| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| The Stockholm Syndrome Pt. 1 | ||||
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| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| The Stockholm Syndrome Pt. 2 | ||||
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Just shocking... :-P
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Crypto-socialist nightmare...?
In recognition of being one month away from departure, here is Jon Stewart's searing expose of the horrors Swedish Socialism...
Just shocking... :-P
Just shocking... :-P
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
New toy...
Last Friday afternoon I handed in my final essay for the semester, an American History paper on changing ideas of government in the USA from the revolution to the New Deal. It was supposed to be fifteen hundred words, but came out closer to three thousand. In recognition of my stellar effort in giving not just 110%, but close to 200%, I decided to reward myself with a new toy, something I've had my eye on for a while.
"What happened to saving for travel?!?", I expect you are shouting pointlessly at your computer screens. Shout no longer friends, for my new toy is highly relevant. Behold:
The Mont Astro 65L travelpack :-)
(At this point you should all go "ooohh, aaahh" in a thoroughly impressed fashion. Go on, you know you want to...)
Actually having a backpack - and a quite nifty one at that - has really ramped the excitement up a notch. My Grandad had offered to chip in some money for the pack, so I took it straight to his apartment just off Little Lonsdale St to show it off and collect my prize. (Thanks Grandad!) As I was carrying quite a few other things as well, he had the bright idea of filling it up and taking it for a spin on my way to work. Strutting happily down Swanston Street and over the bridge, I felt the thrilling edge of an adventure. Even being teased by the aging security guard at the stage door did little to dampen my spirits. I was off on an adventure...even if it was only as far as the locker room...
"But what" I expect you are asking yourself, "is so exciting about a bag?" Put it down to boys and their toys if you must, but at least let me show you a few cool features:
The harness (which has a really good waist belt with multiple points of adjustment and is incredibly comfortable once it's all tightened up properly) packs away completely behind this zip-up panel, which itself tucks away neatly in the base (see above).
The bag is very sturdily constructed with sturdy zips and buckles and a tough (yet light) tear-resistant nylon. It has large compression panels at the sides, which reduce bulk and pull everything closer to your back, transferring weight to your hips and off your shoulders. It opens up completely like a clam (see below) to give you easy access to everything without pulling things out of the way and messing up your pack.
One-half of the pack is divide into two zipped compartments, which have their own nifty feature. They zip out completely, and then zip up into the 35L "Travel Pod". Add the shoulder strap from the main bag, and you've not only got a neat overnight bag or laundry bag, but an extra carry on for all your souvenirs, while loosing none of the internal capacity of the main bag (see final image below).
As with most packs on the market for backpacker types like me, a daypack is included in the design, but not the usual "zip on" design which is next to useless because it leaves the pack a.) a long way from where you can protect it and b.) a long way from your center of gravity (which can lead to you rolling on your back like a turtle unable to right itself if you're knocked down in the street by some old German nanna).
Instead, the daypack (which has lovely comfy padding in the straps and back, as well as other useful features) is concealed in a pocket, marsupial style - which seems only right for an Australian-designed product. It also has handy little clips to attach the daypack to the front of the main harness, just to cement that "Look at me, I'm a tourist" look that all backpackers strive for...
So there you have it, my new toy. Pricey at just over $400, but in my view worth every penny. Three bags, total capacity 125L (way more than I should be carrying ever), tough materials, relatively lightweight (about 3 kilos all up) and a lifetime warranty. A family of travelling friends that will never ever stab me. Who could ask for anything more?
"What happened to saving for travel?!?", I expect you are shouting pointlessly at your computer screens. Shout no longer friends, for my new toy is highly relevant. Behold:
The Mont Astro 65L travelpack :-)
(At this point you should all go "ooohh, aaahh" in a thoroughly impressed fashion. Go on, you know you want to...)
Actually having a backpack - and a quite nifty one at that - has really ramped the excitement up a notch. My Grandad had offered to chip in some money for the pack, so I took it straight to his apartment just off Little Lonsdale St to show it off and collect my prize. (Thanks Grandad!) As I was carrying quite a few other things as well, he had the bright idea of filling it up and taking it for a spin on my way to work. Strutting happily down Swanston Street and over the bridge, I felt the thrilling edge of an adventure. Even being teased by the aging security guard at the stage door did little to dampen my spirits. I was off on an adventure...even if it was only as far as the locker room...
"But what" I expect you are asking yourself, "is so exciting about a bag?" Put it down to boys and their toys if you must, but at least let me show you a few cool features:
The harness (which has a really good waist belt with multiple points of adjustment and is incredibly comfortable once it's all tightened up properly) packs away completely behind this zip-up panel, which itself tucks away neatly in the base (see above).The bag is very sturdily constructed with sturdy zips and buckles and a tough (yet light) tear-resistant nylon. It has large compression panels at the sides, which reduce bulk and pull everything closer to your back, transferring weight to your hips and off your shoulders. It opens up completely like a clam (see below) to give you easy access to everything without pulling things out of the way and messing up your pack.
One-half of the pack is divide into two zipped compartments, which have their own nifty feature. They zip out completely, and then zip up into the 35L "Travel Pod". Add the shoulder strap from the main bag, and you've not only got a neat overnight bag or laundry bag, but an extra carry on for all your souvenirs, while loosing none of the internal capacity of the main bag (see final image below).
As with most packs on the market for backpacker types like me, a daypack is included in the design, but not the usual "zip on" design which is next to useless because it leaves the pack a.) a long way from where you can protect it and b.) a long way from your center of gravity (which can lead to you rolling on your back like a turtle unable to right itself if you're knocked down in the street by some old German nanna).
Instead, the daypack (which has lovely comfy padding in the straps and back, as well as other useful features) is concealed in a pocket, marsupial style - which seems only right for an Australian-designed product. It also has handy little clips to attach the daypack to the front of the main harness, just to cement that "Look at me, I'm a tourist" look that all backpackers strive for...So there you have it, my new toy. Pricey at just over $400, but in my view worth every penny. Three bags, total capacity 125L (way more than I should be carrying ever), tough materials, relatively lightweight (about 3 kilos all up) and a lifetime warranty. A family of travelling friends that will never ever stab me. Who could ask for anything more?
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
This shit just got real...
There's no avoiding it now.
I've received the confirmation letter. I've confirmed the confirmation letter. I've received the letter confirming the confirmation of the confirmation letter. I've shown both letters to the Faculty Office, who confirmed both the confirmation and the confirmation of the confirmation.
And today, I bought a plane ticket - British Airways from Changi International to Heathrow to Stockholm Arlanda (and return).
It was actually remarkably cheap...about $1250 AUD. And with Simon covering the Singapore-Melbourne legs with his mountains of frequent-flier miles (thank-you rich generous uncles and BHP Biliton) that shaves a tidy little sum off my estimates for the trip.
Incredibly, despite all the planning and the research, and the months of talking about it and saving for it, and the small rainforest that was felled to provide all the paperwork, it's only this afternoon that it finally feels like I'm going.
And it's suddenly very, very real; exciting and terrifying in proportions I'm not sure I can pin down just yet...
There's still quite a lot to do: get tickets to and from Singapore, find insurance, confirm my scholarship, apply for a visa, work out what I'm taking, buy something to pack it in, find someone cheap to ship it there, frantically learn more Swedish...
All on top of studying for exams, writing my American History essay, working two jobs, eating, sleeping, organising a farewell party, and of course spend time with my family, girlfriend, friends and sundry others who might notice my absence from July to February.
Eight weeks and counting...
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Welcome to Uppsalaphilia
Hello internet folks.
Because I am one of these hip new Gen-Y types who are all down with the tecknolography, I've decided to create a blog documenting my travel adventures over the next nine months or so, beginning with the crazy final weeks before departure (that's right now) and continuing through my time on exchange at Uppsala University, Sweden. It looks like this:
And it will be my home from August to January, in case I haven't had a chance to bore you backwards with the details of it yet.
But this blog will not be boring (I hope) but rather filled with insightful, witty and poignant observations of Swedish University life from the perspective of...well, me. But failing that, it will be a place where you can come to confirm that I am not, in fact, dead, a place to tell me that you share that fortunate condition, a place to watch Sally and Mat score points off each other in the comments section, and a place to contemplate how much funnier Joe's version of this would be...
Enjoy.
Because I am one of these hip new Gen-Y types who are all down with the tecknolography, I've decided to create a blog documenting my travel adventures over the next nine months or so, beginning with the crazy final weeks before departure (that's right now) and continuing through my time on exchange at Uppsala University, Sweden. It looks like this:
And it will be my home from August to January, in case I haven't had a chance to bore you backwards with the details of it yet.But this blog will not be boring (I hope) but rather filled with insightful, witty and poignant observations of Swedish University life from the perspective of...well, me. But failing that, it will be a place where you can come to confirm that I am not, in fact, dead, a place to tell me that you share that fortunate condition, a place to watch Sally and Mat score points off each other in the comments section, and a place to contemplate how much funnier Joe's version of this would be...
Enjoy.
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