The funeral

Well George that was quite a show you put on.  You filled that place to the brim, then overflowed it by 750 people.  Only you could pull that off.  Your funeral was amazing.  Your father, mother, and two sisters were some of the strongest people I have ever seen (and your mother was undoubtedly the best dressed with her stunning pink dress and the coolest hat I have ever seen).  They spoke flawlessly of you and brought tears into all of our eyes.  I know I speak for all of us when I say I could sit there all day and hear about all the fun you have had.  I only wish it was coming from your mouth.  Your casket was beautiful and I hear you were looking good as usual underneath.  I'm glad you shaved the day before so you were looking clean.  I'm so glad we got to talk that one last time.  You are one of the only people that can actually get me to talk right after waking up.  I can't tell you how happy I am you stopped me that day.  Well my friend I guess this is one last goodbye.  You will be missed by all, and I will do my best to live my life as you did, full of happiness, conversation, and smiles.  You are the man George Matchett.  I'm pointing at you.

Glad you got to celebrate St. Patty's one last time.

Fake Mexican Food

Amigos, the best Mexican around.  Profit-hungry bastards is what they really are.  This place gives a new meaning to the word stingy.  The night started off as usual.  Reservations for every person that comes.  God forbid one person doesn't show and you get charged for the missing body.  Then there was the ID catastrophe.  First they accept all ID's, then they don't accept American ID's without a passport, then they accept American drivers licenses but they have to write ID on your hand (because everyone knows this is as suitable as a birth certificate).  Despite all this I still had the drive to drink (not the drink to drive, that's dangerous).  The problem was Anthea (the only one available to share a liter) had already bought a half liter of sangria since I had been rejected.  This cost $14, whereas a liter costs $20.  Instead of merely giving us another half liter and charging us the $20 to fix their ID mistake, there was a whole debacle about how this was impossible.  The manager had to be consulted multiple times.  I mean I know it is a difficult situation (sarcastic) but come on.  Luckily things were sorted out and the night moved on.  A birthday was celebrated, drinks were had, and the night was over.  Amigos, you will be skipped in the future.

A tribute

Here is a tribute to George written by an amazing woman.  This song truly captures the kind of guy he was.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYiSnFYtJj8

A quick story from Abby's Bar

When a girl drops something, it is common curtesy to help her pick whatever it is up...I thought.  This drunk chick was fanning out some papers like they were dollar bills.  Due to her alcoholic intake here fingers went limp and the cards went all over the floor.  In an attempt to be a gentleman, I bent to to pick up the card closest to me.  Her hand snapped at me like a viper, wrapping her cheap plastic nails around my wrist.  Astonished, I dropped the card and let her pick it up as well as apologized for some unknown reason.  Apparently the cards were drink vouchers.  She needed those like a dog needs dark chocolate.  I let it go.  About a minute later the girl snatched her drunk friend, ripping her toward the bar.  Since alcohol affects your ability to stand (especially in heels) the girl reached for the closest thing.  Turns out that was my arm.  I did a complete 180 to watch her release my arm and fall to the ground, on her back, legs in the air, in a dress.  Did I help her up?  Does karma exist?  That's what I thought.  Drunk girls are funny.

A little bit of Paradise

 This weekend I once again took full advantage of having an Australian friend, as did the rest of the Americans.  This time we were graciously received by the Jirgens family (Anthea’s Family).  Boy, did they spoil us rotten.  We arrived at their house Friday evening to find a table overflowing with food, a basketball court, and a giant Latvian full of stories.  What a wonderful first impression.  The lot of us immediately headed to the basketball court where the athletes displayed their talent, and those of who can’t play basketball (me) shot consecutive air-balls.  As dinner was being prepared I found myself in a conversation with Anthea’s father, Peter the Latvian.  Well it was kind of a conversation.  I understood maybe 40% of what he said, but who was I to ask questions?  The man could touch his middle finger to his thumb…with my neck in-between.  The listening session was interrupted for dinnertime.  All fourteen of us scrunched together around the table and for the first time this week everyone had smiles on their faces and not a care in the world.  Laughs were had, languages were spoken, accents were tested, and Peter busted out some crazy hitchhiking stories.  It was truly lovely and a needed break from the ghost town that is now Campus East. 

  The rest of the weekend included a trip to Jervis Beach (whitest sand in the world) and some good old relaxation.  We even saw a penguin.  It was the perfect trip to a perfect house (built mostly by Peter, another reason he is the man) that made it a perfect weekend.  They’re some good blokes those Jirgens.  Thanks for having us.

A beautiful evening

As Anthea put it "This should be a news story or something."
Stepping in that lifeless sand and down those dodgy wooden steps was a little different this evening.  The waves slammed as we were engulfed by the hordes of people that flooded the beach.  When I say they slammed I mean it.  No one should have been in the surf that day.  The swells were thunderous, thrusting thousands of gallons of water into the cool night sky.   As Steve put it, "They command respect you know?"  I will never doubt their power again after seeing what they are capable of.  We were there to commemorate our mate George and boy was there a turn out.  If he had been there it would have been impossible to find him.  He would have been jumping from group to group talking to every person available.  There were candles, beers, tears, and laughs; all for him.  All had their own story of him.  As the throngs of people continued to grow everyone came together and formed a giant circle.  It was tremendous and assisted in bringing back smiles to so many long faces.  If only that kid had been there to dance around in the middle, which I'm sure he would have.  Songs were sung, lights were waved, and a moment of silence was had.  It was lovely; the perfect word to describe it.  I can't end this any better than how that silence was broken, the words that echoed up into that clear, starlit, perfect night sky..."WE LOVE YOU GEORGE!!!"

Remember

Few people can bring 600 people to instant tears with their loss.  He could.  He was the guy that would say Hi to everyone that entered the dining hall.  The guy that always made you feel like you had a friend when no one else you knew was around.  A guy that you could sit down and talk to for an hour instantly.  The guy that you met once and forgot his name, but he knew yours and already had a nick-name for you.  God he was a great guy.  A guy I was just getting to know.  A guy with such high aspirations and a travel bug that couldn't be shooed away.  A guy that never seemed down even with a nasty hangover.  He is the first person close that I have lost and most would say I hardly knew him.  But for anyone that ever met him just once, they know how everyone feels.  We all felt close.  For anyone that reads this take a deep breath and remember how lucky you are.  Remember your loved ones.  Remember not to let the little things get you down.  And remember that life is meant to be enjoyed.  He was one of the ones that knew how to do that best.  I wish I could explain the kind of guy you were.  I hope this gives some idea.  

Wherever you went man, I'm pointing at you.

One Rule

Blue Tongues

Fitzroy Falls

Kangaroos!!! (That's as close as I got and the only ones I have seen so far, get over it)

Bowral.  A place where old people from Sydney come to die.  A place where retirement homes and churches rule.  A place where shit got real.  The trip started with low expectations that developed from the endless slander used to describe the town.  We walked around, got some lunch, and met the rents.  It was the typical small town, bustling on the weekends and dead after four o'clock.  Things quickly took a turn from normalcy when we found $2 bottles of wine.  We got to the Wade residence and cracked the first bottle.  A strong red that we decided to purchase to help ease into the $2 death liquid.  By dinner we were just starting the second bottle.  More f-bombs and controversial jokes were dropped than I have ever experienced at a family gathering.  Quite the opposite of what I expected from our initial meeting with the folks.  I mean they live in a house that mirrors that of my 80 year old grandparents and backs up to a farm.  What was I supposed to expect?

After the meal we wandered outside into the gazebo.  Our plan was to wait for Jacob to get off work then go out to a local bar.  By the time Jacob got there we were four bottles deep (between three people).  I realized this when I stood up for the first time, then quickly sat back down.  We then cracked some beers and another bottle as we tried to catch Jacob up.  You see where this night is going? We soon piled into the car (driven by Mr. Wade) and continued to pass around a bottle of wine on the way to the bar.  After that the bar is a blur.  I remember buying the first round, a dance floor that smelled like a turd, and leaving the bar with glasses down my pants (Wado too).  We went to a Kebab shop, buried the glasses to come back for later (we actually did), I took my shirt off and tried to throw it at a passing car, we got more kebabs (though they weren't paid for, just handed to Wado), and got a cab home in some order.  Ask Sarah how we got home and she won't be able to tell you.  Now when I met Lisa (Jacob's mom and owner of the house we were staying at) she said she had one rule:  Don't vomit in the house.  At the time it didn't seem like a big deal.  This changed.  As I lay there in bed the room was spinning like a ceiling fan.  Did I need to puke? Probably not.  Did the fear of breaking the rule make me need to puke?  Hell yes.  I hoisted myself out of bed (boxers only), stumbled around the couch, and made my way into the pouring rain.  There my friends, is where the fear puke was born.  When I turned around there was a mild audience that witnessed its creation.  Why everyone followed me outside I am not sure.  I'll take it as moral support.  I survived the night and didn't commit the cardinal sin.  The American name was saved.  However that next day I was in a dark place.  In summary, Bowral gets you drunk.

I thought they spoke English in Australia

In preparation for the second family dinner (which went swimmingly and included a chocolate fountain) Jacob and myself made a trip to the local liquor store.  We were on a search for some cheap wine to complete the meal.  We stumbled on a wonderful sauvignon blanc at $5 a bottle.....we bought eight.  I mean come on.  It's not like we had a choice.  It was $5.  As we approached the counter a older woman who looked like she could outdrink me....and five other men came to ring us up.  She spoke to us for about five minutes telling us a story about the wine.  I can tell you that she drank it with her mother once.  That's it.  This woman spoke like a drunk Scottsman and looked like one too.  We walked out of that place and looked right at each other.
Jordan:  What the hell did she just say?
 Jacob:  She drank some wine with her mom once.
Jordan:  Yeah that's all I got too.

At least the wine was cheap.

The Talented Show (that makes everyone with little talent feel like crap)

With a time update every three minutes, the open mic finally arrived.  No more wingeing and crying about how they didn't want to play for Wado and Anthea.  As we all piled into the games room I glanced over at their faces where I saw their hope of a small crowd fade away.  Sure it wasn't a show, but there were at least 35 people; enough to make me shit my pants and run home.  The show started with a mix between some real talent and some American Idol awkward interview performances.  Wado took the stage as the second to last act.  As soon as that boy opened his mouth about 20 girls went weak in the knees....along with Jacob and myself.  Thanks for showing me the quickest way into a girls heart buddy.  Anthea followed and managed to cause the reaction of "holy shit that girl is amazing" with a sore throat (though she literally had 60 cough drops that day).  The two ended the show with a duet that warranted no less than fireworks.  This was only topped by Anthea sprinting out of the building as if it was on fire.  I have no idea why that happened.  You guys were  lovely and I felt your performance warranted its own post.  Congrats and I cant wait for the big gig at the uni bar.  For anyone that's interested here is Ant's link again.  http://www.triplejunearthed.com/AntheaJirgens
Hopefully I'll get the wonderful Wado on here someday.

A Side Note

I sit here after a day of no big events, no funny stories to tell and no laughs to be had.  A blank page.  But that's just it.  This blank page is a blob ready to be molded.  I can fill it with whatever I want.  A question, an answer, a revelation, or just something random that I need to get off my chest.  That is the beauty of this blank page.  When I started this blog I had no idea what to expect.  Idealized in my mind was a well crafted symphony of stories where each word was written with a defined intention.  I wanted each post to be nothing short of perfect; something everyone would enjoy.  That fog of perfection has quickly dissipated from my mind.  Left I see the true benefits of writing.  It's not something that needs to be shown to others.  It's not something that needs to inspire.  But it is something that everyone should do.  I don't care if you're not a writer.  I don't have knees and I tried to play lacrosse (this will cost your parents a lot less).  Something about writing your thoughts can make life simpler, and that's never a bad thing.  I encourage everyone to take their shot at writing in a journal or a blog, if you are feeling bold.  The important ones will always read with interest.  I'll be damned if you don't feel better after sticking with it for a month.

Dedicated to Madison Gail Fisher.  I love you sis and I hope you are writing.

It was Sarah's fault

Just thought I would mention a quick incident at the wonderful local supermarket, Woolworths (wollys).  We had decided to make some tacos for dinner so a group of us headed to wollys.  As we entered the store, the group split to get various ingredients.  I was misfortunate and got paired with Sarah.  We headed for the rotisserie chicken.  With a price tag of $10.39 AUD there was no choice but to pick up every single chicken to find the heaviest one (aka the golden egg).  I thought I had found our winner so I handed it to the lovely Sarah for her opinion.  She hesitated and tried to hand it back to compare to yet another chicken.  The hesitation was fatal.  The half-hearted bird return left her hand as if it had come back from the spit roasted dead.  Then gravity kicked in and that thing dropped like a bomb, spattering its juices all over my leg.  The hellish Australian temperatures don't warrant mention compared to the molten state of that juice.  She stood there with a look on her face that said, "I'm going to run....fast."  I immediately told her not to move and that I would go get someone.  The mess was cleaned and my leg didn't require amputation.  The chicken wasn't so lucky.  We had pork that night.

A new family

Toga Night (had to fit the pictures in somewhere)

I just want to give a shout out to everyone that is making this such a life changing experience.

After another rough night at the Grand, I woke up feeling well...hungover as hell.  My throat hurt, my head throbbed, and my nuts were sore (pg-13 rated blog).  I had homework, laundry, and a lab to go to.  The day wasn't looking so hot.  I had about three hours before I had to go to class so I decided to round up Sarah (Jew Jew) and Bianca (Bee Bee) and head to the beach.  Best decision of my life.  It was a cloudy day that left a musty feeling in the air.  Not your typical beach day.  We got to the beach, laid out for a bit, then I decided I could stew in my own sweat no more and had to get into the water.  I chided the girls to come, which they reluctantly obliged.  As soon as the water crept over my pale feet my skin was flooded with goosebumps.  I consciously waded into the water hating myself for what I had done to my body the night before.  As I submerged, I looked back in disgust at the two lovely ladies still standing with only their feet in the water.  I returned to the beach citing that the water wasn't that bad (lie).  Finally, they joined and the fun began.  All our hangovers instantly disappeared as we laughed, sang, treaded water, watched the mermaid (merman!), and whatever other childish things we could think of.  However gay that sounds, It was literally one of the best times I have had at the beach.  We were in the water for an hour and loved every minuted of it.  All my worries went away and I focused on nothing but staying afloat.  We were the three best friends that anyone could have.  Thanks for the wonderful time.

The day only got better when I looked down at a text I got in my biochem lab.  "We just got steak, salad and wine for tonight.  Hope you're hungry."  Well hell yes.  Thanks Jacob and crew.  You're damn right I got off that bus and B-lined right to self-catered.  There I was greeted with half a cow waiting for the evening.  Everyone pitched in and there was a massive "fuck off" cooking sesh (in Anthea language).  This is when family dinner was born.  When we all sat down for that meal, there was nothing but smiles and drool.  I looked around the table.  There was Bianca, Sarah, Wado, Schultzy, Connie, Jacob, Anthea, and myself.  A new family.  A tear rolled down my cheek as I knew my one man wolf pack had grown to eight.  No that never happened but the meal was amazing and we all had heaps of fun.  Looking forward to the next family dinner.  Thanks again everyone.

To Cairns and Beyond!

Yesterday I booked my first trip in Australia.  For spring break marcus, sarah, elise, and myself are headed to the lovely city of Cairns to get our own look at the mystical Great Barrier Reef.  It's funny but when I ask Australians if they have been to the reef they all respond by asking, "What reef?"  I guess there is more than one.  Stupid Americans.  Guess I figured the biggest one in the world (to my knowledge) would just be called the reef.  On our trip we are staying at Gilligans, which will be my first hostel experience.  The rooms are conveniently located above the hostel night club.  Can't wait.  We fly out on Monday, April 11th, check into the hostel, party it up for the evening, then get on a yacht the next day.  We will spend two days snorkeling various parts of the reef and spend a night on the boat.  Sadly, scuba diving fell through due to insufficient funds (mac books break way too much).  After the boat we have two days to do whatever we want.  I will be spending one of those bungee jumping for sure.  I'll post the video of me screaming like a girl the first chance I get.  Other than that we will be exploring the city, checking out whatever other fun (dangerous) things there are to do.  Let me know if anyone has any recommendations.  

Another piece of bad news is that I don't think I will be making the trip to New Zealand.  Everyone has already gone or has trips planned and I don't want to go by myself.  Oh yeah, there was also that earthquake that leveled the city I planned on flying into.  Guess fate may have played a part.  This also means I will be looking for participants to join me on my trip there in the future.  Any takers?

Now when I decided to skip on New Zealand I asked myself what is something else I need to do while I'm in this wonderful country.  I need something that will fulfill my need for adrenaline, something that is not offered in America, and something that will really piss off my mother.  Then the light bulb went off and my inner child came knocking.  What was something I loved as a kid.....sharks, and what is the greatest shark of them all?  No not a whale shark, a fucking great white shark.  And would you know it? Down off the Eyre Peninsula you can cage dive with great whites.  Hell ya I'm in.  Sorry mom, but I'm a wild child and I need a new story to tell.  What's up great whites?  Dinner will soon be served....

Sydney: One of fives cities that Americans have actually heard of

Chinese Market- It truly was a blur

Sydney Harbor Bridge

Opera House

City of Sydney from Opera House

14er Tribute

Interesting Floats

As I nearly ate shit walking off the bus I looked up and my jaw dropped.  The Sydney harbor bridge is freaking huge. Being from Colorado I never see water let alone a civil engineering marvel.  It was surrounded by huge cruise ships, millionaire yachts, and even a pirate ship kind of boat.  All around were restaurants with menus that had way too many numbers in a row.  There is some serious money out there.  We walked along the harbor wide-eyed and smiling and then it happened again.  My buddy Wado bumped me and pointed to the right as we rounded a corner.  Oh no big deal it was just the Sydney Opera House, one of the most recognizable buildings in the world.  It really is something to see.  From all the pictures I have seen I expected it to be sails or something like DIA.  When I got close I realized its just white tiles, well kind of yellowish tiles.  It's still a spectacular sight.  A must see for all.

Before all this we were in a market that was full of random souvenirs.  Aisle after aisle of repeated clothes and gadgets.  It was a maze that led to an empty wallet at the end.  I wouldn't recommend it unless you really have money to burn.

The real reason we went to Sydney was for the annual Mardi Gras celebration.  Boy was it worth it.  Through the hordes of people, the barricades on every street, the policeman on horses, and parade to beat, we found ourselves right on the rails with our legs worn out and our Australians concerned.  However, when that parade rounded the corner, there was nothing but smiles.  The music was blasting, people were dancing, and clothes were worn minimally.  The happiness was infectious.  To see people being who they really are with no hesitation is amazing.  I only wish it could always be that way.  This Mardi Gras was about gay pride and people in their true form, unlike the drunken American version.  There was everything from old ladies in wheel chairs to children in strollers out supporting their gay brothers, sisters, moms, dads, and most importantly, their own sexual orientation.  The parade was amazing and I swear all of Sydney was out there watching and cheering.  I'll admit I was tired and irritated up until that point.  We had wandered around half the city to find a spot where we weren't ten rows of people back.  But 10 seconds after the parade had started, all was forgotten.  It was an experience to remember.  Thanks to everyone for making my first real trip to Sydney unforgettable.

Australian Uni

Amigos (Yes that is considered a shot here)

Beer Garden at the Grand

After a week of uni I have come to see the differences between America and Australia.  In America we go to school all week, have homework, and take exams.  In Australia we go to tutorials and skip lectures, have between three and four assignments a session, and frown upon the one exam we may have.  I can't pick out what it is but I feel that the Australians got it right.  The value of the beach over education somehow makes students happier and more apt to go out five nights a week.  Between my work load and pass/fail grading scheme, I just am not sure how I will make it through the session.  All you guys back home have it so easy.  I guess you can just imagine being in my situation every time you are stressed before an exam.  Cheers.

This week was full of fun times.  Tuesday night all of us went to Amigos for $3 taco and tequila shots.  This quickly turned into 10 orders of $20 liters of sangria and multiple rounds of shots, which finally amounted to...a huge fucking bill.  I guess we are all here to live it up right?  Bianca was the entertainment of the night, followed by Anthea and Drew.  No one was physically hurt on the evening, only financially.

Wednesday night was Uni night at the Grand Hotel.  The highlight of the night has to go to Jessie.  The poor girl was enjoying a beverage when she was bumped in the arm.  The trajectory of the bump caused an upward thrust of the drink.  The force was opposed by her top right incisor (I maybe looked that up).  She chipped almost half her tooth.  I got the pleasure of witnessing her see herself in the elevator mirror.  That was a face to remember.  The night ended with the usual Mi Goring (Ramen X10).

Thursday I was planning on staying in.  Then one person wanted to go out, which led to another, which led to making the Americans go out for the first Thursday of the semester.  A chain reaction that led to a horrible 8:30 am lecture the next day.  The bar for the evening was Illawarra, a half indoor, half outdoor, high security and low tolerance for nonsense venue.  The highlight had to be the stray from the same playlist that has been on at every bar since the time I arrived.  It was retro night so everyone was busting out their moves, except for the people that don't have any (me).  Sam Wade and Marcus Goodgaine lit up the dance floor, with Bianca Bzdel pushing them to new heights.  The rest of us tried not to dance to close as to not be embarrassed.  It was worth the hangover.

Tomorrow is going to be quite an interesting day.  It is Mardi Gras in Sydney, so my mates and I have decided to go see the massive event.  The town is flooded by thousands upon thousands of people and includes a parade and nudity.  Sadly we are unable to stay for the evening, though it probably would have been a $200 dollar night.  I'm hoping to come back with some good stories.  Only time will tell.

From no worries to Oh Shit

Rejected by the bank (no branch number), turned back by the gym (no towel), loss of all chemistry knowledge (its been over a year), and $100 to my name with books needed... what a fun day.