12th April 2003
Missing you lots Lou!

My web site is bursting at the seams so I'm doing some shuffling and getting rid of some old content over the next week. As a result some of the links may not work during this time. Bare with me people!

12th April, 2003.

The web site isn't due for an update so I'll keep this brief. Spring has finally arrived in Ottawa and as I write this I'm almost uncomfortably warm with just a T-Shirt on. It's amazing to think it was snowing just last week. Yesterday was a big day in Ottawa, the first really warm day in over 6 months and people poured into the streets and took up seats at the patios that popped up all around the pubs and restraunts. While I was walking around and enjoying the weather I bumped into a really great group of Canadians who invited me to join them at a patio. We sat around for hours drinking outdoors and then headed back to one of their houses and continued the party. An absolute highlight for my time in Canada and it confirmed to me that Canadians are almost certainly some of the friendliest people I have ever met (although I know that we would show the same hospitality back home).

I've taken a bunch of new photos, in addition to the ones I put up earlier in the week. To view the latest photos click here.

Ned.
I know a lot of you aren't familiar with AIESEC or what they aim to achieve. The group's goal is to develop leaders and promote cultural exchange through the graduate placement program. As part of my commitment to AIESEC I'm going to be running cultural presentations in Augsburg to help Germans gain a better understanding of Australia. AIESEC in Augsburg is also going to be helping me to get set up with a bank account, tax file number, and will be getting me involved in local cultural events (knowing the Germans this may well involve a bit of research of the local brews, something I'm not at all hesitant to participate in).

If your interested in finding out more about AIESEC then check out the link on my home page. I'm going to leave the link to KUKA and AIESEC up on my web page until the traineeship ends as a recognition of their support of my adventures.

Some of you are probably wondering, so what happens in November if KUKA doesn't offer me a position, will Ned return home? I'm afraid the answer is a resounding no. I'm going to stick it out in Europe until at least September 2004. Depending on where Lou and I can get work I'm expecting to bunker down somewhere for the European winter and save up some money to do a big tour in the European summer next year. By that time some of you better have got your arses over there so I can do some travelling with you.

Anyway, all of these decisions are for further down the track. The main thing is Lou is going to come and join me in Europe as soon as practical given visa and money issues, hopefully in late May, early June (right Lou?).

I haven't heard any major news from back home lately but if anyone hears anything major like jobs, engagements, moving interstate, traveling e.t.c let me know and I'll put it on the web site so everyone gets the news.

I've put up a whole new set of photos on the web site including photos from an ice hockey game Lou and I went to, and our trip to Montreal. To see the photos click here.

Till next time.

Ned.
New Photos Uploaded. Click Here to view.

9th April 2003 (My Birthday!)

Hey all, thanks for the messages of congratulations and happy birthday that have been coming through my inbox and the guestbook, it's great to hear from people back home.

More details are coming through on the job and things are beginning to fall into place. I'm booked on a Montreal to Munich flight on the 1st of May and I am confirmed to start work on the 5th of May. The duration of the traineeship is in fact 6 months, not the 12 months I said earlier. It was always going to be 6 months but I had told KUKA I would prefer 12 months and assumed they had agreed when they gave me the job. Not to worry though, it doesn't effect my decision to go. The traineeship is going to give me some vital experience and I'm hoping it will lead to further work with KUKA or open up opportunities for work with other companies in Europe when I finish the traineeship at the end of October. My manager at Novotel was really good about it when I told him about the job and he is giving me shifts right up until the end of the month.

I'm all alone over here after Lou flew out for Australia on Monday :-(. It's not much fun going back to an empty apartment and I miss having Lou around but at least it's only for 3 weeks here and then I'll be occupied getting started at work and going to AIESEC functions in Germany.