We are now in Adelaide for 2 weeks already. A typical day looks like this: get up at 800, organize things until 2000, then sleep. Not much fun so far!
The organization went ok so far for: finding an apartment (central, very nice view+balcony), getting a driving license, getting cellphones, mobile internet access (3G), opening a bank account, looking for a car, looking for a laptop for work (this time, it will not be a Mac), etc etc. The only thing that is terribly complicated is getting a health insurance. The system here is completely messed up---as bad as in the US... :( Very difficult problems for us there...
Things tend to be really messy here. A typical conversation between me and a future co-worker:
Chris: Hey mate, how can I find out how to get from A to B in Adelaide? I have tried the webpage of the Adelaide's public transportation, but it totally sucks!!
Co-worker: This webpage does not contain any useful information!!
Chris: Dude, are you kidding me??? How can I find out how to get from A to B???
Co-worker: Simple! You should have a beer with somebody who already went from A to B---he can explain it to you!
In that spirit, I had a few working lunches with professors from my university already---beer was mandatory (for lunch!!). This is kind of typical for what goes on here: everything is quite chaotic. However, a beer solves everything... hehe (almost like Munich!)
So far, we don't have lots of social contacts, yet. One funny thing is that I have met Ian again. I got to know him in Tokyo in 2007. He is a good friend of a friend of a friend in Tokyo (Sonpub). He had stayed 4 years in Tokyo and got similarly frustrated with the Japanese system like me. Then, he moved back to his hometown Adelaide. We have been going to a Drum'n Bass party with him---nice!
Tomorrow, we will go partying with Ian again:
12 comments:
First !!!!!
Good luck with the settling in :) I hope everything goes smoothly and we get a chance to see each other at ismar this year.
Hey Chris & Panda!
Nice to here from you. First it seems that you have a great time in the Philippines. Great pictures!
And don't worry about your stress in the first time in Adelaide. If you have checked all your things it would be a great time there.
Enjoy your time in Down Under!
Peter from Vienna
Kouby: who are you? Maybe a little hint? Are you building HMDs??
hello!!!
welcome to your new world ;)
wish you all the best for getting started and finding ways from A to B!
bises de paris!
caja
Can you elaborate on the "new laptop will not be a Mac" part? :-)
Hi all! Thanks a lot for your friendly comments!!
Oz:
Basically, I am 100% happy with Macs---what could be better than the best GUI out there on top of a true BSD kernel? (the answer is: the same GUI on top of a Linux kernel, hehe)
BUT, I have run into severe limitations recently when doing GLSL (OpenGL shading language) on laptops. For that, the way to go is a desktop graphics card in a laptop---Apple doesn't do this kind of insanity.
That's why, I consider getting an Alienware laptop...
This one seems especially sweet:
http://www.alienware.com/products/area-51-m15x-notebook.aspx?SysCode=PC-LT-AREA51M15X-AI1&SubCode=SKU-DEFAULT
Hi Chris, Panda,
Good luck with your new life in Australia... and don't forget to invite me for your wedding :)
--
Currently in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan).
Hey Sebastien!
Thanks for your good wishes!
Yeah, we will definitely invite you to our wedding! What about yours? ;-)
Cheers!
Chris
Hi Chris,
You are welcome to my wedding... though I still don't know with whom, where and when (and whether?) I will get married.
--
Currently in 東京 (Tokyo, Japan).
hey sebastien,
i am sure that you can secure a nice girl sometimes :-)
good luck,
chris
What's that blue thing in her hand?
cu
Fabian
A rolled up cable
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