Arrival - January 5th, 2007

I start the New Year in a new place... with a new place... everything new anyway

Arriving @ 6.30 am on a sunny Sydney morning... but for those who know me... nothing is really my thing after a 10 hour no-sleep-flight

So I'm happy to report that airport staff were very nice and just breezed me through their overly zealous airport security...
I am moving for a year my friends... of course I had 4 suitcases with loads of stuff I don't particularly care to show you!
The guy at airport just took a look at my passport and said he was Belgian too and just told me to go on... hm, I always knew that Belgian nationality thing would come in handy some day... it made my day!

Happy to report that my driver was waiting for me as I came out into the waiting area.
And into the car with whatever I had been able to stuff in my 4 suitcases... and off into this new world Down Under

Ok first impressions... very American... the roads... the people
Driver was very nice and on this clear sunny Friday morning drove me around Sydney.
All I remember though are Starbucks... more coffee shops... streets with NY style street signs... it really looked like Downtown NY at first

And then the nice friendly Iraqi driver took me to the Opera house and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.... and that's the best moment I would always remember...
Only a few nights before on New Years Eve we watched the fireworks on TV at Toni's place... drinking champagne and running around like crazy getting everything ready for the party that night...

After that I kind of switched off... it was freeway going out North of the city....

Arrival at my new place for the next 1 year!!!!
Gosh I made this bet to stay in a place for 1 year... and honestly I don't know how I am gonna do it
It's all spanky clean and brand new... and it looks like something out of Lego land
I was shown to my room, which is the size of my dressing closet...
All I was interested in was to get into a bed...
I guess my mind was on travel mode... but on business trip travel mode!!!
As I plonked myself on the bed and decided to leisurely stretch my weary body and turn around in bed... I fell over on the other side!!!
Yep, no JW Marriott Hkg American king size beds here!!!!

New mission: convince my brain I'm a Student now and get into Student mode

I'm student... I'm student... I'm student.... Swami will be very proud of me
The mind is a powerful thing