A photoblog and other things

It’s funny how some things just don’t happen sometimes. Even though there were lots of delays in getting to the US, there still isn’t a computer ready for me and I’ve had to use another computer whose owner is currently on holidays. Of course, this computer doesn’t have any of the tools I need to do my work, but oh well.

I had lunch today with some American guys plus a couple of Aussie blokes at pizza place. The waitress we had was pretty darn friendly, and the service was so good I could see why the American guys always went there (no, this wasn’t a topless pizza place in case you were wondering). Everyone was ordering pizzas with toppings I haven’t really seen before, for example, pizzas with sausages on top (and I mean full sausages just laying on the pizza base. WTF?) One of my Aussie workmates tried ordering a ham and pineapple pizza but they didn’t have any pineapple. I went for my normal Margarita – except the waitress didn’t know what a Margarita pizza was. I told her tomatoes with basil on top. The American guys sitting with us looked at me a bit weirdly, although I must say that one guy there knew what I was on about. I got back a pizza that had ham and basil instead. The waitress said “that’s not what you ordered, is it?” I shook my head and she got me another one, this time with the correct toppings. I ate both of them anyway, and it only ended up costing me a few bucks (I had 2 large cokes as well).

Next the American guys started talking about what was concerning them in the world. First there was the issue of many devices being “melded” into a single device. Consider the mobile phone for example – once only used as a communications device it can now be used as a PDA and pretty soon it will be your music device as well. What happens to the companies that used to produce the other products? I guess the most limiting factor with mobile phones is their small screen size. In the future there will probably be some technology that enables the “screen” to be beamed directly to the brain anyway, so you won’t actually need a screen at all. Hmmm…

The other thing the guys talked about was the rising superpower China, whose economy is absolutely skyrocketing. They were concerned that with Chinese people now starting to buy and use cars more that the world’s oil reserves would be even more punished. Add to that the technological capabilities that China may develop over the US in the future. I would expect the US Government would be seeking to make some treaties with China in the near future… this may have started already, I don’t really know. I haven’t done any research on it yet.

I really hope the rest of my stuff arrived today. This included my guitar and my computer which has all my music on it. I learned that my apartment has a cable internet connection. Booya!

I can’t actually believe that I’m in the US at the moment – it’s all sorta a bit weird still.

I think I most enjoyed the flight from Adelaide to Melbourne – mainly because it was the shortest. The flight from Melbourne to LAX was just plain painful. For over 14 hours I was right at the back of the plane and a Mexican dude in front of me had his seat right back which cramped my legs up. I lost count of the number of times I had to get up and walk around. I tried getting sleep on this stretch but it was just plain impossible. I chatted a lot to some Australian guys next to me who were biologists heading to Oregon. There was also an Australian girl, a vegetarian who was planning on hiking through South America. Talking to them made the time pass a little faster. I got to watch “Starsky and Hutch” and “The Girl next door” on the inflight entertainment channels, as well as a couple of documentaries. Woo hoo!

Coming to land in LAX was just weird – for the first time I actually saw with my own eyes cars driving on the other side of the road. Yeah, it’s a small thing, but enough to bring in a reality check. LAX is a mess. I don’t know how I did it, but somehow I was able to find my luggage and my way to the domestic terminal *and* to the gate that my flight was leaving from. I needed to call the limo service that was picking me up from the airport to tell them I was going to be late. I didn’t know why the phone number I had been given wasn’t working, so I asked some American guy for some help. Half way through my question he cut me off, pointed to the service desk and said, quite arrogantly, “Ask him”. He didn’t look at me the whole time I was talking to him. What a prick! Thank God I haven’t met any other people like that. Everyone else has been really friendly.

Ok, next I had to catch a plane from LAX to Fort Lauderdale. It was here that I noticed a bit of a difference between Qantas and American Airlines. The flight attendents on Qantas are quite strict in not letting you get up while the seatbelt light is on. Not so on AA. People were getting up all the time, and the flight attendents didn’t really seem to care a heck of a lot.

I arrived at Fort Lauderdale airport and proceeded to get my luggage. Actually, I was surprised it even came in the end. I was waiting there for about 45 minutes, tack onto that the flight was about 45 minutes late. I didn’t see anyone walking around with my name on a card so I assumed my limo driver had gone already, or didn’t even come at all. Not to worry, I caught a cab to the apartments.

Next thing to happen: my apartment number had changed. This was something I was supposed to check before I left, but I forgot to do this in the rush. There was someone else in my supposed apartment, and since I had arrived after-hours there was no-one to help me at the front desk. I had no idea what to do at this point. My phone was not working and I was looking at a bench and thinking I’d have to sleep on that! Luckily, I remembered that the US used a slightly different GSM network and that explained why my phone wasn’t working. I changed my phone settings and – voila! – I was able to select from a couple of service providers. After a few phone calls I found out what my apartment number was and got to bed pretty bloody quickly.

The next day it rained and rained and rained – due in no small part to tropical storm Alex. I think nearly 2 inches of rain fell in a couple of hours. I was going to go pick up my rental car but decided against doing this for reasons of localised flooding.

Today I drove on the right-hand side of the road and successfully navigated my way to work. I’m pretty stoked about that! I also had lunch at a Thai restaurant across the road with one of the people I’m working with and I also got introduced to no less than 20 other people. I also found out how bloody huge this place is!!!

Well I’m going to have to sign off now. I’m bloody tired and I have to go buy some groceries and stuff.

Ciaobella!

Nuff said I think. Now, the back of the Express Post envelope says “If we do not deliver as promised, you will receive another C5 Express Post envelope free”. Wicked man, wicked.

In all honesty, this sort of thing (having an express post not arrive the next day) hasn’t happened to many people at all – it’s certainly the first time it’s ever happened to me. That’s why I firmly believe that someone is using voodoo powers against me.

Do not believe Australia Post’s “Guaranteed next day delivery” service. It didn’t work for me when I most needed it. I was keeping track of the progress of the posting of my Visa and passport using the express post tracking number. The US consulate posted the Visa/passport package out a day later than expected. That’s ok – I planned for this and had delayed the outgoing flight by a day. Actually, that plan would have worked quite well if Australia Post could have delivered the package in time (or to the right place). I called up Australia Post five times throughout the day and they said varying things like “It’ll probably arrive at 5 or 6pm” to “It was scanned in this morning at 7:30am” to “It’s been delivered already”. I interpret this as “We don’t actually know where it is”. Actually, a lot of the times they asked “Have you checked your mail?” Well, yes I had. I couldn’t find it because it hadn’t been delivered yet. That’s why I called you. Then I started thinking “Maybe I put the wrong address on the express post envelope” and “Maybe I put my address on the wrong side”. Well, no, I’m pretty darn sure I put the right info down. I can remember checking once, checking again, and checking a third time to be sure. Anyway, the package had made it to my state and to the closest post office sorting facility to my workplace. I don’t know of any other addresses out that side of town either.

Now everything has been re-booked for a day later. I’m tired, generally unwell, exhausted, and no doubt am looking like crap. I’ve been working overtime on my project as it is because Florida was the light at the end of the tunnel. Ok, fair enough, assuming I receive the package tomorrow then heya! I’m going overseas so I should be happy about that and I will seem like a massive whinger. But bloody hell Australia Post, if you have lost my Visa and passport…