The Coriolis Effect

Most people would consider moving from New York to Los Angeles is pretty much the farthest you can go in the contiguous United States. My move was a little more significant in distance as my 1^st layover was in LAX. Moving across the country is one thing, moving to another continent is another, and moving from the northern hemisphere to the Australia/Asia Pacific region of the southern hemisphere is a completely different issue. From watching The Simpson’s (Bart-vs- Australia)I learned of the main difference I would be facing; the vaunted Coriolis effect.

Water spinning in a different direction down a drain was going to be a big change for me. I knew that I would have to change and adapt to the new environment and my surrounding not vice-versa; I was assuming I would have little to no impact on the environment in return.

Shortly after arriving in the southern hemisphere (specifically to the Australia/Asia Pacific region) there were wild fires in Australia (not to uncommon), there was massive flooding in Queensland (extremely uncommon), then there was cyclone Yasi which tore through Queensland, multiple earthquakes in New Zealand; most of Christchurch was levelled, and lastly there was a devastating 7.0 magnitude earthquake in Japan that unleashed a map-changing tsunami; this tsunami also lead to a nuclear plant melting down as well.

I have only been in the Australia/Asia pacific region for 17 months now and there have been numerous devastating moments that will forever be recorded in the history books. Without trying to come across as a person that is having delusions of grandeur; does the theory of the onset of these events coinciding with my arrival in the region hold any water and if it does would that water be effected by the Coriolis effect?

The Escape - Background Info

I feel that I have to lay some ground work before I can really tear into my blog so you understand where I am coming from. 

For most people in the United States it was just another Tuesday afternoon in October of 2010, fall was setting in and there was a nice chill in the air. What most people didn't know was that there was an escape attempt about to be made. I was only hours away from getting on a plane bound for Sydney, Australia. The ironic thing about this whole exercise is that I was escaping from the US and heading to a land that was once used as a penal colony for England, basically I was escaping to an old prison.

I was 31 years old and always wanted to live and work abroad, if I didn’t make the move soon it would be something I always wished I had done.  The timing was perfect, the opportunity was there, and once my mind was made up there was no turning back. 

The flight consisted of a 6 ½ hour flight to LA and then a 15 hour flight on to Sydney.  This flight was described to me as diabolical before I made the trip and after I landed in Sydney I agreed 100%.  I didn't know anyone in Sydney and I had never been to Australia. The only thing I knew was the typical stereotypes everyone around the world knew of Australians.

Once I landed I could only think about the little things in life that would make me feel human again, a shower, clean clothes, and stretching out topped that list.  Besides the instinctual needs there was only one thing running through my mind; Game On.