leaky buses rock my world....

NOT!
But I don't complain, because they get me from point A to point B, with sometimes a point C thrown in there sometimes. And today one of the six that I rode actually hit a car! HAHAHAHA-- please don't be offended by the laugh (well, really you can- I don't care). It's just that I didn't really think buses hit cars. But I really think this one did. I'm not a hundred percent positive because we didn't stop to check. Poor car-- even though most of you know my stance on low-occupancy vehicles, so I'm more or less 'eh' about it. Whoever it was should learn from this experience and learn to take the bus...with me! It's waaaaay more entertaining and environmentally sound, and it also builds good character- something we all need.

Au travail

C'est après près de trois mois de vacances intensives dans la magnifique ville qu'est Sydney que j'ai commence mon premier "vrai" emploi. Je dis vrai car j'ai quand même passe tout le mois de février à travailler sur des courts de tennis avec des enfants pour leur apprendre ce fabuleux sport.

Employé depuis lundi a Digitas Australie, cette première semaine s'est très bien passe. Avant toute chose, permettez-moi de vous présenter Digitas Australie ! Digitas Australie ouvre officiellement le 1er avril. Situe dans les bâtiments de Publicis -- Digitas étant la branche marketing digitale de Publicis -- dans the Rocks a Sydney, Digitas Australie a été crée par un français -- Nicolas -- avec qui j'ai travailler a Digitas France pendant le mois d'avril dernier -- J'ai réalise mon stage de fin d'étude a Digitas France, petit monde je sais bien. C'est d'ailleurs à cette période qu'il a décidé de partir à l'aventure à l'autre bout du monde.

Me voila donc à Sydney, travaillant dans une start-up, avec un manager français ! Les locaux sont super (photos à venir) et l'endroit est fantastique -- regarder sur Google Map : the rocks a Sydney. Il s'agit d'un vieux bâtiment -- vieux en Australie veut dire 200 ans max :) --, classe monument historique, avec vu sur la baie de Sydney.

Nous avons a disposition -- a disposition signifie gratuit pour moi -- un réfrigérateur remplit de canettes, un toaster avec du pain et de la confiture, miel, Nutella, peanut butter, beurre... Sans oublier le café ou the.

Digitas Australie va me sponsorise et donc me permettre de rester ici plus longtemps que mon visa courant le permet -- 1 an.

Je viens d'apprendre que l'alcohol -- bieres, vins -- etait en libre service tous les vendredis apres-midi ! Elle est pas belle la vie...

Holy Cockatoo Batman! I think we're outnumbered!

You are not going to believe this...

(Get the lyrics to this song)

A mighty marvelous monday morning, if I do say so myself.

meet additions to our family at 14/2 Meriton street...

I've been meaning to introduce y'all for a while now. Forgive me, I've never been good with formalities.

Everyone meet Mr. Snickers. Mr. Snickers meet everyone. He arrived last September, a gift from George and Agnes (Thanks guys!) AND He's STILL alive! Props to Lindsay.


Ms. Bounty. She arrived soon after Mr. Snickers. They are the best of buds.


Celine. The picture does not do her justice at all. She is HUGE. And she's been living in our tree for at least a month. I look for her earnestly every morning. If I ever see that she's not there, I may have to move.


Twizzler
... don't make fun of her. She's self-conscious.


and last but not least....
Steve! He doesn't hang out at the house, (not enough water or fish around), but I see him all the time on my runs past Kissing Point Park. He used to have a girlfriend, (I think--he wouldn't say), but she doesn't come around so often anymore. Cheer up Steve; don't let a silly girl spoil your charm!


Aren't they all just lovely? And we're expecting another addition in a few weeks-- Barney, a bonsai Alpine Wattle tree. He's hibernating at the moment. We're tricking him into thinking its Spring as we speak. Silly bonsai trees...

it's about frickin' time

It happened so quickly that I almost missed it. Well, by quickly, I mean two hours--which is light speed in bureaucratic office time. We went to Central really to just ask someone how to get married--with us being so awesomely foreign and all. Would we be required to translate birth certificates; Would we need to get a special visa; Would we need to learn some Australian pub dance or a poem in an Aboriginal language? Did I need to wear a dress? Could Vincent wear his one pair of flip flops? Blood tests? Letters attesting our relationship from family and friends? You know, that sort of stuff. I mean, shoot, I've never married anyone before--and the more I have to interact with government agencies, the more I realise that they do not follow the same line of logic as normal people do.

Well, it turns out you just have to fill out a one page application saying you intend to get married after one month and one day. Okay. So we turned that in. Just to be safe though, we decided to give the government a bit more notice than just the one month and one day. I mean, what's the harm right? I have to go to Melbourne anyway around that time. Plus, we have to give four weeks notice to the French government--and we all know how the French LOVE efficiency, so we thought giving them a few more weeks to push paper would only be to our benefit.

Therefore, the date is set for Saturday May 9, 2009 at noon.

Of course, only after everything was set did Vincent remind me that I'll be heading Stateside just three days later for almost a month. Oops.

Figures doesn't it.

Anyway, my solution to that sillyness is that Vincent COMES to America with me--so I need your help convincing him. I need everyone to bombard him with e-mails saying how much you miss him and that you'd LOVE to see him, etc, etc. His email is xxc3@yahoo.fr and you can also reach him on FaceBook. Hehe.

Vincent and I have found out what the Koreans do on Saturday nights....and it's the same thing kookaburras do on Fridays!

Can you guess?

Huh?

Huh??

Huh?!

Yeah, I didn't think so. Don't beat yourself up about it though, because it really isn't worth it. And to show you that I hold no hard feelings, I'll tell you.

They play tennis, people, TENNIS!

What a crazy world we live in. I thought Australia was insane enough with its teen-age love affair with vegemite and its un-wavering nonchalance towards living things...that can kill you...in an hour. But no. Koreans and kookaburras love tennis.

And, luckily for us, well--actually, luckily for me, Vincent loves tennis too. :)

He played in two tournaments (one in Manly and one in Strathfield) this past weekend and won all his matches-- scoring me dinner... TWICE along with some oh-so-delicious drinks. And you know what? Because of this, I think I am starting to love tennis too!

So everyone keep their fingers crossed that Vincent continues to play tennis super-duper awesomely. Lindsay needs to eat after all. And who doesn't enjoy a refreshing beverage every now and then?