...climbing climbing climbing!

So when we first rocked up to the climbing gym (salle d'escalade) in Bordeaux this is the conversation we had (n.b. it was/is in Frenglish).

S & M: Bonjour, we are new a Bordeaux and would like to climb.
Man behind counter: d'accor, 10 euro each SVP.
S & M: (think bubble: "maybe he doesnt realise we havent been here before") Donc, do we have to fill out some forms.
Man behind counter: No, just 10 euro each.
S & M: OK, huh!

So in Australia, you have to fill out a billion forms signing your life away, go through a long and boring test that you know how to belay and climb up a wall etc. In France, they assume that if you are at a climbing gym you know how to climb, and if not then "French shrug", thats your problem!

Oh and even better, you can belay with whatever device you want and take down the ropes to lead climb as you please.....ah Je t'aime France!

Manscarves.... the new black

Cure for Jetjag....French fiesta

3 hrs after arriving in Bordeaux from 40hrs in transit, 1 shower and 4 glasses of wine later.....

Post graduation festivities in Sydney

Marty gets Doctorified

...its nearly book time

http://www.rsc.org/shop/books/2008/9780854048373.asp

Hadron Rap

...can I see an APS version of this coming on? totally funny :)

The Coffee Master

Who said that doing a PhD and PostDoc doesnt train you for anything....I am now officially a coffee froth making god! See the government funding/tax payers money is going to good use :)

A Perfect Day at Mt Buller

Thats right you silly Sydney-siders, we can go for a day trip to the snow here in Melbourne! Yeah!

Suz, the reformed skiier looking all together silly! But snowboarding is so much better than skiing...just no comparison.

Sorry Marty, your just not cool cause you ski! OK maybe your a little cool cause you can go over jumps (sort-of) BTW the snowboarder jumping is not me its Mike...I would likely kill myself trying to get air.

suz has a new bike....v. nice!

marty is famous.....

http://www.sci.monash.edu.au/postgrad/profiles/

suz's birthday lunch at lilydale

its mushroom time again.....

Notice the women are gossiping and the men have decided just to walk in peace!

Dont eat these ones.....

....if you do you might end up looking like this.....

rock climbing suz....

Sailing around the Bay

Scrabulous.....

OMG I know this is really pathetic and nerdy but I just got the worlds bestest score in Scrabulous...check this out....eight letter word over two triples and all seven letters used up totals 149. Yeah yeah! Now back to work :)