Let me start by saying the picture is of me in a car model made of oranges. every year griiffth has a festival were all the local businesses make a model to do with their business out of oranges. its cool to see, as theres things like a chicken for kfc or a pair odf glasses for the optitians!

Saturday was a cracking day. we had a fantastic full english and then started watching the rugby all day whilst sinking a few beers. we then went down the motel for a few more drins before heading out to town. well i say town, its more like a night in the ye ol fighting c*** but it was good to get out. i got ripped off tho, 3 jaeger bombs = $35!! arnold came out with us but as soon as we got to the bar he said it wasnt very good and went across the way on his own and paid $20 to get. think id rather stay were i was with people and save the money.

As you can imagine sunday wasnt so fun. i hasd to work as normal the whole day to show arnold what to do. i just went to sleep inbetween each shift. arnold wwas sleepy too so he was doing the same altho it became apparent that he was relying on me too much to wake him up so i decided this had to change!

The next few days i just went over with him what was what. He drove one day back from the suppliers, never again would i get in a car with him! he hasnt drien in 3yrs and afterwards he was telling me how he couldnt believe that he had forgotten how to. it was like a driving lesson, i was having to tell him what to do; slow down, 2 hands on the wheel, watch out for that truck! anyway we got back to the hostel, just, and then i left him to it.

On wednesday i got my second year visa sorted and signed off and got a cracking reference of cesar and dana! that night they took me and richard (the indian whos business this is) out to le scala, an italian restaurant. the food was awesome. i ad a good chat with them all and a quality meal. i had beef fillets wrapped in bacon and topped in a mushroom and red wine sauce. mmmmm. i was so full as we all shared a pizza entre thng then i had that and a few glasses of wine. it was the most id eaten in a while. when there they told me there woulod be 3 more projects in the next 12months and cesar said he wanted me to cook again. richard piped up at that point and said that he wanted me to manage the project. keep me away form all the indians and cesar and then work for richard. i would be oranising the transport for the workers and the accomodation and the food for them. not someting id thing about right away but its good that thats how he see's me!! when i got back to the hostel i went to the tv room as that was were i was staying so that arnold wasnt relying on me to ake him up! i still got up at 310 (i woke up natuarally ... not good!) to check he was working which he was!

Thursday i was woken a few times in the morning with people going into the office but didnt get up till around 8 which was good. I didnt really do much apart from try and pack my bag...what an effort that was! ive had to leave some stuff but only old work clothes and the like. i then sorted moeny out with cesar, he paid me everything he owed me (i got half a wage for the last week which i was happy with as i ddnt do much!) aswell as a $2000 bonus for my hard work!!! cracking! then richard had told me as it was my last night he wanted to have a bbq down at the motel where he was staying so i went out and bought all of the stuff for that. obviously i ended up cooking it but it was good. we had steaks, tandoori chickien wings, garlic and herbs sausages and some marinated chicken steaks which the butcher gave me for free ( i think he fancied me :S) there was richard dana cesar me anthony and then some germans that worked for richard. sean and sebastian came along later so it was good. i ended up fairly drunk but i call it networking. there was just richard left with me anthony sebastian and sean in the end and was good talking to him. he has given me his brothers number who lve in dubia and said that he has sorted it so that if i phone hime he will take me out for dinner and show me around! he also read me some emails that the winery (casellas) saying how they reallys appreciated what i had done. richard had emailed it to dana to show me but she didnt so richard emailed it to me himself. he also said if i needed references he would write me one and get casellas to write one!! a good man to keep in contact with i think.

friday i got up and sorted myself out before saying goodbye and then going to the airport. i had to pay excess baggage of $55 as i was 10kilos over but i didnt mind as there was nothing i could do!! it was an hour flight on a tiny plane of 33 of us. when i landed i got my bags no probds and then got the train to parramatta where i waited with a coffee for an hour and then kate picked me up. i got back here at kates had a catch up with kate and john and then got to doing some washing. john went down to his mates garage where his bike is being fixed and me and kate went and bought some stuff for dinner. i decided i wanted something healthy so we ad salmon with new potatoes and salad. was great! just as we had finished john phoned to say some of the lads had turned up down there and did we want to go down for a bit. i was shattered and so we just stayed in and watched a film. about half10 we went to bed and i fell asleep fairly quickly. 10mins laterjohn came in saying they were all down the road at his mates and did i want to go for a couple of beers. ofcourse i did so i threw my jeans on and headed down. it was good to see the lads again and we all had a catch up. one of them had just got back from travelling around europe and had been for a night out wit the lads from home so was good to hear what he thort of arnside and lancaster!! we got back at around 3am but it was a good night!

this morning ive jjust finshed off my washing and am waiting to see what the day holds...