A Big Change

Broadband Speed Test Results

Test run on 24/02/2008 @ 10:13 PM

Mirror: TPG
Data: 15 MB
Test Time: 12.03 secs

Your line speed is 10.42 Mbps (10417 kbps).
Your download speed is 1.27 MB/s (1302 KB/s).

I moved down to Adelaide yesterday, and start my new job tomorrow. I've gone from living 600+ km from my fiancee, to living less than 3km from her. Oh, & did I mention I've got ADSL2+?

Life is exciting!!

Mud Soccer

I went along with the Kaniva Youth Group to Mud Soccer on Friday night. It was a really top night with 20-25 youth coming along and getting dirty. The field (or 'pitch') was 15m wide by 25m long and was 20-30cm deep in mud all over. It was made on a mates farm with the use of bore water & lots of it.

But perhaps the most impressive thing about the whole night for me was that over 20 youth showed up. There is only approx 100 school age teens in Kaniva and so somthing like 20% of the youth in town went to Youth Group on a Friday night. I think churches in Melbourne or even Adelaide would be overwhelmed if 20% of the 12 - 18 year old age bracket showed up on any given Friday night.

When I was a kid...

A good friend of mine (Anthony) made the observation to me the other day that at some stage in the (very!!!) distant future my kids will be swimming in a lake somewhere and I'll be able to say to them "I proposed to your mother under a jetty." Where upon they will acuse me of being stupid or making the whole story up. To which I will reply to them, "No, I proposed under the edge of a jetty in a dry lake." After their laughter/ astonishment has subsided I'll be able to say a line that I have been waiting my whole life to say.

"Back when I was a kid it never rained. Not like it does now, you kids have never seen it really dry. We used to make jokes about it being this wet!"

The above lake is currently dry for only the second time in recorded history. (~120 years) The special location was underneath the jetty shown above.

Reverse Seachange Learnings - #2

Observation #2 - Balls

Adelaide has balls.

Reverse Seachange Learnings - #1

I'm currently moving from my home at Kaniva to Adelaide. So you might say I'm moving from one 'backwater' to another. 'Backwater' it maybe, but I'm still moving from a town populated by 800 people, to a town populated by over 1,000,000 people. So over the next few weeks I'll be blogging about observations that I've made about life in the 'big smoke'. (Although, again Adelaide barely qualifies)

Observation #1 - Jonnys principle of 'safe turning'

While in Adelaide last week I noticed a strange phenomena while driving in and around the city. I observed a pattern of traffic behavior not written about in any driving manuals or tests. I observed that the safe distance required to turn a corner at any given intersection increases/decreases directly in proportion to the distance from your nearest CBD. I also believe that this relationship could be modeled mathematically, if I was that way inclined.

Basically while a 50 meter gap in traffic is ample in Adelaide, to pull out in front of someone that close at Kaniva is rude and would be considered dangerous.

Stay tuned for more observations....

21

So I'm officially an adult now. All grown up. Responsible. Mature. Educated. You know, all those things that society expects me to be.

I had my 21st party on Australia Day which was good fun. Approx. 50 people came, so it wasn't too huge. But the engagement party was the big one, so that was ok.
Speeches were given by:

1. Graham - (father of a couple of my mates) said some really nice stuff about the friendships I've had with not just his kids, but others in the area.
2. Tiarnee - Congratulated me on everything I'd achieved to date & reminded me of the big future I have in front of me& encouraged me to take opportunities as they arise. Was really nice and personal without being too gushy. Not that I would have minded.
3. Dad - his favorite memories of my life & how I'm entering the big bad world now.
4. Me - I thanked everyone for coming, especially the non-locals for traveling. I also stated about how my 21st was worth celebrating, because after 21 it is all down hill and everything that is good that can happen to a guy is happening to me this year. Because:

• I'm starting work.
• Getting my own place and furnishing it with my own stuff.
• Getting a really good job and my own money.
• Getting married.
  
• I'm still young enough to enjoy all the above.

I then said something serious about how lucky I am and how I've been so blessed with everything around me.

Can life get any better than this?