting and elusive topic of dating, this feels like the right time not just to confirm my continued efforts in the online/distance socializing arena but also to prepare a new "Three Year Plan" to up the ante/effort in order to maximize my chances of meeting [Aussie] women. My uncle D first found his at age 33 or so, so this feels like an appropriate timeframe. If such a serious relationship still eludes me at that point, I can only figure that celibacy is meant for me, part of God's plan, so to speak. After an Aussie "sheila", celibacy for life is my second choice.
The "Three Year Plan" will likely comprise travel plans for Bali and Whistler before the Amsterdam Bookcrossing Convention next year. Further city break and general budget holidays to international hostels and similar locations where single women are relatively likely to be found will also feature on the agenda, parallel to the general career and find-permanent-job-and-settle-in-Switzerland plan. Finding a girlfriend in the meantime will of course upset the agenda entirely, but in a good way - that's a bridge best cross should one be lucky enough to encounter it. There is no use attempting to solve a "problem" not yet extant, IMHO.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
This is my first post-Christchurch Bookcrossing Covention update, bullet style.
- Mum seems to be enjoying herself in Queenstown, which is good, 'cause it's a cool place.
- I enjoyed the Convention myself, not bad for a first attempt - LOL.
- I'm making very vague and tentative future life plans around next year's Convention. The immigration controls in Australasia are too much to bear, so the time is drawing in for a new European life, preferably with an Australian spouse (de facto or de jure) by my side. That search continues muchly in earnest. Resettlement in Switzerland as a celibate would have to involve some pretty far-fetched long-distance/online dating plans, and relocating to the opposite side of the world to settle down and look for a (semi-)permanent job in the midst/aftermath of an economic depression is challenge enough. Plus, conservative Switzerland is often more of a "who you know" rather than a "what you know" place, and foreign vocational qualifications may have little to no value there, so getting menial job training on this side of the world, say, as a barista or card dealer, won't mean much. :( (FWIW, Aussie spouse or lifelong celibacy are my only two choices.)
- Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Switzerland are relatively desirable places to live in this generally terrible world of ours, but only Switzerland is willing to take me. So maybe Switzerland it has to be. At least maybe my family will be able to visit me every so often if I'm there.
- Et cetera.
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