ok, i'm back to writing a mini-blog. apparently too much sun isn't good for me as i did the same thing last year and look where it got me? one post.
still.
lot's of stuff is happening here, and while i'll surely not share everything, i thought you might be interested in reading some of it.
i finally moved out of the 12 bed dorm in a hostel and i couldn't be happier about this - especially the kitchen of the hostel was really not up to par with my standards (when the HANDLE of a pot is so greasy it almost slips out of your hand, but is at the same time stuck to your hand because of general yucky stickiness, then you start to think take-away food is the invention of the century...) also, as there was no knife anywhere to be found in the kitchen (maybe someone stuck it in the cleaning person's back a long time ago - which would explain the general state of the hostel...), even the preparation of a tomato salad proved to be quite a challenge.
and let's not forget that there were two other factors which made this kitchen less hospitable than the website suggested: both started with a T, both were English and both were noisy and kept repeating themselves:
Tony and the TV.
Tony is a prototypical English guy, about 45, chef in a local Australian restaurant (even though HE didn't have the slightest problem cooking with the equipment in the hostel kitchen - which made me wonder whether someone shouldn't tip off the authorities to check the kitchen of the "Cookaburra" for cockroaches, rats and heaven forbid what else...) Every time I saw him in the kitchen (which was pretty much every time I entered it), he was sitting on the couch, drinking his god-knows-how-many-iest beer of the day (on weekends, probably to add a bit of fanciness to it all, it would be Rose, but then enjoyed straight from the bottle), playing poker online, telling me about his life and watching SkyNet.
Which brings us to the telly. almost bigger than the kitchen itself, always blaring on high volume and never (at least not if Tony could help it) showing anything but SkyNet. which is, as i have now figured out, the root of all evil in the UK. it's the most annoying tv channel i have ever come across - with the information content of BILD or SUN, but then three dimensional, if you will: text AND moving pictures AND sound. oh so much sound.
anyways, the thing with SkyNet is that it's a news channel, but then for people with not only a short attention span, but also really bad short term memory. you would see a murder happen with all gory details, leave the room, go to the toilet and come back to see it all happen once again. the big news was that someone had shot a policeman in the face - and you have no idea how many times i got to see the poor policeman cry during the interview when he told his story, over and over again. and two days later, guess what? the assassin's ex-girlfriend also woke up from her coma (or whatever, i didn't verify the facts too much) and they interviewed her as well while she was still in hospital and she cried as well and just to make sure you don't miss a word she sobbed, the big news banner underneath the video read "EX-GIRL FRIEND HOPES XXX (forgot the name, sorry) WILL ROT IN HELL"
that's what i call first class news coverage.
anyways, i now share this little studio with noone but a very very thirsty mosquito (9 bites within the very first hour here - compared to this greedy little bastard, dracula was a shy, modest choir boy)
and as toilet paper was such a rare commodity at the hostel, i immediately stocked up on it the day i moved in, just to make sure i have enough supplies in case there's another toilet paper shortage (80% of the time at the hostel. i started looking at their hand towels with a longing eye the umptiest time i got caught by surprise...) - as i did with all kinds of food that might not have been safe at the hostel's kitchen (there, i just had the bare necessities: goat's cheese, harissa, yoghurt, tomatoes, peaches and of course ketchup.
