Tuesday, March 25, 2003
Teeth, Smoking & FlashbackToday was the second Smokenders meeting for our group at work. Sadly the attendance has dropped from 11 to 7 people in one week, but I am still in there attempting to quit. This week, as well as marking every time we have a cigarette on our "packstrap" - a piece of paper that fits around our pack that we fill out according to the date, and time we have a cigarette and whether it was with alcohol or caffine - we have to smoke with the other hand, the other fingers and the other side of our mouths.
We also had to identify stress areas from how we'd filled out last weeks 'pack-strap - ie/ times of day when we'd smoked more than usual. On the positive side I don't seem to have any stress areas relating to work. On the negative side, my over indulgence was directly related to wines at lunch time and after work. Phillip, our coach, was at pains to point out that Smokenders is not AA so therefore we shouldn't be embarrassed about this. I was relieved I wasn't the only one.
In other news, I have now spent $3000 on my teeth in the past week. It all started with a tooth-ache and ended with me in the dentist chair for four hours with a horrified Dr Finkelstein looking into my mouth. I now have an $800 crown and am going through a root canal. V v painful but I'll spare the details. Never trust your dentist. The one I went to 18 months ago said everything was fine. Dr Finkelstein is great, a bloke from work recommended him to me, and it was only two days after I'd had my first visit that I saw him in a magazine as 'Dentist to the Stars'. Good and bad - he must be a good dentist (and in fact I know he is) but I don't have a star salary. He suggested teeth whitening. Mums' friend Pammy is concerned it may go too far and my teeth will go flourescent at nightclubs. Anyway, I'm babbling cause I've taken four nurofen for the pain.
Jeremy, who is still in Sweden, sent me this exchange from his attempt to book a table at a restaurant the other day - brings back memories...
Jeremy's encounter:
"Mmm, sometimes I can't believe Sweden. I rang a Thai restaurant last night to make a booking for Tuesday night. Here is a rough transcript of the conversation:
JC - Hi, can I please make a booking for Tuesday night?
Waiter - No.
JC (pause) - Oh? Are you booked out?
Waiter - No. But you need to ring through the day to make a booking
JC - Um? But dont you have the booking list in front of you
Waiter - Yes, but you'll have to call back during the day to book....
JC - Sigh.... ()=/&()%/&%
Very strange. I think I should open up a restaurant here. You can charge a fortune, get customers to serve themselves, and also knock back bookings based on what time of day they are made."
Byeeeeee
Posted at 10:43 PM
Sunday, March 23, 2003
Baby Elephants and Kandy
While I was in Kandy I visited the Baby Elephant Orphange and went mental with the camera. It was great to see the Sri Lankans looking after elephants - many of them are in teh orphange because the elephants work every day and their owners don't like to have babies around cause then the mum can't work. There's also an elephant that's missing a foot from stepping on a landmine.This was the cutest little elephant, it was sooo tiny, only about four months old. 
I thought this sign was great...typical of the formal but sometimes a little wrong, signs of Sri Lanka. First we watched abut five elephants being fed and then wandered down to the water and waited for about 60 elephants to come down the hill for their bath...
Everyone seemed to scared to touch them, but I went and had a pat, but it was a little scary and I didn't hang around for long...
Then they all jumped in the water for a wash and a play...
And I took some more photos of me with the elephants...
___________________________________
When I finally pulled myself away from Unawantuna I headed off to Kandy. First, three hours on a train (with a seat) up to Colombo, then another three hours (perched on an arm rest) to Kandy. It was the long way round, but a bit more relaxing cause I prefer training to buses for safety and there's a better view from the windows. I made a few friends on the train and ate some yummy food from the men who jump on and off at local stations. Then I arrived at luxury hotel on the Kandy hillside, with a brilliant pool and view over Kandy...
And a monkey problem...
Bye, Yvette
Posted at 10:02 PM
Friday, March 21, 2003
More Sri Lanka...
A couple of cute photos, I think Sri Lankan children have brilliant school hours, they ususally walked home along the beach at around 1 - 2pm each day. The third photo is of Mr Whippy who cycles through the street playing a surprisingly catchy xylophone sounding tune on a little casette player.
When we cycled into Galle we came across these poor girls doing marching practice in a local field in the heat. I'm surprised they weren't dropping off into faints. They were being taught it seemed by either the local police or military. Their marching was pretty good, but the sounds of the band were very entertaining...mostly off-key and out of time which added to the unreal aspect of it all.
The funniest thing though was what Lush called Inspiration Point. We'd been noticing many Sri Lankans walking up into the Galle Fort and were naively impressed at so many young locals being interested in a historical site, and thought they must have been expecting rain as they were all carrying umbrellas. That was until we went up there ourselves and found that they were all making out, hidden against the fort walls and using the umbrellas to protect their identity. It was such a shock, they were everywhere! I had to take a photo, I think you can just see the umbrella hiding a loving couple up against the wall! there was one man who was walking around trying to peer under the umbrellas and it seemed the couples either paid him off or pulled the umbrella really close so he couldn't peek in. It must have been sooo hot under there (from the sun, not the activity).
On my last day in Unawatuna we decided it was time to try the jumbo prawns...and as expected they were huge and surprisingly they tasted great! Tonight I am going out for dinner and a few drinks with Simone, Kaz, Lush, Jax and George, and tomorrow I'll either head out for lunch down at Bondi, or it my conscience gets me, join the Anti War march here in Sydney. Today I voted in the State Election, had a facial and now in at work catching up on what I missed out on doing yesterday. Time to head home now cause it's getting close to 6pm.
Yvette
xx
Posted at 10:21 PM
Wednesday, March 19, 2003
Kaz's party trick...But on to the Unawatuna medical emergency...
The major drama at Unawatuna was the result of Kaz's party trick. Obviously it's abnormal, must be loose joints in there, but it's a bloody good trick. I was so impressed I made Kaz strike the pose for a few photos, which I think probably contributed to her downfall...later that night after beers, we woke to Marcus bashing on the door of our bungalow for Lush, who is a nurse. Karen had tripped on a mosquito net and had dislocated her shoulder which was hanging halfway down her chest. They initally went to Galle hospital but the hygiene and the fact that beds with patients were outside of the hospital cause there was no room, and the doctor wanted to operate after only asking Karen when she last had her period was a bit of a worry. So they set off again for Colombo and stayed overnight and the next day while Karen's shoulder was put back in while she was under anesthetic.
She had to spend the rest of the trip being bandaged by Lush and her arm is still in a sling.
While Marcus, Kaz and Lush were at the hospital we got into the beers again and ended up having a huge night. I had spent some of the afternoon at the bar cause I was having a reaction to the malaria pills which I stopped taking straight away, listening to my Kylie Cd which I asked the bar to play, drinking a shandy, writing some postcards and watching the world go by on the beach. The others joined me and we remained at the bar playing 'Never Ever' and drinking lots of beer. Finally Kaz, Lush and Marcus returned from the hospital, and ordered some beers which the cafe guy promptly dropped, from the tray, onto Karen's recently mended shoulder. They were so tired they headed off to bed and Simone, Neil, George and I continued our drinking games and listened non-stop to Kylie until we had enough courage to lone dance, like Simone and Neil below..
More tomorrow,
Yvette
Posted at 5:36 PM
Tuesday, March 18, 2003
Pics from Unawatuna...Here are some pics from my five days at Unawantuna with Kaz, Lush, George (girl), Simone, Neil and Marcus...
George and me having a beer when I arrived, and George and a Sri Lankan/Indian fruit, mangostein which was v v yummy. We got huge plates of fuit for breakfast at the Flower Garden Guesthouse, plus as much boiled, fried or scrambled eggs and toast as we wanted. They're not able to make poached eggs yet. 
Sadly, Lush had a thong blowout. She bought some more and left the old pair for the shopkeeper to dispose of, and as we expected they were fixed and on sale the next day. Lush also had the ingenious idea of taking digital photos of ourselves when we were trying on clothes at the beach so we could see what we looked like. This is Lush and the purple pants she bought.
Our cycling trip into Galle, about a half an hour on the bikes with buses and trucks and tuk tuks screaming past us. It wasn't too scary, but we didn't have stack-hats to protect us.
Posing on the rocks after walking around the point at Unawantuna, pretending to be models and trying to get the wind in our hair. Yes, tragic and embarassing. Simon was very daring and climbed a huge rock that had massive waves crashing over it. I piked and took photos from a safe spot away from the water.
It was MUCH higher than it looks in this photo...
Lush and I on the beach, swimming in the calm, gorgeous water, and Kaz and Lush before the shoulder incident...
Posted at 8:14 PM
Monday, March 17, 2003
Sri Lanka and stuff
This is the view from the office over to the Opera House today. It's certainly a way to make a statement, but what worries me is that the government said there was tight security around all Sydney landmarks and public places...so if a bloke with some tins of paint can climb the House and paint this I don't think it'll be too hard for terrorists to get in - if they were even interested. Watched GWB at midday, but not getting into that.
But what has really annoyed me is that we no longer have access to 1902 numbers at work. I only discovered this cause I was trying to ring the Today hotline to win a campervan. An since my ex-tenants stole my phone I didn't have a home phone to call so I missed out. One day I will have a winnebago. Only a quick post today cause it's almost hometime and I want to get out of here.
Here are some photos from Sri Lanka...after I arrived I sat at the airport for around six hours, then at 4.30am caught a bus from the airport to Colombo (fell asleep for a minute and woke up with smelly Silly Lanka man sitting very closely next to me although most of the bus was vacant. Got mad and made him move) then another for three hours down to Galle and a Three Wheeler (Tuk Tuk in the photo left) to Unawatuna. Was very proud of myself. 
Couldn't find the girls when I first arrived so I booked into a cheap room opposite the beach. But then I bumped into Lush on the road - very exciting considering they weren't expecting me for another two days - and after a dead gekko and numerous spiders in my room, and hearing the Sri Lankan toilet activites for two mornings straight (my room was right next to it) I moved up to Flower Garden with the girls and boys.
Anyhoo, lots of activities and adventures followed but I will have to update tomorrow as I'm out of time. More then, xx
Posted at 9:47 PM
Sunday, March 16, 2003
Back to Sydney photos
Finally I can download photos again!
Here's a few of Jax and I - the first after a night out OTB (Over the Bridge for those not in the know, Harbour Bridge that is) when Jax was house-sitting in Mosman. I stayed there a few days, it was fabulous getting the ferry across the Harbour to work.
These are after the opening night of Tivoli, which Jax and I want to for my birthday. As the company I work for sponsors the Sydney Dance Company, the SDC's lovely Nick sent me an invitation to the opening night and the after party, which was great fun. The performance was excellent, one of the best I've seen, and the after party was champagne and canapes til your belly was bursting.
We sensibly decided to go home at around 1.00am as it was a school night, but as the taxi was passing Taylor Square we were compelled to pop into the gorgeous Courthouse for one cleansing ale. Of course digital camera came out...
Then this man came and asked if I would take his photo...how could I refuse. The people you find at the Courthouse at 3.00am.
Still unpacking my apartment after coming home to find the tenants had made a real mess of it. I thought I could go ahead and get everything fixed up but it seems I have to apply to the Bond Board first to get their bond. Bugger. I hope this one works out for me.
Off to lunch now, will start posting Sri Lanka photos tomorrow.
Love Yvette
xxx
Posted at 5:12 PM
Tuesday, March 11, 2003
Back in Sydney...again
Well here I am back at work after a fabulous trip to Sri Lanka. Having operator difficulties with digital camera software so can't load photos yet, but hopefully tomorrow I can start adding. Lots to write including Indian air rage incident, Silly Lanka belly, Karen dislocating her shoulder and the midnight run to Colombo hospital, train derailment, baby elephants, climbing mountains and more.
At least I have a tan, no more Swedish moon-tan for me! Fingers crossed for photo update tomorrow,
Posted at 7:48 PM
Sunday, March 02, 2003
Kandy Kandy Kandy....
Made it to Kandy yesterday, staying in luxury hotel on the hills overlooking the lake and town...managed to scam an industry rate which means I'm paying $18 for an $80 room - and I don't even work in the industry. Made a beeline for the pool that is set in the side of the mountain with fabulous views, and spent a few hours there, lying in the sun and sipping a sprite before heading into town, went to a Kandian dance and stopped off at the Temple of the Tooth, before heading home for a massive buffett dinner and cricket on TV.
Today I headed out at 7.00am to the Elephant Orphanage. It was fantastic! I have hundreds of photos to post when I get back, and a small diary made of orphan elephant dung for Jax and Ren. Stopped off at a spice garden, bought some leather chairs that I am sure will be confiscated by Australian customs, and returned at around 2.30pm and again headed for the pool where I enjoyed a beer and a few hours in the sun I've just walked into town again, bought a battik at a monestry that cares for handicapped children, prayed to God at ATM while attempting to get money - it worked - and now going to make a few phone calls and book some accommodation for the next few days in the hills. Then I'll walk around Kandy Lake and head home for dinner and Australia v England on the box.
All is well, Sri Lanka is great!
Yvette
xx
Posted at 4:03 AM