Jill Richards

Things to know about St. John's

Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:36:59 GMT

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

And I'm back on the road again...

Sun, 24 May 2009 01:34:08 GMT

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.

Wed, 31 Dec 2003 10:17:07 GMT

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.

Flashback

Sat, 18 Oct 2003 14:11:56 GMT

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.

Tue, 29 Jul 2003 10:19:39 GMT

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.

For Alyssa...

Tue, 24 Jun 2003 05:31:53 GMT

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).

Wed, 28 May 2003 05:16:00 GMT

Back only a few months and I have one thing to say..
I NEED A VACATION!

Back by popular demand!!!!!!

Sun, 16 Feb 2003 10:09:36 GMT

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.

Goodbye to Byron Bay!

Tue, 11 Feb 2003 07:13:42 GMT

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.

Mon, 10 Feb 2003 09:04:29 GMT

DIE MOZZIES DIE!!!!

Going up in smoke...

Mon, 10 Feb 2003 09:02:20 GMT

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.

Things that make you go hmm...

Sun, 09 Feb 2003 08:53:15 GMT

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...

Hippie commun or tourist trap?

Sun, 09 Feb 2003 06:05:35 GMT

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.

Brissie and Byron!

Sat, 08 Feb 2003 21:23:33 GMT

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 !

yuck...the tropics...

Fri, 07 Feb 2003 02:04:22 GMT

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.

Drunk and hot

Wed, 05 Feb 2003 14:09:43 GMT

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.

Wow!

Wed, 05 Feb 2003 06:53:13 GMT

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.

Feeling hot, hot, hot...

Tue, 04 Feb 2003 06:59:10 GMT

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

The time has come (again)...

Mon, 03 Feb 2003 03:35:32 GMT

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

Hee hee hee

Wed, 29 Jan 2003 07:29:44 GMT

I liked this one...

What's your brand of sexy?
brought to you by Quizilla

Pretty scenery and loud music

Wed, 29 Jan 2003 06:48:52 GMT

Despite the fact that it's already Wednesday, I'm about to go on about my weekend.
But first, in updates:
The fires are still burning and Saturday was tied for the hottest day ever in Melbourne. I believe it was 44 (but it might have been 42). Our air conditioning is still broken, so if I seem a little bitter, please bear with me. That said, it was a pretty good weekend. Also of note, Monday was Australia Day so it was also a long weekend.
On Saturday, I continued on the touristy thing and took a trip up the Great Ocean Road (http://www.greatoceanrd.org.au/). This is a stretch of highway that runs along the ocean (duh!) between Melbourne and Adelaide. It's rather twisty and turny (yes - I know that's not really a word) and looks like something from a James Bond movie. Along this stretch of road there are some rather neat natural rock formations such as the 12 Apostles (http://www.greatoceanrd.org.au/highlights/apostles/)
and the London Bridge. These are sandstone pieces of the coast that have separated over the years. All in beautiful blue/green water. The story of the London Bridge (sandstone jutting out from the mainland that looks like the London Bridge) is actually a pretty funny one. For years it was attached to the mainland and you could drive/walk over to end up standing on this piece of sandstone. Then in 1990, they were filming a Toyota commercial and they heard a crack. Some engineers then went out and checked it out and declared that it was still safe. So tourists continued to go out there. Then one day, a couple of weeks later, the part connecting the mainland to the bit out on the ocean, fell. Trapping two tourists on it. Now, what ended up happening is that other tourists were watching and they went running into the local pub (it's a real small town) to tell people that London Bridge had fallen down. The locals ignored them, cuz of course, they'd heard that joke before. It actually took 3 hours of tourists trying to get help before anyone believed them. By the time the two people where rescued, they'd attracted a large crowd and some media interest but were hiding as far away from the cameras as possible. And when the helicopter finally arrived, they asked to be dropped off 100 km away. Now, why were they so shy? Turns out they were two people having an affair. What a way to get caught!
All in all, it was a nice trip but it was a little too hot for my good taste and if I never see another Australian fly for the rest of my life, I'll die a happy girl.
Then, on Monday, we (Julie and I) went to Big Day Out. This is an all day, outdoor music show with about 4 different stages. We saw, Machine Gun Fellatio (an TWISTED Aussie band - http://www.machinegunfellatio.com/) and then Queens of the Stone Age, PJ Harvey (not a very good act), Jane's Addiction and Foo Fighters (SUPER popular here). It was a good show, but I was REALLY pissed that the techno stage was so close to the main stage because Kraftwerk was pretty much drowning out Jane's Addiction (whom I was really into seeing). And no, I don't think they actually did play "Been Caught Stealing".
And that was my weekend. Thank you for listening.
Oh yeah, I saw Chicago yesterday. Good movie. Highly recommended.

Good cause

Wed, 22 Jan 2003 22:11:07 GMT

http://www.theanimalrescuesite.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/CTDSites.woa

Just visit this site! I normally don't go in for web promos or chain letters or anything like that, but these are really imporant issues that affect everyone.
And most importantly, it's free for you to help.

False Advertising

Mon, 20 Jan 2003 01:05:28 GMT

*WARNING: Rant and Australia spoiler ahead*
Yes, it's a beautiful country.
But summer here BLOWS!
Australia is divided into states, each with a capital city.
As of this morning, this is what's happening here.
Canberra (ACT - Australian Capital Territory and the seat of government) - Mostly on fire, 8 dead, many more injured, can't count amount of damage.
Sydney (New South Wales) - Surrounded by bush fires.
Melbourne (Victoria - and my current location) - Surrounded by bush fires. City is currently covered in thick, grey smoke.
Brisbane (Queensland) - Seems okay actually, I'll be heading there after Cairns (see next entry).
Cairns (also Queensland) - 100% humidity, and the beginning of torrential downpours.
Perth (Western Australia) - Too far for me to care
Adelaide (South Australia) - Nothing interesting.
Ack! So pretty much, half the country is being drowned while the other half burns.
I'm thinking of suing (Hollywood, the tourism bureau, my travel agent, amongst others).

Transport difficulties and tourist traps

Tue, 14 Jan 2003 22:58:41 GMT

Well folks, it's been an exciting few days. My friends Laura and Tim came up from Sydney and gave me an opportunity to do some of the "touristy" stuff that I hadn't gotten around to yet.
On Monday night we went to see the "Penguin Parade" on Phillip Island. The idea is that they've built a kind of grandstand on a beach where all these little (approx 5 inches) blue and white penguins live and everyday, at sunset, you can watch them return to their homes in the hills behind you. It atracts massive amounts of tourists, but the penguins seemed completly unfazed by everyone staring at them. In fact, I reckon that some of them were kinda hamming it up, stopping to pose and whatnot. Even funnier, is that they travel in packs and will wait if one falls behind. Also, despite what must be at least hundreds of years of evolution, most of them seem to be missing the concept that a large wave will knock over a small penguin. Hilarious to watch and so cute! Visit at http://www.penguins.org.au/welcome_whatnew/index02.asp
Then yesterday, I took the day off work to go to Lunda Park, which is Melbourne's answer to LaRonde. Well, there ain't much there, but it was still a nice day. They also have a wooden roller coaster, a lot smaller, but oh my god! does it shake! Everything was going fine until the first drop. Let me put it this way, if I'd been a couple of cup sizes bigger, I would have taken out an eye. Ouch! I am also now the proud owner of a pink and red floppy eared dog doy that I won while I was there. I'm hoping I'll be able to find a way to drag it home with me, but I'm not holding my breath. See this place at http://www.lunapark.com.au.
Then yesterday evening, I was supposed to drive to Canberra with Tim and Laura, but was unable to do so because I wouldn't have been able to make it back. No bus, plane or train available AT ALL! For those of you a little shabby on Australian geography/politics, Canberra is the capital city of Australia (no, it's not Sydney and yes, I thought that too). It's similar to Washington D.C. in that it's a city/state, and it was built purely to be the seat of government in this country. It also lies between Sydney and Melbourne, so they wouldn't have to fight it out. There isn't supposed to be a hell of a lot there, but I do have a friend there and I was interested in the museums and stuff, but no go.
And then this morning...
Having some serious transport problems in this stupid country of late. I called a taxi at 8:15, waited about 10 minutes or so then whent outside. I notice a taxi across the street (and a couple of houses down) fixing a flat tire. I figure, "that can't be my cab", he's in the wrong place and I reckon he would have at least motioned to me while I was outside, obviously waiting, from the house he'd come to. So I wait another 5 mintues or so and then he does motion to me and inquires as to if I'd be willing to wait while he fixes his tire. Now considering he's moving at the speed of snail and doesn't seem all that bright, I answer in the affirmative when he asks if he should call someone else. Another 10 minutes later the next cab shows up and can't find his way out of Northcote (our suburb).
So in summation, it takes me 1 hr to get from home to work on the train, it apparently also takes 1 hr to get from home to work in a CAB! ARRGH!
That's all for today. More soon.

Soon to be moving on...

Thu, 09 Jan 2003 23:12:14 GMT

And once again, I have made the descision to switch cities. I will be leaving Melbourne at the end of the month and headed to Brisbane in search of the elusive beach. I'm not sure how long I'll be in Brisbane for, but I reckon it'll be at least a few months. Thankfully, my agency has a office there, so hopefully I'll be set soonish. I also intend to take a few weeks off and do some touring and whatnot, as that trip to Adelaide was my only real vacation since I'd left (meaning I wasn't looking for a job or a place to live, etc).
I'll be doing a few day trips from Melbourne and then a few more when I'm up in Brisbane. I'm hoping to be able to do some sailing on the Whit Sundays, which is a group of 72 islands of all different sizes (supposed to be a must do thing) and some snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef. Then I'll be back in Brisbane proper (must make some more cash) for awhile and then hopefully up to the rainforest and the Ayers Rock.
I'll be passing along my details as soon as I'm settled, but between Feb 2nd and the 15th I'll be moving around quite a bit, so you guys can reach me on my mobile.
That's all for now folks.