Enter the podcast; that little thing I set up to try and keep you all up to date with my life in Australia and then promptly forgot to do anything with. Rather than try to summarise my thoughts in 500 words or less, I thought I might use it to ramble on for five minutes or less about whatever I have just read, seen or otherwise experienced. Since it will be aimless ramble, who cares if it isn’t spelled properly or delivered in complete sentences. Not I, nor you, I believe. And I can even record it on the walk back from the cinema when I am wandering the streets waiting to get robbed trying to find the quickest yet most brightly lit route home.

So here for your listening pleasure are my very quick thoughts on 2012. Yes, I know it’s been out for eons. I didn’t promise this would be a timely thing. And of course, there may be spoilers in here too.

Plain crazy? Ho ho ho, no pun intended.

The joy of freelance writing is that you can do it more or less on your own time. Writing letters home is the same; however, I’m not freelancing quite so much any more so I should pull my finger out and write to you all like someone is paying me to do it, too.  The trouble is, despite the financial crisis and the swine flu and the Taliban knocking on the door to Pakistan’s nuclear arsenal, things are going pretty well here, which means I am far too busy having a good time to sit down and write about it.  Sorry, everyone!

I started a new job last week, as the Student Communications Officer at a university in Sydney.  I love it.  I spent the first three days reading, reading, and more reading.  I was told that I have a budget, and whatever I think would be a good way to spend it will be considered.  I wrote content for existing web pages, I wrote proposals for improving communication, and then I got my red pen out and edited other people’s copy.  This week I’m helping one department plan a communications policy, and advising students on how to set up their own publications.  And I get paid for doing it!  I am earning money for being creative and wordy and clever.  It’s the perfect stepping stone that takes all my experience from my previous jobs at a university, and channels them all towards exactly what I want to do with my future.  Who could ask for more?  Well, no need: more is included!  The people are great, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and they have tea breaks for an hour on Fridays where we all sit around and chat.  In summary, I’m having a great time.

Aside from that, there’s all the fun I’m having with the rugby team.  Who knew that I was built for the second row?  My job, it seems, is to hold the scrum up, get thrown about in the line out, dive over players when they get tackled, take out the opposition and let my team mates run off with the ball.  Once again, the people are great, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly, and there are beers after training on Thursday.

Training has doubled lately, with an additional fitness class on Tuesday evenings.  Despite very firm feelings that I should stay on the train all the way home, I did get off at Town Hall station and walk to Rushcutters Bay for the first of six intensive, stamina-building sessions that left my legs trembling and my shoulders around my ears.  Despite all the moaning it’s really nice to work out with other people for a change, and it certainly improves my motivation.  (I am a bit worried about the start/end assessments, though.  We had to do as many press-ups as we could in one minute while someone else counted.  I think I did 28, but Brian – my counter – says it was 38.  I have to go every week now so I can beat my own fictitious target.  Damn it!)

In other fitness news, I have to leave Fitness First as I can join the gym at work and save myself $60 every month.  James wasn’t having any of my “but I like Fitness First and I know the people” and when I looked into it, he’s right: the uni gym is much better equipped, for example: the uni gym has 2 swimming pools.  Fitness First?  None.  Farewell international gym membership; but was I ever going to actually use it anyway?  Not likely.  Insofar as actually using the gym goes, it has tailed off lately thanks to the new job and the fitness training, but I’m sure I will get back on the horse soon enough.  James and I have noticed that I am getting much fitter and noticeably changing shape, so as long as that continues and I’m saving $60 a month, I’m not going to worry about it too much.

Last Saturday night was “Ruggerbugger”, the main fund-raising event of the gay rugby year.  Twice annually the Convicts take over the upstairs bar at the Midnight Shift and lay on entertainment with hilarious stage shows and a Full Monty finale.  Sadly I joined too late to start rehearsals, but I will have no excuse for the September show and will have to get naked on stage (except, of course, being in the UK.  Don’t tell anyone!).  It should come as no surprise to anyone that an attention-seeking drama-lover like myself is not fazed by this at all, and I’m actually looking forward to it.  The night was great fun and I made loads of new friends quite randomly throughout the night.  Turns out that a Sydney Convicts T-Shirt is quite the talking point.  James and I still have not agreed on what time we actually got home.  I told James at about 4.30am that he had drunk quite enough: “you’re getting the face on.  Now go home.”  Amazingly, in my drunken state, I thought this was perfectly acceptable and, even more remarkably, he did as he was told and got in a taxi.  There’s a first time for everything!  I thought I had made it home before 5am, but if James had time to go to Hungry Jacks and stagger home, then it’s fair to say that I probably didn’t make it home till after 6.  I think that’s the latest I have stayed out in a decade.  You will be pleased to know that I suffered all day on Sunday for my efforts.  I should know better than drinking double bourbons and coke all night.

Anyway, enough about rugby.  This weekend is James’s 30th birthday and we are heading into the Blue Mountains to celebrate.  I’m not sure why he chose a quiet weekend away instead of a roaring party (as I would have done) but he’s never really been big on birthdays and honestly, a restful weekend away sounds delightful after last weekend’s adventure.  On the way home we are stopping in at the country residence of a couple we know for some brunch/lunch and a tour (yes, we’re quite the social climbers), before heading to the theatre in the evening to watch a show written and performed by Amber (whom we lived with briefly in the first week we came to Australia).  The show is at a secret location and its BYO wine, so we are going to load up on booze, don our best urban camouflage and spend the night being entertained by good friends.  The perfect weekend.

In other news, I had another article published in the UK.  I sent it off in February and forgot all about it, so it was only when I was talking to Niall on Facebook and he mentioned he had read it that I realised it had been printed. Sadly that was the day before the next edition so the link to my article is no longer active, but you will be pleased to hear that it looked great and got good feedback.  Add to that some extra freelance stuff coming my way every now and then, and some people dead keen to be interviewed for articles and it’s all good.  Hurray for me!  Sadly, the writing group I was attending on Saturday mornings has now come to an end, but we are all still staying in touch and hitting the pub once a month for a catch-up, so the work/social diary is getting rather full.  At least it means I can start going to rugby games on Saturday mornings now, rather than doing all the training and getting none of the excitement of playing in an actual match.

I suppose after all this good news I should break the bad, and here it is: I lost my iPhone on Saturday night.  My pride and joy, the light of my life and dawn of my day fell out of my pocket in the taxi on the way home.  Now I can’t pretend I have a tri-corder in my pocket and feel like Star trek might one day be real.  Fortunately we have insurance but I was still absolutely savage on Sunday morning when I found a nice pile of my things from the night before, sans iPhone.  Whilst I wait for a replacement (and wave goodbye to $300 excess) I am forced to use the only replacement we had in the house, the “attractive cell phone with torch light” that even James had given up on.  I shall leave you with a picture so you too can imagine how I’m feeling and share in my pain.

Let me start with belated Easter wishes for you all, and the usual apology for taking so long to send you news of our adventures.  As you will see, we have been extremely busy of late.  I shall try not to bore you with too much detail, but there’s a lot to cram in so pull up a comfortable chair, a cup of tea and a biscuit, and when you’re comfortable, we’ll begin.

Firstly, James’s parents came to stay for three weeks in April and by all accounts had a great time while they were here.  We spent four days over Easter driving down to Melbourne, and then had two days in the city doing touristy things before flying back in a thunderstorm,  which was very exciting.  We spent a weekend in the Blue Mountains and everyone came along to an exhibition opening at my work where we all enjoyed free booze and cheap art for sale by very famous artists.  Much fun was had by all and next year I may even buy something.

On the job front, you will be very excited to know that I have a brand new job starting next Monday, as the Student Communication Officer at a university here in Sydney.  I had accepted another (far less exciting) role at a different university, but when I got the call to come for interview I jumped at the chance.  I researched my ass off and it showed: they told me they would call me in the middle of next week, but ended up ringing me the next day and offering me the role!  I had to call the first job and tell them I wouldn’t be starting after all (which was awkward) but then I felt over the moon! My new job will be to find out how students want to access university information, what they want to know, and then find ways of delivering it to them.  Essentially, I will be researching and building social media projects, and writing content for the web site and various other publications.  Basically all the things I do at home, but this time I’ll be getting paid for them!  It’s like my dream job!  It’s quite a commute but there’s a train virtually to the door and it’s in the opposite direction to the usual rush hour traffic, so it’s not so bad.  Also, the money is more than I’ve earned in my life!  I really feel like the past ten years have really paid off now and my career is finally taking shape.

I am spending this week preparing for my new job, since I finished at the Art School last Friday.  Greg has asked me to do some freelance stuff for his new company so I will spend three days at his new office writing for him.  It’s a very swish and open-plan, computery hanging out kind of a place, so I shall fit right in on their sofa with my new mac perched on my knee – I may even have to buy a Starbucks coffee and not shave for three days to complete the look.  And perhaps some glasses, too.*  What do you think?  As an antidote for all this geekery, we are going back to rugby practice on Thursday.  We couldn’t go for the past three weeks what with Jim’s parents staying, Easter, and the fact that Jim cracked a rib last time we went and has been told by the doctor to take it easy till the end of May.  Add to that the mother of all colds (I had it for three weeks!  Secondary infections, antibiotics and eveything!) and I believe that sums up all our news.  As you can see, all quite eventful!

I am STILL slogging through Anna Kareninonandonina – I’m about halfway through Part 3 (of so just under a third of the way through it.  It’s good. but some days are better than others – he does tend to ramble on without end in some parts, and the B-story just isn’t that interesting, to be honest.  James’s mum inadvertently told me the end and, though I had guessed it after the allegorical tale with a horse race, I still had that “will she, won’t she” going.  I shall keep going though – there’s plenty more going on in the novel and I am determined to finish it.  I have a forty minute commute to my new job, so plenty of time to start making serious headway and finish it before the winter sets in properly.  I can’t be reading tales from Siberia when it’s cold outside.

Well, I think this has gone on for quite long enough and your arse must be quite numb – I shall conclude here in the time-honoured fashion, wishing you well and hoping to see you soon.

*I realised after writing this that I just described Greg.  I hope he’s flattered.

Apologies to Gareth and Nicola.

Sorry not being in touch sooner. I have received one or two reminders to get back in front of the computer and tell you all about Australia, but it has been a little hectic here and the more time that passes the more there is to say so it gets harder and harder to know where to start! Thanks to everyone for your kind messages after my grandad’s death – it was very difficult being so far away, but also easier in some respects and it was lovely of you all to send your wishes.

You can watch a BSL version of this, or read on.

So let’s talk about the snow. I confess that the whole thing is making me very homesick. I told James it would be the whitest winter for years if we left the country and look what happens! Just call me Cassandra. I have been inundated with photos, texts, e-mails and even phone calls telling me all about it. I think snow is one of my favourite things in the whole world (along with marmite and fireworks) and I’m dreadfully sad not to be able to enjoy it with my friends. Of course, now it’s all turned into a raging storm I’m not so green, but for a while there I was quite envious. The weather here is, of course, scorching, though Sydney has been enjoying some rather moderate 30 degrees at midday. Today it has even been grey and miserable, giving Bristol a run for its money in the bleak stakes. Thankfully we are nowhere near the fires in Victoria, and although there are a few around Sydney they are quite far away from us and we haven’t seen anything even remotely like a fire in the city. The smoke did blow across on Saturday which was very strange – everything smelled like bonfires – but that’s as close as we have come. We are both quite safe.

I had my first session at the gym for a long time a few days ago and whilst I knew I was not at the peak of physical fitness, I didn’t think I would be too bad: I did all that trampolining and squash, not to mention an uphill hike to work while I was still in Bristol. I was quietly confident I would acquit myself admirably. Turns out I have a fitness age of 50. I was mortified. In fairness, my actual physical fitness isn’t too bad, but for some reason my heart was racing at a staggering 96bpm and the poor trainer looked worried I was about to explode. I ended up with the cardio results of a 74-year-old, which dragged my average fitness age up somewhat. (Also, I was shocking at press-ups, but then I knew I had no upper arm strength.) So anyway, my trainer told me not to worry as they were “just some numbers” (always a bad sign when they start using that kind of language) and to come back on Thursday to help me plan an exercise regime. In the meantime I have been regularly testing my heart rate and my friend (who is a doctor) and I agree that it is 80bpm, which is far more reasonable and less likely to give me a stroke before I hit 30.

In job news, I am now temping for three days a week – it’s the same job my sister had and it was she who got me in, and although it’s not as much money as I could be earning, it’s better than nothing. It’s Tues – Thurs, which means I have Mon and Fri to look for something, I really want (as well as the weekend, but that doesn’t count) and do some writing for myself. I’ve also registered for an ABN (it’s the Australia version of registering as a sole trader) and have some freelance writing jobs coming in for various people, which is excellent news and will all look great on my CV. My tax return will be a nightmare, but at least I’m doing something I want to do. I’ve starting saving all my receipts just in case something turns out to be tax deductible! I need to start making real money soon though, as my laptop died the other day; something to do with the logic board. James and I had a deal that as soon as we were both properly employed I could buy a MacBook Pro and he could buy a new bike. I think I’m getting the better deal, but it is becoming desperate now.

James and I are planning a trip home at the end of August/start of September so if you are around and not on holiday it would be great to catch up with as many of you as we can. As ever, if you are coming this way look us up – we’re always delighted to see you and there’s plenty of room to stay. In the meantime, you can follow the ins and outs of life here, and if you visit this page it even tells you how to subscribe so you don’t have to keep checking it yourself. I’m too good to you all!

and if that doesn’t work, you can hear it and subscribe to the feed here.

Since I wrote last there is some big news in the family: my sister and her boyfriend got engaged!  They were driving around Australia and Jon proposed in Byron Bay a couple of weeks ago.  Obviously Kara said yes, and then rang everyone she knew to tell them the news regardless of the time difference. I think it is the only time anyone was pleased to hear from her at 6.30am!  After that, they decided to cut their trip short and return to Sydney ahead of schedule (I think they wanted to be with friends and celebrate) so they have been staying with James and I for the past week or so.  They’re staying till 3 February, when they have to return to the UK, and we are all having a whale of a time.  James is a bit miffed that he has to work while we all get to stay at home and enjoy the weather, but after Christmas I’m sure we will all be out to work and he won’t be missing anything.

I have some encouraging news on the job front: I have an interview at a university in Sydney.  It’s doing a similar thing to my previous job, though not with the Deaf.  The pay is good and the university is not far from home, which is handy.  I shall keep you posted.  Jon also told me about a great website where all the creative jobs in Sydney are listed so I am checking that every day and applying for things as they come up.  I’ve written an article for a magazine that is published in January which, although it doesn’t pay, is a foot in the door.  I’ve also e-mailed all the MA Creative Writing tutors in Sydney so hopefully I can get an application in later in the year and start that in 2010.  Fingers crossed!

The furniture saga is nearing an end, finally.  It cleared Customs last Thursday but the company can’t deliver it until after 5 January!  James rang them up and tore a strip off the woman who was handling it (she had promised it would be in our house by Christmas) and told her we would come and pick it up ourselves.  I was pissed off about not having it delivered but it is better to have it than not, so we are hiring van and picking it up ourselves on Tuesday.  Everyone wants their stuff before Christmas and there’s just not enough staff to get everyone’s belongings out in time. At least Kara and Jon are here to help as well – all four of us will have it in the house in no time and we’ll have something to sit on while we eat our Christmas dinner!

I’ve said to some of you that Australia isn’t very festive around Christmas-time, and I’ll say it again: it really doesn’t feel like Christmas at all.  We haven’t put any decorations up, which probably doesn’t help, but it is weird thinking that there are only days to go and we haven’t so much as sniffed at a mince pie.  They just don’t have them over here, and no one in their right mind would mull their wine in 30 degree heat!  All the traditional Christmassy things just don’t exist over here and I do rather miss wrapping up warm and bustling around in the dark with the Christmas lights twinkling overhead.  Funny how you romanticise things when you miss them: the truth is that I would be trudging around in the rain batting people out of the way whilst doing some frantic last minute shopping.  Maybe I don’t miss it so much after all!  We are planning a traditional Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve night, and then an aussie Christmas day with a barbecue and an afternoon on the beach. Katie, James’s sister, is joining us just after Christmas and will be here for New Year, so we are heading into Balmain for an afternoon in the park with some drinks and a lovely view of the fireworks.  It should be lovely.

We are both missing our friends very much – this week I have been particularly blue about not seeing you all, but we have made lots of new friends over here so we have plenty to look forward to, and loads of people to introduce you to when you all come over.  Everyone is welcome and we look forward to seeing you all as soon as we can.  I will finish by saying thanks to everyone for the Christmas cards we have received – it is really nice to have reminders of our friends about and we love reading all the news, so keep sending it!  I’ve attached a few photos of us at a recent Christmas party to keep you amused.  In case you wondering, James was doing a Rusty Lee impression in the kitchen.

Have a great Christmas and a fantastic 2009!