Disco Knitter

I have two job offers on the table (potentially). And I do need to accept one of them fairly soon, so Mark and I can save packets of money and buy a shoe box in Bourke. Have you seen this? Housing in Sydney is less affordable than New York and London!

Anyway… Before we left, I had a very promising interview with Company X, on the strength of which I turned down the job that the anti-christ had offered me. They asked me to come in to meet the other director, which turned into a second interview (this is after I thought I had been offered the job). At the second interview, they said they would let me know in two days time – the day before we left for Vietnam. The day arrives, and by 2pm I was getting anxious. By 5pm, I was fuming. By 6pm, I was angry. I called them three times, but my calls were not answered, or returned, so I guessed that my talents were not wanted.

I had three weeks of blissful travel, during which time I convinced myself that Company X were a pack of bastards, who were thoughtless, and rude, and shortsighted, and that I really would not want to work for anyone that would behave in that manner. I contacted an old friend that I’d done some work for in the past, and he happily agreed to take me on. Even offered to negotiate my pay and conditions. Signed me up for his Superannuation fund.

And then, the day we got back, I got a text message “Are you still interested? Please call asap. Company X”.

I swore a lot. You can ask my mum. She’s heard me swearing for years, and I am sure even she would tell you that the expletives reached a new level of duration, volume, and venom. I seem to recall comparing someone to a “son of a motherless goat”. Or words to that effect.

Tomorrow I have to speak to Company X, and Company OF (Old Friend), and try to ascertain what it is that they each want from me, and what they are prepared to offer in return. I anticipate that X will require a lot of hard work and a steep learning curve, but that the financial rewards will be tidy. I’ll also have the added benefit of getting out of an industry that is plagued by low margins and stiff competition, and into an industry that has a much healthier margin, and I’ll be working for a company that has an exclusive distribution of a high value, highly sought after product. Eventually, I’ll also be out on the road, seeing clients, and perhaps even doing a little bit of work related travel. On the other hand, working for Company OF will be easy (the sort of job I could do with both hands tied behind my back while being beaten with a stick), I like the people, the money will be OK, and I’ll still get discounted Apple kit.

Both jobs are in places that are inconvenient for public transport (no commuter knitting), but one comes with the use of a company car.

I sent an email saying that I would call on monday (after I had a chance to calm down), but perhaps I should have given myself more time.

We buried Grasshopper today.  Jane bought a beautiful lisianthus plant, which we surrounded with sweet basil, at the same time we replanted Rhubarb’s grave with a rainbow chilli plant and bright purple and pink petunias. 

For once, I couldn’t really speak. He was very unique*.

*Something is either unique, or it isn’t.  My friend Simone goes batshit when she hears the words “very unique”.  Or “totally unique”, or “singularly unique”.  My favourite varies between “utterly unique” and “most unique”.  Even better than “better than the best”.

Peter Cundall became a Member of the Order of Australia for services to conservation, Stephen Bradbury (THAT speed skater) became an OAM, and Tim Flannery is Australian of the year. And he put one up John Howard in his acceptance speech. Winner.

And the police officer implicated in the death of Mulrunji Doomadge on Palm Island in 2004 will be charged. The police are outraged, but the timing of this decision, though not timely, has a certain irony, coming on the anniversary of an event that had tragic consequences for our indigenous population.

P.S. Bob Brown was visiting Palm Island when the Street Report was released.

Good morning Ho Chi Minh City, we’re off to spend our last day doing a (totally inadequate) one day tour of the Mekong Delta.  Up early for breakfast, then a few hours on a bus to get to a boat, which takes us a short way up a side waterway to catch a glimpse of urban life on the Mekong.

At lunch time, I stalked baby chickens….

After lunch, we visited a candy factory (coconut & peanut, yummy). 

A “con meo” in the village.  I’m taking more pictures of animals than anything else right now.

This woman asked me for money as our boat passed hers.  She was laughing hysterically when I gave her some (about .40c).

A very handsome lizard.

And this, is live electricity wires, knocked down by our bus on our way out of the port.  Nothing to worry about, we just kept driving….

Then tonight, we decided to live it up a little for our last night.  Cocktails at the Rex Hotel (one of the grand old dames of the Saigon hotel scene).  Probably the most expensive drinks we’ve had here, but still probably cheaper than most Sydney bars.  The rooftop garden is something to see, but we arrived too late for decent photographs. 

After leaving the Rex, we decided to walk to the riverfront to take in the night life – apparently the young and hip put on their best threads and cruise the Dong Khoi area on their mopeds. 

But some idiot decided to leap onto a traffic island that was a little to high for the height of the leap.  And I have sprained my right ankle.

A taxi back to the hotel, some ice, some vodka, and I’m fine, just embarrassed.  Getting packed and getting home is going to be fun.

After an early lunch, we had a huge hassle paying the bill – apparently we couldn’t put more than $200 on one credit card – luckily we had three!  We then paid our drinks bill with what was left of our Dong, and raced to catch the boat, which took us to the bus that would take us to the train.

We decided on the “5 Star” train, as we had already experienced the normal train and the soft sleeper.  It was dead posh, with sofas instead of recliners, and a lot more space, and with staff, but it was still 8 hours on a train.  Just before dark, a window opposite us shattered, the older German couple sitting next to it were quite startled.  Apparently it is common for children to throw rocks at the train – they break about two windows per day.  I’m glad the windows were double glazed, as it could have been quite nasty.

Arrived at our hotel just before midnight, to find it surrounded by metal grilles like it was awaiting a siege.  A kind stranger knocked on the grille for us and a very sleepy short person reluctantly let us in, after we assured him we had a booking.  The hotel “reception” is part of the souvenir shop next door, and it seemed to have at least 4 people sleeping in a very small space – as well as a few motorbikes.

Up 4 flights of stairs to the room (which did NOT have the green marble bathtub the guidebook promised), we surrendered our passports (the police require that all foreigners give their passports to the hotel staff), and we collapsed into bed.  Sleep did not come easily, we are on a very busy corner, and Ho Chi Minh City seems to be a city that doesn’t need much sleep.

Mark took these pics this morning – there is a great view of our busy corner from the fourth floor.  Now at an exorbitantly expensive cafe using the “free” WiFi, but it’s now time to have some more adventures.  I’ll fill in the Whale Island gap as soon as I pic some representative pictures, and process some stuff.  It’s all good!

We are on Whale Island, where everything is perfect except the internet access. 

More details later, but I am posting here because the internet is sooooo slow that I cannot even read my email.  It took me 40 minutes to log in to .mac to see that I have email, but I cannot actually read email, or send it.  In desperation, I am posting here just to let mum and dad know that we are safe, well, and having such an indecently good time that we expect to be apprehended at any moment.