StewBlog

I think Berlin is in for a spot of Donner und Blitzen this evening!

... has finally come through from Sydney, and it's pretty good! They're moving to the next stage now which involves applying for a 12 month sponsored visa to enable me to work in Australia - These can take around 4 weeks to come through, apparently...

Still have the tiling to do though...

Excellent news! One of my favorite directors, Guillermo del Toro, will direct the 2-part film adaptation of The Hobbit. The first part won't be ready until December 2011 though... That's ages away!

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/film/film_reviews/article6568083.ece

One of the funniest comic creations of the decade...

The company in Sydney finally managed to complete my reference checks this morning so it looks as though they will come back with a formal offer sometime this week...

Only now, after a full weekend of doing very little, do I feel fully recuperated following my trip down under. A lasting, but pleasing side-effect is that I'm getting up much earlier in the mornings, so I can leave work earlier and bask in this fantastic start to the summer we're having here in Berlin.

I was cooped up for most of the last weekend trawling through legacy tax letters, which I have been ignoring for... In fact, too long to remember back! I've opened all of the letters now and after arranging them in chronological order have comitted them to binders which will make things much easier when I get round to filling in the huge annual spreadsheets that I get from my accountants to complete. This is what I will be doing most of this week, I suspect... *groans*

On the plus side, I'm only working 4 days this week as I'm travelling back to Canterbury on Thursday night for four days to finally install the roof of my parent's extension. In addition, I'll be booking a table for Leon, Yukari, Vicki and I at the Kashmir for a feast of curry on Friday night... Can't wait.

Karin made a lovely large slab of almond sponge cake to celebrate her birthday which was devoured throughout the day, mostly by a group of hungry expats... After work we headed to a very average Italian place in Hackesher Markt and then on for drinks at Capital Beach, which is a kind of beach bar on the banks of the Spree with palm trees, DJs, cocktails, deck chairs... but no sand!

I like this!

Following my interview on Friday, the company I met with want to know if I'd be interested in a 12 month contract out in Sydney. However, I also have an almost guaranteed 12 month renewal here in Berlin also... Probably have to make a decision either way by tomorrow...

Erm... Had a bit of a go at one of the BA telephone booking staff last night about being unable to upgrade online and the woman has sabotaged my booking and taken me off the flight...

Laura and I attended the Australian premiere of The Girlfriend Experience , shown at the Sydney State Theatre - A wonderful old, ridiculously opulent show-piece from a bygone era. I'm not sure if this is usual for a premiere, but the star of the the show, Sasha Grey, came out on stage to say a few words (literally) before the start of the film before hurridly dashing off!

After the film, we met up with Laura's parents, who were sitting down on the mezzanine (the best seat in the world, according to Laura's dad), and went for champagne in the Marble Bar...

A group of Laura's old workmates were off to see a production of Catherine at Avignon, based on the tales of Catherine of Siena, by the subtlenuance theatre company. We joined them for dinner and in the Pink Peppercorn (a lovely laosian place on Oxford Street) and eventually trudged into the theater a good ten minutes late... The ending was not unlike the one in the film Se7en...

Following an off-the-cuff meeting I had on Tuesday morning I now have an interview for a job out here tomorrow at midday! So, I will have to do some prep tonight and try and find something smart to wear - Hmmmmm. I have brought mostly holiday clothing but I don't think a pair of boardies and a t-shirt are going to cut the mustard somehow...

I saw some of the biggest waves I've ever seen this afternoon, at Bondi Beach. So, I raced back to the car to squeeze into the wetsuit and headed out on my spanking new, freshly waxed surf board... I should explain that my board is a 7' 6" MiniMal which is very much a beginner board - the equivalant of a bicycle with stabilizers I'm not sure why, but I was the only one out there so I had pretty much the whole beach to myself! I got dumped a good few times but I caught a few waves perfectly... to coincide with the arrival of a bus load of Japanese tourists who took many photos of the only daft Englishman in the sea in winter

Booked in for dinner at Tetsuya's on Tuesday night to sample their thirteen course degustation menu! Can't wait...

Had a freezing cold swim in Bondi Icebergs pool earlier, followed by a stint in the sauna then a cold glass of champagne in the bar watching the sun disappear...

Earl is a very old English Springer. Laura and I took him for a walk today down to Coogee Beach.