Corporationey coffee company failing

There is much joy in the world today as Starbucks announces many closures throughout the world. Australia is leading the way to stick it to these bastards as 61 out of 84 stores are to close, and where my heart lies; in Melbourne only 5 from 16 stores are to stay open.

This is good news for coffee all over the world, and hopefully these bastards will go under soon as people will soon learn that they are just selling some stupid culture rather than good coffee! This article from the Age sums it up very nicely indeed.

Nice one Australia…now all we need is for the UK to quickly get alot better at coffee then I might consider staying!

When the chips are down

Well they aren’t really but it’s sorta got to the point where I had to admit – “My name is Spinjay and I am BROKE!” There I said it can I please receive a round of applause, some coffee and doughnuts! Ok so measure number one – as much as this was a LAST resort I moved back to my home town! Shit – urgh I know but hey I literally have zero pounds in my account! So am taking refuge at my folks house for awhile – which means at least I am plugged back into the net, a guarantee of regular supply of beer and good food!

Certain events might have led to this point…I was staying at a friend’s place but due to a significant amount of beers, followed by a bottle of Jim Bean and further beers…let just say that the wrecking ball has been launched and its all over!

So the plan is to lay low and save some cash for the long term plan (which is yet to have been figured!)  Travel an hour a day to a badly paid job and then an hour home…oh I can’t wait!

Down and out in Cardiff

Since re-locating back to Cardiff where I have started a new job it has been pretty crazy. I am flat broke - it’s as simple as that I’m afraid. Luckily a few friends have put me up etc which has been most excellent. The plan is to house sit for my cousin and his shortly to be wife as they head off on their honeymoon. Hopefully then things can calm down and I can start getting paid, which means I can afford to start buying all of life’s essentials!

Thanks to the generosity of 2 of my best friends we spent this past weekend at the Secret Garden Party which was just outside of Cambridge. But will have to save myself for an update on that as is lots to tell and my mind is still lost in the thickness of all the dark rum that was consumed!

 

**** I am officially fed up of being skint ****

so if anyone wants to forward me any tobacco or beer feel free

Decisions

There are to many ‘what ifs’ in life…One of my personal hates is the waiting for jobs to come through. You go for an interview then thats it, you just have to wait! And then which jobs do you accept? What if a better one comes up? And why have I been offered a job in Cardiff?

Some decisions to be made indeed!

Moving Town

Since arriving back in the motherland, all those weeks ago! life has taken on a sort of chaotic nature. Not that is always a bad thing, in fact its been very good for me as has kept my attention from dwelling on Australia and what I left behind there. I had reached the limit of time spent with parents, so my friend persuaded me to move to Oxford. I like it in Oxford a lot – its close to London and there are plenty of awesome hidden pubs to get a nice ale from.

I am currently in no man’s land of unemployment however, so need something soon! A couple of interviews have been attended, and all positive. However, it is the in between time that I really hate and then the period of waiting for that all important first pay packet!

Out of the window will shortly go beer, wine, alcohol of any kind, coffees and cigarettes as I dwindle down to my last few pennies….shit.

It has given me plenty of time to catch up on sleep, reading and writing. From this time I have hatched 2 plans for this summer:

1. Do the Gower coastal path walk on foot.
2. Take a trip up to Snowdon with my old man, as we never did it before I went away last year!

This summer has already filled up with weddings and other shindigs so am looking forward to fitting these 2 plans in somewhere!

On the road

In June after finishing my WWOOF-ing stint in Nimbin, NSW, I decided to hitchhike from back into Melbourne. Ever since reading On the road like so many others I have always wanted to do a big hitch of my own and I thought the Pacific Highway through NSW in Australia would be ideal.

I have written up the journey in 2 parts and can be found here and here.

I wish hitchhiking was a more accepted form of transport as it is cheap, green and brings back a sense that not every stranger out there is there to fuck you up!

Just to put a scale on the distance – its pretty much like hitching from Brighton up to Edinburgh!

Its looking like a beautiful day

I watched Elbow perform this song at Glastonbury and the hairs on the back of my back stood up! I could only imagine how awesome it would feel to have been in the crowd listening to this song.

If everyone listened to this song on the way to work you can imagine the masses hugging eachother and making daisy chains for their managers!

I want to ride my bicycle

Its funny how you can forget some pleasures in life. It could be a shirt you found at the bottom of a bag in the attic which you haven’t seen for years; that brings you much joy, or a leather jacket that you left at a friends house which you assumed was long gone (its alright it didn’t suit me anyway) but once rediscovered you decide how damn good it looks on you!

This afternoon I jumped on my Dad’s bike and went for a ride down to the Mumbles. We are lucky that there is a nice bike path that connects my house to the Mumbles; so I set off at a leisurely pace. Once I reached the pier I stopped by the water (and could not get over how amazingly clear it looked) for a cigarette and a good spacing out session, then headed back and made myself at home on a bench to work on some writing (watch this space).

I couldn’t get over how peaceful and idyllic it all was – couples walking hand in hand, sun shining and people cruising at a stoned pace on their bikes! If it wasn’t for the many many other things that make Swansea a shitty place it could be a livable city for myself.

American Spirit

After a long in depth chat with my Australian cousin a few nights ago we decided that we were going to seek out the nicest tobacco available. After a year of smoking Champion Ruby in Australia I found it to be the nicest smoke I have ever had – smooth taste and pleasant to roll with! However I forgot that upon returning to the UK that it is not readily available in shops.

After a good 10 minutes in the ‘Bear Shop’ in one of Cardiff’s old school arcades I decided to go with American Spirit. So far so good – its a slow burning smoke and pretty darn tasty indeed. Also been experimenting with Camels but alas the cost might force me back to rolling my own!

I’m alot like you were

This video has been kicking my ass straight into a bottle of bourbon the past few days.