| Things to know about St. John's |
[20 Jul 2009|01:06pm] |
1) Some door handles only turn left
2) The lights are on out the OUTSIDE of the door
3) People will offer you their car or their house but can't help you find one of your own
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| And I'm back on the road again... |
[23 May 2009|10:47pm] |
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So it's been an awfully long time since I've updated this journal and that's been because I've been in Montreal since I got home from Australia. Now I'm on the road again, this time in St. John's, Newfoundland, to stage manage "The Tempest" for their Shakespeare festival. I arrived here late Tuesday night and checked into a hotel in "downtown" St. John's. Cute hotel, not so hot on the customer service, but big pluses for the fluffy king sized bed and flat screen TV. I'm hoping the water pressure and the fact that it takes about 5 minutes to heat up is not a town wide thing.
Now I've moved into a share house, with 3 (possibly 4) other roommates, one being the other stage manager at the festival (she's doing Romeo and Juliet), who has also come from out of province (Victoria BC) to work on this festival. In both of our cases, we probably could have been employed at home but decided to hit the road and visit this incredibly friendly province instead.
So far I'm liking the town, all be it a bit strange. One of the things that I love about Montreal is that everything is super accessible, especially if you live in or around downtown. Here it's a bit different. Stores like Future Shop, Staples (a stage manager's home base), Chapters and even McDonald's aren't found in the main part of downtown. They're out on the edges, far enough that a walk is quite the challenge and even a taxi is on the expensive side. Meanwhile, there are approx. 3 pubs per block and at least one coffee shop (and I ain't talking Second Cup/Starbucks - these are the real thing).
The food has been incredible so far, with a favourite place developing in Velma's, a cafe near my office that has the most amazing grilled cheese sandwich I've ever tasted. I've also had a moose burger (excellent!) and fish and chips (also fabulous, with some odd topping that apparently was stuffing and gravy on fries).
No one I've met so far has a very strong accent, which is a bit dissapointing, as I was hoping to be able to mimick it before the summer was out. I have a little over 3 months left though, so I've got my fingers crossed.
I'm also hoping to hook up with my family at some point. My mother's side of the family is from here (and loads friendlier then some of the assholes on my dad's side) and I haven't seen them since I was 8 years old. I even have 3rd cousins here who are close to my age (although, from their descriptions, I suspect we're not quite in the same place life wise but that doesn't mean much).
In a note that I'm sure will amuse some of you, I've had to go out and purchase a sleeping bag, travel pillow and hiking boots. The boots are definately the most expensive pair of shoes I've ever owned, but will keep my ankles good and safe when I go to work at our performance space. I love Shakespeare in the Park at home, but it can't hold a candle to the bluffs here. We're performing right on the edge, to the extent that a stage right exit is a permanent one, with a 30 foot drop to the rocks and waves below. Apparently we even get whales breaching during the performances, which I think will be both incredibly cool and possibly annoying if it happens repeatedly. I expect to have pictures tomorrow of the site, so check back for more.
I think it's now time for me to curl up in my new (to me - ancient otherwise) bed and read a bit before I try to get some sleep. Amazingly enough, despite the fact that the time difference is only an hour and half, it's just enough to be confusing to my body clock first thing in the morning and last thing at night.
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[31 Dec 2003|05:16am] |
A year ago today I was getting ready to see my last Pornland gig in Adelaide. Tomorrow we headed to the beach.
In so many ways, it feels like I only left yesterday...
I miss you guys. Almost like I missed here last year.
Happy New Years.
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| Flashback |
[18 Oct 2003|10:11am] |
I'm sitting here, having just finished a boul of noodles drowning in soya sauce, watching Japanese cartoons (including an ad for the Hamturo cartoon - I'm so happy that made it here).
Sometimes, the weirdest times, I miss Japan.
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[29 Jul 2003|06:18am] |
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The only problem with travel, and with living somewhere else for any lenght of time, is that to miss it, hurts as it does to miss home.
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| For Alyssa... |
[24 Jun 2003|01:28am] |
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I've been asked to compose a list of things to do/places to see while visiting Australia.
I'm going to start with Sydney, so bear with me...
Sydney, NSW, Australia
1) Visit Kings' Cross
- Take a right from the train station (Kings' Cross) and cross the street towards the HUGE Coca-Cola sign. Then following that street, keep walking in that direction to the Tropicana (it's a restaurtant). There, eat the chicken salad, it's the best I've ever had.
-Also in the restaurant department, the best pizza in Australia in on Bayswater Road (it also crosses next to the Coke sign).
2) Visit the markets at the Rocks (near the base of the harbour bridge), in Glebe and in Chinatown (inside and will definately be open).
3) Take the ferry to North Sydney or to Manly beach, point being take the ferry, it's the coolest public transport ever.
4) Visit the areas of Glebe, downtown, the Botanical Gardens, and arrrgh! I forget some of these...anyone have a Lonely Planet?
5) Visit my friends if you can, the people I met at DJJ and that I lived with in Sydney where amongst the best I met while away. I'll get some contact details for you.
Melbourne, VIC, Australia
1) See Dr. Detroit at the Big Mouth in St-Kilda on a Sunday night, or Pornland (but I think some of them are out of town) or the Whitlams.
2) Go to at least one party with the guys in Pornland.
3) Have a drink in St-Kilda
4) Have a drink at the Sandringham Hotel on the terrace.
5) Visit the night market (if it's open) on Wednesday night (just outside downtown).
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[28 May 2003|01:15am] |
Back only a few months and I have one thing to say..
I NEED A VACATION!
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| Back by popular demand!!!!!! |
[16 Feb 2003|05:25am] |
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And so this is how the story ends, or maybe that`s a little premature...
By the time most of you read this, you`ll know that I`m back in Montreal. I left Brisbane early on Friday morning, flew backwards in time by 2 hours, arrived in Vancouver (after a terrible useless stopover in Hawaii) on Friday at 8:30 in the morning, met Katie and Sam, spent the day shopping in Vancouver, had dinner, drank and slept in a hotel on Friday night and then boarded the plane for Montreal at 9:15 on Saturday morning (Ta da - run on sentence, should anyone ever need an example). I arrive in Montreal at around 4:50 and have been pissing it up pretty much since.
All I can really say is it`s good to be back in Montreal and you guys have been a great crowd. Nothing but the weather has made me doubt my descision to come back.
So for those of you I`m still trying to get a hold of, I`m staying at my mom`s for the moment, same phone number as always. Talk and SEE!!! soon.
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| Goodbye to Byron Bay! |
[11 Feb 2003|06:06pm] |
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Well, despite first impressions, Byron Bay turned out rather allright. Good be the good time I had in Nimbin, but if you're looking to chill out for a few days, Byron is a good, easily acessible place. Still really rather packed though, so if you're looking for some time on your own, be prepared to venture into your own head to get it.
I'm now tanned, tired, and looking forward to returning to Brisbane. Tomorrow I should be heading to Australia Zoo, home of the Crocodile Hunter.
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[11 Feb 2003|07:56am] |
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DIE MOZZIES DIE!!!!
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| Going up in smoke... |
[11 Feb 2003|07:50am] |
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If you know me well enough to be reading this and you 're ever going to be in Australia. Get to Byron Bay and then take Jim's Alternative Tours to Nimbin. You'd wouldn't believe it if I told you, and more then that, I'd probably get a R rating for glamourizing gratuatious recreational drug use.
Suffice it to say I'm rather happy and I'll be sharing the story upon my arrival in Montreal.
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| Things that make you go hmm... |
[09 Feb 2003|07:44pm] |
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In today's observation category...
I've been thinking a lot lately about the categories we place ourselves in, and the categories others place us in. It's very difficult to get away from judging others, especially if you're not confident enough in yourself to worry that they're judging you. I reckon it's human nature to a certain extent to judge, and what really matters is whether you're able to move past those judgements to take people for who they are despite appearances.
Being in this particular hostel has allowed for a lot of thinking on this subject. This place is supposed to be a haven for the creative, originally a hippy retreat and the basis of a lot of the legend of Byron Bay (hippy town, "bum capital of the world (copyright to Shooter). Since I've arrived, I have felt mildly out of my element. While in Melbourne and Sydney I felt pressure to be trendier then I would be normally, here everyone is so much of a hippy that I feel almost uptight (could be the lack of substance in my blood, but I digress). I'm not stressing about it, but I have noticed it. These are the kind of things that go on in ones head when one is travelling by themselves and therefore spending a lot of time watching others and how others react to them.
And yet, the kicker is this, this is the most expensive hostel I've stayed in (and that includes the one in Sydney - ranked as one of the most expensive cities). That just doesn't seem to fit. Has it gotten to the point where people will pay dearly for the privilage to be relaxed? And what does that say about our culture...
Dunno...
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| Hippie commun or tourist trap? |
[09 Feb 2003|04:59pm] |
And this is the world famous Byron Bay...
Um....miss...
I'm sure the beach is lovely, but once again, the weather here has taken a turn for the grey and the beach isn't all that appealing. I'm staying in what appears to be a nice hostel, called the Art Factory on the outskirts of town. Unfortunately, like the rest of the town, it seems rather overcrowded. Silly as it sounds, I'm really sick of tourists.
Still looking forward to Nimbin tomorrow and I'll report back on how it goes.
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| Brissie and Byron! |
[09 Feb 2003|07:18am] |
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And here I am in lovely Brisbane, Queensland Australia ( I think I start a lot of entries like that...). Now this is proper Australia. The weather has been gorgeous since I arrived (two days ago) and the city is a good size. I reckon it's the perfect spot for a vacation. I'm also using it as a home base for the next couple of days, as today in a few hours, I'll be leaving for Byron Bay, which is a sort of hippy community a couple of hours south of here. From there, I'll be taking a day tour to Nimbin, a small town referred to as the Amsterdam of Australia, for you guessed, de criminalized activity of my favorite variety;-)
So wish me luck, it should be a kick ass time, and I'm sure everyone will understand if I'm not around for the next couple of days !
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| yuck...the tropics... |
[07 Feb 2003|11:52am] |
So here I am in Cairns...just some advice for anyone considering this trip. Don't bother. Cairns is a good place to hop on some pretty great trips, but as a city...yawn..
Plus, don't ever let anyone book you into the Calypso Inn hostel. Disgustingly hot and if you're not the "typical" backpacker, be ready for some attitude.
Can't really stay for long, as this is an internet cafe, but I'll be updating from Brisbane later today.
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| Wow! |
[06 Feb 2003|04:51pm] |
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Wow! Spent the day on the Great Barrier Reef and it was absolutely the greatest experience. It's absolutely unbelievable what's going on under the water out there. The fish come in colours that I didn't think nature made (like electric blue and green). Even some of the coral was blue. It's impossible to describe what I saw but I took a full roll of photos underwater, so those will go up ASAP.
I didn't go scuba diving (asthma) but I did go snorkelling and I think it's the greatest "sport" ever invented. You paddle around with your head in the water and my lousy swimming skills didn't even matter, considering it requires flippers.
I would also recommend the company I whent with, it was a boat called the Rum Runner IX, and the crew were great.
That's all for now. Must shower and nap before my night walk.
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| Drunk and hot |
[06 Feb 2003|12:00am] |
Moi encore!
It's now Wednesday night at PK's Jungle Village. I've met some other nice Canadian girls (boys in the band if you're reading this, I gave them your Dr. Detroit gig and told them to tell you I sent them).
I went for a walk in the rainforest at night. It was nice, but really humid. I'm also beginning to think that I have "city slicker" tattooed to my forehead. Meaning, it was a nice walk, but not really up my alley, so to speak.
Also of note, saw two kangaroos humping at the park yesterday. Hee hee.
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| Feeling hot, hot, hot... |
[03 Feb 2003|10:52pm] |
Welcome to beautiful Cape Tribulation in far north Queensland.
So here's the deal so far.
I flew out of Melbourne at 9:15 last night, arrived in Cairns at 11:15 (actually a 3 hour flight cuz of the time difference), whent to sleep in the most putrid heat and then left this morning for a rainforest and reef tour. Now I'm at PK's Jungle Village Hostel after spending a good part of the day driving and wandering around in the rainforest. I got to take my first dip in a rainforest swimming hole, but other then that, not much was too exciting.
I'm headed for the Great Barrier Reef tomorrow for my day of snorkeling and I'm really looking forward to it.
Also, now that I've had a night in a hostel, and am looking at a few more, I don't even slightly regret not "backpacking" my way across Australia. It's fun, but I don't reckon that I'd have been happy for very long. This one is really supposed to go off tonight, so I'll have to see. And to answer the next question, yes, there are a couple of cute guys around, but nothing spectacular.
Anyway, that's all for now, I should be back tomorrow night with my day on the Great Barrier Reef.
xxx Jill
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| The time has come (again)... |
[03 Feb 2003|02:30pm] |
And so tis the middle of my last day in Melbourne.
It's very strange to be leaving a place and know that you may never return. Or at least not for quite a few years. I didn't really have time to think about it in Japan, and in Sydney I thought I was going back (still don't know if I am - but I don't think so). Saying good bye to people that you've worked with, played with and gotten to like or at least gottten used to is really rather difficult.
So before I'm kicked off the computer in the internet cafe...
Thank you to everyone in Melbourne who's made it a good time. Especially to the band and entourage. It wouldn't have been the same without you guys.
So thanks....a lot.....sniffle
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