Sydney, Australia - JNS Forum members drinks afternoon.

[The_Ghan]

Hi Folks,

keitaro and I are thinking of having a little get together for Sydney-based JNS Forum members.  We thought we might meet up near Central Station on Friday, February 17th at 6:00pm.  I'm thinking to meet on the station concorse near Platform 1 and then head to Paddy Maguires (cnr George and Hay) for drinks.  Invitation is open to any other JNS folks who happen to be in Sydney at the time.

If you are interested simply meet us at the little green motor rail near scale models on display at the north end of Platform 1 at Central Station concorse shortly before 6:00pm.

PM me for mobile contact details.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

i'm there of course.

[The_Ghan]

Yeah, but you'll be late because you're travelling City-Rail.   

Mrs-Ghan will be having dinner with girl-friends nearby.  I'm pretty flexible with a finish time.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[marknewton]

I should be able to join you, depending on where I am on the roster for that fortnight. One thing though, the pay bus is no longer on the concourse at the end of platform 1, there are a a number of large scale models in display cases instead.

Cheers,

Mark.

[The_Ghan]

.... One thing though, the pay bus is no longer on the concourse at the end of platform 1, there are a a number of large scale models in display cases instead.

Cheers,

Mark.

Yuh, actually I think I've seen them.  I was last in there around October.  Each display case is about 8' long.  But no red rattler and no southern daylight express, from memory.  Would be great to see you there Mark.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

yeah i thought it had been moved to thirlmere?

[The_Ghan]

Reminder that drinks is still on this Friday @ 6:00pm.  See first post for details of where to meet at Central Station, Sydney.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[marknewton]

I'm working an earlyish job on Friday, which finishes at Central. So I'll see you all there! 

Cheers,

Mark.

[keitaro]

i am comming from work so i have to cart my back pack.

I have my new MA fuji set with this sound feature today as tracker says delivered after being sitting in the auburn depot since wednesday.

hoping mailroom send me pickup notice today...

see you all tonight

[keitaro]

I figured I'd wrap up this topic with a quick summary.

-The Ghan, Mark and Myself came
-Round of beer each
-Food
-We learnt of The Ghans Quest for true love
-Mark gave all the goss on the rail
-We didn't stop talking
-Gloria jeans was closed at 10 in the city on a friday night WTF
-We had starbucks instead

I would like to organise another some time.

[The_Ghan]

Hey keitaro,

Let's not wrap up the topic ... ever!  Let's make it the SJMRC ... Sydney Japanese Model Railway Club!  We've got three members!  Membership fee free, royalty free, condition free, timetable free (a bit like CityRail there), duty free (duty being "responsibility", but that's not to say we're irresponsible ...   ), venue free, and fat free!

I might mention that "The_Ghan's Quest For True Love" was successful!  How we met was quite a story, but I married Mrs_Ghan over 5 years ago now.  Mark and keitaro had the pleasure of her acquaintence before she headed of to dinner with a few of her girl friends.

We did talk a lot and I'm amazed at just how much "stuff" the two of you know!!!

I reckon we should get together again in a couple of months, perhaps at a show.

keitaro, I won't make either of the shows you pm'd to me as they're both quite small and a fair hike from my place.

Mark, I'd love to have gone driving trams with you this weekend but it is a big family weekend of birthdays, I'm afraid.

Top night fellas.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[cteno4]

Careful this is how JRM started! Nice to get together with others that enjoy Japanese model rr! Even nicer over a beer or two.

Cheers

Jeff

[John P Boogerd]

Good chance I'll be in Australia August 15-26 Sydney and Gold Coast.

[keitaro]

haha you'd have to talk The Ghan out of his layout for a group to start i think.

As nice as Mrs Ghan was i still don't think she will tollerate a large layout and a bunch of modules and dissapearing on weekends but who knows.

[cteno4]

We started with spare track bits and some simple module bases...

Jeff

[The_Ghan]

Good chance I'll be in Australia August 15-26 Sydney and Gold Coast.

Keep us posted on dates John.  We'll let you know what's on and who you can meet.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[linkey]

Hey keitaro,

Let's not wrap up the topic ... ever!  Let's make it the SJMRC ... Sydney Japanese Model Railway Club!  We've got three members!  Membership fee free, royalty free, condition free, timetable free (a bit like CityRail there), duty free (duty being "responsibility", but that's not to say we're irresponsible ...   ), venue free, and fat free!

I might mention that "The_Ghan's Quest For True Love" was successful!  How we met was quite a story, but I married Mrs_Ghan over 5 years ago now.  Mark and keitaro had the pleasure of her acquaintence before she headed of to dinner with a few of her girl friends.

We did talk a lot and I'm amazed at just how much "stuff" the two of you know!!!

I reckon we should get together again in a couple of months, perhaps at a show.

keitaro, I won't make either of the shows you pm'd to me as they're both quite small and a fair hike from my place.

Mark, I'd love to have gone driving trams with you this weekend but it is a big family weekend of birthdays, I'm afraid.

Top night fellas.

Cheers

The_Ghan

Or you could call it the AJMRG Sydney Div.. (Australian Japanese Model Railway Group - Sydney Div) As we Melbourne members would like to have contacts via all states and Territories of Australia. Plus we have the N scale conference in Melbourne April 2013.

[Bernard]

This is a wonderful thread to read, getting people together with the same interests!

[cteno4]

its kind of like the sticky rice ball game!

jeff

[The_Ghan]

Nice idea linkey, however that would require us being affiliated, adopting mission statements, a constitution, rules, monthly meetings, exhibitions, etc.  It would probably make you the "Melbourne Division" too ...     

I think we's just prefer a beer'n'feed when it suits us!      

Cheers

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

Nice idea linkey, however that would require us being affiliated, adopting mission statements, a constitution, rules, monthly meetings, exhibitions, etc.  It would probably make you the "Melbourne Division" too ...      

I think we's just prefer a beer'n'feed when it suits us!      

Cheers

The_Ghan

Agreed.

I just don't have the time for a club.

If the kids were in school i could spare an evening a week  and the occasionaly day on the weekend but there not so .....




BTW My son makes Mrs Keitaro go to the trainstation to watch the trains and cars every day in the morning and every afternoon as well.

Just think what will happen when he is older and has a camera 

I take him to the station on the weekends if we are home, today i was there for 1 hour and could not talk him into continuing the walk to the park. 

I've converted him. we also play with the trains on my layout a good 30 - 40 mins every arvo.

Maybe he can join the club 

[linkey]

we don't have an age restriction, if they are young kids we would like to have one of their parents with them at the meetings. But they do make us feel young too. :P

[marknewton]

I figured I'd wrap up this topic with a quick summary.
-The Ghan, Mark and Myself came
-Round of beer each

The pub we were at had Kirin on tap. 

-Food
-We learnt of The Ghans Quest for true love
-Mark gave all the goss on the rail
-We didn't stop talking
-Gloria jeans was closed at 10 in the city on a friday night WTF
-We had starbucks instead

Which sad to say, tasted like it had been drunk before, by someone else! 

I would like to organise another some time.

So would I - we had a good night out.

Cheers,

Mark.

[marknewton]

I reckon we should get together again in a couple of months, perhaps at a show.

Sounds good to me. As long as I have some notice in advance I can organise a book-off day.

Mark, I'd love to have gone driving trams with you this weekend but it is a big family weekend of birthdays, I'm afraid.

No worries, there's always another weekend we can do that. As it turned out my plans for the Sunday fell in a heap - my son Harry has chickenpox.    So we stayed home and played with models instead.

Top night fellas.

Indeed!

Cheers,

Mark.

[marknewton]

its kind of like the sticky rice ball game!

What's that?

Cheers,

Mark.

[marknewton]

Or you could call it the AJMRG Sydney Div.. (Australian Japanese Model Railway Group - Sydney Div) As we Melbourne members would like to have contacts via all states and Territories of Australia. Plus we have the N scale conference in Melbourne April 2013.

I think the Ghan is right - we're better off keeping things casual. And as a dedicated HO scale modeller I probably wouldn't be able to contribute much to an N scale group. But thanks for thinking of us!

Cheers,

Mark.

[The_Ghan]

The pub we were at had Kirin on tap. 

Ha!  Didja think I'd take you to just any old pub?   

Cheers

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

The pub we were at had Kirin on tap. 

Ha!  Didja think I'd take you to just any old pub?   

Cheers

The_Ghan

Shame it was the locally brewed type though :(

When you go to japan later this year (or should i say IF?) you will notice the beer tastes different. I don't think your taste buds will remember back 20 years :P

shame you won't be in jpn in august though could have invited you both to help harvest the rice field BAHAHAHA

Or just go somewhere like up to catch the yamaguchi SL.

[cteno4]

its kind of like the sticky rice ball game!

What's that?

Cheers,

Mark.

cant remember the name of it but one of the best video games ever. you simply maneuver a sticky rice ball around a house and pick up all sorts of things. as the ball gets bigger it might get off balance or out of round depending on what you picked up. very simple but fun and pleasing game!

jeff

[The_Ghan]

You seem to have a lot of time on your hands, Jeff !!!      

Cheers

The_Ghan

[cteno4]

actually almost never play video games myself, saw this one at matthew's house, they picked it up when they were living in japan a few years back and it was quite entertaining. actually one of those games that would be great fun for only 5 minutes or a longer game, thats rare. its just cute how you keep picking up various odd items and i think you can play it on a few scales. just drew up the mental pictures of it rolling around picking up a few aussies with beer and trains in hand!

my deepest indulgence in games is a quick few hands of solitaire or 5 minutes of pinball on the ipad now and then...

worse now with the kitchen remodel started this week!

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

Sounds like Katamari Damaci, except there you create a ball of whatever you come across in the game world. Not limited to a rice ball and a house :)

[cteno4]

thats it! i only got to play it for like 10 minutes and did not get into all the other aspects of the game. was a fun 10 minutes though, quite creative in how all the bits you pick up animate and have sound effects as they get rolled over and bumped  into things.

jeff

[The_Ghan]

Well,

I've found another member here in Sydney ... john_ibw ...

John and I have exchanged a few PMs over the last year regarding DCC and I had no idea he was even an Aussie.  I thought he was in India ... and he was!  However, it seems John is taking a few months out from having his snake charmed, to spend some time in Sydney having his boomerang straightened ...  ... So, as John plans to head back to India end April / early May, I'm thinking it's time for another piss-up drinks night!  What do you guys think?  I propose:

Date: Friday, April 13th 2012
Time: 6:00pm (that's 18:00 on the CityRail timetable)
Location: Central Station, north end of Platform 1, exactly where we met last time

John: I figure your last few weeks here will be pretty hectic anyway, so it's better to keep the date early-mid April.

keitaro: Do you know if there are any shows on around that time?  I'm happy to change to meet at a show if there's one on.

Mark: Happy to do something with real trains if there is an event on around that time.

Remember ANZAC Day holiday on Wednesday 25th April.

Let me know what you guys think.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[keitaro]

definately up for it i'll have a look about for a show but drinks sounds great. now if we can get Mark in as well again we will have 4 rounds of beer 

still have to check the calendar when i get home just incase.

[john_ibw]

Date: Friday, April 13th 2012
Time: 6:00pm (that's 18:00 on the CityRail timetable)
Location: Central Station, north end of Platform 1, exactly where we met last time

Thanks The_Ghan. I will be there!

John: I figure your last few weeks here will be pretty hectic anyway, so it's better to keep the date early-mid April.

In fact, I am free almost all weekday evenings and weekends. Quite flexible and happy to meet anytime. No notice needed either :)

[keitaro]

I will be there unless i am on call for work or stuck with a fault

[keitaro]

damn so yeah I can't go this day sorry no one would exchange day with me ...

Was looking forward to it too! 

[The_Ghan]

Aargh ... I can't change the date because I have other things happening.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[The_Ghan]

Hey John and Mark,

Just confirming drinks on Friday 13th.  Meet at platform 1, Central Station, Sydney as per first post @ 6:00pm.

Cheers

The_Ghan

[marknewton]

Nige, barring any disasters, I'll be there. 

Cheers,

Mark.

[john_ibw]

The_Ghan,

I will be there. I will pm my cell number as well. Thanks much!

John

[john_ibw]

Sydney members, see you this evening!

[keitaro]

have fun guys 

[john_ibw]

The_Ghan and I went looking for Japanese beer last evening and didn't find any. That apart, we had a chance to share our experiences in life in general and of the hobby. Which was non-stop talking for a few hours and a few imported beers long! Sorry to have missed mark and keitaro as I may not be in Sydney after April to meet in person again. But, I can hope to be back and catch up sometime in the future! :)

Cheers!

[The_Ghan]

Yuh John,

It was a great night.  I promise you, that pub was selling Kirin beer on tap just a month or so ago.

Cheers

The_Ghan