Time at home

After a 15 hour+ journey, it was nice to be met by friendly faces at Newcastle Airport as Lucy's Mum & Dad came to pick me up... treated me to a nice lunch and introduced me to the new dog - Rosie!

1st stop was home to see my brother and sister, and Spot! And then on to my Mum's place in Castleford, to see her and fiancee - Dave. Can't believe it's 2 years since I was last home. Had a lovely time visiting various sights around Castleford... ate far too much...and also had one or two local beers. Seems that there is a LOT of places offering 2 for 1 meals at the moment...not sure whether that is a sign of the recession, or just the way that things are heading generally? Shame near enough everything comes with chips!

Back home for a couple of days - visited the crematorium to pay respects to my grandad, then watched 'Traitor' at the cinema with my sister (decent movie - we were the only ones in the cinema!) before visiting my Nan in the home. She has really aged in the intervening 2 years... and memory is proving difficult - at various times she thought I was her nephew, her husband, her son, and her grandson.

The following day we went for a drive - Castleton (where my Grandad is from) was the 1st stop, a lovely little village in the North Yorks Moors... followed by a couple of hours in Whitby (excellent fish and chips, and a walk up to the Abbey - there really is 199 steps!)... almost had an accident on the way to Robin Hoods Bay (where we couldn't see anything anyway!) and then finished up at Roseberry Topping. Weather wasn't great by the coast, but as soon as we came inland a little, it was a truly gorgeous day, and the Topping looked as wonderful as ever.

Saturday I headed to the park with our niece and nephews... it's amazing how much they have grown up in the 2 years I have been away... took some lovely photos - they seemed to have a nice time. On the evening I headed to a friends house for beers, and a 'colliery' night out in Easington... some decent live music in the Mason's Arms, then a bar brawl in the Village... before back to the house for more beers... a 6am finish meant I was feeling more than a little ropey on the Sunday! Fortunately, an afternoon snooze meant that I was full recuperated in time for a dinner with Lucy's Auntie Pam, Uncle Paul and Mam & Dad... lovely food... but huge portions! I had haddock rarebit for starter, followed by the largest steak and kidney pudding I have ever seen! Almost had to be rolled back to the car...

Now it's time to pack up my belongings...again... say my goodbyes... give Spot a last stroke (I'm probably going to miss him the most!) and head down to London. Have enjoyed been home, but I'm pleased to be moving on, and more assured that Lucy & I have made the right decision in deciding to stay in Australia.

Post-MBA US Tour

Following the completion of my MBA, I decided to visit a few US cities before heading home. First stop was New Orleans...a city I had wanted to visit ever since I had watched Roger Moore as Bond in Live and Let Die. I wasn’t disappointed...the buildings in the French Quarter were beautiful, the street music was awesome, and the people were really friendly too. I met up with my friend Sarah – who I met in Vegas a few years back – and we stayed in a lovely old Hotel that at one point served as a hospital for confederate soldiers...and is now haunted! Had a fantastic meal the 1st night, before loading up on hand-grenades (bright green drink in a tall plastic glass), beers, and absinthe (served the traditional way)...and listening to some cool music along the way. Have to admit that I ended up a bit the worse for wear and succumbed to my usual tactic of skinny-dipping in the hotel pool...at least I thought it was a pool, the next morning it looked more like a pond! Checked out a couple of areas for nightlife – Bourbon Street is the one everyone knows about, and it was full of cheap drinks, neon lights, and sleazy clubs....so of course I enjoyed it!? Frenchman Street was more typically local, and much smaller...managed to find a place called DBA which had a wide range of beers, and a really good act – Shannon McNally (Irish name, southern accent, native American look) – and found a comfortable seat to chill out. Think New Orleans would be a really cool place to go for a stag-do, as well as somewhere to just enjoy the music and chill.

An early flight (painfully early) took me to Savannah, on the east coast...you may have heard of this place having watched Gone with the Wind? Or Forrest Gump (it’s where he sits waiting for a bus and tells his story). A quaint little place, set around a series of squares – each with a monument, some lovely flowers, and often some live music....and bizarrely the ashes of the person who the square is named for are often buried beneath the square too! Pretty small town, and I had to work hard to think of things to do to keep me occupied for 18 hours, and it also seemed to have as many trolley buses doing tours as it did cars in the street! I did stumble across a little shack selling BBQ though, and had an awesome pulled pork sandwich!

I have quickly realised that it is not possible to travel on a budget in the US....outside of the major cities, very few hostels exist, and whilst train travel can be relatively inexpensive way of getting around (at least with an ISIC card), the stations are often located in hard-to-get-to places, with no linking public transport and so you have to pay $20 each way to get to the station! Very annoying! However, my frustration at this led to one of the highlights so far....I decided to walk the 5 miles to the Amtrak station, out into the countryside, and a large owl flew right past my head – wing-span as wide as my arm-span....beautiful. Seconds after, the owl was chasing a hare...superb to watch.

A 2hr train ride, complete with attendant who called everyone “love” (thought I was in Yorkshire) and “babe” took me to Charleston...site of the 1st battle in the US civil war. A similar place to Savannah – lots of large, beautiful homes to look at, but not an awful lot to keep you busy. I walked around the entire town within a couple of hours (including frequent stops) ....and I went the long-way! The hostel is pretty cool though, and at least it is forcing me to relax somewhat, and it’s also warm which is a bonus after the Chicago winter! Oh – I also saw a group of people break-dancing in a nearby park...some leaps and twists I don’t think I could ever do. Amusingly, 3 little kids started to join in dancing at the side...very cute. And if you ever make it to this part of the world, make sure to pack khakis, a navy blazer, and perhaps a bow-tie....it seems to be the uniform in these parts! Spent my 2nd day here chilling in the main square, watching the world go by, wishing Lucy was with me, but enjoying the bikini clad girls, some live music, a few beautiful dogs (and two ferrets!) been walked, and the sunshine.... fortunately I managed just minor sunburn after 5 hours out....

After arriving at the station ridiculously early, and engaging in a somewhat strange conversation with the station attendant (only 2 trains per day go through there - so I understand how he may be going slightly insane!) I took the overnight train to Washington - managed to get quite a lot of sleep, even if it was often interrupted very broken - and arrived in a much colder climate...quite a shock after Charleston!Dropped my bag at the hotel, and embarked on a whistle stop tour of the major sights - the White House, Washington/Lincoln/Jefferson/FDR memorials, and the Smithsonian before checking out Capitol Hill. Got back to the hostel to find a free performance from a local singer-songwriter called KuKu - he was very good, mixing African music with soul. Amusingly, with all the turmoil in the world today, the only protesters outside the Capitol were protesting against circumcision! The best city yet for the budget traveller, as the hostel is well equipped, there is lots of stuff to do for free - and the public transport is actually quite convenient for a change. Definitely feels as though I am back into civilization after my trip south.

Next stop was a brief sojourn to Baltimore, where I found a charming, yet obviously industrial place. Wandered around the inner harbour, saw yet another aquarium (every town seems to have one!) and appreciated the windswept view from Federal Hill. Got a spot of lunch from one of the local markets, and sat by the harbour to watch the world go by. People here were amongst the friendliest I have met on my trip to date....wonder if that continues as I near New York! Highlight of the day was the World Trade Center....complete with a viewing gallery entitled Top of the World.... it's actually just 20 stories or so high!?!? Very amusing! Although it does happen to be the tallest pentagonal building in the world....

Another quick train journey brought me to Philadelphia, and it's impressive 30th Street Station. 1st impressions were of a city with lots of old buildings, some cool looking bars, and great food (I'm a big fan of the cheese steaks!). The hostel is pretty cool too - bright green and orange in the common room - and friendly staff (something that was missing from the 1st couple of places). Spent much of the day walking around the historical sites - Independence Hall, the Pennsylvanian Congress Hall that housed the 1st US Congree building, and of course the Liberty Bell. So much to see in this compact city... I did want to go and re-create the famous scene from Rocky and run up the steps to the art gallery, but the wet weather wasn't really conducive to that, so I settled for an early finish, a hoagie (sub-sandwich) washed down by a root beer!

New York was my final stop - reached by yet another train journey. Spent the night with Evren and Cusack in their luxury pad - and Jon came along too. Had a nice meal at a place called Bread, visited some cool bars, and drank far too much vodka.... then woke up the next day to find my flight had been moved forward 24hrs and so I had missed it! Managed to book myself on another flight (expensive - ouch) via Dublin.... and had one of the world's cheapest yum-cha feedings to make me feel better ($35 for 4 people!). Very hung-over as I headed to the airport...but at least I was on the way home - and one step closer to seeing Lucy again!

Interesting facts I have learnt on the trip: A mammal is defined as an animal with hair, mothers producing milk, and (this one I did not know) they all have a bone in the middle ear. The term 'green room' (back room in a TV studio / theatre) originates from Shakespearean times.... they used to fill the room with shrubs, plants, etc as it was thought that moisture was helpful to the actor's voices.

Bit of a strange experience, and probably not as enjoyable as I had hoped - think a variety of reasons for this; the American reliance on cars (and the therefore non-existent public-transport links) looking forward to seeing my friends and family in the UK, an eagerness to get back on with the job search, and most of all, a desire to see Lucy back in Oz. Strangely enough it is the non-planned parts of the trip I have found most inspiring - the owl chasing down a hare, chilling in a Charleston square and watching people break dance, arriving at the Washington hostel for an impromptu musical performance....

Bye Chicago

My time in Chicago has come to an end...can't believe just how quickly the 10 weeks has gone. Had a fun, and interesting time - met plenty of interesting people, undertook some fascinating courses, and saw a lot of this wonderful city. Now it's on to New Orleans, and then working my way up the east coast before flying back to the UK from New York... looking forward to seeing more of the US, visiting friends and family in the UK, and getting back to Lucy in Oz. Will keep you posted!

Chicago - a dwindling light....

Coming right down to my last days in Chicago. I've had a fantastic time, met some interesting people, and most importantly I've learnt a lot....couldn't really ask for more. Have completed my final assignments, and just one exam to go - seems to have passed so quickly. Highlights of my final few weeks have included the Winter Formal, a panel discussion on the financial crisis, and my first trip to Canada - taking in Niagara Falls on the way (and avoiding Detroit on the way back... if the Lonely Planet says its grim there has to be something wrong with the place!).

The Winter Formal was held at the Knickerbocker Hotel, downtown Chicago. Decked in my tuxedo, I had the 'pleasure' of my 1st trip on a US school-bus in order to get there. Driver got lost and had to radio for help...not a great start! However, the room was pretty impressive (if a little over the top decor wise), music much better than I had feared, and the free drinks flowed (although I resorted to ordering 3 at a time to beat the queue). For just about the 1st time during my time in Chicago I couldn't remember much about the end of the evening, turns out I had done my usual thing of borrowing someones camera and taking lots of snaps...and apparently I did make it to the after-party! Met some interesting people - a group from 'the south' who shared their Jack Daniels and told me to head south for the best girls, a guy who looked like OddJob, a black guy who looked like a short Marvin Hagler (at least he did at the time), and two real tall blokes who made me look short...all good fun. Not sure I can say the same about my gut the next day!

The panel discussion on the financial crisis was another highlight. Present were Charlie Evans (Chicago Fed), John Cochrane (Finance prof. not the lawyer in the OJ case), Leo Melamed (CME Chairman), some Economics professor who looked like Dr. Death, and an Asia lady as mediator who was both pointless and tedious. Things got off to a slow start with the 'mediator' droning on, and on... almost like a senator trying to get their time in the lime-light during Senate debates. However, once the panel started ignoring her, and getting on with a real discussion it really came to life (apart from when Dr. Death slurped his way into the conversation). Favourite comments came from Cochrane: "Let em Fail!! There I'm done with GM", and Leo: "the previous administration saw the light at the end of the tunnel..... it was a locomotive coming toward them!".

On my penultimate weekend in Chicago, I jumped in a van with my fellow AGSMers, and drove up to the very impressive Niagara Falls, via the student town of Ann Arbor, and then on to Toronto.... my 1st fleeting visit to Canada! Ann Arbor was a cool little place, with plenty of bars, restaurants, and chocolate shops!? Ended up having my 1st curry in the US...very good, but the service was abysmal. Washed it down with a couple of the local beers. On to Niagara...to get very wet, and see plenty of mist, but not an awful lot else! And then by the time we got back to the postcard shop it had closed!? Niagara itself was a bit like a small Blackpool, but with a waterfall...very cheesy. On to Toronto, where we met up with another AGSMer and his wife... enjoyed more great local beer, and had a nice meal. Ended up back in a down-trodden bar, complete with karaoke, talking to a Mexican cook, an American musician, and a Canadian carpenter...very amusing evening. Sunday morning we had a look around Toronto...somewhat underwhelming. And then back in the van for a 2nd attempt at Niagara Falls - and we were much more successful this time! Damn cold though...and still a little misty. The sheer scale of the Falls was just breath-taking...not sure it was really worth the 9 hour drive though!

Now back in Chicago...want to avoid getting in a car for a while as tired of that! Got a few more lectures, one exam, and one take-home to do and I'll be finished. Looking forward to the travelling...and of course to getting back to Oz to see Lucy.

Almost done...

Can't believe that Week 8 is upon me, and I only have another 2 weeks (+ 1 exam) to go before I've finished my MBA. Then I have the fun of looking for a job in what must be the most difficult employment market in decades....joy! Still, at least I'll be able to enjoy a brief tour of USA's east coast, the UK, and Thailand before I get back to Sydney - and even then I'll have the beach to enjoy whilst I job search... guess it's not too much to complain about!

So pleased that I've spent my final session in Chicago. The school has surpassed even the high expectation I had prior to arrival, and the learning experience has been top class. In addition, the city of Chicago - whilst damn cold temperature wise - has proved to be a great place to spend some time. Whilst there isn't an awful lot of the standard tourist attractions to visit - the 'blob' remains my favourite - the live music, and bar scene is really good....and it's so easy to get talking to people.

As well as checking out some of the places in Chicago, I've just spend 3 nights in Vegas. Stayed at the HardRock... although the early time of year, and the refurbishment meant no pool party, which was a bit of a disappointment. Friday night we had drinks on the strip, and then enjoyed a table at Pure...before finishing off with a bit of lapdancing. Saturday night checked out the various places in the Palms, and then more lapdancing. Sunday was more of the same, but ended up at Body English, after one of the best steaks I have ever had. Have to admit that I am starting to feel old...really struggle to do the 3 nights in a row - but at least I made it, unlike some of the younger team members! And in all honesty, Vegas has lost it's sparkle a little for me - maybe it's the recession reducing the numbers, maybe it's the reduction in service levels (unless you are waving $100 bills around) or maybe it's just the fact that I don't really like (in fact I hate) RnB music and that seems to be the music of choice.... still I can't complain about the fantastic cleavages on display!? Who could get tired of that!?!? All in all, I think I'd prefer a weekend of checking out live music venues in Chicago or New Orleans to another Vegas trip...and would be quite happy if I didn't go there again for quite a while.

This weekend I have the Winter Formal to attend on Saturday - so I get to wear a tux - and then I'm hoping to power through my remaining assignments so that I can enjoy the final week. Here's hoping!

Have a good one!

P.S. Forgot to mention that I've attended a Bulls game and a Blackhawks game since my last update. The Bulls are struggling this year, and the stadium was half empty - best entertainment of the first 3 periods was actually during the time-outs. The final period saw the Bulls come back from 10 points down to tie with 3 secs to go...and they still managed to lose...bit of an anti-climax. Blackhawks game was much better - a sell-out (not sure how the attendance was only 1,000 more than the Bulls game?) - and they played really well, winning 6-2, and it's turning out to be a good year for them. The NHL game was much more lively, the atmosphere more upbeat (more like a soccer game), and there was plenty of punch-ups too!

Sweet Home Chicago

So, at the moment I'm in Chicago - studying at the University of Chicago's Booth Business School (formerly GSB). It's the last session of my MBA, and so I get to spend a quarter in Chicago. The first time I have been back in Chicago since I completed the Arthur Andersen training programme way back in 1999.... that seems like an age ago now.

How's it going? Well, the business school is really first class. The facilities are superb (although with so many students they still get stretched), the lecturers engaging, and the courses I am studying are interesting. Additionally, the other exchange students are cool too. Couldn't really ask for any more - apart from maybe some warmer weather!? Since I arrived on Jan 1st it hasn't been above 0c!?! The lowest was something around -30c... not comfortable! Unfortunately, this has meant that I haven't got to see as much of the city as I would have like - it's no fun walking around in sub-zero weather. However, what I have seen has really impressed me. There's lots of museums and galleries, plenty of sport to watch, and the nightlife is excellent - with a lot of live music to choose from.

Since I got here I've managed to catch The Killers (awesome - the new album translates to stage very well) and Buddy Guy (a legend on the Blues scene), and will be heading to the theatre to watch the Monty Python musical - Spamalot - this weekend...should be fun. And hopefully heading to the top of the Hancock Tower for a drink to celebrate Bradley's birthday.... whilst Sunday brings the Super Bowl - I'm going to go for the underdogs, Arizona.

Amazing that I'm almost through the 4th week (of a 10 week term), and whilst it's been a good experience so far, I really am missing Lucy. It's fun experiencing new things, heading to concerts, etc... but it would be much better if Lucy was here, and I'm sure she'd appreciate Chicago.

Guess I'll leave it on that bitter-sweet note and hope to update again soon.

It's been a while....

....almost a year in fact since I last updated my blog. A variety of things have prevented me from keeping it up to date - school work, looking for a job, arranging my international exchange, chilling in the sun....and most of all spending time with Lucy.

I'm going to attempt to update sporadically from now......so hopefully I think of something interesting to write.

Wish me luck!