05/03/2004: "On This Day in Christory..."

Although I would like to be able to publish all of my thoughts and adventures on my blog page, I don't think the world is quite ready for that, so I still keep a separate journal with the more private stuff. I'm not sure what the statute of limitations is on this kind of thing, but I figured that about 10 years should be safe - so I'm now starting an "On this day in Christory" section, with excerpts from my journal of 10 years ago. I think we may all learn something...

(click below to see what was happening to me 10 years ago...)

(Note: I had just moved from France to Austria, and was working for "Austria Mikro Systeme GMBH".)


Tuesday 03 May 1994
Ah, thats better. For the first time, I got out of here at lunchtime. We all went down to a little bar, to celebrate something with Manfred. I don't know what though! It was nice, we sat outside in the sun, and drank and ate. I made a mistake though, and ordered a small beer! It was good, a nice 3-course meal for oS 60. Starts to make the canteen look less tempting all the time!

Anyway, last night, I actually started on the book!!! [1] It seems to be rolling along well, although I am afraid that it tries to be a little too wry - maybe I can spread it out with some simple descriptions and stuff. Anyway, at least I've started - now all I have to do is continue. I did a little shopping after work. One of these days, I must work out how to take empty bottles and crates back, because I am starting to build up a collection! I then went home and started mucking about with the computer [2], compressing and re-organising stuff. I even did some exercises! I have decide that there are two reasons my neck is staying bad [3] - first I have developed a bad posture, where I let my neck hang forward and my head hangs back. I am concentrating on correcting this, but it is giving me a headache! The second reason is that the computer is on the floor, and so I lay at an odd position when I am in front of it.

So, today is plodding along. It is beautiful weather - nice and warm, sunny, not too hot, and not too sticky. Perfect! I need to work late tonight, so I can start to build up enough flex time to take a day off. My list of things to do does not seem to be going down. I have German tonight, and I can always go straight there. [4]

Oh yeah, I have had a blinding flash about the Germanic mentality - I had never been able to associate Germans with pushing into queues, although this is the reputation they have. It didn't seem right to me, because they are in general very law abiding. But in fact, they are the same on the road. They have absolutely no patience with someone who hesitates, or someone who is unsure where they are going, and they very brusquely cut around them and so on.

Alec isn't going to buy my car. [5] The insurance was just too much. I think that this is going to be the problem. no-one will buy a 15000 Franc car that costs 10000 to insure. But all those GTIs out there must cost the same. What gives? Anyway, I will try one last time to sell it, and if I don't succeed, I will just have to keep it. Oh well, I can turn it into a rally car in a few years.

***

[1] The book was called "Rock", set in a post-apocalyptic Australia. Sort of Pratchett-esque, about a guy that re-discovers the power of Rock'n'Roll music. I wrote three chapters, but then let it slide for a while. The Terry Pratchett came out with "Soul Music", which was pretty much the same as my story! Oh well, I love the place where the story was set, so one day I will get back to it...

[2] My Amiga 500.

[3] After several car accidents, I was starting to have neck problems, with pinched nerves giving me headaches and dizziness. I'm happy to report that 10 years later on, with remembering to get my posture right and occasionally doing the exercises my physio gave me, the problem has almost completely disappeared.

[4] After having become fluent in French, I figured that German would be pretty easy - not so! After 12 months in France, I was easily carrying on conversations, but after 18 months in Austria, I was still struggling to even express myself...

[5] The car in question was my Alfa Romeo "Quadrifoglio Verde" (four-leafed clover). In the end I registered it in Austria, and put something like 65000 km on it in three years. A great car, as usual she had character - occasionally breaking down whenever she felt like it, due to a bad connection in the after-market alarm. I finally sold her before moving to the US.