Counting down the months.. (still!)

As many know already, Kveta and I have plans to leave Sydney, and to head north into the tropics.. What's holding us back is still the ongoing processing of paperwork surrounding my permanent visa application, which, touch wood, all appears to be running smoothly.. Should it continue to do so, then I should be all legally set to stay indefinitely down under, hopefully before the end of August.. Which means, that we'll be free to travel in about 7 months from now.. - or less!!

Of course, it's not quite as simple as that, as there will be more paper work needed after the visa comes through (my government health insurance papers, ozzy driving license and the like), cancelling bills, figuring out what to do about changes of address etc, and then there's the packing and weeding through the things we'll either take with us, store somehow, somewhere, or discard.. I suspect that that last thing could keep us occupied for a while, but feel quite sure that whatever happens that in 2010 we'll be somewhere completely else.. The tropical unknown..

The recent chinese new year saw the commencement of the year of the ox, the year I was born, I believe, so I definitely feel that things are looking good..

Funny, a while ago, Kveta was reading tarot cards for me, and it came out that she said this lifetime was sort of like a holiday life, for me.. Now the strange thing is, that way back, when I used to be an IBM scientist, I used to often tell one of my best friends of the time, Sigve Zachariassen, that this is my holiday life.



Anyhow, while the days, weeks and months flow silently past, I am indeed enjoying my life as always..

To make money for my daily fruit intake, which as those of you that follow kvetas blog must know already, frequently includes: avocados, durians, apricots, nectarines, tomatoes, oranges, cucumbers, chillies, melons, pineapples, mangoes and more, I have extended my job of finding and recycling scrap metal (which has now been downwardly prioritized), and have begun using my early mornings to search through the bushes of a local golf course, where I regularly find around 50 balls (sometimes nearly twice that many!) each morning.. It's a lucrative little business, as many of the balls I find, I am able to sell onward for $1 or more each.. Of course, things are never quite that simple, and there is a good deal of waiting involved between finding buyers, but I'm quite happy with how it's running so far..

The scrap metal thing, I still do, although I have stopped rifling through bins to find aluminum cans.. Especially since the onslaught of the collapse of the world economy, which has brought metal prices very very low, making the job really just not worth the effort anymore.. But, like I said, I haven't stopped with it completely, and should it happen that I come across piles of the stuff, then no doubt I will see it's value, and transport it to the right place..

Besides, searching for the scrap metal, is what has lead to many of the excellent bric-a-brac finds, and since the beginning of November, Kveta and I have been frequenting a local market, selling other peoples abandoned treasures.. We sell shoes, handbags, glasses, pictures, toys, some electrical goods, like kettles, rice cookers, radios, tvs.. the list goes on.. Not each week is as successful, but it's a fun way to spend our sundays, and anything we can put aside, moneywise, will be going toward helping us escape north to the tropics..

The downside to the market work, is that we only live in a very small one bedroom apartment, and all the stuff we have, is piled high in our small living room, which doesn't make the place look too inviting (to say the least!).. It gets to us both at times, but knowing that it's only temporary, and that every little helps, with those months at times seemingly ticking past like seconds on a clock, - now that makes it all bearable.

Yesterday, Kveta and I came off juices we'd been on for a week or so, and stocked up on boxes of fruit, as always.. We also scored a box of figs for $15.. very sweet and creamy!!

I heard from Harmonie recently. She's had a baby, a beautiful little girl called Indigo-Rose...I'm so happy to hear they are both doing well and making the most of each others company.

Australia is suffering in places at the moment.. There's fires in Victoria, supposedly the worst in recorded history, and much of Queensland is said to be under water.. floods everywhere.. Fortunately, NSW is relatively fairing well, and we've had a pretty good summer here in Sydney.. Overall, also, Australia seems to be coping better with the global economy crisis than most or many other countries.

So once more I count my lucky stars, and thank the great white spirit, that I'm here, and that my life is so blessed, that I have been granted insight enough to make the right choices and walk the right path. So few are able to do so, so few can see where fruitful choices have the potential to lead us.

Eat fruit.
Peace,
mango.