New career??

Im considering switching career to real eastate agent. Im getting great experience while hunting for a room in this city. It is one of the worst things I've ever had to do. It is exhausting and incredibly difficult. Every day since I arrived (apart from 2 days) I have been scanning websites, newspapers, noticeboards, phoned lots and lots of people, taken tram and trains and walked over half the city in search for an ok place to live. This is a list of things that normally goes wrong:

• Too expencive
• Too far away
• Too scruffy and ugly
• They want a couple
• They want a man
• Im too old
• The person renting out room in shared house is too old (fx 50 year old man)
• They want a working person (not a student)
• It is already taken (most usual respons)
• And if I find an ad I really like there is always added something like this at the end. "Want a gay guy between 20-25!!"

Yes, so as you see its not simple. I've been walking around like a mental person calling, writing down info, reading ads, taking trams and reading maps simultaneously. There might seem to be a solution ahead now, but everything is in the air at the moment, as Im looking at a couple of more places tomorrow. However there might be one that is ok that I can have, so hopefully in a few days I can finally relax and unpack. It is definitly about time since I start university on Tuesday.

Apart from the flat hunt I have managed to squeeze in some fun too. On friday evening I went to an outdoor cinema (Moonlight Cinema) with Shane (the british guy I met) and some of his friends. Another Norwegian girl, Inger Lise also joined us. We saw "Team America", made by the same guy who produced Southpark. It was actually quite good and funny. The whole outdoor cinema event was also an intersting experience. People came carrying huge beanbags, picnic bags, chairs, blankets, huge bags of food and drinks etc... I will really try to do this again :)

I haven't really written much about Melbourne yet either. Its soo many impressions so it is a bit hard to know where to begin. It is a really great city as far I have seen. Sooo varied, multicultural and a lot of activities all the time. The first day I came I found the whole city centre a bit confusing since it is based on a grid system, like New York. So if I turned about too much I forgot what direction I was coming from, however after a few days it is actually really simple. It is also easy to get around with trams, trains and buses running in most directions. You buy a Metcard that works on all type of transport. Some of the trams are ancient though and stop every 15 meters, so that can get annoying, but they are also charming. There is even a tram that is turned into a restaurant, so you can eat while you go around the city.

Hm, what else...yes there is a water shortage, so one must be careful with all water, reuse, shower quickly etc... It is also a big focus on recycling. Everything must be sorted into different bins. Im still confused by it all, but slowly getting the hang of it.

Another funny thing. Australia seems to be a bit behind on the internet front. I saw an ad in a shop for "Superfast Internet". I checked it out and it was 256 Kb speed in and 64 Kb speed out (!) Gosh! That was really fast! So I guess I have to get used to snail speed for the coming year. There are hundreds of internet cafes here though and they seem to have a bit higher speed, but it is very expencive to have high speed at home.

Yup, that is all I cam muster up for now. Not bad since I feel like my brain is mush after such a stressfull week.

Refugee

I feel like a refugee these days because I still haven't found a place to stay and the sofa solution doesn't feel much like a home since i haven't been able to unpack or organize any of my stuff. All days, everyday since I arrived I have been out walking the streets up and down, searching for noticeboards with free rooms, looking at the internet etc....It is really hard now because everyone else is also in need of a room and anything half decent is snatched away before you can blink. At first I had this idea of what kind of flat and what people I wanted to live in/with, but now its more like, just give me something :/
University starts a lot sooner than hat I was told and of course they have something on every day before the official start that I kind of need to take part in, so it doesn't leave me with a lot of time for flathunting.

Anyway, I have looked at two flats so far, one was superb location, but kind of grubby. The other one is really nice, but the location is a bit off. I guess there will always be a trade off. Not given up hope yet though.
On Monday while in an internet cafe searching for flats a guy came over to me a aksed me for tips about good realestate websites. So we started talking, he has just immigrated from England. At one point we thought about looking for something together, but when you rent the whole house you also need to buy your own furniture so I cant afford that, however I made a new friend. He is staying at a friends house and I was invited for food there later in the day. Really nice.

Yesterday I went to the international student orientation. That was a kind of weird experience. It was about 200 young asian students plus an Italian girl and me. We stood out like you wouldnt believe. Apparently my class will be more mixed though:)

Today I also had to go in an do my final enrollment and get my student ID card. So most of the practical stuff is taken care of. Tomorrow I hopefully meet the people im my class too.

Well, I better go, I've been in this internet cafe for too long and it is costing a fortune.
Oh, just one more thing. Last evening we went to this Noodle box cafe and they have a kind of computer that you can select everything you want in the box, rice or noodles, what vegetables, what sauces etc...very modern. At the end your print off the selection and give it to the ppl in behind the desk and they fix it together. Kind of cool.

Final destination

Hi :) Im finally in Melbourne. I came here Thursday aftenoon and since then I have been more or less too busy to write anything here. A lot to tell though, but first something a little funny. I spoke to a woman from Sydney while I was checking in my luggage at Bangkok Airport, and when I told her I came from Norway she was like; "Yes, that is in Holland, isn't it?" (ehm...)

Ok, quick update. Im staying temporary on the couch in a house north of the city centre. Something I found through the internet. On Friday I went to the city to fix new sim card, some warm clothes (since weather was crap when I arrived) and then I met up with a Norwegian guy called Truls, he is going to another uni. He knew about 2 other girls and we met up with them too, so I already know about 4 Norwegians. Not that the plan is to know too many of them though. Anyway, Saturday I went to St. Kilda which is a suburb which is really cool with lots of cafees, bars, cake shops and other funky shops etc...It is near the water, so there is also a beach 5 min from here. I decided I want to live in this area since it is pretty close to my university too. So I have started looking for rooms. I looked at one room, but it was a bit too far from everything. I then found some noticeboards with notes about available rooms though, so im coming back here on Monday to look more.

Today Im also in St.Kilda. There is a huge festival here (The St.Kilda Festival). Lots of stuff happening and thousands of people. I even met up with Dave, one of the guys I met in Thailand. He is really helpful and has given me tips about many useful things. Todays the weather is also fantastic, blue sky and hot. I am just starting to realise the strength of the sun. It is scary how fast it affects you...so im trying to stay in the shade.
Its now 7 pm, the sun is still shining and hot. Now Im going back out to enjoy some of the music :)

Feeling sticky

What is the point with having a shower in this country. It takes about 10 seconds to feel as sticky as you did before the shower. This morning I had a shower and put on clean, fresh clothes so be ready for my trip to Australia. It was just one problem I had to make a quick trip to the post office to send some overweight luggage, that was all it took to completly destroy my feeling of freshness. Now Im totally soaked. Argh....I need to have a new shower and lock myself up in the room with the aircon on full power until my taxi arrives :) (hehe)

Elusive buses

Today is my last day here and this morning I wanted to go and do some last minute shopping and to save cash I was determined to get the bus! However that was easier said than done. I got the number of the buses I could take from my hotel and I went to the main road where they told me to wave my arm and the bus would stop. Hmm...I waved and waved at one point almost jumping in front of the bus, but did it stop? NO!! I was sooo frustrated. I saw other people doing the same thing and the bus stopped at once. They were Thai though, weird, it was like I was air to them. Maybe there is a special trick I havent learned yet? Anyway, after 20 minuts of this silly business I got fed up and took a tuk-tuk. Later when going back I again wanted to try and get the bus, but the same thing happend. Well, actually I did manage to get on one bus, but it was the wrong one. Juhuu..Lucky me. So I ended up taking a tuk-tuk back again too.

Back in Bangkok

My days here are coming to an end. This morning I arrived in Bangkok with Bangkok Airways. A cute airline. The planes were small propellar ones and I was a bit nervous about it, but it was very good. The airport on Samui was also very sweet. An open air thing with dark wooden matarial and a lot of green plants. Very tiny. To get to the airplane they drove us off in these small trolleyvans that look like something you would use in a circus or a zoo. Funny. The flight was quick too, only 70 minutes compared to the bus boat option which takes about 14 hours. Im really glad I flew back. However to get a cheap flight I had to get an earlybird leaving at 6 am which meant I needed to leave my guesthouse at 4.30 am, which again meant I didn't sleep much, so today I have been slumbering a lot in my luxury room. Done a few last minute shopping and had yet another massage. I have to take advantage when it is cheap. Tomorrow will be the last full day here, but Im more or less broke by now, so not sure what ill do. I have TV wih Star Movies in my room though, so at least I got some free entertainment.

Sweden or Thailand?

Im starting to wonder if I by mistake ended up in an unknown Swedish colony? Everywhere I look there are Swedish people and Swedish restaurants.!! There is even a magasine with info about the island and it is in Swedish. But having said that, yesterday I discovered to my horror that they sell Dagbladet and VG (the Norwegian national newspapers) here. A true sign that this place has turned into a charterflight /canary island scenario. Not bad if that is what you like, but not very exciting either. So why do I stay here? Hmm..I have asked myself the same question, but I guess I didn't realise to what extent this place has changed until the last few days.

Anyway, this is my last day and I will soak up the last rays of sun before I head off to smoggy Bagkok. And then on to Melbourne where they apparently are experiencing freak weather lately. Lucky me :)

Guesthouse pitfalls

I could probably pass as a guesthouse reviewer by now. I have lost count over all the places I have stayed in while trying to locate a good one. Here are some things to look out for though:

1. Make sure there are no public toilets next to the bungalow (due to smell and traffic)
2. Check that it is possible to lock the door
3. Have a look around the area before deciding so you don't end up on the old people's beach!?!
4. Look out for chickens and hens as they will wake you at ungodly hours.
5. Avoid anything loacted next to a temple, church or mosque. Or else your head will be blown off by various bells, loudspeakers and so on. Be extra aware during religious periods.

It is funny how every time I come to a place and ask for a room or bungalow they tell me yes, follow me...and then we walk pass all the cute bungalows or good looking rooms into the back of beyond to the most scruffy looking thing you can imagine...and I never get the one with a hammock. Even if everyone lese got one. Buhuu :(

I ended up buying a hammock for myself just so I could have the luxury of relaxing in it for a few days while I was in bottle beach. Now Im back in Samui again though, for the last time. Only one more day and then my flight leaves for Bangkok early Monday morning. Then 2 days there and I go to Melbourne. Can't wait!

Island hopping

If anything can be called island hopping it must be what I have been doing the last couple of weeks. It has been something like this: Koh Samui - Koh Tao - Koh Phangan - Koh Samui - Koh Phanghan - Koh Samui!!

Since the last posting this has happend. I went out with the Australian guys (Dave & Leonard) and the girlfriend of Dave, Anna. We went to a bar/club called The Green Mango. It was located in a square with several other similar looking establishments. It was like someone had ripped out a part of Ibiza and planted it on Samui! Pretty much the same scene. We didnt party a lot though, had some drinks, played pool and danced a bit. Then we caught a taxi-jeep home around 2 pm. The next morning I decided to go back to Koh Phangan to go and meet a friend who was staying at a remote beach called Bottle Beach. I just managed to reach the ferry back to Hat Rin on Koh Phangahn. From there I got on a taxi-jeep that took me to a town called chaloklum. From there I took a longtail boat about 15-20 minutes and I arrived in Bottle Beach. A really beautiful small bay with a great beach and a couple of accommodation places.

In the afternoon I also caught up with Susi, she is a girl I met when I travelled in India. Its funny though because we only had lunch together one day in India, so its not like we are very close friends. Anyway it was fun to meet again and we were chatting away. Her boyfriend was also there and a bit later he wondered how we knew each other. He was a bit shocked when we were like: " Oh, we had lunch together in India 3 years ago". Hehe. Anyway I had a couple of great relaxing days on this beach and on the last night there was even a small party with fireworks, games and firejuggling. This morning Susi came with me back to Hat Rin, she wanted to do some shopping and have a break from the beach life. I found a new room in Hat Rin and will probably stay here the remaining days, but being kind of unpredictable it is hard to say for sure.

Im starting to look forward to get on my way to Melbourne though. Only a week left till my plane leaves :)