Takaisin Alaskaan!

Tere!

Perjantaihin taidettiin jäädä. Ilta aloitettiin Walterin ja son of dad of Samin kanssa suuntaamalla Suomen suurlähettilään asunnolle kutsutilaisuuteen. Siellä tavattiin muita NUS:n vaihto-oppilaita sekä niinikään vaihtareita SMUlta, eli vähän niinku paikallinen kauppis, ja opintomatkaajia Turun kauppakorkeakoulusta. (Eli vähän niinku paikallinen kauppis...)

Oli hauskaa tutustua uusiin suomalaisiin tyyppeihin ja turussa opiskelevien kanssa oli helppo tulla juttuun. Lähinnä keskityin keskustelemaan naispuolisten henkilöiden tai Walterin kanssa. Tarjoilu oli juhlien ehdotonta aatelia. Söin lohta, join lonkeroa, söin lihapullia, join Olvia, söin kunnon salaattia ja join Fizziä.

Juhlat lppuivat tarjoilun hiivuttua ja suuntasimme koko juhlajoukon voimin ulos. Me "paikalliset" suuntasimme takaisin aloittelemaan Commonwealthiin, jossa juhlittiin synttäreitä. Turkulaiset menivät suoraan Clarke Quayn sillalle ja me seurasimme perässä puolenyön aikaan (normihintaisella) taksilla. Juttelin vielä muutamien turkulaisten kanssa, mutta tunsin itseni melko ylimääräiseksi heidän kadottuaan terassibaariin ja kavereiden suunnatessa yökerhoihin. Itse olin liian väsynyt ja hyppäsin ensimmäiseen taksiin kohti CWtä.

Ai, niin. Walter oli jättänyt avaimet kotiin, mutta etuovi oli auki. Sen sijaan Walterin huone oli lukossa ja avaimet ilmeisesti sen sisäpuolella. Eikä Erkkakaan ollut kotona. Kaiken kukkuraksi Walterin puhelimesta oli akku loppunut. Siinä sitten vietin yötä silmäluomet raskaina tietokoneen äärellä ja siirryttyäni pienelle nahkasohvalle lepäämään tuli Walterkin paikalle. Nukahdin jossain vaiheessa ja heräsin, kun joku herrasmies (vaksi, vartija tms.) tuli avaamaan meille oven. Lattialla oleva patja ei koskaan ole tuntunut niin hyvältä.

Lauantaina otimme pitkään iisisti ja minä pesin pyykkiä. Iltaa vietimme Edwardin ja parin brittikaverin kanssa ensiksi biljardia pelaten. Biljardipaikassa soi sensuroimaton hittimusa ja täytyy myöntää, että joko olen taantunut tai sitten hittimusan taso on pienessä nousussa. Toisaalta sama musiikki ei lämmitä niinkään yökerhoissa, mikä voi toisaalta johtua valaistuksesta (tai sen puutteesta), äänentoistosta, ihan vaan asiakaskunnasta tai kaikista yhdessä. Biliksen jälkeen menimme vielä kolmeen pekkaan elokuviin katsomaan Source Code -elokuvan ennakkonäytöstä. Oli muuten aika hyvä.

Walter painui Hong Kongiin nukkuessani ja tänään olen pakannut, kuivattanut pyykkini auringon paisteessa ja tehnyt viimeiset ostokseni. Budjetti riitti loistavsti, lompakossani on tasan yksi dollari paikallista valuuttaa ja metrokortissa on ylimääräistä noin kaksi.

Kohta hyvästelen Edwardin ja suuntaan lentokentälle yölentoani odottamaan. Onneksi perillä on jo sänky varattuna ja voin viimeistään Darwinissa nukkua niin pitkään kuin haluan.

Eletään inhimillisesti ja kuullaan taas.

Pelkonen inhoaa Las Vegasia

 
Suojelusbuddhani

Hindutemppeli

Uima-allas (maailman) katolla

Jonottamaan pääsee merelläkin

 
Kummitusmetro

Ni hao.

Singaporen arkeen on tutustuttu nyt melkein kokonaisen arkiviikon ajan. Maanantai ja tiistai oli pyhitetty itsenäiselle turismille. Näin keskustan monelta metroasemalta käsin eri suunnista ja kiertelin lukuisia ostoskeskuksia. Postikortit tuli ostettua, mutta ovat kirjoittamatta ja lähettämättä. Postimerkkejäkään ei vielä ole. Mieluisimpana kaupunginosana jäi mieleen Chinatown, jossa ei nyt ollut ihan mikään täydellinen meininki, mutta turistiystävällinen paikka se oli kuitenkin. Little India oli toisaalta oma elämyksensä ja näinhän siellä jättimäisen läjän currya erään satunnaisen kiinteistön lattialla. Kiinalaisten Buddhalainen hoilausseremonia vei voiton intialaisten Hindulaisista grillibileistä. Löysin myös suojelusbuddhani temppelistä ja olisin voinut sponsoroida häntä 180 dollarin (n. 95 euroa) hintaan. Ehkä osaan olla ihan hyvä ihminen ilman tuotakin sijoitusta. Ehkä.

Singaporen ulkopuolella eletään jännittäviä hetkiä. Vanhempien sukupolvien kuumat heinäkuut ovat johtaneet syntymäpäivien sumaan huhtikuussa ja serkkuni NyyJuud viettikin synttäreitään eilen. Viikon päästä onkin ainakin kahdet synttärit lisää allekirjoittaneen viettäessä merkkipäiväänsä heti serkkupoika OOOooo-JOOOooo:n juhlallisuuksien jälkeisenä päivänä (itseasiassa synttärit ovat virallisesti 6,5 tuntia samaan aikaan). Toinen huhtikuun puolenvälin hienoimmista jutuista on NBAn pudotuspelien alkaminen. Itse tulen luultavasti olemaan kaukana koripalloa toitottavista töllöttömistä aina toukokuun loppuun asti, joten penkkiurheilullinen kultakausi jää tältä vuodelta lyhyeksi. Onneksi saimme katsottua viimeisiä runkosarjan otteluita ilmaiseksi Internetissä.

Stressiä on tarjoillut rahatilanteeni. Australialainen pankkitilini umpeutuu tämän kuun lopussa ja olen viimeisen matkakuukauden mahdollisten käteisvarantojen ja joulukuussa uusiutuneen Credit/Debit-korttini varassa. Ainoa ongelma tässä on se, että minulla ei vieläkään ole kortille PIN-koodia, koska ensimmäinen sellainen lähetettiin aivan väärään paikkaan. Lyhyestä virsi kaunis, jos olisin hoitanut yhden monesta asiasta kuukautta aikaisemmin ei stressiä olisi. Nyt pitää vain uskoa, että PIN-koodi on tiedossani (ja kortti toiminnassa; laksut olivat myös maksamatta!) ennen kuin käteinen loppuu. Sormet ristiin!

Mutta takaisin Singaporeen. Keskiviikkona kävimme Walterin kanssa Marina Bay Sands -viihdekeskuksessa, joka on kuuluisa kolmesta pilvenpiirtäjästä muodostuvasta hotellistaan ja saa suurimmat tulonsa valtavasta kasinostaan. Kasinolla emme käyneet, mutta pilvenpiirtäjien yhteiselle katolle päädyimme uimaan katolla olevaan uima-altaaseen. Ilmaistahan ei hupi tyypillisesti olisi, mutta lainasimme alakerran Samulilta käytettyä hotellin avainkorttia ja tämä oli riittävä pääsymaksu katolle. Maisemat olivat melkoisia ja otimme valokuvia laajalle levittyvästä Singaporesta. Sitten lähdimme sadetta pakoon sisälle.

Olimme aikeissa mennä yliopistolle vaihtarien läksiäistapahtumaan, mutta meillä ei ollut sateenvarjoa ja sade oli aikamoinen. Luistinradan vieressä lounastamisen jälkeen päädyimme taksijonoon ja siitä härskillä taksilla yliopistolle. Hieman ilmaista ruokaa ja palasimme Commonwealthiin valmistautumaan illan biletykseen.

Sillalla oli melkoiset bileet, mutta ei enää niin paljoa väkeä kuin viikkoa aikaisemmin. Vietin jonkin verran aikaa klubilla tanssilattialla (mistä kertoivat seuraavana yönä kramppaavat pohkeet), mutta sisuskaluissa resonoinut diskojytä (70-luvun termi) ja kalliit juomat eivät miellyttäneet, joten lähdin metsästämään halvempia virvoikkeita sillan kupeesta "sevenilevenistä" (7/11). En nähnyt sillalla ketään oikeasti tuttuja, mutta päädyin jostain syystä puhumaan singaporelaisen Raudhah -nimisen tytön (lue: nuoren naisen) kanssa. Hänelle oli Mika -niminen kaveri opettanut suomea (joskin melko lailla väärin) ja juttu luisti mukavasti. Puhuimme lähinnä Suomesta ja Australiasta (eli lähinnä allekirjoittanut puhui). Kävimme vielä McDonald'sissa, mutta Walter ehti ottaa jo taksin takaisin kotiin huomaamattani ja sain tyytyä matkustamaan taksilla yksin.

Kämpillä Walter antoi minulle peppupiiskaa, kun en ollut vastaillut puhelimeen.

Torstaina heräsimme intialaisten asennusmiesten mekkalointiin "olohuoneessa". Erittäin hitaan käynnistyksen jälkeen kävimme katselemassa rintoja Singaporen taidemuseossa ja teimme ekskursion Singaporen yösafarille. Näimme monia "yöeläimiä" kuten leijonia ja tapiireja erittäin läheltä ja homma oli kyllä hintansa väärti. Kummituseläin ei ikävä kyllä näyttäytynyt. Yösafarilla ei saanut kuitenkaan hirveän hyviä valokuvia, koska salamavalot olivat tiukasti kiellettyjä (mikä ei kylläkään estänyt monia turisteja tunkemasta välähtäviä kameroitaan kahden sentin päähän hedelmiä syövistä lepakoista). Minua se ei toisaalta haitannut, mutta te ette nyt näe yhtään eläintä. Ellette te satu katsomaan Avaraa luontoa blogia lukiessanne, eikä teillä ole lemmikkejä. Rahaa myös meni kotimatkaan, koska emme ehtineet kotiin ennen metroliikenteen loppumista keskiyöllä. Samalla myös taksi maksoi 50% ekstraa. Hieno systeemi.

Että semmosta. Walter lähti tänään punttisalille miehistymään ja minä jäin kämpille päivittämään blogiani. Illalla menemme Suomen suurlähetystöön nauttimaan ilmaista ruokaa ja juomaa. Soppa-Sakari on iloinen.

Kuullaan taas ehkä vielä Singaporesta tai vasta Darwinista, jonne lennän sunnuntain ja maanantain välisenä yönä odottamaan äitiä, synttäreitä ja pääsiäistä.

Adios!

Living On A Prayer

"Whooah, we're half way there
Livin on a prayer
Take my hand and we'll make it - I swear
Livin on a prayer"

Happy New Year!

I really don't know what to say. The evenings have been busy so I haven't been able update my blog in a while. I should've named this post Leave Me Alone, but the above lyrics were perfect for New Years.

Well, I'm figuratively half way there. Not only was the halfway point of my Australian trip passed, it was passed with spectacular festivities.

My afternoon delight for New Years Eve was another hike towards the Botanic Gardens. I found a park bench with a nice view at Soldiers Memorial Walk and sat there for 90 minutes listening to my podcast and feeling good. To say that the following few days have been an emotional roller coaster would be an understatement.

We saw fireworks. Twice. After the fireworks we found some live music, which rocked and I started to have a lot of fun. Then we searched for and found a nice bar. The music was awesome, the DJs were really putting their all into it.

Then someone bought us a round of beers. And another. Then I bought one round for $26. 

Ok, I have to explain a little. There was three guys and me at the bar together from the hostel. Ms. S and a German girl joined us later. I acted really crazy and everyone had a great time, myself included.

After the bar we went for a slice of pizza, but I struck a conversation with two Australians and got derailed. After the pizzas there was four of us and we headed down to the harbor to look at the first sunrise of 2011. Ever!

That was that. After that day I've spent quite a lot of time with Ms. S, the German guy and girl, a new German guy and a short American bloke. It's been fun, but I have grown tired of something.

Nothing of note happened on Saturday. Sunday was also a little dull, but we went to check out the taste festival in the evening to buy some ice cream.

I took my place as the last person in line not really sure if I was going to buy anything. And then I got a friendly tap on the shoulder. It felt like it was someone who knows me.

It was a familiar face, which was a surprise, because I didn't know there could be anyone familiar in Australia let alone Tasmania. Who was it?

Well, she's a student at my university in Turku in the year class after mine. Let's call her Muse. We shared traveling stories. There was a lot in common. She'd come to Australia three months ago. She was homesick at first. She'd been working almost all the time in Byron Bay, but she was in Tasmania for New Years and she still had plans to go to the west coast. I told her she could come to Sydney when I'm there and we might actually do the west coast road trip together. I also met another Finnish girl, who's an exchange student in Hobart (and who Muse was staying with) and a German girl with them. The last Muse told me was about a cherry picking job opportunity close to Hobart. She gave me a number for two really nice people, as well as her own Australian number.

More live music and at first I had fun. But the people I were with weren't as much into the music and then the songs went in an obscure direction and suddenly I didn't feel that good.

I've thought about it and I'm not going to go pick cherries. It's not a job I want to leave Hobart for. If I can't find a job here, I'll just have a little less money when I leave Tasmania. I doubt a cherry picking job would make me feel better. So, no. The prospect of doing the west coast trip someone familiar and nice also could mean two things. One, it would probably be cheaper and that would make a job in Tasmania less necessary again. Two, it's only prospect so it made me think "will she or won't she?". Not very Zen, I know, but I've been stressing about that nevertheless. So, pondering about the cherry picking job, stressing about the trip, spending most of my time with other people and probably not eating enough has all contributed me not feeling as well as I would've liked.

Tomorrow, I'm buying a basketball, maybe playing with it, eating pizza and possibly going to the cinema. On Wednesday I'll see if anything new has opened up and I might do my first hike to Mt. Wellington. Or my laundry. All I need is patience and the right amount of company.

Continue having a good year. The next time you see me might be more Finnish. Bye!

Southern Exposure

Howdy ho!

I pretty much went through with my Melbourne Ultimatum (see what I did there?) and did what I had planned to do on Thursday, Friday and Saturday. I won't bore you with too many details because it's the Holidays but I wanted to assure you I'm doing very well.

So, the weather on Thursday wasn't as nice as it had been on Wednesday. There was no going back though, so I went to the Eureka tower and got my Sun and Stars package to get up twice in one day. I took pictures of every place I had visited and could see, before returning back to street level. I had twenty minutes before the next river cruise and I had to have lunch so I went across the river to have a nice whopper on the go. I found a cruise on the north side of the river so I forked over $25 to get on the next one.

First part of the cruise took us to the harbor and almost to the West Gate Bridge still more than 80 km away from the open sea. I learned some new stuff about the city (especially the newest riverside developments) and took some photos of the city. Ninety minutes later we headed upstream to see another side of the city. Again I took some pictures and learned more facts about Melbourne and Yarra River.

After the cruises I headed in to NGV at Federation Square to check out some art. There wasn't anything mind-blowing and I almost ran through the exhibit cause I arrived am hour before closing time. Then I retreated to the hotel to do my packing. After dinner it was time to go back to Eureka SkyDeck again.

I arrived in time to take some good pictures around sunset. I also wrote some postcards and mailed them from the highest mail box in the city. I waited around for the lights of the city to come on and took in the scenery at dark.

When I got out just before ten PM I was too excited to go to the hostel just yet so I headed over the river to grab a drink (a coke) and check out the city one last time.

Friday morning (Christmas Eve) I checked out of the hostel and left my luggage in the luggage storage. Then I took a tram to St. Kilda. Once there I walked to the end of the St. Kilda pier and took photos of the city skyline. After that I checked out the very busy township of St. Kilda and had some lunch. St. Kilda was a very natural, classy beach town, unlike Airlie Beach in Queensland which was just a tourist entrapment.

Again I stepped on the tram and hopped of at Albert Park. Albert Park is home to the Melbourne F1 Grand Prix. In the middle of the park there's a big lake. I walked along the shore of the lake and took pictures. The sun was shining and I did a lot of walking, many hours, during the day and when I got out of the park I realized that I should've worn a hat and some sunscreen. My head was already itchy and I realized why I had had some light headaches. There was no rest for the weary though so I kept on walking around the lake and then toward St. Kilda road close to Maria's office where I caught another tram into the city.

Once there I visited the National Gallery of Victoria. The only thing I really watched there was old black and white photography from different cities. A lot of the pictures were from New York, London and Paris but there was one picture from Helsinki. It looked very familiar and I guess it was of a rooftop in Kallio.

I took the straightest route back to the hostel, grabbed my stuff and headed towards Southern Cross. I barely missed one train to Frankston, but the next one came five minutes later.

When I got to Maria's I was the first guest. She was still cooking and Ben and Elouise were in their rooms. I watched some TV but then the guests started pouring in. I went to the beach for a walk with Lisa and Leon. Leon's mother and Lisa's cousin Bergen stayed at the house.

I had already had enough of the sun and of walking but while Leon ran of with one of the dogs I had a nice talk with Lisa. Then we got back a little before dinner. That's when all he'll broke lose.

Back in Finland Christmas dinner would have been a quiet affair with five of my relatives at the table, with Bing Crosby and the streetlights of Mannerheimintie providing a classical relaxed mood. Out here we had eleven people at the table surrounded by two horny dogs and two cats. The sun was still up at seven PM and before eating we literally popped open these gift wrappers that made a loud bang and included a small toy (like the ones found in Kinder Easter eggs) and apparently a Chrismas Party paper crown. Everybody screamed and laughed and put on the party crowns. I sat next to Ben and I felt embarrassed for the behavior of the grown ups. He said he felt it forty times over.

We got through dinner with my sanity still intact but before long I had to bust out my Late Pick Chardonnay, my last free wine bottle, and start drinking that. I ended up drinking the whole bottle by myself and spending the rest of the night talking with Ben and Vanda and Gavin and Fisk, a young Irish fella.

--

Quick note. A new occupant just arrived in my hostel room and apparently he's blind. That's pretty crazy...

--

On TV Bam Margera was looking for Santa Claus in Finland with The Dudesons and I told everyone how I had met two of them. The snowy images of Finland made me feel good about Christmas and the buzz provided by the wine made me not miss the place too much.

The next day I awoke to have a piece of toast, to shower and to watch some TV before getting a lift to the airport from Maria. We arrived at the airport exactly an hour before my flight and I left a little more stuff for Maria to mind before thanking her for her hospitality and everything else.

Once inside I saw an unexpected amount of people standing in line to check in with my airline, Jetstar. I was a little worried that I should've come earlier but I found my zen quickly realizing that was the past and nothing could be done about it. Standing in line for forty minutes was still annoying but I wasn't worried. The jetstar crew were actually pretty smart and they took people who had the earliest flights off the queue and to the front. After the people to Darwin and Perth had all dropped off their luggage it was my turn.

I got through security quickly and bought a Whopper jr.-to-run and headed for the gate. From then on everything went pleasantly and the flight was as short as any flight I've ever been on.

I didn't see much of Tasmania from the plane as it was cloudy but what I saw looked pretty tranquil. My suitcase was the first one on the conveyor and I hopped on a shuttle bus to the city for $8. I had checked out my hostel actually on the plane before take-off on my iPhone.

I got a room at the hostel for $23/night, $2 than I had expected. Because it was Christmas Day it was almost dead quiet in the city but I found some fish & chips for dinner at the harbor. I walked around a little and looked at store windows to see if there were any job opportunities. But I was too tired to keep walking all day again. I checked my bank account and still hadn't gotten my last paycheck. At the hostel I used the free Wi-Fi for a while but then I settled down in to my room and watched DVDs until getting too tired.

I wasn't feeling very good this morning and I stayed in bed for two hours just listening to Bill Simmons' podcasts before getting up. I knew there was going to be sales in the biggest stores so I wanted to check them out even though I had budgeted myself $10/day if I remained jobless in Tasmania.

JB Hi-Fi was full of life and almost everything was 20% off. Buying the two final seasons of Six Feet Under seemed tempting. It would be ten dollars saved. It would also be forty dollars spent, a little over per day for the next five weeks.

Next I headed around the corner to Murray street (second to last picture) because I had seen a job notice on the window. I kind of wished the store wouldn't be open so I wouldn't have to do anything today but I also wished it was so I could start my job search (and perhaps end it) right away. The store was open, so I headed inside. Then I decided I would apply today. But first I needed to shave.

I have a secret. I was actually growing a beard until today and I had been for more than three weeks, ever since I knew my job at Rochford had ended. But it was itchy and my moustache was growing into my mouth so I had to get rid of it. Besides, it was pretty ugly.

After shaving I headed back to the store and told the clerk I was the person for the casual job. She told me that she was a casual too and that I should bring a resume which they could send to the head office. So now it's my first priority (after blogging, of course) to make my resume look like I have retail experience and to get it printed out tomorrow.

I walked around and checked out the Salamanca markets next. I wasn't going to buy anything but I just wanted to enjoy the atmosphere of the city.

Hobart is quite unlike any place I've ever been. Actually it's a little alike many places. It's basically the same size as Turku. But it's mountainous and at the sea. It feels a little like Oulu and Rovaniemi. It's by the sea, it's colder and it's more natural. I think the closest equivalent would be somewhere in New Zealand. But it partly feels like northern Finland cause I think I want it to feel that way. Oh, and the day is longer here during the summer. It's 9:30 and it's almost dark. Sunlight is more than 16 hours and a month from now it'll only be an hour shorter. Still longer than the longest day of the year in Melbourne where it was completely dark before nine.

After lunch I went to check on my bank account again. I had finally been payed. But instead of getting 30% of the $1000 paycheck I had gotten more than $600 ballooning my estimated daily budget after accommodation to over $30. I felt so secure that I went to JB Hi-Fi and "saved" $10 buying the last two Six Feet Under seasons. Later I held on to my eating budget by going to Woolworth's for some cheap lasagnas, toast, salami and soft drinks. As I ate my lasagna at the hostel I got into a conversation with three traveling girls, a Canadian, a Swede and an Aussie from Melbourne. The conversation made me feel very smart (the Swedish girl seemed especially oblivious, knowing less about Sweden's history than I).  Then my mom called.

My mom is going to come to Sydney the last Saturday of January and I'm probably joining her as soon as possible to save on accommodation expenses (as well as eating expenses) and just to be able to live in Sydney, still my favorite place in Australia, for a couple of months. It will also take away all possible home sickness. The cheapest flights are actually on the same day so I might buy my ticket pretty soon. I just have to make sure that I am able to see Tasmania properly. A few weeks of full-time work or several weeks of part-time work would go a long way to help ensure that. I've already payed for the hostel until the 2nd of January so I have 27 days after that in Tasmania to pay accommodation (or car rental) for and 33 more days to eat (with two dinners already in the fridge). More than anything else, a job would give me something to do so I don't get bored. A boost in the budget is almost secondary.

It's pretty cold at the moment, my fingers are freezing just slightly but it's okay. I feel optimistic about my job prospects and very good about Hobart and Tasmania in general. I actually hope that my five weeks here don't go too quickly.

Keep enjoying Christmas and I hope to update you once more before the year is over. Ok, thanks, bye!

Bittersweet Symphony

G'day readers!

My days at Rochford are now pretty much over. I worked five days this week and I'm heading to Melbourne as soon as I've recuperated from this week and packed my stuff.

My week was pretty colorful. On Thursday I did some wine moving but through most of the day I sealed bottles of sparkling with a special piece of tape. I did around 500 bottles. At the end of the day Helmut told me I'd be substituting for Rami as a kitchen hand on Friday. I didn't like the sound of that.

Thursday night was the company Christmas party. It was on the other side of the Yarra Valley in a secluded Italian restaurants called Zonzo. I went with Sascha, Eva and Ana. We stopped at their place first where I got a letter from mom and dad with a Christmas card and two CDs of pictures.

For some reason I didn't leave the card or the CD in Sascha's car when we got to the party. Maybe I thought I'd be leaving with someone else. We were the last ones to arrive but dinner hadn't started yet and everyone sat outside enjoying drinks before dinner inside. I spent most of the night breaking the news of my leaving to a lot of the people. I think Richard was the one most stunned by my departure. He told me at the party that I'm the person he knows best in all of the company because he either worked with me or alone.

At times, I felt a little out of place at the party. As to why, there's probably many reasons and one of them was the fact that I was suddenly leaving. Besides the prospect of being a kitchen hand for a day didn't make me very festive. The night was fun and some people drank too much and made fools of themselves to the delight of others. Before we headed back home we took an unnecessary detour to Healesville where there were no open bars. In bed I realized I had left my Christmas card and CD at the Italian restaurant.

Thursday was the worst day of my life. I stood in the kitchen washing dishes without breaks for ten straight hours. I didn't eat and I didn't sit down. The previous night I didn't sleep very well because I felt so anxious about the whole thing. I had no idea where to put most of the stuff I took out of the machine and the work was emotionally overwhelming as the dishes kept on pouring in and piling up. The head chef tried to help me but I was alone in the kitchen at the end. I left with a lot of stuff unfinished but Rami had told me to leave rest to him. I just had to get out of there.

The experience was so awful that I threw my blue Rochford t-shirt in the trash. After the saddest most therapeutic shower of my life I walked back and threw my ripped jeans in the trash too. It felt pretty cathartic. To make myself feel even better I drove to Zonzo and retrieved my lost possessions. Driving felt good and the views very nice on the opposite side of the valley.

I didn't sleep very well, feeling guilty for the dishes I'd left behind. I saw Rami in the parking lot before work and told him I'd left him a lot of work. He was okay with it, but the head chef wasn't. He scolded me for not finishing "the job". I didn't feel it was fair. Why should I spend countless hours doing something that a professional guy can do in half the time? Rami had a friend helping him on Saturday and they easily handled the kitchen hand duties correcting my misdeeds.

My mind was totally switched off. I just worked and now the only thing I can remember is that it was the last day I'd see Kelly or Tim. Tim and I exchanged a hug and some nice words and he told me that he'd see me again, somehow. During the day I also chatted a lot with Kesley from South Africa who had started a week earlier.

At around five I was called out to work by Helmut. I drove the forklift and we set up a couple of marquees for today's function. David, Rami, his friend and Alex were there too. It was almost eight when I got to leave.

Back at the house I made myself some pasta and Bolognese. Also pictured with my dinner is my second most prized possession, my portable DVD player. In high spirits I watched episodes of Futurama before going to sleep.

I slept like a baby and felt really good going to work today. Before the customers came I helped set up for the function outside. But then I returned inside for one more day. David was cooking in the marquees so it was me and Goldie in the bar. I told him not to leave me alone in the bar and he assured he'd look after me on my last day. He was surprisingly nice to me, I guess I misjudged him earlier on. Or maybe he just knows me and accepts me now. I didn't even get offended when he used the word bitch today. I told him not to say it though.

The restaurant was busier than I'd ever seen it before but I and Goldie worked very well together and we actually had fun in a hellishly busy bar. As per usual the time just flew by and I feared my day would be prolonged by the function outside. But all the people working outside headed home before the restaurant was even empty. Darcy came in and told me he and Tim would come to see me in the city someday before I leave. He also told me that me being let go was "bullshit". I'm gonna miss him and I hope they, Darcy and Tim, do come see me in Melbourne. Louise also offered to come see me in the city and I might take her up on her offer. Natillie from Cellar Door didn't come and say goodbye like Darcy or Tim but she is my first Australian Facebook friend so it's okay.

So that was my last and possibly best day at the restaurant and my last working day for for the company. It feels sad that I have to leave all these nice (and some not as nice) people. But it also feels sweet and exciting to be moving on. Just like the thought of going to Australia felt exciting last summer, the possibility of going to Tasmania feels exhilarating. I know almost nothing about Tasmania but it's still my preferred exotic destination. Tomorrow I'll start packing and looking for jobs and I'll continue to look for jobs as I take in the sights and sounds of Melbourne before moving on.

As one chapter comes to a close, a new one begins. And it begins with an empty page maybe accompanied by some pictures of Melbourne and Tasmania.

On to bigger and better things!

Goodbye and good night Rochford.

The Going Away Party

Yesterday, four days before my departure we held a joined going away party with Aki, who left for med school in Estonia this morning. The party was held at Kannas in (South) Central Helsinki. I were a little late for the party as I was preparing and burning a DVD as a going away gift for Aki. It's stuff we shot on an 8mm camera 6-7 years ago and that's all I'll say, cause we don't want the thing to go public (it's just so good).

When I arrived at the party fashionably late there was only one guest, a friend of Aki's, so I wasn't actually late at all and you wouldn't have known unless I'd just told you. Others were fashionably late too, but in the end a good portion of my friends and even some of my nicest co-workers attended the event. There were also some surprise guests, which was nice.

Notable guests:

• My brother
• My friend and co-worker LeBron
• My friend and co-worker Llanos
• My friends Valtteri, Pekko, Sanna, Anssi and Eve
• My co-workers Kimmo, Anni and Sonja

Notables missing:

• My cousins (Bono entertained them)
• Our friend Urpo
• My girlfriend (At the U2 gig, too)

I didn't take any pictures cause I don't take pictures in the dark, so this post is void of any visual aid. But take my word, most of my friends aren't that handsome anyway. I didn't get any going away gifts, but then again I wouldn't want to haul anyone's shit around the world anyway, so that's all good. U2 stole some of my guests and I was very tired after preparing Aki's DVD for most of the previous night after another evening on the town. So I headed to my girlfriend's place before last call.

Thanks to all the people who came and said farewell, those who missed it and feel bad about it can come see me at a special comeback party in May of 2011.

My next post might come from Hong Kong later this week, so stay tuned.