Coming to Australia

Coming to Australia and landing in Sydney was all but pleasant. Long waiting customs lines, unclear exits, and a huge mess at “lost luggage” department.
When I finally reached the customs, the officer asked me where exactly I was going to stay. I said: “I’m not sure yet” and then he looked me kinda suspicious:

Him: So you came all the way down to
Australia and you don’t even know where you gonna stay?
Me: That’s correct sir.
Him: * looking at me intrusively.. *
Me: Is there anything wrong sir?
Him: * still looking at me intrusively.. *
Me: Oh well, I can book hotel over there (* pointing hotels booking agency direction
with my hand *) and at any other airport instantly… sooooo.
Him: * looking at me even more intrusively.. *
Me: Sir, look, I travel around the world and there is no way I can always know
straight ahead where I’m gonna stay. As the matter of fact, the most of times
I don’t… and I DO have a visa.
Him: If you’re traveling around the world, then why there are not so many visas and
stamps in your passport?
Me: Because it’s relatively new passport sir, and also because I needed visas and stamps
only for India, Indonesia and Australia so far… and I didn’t need it for other countries
where I was and where I’m about to go.
Him: * still looking at me intrusively.. *

He finally gave me my passport back and nodded with his head that I’m free to go.
Hmmmm… not exactly: “Welcome to Australia” gesture, Is it?!

Bad customs habit I would say.

My next surprise was that shitty Quantas Airlines (Jack was right! Today they also let me hung on the phone for half an hour, listening their shitty commercials and then they suddenly broke connection, without letting me talk to any human at all..) lost my luggage. Both of my luggage pieces were not on the luggage conveyor. I wasn’t concerned about my clothes and stuff at all. I don’t give a sh*t if it’s gone or not, but I was a bit worried about my make-up suitcase. There is more then 2000 euro of brand makeup in it at least! And now they both were mysteriously gone. The same mysterious way my clothes bag appeared back after an hour, but for my make-up suitcase I had to wait 4 hours. After 4 hours I came back at the desk and they said they found it, but I had to wait 15 minutes longer so it could get scanned. :-/

Then what the hell were they doing entire 4 fu*kin’ hours with it?
Paranoid stuff.

Paranoid customs

And how come my both luggage pieces were gone while one on a “fragile” luggage conveyor and the other one on a normal luggage conveyor? It’s too huge coincidence to be just a coincidence, if you ask me. Screw fragile stickers! I won’t let them put these stickers on my suitcase again. It gets too much attention and awakes too much unnecessary suspicion at paranoid customs these days.

I’ve been through automatic and manual metal detectors 3 times while leaving Jakarta only, for Gods sake!

I’m also aware that Indonesia is a Muslim country and that arrival from a Muslim country is a tricky business while the country of my destination has it’s soldiers fighting in another Muslim country, but I don’t think Indonesian folks would want any sh*t happen to their neighboring kangaroo land. They’d want it as much as Aussies guys would, if not less.

Eughmmm.. f*ck that whole war thing! It only makes our lives more complicated. It’s started and is being run by idiots anyway. And if they didn’t give me my make-up suitcase back, I think I’d have started a war with Australia myself.

The habit

Fortunately, once in Sydney (the city) things got better. Met more extraordinary people, partied here and there with some nice locals and had 6 photoshoots by now, whereof 3 with Victoria Franco.

Working with Victoria becomes easily a habit too. She laughs a lot (I like that!), she’s a great professional model and she’s extremely easy going.
Yesterday during our “F1 race queen” video shoot, we both realized that if I’d stay in Sydney I’d most probably be her personal make-up artist.
… if she’d pay me well though. We didn’t settle with money issue yet. I have to mention that too. ;-)

Victoria’s pictures

Some more pictures of model Victoria, from my first shoot with her and photographer Malcolm.

Victoria Franco.

Teaser ….

Model Victoria.

Model Victoria with her dog Bella.

Photo’s by: Malcolm Grant (www.malfoto.com | www.modelmayhem.com/260193)
Model: Victoria Franco (www.modelmayhem.com/172011)

Victoria is one of Sydney’s greatest cover girls - top models, who was featured on front pages of many Australian magazines by now and has done a lots of promotional work. Lately we were shooting “Singapore’s F1 race Queen” together.

Right now she’s new face of BAKSANA (www.baksana.co.nz) and the new face of an “Uncle Toby’s Cereal” (www.uncletobys.com.au) coming out in August. Follow her also at:

http://victoriafranco.blogspot.com
http://twitter.com/VictoriaF1985

Breaking the habit, Linkin park.