Tales from the Quim

So I made it back to Australia for just over a week before being told to get my ass to Canukistan with less than 24 hours notice. So I got over my hangover just in time to have a beer with Fatty at Customs house and get a few more Friday drinks in me at the office before flying out.

Air Canada, I love you for scrapping the traditional business class and calling it executive first, its much the same as upper class on Virgin Atlantic. Absolutely everything about it is better than Qantas. The lie-flat beds are a class ahead of the Qantas skybed which while it goes flat it is not horizontal, and then you still have to try to jump over some random persons legs to get out of your window seat to the dunny when they are asleep.

Air Canada does not feature Neil Perry designed crapped out meals, save it for Rockpool, this is Business class and if I wanted slop I’d just go to Woolworths and make it myself. And a good breakfast with Canadian bacon, not some cold hard toast and rock solid butter like Qantas like to dish out. I guess I’ll have to stick to Singapore and Star Alliance airlines, although it sucks for domestic as Australia has no domestic Star alliance members. waah. I’m actually looking forward to 15 hours of peace on the flight home.

So yea, Vancouver, its a great place and I’m sure it would be a lot better if it wasn’t 4 degrees and raining, still it’s good. Clothes and stuff are cheap, lots of Asian food to choose from. If you’re a fatcunt there is always BK Triple Stackers or Wendys Baconators at your disposal.
The scenery is awesome with views of snow topped mountains behind North Vancouver as you walk around downtown. It’s very snappy and pleasing to the eye also.

They have good beer and I think this comes from the climate, not as good as fine Tasmanian lagers and ales but acceptable never the less, after mistakenly cracking a Budweiser at Honolulu it was refreshing to come to grips that beer in North America can taste good.

So I’ve been working every day since I got here, tomorrow I have to myself, a 2355 flight arriving at 1000 Sydney time is awesome as I get to sleep and reset for the time zone, woohoo. If you are lucky I’ll take some more photos and they will be here.

Interest rates, I’m all for em. I’m sick of hearing how hard it is for everybody. What? I’m a second class citizen for having savings? Why should everything favour people that borrow money. Screw you. If another .5% is going to tip you over the edge you shouldn’t have control of your own finances.

And stop telling me that rent money is dead money, interest money is dead money too, and I can assure you that I pay less rent than the interest you pay on your 300k home loan, and I save the rest.. AND THOSE SAVINGS DESERVE A FUCKING FAT INTEREST RATE.

And don’t even get me started on this tax breaks for family’s too, why the fuck am I PAYING FOR SOME DOUBLE INCOME FAMILY THAT ISN’T STRUGGLING?

Seems to me like Australians just complain about the cost of everything these days, what happened?

HARDEN THE FUCK UP AUSTRALIA

A number of things have been happening so I’ll do my best to cover it all.

Rate My Steak, Blue Smoke BBQ

I took my parents to Blue Smoke, I was sure I said.. “It’s a ribs place, famous for ribs… ribs.. ribs.. drool”. Mum got the pork belly and Dad got an eye fillet, I went for the classic Texas beef short ribs.

The pork belly looked amazingly good, dry rubbed and really juicy, and if I get to go there again twice, I’ll try it. Twice because I’ll go the beef ribs again as it’s too hard to get past on the menu.
My Dad is pretty serious about his steak and he ordered the fillet blue but warm, which was exactly how it came out, impressive. Meat scored 10/10, it really couldn’t have been done any better.

Mum ordered the pecan pie for dessert which came with some ice cream that was larger than the pie, and it was very win. I wanted a coffee but the coffee machine was out, a few hints to the waiter about getting one from a neighboring shop didn’t sink in and he kept saying we were welcome to get one somewhere else… um… get our own?.. We also did not get any corn bread with honey butter. lose. Service 7/10, he knew what blue but warm meant.

Polished off my last bottle of 1988 Heggies Cabernet, I bought a case of these 15 years ago and I had one stashed in the back of my parents storage cupboard. They found it, and it survived, yay. No doubt the best red wine I’ve ever had.

Overall 8/10.

Rate My Steak, Kingsleys

Just had to try this place after John kept ranting on about it.

Entree’s – The soft shell crab was by far the largest I’d ever seen, looked like a sand crab and tasted incredible. Got a dozen natural oysters which were perfectly fresh.

Mains – I got the Reef and beef rib, I forget what the other guys got now *blush*. Perfect steak but they didn’t de-vein the prawns which let it down a little. The mushroom sauce was by far the best I’ve ever had. Had the grilled artichokes, roasted root vegetables, and potato bake for sides. All very delicious.

After the last bottle of Heggies I chose the 2005 Heggies Merlot which was also memorable, looking for someone with a case for sale, but I’ll have to resume my search when I get back. These guys had a working coffee machine, yay.

Service, they stuffed up one order but were quick off the mark to resolve it, the girl was a bit nervous and dropped a knife on a plate, but handled it well and spoke to us to get off the subject.

Overall 9.5/10. I’m going back. Maybe we can convince John to eat seafood and drink wine next time. I gave them a half point for stocking Heggies wine.

Rate My Stay – Saville Executive Suite, 2 Bond St, Sydney

So I’m a bit of a nomad right now, My home is in Brisbane, primary office in Sydney, secondary offices in London and Stockholm. Due to the circumstances my employer is supplying a studio near work right now.

Very nice, good staff, nice apartment. But.. No foxtel and the restaurant menu could do with some work. I’d stay here again for sure. The guys at the office called this the second choice, wonder what the first choice is?!

Rate My Gig – OMX Sydney

I was lucky enough to score a window seat.

The other side of the building is marginally better as it looks out over North/South head. But I’m not one to complain. Also I’m very happy with my new Lenovo X61 laptop and Blackberry curve phone. Salary is very competitive and conditions are obviously designed so no one will ever complain. The highest global health insurance possible, 10.6% superannuation and a very generous per diem when away from home. 10/10 employer, I’m very happy there.

So I’m off to London and probably Stockholm as well, leaving tomorrow. I guess I’ll have to Rate My Flight, Hotel and Offices over there.

Leaving the wonderful people at VB and Brisbane (well I’ve only half left Brisbane) was a bit sad, but things are going well which takes my mind off it. Looking forward to getting back from Europe already so I can find somewhere to live that isn’t a hotel or executive studio apartment.

A couple of pics from the VB 7th Birthday Party……