Gav’s Blog – Gavin Hudson’s Blog

Well, it’s time for my first State of Origin series.

For the uninitiated, this is the annual three match series between the best of NSW’s rugby league players, against those from Queensland.  It’s where you were born, or where you first played, rather than where you currently play that decides who you represent, and it’s a great contest by all accounts most years.

I’ve really got into the Rugby League (or the NRL as they call it) out here – it’s the international sport where the Aussies really go to watch in droves, and where their domestic league is just streets ahead of any others (the English Super League).  It’s a real Sydney sport, out of the 16 teams in the league, there are 10 in the Sydney area, 11 in New South Wales (if you count Canberra in this, which for State of Origin, they do, then 12 teams in NSW) but only 3 in Queensland.  So you’d think that NSW would walk the series?  Think again, to quote Andy from my work (always a good source of info)…

Nah mate, they just raise their game – you know how it is when your team play another.  Didn’t City beat Manchester this year?  [Arrrggghhhh! - Gav] It’s like that.  These boys are well up for it, and they’re always close mate.  You can be playing against your team mate, your buddy who you’ve played with for 5 years – but that all goes out of the window.  You’ve got something to prove, and they’re always good games.  You just wait and watch these props go up against each other – it’s like BOOM! You gotta love it

Well, he sold it to me – I’m watching this one in the pub, but I’m off to the game for the final round.  Personally I think that the Queenslanders will win it quite easily, they’re stacked full of pace and talent, with three of the best fullbacks in the game all in the starting line-up!  Ironically, I think that this might be one weakness that NSW can exploit, they need to take the amusingly named, but prodigiously talented Karmichael Hunt on in his unfamiliar role of 5/8th (Stand-off).  He’s not used to the workrate, and if they can up that, and get him tired, he’s a young lad who might make mistakes, so they need to keep the pressure on.

Right, well I’m off down t’pub now – the game starts in 25 mins, so I’ll catch you later – I suppose I’d better support the Blues (NSW) but I’m really just hoping for plenty of blood, thunder and some points!

See ya baked!

Cheers to Vicki for pointing out that that last line made a good title! Oh and apparently there’s some other sporting event on tonight – Reds Vs Blues or something – who cares!?

My lovely Mum (isn’t she cute!) sent me this email, she’s a bit bored at home as she’s just had her wisdom teeth out.  Why not send her an email?

Well, I thought as well put all this typing to good use!  If anyone else has any questions – stick ‘em in the comments section below – you don’t need to register or anything!

Take it away… Mum!

2008/5/15 Val Hudson <mum@mum’saddress.com>:

Hello – here is an email for you.

I’ll probably ask lots of questions – stuff I would like to know.

• What time do you start and finish work?

It’s flexitime – 8.30 til five or 9.30 to 6 or any time inbetween.  I tend to stay late, like 6.30 or even seven because I enjoy it and we have a good laugh and chat about stuff in the office later on.  Not because I need to!   I have brekkie at work at my desk – we have a really nice coffee machine that grinds the beans etc, and I have located some Yorkshire tea from the Harrogate Tea shop at the end of the street.  There are always some good tunes playing on the old iPod.
At lunch we usually organise something together, 5 of us might go to a cafe or often someone will go to a supermarket and whip something up in the kitchen – some panini’s or something like that.

We have beers and a meeting at 4pm on Fridays (TGIF!) on the veranda.  I have a breakfast meeting at a local italian cafe every Tuesday morning.

• How long does it take to walk to work?

It’s 250 Yards, like you working in the chippie I suppose!  Barely enough time to get my iPod in! I’m on the 7th floor so lift and then waiting to cross the road takes more time. I live in Pyrmont which is to Sydney like the Castlefield area of Manchester – 3 mins to the harbour and the footbridge, 10 mins to the city centre/train etc.  2 pubs at the crossroads before I get to work.  One nice (the Kirk on Harris) and one not so nice (The Quarryman).  I can see over the harbour and the bay to North Sydney from my flat.

• Do you have shops/supermarket near to where you live?

Yes, a korean shop, a japanese one and a chinese-mini-mart in the bottom of my building, 2 supermarkets a short walk away.  Brand leader for supermarkets here is Woolworths!  Paddy’s market is also nearby so I go there at the weekend for really cheap goods.

Just up the road near the supermarket (both underground jobbies, so no eyesore)  there are loads and loads of nice cafes to sit outside of.  A bit further and you can sit by the harbour.  Watching the ships roll on in, and roll back out again.

• What are the prices of:

1. • loaf of bread

It’s expensive actually, maybe $3 or up to $4 (2.05 to the pound now I think!)

1. • pint of milk

No idea – I only have it in tea at home so don’t buy it. Sorry Mum.  Sorry flatmates!

1. • chicken

I don’t know, but I know rump steak in the market is $10/kg, tomatoes were $1/kg, bananas about $2/kg in supermarket, $1.50 in the market.  We cooked for 12 people, three courses for less than $10 per head.  Really nice too with fresh prawns and all that – well done Rob!

1. • cheese

I don’t know, but I do know they’ve got a make of cheese called Coon.  Hum. And they don’t call it ‘mature’ and ‘extra mature’ but ‘tasty’ and ‘extra tasty’

• Where do you do your laundry?

Now I have the luxury of a washer Top Loader (dancing in the moonlight, Jamie Oliver and all that!) and a dryer.  The dryer is on the wall, mounted upside down for some reason (I suppose the right way up from where you’re sat!) but it seems to work fine.

• Do you have a tv?

Yes – it’s a big one, rear projection so not good for the Xbox360, but good for general viewing.  I’d say about 5 years old.  We also have leather sofas and the most horrible possible paintings on the wall.  They need to go, If anyone wants to send me a poster – feel free!  Anything! Stone Roses, Jim Morrison, Che Guevara, Kandinsky, met sat on girder eating lunch while building the Chrysler building (not the Empire state, as most people thingk!) , anything!  We have nice polished floors, a balcony with a BBQ and a really nice view of the city.  Kitchen is alright, plenty of cupboards and fridge.  All mod cons.  There are 3 double beds, and a guest bed in the corner of the dining area/lounge. It’s not a stunning flat (though could be if decorated) but it’s pretty nice.

• Do you argue over he gets the remote?

Nope – don’t watch much telly really – it’s all reality TV and sport.  Also we’re all grown ups! I did see a great programe featuring Anne from Neighbours though – she’s aged gracefully since I last saw her in 1999 on British TV.  Generally read a book, play with laptop or watch a film on the big telly.  Or even just sit around and chat!  Sadly no Sky Sports (Foxtel out here).  Might be a good thing though.

I’ll add my own question here: who do you live with?
Sebastian (Seb) is 24 I think and from Melbourne.  He’s a football journalist with the Sydney Morning Herald and just moved here.  I mean proper football soccer football.  Not ‘footy’ which is Aussie Rules.  I’m hoping for free tickets, but he knows and loves his sport and beer, so it’s all good – he’s proper enthusiastic about things, which is nice.
Pete is 29 (I think) and from Northern Ireland – he’s a good lad, quite sort of enigmatic.  He’s leaving us in July, so the hunt for a new flatmate will begin – it’s great fun!  We have 3 double rooms.

• Do you have a bath/shower – just the one?

I usually have a shower, and yes – just the one per month.  Oh, you mean in the flat?  Yes – Pete has an en-suite with shower, but doesn’t mind us using it, and there’s a proper bathroom with a bath too.
We have a spare computer as a server and generally just swap the laptops around and play lots of random music that we download, or films and hook ‘em up via the Xbox to the TV.  Geek did you say?

1. Do you buy your own food stuffs or have a kitty type thing?

No Kitty – Missy and Freddie have new homes!   Oh, nah, buy our own, but we’re grown ups so there’s plenty of communal stuff – what goes around comes around.  Sauces, oils, tea etc etc etc.  Might do a kitty for cleaning stuff, but we’re all good so far.

• Who’s your best friend there?

Ooh – tough one.  I’ve got a few good mates really – but a lot seem to have come and gone.  Rob was my best bud for about a month, but he’s left me now *sniff* and gone back to England via Thailand.  My mates are in order of meeting them (lots of girls, sorry!)
Glenna and Alison from Virginia – I met them in my hostel the 2nd day I got here.
Ruth from Orkney – she’s a football coach and living here for a few months.  Lovely Scottish lilt so she has! (She’ll love that)
Matt who I used to go to Skinners’ with – he’s a teacher and rugby player here.
The YHA girls, Annika (Germany) Heather (Canada) and whoever they’ve got tagging along with them!
Lovely Sarah, Not so nasty Nige, the absolutely fabulous Rachel and the Terrigal Massive – Sarah I know from Tunbridge Wells and they’re all doctors up the coast.
The lads at work – Tom, Tom, Robbie, Brian, Cem (Gem) and Emma (not strictly a lad).  Robbie’s the token Aussie of the bunch.  We go for the odd beer and we’re going to see The Whip (from Manchester) next week.  All real good fun at work.
Tara (Kiwi) is Tom Hajek’s girlfriend’s mate, so I hang out with her and her posh(er) mates quite a bit.  She organises parties so she’s always a good person to know.
Henrik the viking from Norway.
Caroline who is nutty as a fruitcake in a lovely way and she’s a Swedish hairdresser.  She lives by the beach in Coogee, so a good excuse to go and visit!

Update! 21st May : Oh and Renee who is my buddy at work that I forgot to put in here, mainly cos she’s not in our office very much – she’s super helpful, good fun, she reads my blog (!) and for some reason seems to agree with me on stuff.  Which both is both unusual and nice!

All the above are pretty separate, just linked by me, so sometimes a combination of the above, and often their friends – there’s never a night I can’t go out it seems! I’ve just turned Pete down an offer to go out and have a drink with his bro who lives here, and me and Seb went out last night and get really rather tipsy.  I was a bit of a celeb among a bunch of Oldham girls when I did my Manc accent as “Ooh, Ah’ve not heard a Northern accent in 5 month!”  His review of the night – “0/10″ though his judgement was blurred by a raging hangover.  No purlizter prize for any copy filed today!

Aussies are a wierd bunch – they really tend to mix and match mates when they go out – it’s completely normal for someone just to join your group for an hour or two and start chatting like you’re old mates.  Getting in the rounds, having a laugh – honestly, they’re such a friendly bunch it’s not like back home, and 99% of them are nothing like the beer-swilling pom-bashing stereotypes.  I’ve had almost a universal welcome, and they’re just real fun.  They love beer and sport, so we were bound to get on well.

Oh – a stat for you – Sydney averages 340 days of sunshine a year.  It’s 8pm and I’m sat out on the balcony writing this in t-shirt, jeans and flip-flops.  Oh – that’s pretty much midwinter!

Ok, well that will do for now.  Indeed I think I’ll put this on my blog!

These are just for starters, I’ll probably think of some more!  LOL

My tooth is fine this morning – it feels like I’ve have won the lottery to be pain free YAY!

xx

Val

Val Hudson

Secretary

Gleneagles Project Services Ltd

Tel:      01484 606949

Fax:     01484 609533

The information in this e-mail and any attachments is confidential and may be legally privileged. It is intended solely for the addressee(s). If you are not an intended recipient, please delete the message and any attachments and notify the sender immediately; any use or disclosure of the contents of either is unauthorised and may be unlawful. All liability for viruses is excluded to the extent permitted by law. The views expressed here are not necessarily those of The Company or its affiliates or subsidiaries – Thank you

Gleneagles Project Services Limited

Company Registration Number – 5871949

Mailing Address: Suite 11, 1a Woodsome Park, Fenay Bridge, Huddersfield, West Yorshire, HD8 0JW

Registered office: 2 Greaves House Lane, Lepton, Huddersfield, West Yorkshire. HD8 0DJ

Bless my mum, eh?