Do you want to rot in a Bali jail?

Ok, Schapelle Corby did it, and was sentenced to 20 years in a Bali jail. Then some other 9 Australians did it. Then Michelle Leslie did it. Now, yet another Australian, Graham Clifford Payne, has done it. What part of "Death Penalty" do some Australians not understand? Let's see, death by firing squad. That's pretty final. The Indonesian government has a tough anti-illicit drug policy. You get caught with it, you either go to jail for a very long time or you are put to death by firing squad. I am amazed that anybody would even think twice about bringing illicit drugs into Indonesia after all the recent publicity surrounding a handful of Australians being caught in Indonesia.

Most Asian countries have a very strict illicit drug policy. You get caught with it, you could be put to death. Your choice.

And that's the way water swirls...

Just two days ago I wasn't feeling well and decided to draw up a bath. Afterwards, I made note of how the water drained away. It was swirling around clockwise. OK, so I am in the southern hemisphere and water drains away going clockwise. So to those of you in the northern hemisphere, next time notice how water drains away and report back to me. The toilet isn't going to work. It'll need to go down a tub or sink. BTW, my friend Billy told me that this (water swirling in different directions depending on hemisphere) is a myth, and I want to confirm it.

Where's my bacon?

Bacon. American bacon. You don't realise American style bacon is so different until you can't get anymore. It seems, the only bacon that's been served to me here is what we would call Canadian bacon back home. It's more like fried ham, than bacon. If anyone out there know where I can get some American style bacon in Sydney I would be very greatful.

VOIP is your friend

If you don't know what VOIP (voice over IP) is you should find out. I recently opened a VOIP telephone account with Vonage. Got to www.vonage.com I think it's great that I can take my San Francisco phone number with me to Australia and friends back in the States can call me in Sydney as a local call. Plus, I can call back to the States as a local call as well. Vonage has great online management features as well. I know, I can't say enough good things about Vonage. (I promise I don't work for them or anything.)

I Miss My Car

Public transportation is so utilitarian. Granted the Sydney train system is extensive, but it stops too frequently.

I'm getting the hang of this...

I am just starting to feel like I will be living here now. (Usually when I come here for vacation, I don't feel like I've settled in for a couple of weeks.) I am guessing the acceleration is due to the fact that I now have real responsibilities to be somewhere every morning.

I didn't think I'd be home sick, but I am. I just miss the USA prices for most things. And there's no Walgreens or Target as we know it down here. They have Target, but it's marketed differently. (Same, same...but different) LOL. It seems they only import the chain stores that I don't shop at.

It's winter down under now. It's not too cold, as winters here are similar to winters in SF. Usually mild, but it can get cold in the early mornings and at night.

The time difference is really easy to calculate. For west coasters, add 5 hours and the next day. So for example, 6 PM Thurs SF, would be 11 AM Fri in Sydney. Or for east coasters, add 2 hours and the next day. For example, 6 PM Thurs NYC, would be 8 AM Fri Sydney.

If everyone's really confused, go here: http://www.timeanddate.com/worldclock/

Why blog?

So why am I starting a blog now? Well, one of my best friends, Franklin, who lives in New York City suggested that I start a blog so that all my friends from around the world can keep track of what I am up to.