Way to piss me off

So my mum just called me. I haven't heard from her in about a month, and before that the only times I'd heard from her is when I called her (several $500 phone bills later...). We parted on very angry terms when we last spoke, in that I was having trouble hearing her on my tenuous skype connection and so I asked her to call me instead and she said she would. Except she didn't. I waited by the phone all freaking afternoon and she didn't call. And I hadn't heard from her since.

Then just now, at 11:30pm I get a call and it's her, like nothing's happened. Oh, except for the fact that I decided that I was done with you, although you didn't know it because YOU NEVER CALLED ME. (Oh, and it's not the phone call (or lack of one) that made me decide that emancipation was healthier - it's been one thing after another on this trip (and in life) and I'm kind of done with everything.)

Anyway, what has this got to do with travel? Nothing at all. It should probably be on my other blog.

Oh wait, I know what this has to do with. Calling me on a day when I'm sick (it's probably death. You know how it is), when I'm staying up late in order to call Centrelink as soon as they open because they've cut off my payments, yet again, and when I'm so cranky because I STILL HAVEN'T GOTTEN MY SCHOLARSHIP MONEY.

First things first:

Centrelink: reason for cutting me off: "Your Youth Allowance has been stopped because our records show you are still overseas." How fucking observant of you, Centrelink. Because, you know, that hour and a half I spent in the Centrelink office (not including waiting time) before I left to come here, filling in forms and providing proof of my exchange, obviously was just for fun. I wanted to just steal all of your money (which I'm pretty sure I've paid in tax anyway) so I could go on a holiday and disguise it as a learning experience. Which is true, but I'm still entitled to that money, and I was counting on it for things like, you know, food. And when I called a few minutes ago my crappy skype was being... crappy... and it was hard to hear the woman in the call centre, but basically all she said was she'll email the Baulko office to follow it up. I'm going to be eating dog food, I can see it now.

Second:

Scholarship money: WHERE IS IT??? It's after the 15th now. In fact, in Australia it is the 19th (which it will also be in Germany in about 10 mins). Where's my money, bitch? Argh. Is tomorrow too soon to send another email asking where the money is? Here is the correspondence so far - note the dates:

27/08/2009 2:53 > pm >>>>
Dear Sarah and Steve,>
Education Australia Limited is delighted to be able to offer Sarah an
IDP Student Mobility Scholarship as detailed in the attached letter. Funds
have been transferred to The University of Newcastle who in turn will
arrange payment to yourself Sarah for this scholarship.

28/08/2009 3:06 pm >>>
Excellent! Is there anything I need to do?
Cheers, Sarah

August 28, 2009 5:32 pm
It is great news!I already have your details from the Travel Grant,
so we will pay you within the next couple of weeks.
Cheers Steve

19/09/2009 3:23 pm >>>
Hi Steve,Sorry to be a nag but I was just wondering when the scholarship
money would be sent through? I just wanted to book some things. No rush
though.
Cheers,
Sarah

September 25, 2009 11:12 am
No worries Sarah,
We will be processing the payment after the 15 October. This is the next
time Grants/Scholarships are put through the system.
Cheers
Steve

So the story keeps changing, but as far as I can see, they have my money sitting in their account, but it's not helping me. Great. Is tomorrow (as in, maybe my tomorrow night so it will be received Tuesday morning by the exchange office) too soon to send another thinly disguised, "Where's my money, bitch?" email? I mean, I didn't lie in my second email. I really don't want to be a nag, I just want my freaking money so I can do stuff and go places. Argh.

Yes, whingey, non-travel related stuff.

So let's add a little travel flavour!

Some stuff! (Oh my god, I LOVE stuff!)

1. I'm meeting up with Rachel in Poland on the 29th October!! I haven't seen her since the beginning of May at her farewell as she has been having the most awesome trip ever. Mole. But we're meeting up in Krakow and gonna drink lots of Polish vodka! Interesting fact: Vodka here in Germany is spelt "Wodka". Still pronounced the same way. Ok, so that fact is not so much interesting as it is something I've stolen precious seconds of your life to force you to know.

2. I'm meeting up with Nicole in Ireland on 27th November!! I'm also seeing her this weekend when she comes to my state to visit family. She's been in Berlin the past couple of months. BUT most importantly, I'm seeing her in DUBLIN!! And we will drink Guinness for the first time and say things like, "BRILLIANT!"



Guinness in a bottle? BRILLIANT! Meanwhile, I'm pretty sure it will taste like shit, but it will taste like shit IN IRELAND. It's all relative, you know? It's science.

3. Fingers crossed, and it looks to be full steam ahead (but with me, it never does seem to work out. A house will probably fall on me. Some bitch will steal my shoes). I am hopefully (finally) going to see JUDITH in Munich on 7th November. And hopefully NADIA will be able to join us for the weekend. Hopefully everyone's workplaces will be the awesome places they are and give them that weekend off! (Flattery works, right?) I will finally be able to see my girls again and move into my home. You know, my home? I've only been crapping on about it since high school. But most importantly, seeing my girls again. Drinking Starbucks together, like old times' sake (only, I'm pretty sure the Starbucks in America didn't charge 4 Euros (or, AU$8) for a small latte...).

There's so much more I want to do except can't because of the money problems, time constraints, and uni commitments, which is another post altogether. And yes, you will unfortunately have to sit through another talking-about-uni-post. How quickly this blog has become my need.coffee blog. But it's part of my travel here and you need to deal with it.

Oh, and before I forget them, more books to add to the list of books for this year:
15. Outlander, Diana Gabaldon
16. The Hellbound Heart, Clive Barker (for uni)
17. How Late it Was, How Late, James Kelman (for uni)

Can I recommend that everyone goes and reads the James Kelman one? Then we can all discuss how excellent the writing is and the nature of colonisation and the troubles of the working class and unreliable narrators. Do it!