Gold Coast Tour Day 2

What better way to start the day than to drag your luggages all the way to the bus to find it vandalized and wrecked. Apparently, while we were all sound asleep, somebody forced the door of the bus open and turned the inside upside-down in search of treasure. Funny thing, the tourist was telling us yesterday that in spite being a tourist place, Surfers Paradise is quite safe. We can even leave our valuable inside the bus, as it'll be locked down anyway. Good thing nobody listens to tour guides anymore. The bad guy didn't get anything valuable so he broke the gear stick and handle for the turn signals as our punishment. There goes the morning. While waiting for the bad guy to turn himself in and the replacement bus to arrive, we went down the beach with our new friend LYW for a nice stroll and some picture-taking.

Because of the delay caused by the morning's incident, we didn't go to the Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary anymore. It used to be only a bird sanctuary, but has now grown to be the largest collection of native Australian animals in the world. Our new driver took us past Hotel Palazzo Versace and Sea World to a beach whose name I forgot already. Then we're off to Movie World. I have to admit to being a bit excited. It's been years since I last visited a theme park. Enchanted Kingdom's not too bad, but it's not a "real" theme park in my book.

First ride we lined up for upon entering Movie World is the Superman Escape. It was only unveiled a few weeks ago on December 26, and it guarantees 0-100kph in 2 seconds. My brother decided to pass. Funny 'coz I never knew he had acrophobia. Convenient time too because LYW and I dumped all our loose stuff on him - cameras, shades, wallets, keys, coins, etc. The queue was long, but the ride was short, so we got to our seats pretty quickly. The ride was absolutely exhilarating - no 360 turns, but the drops are almost vertical. Typical rollercoasters would ascent (relatively) slowly, then the drop, but Superman Escape actually accelerates up to 100kph on the way up, then the weightless drop. With Superman behind pushing us, the ride was very fast. Even with my eyes wide open, I can't see where we're going. Would've been nice to bring up your hands like they do in the movies, but both my hands are welded to the handlebars. I still acted my part and screamed with the rest.

Next on our list is the Police Academy Stunt Show. This is one of the park favourites, so we lined up for it very, very early. In fact, we were the first in line. The actual show was half an hour later, but the pre-show entertainment kept us occupied, as people filed into the stadium. The "pre-show entertainment" consisted of this whistle-blowing traffic officer walking behind incoming spectators and mimicking their movements. Once in a while, he would tickle their ears with a feather and pretend he's got nothing to do with it. The main show is interesting enough - featuring the clueless Commandant Lassard and his team of bumbling cadets. Plus there are four "recruits" plucked from the audience. The comedy is slapstick, but the actors (and actress), who are stuntmen (and stuntwoman) by profession are very good. There's speeding cars doing 180-degree turns, golf carts doing wheelies, gunfights and car chases, trigger-happy robbers, policemen falling off scaffoldings, exploding armoured cars and helicopter, human cannonballs, etc.

It was mid-day, and the heat unbearable. Popped in Roxy Theatre to watch Shrek's 4D Adventure. It's another long long queue. Good thing the theatre's big enough, so we didn't have to wait for the next showtime. So why the 4D? It's basically your regular 3D show, where you watch the feature with special 3D glasses. The extra dimension is provided by the vibrating and lurching seats and light strobes. Compressed air spray onto your legs and neck, and the seat in front squirts water at you. Next we went on a quick tour of the exclusive Matrix Exhibit. It's got loads of scale models, sets, costumes, and props for the Matrix fanatics (like LYW who actually bought the 10-disc collector's edition).

Since we missed the Aerobics Looney Tunes Style Show at 10:30am while lining up for the Police Academy Stunt Show, we made sure we didn't miss the Looney Tunes Musical Revue at 12:40pm. As I expected, majority of the audience were kiddies. Still, it was fun to see Bugs Bunny and Daffy Duck and company do their dorky dance moves. Next up is the Scooby-Doo Spooky Coaster. There's a warning in front saying "Waiting Time: 45 minutes". These guys weren't kidding; the wait took that long. While inside the creepy courtyard, we passed the time by chatting and watching the movie teaser/trailer. By the end of the queue, we've seen enough of the movie we don't need to rent the video anymore. Now, my brother joined us for the ride this time. Everybody knows ghost rides are for kiddies and lovers who pretend to be scared so they can hang on to each other. Nothing to be scared of. Was he wrong. The preview with the animatronic ghouls and gargoyles and spooky sounds was nothing. When the coaster did an about-face and we saw the cavernous indoor rollercoaster track for the first time, that's when the fun begins. Not as spine-tingling as Superman Escape, but exciting enough with its unexpected dips and sudden twists and turns.

There's only time for one ride left, and we chose the Wild West Falls Adventure Ride. My brother had enough for the day, so it was up to me and LYW to take the fall. By this time, the heat was really bad. A lots of the guys had their shirts off (and the girls, too). A dunk in the water is most welcome. And that's what we got. After meandering through some ghost towns and Indian reservations, the water current guided us to a machine, which dragged our log up to a volcano. Then it's a 20m, 70kph drop to the water. As we got the best seats in the house, both of us were drenched. Dried off while watching the All Star Parade, featuring the Warner Bros. Movie World characters like, Batman and Batgirl, the Looney Tunes gang, Austin Powers and his girls, Scooby-Doo and the Mystery Inc. gang, Shrek and family, etc. Left Movie World around 3pm.

The bus then took us to Brisbane's Fortitude Valley for an early 5pm dinner at Chinatown. We've had enough Chinese cuisine, so we opted out of the pre-arranged dinner. Bad idea - most of the restaurants in the vicinity are closed. After a few minutes of exploration, we settled for the only other restaurant open at that time - a Chinese-Vietnamese one. It's about 300kms from Brisbane to Bundaberg. By the time we got to our accommodation at Bourbong Street Motel, it was already late night. Spent some quality time watching Monster Garage before hitting the sack.

Gold Coast Tour Day 1

It's another long drive - 990 kilometers from Sydney to Gold Coast. This time I brought only one book - E. Annie Proulx' The Shipping News. Seen the movie, but didn't like it. I'm pretty sure the book would be better. The committee who gave out the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction can't be wrong.

First stop we made is at Coffs Harbour, 565 kilometres north of Sydney and 450 kilometres south of Brisbane. I don't know about you but the only thing I know about Coff's Harbour is The Big Banana and whale-watching. I didn't get to see the whales, but The Big Banana is still there. How big is it? 11 metres long, 5 metres high, and 2.4 metres wide. There's also a souvenir shop nearby, the Cockatoo Cafe, a half-kilometer toboggan ride, an ice-skating rink, etc. While everyone is busy buying trinkets, I took a walk along the Big Banana Skywalk through the banana plantation, which gives a nice view of the place in general and parts of the Pacific coastline.

Stopped for lunch at McDonald's Port Macquarie. I believe this is one of first few Maccas with the new store design being rolled out globally. Gone are the bright red-and-yellow signages in favor of muted, earthy colors. The staff uniform is also different, and there are more common tables and benches to maximize space. Next stop is Ballina. It is located 753kms north of Sydney, and is known for two things - sugar cane plantations and another "big thing" - the Big Prawn.

It was already nightfall when we got to Gold Coast. Stopped at Victoria Square for a quick dinner at Ming Palace. From there, it's a quick drive to our hotel for the night, the International Beach Resort. The room and facilities are nothing to write home about, but its location is wonderful. Cross the Esplanade in front of it, and you're already on the beach. Since it's already dark, my brother and I went to the Adrenalin Park instead. If you're young and reckless and with money to burn, this is the place for you. There's the SkyDiver where riders are suited up in a harness, hooked up to a tow cable, pulled back, winched to a height of 60 meters, then released. The ad says 0 to 100kph in 1.3 seconds. There's the Slingshot, which throws passengers up into the air at speeds of 160kph. Instead of rubber ropes or bungee cords, the machine uses computer-controlled springs, which means this ride is pretty safe. Then there's the Vomatron. Imagine a 40m-long bar with two passengers on each end. The machine swings them round and round like a Ferris wheel. Nice? Try 120kph. The rides are very expensive - from A$30 to A$90 per ride. You get a huge discount if you opt for a second ride immediately after. Want a video of yourself screaming yourself silly? Pay some more.

First Day of Year 2006

It's just the start of the year, and they're already saying today is going to be the hottest day of the year. Actually, it's the hottest day on record - 44.2 degrees C. I remember the weather well because it was my lucky day to be assigned to do carpark duty. It was hot, hot, hot. When the wind blows, it feels like it came from a furnace.

We went to the nearby Westfield to cool off. Looks like everyone has the same idea. Even if the shopping mall was closed with only the cinemas open, the place is packed. We decided to go to Broadway Shopping Centre since it's open. The attendance is even worse, and the airconditioning can't cope. The temperature inside Dymocks is a bit better, so I killed a few hours there reading books. Met a colleague who's doing the same thing.

Capped the night by watching the (televised) annual New Year concert by Vienna Philharmonic at Musikverein, conducted by Mariss Jansons.

Last Day of Year 2005

This blog is starting to look like an online diary. Ok, lest I forget what I did to end the year 2005. Had lunch with my former grade school science teacher and her family at her house with some other Uneans from way way back. Then, off to visit my brother's buddy at Blacktown. Chatted and ate (again) till late afternoon. From Blacktown to Chatswood to have NYE dinner with my parents' classmates. Didn't stay too long, as we have to drive to Pyrmont for the midnight fireworks.

Happy New Year, everyone!

The Dog on the Tuckerbox and the Princess Bride - Melbourne Tour Day 4

It's another 12 hours on the road back to Sydney. The only thing worth mentioning is our stop at Gundagai. There's a famous local landmark called the Dog on the Tuckerbox, which features well, a dog on a tuckerbox. Its origin goes all the way back to the days of the early pioneers in the Australian bush. In 1824, the trail around the Murrumbidgee River was opened up for prospectors and cattle drovers. Times were hard and hazardous, with all supplies having to be manhandled by bullock carts along the makeshift track. Each wagon would usually be accompanied by a dog, who guards his owner's tuckerbox.

To pass the time during rest periods, "bullockies" would make up doggerel verse and rhymes, telling stories of their exploits. Rumour has it that the legend of the tuckerbox was born in 1850, on a river creek north of Gundagai. One particular story tells of the hardships of Billy the Bullocky - getting bogged down at nine mile creek, Nobby breaking the yoke, generally getting fed up. To make things worse, his trusty dog sat on the tuckerbox, ruining his meal for the night. Another version says the dog on the tuckerbox is meant to represent the dog's loyalty and trustworthiness in guarding his master's possessions.

Below is the original version of the story. It was later amended and made into a poem by Jack Moses. In 1937, Jack O'Hagen's popular song about it immortalized the Dog on the Tuckerbox.

Bowyang Yorke's Poem
As I was coming down Conroy's Gap,
I heard a maiden cry;
'There goes Bill the Bullocky,
He's bound for Gundagai.
A better poor old beggar
Never earnt an honest crust,
A better poor old beggar
Never drug a whip through dust.'
His team got bogged at the nine mile creek,
Bill lashed and swore and cried;
'If Nobby don't get me out of this,
I'll tattoo his bloody hide.'
But Nobby strained and broke the yoke,
And poked out the leader's eye;
Then the dog sat on the Tucker Box
Nine miles from Gundagai.

During the 12-hour trip, I also managed to finish reading William Goldman's The Princess Bride. It's easy to see why the book is a cult classic. Believable characters, fast-moving plot, a smorgasboard of action, adventure, drama, romance, comedy, tragedy etc. - storytelling at its best. The blurb goes, "Fencing. Fighting. Torture. Poison. True love. Hate. Revenge. Giants. Hunters. Bad men. Good men. Beautifulest ladies. Snakes. Spiders. Beasts of all natures and descriptions. Pain. Death. Brave men. Coward men. Strongest men. Chases. Escapes. Lies. Truths. Passion. Miracles." The book purports to be an abridgment done by Goldman of an older version written by S. Morgenstern. I was lucky enough to have the 25th anniversary edition, which comes with Chapter 1 of the sequel called Buttercup's Baby. I don't believe the sequel was ever published.

The book is about the haughty but beautiful Buttercup, who fell in love with farm boy Westley, whom she keeps on bossing around. Westley goes off to America to make his fortune, but was killed by the dreaded Dread Pirate Roberts. Buttercup died (inside) that day, and was later selected to marry Prince Humperdinck. Weeks before the wedding, Princess Buttercup was kidnapped by the Sicilian Vizzini, the Spaniard Inigo Montoya, and the giant Fezzik. The plan was to kill her and dump her body on the Guilder frontier, thus giving Prince Humperdinck an excuse to mount an attack. A man in black gave chase through the Florin Channel and up the Cliffs of Insanity. He bested Inigo Montoya in swordplay, Fezzik in a battle of strength, and Vizzini in a game of wits to finally rescue Princess Buttercup. The man in black turns out to be the Dread Pirate Roberts, who turned out to be the missing Westley. (Long story.) The book then goes into how they dropped into a ravine, how they traversed the Fire Swamp, how they escaped the Lightning Sand, how they fought off the R.O.U.S. (Rodents of Unusual Size), and how they ended up in Prince Humperdinck's clutches. Buttercup gave herself up on the condition that Westley be freed. Unknown to her, Westley was brought to the Zoo of Death, where the Count Rugen tries out his toys of torture on him, especially The Machine. On a particularly bad day where Buttercup found out that Humperdinck never sent ships to look for Westley, the Prince charged down to the Pit of Despair and activated The Machine on maximum, which ultimately killed Westley. Yes, he died - but not for long. Fezzik and Inigo Montoya rescued him from the Zoo of Death and brought him to the miracle man Miracle Max, who brought him back to life for 65 dollars. Off they went to storm Humperdinck's castle. Westley rescues Buttercup from her husband-to-be. Inigo Montoya kills the six-fingered Count Rugen (who killed his father) in a bloody duel. Fezzik finds them four steeds to take them to safety. And they lived happily ever after. The End.

Boxing Day - Melbourne Tour Day 3

Today being another holiday, our breakfast consisted of bland bread and silly cereals. This morning, we're supposed to go to Sovereign Hill. We first dropped by the Gold Museum across the road, while waiting for it to open. The Gold Museum gives quite a comprehensive history of the gold rush in Ballarat during the 1850s. The place is packed with replicas of gold nuggets, mining equipment, and interactive displays showing how mining is done. There's a souvenir shop selling gold trinkets (what else), which made the girls quite happy. The tour guide wasn't so happy because a few of them were late in getting back to the bus. Right outside the Gold Museum is a sculpture of Sir Henry Bolte.

At Sovereign Hill, you're transported back to 1850s Ballarat. The 25-hectare Sovereign Hill has about 60 building spread over the recreated goldfields township. There's a main road with quaint little shops on each side of the road. The shops are real and manned by costumed staff. You can walk in any shop and make your purchases. Other volunteers in period costumes walk around, so don't be shy to take pictures with them. (What a job!) Feel free to hop on horse-drawn carriages passing by, but don't forget to pay your fare. Our designated guide walked us through some huge steam machinery, then to the underground mines. The place is dark and cool, and the air is thin. The guide showed us where the gold deposits are, how the miners communicate with the people above, etc. We also watched a multimedia show depicting life in the mines. After the tour, everybody rushed to the Red Hill Gully Diggings to pan for gold. Everyone was so serious in shovelling up the sediments and sifting through them in shallow pans, in hopes of finding real gold. I was skeptical; I mean, all the gold must've been sucked out by done. Only after reading the park brochure did I learn that $30,000 worth of real gold is put into the creek every year for people to "discover." Chanced upon a Redcoat soldier giving a musket firing demonstration. Somewhere in the park is a gold smelting demonstration, where a $50,000 pure gold ingot is poured. Too bad we ran out of time. Twelve Apostles is a few hours' drive away, so we had to leave early. Is it worth the $32.50 entrance fee? I don't think so.

My colleague advised me to sit on the left side of the bus when we're driving along the Great Ocean Road. Sit on the right, and you won't see a thing. Well, we're on our way to the Twelve Apostles, I'm staring out the windows, but all I see are trees. Later on the trees started thinning and the ocean came into view. A few minutes later, we're parked at the grounds of Port Campbell National Park. Huh?! Where did the hours of Great Ocean Drive go?! We must've taken a different route or something. Anyway, we crossed a tunnel to the viewing platforms and we see the majestic Twelve Apostles. It's now a misnomer because a couple of the Apostles broke down and plunged into the Southern Ocean. One of them crumbled just last year. For the geology-inclined readers, the Apostles were originally part of the cliffs behind them millions of years ago. Through years and years of waves and wind, the soft limestone started to wear away, leaving caves in the cliffs. As the sea retreated, the caves became archways, and when they eventually collapsed, the rock islands isolated from the main cliffs became known as the Twelve Apostles. We didn't stay too long because the kissing flies were out in full force. The sun was at maximum brightness and coupled with reflections from the water, my pictures appear washed out. It's still an impressive sight though.

Merry Christmas! - Melbourne Tour Day 2

Today is the official start of the Melbourne tour. After a bland breakfast at the hotel consisting of toast and jam and cereals (today being a holiday), the coach brought us to the Parliament House. Everyone spilled out of the bus and started taking pictures. Designed by Peter Kerr and J.G.Knight, the buildings were constructed at the height of the gold rush. Parliament of Victoria officially opened in 1856, and so will be celebrating it's 150th anniversary next year. Further to the right of the Parliament House is the Princess Theater, which dates all the way back to 1886.

On our way to St. Patrick's Cathedral, I noticed the upside-down statue of La Trobe in Gordon Reserve, which took me by surprise. (Charles Joseph La Trobe was the first lieutenant-governor of the colony of Victoria.) I didn't notice this the last time I was in Melbourne, so it must have been a new installment. After some research, I found out that the contemporary art piece was created by artist Charles Robb and unveiled around October. It looks like a typical 19th-century bronze sculpture, but is actually made of plastic and fibreglass. Mr Robb said the inversion of La Trobe questioned the purpose of public monuments and their meaning in contemporary society. Uh-huh.

St. Patrick's Cathedral is another great place to take pictures. It must be Melbourne's answer to Sydney's St. Mary's Cathedral. Designed by William Wardell in the Gothic Revival style, St Patrick's is regarded internationally as the finest ecclesiastical building in Australia. Construction started in 1858 and took 82 years to complete. Too bad there's mass going on - I would've liked to take a picture of its organ for my Bavarian friend.

Next stop is Cook's Cottage in Fitzroy Gardens. For those who don't know, Captain James Cook is the discoverer of Australia. The original Cook's Cottage was built by Captain Cook's parents in 1755 in in Great Ayton, Yorkshire, England. There's quite an amazing story how the cottage ended up in Fitzroy Gardens. In 1933, the owner of the cottage decided to sell it. However, the patriotic owner didn't want it to end up in American hands, so she made it a condition of sale that the building must remain in England. The forthcoming sale was featured in the Melbourne Herald, and got the attention of Mr. (later Sir) Russell Grimwade. Next year was Victoria's centenary, so he thought he should make a bid for the cottage and have it moved to Melbourne, as the capital of Victoria, whose coastline included Captain Cook's first Australian landfall. The owner was persuaded to change the wording of the condition of sale from "England" to "the Empire," and accepted the Australian offer of £800 vs. the highest local offer of £300. The structure was dismantled brick by brick, and shipped in 253 crates and 40 barrels, complete with a cutting from the ivy which had grown on the original building. Today the house is covered by the ivy. Near Cook's Cottage is Sinclair's Cottage, named after James Sinclair. Mr. Sinclair is pretty much responsible for the development of Fitzroy Square and Elms Avenue. Also within Fitzroy Gardens is the Conservatory. It opened on March 13, 1930, and has flower displays all year round, depending on which flowers are in season.

Next on the agenda is the Yarra River Cruise, which I opted out of in favor of a walk along the river. One thing I noticed is that some of the bridges are built quite low. I wonder if the ferries can traverse them during high tide. After lunch, we went to the Rialto Towers to visit the Melbourne Observation Deck on level 55. Rialto Towers stands at 253 meters, has 63 storeys, and used to hold the title of tallest building in the Southern Hemisphere. That honour now goes to Eureka Tower, which is still under construction. Once completed, it will be 297 meters tall and have 92 storeys. Admission to the Observation Deck is $14, and includes entry to the RialtoVision Theatre, where one can watch the award-winning 20-minute film entitled "Melbourne the Living City," featuring the many attractions and events that Victoria offers. A high-speed lift (25kph) took us to level 55, which offers spectacular 360-degree views of Melbourne, 60 kms. to the horizon.

We still have a bit of time to spare, so the tour guide took us to the Crown Casino. Comparing it to Sydney's Star City Casino, I'm quite impressed with the decorations and scale of Crown Casino. At the Atrium, Crown's light-and-sound Christmas Spectacular show happens every 30 minutes. As the giant clock counts down to showtime, the whole place is transformed into a giant circus with flying acrobats, dancing reindeers, plus the whirling carousel, the big top with the marionette show, and of course, Santa.

Last on the list is the Penguin Parade at Philip Island. The tour guide stressed to us that the night is going to be very cold, so we spent some time first inside the Visitor Centre, watching some clips about the little penguins (Eudyptula minor), and observing them in their underground burrows. Just before showtime, we headed off along the boardwalks to the outdoor viewing stands. The place is just packed with people. There are rangers around who make sure you don't sit at the sides, and absolutely no photography allowed. I saw a few people trying to sneak some shots, and were promptly accosted by the rangers. I think they actually confiscate your camera, but I could be wrong. What happens is that the little penguins go out to sea fishing all day. At night, they swim back in and waddle to shore into their underground burrows to rest. Watching the penguins come in, you can see how evolution has influenced their behaviour. Once they get to the beach, they mill around and form a single file. Oftentimes, a wave would come crashing down on them, and they wash out to sea again. If they have the numbers and conditions are right, they make a run (more like a walk) for it. The others who are too slow fall back and wait until they get their numbers up again. Watching the penguins do this again and again is quite entertaining.

Done with Dan Brown - Melbourne Tour Day 1

At long last, I've finally finished all four books by Dan Brown. If you're totally new to the author, I suggest you read his books in the following order: Da Vinci Code, Angels and Demons, Digital Fortress, then Deception Point. No doubt Da Vinci Code is good - that's what got me hooked in the first place. Angels and Demons is almost a copy of the previous - same type of characters, same story development, but in a different setting. The plot's not too bad though. In Digital Fortress, Dan Brown tries his hand in the techno-thriller genre and fails miserably. In Deception Point, he goes for a political suspense, and again fails.

Off to Melbourne for a 4-day tour. It's 880 kilometers from Sydney to Melbourne (or so I was told), so it's a great time to catch up on some reading. For the trip I brought Deception Point (just to get it over with) and The Princess Bride. You would think a guy can finish 2 books in 12 hours, but distractions abound. I look out the coach window from time to time, hoping for great pictures to take. Then, there's the pit stops every 2 hours or so. Other times the tour guide would put on a movie and leave the TV's volume on max. Not really conducive to reading books or listening to MP3s. During these times, I nod off to sleep. One of the stops we made is at Albury, the last town on NSW before we cross over to Victoria. According to our tour guide, Albury was originally selected to become the capital of Australia. On the day of site inspection, it rained and everything was dark and gloomy. That's how Canberra got the title instead. Yeah, blame it on the weather.

Had a sumptuous dinner at the Dragon Boat Restaurant in Holiday Inn, then off to a Comfort Inn called Crest at Barkly. It's pretty far from the city. (I believe it's quite close to St. Kilda Beach.) Took the tram back to the city centre where lots of people are about as it's Christmas Eve. There's a long queue outside Myer with its Santa Kid window display. A big Xmas tree is set up at Federation Square, but it's nowhere the size of the one at Martin Place or QVB. St. Paul's Cathedral is open at this time of night, and the church choir is having a concert. Of course, Carols by Candlelight is also happening tonight at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. We're all a bit tired, so we didn't go for that anymore. Watched the traditional event on the telly. Found out later that the Christmas Eve concert is not a free event, unlike Carols in the Domain in Sydney. Tickets range from $30-$70 for an adult and $90-$185 for a family of 4. (Now we know which one's the better city. Kidding.)

I am Tim Canterbury

Why is it I feel I'm stuck in a world filled with characters from The Office, and I happen to be Tim Canterbury? I quote his character profile from the website: "Tim is a Sales Rep who is crushingly aware of the pointlessness of his work and the mediocrity that surrounds him. He is the classic under-achiever who rolled life's dice and got a three." Remember the scene where Gareth finds a gift-wrapped bottle of wine on the table, and he goes, "That's a bottle of wine." Tim gives a look of (mock) surprise, and asks, "You reckon?" And Gareth goes, "Yeah, just look at the shape." Spare me.

Missed Again!

To all the drivers out there. Always make the shoulder-check when changing lanes because blind spots really do exist, and they can be dangerous. Simply looking at the side mirror is not enough.

I've been driving for years back in Manila, and I never got the habit to shoulder-check. I drive pretty fast, so there never was a need. Every time I switch lanes, I'm pretty sure noboby will be behind me. Here in Sydney, I have to keep within 60kph, and everyone else is on the same speed. Just a while ago, I had a near-collision. After making sure there was no car on my side mirror, I accelerated a little bit, and started turning the wheel. At the last moment, a white car magically appeared right beside me. I swerved back to my lane, and saved myself from car insurance hell. Obviously, the guy was not happy. I immediately gave him the universal peace sign between drivers, and he was appeased, I think.

Burger King No More

Passed by Burwood area, and noticed that Australia's one and only remaining Burger King outlet is no more. It has not been transformed into a Hungry Jack's. I covered this topic in a previous post. I was told that they are two separate companies; they just happen to have a very close relationship. Beats me, but their logos are suspiciously similar. Story goes that when Burger King first came to Australia, the name was already trademarked by a guy named Jack Crown. Hence, Burger King outlets were named Hungry Jack's. The only places where you can find Burger King outlets in Australia were in international airports, which are apparently not covered by the Crown licensing deal. As to how Burwood managed to have the last Burger King outlet, I don't know. But that's not important anymore.

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated!

Cherry-Picking

For those who never tried cherry-picking before, this is how it works. During cherry season (mid-November to late December), you go to a pick-your-own orchard. Some orchards charge an entrance fee, some don't. Obviously, the latter is better. Once within the orchards, any cherries you eat on-site is free-of-charge. (Remember to bring a high-capacity stomach.) You'll also be given a bucket. Any cherries you bring out of the orchard will have to be paid for (on a per-kilo basis).

We went to Wombat Height Orchard in Young for our cherry-picking. The town of Young is in the south-west region of southern NSW. Took us 5 hours to reach there from Sydney by coach. The place is hot, dusty, and full of flies, but the cherries are not too bad. After 2.5 hours of cherry-picking, it's time to make the trip back home. Record-holder for the day is this Vietnamese guy with his wife and sister who picked 30+ kilos worth of cherries.

My Kind of Gym

What kind of gym opens at 9 in the morning and closes at 6pm during Fridays? That's my kind of gym. I never bothered to checked the hours of operation, and I found out the hard way. I guess the 5-minute walk back to the office is exercise enough.

Two Hours in the Mall on the Mobile

Hands-free kit - never leave the office without it.

I was walking along George Street when the customer called. They attempted a WAP gateway cutover last night, but it didn't go too well, so they had to do a complete rollback. It's fingerpointing time, so they're wondering if I can join the teleconference. I would rather walk back to the office (which is 20 minutes away), and make the call, but they want to do it now, as in now. Thinking the sidewalk might be a bit noisy, I hopped into the World Square. It's not as quiet as I thought because the space is enclosed, and sounds from the shoppers echo. I hid behind an ATM machine. I took my position in a corner of the lifts section. The ambient noise was so bad the host asked the party responsible to mute his phone, which I promptly did. With my 6680 in mute mode, I can't use the speakerphone feature anymore. And this means I have to hold the phone to my ear for two whole hours, in case somebody asks a question directed at me.

By the end of two hours, my mobile is noticeably warm, my ear is definitely hot, and I'm sure I killed a few million brain cells by cellphone radiation.

No, Virginia, There's No Al-Qaeda

I just finished watching part three of Adam Curtis' documentary called The Power of Nightmares on SBS. Its premise is that Al-Qaeda as an organized worldwide terrorist group as portrayed by the US and Britain doesn't exist. Yes, it's true that there are a few terrorist groups here and there doing their thing, but it's not the well-oiled terrorist group it's being made to be. So if there's no real Al-Qaeda, then who is Bush and Blair trying to catch all this time? Well, that's the problem. If your target is a ghost, it doesn't matter how many billions of dollars and troops you pour into Iraq and Afghanistan. There'll be no end to the witchhunt. The more important question is why.

It all started with 9/11. We now know that 9/11 and Al-Qaeda and Saddam Hussein are all different things. We now know that there are no weapons of mass destruction (only weapons of mass distraction). The neoconservatives saw this as their chance to advance their cause, so Saddam was made the scapegoat. There he was happily terrorizing his own people, then the US troops moved in and bombed him out of his foxhole.

When the US troops first went looking for Al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, things weren't going too well. The British offered to help with their years of experience fighting the IRA. Weeks later, still no Al-Qaeda in sight. So they enlisted the help of the local Northern Alliance. Better results this time. I mean, if you're going to offer x amount of dollars for every "Taliban" caught, of course you're gonna get results. I understand business was so good, the Northern Alliance was turning in anyone who looked remotely Middle Eastern. Hah! Later on, the Northern Alliance told the US that Mr. Bin Laden is holed up in the Tora Bora caves. Mr. Rumsfeld even went on national television showing blueprints of the sophisticated mountain complex complete with multiple levels, interconnected tunnels, computer and computer systems, bedroom and office areas, ventilation systems, etc. With this "intelligence", the US bombed the whole place, and the Northern Alliance went in. No mountain complex, no Al-Qaeda, except for a few caves used as arms storage.

Feeling a bit out of luck, the neoconservatives took the search home. Wonder of wonders, everywhere they look there are terrorist sleeper cells. All of them Al-Qaeda! They said this man is a terrorist. Proof? He went to Disneyland with some friends, and he made a home video during the trip. They said he was casing the place for a possible terrorist attack. A trash can - that's where he plans to plant the bomb. A shot of the ground - he's counting the steps. Oh, a tree - that's where he intends to hide in a sniper operation. Another man was arrested as a possible terrorist. He had some doodles in his planner. An expert was called in and she testified that the doodles represent a military base in Turkey with AWACS planes and fighter jets on the runway. It was later proven that the man who drew the doodles is a 100% lunatic. I guess that makes the "expert" a lunatic, too. Heard about the one about Ultimate Jihad Challenge? Supposedly a school in London for terrorist training? Turns out it was a self-defense course. The school's only client is a security guard from a supermarket. Then there's this bunch of students playing paintball in Virginia. They were convicted of training to make a terrorist attack.

The stories are quite funny, until you realize they're all true. But don't take my word for it. Watch the series, or read the transcripts. Spread the word. Peace, man.