"Time's fun when you're having flies"
-Kermit

In any case, its been a full year since my return to Australia, and what a full and busy year it's been! I had it pointed out to me today my student visa to Japan is still valid - I've got another four months to go on that, but I doubt I'll be using it. Study is all very well, but enough is enough, and eight weeks will see me done studying for a while.

Mainly for the fun of it than anything, I've put up an experimental translation engine up. Using Altavista's Babelfish, you can now read the diary of this wombat in eight other languages in addition to the English I usually write in.
The German translation seems quite OK, of course machine translation is never going to be as good as humans, but for the most part the message comes across.
The Japanese on the other hand, should be taken with many grains of salt, as it claimed not once but twice when translating the below post about being locked out that I live in Ohio, in America. Either its got a fantastic memory (though last time I was locked out was in Bloomington, anyway), or it's simply making things up as it goes along.
I do that myself sometimes, granted, but if the Babelfish does it, it makes me wonder just how accurate other translators and interpreters are...
Maybe thats a good career path for me ;-)

Mind you, my German isnt anywhere near up to speed, so I'm more guessing the intricacies of that particular translation. I cant understand any of the other languages it throws up, but if you can, go for it!

They say 'If it only happens once a year, it's a good year'

... or something like that.
I locked myself out of my apartment today. Heading out the door to go into uni, for some reason I didn't stop to make sure I had my keys before closing the door. Once out the door I reached for my car keys, and they weren't in my hand or pocket...
Lunging for the door, I wasn't quick enough, and it clicked shut a moment before I reached it.
Oh well... there's not a lot I could do about it there and then, and anyway I had an appointment with the rest of my team from Japanese Law. Retrieving my spare car key from its secret hideaway (why oh why don't I have a spare door key hidden too?) I was at least able to drive in to uni.

Fast forward to on the way home, I phoned the real estate agent who acts as my landlord. Aha, being Sunday, the office is closed. Not to worry, I waited for the answering machine to kick in and give me the after hours emergency number.... which never came. The phone simply rang out. Must have rung for well over a minute.
At this point I'm having visions of sleeping in the car again, until tomorrow morning when I can get to Woden and find an oompa loompa to let me back into my nest.
I hit upon an idea.
Surely one of my neighbours would be home. After a quick survey of the building from the outside, I decided which side would be easier to climb to (and also that if no one was home, I could probably manage scaling the side of the building to reach my balcony.
Knocking next door, I found someone home - though evidently not expecting visitors she peered timidly through the door like a little mouse. I introduced myself, fully aware that just because I claimed to live next door was no guarantee I actually do. Nevertheless she went and examined the balcony for herself, then consented to let me through to commence my climb.

Once out on the balcony it was simple to clamber around the pillar in complete safety, jump down to my balcony, and simply walk through the unlocked back door. I'd never thought anyone would try to gain entry from the balcony, so hadn't bothered to lock it. This turned out to be rather a good thing, but now that I know how easy it is, I'll be locking both doors from now on!

Oh, yes, and I have my spare key secreted in a secret, safe place where no one but me knows!