i personally didn't find the phone
a family friend's friend found it
you could write a book with its contents i thought, like reading an interactive novel with different mediums available to the reader.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
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!!!
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
trained
i have trained myself to sleep late and wake up early for work in my attempts to maximise consciousness to do pointless little things, such as this.
good night.
good night.
Tuesday, June 05, 2007
susanna
I'm only about 50 pages through but i'm really enjoying this book, and at this point, purely from Clarke's writing style.the last book i picked up was: "the curse of chalion" by Lois McMaster Bujold, 200 pages in, out of the 400-odd, the plot progressed very little and the style wasn't my cuppa tea. though there was a, apparently, hot 19 year old in it named 'Betriz' as i recall, i shelved it - literally.
p.s. 'twas recommended by xtn.
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Friday, January 05, 2007
Friday, December 29, 2006
.............................
as the year comes to an end and my heart to a gluttonous halt, i think it's introspection time! plus other tidbits.
what a year!
what a year?
it's neither here nor there, 2006, promoted then resigned, contending with steep edges of a new way of living, learning - yes, frustrating - yes, longterm enlightenment - probably not, hectic.
boy oh boy, how bemusing, 2006.
2007 looms, others have leaked bigger and bolder plans throughout the year to 'go live' in 07. many resigned to letting the winds take them wherever it wishes, i like that thought, uncontrollable, adventurous.
i got a coffee this morning, as you do, and a little voice cried out in my head "i don't care anymore!" why? i think it all started as i crossed the road to the coffee shop this morning; a slight breeze had come across my face blowing my hair to one side as it does when i'm holidaying up the coast. only when i got to the other side of the road, the to-do list i had set out on my desk for the new year popped into my head. get fucked i thought, annoyed from robbing a minute of escapism from myself. i only wanted to grab my coffee and head back to the holiday house we'd rented......oh.... defiance set in, "i don't care anymore!". in an instant my building turned into a 40 storey monster, with hands on hips waiting for me to return to work.
"ra ra ra"
i've heard that alot. i've spent ample time there, many of the stories begin and end with ra ra ra, such as this particular story
"... and then she started crying ra ra ra, i didn't know what to do, so i told her to calm down ra ra ra cos we were in the middle of the mall, ra ra ra"
it's all quite amusing.
so long 2006.
what a year!
what a year?
it's neither here nor there, 2006, promoted then resigned, contending with steep edges of a new way of living, learning - yes, frustrating - yes, longterm enlightenment - probably not, hectic.
boy oh boy, how bemusing, 2006.
2007 looms, others have leaked bigger and bolder plans throughout the year to 'go live' in 07. many resigned to letting the winds take them wherever it wishes, i like that thought, uncontrollable, adventurous.
i got a coffee this morning, as you do, and a little voice cried out in my head "i don't care anymore!" why? i think it all started as i crossed the road to the coffee shop this morning; a slight breeze had come across my face blowing my hair to one side as it does when i'm holidaying up the coast. only when i got to the other side of the road, the to-do list i had set out on my desk for the new year popped into my head. get fucked i thought, annoyed from robbing a minute of escapism from myself. i only wanted to grab my coffee and head back to the holiday house we'd rented......oh.... defiance set in, "i don't care anymore!". in an instant my building turned into a 40 storey monster, with hands on hips waiting for me to return to work.
"ra ra ra"
i've heard that alot. i've spent ample time there, many of the stories begin and end with ra ra ra, such as this particular story
"... and then she started crying ra ra ra, i didn't know what to do, so i told her to calm down ra ra ra cos we were in the middle of the mall, ra ra ra"
it's all quite amusing.
so long 2006.
Tuesday, October 17, 2006
Friday, October 13, 2006
quietly content
i dream of sitting at a cafe on lazy saturday morning, situated along a cobble stoned road. i see unfamiliar faces in an unfamiliar place yet comforting. i possess the knowledge that the layers of icey commitments from the big smoke are slowly melting away.
off to my left there's a small foot bridge leading into labyrinth of other interconnected cobble stoned streets. away from the cafe the scene twists and changes to another town, something familiar yet strangely odd the way the city greets you. you decide to save the sight seeing for later and make haste for your little concrete cottage perched a storey or two off the firmness of land. tree strewn streets with lightly greened leaves making way for spring.
you close your eyes and get thrown through the vortex for when you open your eyes you see a vast blue sea and giant hills with blue roofed white terraces situated at the height.
ahh... 35 degrees.
off to my left there's a small foot bridge leading into labyrinth of other interconnected cobble stoned streets. away from the cafe the scene twists and changes to another town, something familiar yet strangely odd the way the city greets you. you decide to save the sight seeing for later and make haste for your little concrete cottage perched a storey or two off the firmness of land. tree strewn streets with lightly greened leaves making way for spring.
you close your eyes and get thrown through the vortex for when you open your eyes you see a vast blue sea and giant hills with blue roofed white terraces situated at the height.
ahh... 35 degrees.
Monday, October 02, 2006
what a crappy week
1. incapacitated myself after going for a pansy layup during tuesday night bball, a slight tear in the lateral cruciate ligament.
2. swans getting beat by the eagles in the afl grand final by the narrowest of margins, 1 fricken point.
3. broncos winning the league grand final.
sons of bitches.
2. swans getting beat by the eagles in the afl grand final by the narrowest of margins, 1 fricken point.
3. broncos winning the league grand final.
sons of bitches.
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
..and well......
Friday, 22nd July 2006...
verbal offer
resignation
formal offer
4 weeks - zoom zoom..
farewell lunch - friends
farewell lunch- work
farewell speech
farewell drinks - work
farewell drinks - friends
training day 1
training day 2
and...
then...
Wednesday, 23rd August 2006 8:30am.
so i get to my new building a little too early, i'm no eager beaver, so i sit around the block on a bench sipping a large soy mocha ($2.40 - cheap!). didn't want any cow-milk this morning incase my body couldn't fight the lactose, my body only sometimes wins the lactose war.
so i count the minutes 8:39am, the large soy mocha turned out to be craphouse (too hot, too soy-milky, $2.40 - not so cheap!) but i continue drinking it giving myself something to do before i call my would-be manager to let me in.
8:45am, i call and they let me in.
all of a sudden it's 12:30, luckily oportos' just around the corner, excellent! i thought, a familiar sight!
"regular bondi meal thanks!"
*gobble*
*slurp*
what happened? i thought, that went by rather quickly...
got my log on, so i logged on,
got given lots of reading material, so i read a little.
north sydney is nice and laid back, but it'll probably drive me insane, it's so businessey with chunks of school children during lunch and nothing that really interests me.
i attempt to navigate from the station all the way out to berry st and back to walker st through a labyrinth of cafes, pharmacies, more cafes, food court, cafe, food court, cafe, florist, cafe, cafe, cafe, small food court, big food court and a mini food court next door to my building.
oportos saved my life. i'll be eating there tomorrow i reckon.
and..... they use lotus notes, it's not bad, but it's an ugly mofo.
verbal offer
resignation
formal offer
4 weeks - zoom zoom..
farewell lunch - friends
farewell lunch- work
farewell speech
farewell drinks - work
farewell drinks - friends
training day 1
training day 2
and...
then...
Wednesday, 23rd August 2006 8:30am.
so i get to my new building a little too early, i'm no eager beaver, so i sit around the block on a bench sipping a large soy mocha ($2.40 - cheap!). didn't want any cow-milk this morning incase my body couldn't fight the lactose, my body only sometimes wins the lactose war.
so i count the minutes 8:39am, the large soy mocha turned out to be craphouse (too hot, too soy-milky, $2.40 - not so cheap!) but i continue drinking it giving myself something to do before i call my would-be manager to let me in.
8:45am, i call and they let me in.
all of a sudden it's 12:30, luckily oportos' just around the corner, excellent! i thought, a familiar sight!
"regular bondi meal thanks!"
*gobble*
*slurp*
what happened? i thought, that went by rather quickly...
got my log on, so i logged on,
got given lots of reading material, so i read a little.
north sydney is nice and laid back, but it'll probably drive me insane, it's so businessey with chunks of school children during lunch and nothing that really interests me.
i attempt to navigate from the station all the way out to berry st and back to walker st through a labyrinth of cafes, pharmacies, more cafes, food court, cafe, food court, cafe, florist, cafe, cafe, cafe, small food court, big food court and a mini food court next door to my building.
oportos saved my life. i'll be eating there tomorrow i reckon.
and..... they use lotus notes, it's not bad, but it's an ugly mofo.
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