Life In The Fast Lane

Not sure what to write so might use hashtags or dot points:

- CPA = over

- Ran home last night down Hay Street. Took shoes off and carried them. Arrival time, approx 0215 (verified by phone message).

- Have gone out twice this financial year, both times in August, both times I drank more than I wanted to and both times I travelled home by foot from area near Voodoo Lounge to Jolimont via Hay Street.

- Finally kicked a football (first time since Feb 2017?). Kicked with G&T @ Kostera, Kalamunda. Was so happy that I nearly cried!

- Finally updated Zelda BOTW. I don’t have internet at home so I had to be creative.

- Have been enjoying the rain. I hope I will get to see more of it before the year is over. 

- LS and NP both officially married. Bucks and weddings fairly hectic but controlled. Who will get married next?

- Really, really glad that my studies are finally over. Have been crying a lot but sleeping well.

- No internet at Mum and Dad’s house in Coogee since early June. I really miss YouTube and non free-to-air TV. This week may be the week that the problem will be rectified, fingers crossed.

- Have been looking for a wife. Have been doing this most of my life. 2018 could be the year. Time will tell.

Stay tuned, SD.

A long time between drinks

It's been a long time between posts as the title suggests, mainly because of the usual work / study combination. CPA has been one of the hardest things that I have ever done and it has used up so much of my energy. Most weekends I've tried my best to catch up on sleep... sometimes I sleep at work too but only briefly.

I had an exam two weeks ago and it was pretty tough. If I passed this unit then I will only have one left and I will probably use some of my leave up during the semester so I can catch up on study before the big day. After April I will be a free man and may never study again! Some say "You won't know what to do with your free time" but I do: I will get a life.

2017 has definitely been an interesting year. It started off in New Zealand in my bedroom in the attic. I liked this bedroom a lot and enjoyed sleeping on a mattress again on the floor and spending my time reading and checking the soccer scores every morning on my phone. I did a lot of push ups in this room too. It was my first time in NZ and I would like to go back again as it is a very unique and interesting place.

A new console Zelda game finally came out in March this year after a 5+ year wait but it was worth it! Aus vs India cricket and Zelda probably got me through the tough early months of the year where I was constantly debating in my head what the hell I was doing with life and football. Oscar also said his final goodbye too so this was a difficult period.

I kept pushing on and when I awoke slightly hungover on the first day of the new financial year, Mum told me that she had found a place that I might be interested in. This was exactly what I was looking for so I made an offer and it was accepted. 29.5 years I lasted at home and up until a few months earlier, I had barely thought about the inevitable. It was a cloudy road but eventually I was able to see what was in front of my eyes all along. Maybe I was too preoccupied with work and study but I got there in the end. I certainly was having some weird dreams before this as well but they have since passed.

Now it is late November and overcast outside which is unusual. Only four more weeks of work for the year and five until NYE. It's crazy how fast a year goes sometime; life certainly is interesting.

2016 - wrap up

2016 seemed to go quite fast. I guess that's what happens when you spend much of your time at work and thinking about studying - a lesson learnt.

October
A pretty simple equation: study, cheat or fail. CPA is pretty hard to cheat so I spent most of my free time studying until my tax exam which fell somewhere during the last 10 days of the month. This period of study was intense but my concentration levels were impressive. I didn't quite get to finish the exam but was fairly happy that I had done enough to pass.

The week before my exam I had gone for a run in Kings Park after work and subsequently went looking for Pokémon. There were barely any people there and not many Pokémon either and I left feeling demoralised. I ended up there two nights later: Saturday @ midnight - I couldn't decide if I wanted to go out or if I should stay home and study so I went halfway in between and parked in Kings Park. Similar situation, not many people or Pokémon; I considered giving up for good.

The whole game went nuts over Halloween and my interest was restored.

November
Stu had his bucks party one Saturday. Another Saturday I went out with Jas & Kiel to Leederville and missed the last train back to Fremantle. I was picked up by Mum that night. The remaining weekends I don't think I did a lot really because I may have been tired.           

December
December is always the interesting one. You only get to experience this month once a year. Sometimes you think the whole month is going to be a breeze, other times it is a little more intensive and the atmosphere isn't as relaxed. The weather was slightly cooler than
normal and the West Perth food court was still busy for the whole three or so weeks. Everyone was obviously still working and trying to stay in the good books in these tumultuous times. Even the drive to work in the morning was still fairly busy and unnecessarily stressful. It was just weird.

Aside from doing my best at work, the month was fairly occupied. I went out most weekends with JC and LS (even KC too) and spent some time running in Coogee and Kings Park.

Sometimes time goes so quick so you have to slow down otherwise you will get lost. 2016 was a good year but quite full on and also challenging. I had a lot of confronting dreams as well #Jesus.

The last night for 2016 - New Zealand

A quick update

Usual busy work / CPA study combination, some of the highlights:
- Going to Eagles v Bulldogs Thursday night elimination special (a bad result so debatable to whether a highlight or disappointment, but a memorable experience nonetheless).
- Going to the casino the following Friday night to watch the Hawthorn v Bulldogs semi-final; a good match and a few vodkas too.
- Weather improving and hitting level 22 in Pokémon.
- Other usual weekly highlights (exercising, Survivor, watching Geordie Shore marathons and other general).

Other points of interest:
- I've been studying reasonably diligently and my exam is less than three weeks away.
- If I pass this exam then I am taking a break next semester.
- Went to Tigerlil's and Lost after watching the AFL GF last Saturday. I was reasonably drunk (not common for me) and slept on Sull's couch with my dressing gown. Spent the next day sleeping and restoring my energy. First time at Tigerlil's for quite some time; LS crowded like usual.
- Looking forward to go looking for river sharks with Trav after my study is over.
- An expedition to Hidden Creek and a kicking the footy afternoon at a new venue is on the cards.
- Still going for late-night runs and looking forward to running in West Perth again.

As mentioned earlier, I am planning to take next semester off for CPA so I will have more free time. I am looking at going on a holiday as well. Planning on running most Friday nights around West Perth / Kings Park and leaving the house more on the weekends. This is all positive. I have a few blogs to catch up on as well which I've been putting off for a while. I expect much more activity on here for the remainder of 2016.

Dutchman

Business as usual

What have I been up to you ask? Well Trav, not a lot. Basically just working, studying, watching sport and looking for Pokémon. I am going to the footy again this Thursday so that should be good.

I go for runs every now and then in Coogee and West Perth (near Jacob's Ladder). I bring my phone with me now so I can catch Pokémon and hatch eggs. 

CPA is arduous but I only have three units left so I am more motivated and committed. This doesn't mean That I am a complete hermit. I still go out every now and then but no longer sleep in my car as it can be demoralising when it is so cold.

I very much enjoy sleeping and am looking forward to what the rest of 2016 holds. I anticipate many good things!

 
A late-night Pinsir in East Freo

                               

A young Pokémon flirting with danger

  

                                         


































Always a few Pokémon near my desk

Dutchman out!

Thursday 2/7/15 - Patong

It was our sixth night in Phuket and there were only two more nights after tonight until we had to go home. I had recovered from a 6/10 hangover from the night before (it was probably only really a 5 but my energy reserves were running dangerously low, so the symptoms were exacerbated). We were back in Seduction for the fifth time on our trip. I was having a good night but I was wary of Jas' water intake as he had beaten me twice in the nightly water challenge; I wouldn't let this happen again.

I was feeling good and very alert. I was in control and having a good time. Jas and the other boys were chasin' sherp so to speak; this was my chance to capitalise. Seduction, the club we had discovered nearly 5 years earlier, at a time of youthful exuberance and reckless abandon, a club I knew well. I hit my fourth drink and I knew that it was time to make a move. Jas was eyeing off the crowd, relaxing, enjoying the music etc and most importantly, not paying attention to me at all. I veered out of sight and down the stairs back onto Bangla Rd. I purchased a 1.5L bottle of water from a supermarket and decided to keep heading down Bangla Rd towards the beach as it seemed like a nice walk. It was quieter down this end.

I crossed the road onto the sand and continued walking. It was warm but there was a slight breeze. It was relatively late and there were only a few people left on the beach. I started to walk a bit further and closer to the water as it looked so nice. I don't know if it was the fresh air, or the sound of the waves but I suddenly felt emotional. It wasn't just nostalgia, thinking about the first night I had ever been to this beach, but I felt so invigorated as well and overcome with so much vitality. I was remembering the times we had spent on this beach back between 2010 & 2012, lighting fireworks with strangers; walking back to the hotel every night in the early hours of the morning when the streets were empty and so quiet; sitting at the bar at the entrance to our hotel talking and having pre-drinks etc. I stood there for a while in silence, just thinking. I felt so content and didn't know if I wanted to go back to Seduction and draw out my night. I decided to catch a moped home; I was so happy (hydrated too)!

I caught a motorbike back to the hotel and walked through the empty lobby and stairs, back to our hotel room on the fourth floor. I made it to our room and ended up crying a little. I posted something vague on Instagram and fell asleep with the tv on. Jas made it home not too long after. It was a good night.

Saturday 27/6/15 - Perth airport, Phuket & Bangla Rd

It had been almost 3 years since I had been on a holiday. I had been working pretty hard and needed some time away from the computer. The last holiday I had gone on was to Phuket (big surprise) in November 2012. I went with Will, Toby, Sull and Chesty and soon after arriving back from this holiday I had to face some big changes. The changes were: leaving our beloved house in Wattle Grove; and biting the bullet and finding a full-time job as my days as a Toll drifter were coming to an end.

Jas and I had been discussing holidays for six months or so and this would usually only happen when we were out on a Saturday night. Life was busy and you don't always have time to talk during the week. Jas had suggested destinations such as Morocco and Russia - these were not practical and not what I was looking for. We had discussed places close as well like South-East Asia so Phuket was definitely on the cards.

One night we were out and we were with two guys we new from footy and from the many nights that we spent at Yaya's Bar in Northbridge. They had gone to Phuket a few weeks earlier for a 30th birthday and liked it a lot and were considering going again sometime soon. We considered the idea and decided to meet up at The Royal two Fridays later to discuss details. We followed this up and the morning after our Rendezvous we booked our flights.

Saturday 27/6/15

Our flight was early so Dad dropped me off at the airport by 0730. Jas and I both had suitcases but CK and LV both only had backpacks. Kelmar was also hungover and sleep deprived from the night before; Jas, LV and myself were all feeling pretty good. 

My excitement didn't kick in until after we checked in and started browsing through the various duty free stores. I am normally a zen master but I felt inclined to purchase something as the merchandise and the store fronts are always so inviting. I didn't need anything but when there are that many bottles of alcohol and cologne together, the urge is just too overwhelming. I purchased a one litre bottle of vodka in case I needed some courage before heading out onto Bangla Rd at night. A younger SD would have had no problem consuming this but I had a feeling that I would never actually drink any. My gut was right.    

6 hours later
We were getting close now and we were all feeling more alert and lively. There was a middle aged man sitting next to me so I couldn't quite see out of the window. I caught glimpses of the many small islands and they were looking green, the water, viridescent. There were the small fishing boats too so I knew we were getting close. 

Touchdown, 220pm Phuket time - warm and humid. The sun was intense too so I had to take my jumper off. We were the first through immigration so all we had left was to grab our luggage (well at least Jas and I did). This is where I started to get excited.

We grabbed our bags and headed out of the airport. We went out the front and it was fairly humid and somewhat busy. Kelmar had organised a taxi with a local he knew from earlier. We jumped into the taxi and left. The journey to our hotel was fairly quiet; perhaps because it is not always that comfortable (I get motion sickness) and took about 45 minutes. We drove past the golf course and all the smaller villages which brought back many forgotten memories of the times when we had come here in the past to have a few drinks and take it easy. I realised that a lot had changed since then. Back then we were primarily interested in drinking and going to nightclubs every night until the early hours of the morning. They were good days but I knew that that time had since past.

We arrived at the hotel about 4pm Phuket time. The weather was nice, a little humid and about 31 degrees. I didn't realise our hotel was actually in Patong - when I had done my research before we left, I was viewing the website of the wrong hotel. The hotel was very large and the lobby was at the top of a large set of stairs which go down to the road which runs perpendicular to Bangla Rd. We sat down and had our complementary beverages and paid for our accommodation. We were then ushered up to our rooms on the fourth floor. It was a Saturday afternoon and it was a nice feeling to be in a new place without the distraction of work or the other usual burdens.

Our room was nice and overlooked the pool. Jas' focus shifted to the free wifi and he was eager to connect his phone to check out Facebook and Instagram to check the boys in. I couldn't get on the internet but I didn't really care anyway, I did however need my phone to take photos to prove that I was actually there.. quite the dilemma. I turned on the tv; I was very excited. I was not disappointed. 80 channels would do the job. I left the tv on one of the music channels (it was probably Fashion TV) and started to unpack and freshen up. It must have been about 430pm Phuket time by now which means Saturday night footy was about to start. The plan was to head down to the Aussie Bar on Bangla to grab something to eat and watch some sport.

We left the hotel and walked down our road for about 800 metres or so. It wasn't busy but it was certainly busier than I had anticipated. There were the usuals i.e. older western blokes, quite tanned and wearing singlets with slogans like "Sherpin' n sheilas - Welcome to Bangla" (these guys are always funny to watch as it as if they are in heaven. There were some younger people too similar to our age or slightly younger. Many with the attitude "I'm in Phuket and I can do whatever I want", they are usually quite tanned and often wearing bright colours. The locals and merchants were friendly like always and they liked the look of me as they thought I was an easy target.. they might have been right.

We turned right on Bangla towards the Aussie Bar which is about 60% of the way down. I was harassed by several sunglass salesmen whilst I was looking for a pair of cheap sunnies to wear. I purchased a paid of Prada glasses and paid a fair amount for them because they need the money more than I do. They followed us all the way to the Aussie Bar as they were under the impression that I was going to let them borrow my real sunnies so they could replicate them. We walked up the stairs of the Aussie Bar and grabbed a table. The place had not changed since the first time we came year back in 2010. The place was fairly busy, 90% occupied by other Australians as you would expect. Aussie wearing singlets and drinking beer and also watching sport. I watch a lot of sport so I was quite content, I couldn't get over though, how many people were playing on their phones. Literally two thirds of the patrons there. Each to their own I guess.. right? Soon it was time to leave so we could get ready for the night ahead. The atmosphere had picked up and Bangla was starting to fill up. I noticed that our old friend Seduction had moved across to the other side of the road and it had become quite conspicuous. Gee, this was an old throw back.

We arrived back at the hotel and went for a quick swim. The pool was enormous and unoccupied as it was about 830pm. Everyone else was having or already would have had dinner; I guess you could say this was the time when hotels can become quiet. The pool was amazing and relaxing but we were running out of time so we got out and had a proper meal at the nightly dinner buffet. It was Asian themed night and there was a lot of food and no one left there to compete for it except for us. This was a good meal. We got ready (rushed albeit) and finally headed out to Bangla Rd to see where our night would take us. It was about 10pm at this time.

It was dark and warm and Bangla road was quite lively.

The tuk-tuks were pumping dance music as they drove around and everyone was upbeat as it was a Saturday night. There were some new places on Bangla which I wasn't aware of and then of course there were the places which were still running strong. When I was younger, we went to Seduction a lot. I wasn't sure if I would want to go back or if there would be other places to try. Kelmar and Vesper strongly suggested we go into Seduction, Jas liked the appeal (it was the most popular club), I said "okay".

We headed in. The nightclub had only one level but you have to go up stairs to get to it. It is fairly big with an outside balcony as well. The music was loud and there was lots of second hand smoke. Anyway, we were given the ticket / promo card for the unlimited drink re-fill special. I chose to drink from a bucket instead of a small cup, bad move. I got the bucket filled with vodka & soda. The place was pretty busy so I got carried away and drank my first bucket fairly quickly. More and more people started to come in and I kept on drinking. I was wary that I had past my normal quota of 4-5 drinks and I was starting to feel it. I decided to go back to the hotel and change my shirt. I left Seduction and jumped on the back of a moped and asked the driver to drop me off at the hotel. I put on my long-sleeve cricket shirt which I've had since I was about 14. This shirt had a high comfort level and was very versatile. I had been wearing it around the house for the last 12 months and I felt that I could wear this in Phuket without judgement and nightclub bouncers etc wouldn't care. I left the hotel and walked back to Bangla Rd. I went back inside Seduction and had some more to drink.

I was wary that the sherp would hit me soon so I decided to stop drinking. I was enjoying the night, I hadn't really been in many nightclubs for a while except Tigerlil's which is not as big and not as loud or busy. 

LV paid for me to funnel a Bacardi Breezer. Part of me wanted me to walk away as I don't really drink RTDs anymore and I had already drank enough, the other part encouraged me to challenge myself and skull the drink. I knelt down and funnelled the Breezer.

I was way past my quota and had pushed my liquid intake to the limits. I purchased a bottle of water and drank that quick to offset the other alcohol. I then purchased another bottle. Vesper challenged me to skull the bottle of water and he would skull the rest of his drink; it was difficult to say no. Both of us shouldn't have done this. After all liquid I had just consumed, I knew I had gone too far. I had no other real option but to use the technique my brother had taught me in a nightclub in Florence over 7 years earlier when I was only 19. I went to the toilets and made myself vomit up as much as I could. It worked well.

I had just vomited (tactical albeit) so I decided to call it quits and leave. It was late and I was tired so I decided to go home (it was about 1am). I woke up with a hangover the next morning but it was only really a headache. The following morning was one of the two mornings I woke up with a respectable hangover (I only had a headache) but I still made breakfast. Jas wasn't too bad; the other two, Vesper especially were not too good.