,m Sean´s Shenanigans: September 2005

Tuesday, September 27, 2005

A room without books is like a body without a soul

Have moved from my dorm bed into a cubicle. My cubicle consists of 3 walls and a curtain at the end of my bed. I'm confident that the curtain can repel all intruders and thiefs from gaining access to my domain. All for the same lowly price of $120 a week. As can be seen from the content of this post, not much is happening here at the moment.

posted by Sean at 2:00 am 0 comments

Friday, September 23, 2005

Que sera, sera

Still here in Auckland. Started working in the Bog pub here on Monday, my first days work in nearly ten months! Since i've never bar tended before, there is a bit of a learning curve involved getting up to speed.
I'm not sure what I'm going to do long term. If I go for a computing job, i'll have to persuade the interviewer that I want to stay here long term and not just go home after a year. I've had interviews with a few agencies and will leave them look for something for me. If nothing comes up in the next month or so, I may go down south and try to find some farming work (i'm saving nothing here), travel for a few months, and go home early next year.

posted by Sean at 4:07 am 1 comments

The McKenzie Break

I was reading that the WW2 film The McKenzie Break was partly filmed in Bonmahon. The film was shown on BBC recently and the last 20 minutes or so were filmed on the coast road to Bonmahon. There was also some filming done at Ballyhack, Dunmore East. I managed to buy the DVD (released 2004) on ebay for £5.49 (including postage).

posted by Sean at 2:43 am 0 comments

Wednesday, September 14, 2005

The Bog

Went for a chat with the owner of The Bog Irish bar here in Parnell this morning. I start next week, it should tide me over while I look for a job in IT. It pays $10.50 an hour - i've told the dealer to keep the Ferrari on hold for a while longer. I think I pay something like 20% tax on everything I earn here (being on a working holiday visa).

posted by Sean at 2:33 am 1 comments

Sunday, September 11, 2005

Frugal Living

Having to tighten the purse strings here. Trying to limit my spending to $200 a week, which leaves me with $80 after accomodation.

After 9 months of eating out, I have to cook most of my own food now, which is good as the hostel has a really well equiped kitchen. I spent most of my days around Auckland University. I'm using their library to brush up on computing knowledge. They also have copies of the New York & English Times, the Austrialian, and the New Zealand Herald newspapers; which can take quite some time to read most days. I cannot access the Internet from there, but I sometimes save articles to a floppy disk (Internet Cafe) and view them in the library.

I found a little cafe down by the quay that places any food items (sandwiches, fruit, cake) not sold during lunch time, on sale for $1 each at about 3:20pm every week day. Normally they cost about $4, I can highly recommend the marble cake! I some times take the free City Circuit bus from the cafe (on Fort St.) to the University - its a 15 min uphill walk which I don't always feel like.

Drink here is pretty expensive, a Guiness costing $7.50 in the local bar, but with their advertisement in the local newspaper - I can buy 2 for 1. This comes out on Wednesdays, so I grab a few copies.

Dymocks have a sale on at the moment which includes a copy of Bernhard Langer's autobiography for $1 - it must be a mistake :)

posted by Sean at 5:01 am 2 comments

Thursday, September 08, 2005

World Cup

Just seen Ireland lost 0-1 to France here in the World Cup qualification game, not a good start to the day. Seen the game on Setanta TV at the bar in the X-Base hostel here in Auckland. The game started at 7am local time here and cost me $25, which ain't cheap. Also got to see England get beaten; which is never a bad thing - especially with 2 Villa players in the opposing team.
The X-Base hostel is the only place in Auckland that has Setanta sports. The All Ireland hurling final is on there on Monday morning at 2:30am, which is not the best time. Its a pretty classy joint; there was a $100 prize for the best amateur pole dancer last night, and tonight there is a $200 prize for the winner of the wet t-shirt competition!

posted by Sean at 1:19 am 2 comments

Sunday, September 04, 2005

All Blacks

Went to the New Zealand - Australia rugby game last night. The game was just about a sellout; there were over 45,000 people there. Had some difficulty shifting my spare ticket, as there were still tickets available from the official ticket booths before the match. Was talking with 2 touts and they had 30+ tickets each left each (they had bought the tickets as part of a package with the Lion's Tests, so I'm sure they had their money made from those games). I decided to stand by the ticket window and ask people as they went up to buy tickets (most were there to collect tickets). Eventually, a nice guy (he was chauffeuring the president of the ASB bank to the game) bought the ticket off me for face value ($70), so all I lost was the $6 booking fee. Happy Days!
The atmosphere wasn't great (especially noticeable as my last game was Boca Juniors) but the game was good. Most of the tries were scored at my end. After the All Blacks went up 20-0, I thought Australia were going to be hammered, but they scored 3 tried and came within a point of New Zealand before they woke up and eventually won the game 34-24.

posted by Sean at 2:18 am 0 comments

Friday, September 02, 2005

Auckland

Still here in Auckland. Have spent most of the week trying to brush up on my computing knowledge - and still have a good way to go! Auckland University students are on a winter break, so I have being using the University library and the city library also. The University library has a good selection of computing books, unfortunately I cannot access the internet there as a password is needed.
I've got tickets to the New Zealand vs Australia Tri Nations rugby match tomorrow night at Eden park. I thought it would be all booked up, as if New Zealand win the match- they win the competition. But even today, when I was collecting my tickets, there were still tickets to be had. Another Irish guy at the hostel was meant ot go with me but he has to work, so I hope that I can shift the extra ticket ($76).
Still staying at the hostel, a week there costs $120, which ain't cheap. Got myself a Vodafone mobile the other day, the number is +64212388736
On the jobs front, visited a consultant at Hudson Recruitment yesterday, must give some more of them a ring next week. May need to do some temping or something in the meantime.

posted by Sean at 1:21 am 0 comments