One Geek

I’d just like to announce that I have been accepted as a Fieldworker for TEAR Australia.

In Febuary of 2006 I plan to undertake my first assignment as a IT Project Manager on a new 500 bed teaching and training hospital in North East India. It will be a 12-18 month assignment.

It is a big job for me to undertake. But I am sure I’ll get it done with a bit of help from my friends new and old, and a lot from above.

The exciting thing is that I’ll be blogging from a place where you need a special permit to be. The state of Nagaland where I’ll be based requires you to have a permit to visit. So I get extra stamps in my passport. YAY for stamps.

Hmm.. So let me run through my travel over the past 8 days

Saturday Morning 3rd September

8.15 am Virgin Blue flight from Sydney to Melbourne

Spent the day working in Melbourne.

Returned on the Qantas 7.30pm flight. Had dinner at the wok place in the Qantas terminal.

Thursday

7.45 am Virgin Blue flight from Sydney to Melbourne

Spent the day working in Melbourne. Then had dinner at the Savoy Vibe with Dad. Stayed the night at the Atlantis.

Friday

Worked on the train.

Caught the 5.15pm Vigin Blue flight back to Sydney. Had Dosas with a friend in Newtown.

Saturday

Caught the 9.15am Virgin Blue flight down to Melbourne. Worked for the day.

Returned on the Virgin Blue 7.15pm flight.

Then there is next week.

So far there is

Friday

8.40am Qantas Flight from Sydney to Melbourne.

Saturday

4.15pm Virgin Blue flight from Melbourne to Sydney.

There was no train running to the airport tonight. I had to catch a cab to central that cost $20. I managed to just make an express train to Hornsby where my Dad kindly gave me a lift home. Mannaged to write a lot down on the plane which was good. Helped me process.

South Africa is now firmly on the places that I want to vist in the next few years. So tired.. Winding down is hard.. but I am dead tired. So I think it’s time to get in bed.

At Brisbane airport. Had a bit of an issue when I got back from a nice dinner with Lesley and Jo to find that there were no more trains to the airport at 8pm on a Sunday night. I looked at the buses and there was probably an option but it didn’t seem good. So I ended up getting a taxi. Of course I had to summons a taxi using a vending machine because Brisbane is a hole. I couldn’t even find an ATM. It turns out the Cab driver credited me the price of my taxi fair by mistake ($33). Didn’t know this until I got out of the cab though. Oh well.. My flight is delayed a bit. Should be boarding soon though. I am so buggered.

I had a great time though. Shame I have to be at uni so early tommorow.

Today was one of the most beautiful days in my life. I can’t quite explain how or why it came to be that but I’ll do my best.

Today was the wedding of Emily and Martin. It was the best wedding I have been to in my life. It made me cry a lot. But the tears were of joy not sorrow. From the moment the bridesmaids started walking down the aisle to colour blind by Counting Crows, (played acoustically by two fantastic musicians) I was sold. The day and the service were both so authentic, a true expression of love.

I am a very cynical person and yet the whole service I did not have a cynical or even sarcastic thought. Every stage of it was true to the people involved. The vow’s and prayers were honest and extremely meaningful. Declarations like “Do you want to share your life with me, all your joys and pains, all your hopes and failures with all your body, mind and soul?” Are truly moving. The way they included God also was great.

The music was well chosen. It fit beautifully with the service. The messages given were very authentic. They somehow managed to get a Catholic, an Anglican and a Uniting Church minister together to run it.

The reception was also great. It was very homely, who would of thought it being in their house and all. I loved it also. Speeches that are usually the most painful part of the wedding were good. Martin’s Mum who has come out from Peru for the wedding was particularly good. Emily of course was great and Jo was fantastic too. However Martin simply shone in his speech, sure he stumbled through it but his feeling was there for all too see. Struggling to put into words (in English his second language, though I am sure he would have had trouble in Spanish too) what is surely his great love for Emily just made it all the more real.

The variety of people who were there was also outstanding. There were people from nearly every walk of life. So good to see that happen. The food was fantastic and all were genuinely happy about the wedding (as far as I could tell). I even joined in some dancing tonight. That’s how good the night was.

Emily is a person who has greatly enriched my life. It is wonderful too see her so happy. Her journey has not been very easy through this life. She is an inspiration in her passion for justice and her love of humans particularly the outsider.

I can remember finding out a bit about Martin in Australia whilst Emily was still over in Peru. Gemma’s trip there helped us too learn a bit more about him. Then sharing with Emily in the struggles of trying to get Martin a Visa. I can still remember the joy and excitement I felt when whilst in Raxaul I find out that Martin’s Visa had been processed and accepted. The other time I really remember is meeting Martin at the airport on my return from India. It was exciting to finally see him, he embraced me a stranger as his friend.

Martin who I barely know is still one of the most kind and openhearted people I have met.

Emily and Martin may the Lord God in His power truly bless you. May you live out your days together through the joys and pains of this life. May you live up to the grand promises you made today.

I am going too stop now, though I could go on forever. But it’s past midnight so the day is over.

There was a really cool ball in Rundle Mall. Please forgive the poor quality it was taken with a disposable camera very quickly.

Home now the trip is all over. I might get some sleep now.

At the airport waiting for my plane. It’s good fun typing on this crappy keyboard. Should be home in a couple of hours.

I sat in Parks for most of today reading my book. It was good fun. Adelaide is quite cold today in the shade but not in the sun. It’s a bit annoying.

I’ve decided to catch a taxi back to the airport soon because its only ten bucks more and is much less of a hassle.

I am now checked out of my room and have to find ways to kill time until my flight at 6.40pm. I went on a walk to try and find a church. It took a little while. I ended up going to Pilgram Uniting Church. Which was actually quite nice, however I think they were a little over welcoming. There was a woman who took my name and then actually individually welcomed all the visitors and pointed at them. It was a liturgy which was quite nice.

Had breakfast at Coffee Club. And now I am in an internet cafe writting on an emac. Which is kind of fun.

LCA is over now. It was a bit of fun. They had a dunk tank, to raise money for a charity. First they had Linus dumped that raised about $5k which was good. Then they dunked a whole lot of other people. Auctioning of the chance to dunk the people. I threw one ball. My throw was bad, so I just ran up and kicked the target. Most people ended up doing that. Now I am all done. I had to try three internet cafe’s before I could find one that was opened. I was also trying to go to a supermarket but they were both closed. grr.

The organizers gave everyone four icecream vouchers as part of there package. THe vouchers are for Gaytime icecreams. There all right, but I think they could of chosen a better icecream

Skipped the key note this morning. Decided I’d rather get some sleep. I feel so much better now I’ve had a bit of sleep.

I caught a tram yesterday after to Gelengl. It was an old restored tram line, and tram that is being used for both commuter and tourist value. It was very uncomfortable to ride in. There was like zero leg room, and it was very crowded. It also cost $3.30 each way.
Got to the beach had a walk on the pier. Got some hot chips and a coke. Sat down on a park bench. It was in front of a hotel. The problem was the hotel had a very annoying loop playing about their various breakfast deals.

Then I caught the tram back again not quite as uncomfortable because there were less people. I then went to Coles and brought myself a Coles Butter Chicken microwave meal. It wasn’t too bad.

Think I’ve almost made a friend. Talked to a few people today. It is getting better.