My First eBay Experience

The bike is sold! This is my first eBay experience both as a buyer and as a seller. The bicycle I bought on eBay after mine was stolen was too small for me. So I decided to see how the whole eBay thing worked and listed it for an auction at the same price I paid for it. The price appeared to be too high as noone bid on it for a couple of weeks. Today a buyer came, liked the bike (it is aluminium mountain bike with double suspension – very, very soft to ride), and took it. So, this unexpected expense is now partially covered, I have another bicycle to ride (I bought another one on eBay and the size is good this time) and I do not have a bicycle sitting in the garage - the things are back to normal. Plus I have had my first experience both as a buyer and as a seller on eBay. In total, on this occasion, I purchased two bicycles and a set of lights and then sold the first bike.

Australia – Racist?

For some reason, this morning, a thought was hovering around in my mind about the statement given by a former Telstra director Sol Trujillo. Apparently he recently called Australia backwards and racist and the statement echoed around in the local news for some time. It was only a short time after he departed, leaving the position of the CEO at Australian largest telecommunications provider.

However, the reason this was hovering in my mind was that there is clearly something wrong with his statement. It just didn’t ring true. I was trying to find a reason why he might have said that and justify his position but I simply could not find any arguments. Australia is the most multicultural and multinational country I have seen. There are myriads of different names and races on the Melbourne streets that I feel weird when I go to Europe to visit my friends and family. Europe, in comparison, would be more likely to fit to the above description, if at all. Of all the people I know here, way less than half are Australians. Yet, they all are. Depending on your definition of being Australian.

In this train of thought I can’t help but to mention the recent protest rally and meeting organized by Indian students here in Melbourne. They also claimed something similar to what Mr. Trujillo said. I see no justification to that. The opposite is quite obvious just by looking at the scenes from the meeting. If thousands of Indians gather in the heart of Melbourne and block the traffic, doing something similar what hundreds of Indian taxi drivers did recently, than it is really hard to call this country racist. Walking around the city, one can hardly find a non-Indian taxi driver or a 7-11 shop keeper. The sheer number of different nations makes it very likely that all of them equally likely to suffer from crime and violence. From the statements at the protest meeting I guess ‘racist’ would mean discrimination of “whites” against “colored”? As I wrote earlier, there are myriads of different races and faces in the city that, if Australia is racist, it is hard to say racist by whom or against whom.

If racist means having too many different races around then, by all means, Australia is a very racist country.

Day D

Today, finally, the big announcement is expected at work. We have been waiting to hear this for more than a year now. The company has been for sale for quite some time. We expected to hear the official announcement a few days ago but nothing happened. The last news was on 2009-05-14, when Paddy Powell bought 20% of the company shares.

Today the company shares entered a trading halt on the stock exchange. The announcement is expected at 4PM. Working for a gaming company makes these situations all the more interesting. What will happen? What are the odds? Will we have a job tomorrow? What would the new owner do? What are the options?
Makes me thing in a whole new way than before.

On the other hand, I have achieved my desired asset allocation. I’ve invested my savings here in Australia and I think I can finally say that I have reached my most important target so far – financial independence. At least I can believe now that I should be able to afford a roof over my head and food. The important minimum. From now on it’s all a game. :)

How to make a free international call - Rebtel

A service that allows international calls at very low rates or even free, if you happen to live in a country where Rebtel operates. Disregarding the free calls, the rates are quite good. The principle is obviously connecting regular/mobile phones and VoIP and allows calling from phone to phone through the Internet.

How to make a free international call - Rebtel

Beginning of Winter

It is the end of May. In Australia it is an equivalent to European end of November. This is the time when, in Bosnia, the cold season started. We used to expect snow any day now. Temperatures would come close to 0 in the morning and evening.

While here, in Australia, I’m currently in a T-shirt and having an open window in the room. The temperature at 11am is 18 degrees Celsius. A couple of days ago the day temperature would go to 24 degrees. There has been no real rain for months and I have been using my bicycle every day. Paradise. And this is Melbourne – one of the colder parts of Australia and known by having an unpredictable climate. Phew.

This is something I would surely miss anywhere outside Australia…

Bike is Gone

My dear Shogun bike is history. It was stolen on Wednesday, after I left it in front of the garage for longer than I should have.
Now I’m looking for used bikes on eBay. Yesterday I won one and went to pick it up tonight. The problem is that it is too small for me. But, since I already completed the transaction, now I have to sell it or swap it for a larger one.

International Calls - Lebara Mobile

Another mobile providers. Attractive prices to international landlines but expensive rates for international mobiles.

International Calls - Lebara Mobile

Feels Like Home

I have just come back from a walk at the Melbourne Botanical Gardens. After enjoying the beauty of walking while the soft grass under the feet softens the steps, listening to the chirping of the birds, enjoying the views of the lake and old tall trees, I decided to go to areas of the Gardens I have not seen so far. A walk through Australian Rainforest area was beautiful. But that environment is already familiar and feels domestic. Then, all of a sudden, I found myself feeling a deja vu.That was such a weird feeling. I was staring at an European-style park and felt I was somewhere else, much closer to where I grew up. All the trees were from Europe and the area was full of fallen brown leaves, giving away that it is the late Autumn. The trees in other areas were as green as ever and the traces of Autumn were only clearly visible here, in the European park. The view I enjoyed so much. It could have been anywhere in Europe and the feeling was quite different to other areas of the Gardens. It also brought so many memories of the parks I have visited elsewhere I’ve been travelling.

I was walking through fallen leaves, listening to the sound as I pushed them around as I was making step after step. This felt closest to home I have ever felt in Melbourne.

Artists on Tour

As I used to play drums in local bands in Sarajevo, I got to know lots of musicians during my (and their) teenage years. Now, a few of them have continued down that path and are playing as professionals. Some of them are very successful, I’d say, having in mind where they played – the environment they live in, etc. Lately, two of my very good friends told me they are coming to Australia to play concerts! Muris is now playing with Mostar Sevdah Reunion and Dino is playing with Merlin. Merlin will have a concert in Melbourne next Saturday, 2009-05-23, and Mostar Sevdah Reunion should also play here soon.
This is so unreal. I will get to see some friends here. It feels like mixing the two worlds that were separate until now. :)

Drinking Problem

I think I’ve got a drinking problem – I don’t drink. Seems that the popular culture here in Australia is that Friday and Saturday nights are devoted to drinking at the pubs. In the past, I never got to having such a habit for different reasons. Plus, adding the cost of alcoholic drinks here, it makes very little sense drinking. So, if not fitting into social norms is a problem, I’ve got one. :)