it's just one of those phases.
purpose
inspiration
motivation
goal
meaning..
Sunday, November 29, 2009
Monday, July 13, 2009
consumption
there's only so much you can consume, that's limited by your finite resources, lack of attention towards a specific focus or one's incapability to consume that much in such a short time span, i guess something's got to give.
in the end, you feel rather deflated or extremely inflated, beyond the realms of comfort.
in the end, you feel rather deflated or extremely inflated, beyond the realms of comfort.
Monday, July 06, 2009
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
the hobbyist
more often than not travellers who return home tell tales of adventure into foreign lands, exotic cultures and strange accents twisting and turning between unfamiliar faces.
of late, this process of discovery and revelation that my senses had the fortune of experiencing have been applied to the plethora of interests i take, from the urge to play the drums to learning a new language.
whichever subject of interest i take, beneath the forums and web pages of "japanese for beginners" and "want to drum like a pro? start here!" there are sprawling metropolis like communities, who share the same love and speak in a familiar yet unfamiliar language, like tourist guides, they generously offer truckloads of information, where to go! what to see! how much to pay!
this is where i draw parallels where diving into a new hobby is like visiting a new country, and inherent in that, a rush of excitement overwhelms me – action is needed! there is a compulsory requirement to purchase equipment and other associated tools to ready me for the journey ahead; a drum kit, soccer boots, japanese lessons, whatever it takes!
apparatuses for total immersion!
i guess where i fail is, commitment - i.e. nice place to visit, wouldn’t want to live here though.
of late, this process of discovery and revelation that my senses had the fortune of experiencing have been applied to the plethora of interests i take, from the urge to play the drums to learning a new language.
whichever subject of interest i take, beneath the forums and web pages of "japanese for beginners" and "want to drum like a pro? start here!" there are sprawling metropolis like communities, who share the same love and speak in a familiar yet unfamiliar language, like tourist guides, they generously offer truckloads of information, where to go! what to see! how much to pay!
this is where i draw parallels where diving into a new hobby is like visiting a new country, and inherent in that, a rush of excitement overwhelms me – action is needed! there is a compulsory requirement to purchase equipment and other associated tools to ready me for the journey ahead; a drum kit, soccer boots, japanese lessons, whatever it takes!
apparatuses for total immersion!
i guess where i fail is, commitment - i.e. nice place to visit, wouldn’t want to live here though.
Monday, April 06, 2009
viets and that
i spent the weekend doing, husbandy activities (not to be confused with husbandry activities) with her.
you know:
- shopping for a super non-stick hard anodized fry pan
- holding hands
- play cook assistant
wait, i remember.. so part of these husbandy tasks, i attended a 13th birthday – my wife’s cousin.
over the past few years i’ve had the honour of observing how the vietnamese have such a male dominant hierarchical culture..
so at the party..
the men gathered around the main table, drank beer and nibbled on peanuts, while the women prepared the food and settled onto the smaller, less grandeur table.
to kids get a table too, even less grandeur, no table cloth, crappy dishes (like sliced cucumber) and no centre piece dish - usually a big soup pot bubbling away on a portable cooker (in vietnamese it's called "gun", a very violent name if you ask me).
being the son in law married to their eldest daughter, i get promoted to the mens table (i was on the kids table for years) for the heavy hitting pow wow with the other men of the pride, the sexist jokes and how i lost wads of cash on the pokies whilst guzzling down can after can of VB and randomly slinging vietnamese profanities around the room.
unfortunately, my vietnamese stereotypes didn't come to fruition - instead, the only member of the group that spoke a little english (coincidentally sat next to me) asked how my new job was going and how terrible it'd be if i had to drive into work everyday. he explained that traffic and the parking fees alone would deter most city workers to drive, although i did point out the concept of early bird parking - and no sir, it's not a meal deal of deep fried poultry and cheap parking.......ok!
and then, there was cake!
you know:
- shopping for a super non-stick hard anodized fry pan
- holding hands
- play cook assistant
wait, i remember.. so part of these husbandy tasks, i attended a 13th birthday – my wife’s cousin.
over the past few years i’ve had the honour of observing how the vietnamese have such a male dominant hierarchical culture..
so at the party..
the men gathered around the main table, drank beer and nibbled on peanuts, while the women prepared the food and settled onto the smaller, less grandeur table.
to kids get a table too, even less grandeur, no table cloth, crappy dishes (like sliced cucumber) and no centre piece dish - usually a big soup pot bubbling away on a portable cooker (in vietnamese it's called "gun", a very violent name if you ask me).
being the son in law married to their eldest daughter, i get promoted to the mens table (i was on the kids table for years) for the heavy hitting pow wow with the other men of the pride, the sexist jokes and how i lost wads of cash on the pokies whilst guzzling down can after can of VB and randomly slinging vietnamese profanities around the room.
unfortunately, my vietnamese stereotypes didn't come to fruition - instead, the only member of the group that spoke a little english (coincidentally sat next to me) asked how my new job was going and how terrible it'd be if i had to drive into work everyday. he explained that traffic and the parking fees alone would deter most city workers to drive, although i did point out the concept of early bird parking - and no sir, it's not a meal deal of deep fried poultry and cheap parking.......ok!
and then, there was cake!
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
wake dream wake
so i had problems getting to sleep last night, my brain was in overdrive, various images drifted in and out of my head - a cacophony of dream, thoughts and ideas was stirring - and it didn't stop, not 'til i heard the chirp of the morning birds.
prior to bed though, there was a flurry of activity on the computer: twitters, blogs, facebooks and lots and lots of pictures that i've been too lazy to upload since dot.
perhaps that was the cause, managing multiple mediums' got me brainstorming (at a very bad time) about my next update/post/upload.
i'm zombie like at work this morning - secretly typing up this post, cleverly disguised as an important email addressed to important people.
it's the last day of march today.
prior to bed though, there was a flurry of activity on the computer: twitters, blogs, facebooks and lots and lots of pictures that i've been too lazy to upload since dot.
perhaps that was the cause, managing multiple mediums' got me brainstorming (at a very bad time) about my next update/post/upload.
i'm zombie like at work this morning - secretly typing up this post, cleverly disguised as an important email addressed to important people.
it's the last day of march today.
Monday, March 30, 2009
remixed feelings
it's been almost six months since returning from london and only now, due to the change in visa rules i've felt the need to reflect on the year i spent there.
i guess the biggest thing about living abroad is...exactly that, living abroad and meeting unfamiliar surroundings, unfamiliar accents from different parts of the island and a world of adventure awaiting my discovery.
i've dossed with friends, made new friends and reforged old ones and met distant family that i've never ever seen before.
i had a 3 hour round trip to aylesbury everyday for 7 months for work.
there, i met some hard working english and some lazy ones, like every other working society.
i admit, it's a rather small sample group but i can only speak from my experience (strange and coincidentally i met an ex workmate from sydney from several years back).
the bloke who sat next to me had only been to london a handful of times, he grew up in aylesbury, now 32, he's worked in that organisation since he was 18 in the call centre, recently as he says, got "promoted" to IT. one day he'll visit sydney, one day.
then comes the european trips, ticket purchases, check ins, customs, the delayed flights, dawn departures and midnight arrivals are just some of the things that's defined many australians' experience.
this by no means is an exhaustive list, our trips were at best guess every 3 weeks. we visited a fair few cities as you do during your first year in london (ibiza is all sorts of crazy).
there were also so many memories i took away from being in london-town itself.
i've been fortunate enough to have a fairly close knit bunch of friends over there that's either super-enthusiastic about jetting off to some european city or getting out and partaking in local activities and places of interest - bath, windsor, touch footy, musicals, portobello markets, and hunting for good coffee!
leaving london in september last year, i made many many promises to friends about returning by early '09.
so a change in the visa rules which has effectively ruled me out of the only venue for me to return to london has me feeling, inadequate, unsatisfied, disappointed.
lately, the idea of working and living in canada came up on my radar, due to the ease of acquiring their visa and perhaps a substitute for london...
i've not lived or worked in another city other than london, but i can't be bothered to explain why the desire for london right now.
i guess the biggest thing about living abroad is...exactly that, living abroad and meeting unfamiliar surroundings, unfamiliar accents from different parts of the island and a world of adventure awaiting my discovery.
i've dossed with friends, made new friends and reforged old ones and met distant family that i've never ever seen before.
i had a 3 hour round trip to aylesbury everyday for 7 months for work.
there, i met some hard working english and some lazy ones, like every other working society.
i admit, it's a rather small sample group but i can only speak from my experience (strange and coincidentally i met an ex workmate from sydney from several years back).
the bloke who sat next to me had only been to london a handful of times, he grew up in aylesbury, now 32, he's worked in that organisation since he was 18 in the call centre, recently as he says, got "promoted" to IT. one day he'll visit sydney, one day.
then comes the european trips, ticket purchases, check ins, customs, the delayed flights, dawn departures and midnight arrivals are just some of the things that's defined many australians' experience.
this by no means is an exhaustive list, our trips were at best guess every 3 weeks. we visited a fair few cities as you do during your first year in london (ibiza is all sorts of crazy).
there were also so many memories i took away from being in london-town itself.
i've been fortunate enough to have a fairly close knit bunch of friends over there that's either super-enthusiastic about jetting off to some european city or getting out and partaking in local activities and places of interest - bath, windsor, touch footy, musicals, portobello markets, and hunting for good coffee!
leaving london in september last year, i made many many promises to friends about returning by early '09.
so a change in the visa rules which has effectively ruled me out of the only venue for me to return to london has me feeling, inadequate, unsatisfied, disappointed.
lately, the idea of working and living in canada came up on my radar, due to the ease of acquiring their visa and perhaps a substitute for london...
i've not lived or worked in another city other than london, but i can't be bothered to explain why the desire for london right now.
so they're onto us
march 31st marks the day the brits decided to up the slam dunk highly skillful visa requirements.
being one of those people who decided not to return to tertiary.edu to nab a highly skillful masters degree, has consequentially shafted me an opportunity to return to the land of the britons and enjoy: breakfast teas, ride on red double decker buses, black cabs, row boats around universities whilst reciting poetry and cold, cold winters.
first thoughts: sad panda, no bamboo.
on second thoughts, screw the brits, i'll goto canada, who are welcoming us aussies with open arms, to enjoy: tegan & sara, the raptors, the maple leafs, niagra falls, french-esque-ness, big bears and cold, cold winters!
RAWR!!!
being one of those people who decided not to return to tertiary.edu to nab a highly skillful masters degree, has consequentially shafted me an opportunity to return to the land of the britons and enjoy: breakfast teas, ride on red double decker buses, black cabs, row boats around universities whilst reciting poetry and cold, cold winters.
first thoughts: sad panda, no bamboo.
on second thoughts, screw the brits, i'll goto canada, who are welcoming us aussies with open arms, to enjoy: tegan & sara, the raptors, the maple leafs, niagra falls, french-esque-ness, big bears and cold, cold winters!
RAWR!!!
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