Kisholi’s posterous

Have managed to hit the apartment gym once since Monday which is pathetic. Frankly the gym is a bit useless - no free weights, not even a single pink dumbell so have been forced to make do with the stupid machines and yoga. Of course I have not used any kind of transport since getting off the taxi from the airport on the second of this month, so that adds up to a lot of fast (cold with occasional rain) walking.

Cooked dinner for three nights running now and am feeling quite accomplished. It's easy when all the equipment is at arms length and easy to use (did I mention the fully furnished apartment?) and the ingredients are simple (meat, vegetables, lard and few seasonings). Dinner tonight: beef, pork, garlic, onion, snow peas, purple cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, bell pepper and salt/pepper/paprika/chillie. I've been trying to stick to stuff I don't usually get to eat at home because they are either expensive or plain unavailable.

Work is still crazy. My phone card has run out and I don't even have time to go looking for a post office. Overslept today and had to run to make it to office at a respectable time. Have permanent dark circles under my eyes. I have never looked forward to a weekend this much.

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Work is starting to get a bit crazy so posts are likely to be very sparse and hurried.

Sunday night was dinner and drinks at a pub in Glenelg where a friend was playing a gig. Good music, yummy food, great people and too much red wine resulted in quite a pleasant Sunday night overall.

In other heartening news, I have moved into the most awesome apartments  - I'd take pictures but don't have the time. Anyway, the pictures on the site are exactly what it looks like. Mine doesn't have a view though because it was a last minute arrangement but I'm not complaining.

Had steak and salad for dinner at the restaurant downstairs though I should really go shopping and start cooking. There's a gym/pool/sauna etc which if I don't have to work too late tonight I will be checking out first thing tomorrow morning.

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Was going to attend a guided tour of St Peter's Cathedral yesterday but walked in the wrong direction, got lost and ended up at Victoria Square and was struck dumb by the awesomeness of it all. The bloody architecture in this town just renders me speechless. Who needs Italy when you've got Adelaide?
 
So while sitting on a bench in Victoria Park and trying to get my bearings I heard some lovely church bells and ended up crossing the road to The Cathedral of St Xavier. One thing led to another and I ended up attending Solemn Mass. Yep, half of it was in Latin too. Bloody brilliant. I've always been a classicist when it comes to these things anyway.
 
Why don't I let the pictures speak for themselves?

                         

Click here to download:

Lost_but_whos_complaining.zip (6277 KB)

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Having got out of bed eventually, I spent most of the afternoon/evening walking around eating/drinking and buying stuff.

Found a 1TB desktop external drive in the AUD220-240 range for brands like western digital and maxtor and am seriously pondering getting one though I need someone to check those prices and let me know if it is worth it. The 1TB would be for both me and R so even if we decide not to get that right now, I'm sorely tempted to get a smaller one just for me. I think there was a portable 300GB for about AUD150-160. Hrmmm...

There's a Nike sports cap I'm in love with - made of some material that doesn't hold sweat and thus doesn't smell etc. - but it is AUD25 or something. I remember seeing it at ODEL just before I left for aroud the same price. Sigh. Seems like a lot for a mere cap but it is so pretty. I'll defer the decision for now I suppose.


Lunch was a tomato and bacon soup sans the wholegrain toast at Billy Baxters -  the place is quiet and good for a read and the soup was ohmygod very tasty.


Will certainly be going there again. They have something called the Big Brekky with double eggs/bacon/sausages/tomatoes/mushrooms <drool>. What a way to start the day huh? Of course it will have to be on a weekend because I don't do breakfast on weekdays. Actually, I don't do lunch most weekdays either, heh. Work is usually too interesting and I don't have the time to spare (read: workaholic).

Got great deals on both jeans and sunglasses. No fancy brands here but the jeans are classic bootcut (slightly exaggerated flare at the bottom) and the sunglasses fit me like a mask and block out every last tendril of sunshine just the way I like it. Also, two pairs of tomboy shoes - I know, but I just couldn't help it.

These days I'm  feeling less and less inclined to please anyone by wearing skirts and girlie heels even occasionally. Besides taking public transport gives me a rock-solid excuse to go to office in jeans/shirts/boots/cap (ooh Nike?!?) every single day. You have to love this getting older thing - I just don't care what people think about what I wear anymore. I never did care much anyway but it used to bother me sometimes. The nonconformity worries are much rarer now and anyway, considering my clubbing days are mostly over, why would I ever need to wear skirts/heels again?

Hit Borders again to check on the availability of some books R wanted but everything on his list was out of stock except the Brett Easton Ellis one. Had a decaf Cappuccino at Gloria Jeans Coffee (inside Borders itself) and was offered one of those punch cards where if I have x number of coffees I get one free or something <rolls eyes> I doubt I'd be drinking that much coffee from outside when I have no regcat to drink it with. Besides, it's so much cheaper to make your own damn coffee.

Found something called The Reject Shop which has some great deals on various odds and ends - everything is new by the way - I suppose they think the name just sounds cool or something. Bought a black faux leather collar studded with little silver bones for Caleb. It's got a little silver bone medallion thing hanging off the front center too. Plus a very tough ball that can hold a treat inside. Hopefuly it can withstand the infamous Rottweiler teeth that have destroyed so many toys before.


Came across Scotch Whiskey flavoured cappuccino (sachet pack) and got one though it doesn't have any actual alcohol in it - pooh. Will probably get my mother the chocolate flavoured one.

This place also has lots of branded personal care items going very cheap in bulk packs (Dettol, Nivea, Cussons, Palmolive, Oil of Olay, Garnier, Dove etc.). Also bulk packs of things like Nescafe. Itching to buy up half the shop but will restrain myself for now.

Chatted up a storm with a little Indian guy running the restaurant where I got yet another takeout dinner from - lamb vindaloo and palak paneer. When I said "make  both very, very hot" I didn't have much hope that it would meet my lofty standards but my god, they made my eyes water. And I instantly felt better than I had in days. So yes, I believe my current bout of depression is not just due to the lack of hot food but more the lack of spicy food. It was totally overpriced and greasy too but who cares? If I have it for dinner at least twice a week I'm sure it will keep the blues at bay.

Oh and today is laundry day. Bleurgh.

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So I checked in around 8am, half dead with fatigue and within the first five minutes managed to lock myself out of my room. Had to go down to the reception again for a spare key. Embarassment thy name is...

Anyway, the room is a nice one on the fifth floor which means, yes, I will be trying to best my curent record for racing up five flights of stairs once I've fully recovered from the jet-lag. Heh.

A shower and much-needed nap later I roused myself because some folks from office were turning up around 2pm to check if I was alive. Got shown around town a little bit, both on foot and by car and was told my English was very good. I never know how to respond to that expect to mutter irritably under my breath.

That is the view from a look-out called Light's Vision and here below is Colonel Light himself, who has apparently "founded" Adelaide and seems to have done a pretty good job. He's responsible for the gridlike layout of the city which makes getting anywhere very easy.

A little market square near my hotel features statues of the cutest little piggies. They all have names. This here is Horatio. I am in love.


So I really *am* staying in the most happening part of town - old ladies were heard complaining to the reception that they havn't been able to sleep from Thursday onwards because of the drunken revelries on the streets. Apparently the drinking begins on Thursdays. I've already made plans for a pub crawl followed by karaoke (shudder), visit to a local vineyard, a national league football match, the usual churches/museums etc. and a production of Phantom of the Opera. At this rate, getting any work done is going to be very, very difficult.

In other news, my room is still an awful mess but I have managed to get my nightstand presentable so here's a picture.

Considering that the last time I ate was at around 4:30am on board a Qantas flight and that the meal comprised tea/coffee, fruit, a sugary raisin pastry and a cinnamon butter biscuit, I decided to treat myself to a substantial dinner, read: a whole chicken from Nando's (extra hot), half a bag of pre-cut salad from the supermarket, cup of Austalian tea and a few mixed nuts.

Don't believe me?

Ideally, I would have taken the picture before I started eating but hey... next time.

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